"Ready for this?" she asked, leading him through the ornate hallways.
Chad nodded, trying to project confidence he didn't entirely feel. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. What exactly should I expect?"
Brianna hesitated before answering. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Bas has been rather secretive about the specifics. But I'll be there with you the whole time."
Chad entered a large, circular room he hadn't seen before. The walls were lined with bookshelves and strange, glowing artifacts. In the center stood Bas, along with several other members of the L.A.W., whom he recognized from the Imbolc ritual.
"Welcome, Professor Patterson," Bas said, her voice carrying a hint of formality. "Are you prepared to begin your evaluation?"
Chad nodded, squaring his shoulders. "I am. What do you need me to do?"
Bas gestured to a small pedestal in the center of the room. On it sat a plain wooden box. "We'll start with something simple. I want you to open that box using only your Word Wizard abilities."
Chad approached the pedestal, eyeing the box warily. He could feel a faint hum of energy emanating from it. Taking a deep breath, he focused his intention and spoke clearly:
"Open."
Nothing happened. The box remained stubbornly closed.
One of the witches snickered under her breath. He thought it was Lioness. Sahara, standing next to her, swatted her arm.
Chad felt a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. He glanced at Brianna, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Clearing his throat, Chad tried again, this time infusing his voice with more authority:
"Box, I command you to open!"
Still nothing. The box sat motionless on the pedestal.
Bas's voice cut through the tense silence. "Remember, Chad. It's not just about the words themselves. It's about the intention behind them. The power comes from within you."
Chad nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He thought about the power he had felt when he wanted Brianna to stop leaving—the night he wanted to bring her scarf to her. How much did he want her to wait? It wouldn’t really have mattered, except that he didn’t want her to be cold. He cared.
Right now, he cared about opening the box so he wouldn’t be embarrassed, but perhaps that wasn’t enough. Maybe he would care more if he knew what was in the box.
“Bas, what’s in the box?”
She smiled. “Good. You figured it out.”
Brianna’s posture straightened. “Figured what out? Was this some kind of test to see if he’d open the box without knowing what he could be unleashing?”
Bas nodded. “Exactly.”
Chad felt a mix of relief and frustration. "So, this was all just a test of my judgment?"
Bas nodded, a hint of approval in her eyes. "Partly, yes. A Word Wizard's power is immense, but it must be tempered with wisdom and caution. Opening an unknown magical object without proper precautions could have disastrous consequences."
Chad ran a hand through his hair, processing this information. "I understand. But how am I supposed to learn to use my abilities if I'm always second-guessing myself?"
"A fair question," Bas replied. "The key is to find a balance between confidence and caution. Now, let's try something different."
She gestured with both hands, and the pedestal with the box vanished, replaced by a small table with a potted plant. The plant looked withered and brown, clearly on the verge of death.
"Your task now is to reanimate this plant.”
“Whoa. Are we talking about raising the dead?”
Bas chuckled. “No, my friend. It’s still alive, but barely. See if you can heal it.”
