[Rhapsody for the Curious]

Xander was thankful he had a chair. By now, he would have already grown tired of sanding in the white, void-like room. However, the idea of laying down and dropping his guard completely didn't appeal to him. He paced the room with his shoulder to the wall to try and define his space. But, the white wall blended in perfectly with the ceiling and floor. Everything was so evenly lit that he couldn't even find his shadow. The matte white chair also matched the environment enough that it was quite easy to lose.

Up until the moment Xander was escorted to the white cell, he was confident in his magical abilities. He touched the void, after all. He was actively researching it even as the Wizard's Council refused to acknowledge its existence. He assumed they wouldn't have the proper defenses for his new 'Void Magic' but he was instantly proven wrong. The room was completely devoid of magic. At least, it was until a white-haired teenager walked in.

She wore a white suit made from clean lines and sharp angles. It was completely different than Xander's own mage robes, or even the casual clothing of the villagers. A logo of red scissors was stitched to the front. Xander briefly wondered if she was a tailor before he realized the room was full of magic. The hairs on his neck tingled with energy as his mana sense came alive after the extended disconnect. The door to the cell closed again behind her; she had to be the source.

"Hello, Xander," she smiled at him. "My name is Rhapsody, I represent Sharp Development. You've been researching some interesting magic," she said. Xander sat up straighter in his chair and he tilted his head at Rhapsody. He assumed one of the Arch-Wizards would conduct his interview. Not a strange teenager from an unknown organization.

"What do you have to do with the Wizard's Council?" he asked.

"Everything," She said. "There is no Wizard's Council without Sharp Development. But, I am rather busy today. Let's talk about why you decided forbidden magic was useful for you."

"I wasn't doing anything evil!" Xander was quick to defend himself.

"So, you were doing something... good with the literal darkness of the universe?" Rhapsody asked.

"Maybe not good...," he admitted. He didn't have any noble goals with his research. "..but not evil! It was benign, I was just curious!"

"Curious about what?" she asked.

"The other si-," Xander caught himself before he finished the thought; but, it was too late. He had all her attention and there was no way she missed that. "..side," he said.

"Other side? Of what?" she asked.

"The other side of the Void...," he answered with a sigh. If he were face to face with an Arch-Wizard, he wouldn't have slipped up like that. But, Rhapsody was unexpected and the magic she carried with her was outright distracting.

"What makes you think there's something on the other side?" Rhapsody asked. Her question came with a smirk that Xander took as obvious mockery. But, Xander already made the mistake. The only way to seem less crazy was to give his reasoning.

"I touched it," he said. "I put my hand into the void.. through the void and out the other side. I sensed life and magic, normal magic."

"And that's it?" Rhapsody asked. "You just wanted to see what was on the other side?" Xander wouldn't have believed himself either. He already knew how powerful Void magic could be.

"That's it...," he nodded in defeat.

"Lucky for you, Sharp Development values curiosity very much," Rhapsody smiled.

"You believe me?!" Xander asked. He was thrilled for a single second until she shook her head; her long, snow-white hair waved like a curtain behind her head with the motion.

"Of course not," she said. "We rely on facts. The reason you're meeting me and not an Arch-Wizard is that we already know why you've been studying the Void. It's simply a matter of whether your story lined up with those facts; and, it does," she nodded. "I'd like to invite you to join the company." Xander leaned back in his seat as if trying to see the wider picture.

"You're offering me a job?" he asked.

"I'm going to clearly say yes," Rhapsody nodded. "...just so you start keeping up now. I already mentioned how much our company values curiosity; something you've proven yourself to be. Even in a society built around telling you not to be," she said.

"Doing what?" Xander asked.

"Sharp Development is a vast corporation with endless opportunities. Your job will be to find a way to help the company. Whether that be one of the available positions or you create your own is up to you."

"Can I research the void?" Xander asked.

"There's nothing for you to research," she shook her head. A saucer-sized black portal opened next to her as she did. "This is something you can already do," she said. She reached into it with her hand. "But, you've been holding back because it's 'Forbidden'. We'll help you get over that hump and...," her hand returned holding a white rose. "...research complete," she giggled.

"Wait..," Xander had a realization. You don't seem to mind that I was using forbidden magic... and you claim you run the council...?" he shook his head. "You can change it, can't you? Why is it even forbidden?"

"That's a simple answer," Rhapsody grinned. "Anyone can be curious when it's okay to be. Sharp Development wants people that are curious, even when they're told they can't be."

***
Thank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1893 in a row. (Story #083 in year six.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at this link.