"Leonor, your apprentice seems to be surrounded by interesting people," said a female voice that echoed throughout the ostentatious, luxurious room. What attracted the most attention, however, was the woman sitting in front of a mirror.
Her purple hair fell down her back, and her eyes of the same color illuminated her face with a subtle glow. Her lips were painted crimson, and despite the mature air she exuded, she had a voluptuous body with a youthful glow.
Completely naked in the comfort of her room, she revealed a sight any man or woman would want to behold. Her charm seemed imprinted in her bones; every movement, however slight, attracted attention.
She held a brush and ran it through her long hair constantly. In the mirror in front of her, however, was not her reflection but a different image: a dining room where a dark-skinned girl, a blonde, a redhead, and a pink-haired fairy were having breakfast.
This was Séraphine's house! The woman had a subtle smile on her face as she watched the warm moment the witch was sharing with her new friends. Her gaze became maternal as she appreciated that her daughter could relate to others.
"Musu, a witch's charm will always attract people of good and bad character. But... Séraphine relies too much on her supposed spell of confidence. Reality will hit her hard.
It is these simple, warm moments that will anchor her in the future when she faces adversity," the woman said, looking down at Musu the cat, who was resting comfortably on her bare feet, enjoying the warmth.
"I don't understand humans or that nonsense you talk about. I just want Séraphine to remember to feed me. Although you talk about charm, your apprentice has more chest than you," Musu meowed. She let out a mocking chuckle before flexing her body. Then she sat down and licked herself clean.
"Expecting you to understand the human perspective is like asking me to understand pigs, impossible. But you make good jokes." Leonor smiled, then stopped combing her hair and put her brush in the drawer with her other grooming items.
What stood out most, however, was the mirror that showed the private life of her student, Séraphine. Its edges were engraved with golden characters that she gently caressed, causing a change in what the mirror projected.
Several images flashed across the mirror before an aerial view appeared. An island surrounded by fog. The important thing about the image, though, was not the setting, but the colossal creature flying through the sky above it.
A dragon with black scales. As if sensing her gaze, the dragon roared toward the sky. Its body was tinged with a large amount of aether, which caused the moisture in the air to turn into white vapor around its gigantic body.
Eleanor then felt a sharp pain in her head, withdrew her hand from the mirror, and watched as it returned to projecting Séraphine's personal life. However, Séraphine did not appreciate seeing her apprentice enjoying a quiet morning. She began to rub her temples, trying to calm the discomfort she felt.
"Oh, a dragon. Interesting creatures. It's about time someone taught you a lesson, don't you think, Lady Osmond?" Musu said. Her girlish voice in a cat's body caused a strange sensation in anyone who wasn't used to it.
"I didn't expect to run into her. It seems I angered her quite a bit," the woman muttered with a self-deprecating smile.
What were the odds of seeing a dragon? Even with a device like the one she was using, Eleanor never imagined such an incident could happen.
Though rare, dragons were the most powerful sentient creatures on Gliese, the world in which they lived. They were huge, powerful, and intelligent. They could use three forms of aether: physical empowerment, magic, and alchemy.
They were masters of the sky! Masters of the earth! Masters of the sea! They were a truly all-around species. However, their exceptional and powerful nature came at a price: low birth rates.
There were hardly any dragons in the world, bad luck for them and good luck for the rest of the sentient species. If there were more of these beings, they would undoubtedly be the dominant species throughout Gliese.
Still, they deserve a lot of respect because they aren't just terrible lizards, as some children's stories would have you believe. They have been vital throughout history.
"Aren't you tired of watching Séraphine's life? Nothing interesting is happening," Musu asked suddenly before jumping onto Eleanor's lap. She patted his back and stroked his body.
"The entity that watches over my apprentice tells me that, but I like appreciating little Séraph's daily life," Lady Osmond replied, scratching the cat's chin and making her purr.
But when she did this, strange distortions appeared on her body. Colorful squares covered half of her body, and a strange chirping sound came from Musu.
