They walked.
And walked.
Days blurred into nights. Nights melted into dawns.
Leo and Lyra ventured deeper and deeper into the jungle—so far in that the trees grew thicker, the light grew dimmer, and even the air felt heavier.
They ate fruits plucked from wild trees. Drank water from hidden ponds. Fought monsters when they appeared from the shadows.
Sometimes Lyra got hurt—scratches from thorns, a bite from a beast—but Leo healed her every time, gently placing his hand over the wounds, whispering comfort through magic.
When they rested, it was under vast trees, their bodies curled together under makeshift coverings of leaves and cloaks. No matter how cold it got, they stayed warm beside each other.
But the days kept passing. So many that Leo couldn't even remember how long it had been since they left the village. Maybe weeks. Maybe more.
And that night, something heavy pressed on Leo's heart.
He sat by a dying fire, watching Lyra sleep, her head resting softly on her arms. Her face was peaceful, but her clothes were torn, and her skin marked from the jungle's trials.
Leo looked up at the canopy, thoughts swirling.
I don't even remember when we left anymore… How long has she followed me like this? Without complaining… without resting…
He looked at her again.
She's just a child… and she lost everything too…
"I should let her sleep more," he whispered to himself, turning toward her. "Lyra, you should—"
But then—
Something was wrong.
His heart skipped.
A chill ran through his spine.
He stood quickly, eyes narrowing.
Someone's watching us.
He felt it—a presence, eerie and overwhelming. Not monstrous, but not human either. He scanned the darkness, his senses sharp.
This feeling… how didn't I sense it earlier?
And then—he saw her.
A figure stood silently in front of them, barely a few feet away.
Black veil.
Black dress, flowing like liquid shadow.
The Witch.
Leo couldn't see her face. Only her outline, barely touched by the faint moonlight. She didn't move. She didn't speak. She just watched.
Lyra stirred awake beside him, then jolted. "L-Leo… Leo?"
Leo placed a protective arm in front of her. His voice low and steady.
"Yeah… I see her."
He could feel it in his gut—that immense presence, like ancient magic wrapped in silence.
"She's the Witch," Leo whispered.
Lyra trembled, clutching his sleeve. "What… what should we do?"
Leo's gaze never left the dark figure. His heartbeat was calm, but his thoughts raced.
One wrong move… and we both die here.
He took a deep breath and whispered to Lyra, "Stay close to me. No matter what."
The Witch still didn't move. But something about her presence—it wasn't just threatening. It was curious… as if she were deciding what to do with them.
Leo's hand hovered near his side, not holding a weapon, but ready to react.
This is it, he thought. The moment everything changes.
Leo exhaled slowly, gathering his courage, and stepped forward.
"H-Hey, umm… Witch?" he began, voice slightly trembling but steady enough to hold his ground. "We need—"
But before he could finish, she was there.
Right in front of him.
A heartbeat ago, she had been standing several feet away. Now, she was only inches from his face.
Leo's eyes widened in disbelief.
When…? How…?
I couldn't even see her move…
Now that she was this close, he could finally see her face.
She was beautiful—hauntingly so. Pale skin like moonlight, sharp features that held elegance and danger both. But it was her eyes that struck him the most.
Pitch black. Like a void with no end.
Still, she didn't look angry or cruel. Instead, she gave him a gentle, amused smile.
"My, my…" her voice echoed softly, almost teasing. "Two little children wandering this deep into the jungle… Tell me—didn't your parents ever warn you? Witches are bad, you know?"
For a moment, Leo forgot to be afraid. Her voice, her tone—it felt too casual for the danger she carried.
"My mom…" Leo said suddenly, "She told me that… witches might be good."
The Witch blinked.
For the first time, she looked surprised.
"Is that so?" she murmured. "That's… quite rare."
Her gaze shifted to Lyra, who was trembling behind Leo, wide-eyed and frightened. The Witch took a step forward.
"No!" Leo snapped, pulling Lyra back. "Don't come near her!"
The Witch paused, blinking again in faint amusement.
"I don't mean harm," she said with a smile. "Relax, boy. I wouldn't hurt a child."
But when she moved closer again, Leo reacted on instinct—he lunged forward to stop her, hand outstretched.
And then—
He fell.
Straight through her.
As if she weren't there at all.
He hit the ground, stunned. "W-What…? Why can't I touch you?"
