Morgana Hawthorne's Arc

Chapter 6 of 7

Morgana unlocked her apothecary door and found a line of angry customers outside. The merchant who'd bought three bottles last week stood at the front, his face red. He slammed an empty bottle on her counter and demanded his money back. The remedy had turned brown and smelled rotten. Others stepped forward with similar complaints. Her stomach dropped as she opened jar after jar—the night blooms had wilted into black sludge, and the mushroom powder had lost its glow. She'd been so excited to gather rare ingredients that she hadn't tested how long they stayed potent. Word would spread fast. People would stop trusting her, and travelers would take their business elsewhere. She refunded every coin she'd earned that week. The customers left, muttering to each other as they walked away. Morgana locked the door and sat on the floor behind her counter. The certificate from the council hung on the wall above her, but it felt worthless now. She'd rushed to make something special and ended up destroying the trust she'd worked so hard to build. Her apothecary was empty, and she had no idea how to fix what she'd broken. The dream of customers traveling from distant towns seemed impossible now. She stared at the remaining jars of spoiled ingredients and knew she'd have to start over, slower this time, if anyone would even give her another chance.