Anyone would be scared to encounter something like this and would feel uncomfortable because of the cat's peculiar sound, but Eleanor was fine. She simply tapped the animal's forehead, and it returned to normal.
"Musu, your purring hurts my ears," Lady Osmond complained playfully, causing the cat to meow loudly before vanishing into thin air. However, Lady Osmond knew the cat had surely gone to spy on Séraphine.
She put her hand on her chin and rested her elbow on her dresser. She watched her apprentice have fun with her new friends. The subtle purple glow in her eyes grew stronger, creating two streaks of light that emerged from her eye sockets.
"I'm waiting for you to mature completely so you can see as deeply as I do," Eleanor murmured lovingly. The world, which had previously maintained its normal shape, became distorted, revealing incomprehensible things behind the veil of reality.
The room transformed into a plain filled with impossible geometric shapes as if forced into a smaller dimension. Multicolored lines defined all the objects and creatures, as if they were the basis of their existence.
The only living entity apart from her was a large being. If Séraphine were here, she would recognize it as the giant who bothered her a couple of days ago during her curse's attack.
"You dared to try to lay your hands on my little student. I know beings like you are dangerous, but you have a defined form, unlike the most special ones, don't you?" At that moment, her sensual and deliberate temperament abruptly changed to something much more threatening.
A smile appeared on her lips like a wild animal showing its teeth to its prey. Although she was naked, small, and clearly just a simple human, a great pressure emanated from her body. The giant let out a warning roar in response.
"Yes, I know you're drawn to the scent of the curse about to ripen, but... You almost crossed the line. Be thankful it's me and not those five." Lady Osmond raised her index finger and pointed upward. Even though the sky at that moment was only a huge red eye covered with millions of enormous tentacles waving senselessly around, the giant understood.
The human was referring to the five entities of the Spirit World. The three dimensions rarely interacted, which is why people with 'Deep Vision' are so prized by entities such as this one.
Yes, it lived in this distorted, strange world full of oddities straight out of a child's or madman's imagination. However, it knew its limits since, despite being a special existence compared to the inhabitants of the earthly world, it still possessed them.
"Go away. Respect the limits when you act again," Leonor declared authoritatively. The giant nodded and retreated step by step before vanishing into thin air.
Lady Osmond looked up at the sky and stared directly at the large eye that watched all this indifferently. As if in response, one of the tentacles descended and gently settled beside her as if inviting her to climb aboard.
"Oh, let me get dressed first. I can't chat with you like this." Leonor turned slightly, showing that she was practically naked. The tentacle waved gently as if in response.
"Yes, I know you want to chat, but I must be presentable. It's not for nothing that I have so many pretty clothes." Lady Osmond shook her head, denying the entity's request.
As a witch, how could she visit a friend without being presentable? Even if that person was an incomprehensible entity, a witch's glamour and dignity could not be lost.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
"I still can't believe you have so many jars of jam in your cupboard," murmured Élodie as she spread strawberry jam on a slice of toast with a knife, enjoying the process with a small smile.
"It's necessary!" What if I crave blueberries one day? I'd have to search for them! That's why I have several types," Séraphine replied before taking a sip of coffee to start her day off right.
"That's why I have a cellar full of wine," Francisca replied. She was eating her own food with wooden chopsticks, a utensil from her homeland. The witch and the warrior were fascinated by her ease with them.
By this time, the three of them had already showered and gotten ready for the day's tasks. Lacking clothes to wear, Élodie received an outfit from Séraphine. The blonde ended up wearing a knotted green shirt that showed off her toned stomach and short jeans.
Francisca, on the other hand, wore a blue, mid-length blouse and tight sweatpants. Her red hair was styled into two buns that adorned her head, contrasting with the fact that her hair was actually quite thick.
Séraphine chose one color to wear: black. Both her jeans and her wool sweater were black. Although she wasn't wearing her hat, it would have been the cherry on top of her outfit.
"I don't think you can compare wine to jam," replied Élodie with her mouth full, causing the redhead to roll her eyes.
