“Lewis Williams,” Professor Eva called. “You are the second and final participant of the competition.”  

The boy I was looking at dropped his crossed arms in disbelief, turning to me quickly to latch onto my eyes. He knew I must’ve been staring at him.  

My mouth hung open as he strode to the front of the outdoor stage, standing before Professor Eva with a now calm expression. Which I knew was strengthened by years of working towards a stone face. Lewis always appeared angry whenever I was involved.  

I stayed standing there, glued to the ground. I just couldn’t shake off the idea that Lewis was going to be the one I’d be working with in order to win that wish. That completely changed the outlook I’d had for it all.  

Now . . . now there was a reason to win. So that I could take the victory from Lewis.  

I’d forgotten that Cherry was at my side, but I quickly remembered that fact when she pushed me forward with too much force, reminding me how I too needed to get to the front of the stage in order to accept my fate.  

I walked slowly, aware of the eyes on me. I’d been used to the attention, since I’d come from a long line of famous individuals in the magical community. It only heightened when I found myself facing Lewis, who was equally as infamous as I was.  

He glared up at me from where he stood, arms plastered to his sides, not willing to come any closer to me. That was good. I didn’t want him to anyway.  

Lewis Williams was the most stuck-up person I’d ever had the displeasure of knowing. He was a deathly pale boy that seemed to never get enough sunlight, tiny, with black hair always fashioned in a severe bowl-cut, thin glasses that hid stormy grey eyes, and a constant downturned mouth that pouted whenever there was a slight inconvenience. Williams was dangerously studious enough to push me into a pit full of venomous pixies at the age of 13 for the sake of getting an A in class. He was excellent when it came to outside academics, and he was also a poisonous boy with a tongue and attitude that could cut through steel. He hated me so much and for so long, that I knew we were destined to be enemies in everything for life. He was also the person I was madly in love with.  

Professor Eva cleared her throat as she finished her speech about the wicked competition. I knew enough to realize that we were both bound to defeat one another sooner or later. It was simply destiny that helped us move along towards that.  

“Arturo Hallow and Lewis Williams. You two have been chosen to work together and compete for a wish,” Professor Eva said, raising her hands above us and casting a charm so that a halo of blue light enveloped us both. No doubt it was a Promise spell. One that would lock our promise to join forces.

“I hereby name you the next candidates for this competition. May your magic grow from this experience.” She released the blue light on us, setting it upon our very beings.  

I stiffened under the contact of it, and froze when she continued, “Now, take each other’s hands, for you are partners.”  

We did as she commanded, even though that was the last thing either of us wanted to do. We’d both grown up despising one another, constantly fighting for the spotlight. It was not a surprise that our now close proximity was unbearable.  

Lewis took my hand before I could take his. No doubt he wanted to be the bigger person. Damn, he knew how irritated I’d be over that.  

I gripped his hands firmly, watching as he kept his bored glare at me. And for a minute, I wondered if he was as scared by all of this as I was. Because we were both entering something unknown, something as old as our family tree, and all because of a stupid prophecy.  

Maybe this was fate.

We shook hands, finally. It was strange, feeling his magic slip into my own, like we were entangling ourselves within each other. We’d never done this before, not even in the eight years we’d been through together as classmates. The sensation was electrifying, and I wanted to know if he felt it too. Though judging by his moody face, I suspected that he was trying to avoid it as much as possible.

“I’ll win that wish, Hallow,” he muttered, eyes like ice and full of the determination I was so familiar with from the boyish days spent in school rivalry feuds.  

Confidently, I smirked at the smaller boy, ready to take on anything he challenged, to carry on in whatever he threw at me, like the many times we’d done so in the past, like the rest of the times in the near future, like always.  

I whispered below my breath, so that only he could hear. With our hands still entwined, I pushed a little more magic into his, watching as his eyes widened in shock.

“You wish, Williams.”