Beginner's book

Beginner's book
Suddenly, Stephen rubbed the back of his head. “Elsher, did you maybe get a flashback, or hear a voice?”
I tilted my head and looked at him with feigned bewilderment. “Stephen, what do you mean?”
Stephen took my hand gently. “With everything you’ve gone through, the doctor was worried the trauma might have caused flashbacks or hallucinations—memories that may or may not belong to you—or even voices in your head. Have you experienced anything like that?”
I shook my head and frowned slightly. “Flashbacks? I hope I don’t get those. It sounds embarrassing the way you describe it.”
Stephen seemed slightly relieved by my response. “All right. I’ll inform the doctor about the potion. You should rest now.”
“Wait,” I said, causing him to pause at the door. “I told May about the boredom, and she promised to send me some books.”
“She must have forgotten. I’ll have a maid deliver some to you. Since you’re still in such a sensitive condition, I think it’s best we start with a beginner book of spells. No advanced material yet.”
“Beginner book of spells,” Elena’s voice echoed in my head. “Collect the books.”
“Why?” I asked silently. “What would I even do with a beginner’s book?”
Elena explained, “You’ve never undergone any formal training. Reading through those will teach you how to navigate your power properly.”
I furrowed my brows, genuinely confused. “If I never learned it before, then how did I know how to cast spells?”
“Witches are considered a bane in the current world,” Elena continued. “You were a witch living in a werewolf clan, so you had to hide your ability from everyone. You never cast spells in front of others. And the spells you could manage were so basic that even a beginner could outdo you.”
“Fine,” I grumbled aloud, though the word was meant for her. “You don’t have to hurt me with your words like that.”
She giggled softly in my mind.
Stephen must have thought he was being strict and protective, but he had no idea he was actually doing the best thing for me.
“I guess that will do,” I said, smiling at him. “It won’t be so boring.”
“Great.” Stephen gave a small nod and walked out of the room.
The whole room fell silent, and I couldn’t help letting my mind wander. I had been away for so long—everyone must have missed me terribly.
Less than ten minutes later, a maid entered carrying a pile of books. She placed them carefully in front of me and left without even glancing in my direction.
I guessed they were taking precautions to prevent me from learning anything I wasn’t supposed to know or gaining information I shouldn’t have.
I opened the first book and my jaw dropped. I had expected a beginner’s spell book, but not one designed for people who barely knew how to read. It was mostly pictures with very simple words and basic training exercises.
Still, I began reading patiently. No information was wasted in a time like this, and besides—like Elena had said—I couldn’t cast spells properly yet. I could start my training right here.
I continued reading seriously. By the time I finished the first book, an hour had passed.
I began practicing the spells in earnest. At first it was difficult—I hadn’t cast anything in a while—but soon I started getting the hang of it.
By the time Belle arrived, I had already cast five spells brilliantly.
“Princess Elsher,” she greeted.
I began to cast another one, then turned to her immediately after I finished. “What do you think? Did I do it right?”
Belle stepped forward, gently adjusted my hand motion, and demonstrated the perfect form. Then she cast the spell herself—hers was far more powerful and controlled than mine had been.
She looked at me casually. “Didn’t you ever cast a spell before?”
I met her gaze. I knew the question was probing. If I answered yes or no too definitively, it would make me suspicious. I was supposed to have lost my memory—how could I possibly remember whether I had cast spells or not?
I answered carefully. “I don’t remember. But it feels… hard.” I shrugged. “Everything I know is only what I’ve been told. Unless you’re going to tell me it was all nonsense and things weren’t what I thought they were.”
She smiled and nodded. “So what’s your answer, Princess Elena?”
Being called Elena instead of my real name now felt strange.
“I think I’ll believe you.” My eyes turned cold for a moment. “But I hope this isn’t a lie, or some trick to come between Stephen and me for your own selfish reasons. If I find out you’ve been lying to me, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly what you’ve told me. And I swear to the goddess you won’t go scot-free.”
Belle met my gaze calmly. “I already told you—this is a win-win situation. I wouldn’t be here if there was nothing in it for me. So trust me this time.”
I nodded slowly. “What’s your plan?”
“The most important thing now is to raise your strength and heal your memories. Once that’s done, the other issues will be much easier to solve.”
I arched my brows and folded my arms. “How are you going to help me recover my memory?”
A distressed look crossed her face. “The memory concoction you were given came directly from May—one of the most powerful witches in the clan. That means it carries her power signature. I can’t just give you any random antidote; it could harm you badly.”
“For now,” she continued, “I can only make you a test subject—try different concoctions to see what actually heals you properly—while helping you train so you can recover faster.”
I tilted my head in confusion. “The concoctions they’ve been feeding me all this time… aren’t they supposed to heal me faster?”
Belle stretched out her hand and cast a spell. A soft green glow emanated from her palm and flowed gently into my leg.
My eyes widened. “What did you do? I can’t feel the pain at all.” I sat up and carefully got down from the bed. “I feel so healthy… so perfect. It feels like nothing is wrong with me at all.”
“Yes,” Belle said with a small smile. “That’s how powerful we witches are. May has extraordinary power—if she wanted, she could make you feel better with a snap of her fingers. But right now, she isn’t ready for you to heal completely.”
I frowned. “So May has been keeping me weak on purpose… letting me suffer.”
“Exactly.”
“Thank you, Belle. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would have done. I would have stayed trapped in the witch tribe’s conspiracy forever and lived in regret.”
“Relax, Princess Elsher,” she said firmly, meeting my eyes. “We’ll end this together—for both of us. Now the most important thing is nursing you back to full health."

Belle gently continued, "I’ll diagnose you again tomorrow to check for any side effects from the concoctions you’ve been drinking, and whether the dosage is just enough to keep you stable but not truly healed.”
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “Right now, curing you has drained my power. Tomorrow we shall continue.”