HYBRID LOCKWOOD: THE SCHOOL OF SHADOWS

CHAPTER 3

LIAM LOCKWOOD

I continue watching her, curious and captivated, as she waves her hand over a vase of flowers, as if expecting something magical to happen.

Witches were known in the village where I grew up, but I had never witnessed a ritual so closely. The skill and concentration of the girl fascinate me, and a feeling of enchantment settles within me.

However, the girl's expression begins to change. Her frustration becomes evident, and she closes her eyes for a moment, as if seeking extra concentration.

The magic she's trying to invoke seems to elude her control, and it visibly frustrates her. Nevertheless, she persists, uttering the words with intense determination.

The scene continues to unfold before me, and I feel caught between the desire to help and the curiosity to see how she will resolve the impasse. I still don't know her name, but I can't stop looking at her at this moment.

The witch girl, now even more determined, tries once again to channel the magic. However, frustration persists, and she fails to achieve the desired result. It's at this moment that I realize I've been staring intensely. Her eyes open, and our gazes meet.

She turns her head in my direction, surprised to notice someone watching her. The silence in the library is interrupted for a brief moment, and tension hangs in the air between us.

I feel momentarily embarrassed for being caught observing, but at the same time, there's an inexplicable connection between us.

The witch girl fixes her gaze on me, and for a moment, we are two strangers in a magical world, sharing a moment of discovery.

She stands up, temporarily abandoning her spell attempt. Her steps bring her in my direction, and there's a mixture of curiosity and caution in her gaze. I decided there was no reason to hide my fascination.

"That was amazing; I've never seen anything like that up close.", I say, smiling and pointing to her hands when the girl is in front of me with a serious expression.

"Amazing? Are you calling that amazing? I can't even do a simple spell with a flower; that's not amazing. That's very bad.", she says, irritated, and I quickly stop smiling.

"Oh, I'm sorry!", I say this, seeing that she continues to look at me with anger.

We still don't know each other, and I don't understand why she's glaring at me like this; I haven't done anything wrong.

The girl places the flower vase and the book on my library table and crosses her arms in front of her body.

"Why are you following me, wolf?", she asks, and I furrow my brow before smiling, completely incredulous, not believing that she's accusing me of something like that.

I continue looking at the girl, and she touches her glasses, waiting for my response with an anxious and irritated expression.

"I'm not following you. This is a school, and I'm studying.", I say, pointing to my book.

I realize that the girl called me a wolf, and I know she said that because of the color of my eyes, which are golden like my father's; no wolf besides me and my father has eyes like that.

"I don't care what you're doing; just stop distracting me. I can't do spells with you looking at me like that, wolf."

"Liam, my name is Liam.", I say, and she smiles in a very ironic way.

"Everyone knows who you are, Liam Lockwood."

"What's your name?", I ask, and I see that this is the second time she's touched her glasses since we started talking.

"Violet. Violet Fox.", she says, and I furrow my brow.

"I've heard that last name before.", I say, and she nods before sitting next to me, and I'm still surprised looking at her.

"Yes, my whole family is well known for being the best witches, but I'm not like them.", she says, looking at the flower in the vase with a sad expression.

"I know how it feels, our families are important, but maybe we're not like them.", She starts laughing, shaking her head.

"Really? You have the best parents in the world, and they would do anything for you. They started a war with the vampires to protect you, Liam Lockwood."

She's right, my parents would do anything for me.

"But why can't you do magic? I thought all witches knew how to do that from the moment they were born."

"I'm different. I don't know why; I should be able to do magic, but I can't. I'm a failure, and I shouldn't be in this school."

"Don't say that; I'm sure you can be a talented witch like your family. You just need more concentration and to believe in yourself.", I say, and she blinks her dark eyes, watching me attentively.

Many vampires have powers, but at this moment, I really wish I had the power to know what she's thinking .

"I don't need you to keep motivating me!", she complains, and I shake my head.

I realize she's different from all the girls I've seen before; she has no friends because she's someone who likes to be alone. She's a difficult girl in every aspect.

"I'm just trying to help you, Violet. But I see that you don't want me to do that."

She sighs before tying her long black hair and looking at the flower vase on the table again.

The determined expression on her face indicates that she's about to try the spell that challenged her earlier. Violet begins to whisper the spells nonstop, her voice blending into the quiet atmosphere of the library.

I follow her movements with my eyes, curious to see if this time she will manage to tame the magic that seems to slip from her hands.

She's focused, her lips moving smoothly as she tries to channel the magical power into the flower in front of her.

However, what happens next is unexpected. Instead of responding to the magical command, the flower began to catch fire.

Violet lets out an irritated sigh, trying to smother the flames with her hands, while some students around us start to laugh. The library, usually a place of silence and concentration, is now the stage for a surprising scene.

The laughter is muffled by an authoritative voice echoing in the library. One of the teachers from the School of Shadows, a man with a stern posture, approaches Violet, reprimanding her for the reckless use of fire magic within the sacred confines of the library.

Violet, visibly frustrated, tries to explain, but her words are drowned out by the teacher's reprimand.

Violet seems to be a mix of embarrassment and irritation. She mutters something in response to the teacher, but it's evident that frustration dominates her feelings.

"Violet, maybe it's better to try again later. Sometimes, magic has a mind of its own.", I suggest, wanting to ease the tension accumulating around us.

She looks at me with a mix of gratitude and frustration.

"I just can't, Liam. It's like magic is avoiding me."

I try to comfort her, but before I can say anything more, she abruptly stands up. It seems that the momentary defeat is hard to bear. Violet mutters a quick thank you but avoids my gaze as she walks away, leaving me alone in the library.

I stand there, confused and intrigued by the witch girl, who seems to carry the weight of magic and refuses to submit to her commands.