The Witch turned to him, resting a finger playfully on her lips. "Mmm… maybe it's a skill. Maybe I'm not fully here. Who knows?"
Then she stepped closer to Lyra again.
Lyra whimpered, frozen in place.
But—
The Witch suddenly froze.
Eyes wide.
She slowly turned back.
Because—
The air had changed.
A pressure now filled the forest. The leaves rustled as if scared. The shadows stretched unnaturally.
Leo was standing again. But his head was lowered, his breath heavy, his fists clenched.
His aura was surging.
Like a storm trapped inside a boy's body.
A deep, suffocating presence spread out from him, pressing against the trees, the air—even the Witch.
"Step away," Leo growled, his voice low and cold. "If you want to talk… talk to me. Not her."
The Witch's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Then, she chuckled.
"Oh my~" she said. "You can scare humans with that aura… but you can't scare me."
Her smile faded.
And then—
She released her own aura.
It crashed into Leo's like a tidal wave against a candle flame.
Overwhelming. Crippling. Immense.
Leo gasped, falling to one knee. The weight of it crushed down on him like an invisible mountain. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.
His aura vanished like smoke in the wind.
The Witch stood over him, her expression unreadable.
"Is this the weight of your anger, boy?" she asked softly. "Then I suggest you grow stronger—because this world does not kneel for rage alone."
Leo, still struggling under the pressure of her aura, smiled faintly.
"…And that's exactly why I came here," he whispered, lifting his head slowly.
The Witch looked down at him in silence.
Then, with a sudden flick of her wrist—
The crushing aura vanished.
Leo gasped, finally able to breathe, and slowly stood up. Lyra ran to his side, still shaken, her hand tightly gripping his sleeve.
The Witch tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement.
And then—
Scene shift.
The heavy tension cracked like glass—shattered into a totally different atmosphere.
Now the Witch was crouching in front of Lyra, squishing her cheeks gently between her fingers.
"Awww~ you're so cute!" she cooed, stretching Lyra's face back and forth.
"W-Wait—stop that! Nyaaah—Leo—!" Lyra blushed, flailing her arms in panic.
Leo's eyebrow twitched as he watched the surreal scene, a comical pout on his face. "Hey!! You witch—are you even listening to me!?"
The Witch paused mid-cheek-squish, looked up at him with a sly smile, and blinked innocently. "Hm? Oh right. You came here for help, didn't you?"
She stood up gracefully, brushing off her dark dress.
"Alright, then," she said cheerfully. "I'll help you."
Leo blinked. "…Huh? Just like that?"
"Just like what?" she teased.
"You trust us without... asking anything? No tests? No creepy trials or riddles or magical contracts?"
The Witch placed a finger to her lips, her voice suddenly dropping to a haunting whisper, "I already read your mind…"
Leo froze.
Her smile lingered, but her eyes glimmered with something deeper.
"…and your past."
Leo's heart skipped a beat.
She saw it.
She saw everything… even my life as Akira.
For a second, he couldn't speak. But the Witch just kept smiling, stepping back with a twirl of her black, bridal-like gown.
"So," Leo said, regaining his breath, "you'll help me get stronger?"
"Of course!" she said brightly. "But on one condition."
Leo tensed slightly, expecting something serious—maybe dangerous. "What is it…?"
The Witch leaned in, her eyes mischievous.
"You both," she said with a grin, "have to become my friends."
"…Huh?" Leo blinked.
Lyra blinked.
"Friends?" he repeated.
The Witch clapped her hands together with a big smile. "Yes! I've been alone for so long, you know? It's boring. So I've decided! You two are now my adorable little friends!"
Leo stared at her like she had just declared herself queen of the squirrels.
"…That's it? That's your condition?"
"Yup~" she chimed.
Leo's lips twitched. "You're… really weird, you know that?"
She winked. "All the best people are."
Lyra giggled quietly, cheeks still a little red.
Leo finally sighed and crossed his arms. "…Fine. We'll be your friends."
The Witch beamed.
"Yay! Then starting tomorrow—your hellish training begins~"
Leo and Lyra froze.
"…Wait. What?"
"Too late! No backsies~" she sang, already skipping off deeper into the forest. "Come along, little mortals! We've got curses to break and muscles to tear~!"
Leo looked at Lyra.
Lyra looked at Leo.
"…This is gonna be so hard, right?" Leo muttered.
Lyra nodded. "Yep."
And together, they followed their new insane mentor into the depths of the night.