The Witch Queen's Legacy

Family Breakfast

Asher Pov

I woke up to sizzling bacon and coffee wafting through the house. Mom must already be up, as usual, preparing a hearty breakfast for us. I groggily went to the bathroom, letting the warm water cascade over my body.

After getting dressed in my t-shirt and jeans, I trudged downstairs to find my little sisters seated at the kitchen table. Aurora flashed me a mischievous grin as she shoveled pancakes into her mouth while Avalon sat there with a serene smile.

"Morning, big brother," Aurora chirped, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

I ruffled her brown hair playfully before turning to Avalon, who greeted me with a soft smile. "Morning, brother," she said, her gray eyes looking at me sweetly.

I tousled her brown hair gently and grinned back at them both before going over to Mom. She looked up from the stove with a warm smile. "Morning, sweety," she said lovingly.

I leaned down, grabbed a plate, and loaded it with eggs and bacon. As I dug into my breakfast, I couldn't help but feel grateful for these moments with my family. Despite all the chaos and uncertainty in the world, we had each other.

I sat at the breakfast table, the smell of sizzling bacon filling the air as I waited for Dad to join us. But once again, he was nowhere to be found. His work always came first, leaving Mom and me behind.

"So, where's Dad?" I asked, frustration creeping into my voice as I grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite.

"Oh, he left for work already," Mom replied, her tone trying to hide her disappointment. "He had a court hearing soon, so he went to prepare for it."

I rolled my eyes slightly and sighed. Dad always seemed to have more important things to do than spend time with us, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

"Well, that's just great," I muttered under my breath as I shoveled some eggs onto my plate.

Mom must have heard me because she quickly jumped in, trying to reassure me. "Don't worry about it; he said he would make time for us soon," she said with a forced smile.

I looked into her tired eyes and felt guilt wash over me. She did her best to keep our family together, even when Dad seemed too busy to care.

After breakfast, I took my car keys and was about to leave. I had a lot to do today, as school was starting soon. I had to prepare everything I needed to be finished so as not to trouble Mom.

"Hey, Mom, do you need me to get anything?" I asked as I headed out the door. "No, that's alright," Mom answered back. “Okay then, I’m going now," I said as I walked out.

As I pulled into the gas station to refuel, I didn't expect to see Noah. His presence always seemed to catch me off guard, and his friendly demeanor made me slightly uncomfortable. "Oh, hey, Asher," he greeted me with a smile as I stepped out of my car.

"Hello, Noah," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. I couldn't deny that Noah was nice enough, but something about him rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was his constant friendliness or his easy charm that made me wary.

"So, how is everyone?" Noah asked, leaning against the pump next to mine.

"Everyone is fine," I said curtly as I focused on filling up my tank. Noah's presence made me feel on edge, and I tried my best to keep the conversation brief.

"I heard something interesting from Xavier recently," I mentioned casually.

"Yeah, what?" Noah's curiosity piqued as he looked at me expectantly.

"Is it true that your sister will start this year?" I inquired with a smirk. The Moonstone family had always been known for its magical abilities, and it wasn't surprising that Noah's sister would be starting her magical education soon.

Noah's face lit up with pride as he confirmed, "Yeah, she is still new to magic, so help her out, okay?"

I nodded in acknowledgment but couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy towards their close-knit family dynamics. While my family had its issues and secrets, the Moonstones seemed to have everything figured out.

As I finished refueling my car and bid farewell to Noah, I couldn't shake off the unease within me. Despite his friendly nature and warm smile, something about Noah unsettled me.

After finishing with the gas, I drove toward the town center to buy some books for my first year at Meadow Creek College. I stopped at the library to buy some Level 1 spell books needed for class.

"Hey, son, what can I get for you?" the store clerk asked me. "Uh yeah, I'll have Level 1 Magick: A Beginner's Guide to the Practice of Rituals and Spells, Practical Magic for Beginners: Techniques & Rituals to Focus Magical Energy, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, and The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order," I replied confidently.

The clerk nodded and began gathering the books for me. As he rang up my purchase, he asked, "Are you a student at Meadow Creek College? I see a lot of students coming in here to buy spell books."

"Yeah, I am starting there this year," I said with a smile.

"That's great to hear! We have a good selection of books on that subject if you ever need more resources," the clerk offered.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," I said as I grabbed my bag of books and headed out of the store.

The musty smell of old paper and leather-bound books always made me feel at home. I gathered the stack of books in my arms and headed towards the parking lot to put them inside my car when I spotted Noah walking towards the library with a girl in tow.

I couldn't help but be curious about her, so I decided to stick around and see who it was. Noah's eyes lit up as he proudly pointed to the library building as they approached. "And this is the library I use," he said excitedly, his voice filled with pride.

The girl looked impressed as she gazed at the grandeur of the library. "It looks amazing," she replied softly, her eyes wide with wonder.

I observed her closely as they chatted. She seemed normal, dressed casually in a large gray hoodie and light blue jeans. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, contrasting beautifully with her striking blue eyes that sparkled with curiosity.

It was evident that she was new to the world of magic as she took in everything around her with awe and shyness. Despite her reserved demeanor, a sense of innocence and purity about her drew me in.

Noah continued to explain various aspects of the library to her, his enthusiasm was infectious. He was clearly eager to share his knowledge and passion for magic with someone just starting their journey.