"They're just crushed fruit, only with a different result. But it's something only adults can drink." The alchemist's words made Élodie stop chewing and take a big sip of orange juice.
"Are you calling me a child!?" the blonde asked loudly. This caused Sasha, who was resting quietly on her shoulder, to become frightened and fly away.
"Stop shouting!" the fairy cried, making the already hilarious situation even funnier to Séraphine, who couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"You're no different. You're the owner of all those jars of candy," Francisca said, abruptly ending the witch's laughter and causing Élodie to burst out laughing instead.
"Shouldn't witches be gloomy? But there you are, living in a normal house and sleeping in pink clothes," the warrior asked, calming down and expressing one of her doubts.
"Have you met many witches? I'm not surprised; there aren't many in the army," the alchemist replied on Séraphine's behalf, having noticed this particular detail.
"Hmmm... I met one on a mission. She showed me her collection of little walking mushrooms. They were much cuter and less dangerous than Nisca, who was a very strange creature," he recalled. The mention of that special characteristic made Séraphine narrow her eyes, reminding her of someone else.
"I can't give many details, but witches know each other. I know who you're talking about. She's a rather peculiar girl. However, those mushrooms are not natural. She modified them herself," said the brunette, her voice betraying her irritation. This made both the warrior and the alchemist curious about this person.
"Oh? Who is it? It seems you don't like her very much," said Francisca, eager to hear the gossip.
"It seems so! When I interacted with her, she was very kind. She even used spells to heal wounds I sustained on a mission," added Élodie, causing the witch to sigh before responding.
"She could be considered my rival... Nadia Gustav is a witch who could also be considered a doctor. She is an apprentice to a friend of my teacher. Although she is older than I am, she has always tried to compare herself to me." Séraphine rolled her eyes as she replied, but this only piqued her companions' interest in Nadia.
"I'm not going to say anything more about that annoying little bitch!" Séraphine growled, noticing the other two's interested looks, before diving into her cup of coffee.
"Then I'll have to meet her and find out more, won't I?" Francisca laughed before taking the last bite of breakfast and squinting her eyes because she enjoyed the food so much.
Séraphine is quite the cook! As an alchemist, she also had a certain skill in preparing food, but she generally didn't have time to make her own meals and usually had to order from restaurants.
It was just a simple breakfast. Francisca had only eaten an omelet, but the taste... The redhead closed her eyes and trembled in her seat, enjoying the lingering aftertaste. Then she took a bottle of wine out of her space ring, causing Élodie to start coughing in surprise.
"Damn! It's too early to drink, don't you think?" the police officer asked with a reproachful tone. Francisca simply shrugged and took a sip.
"Give me a drink," Séraphine asked, showing the redhead her empty coffee cup. The alchemist smiled as she filled it to the brim with wine.
"I can't be the only one to start the day with some fun, can I? Come on, you prude. Give me your glass." Francisca waved the bottle of wine in front of Élodie after giving some to Sasha, who used a thimble provided by Séraphine to hold the drink.
The blonde had already finished her bread and was now drinking the last bit of juice she had left. Seeing that her companions were enjoying the wine, she hesitated for a moment before expressing her doubt.
"Is it really fun to drink early in the morning?" she asked, offering her glass.
"I don't know what you did in the army, but this custom comes from there," Séraphine commented, licking her lips after taking a sip of wine.
"Looks like I missed out on a few things," the warrior murmured before taking a big gulp of the alcohol they offered her.
"Wait, is this your first time drinking?" asked Francisca, astonished by how brazenly Élodie drank the wine. Even she wouldn't drink it that way.
"Why?" asked Élodie, her cheeks flushed but steady. Even her eyes remained clear, only a little brighter.
"Because alcohol is drunk slowly. Even I know that," replied Sasha, who was sitting on one of Francisca's bowels, enjoying the scene unfolding before her.
'Oh, what does it matter? I don't feel drunk,' thought Élodie at that moment. She found the taste of the wine interesting and gestured to the alchemist, hoping she would pour her some more.
It was only a little wine. Nothing bad could happen if she had a little more, right?