"A relative you say?"

I stirred the orange liquid in my cauldron, throwing in a handful of enchanted aloe leaves. It hissed as they disappeared beneath the surface, bubbles rising from the reaction within. I continued the stirring with a large wooden spoon, looking up at the woman who had found me.

She wore a black skirt, the hem lengthened with spiderwebbed fabric. A corset style top covered her chest, equally black with a pair of white skulls. Her arms were uncovered, a tattoo of twisting vines running done her left shoulder to her elbow. With pale skin, and dark makeup, she had the appearance of a would be dead person.

"Yes, I am sure of it. My many times great-grandmother was your sister, Martha."

I thought of my long dead sister. She had not the spark I had, but it never bothered her. Brave and gentle, she had raised a good family. But her husband had decided he loved her no more. A cruel man, he spread lies of her being a witch. But the time I heard about it, and went to find her, she had already been put to the stake.

I pulled myself out of those dark memories. Even after all this time, I could picture her face perfectly. This woman, who claimed to be my relative, had a vague resemblance. Looks however, could be deceiving.

A glance at my brewing showed the bright orange to be deepening in colour now. Nodding to myself I set the spoon to stir itself, brushing my hands as I stepped around the cauldron. The woman watched it with wide eyes, as I moved away.

"Remind me, what is your name?"

She forced herself to look at me, adjusting her top.

"It's Sarah, Sarah Butcher."

I nodded, reaching for a shelf. It was a fairly empty one, with a few crystals and a worn bag. The bag was my target, or rather its contents. Dipping a hand in, I gathered up the stones within, gripping tight.

"May spirits guide the light, such that the truth shines bright."

With that I took out my hand, launching the stones through the air. They spun across the room, before settling into a large circle around us, lazily spinning. The runes I had engraved on them gave off a white light, as my spell activated.

"Show me Sarah Butcher."

The light on one rune was pulled away, surrounding Sarah. I nodded, pleased that her name was true.

"Show me Sarah Butcher's ancestors."

The glow around her vanished, instead creating a cloud-like apparition before me. On it I saw faces slip by, as each one of her past family was shown to me. I let it play, before seeing Martha appear.

"Show me the blood tie between us."

The cloud vanished, as a drifting red thread faded into view between us. It was thin, as to be expected through such time. But the thread was there, proving her to be of my kin.

"Show me Sarah Butcher's spark."

The thread shattered, coalescing into a small flame. At first it was yellow, as most were. But it flickered, going to red, then blue, before finally becoming green. I gave a small smile, letting the spell fade. I guided the rune stones back onto their bag, meeting Sarah's gaze.

"Is... is my spark not good enough? Is it too small?"

I gave her a light chuckle, shaking my head.

"Ah, the spark. The size is not the issue dear. Its the colour I need. Yours is green, the colour of life. The colour of nature. The colour of witches."

It had been a long time since I had had an apprentice. It had been a long time since I had heard of a new member to the Coven. The Trials had sent us into hiding. Maybe it was time to take our first steps outside of it.

"I would be happy to teach you our ways."

----------{Lynn Woods Reservation// 8 AM}----------

It's a beautiful fall morning in the middle of the woods. The sun is shining, the rivers are flowing, and a small bird finds its way onto a wooden window sill to sing its song. Until it nearly gets roasted by a ball of fire and flies off. Inside the wooden cabin a young woman buries herself into her blanket.

"Too early!" The woman groaned as she waved her finger, and the shades closed. The woman pulled her hand back under the sheet as she tried to get comfortable. Then there were several knocks at the door.

The woman sat up instantly, still covered in her blanket. She pulls it off to reveal her crazy long black hair, near white skin, and red eyes. She focused in on the front door. Suddenly there were four more knocks causing the woman to jump in her bed. The woman quickly crawled over the side of her bed and pulls out a pink robe to put on.

The woman slowly walks through her home towards the front door. Every few seconds the knocks at the door gets louder. The woman places her ear against the door and hears the mutterings of a high pitched voice. The woman places a hand behind her back, creating a fire ball. The woman opens the door, just enough to peep through.

