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Val stepped beyond the threshold and into the family's magical den, it was neutral space that always smelled like sage and a hint of lavender . The walls were as white and sterile as a hospital room and the floors were made of a ash grey weave of thick planks. Everything visible to the eye in the room was monochrome right down to the trinkets, books and candles except for a portal in the right most corner of the room that was emitting every shade of visible light in the spectrum, signifying there was mail to be received mail from someone somewhere on the other side of that door. Curiously Val crossed the room and opened the door that in turn spit out a stately looking royal blue envelope with a gold seal in the middle stamped with an ornate W in curlicue script. She knew instantly that it was Wiztech, and more specifically her Uncle Justin, but beyond that she couldn't imagine what would warrant mail this late into a Sunday evening. She unsealed the envelope and watched the parchment paper come to life as a moving graphic of Justin moved on the page before her.
Val listened as the pre recorded and over used greeting played that gave a brief explanation of Wiztech's history and introduced her Uncle as being the 72nd Headmaster of Wiztech and the youngest of the brave, tenacious and bold wizards who came before him.
When the pre-recorded speech was done the apparition flashed white revealing a real time video message of her Uncle looking at her with rather grim and pitying eyes. She always found him the easiest of their family members to read, and the also the best person to go to if she was looking sympathy and a hope of evading punishments doled out by her Mother.
"Hey Uncle Justin, what's going on? Is everything okay at Wiztech did something happen to Abuela and Pop?" Val asked starting slowly to panic, the whole nature of the call was suspicious and the look of steeped sorrow on Justin's face didn't make her nerves any less wrecked.
"Everything is fine here, Theresa and Jerry are fine, don't worry too much, it's uh- just academic." Justin said waveringly as he grabbed for a document on his desk.
"It appears that uh, some members of my council brought a very sensitive issue that directly impacts the family, to a vote and there was not much I could do, my hands were tied- conflict on interests and such-"
"You're stalling Uncle J, just tell it to me straight, whatever it is we'll handle it. We're Russos, that's what we do."
"Okay well as the decision currently stands, every member of the Russo family born after your Mother Max and I must compete against each other to win the title of Family Wizard."
"What... what does that mean? That can't possibly be as batshit as it just sounded!" V exclaimed incredulously, she felt her hands start to shake already as the news began to settle uncomfortably into her mind. She stuck her hands firmly in her pockets waiting for the next wave of bad news.
"Hey, listen kiddo I'm just as astounded by this as you are, but you have to stay level headed. It came to a vote and won by a slight majority with Chancellor Rootie Tootietootie as the tie breaker. I had no say in the decision at all, but that's how it goes, and there's always a designated way around a problem, we're going to get to the bottom of this as a family. Don't you worry.""
"And if we don't?" Val inquired with a raised brow and a deathly unamused scowl on her face.
"Then you Sophie and the others will battle it out just like me your Mother and Max did and like Kelbo Meg and your Pop did before us. It's tradition, I believe you guys can do it."
"That's not a pretty reassuring track record. Both you and Mom got to keep your powers, if tradition was kept one of your lives would have been very different, and Pop, Uncle Kelbo and Aunt Meg haven't spoken for years to this very day. That doesn't sound like some fun family tradition to me."
"Maybe it'll be different this time, you kids will get it right. I've seen you at work, you have as good a shot at this as anyone."
"And maybe we won't. I can't hear anymore of this, I'm going for a walk on the other side of the portal to clear my thoughts because apparently starting right now my days as a wizard are numbered." Val sighed simmering on the situation even as her Uncle spoke directly to her. The prospect of losing her powers was never something she ever even entertained for the sheer fact that she was an only child and had practically got her parents to swear on everything that they loved that she'd be the first and last addition to the family unless of course they were willing to adopt a familiar of some kind.
"Val you don't have to be rash or do this alone I am here for your, your Mother is here for you as well, even your Aunt Meg would help you if you needed advice or tactics. We've all done it before." Justin assure her, but reason was the farthest thing from her mind in the moment that was brewing into a biggest storm that was like overcast clouding any thought processes other than the ones that told her this wasn't happening.
"Thanks Uncle J, but I think I've got this on my own. I have to handle it my own way. I'll see you tomorrow at school." As soon as the last word vibrated off of her lips Val reached for the letter and crumpled it tightly before tossing it into the waste bin. She shook her head furiously as she paced the floor back and forth. "Is this actually happening right now...? she thought as she went in circles until she was dizzy and itching for a bigger space to run free and burn her nervous entry. She looked to the portal with a eagerness to just go. She grabbed the door and stepped through, no looking behind her. She was heading for Wiztech, maybe her cousin Sophia would know something more about this, after all she was the Headmaster's kid, it did come with its own set of perks.