conflictions - a tale within adora

i

Sofia's light-coloured eyes slowly closed as she faded into a light sleep. Her older sister was out somewhere, probably partying or drinking. Kandy wasn't supposed to drink yet, but their foster parents didn't exactly care, or notice.

It was quite a weird, unusual dream. The young child could only just hear a magical sound, filling her with calmness. Its notes were mainly high-pitched, sounding like a piano.
Sofia looked around, noticing her surroundings. She was in a sleepy town, only a few people wandering. Stars shone, contrasting against the dark sky. Dim lights stretched along the sidewalk, as far as Sofia could see.
She opened her mouth to say something, but decided to bask in the beauty of her dream a bit longer.
A figure walked towards her, looking like he fit in perfectly with the magnificent scenery. He past her, and that was when Sofia noticed that he was a purebreed. Aquatic beastfolk, as far as she could tell. She saw so many familiar people, however Sofia couldn't quite place her thumb on where she had seen these figures.
That was when she woke up.
Her sister was curled up in bed, on the bottom bunk of their pastel bunk bed. There were children's toys and long, complicated books and charcoal drawings all over their small room, with a thin, white candle on the desk. They had a nice mirror, but it was only used for when Kandy decided to do her long, colourful hair or bright makeup.
Sofia stretched out, slowly climbing the ladder down to the floor. "Good morning, Kandy," She murmured to her asleep sister as Sofia walked out of her room and through the beige hallways, filled with paintings and pictures of her small family.
As she neared the kitchen, she heard delicious bacon sizzling in a pan and smelled the sweet, cozy scent of French toast.
"Oh, good morning! How did you sleep?" Sofia's foster mother ran over and gave her a big hug.
The child looked up at her mother and smiled. "I slept well."
"That is awesome!" The fully-grown lady flipped a piece of sweet, homemade French toast, setting it on a paper plate with a single piece of delicious, crispy bacon.
Sofia barely touched her plate, watching her foster mother. The woman's hair was black like the night, and her eyes were forest green. Her foster father had chocolate brown hair and eyes. Meanwhile, she and Kandy were both originally blonde and had blue eyes. The family didn't look the same at all. She wasn't supposed to know she was adopted— but it was fairly easy to tell.

    "Mom, think I can go to the bookstore later today?" Sofia asked her mother, who smiled widely.
Her mother happily responded, "Of course dear! Get as much stuff as you'd like."
She picked at her plate of food some more, before getting up. As she walked towards the door, Sofia heard Kandy get up and walk in. The child hid, to listen to her older sister.
    "Hey, Emily," Her sister addressed their foster mother by her name, "I'm gonna go to a party today,"
Their mother glared, "No, you certainly are not! You are only fourteen, there will be drugs and alcohol—"
Kandy cursed, "Well, maybe that's the whole point!" She seemed to get angry so easily, but she was dull earlier.. Sofia took note.
    She watched Kandy storm towards the door, only to look back at Sofia.
"You're alright, Sofie,"
Sofia nodded, "It's -ia, but okay."
She followed Kandy, both bathing in silence until they had to part ways. Sofia waved to Kandy, who just ignored her and walked towards a house. The house was very simple.
    Sofia approached the rustic, antique-like bookstore, and quietly entered it. She waved to the man at the till, and excitedly hopped into the Magic aisle.
Her pale blue eyes scanned through the books, as she slowly paced back and forth within the small space. She wanted one very specific book.. Wizardry.
    She found a thick, yellow-paged book with gemstones. Sofia had been saving up for this..
"Hello, ma'am!" The man at the till cheerily exclaimed, "Is this all for you?"
Sofia nodded, "Yes please, sir."
"Alright, fifteen gold coins." He watched Sofia closely, carefully putting the ancient spellbook in a bag.
It pained the young girl to take nearly all her savings out of her pocket, dropping the coins onto the stone counter, the metallic sound resonating.
    "Thank you ma'am, have a great day!"
She nodded, murmuring, "You too," as Sofia walked to the wands store. The store's windows showcased elegant, carefully polished wooden wands with designs.
"Ooh.." Sofia drooled, eyes wide and glittery in awe. As she walked in, people looked at her as if she was lost.
"Are you looking for the toy store, my child?" The elderly woman at the wooden till asked.
She softly shook her head, "No, I'm in the right spot. Thank you though, ma'am," Her blue eyes were wide with wonder and curiosity, oohing and aahing at every luxurious wand she saw. They were all over one-hundred gold coins; something Sofia knew she could never afford. She walked through the aisles until she came upon a wand. The wand.
    The little slice of paper underneath stated the information on it, which Sofia read aloud.
"Forty gold coins; second hand, cherry wood with dragon heartstring. Flexible,"
Said wand had several scratches and dents, but it was the cheapest one in the store. Sofia picked up the spell-casting stick as carefully as one could.
"Ooh.." Sofia felt the power coming off in strong waves. She skipped to the cashier, only now taking note of the decor.
    There was an elegant wooden floor, the walls painted a neutral beige. On the walls were legendary wands, supposedly once owned by a celebrity, or a war hero. One object stood out — The very first sword of Princess Aethelwyne Virathi. It had a very dull, dented, scratched blade. The handle couldn't be more plain, simply an unpolished wood. Sofia couldn't quite believe it, and was deep in thought as to why.
    "MA'AM! Is this all?!" The woman at the till seemed quite agitated, snapping her fingers in front of Sofia's face as if training a dog. Sofia blinked, and responded as calmly as possible.
"Yes ma'am, thank you." She faked a smile, and the cashier grumbled something as Sofia put all the money she had left on the counter.
    The cashier counted the money, which was relatively easy considering it was in only gold coins. She grumpily said, "Thank you for shopping here at Ophelia's Wands, have a great day." The way she said "great" wasn't the same as the man at the bookstore.

And this is how Sofia got her magic, soon to become a vital key in her life.