Outside is a young, bronzed skinned woman, at least sixteen, dirty blonde hair, brown eye, and dressed in hiking gear. The teen meets the woman's gaze and the woman slams the door in a panic.

"Rude," said the teen.

"Quis es, et quid vis?!" said the woman, back against the door.

"Uhhh," the teen looked at the door in confusion. She walked over to a window and tried to look in before the blinds suddenly shut. "Hello, it's Victoria, I sent a letter." The woman grimaces before looking over at a pile of letters and magazines stacked on her coffee table.

"Sorry, I don't really get a lot of mail out here," said the woman. "What do you want? Are you lost or something?"

"I don't think so," said Victoria, "I'm looking for Wilda Belle, I was told she might live out here." The front door opens slowly. Victoria looks inside the darkened cabin and sees no one. "Nope." Victoria walks several feet away from the cabin. The woman peaks from behind the door and then walks out in a huff.

"What the hell!" the woman screamed.

"I'm not stupid," Victoria screamed back, "I'm not just gonna walk into some strange woman's dark cabin. How stupid do you think I am?"

"Stupid enough to walk out into the middle of the woods alone," the woman crossed her arms smugly.

"I have a phone," Victoria waved a smartphone in front of her.

"That I can promise you has no signal," said the woman. Victoria checks her phone and then groans. "Didn't really think this through did ya? What do you want with that old hag anyway?"

"Why should I tell you?" said Victoria.

"You wanted to find her, right?" said the old woman, "How do I know you're not some crazy person?"

"She's my...great grandma," said Victoria.

"Bull," The woman leered at Victoria.

"She is," yelled Victoria, "and I need to ask her about some stuff."

"About how you can see things that others can't?"the woman suddenly appeared behind Victoria in a loose orange T-shirt, green overalls, and hiking boots. Victoria jumped as she turned around.

"How did you..." Victoria slowly backed away from from the woman until she tripped landing on an old sofa. She looks around to find herself in the now lit cabin. The woman walks in, closing the door behind her.

''Careful!, she could be a spy from the Vatican!'' thought the witch.

------------.............."""""""""*.............------------------ Notes

This are only a few preliminary ideas ( I am telling here, no showing.) warning ⚠️ Darker themes and violence.

( Clarification: I literally have nothing against the Vatican or any other religion or religious people. For real! I just wrote down the instant inspiration as it came lol! ) ------------.............."""""""""*.............------------------

The supposed apprentice pretends to want to learn from the middle aged witch, while doing her job of spying on her every move. The funny twist is that: the moment the apprentice ( the girl) starts doing the exercises of revelation, she DISCOVERS that she actually has real magic. Shock and a traumatic past of training to become a spy for the religious leaders cause her to initiate a sudden awakening. She falls in deep depression ( her entire life was a lie. Did the Vatican know when they employed her? Are there others? ( With magic at the heart of ''anti-magic'' religious world center?)

The apprentice/spy becomes depressed and her magical core acts up, making her very sick.

The mentor/witch takes care of her and teaches her how to balance her powers to stay healthy. Now the apprentice has no other choice but to become an initiated witch with a purpose. '' to stop modern witch persecution and slavery''

( it turned out that Witches and even transgender boys " boys with powers have a very strong feminine inclination as they are influenced by magic which runs predominantly in female energy.'' Consequently. Those transgender witches are much more vulnerable because they are easily recognizable. Most young boys who show signs of magic kidnaped and sold to private collectors or business owners.

So the apprentice Elzina asks her mentor and guide Loaylen to work with her to unmask the real bad guys and save her sisters in magic.

A crossover with Sherlock Holmes ensues. Elzina is the Sherlock in the story and Loaylen (short: Aylen) provides her expertise in shamanism and witchcraft. (As the John of the story. She is given a larger purpose for her life as a senior high powered witch.) Which is to umask the the lies of the religious lobbies and to end Witch Slavery in the world.

------------.............."""""""""*.............------------------

Elzina ( comes from beauty.) Loaylen ( comes from loyalty)

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