Bethany lay sprawled on a makeshift bed of furs and cloth, her small frame rising and falling with shallow breaths. Someone had cleaned the dirt from her face, and bandages wrapped around her elbows and knees. At her side, on a small wooden stool, rested her oversized hat—worn, patched in places, but unmistakably witch's garb.
Kairo stood over her with arms crossed, silent as always. Beside him, Shiri's coiling serpent body shifted slightly as he adjusted the blanket covering Bethany. Theo leaned on the table with wide eyes, green hair falling into his face as he inspected the witch's hat with awe.
"She'll live," Shiri finally said, voice low and reassuring. "I tended to her scrapes and cuts. Nothing severe. But…" His slit pupils narrowed. "Her fatigue runs deeper than just wounds. She has pushed herself past exhaustion. It delays healing."
Theo's gaze darted from the sleeping girl to the hat. His expression lit up with recognition. "That's a witch's hat!" he whispered, almost reverently. "I read about these in the old library texts. Every witch shapes her hat on her own magic. It's said to be… an extension of their being."
Kairo's eyes flickered toward the hat with newfound interest. So this clumsy girl really is a witch… but from where?
He opened the Command Nexus, and a faint shimmer of light flickered in his vision. Bethany's status plate appeared before him:
Name: Bethany Evermist
Title: None
Bloodline: Witchkin (Lesser)
Class: Witch (Novice of Potions, Illusions, and Curses)
Tier: 1
Skills: Phantom Trickery, Brewcraft (Basic), Hex of Misfortune, Child of the Cauldron
"She's Tier 1," Kairo muttered, dismissing the plate. "A fledgling, barely stronger than Theo when I first found him. But she carries herself with something… different."
Shiri tilted his head. "Origin matters as much as current strength. This girl could belong to somewhere far beyond these ruins."
Before Kairo could respond, a faint groan came from the bed.
Bethany stirred, eyelashes fluttering. Slowly, she blinked awake, confusion painting her tired features. Her gaze darted around the room, wide and nervous—until her eyes landed on Kairo.
Her face immediately brightened. She sat up halfway, cheeks flushing pink as her hands clasped over her chest.
"My… my prince charming!" she exclaimed, stars practically twinkling in her eyes. "You came to rescue me from the monster den! I knew it! I knew someone would come!"
Kairo froze. His normally composed face faltered as the tips of his ears heated. "…Prince… charming?"
Theo burst into laughter, nearly choking. Shiri covered his mouth with his hand, but his body trembled with suppressed chuckles.
Bethany beamed at Kairo, clearly oblivious to his embarrassment. But the moment her gaze slid past him and landed on Shiri—
Her entire demeanor shattered.
"KYYYYAAAAAH! A snake monster!" she shrieked, scrambling to crawl backward. Her legs tangled in the blanket, and she tumbled off the bed with a thud.
Shiri sighed and slithered back a little to give her space. "…And I thought fainting at the gate was dramatic enough."
Bethany pressed her back against the wall, pointing shakily at him. "D-Don't eat me! Please, I-I'm too skinny, I taste awful!"
Instead of arguing, Shiri reached into a tray on the side table and calmly held up a skewer of roasted meat. "This," he said with a small smile, "is my specialty. Taste it. Then judge me."
Bethany blinked, startled by the sudden offer. Her nose twitched—the smell was heavenly, smoky and savory. Still, she hesitated, clutching her staff like a teddy bear.
Theo smirked, leaning against the wall. "You look just like me when they first found me. Terrified of everything, ready to bolt at shadows."
Bethany puffed her cheeks indignantly. "I-I'm not scared! I'm just… cautious!"
Her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl.
Red-faced, she snatched the skewer and nibbled the edge. The moment the meat touched her tongue, her eyes widened. She devoured the rest in seconds, cheeks puffed out, juices dripping down her chin.
"Mmmmh! Oh! Oh this is—!" she exclaimed between bites. She swallowed and gasped dramatically. "Not even the palace cooks could make roasted meat this good!"
The room froze.
Kairo's eyes narrowed. Theo blinked in shock. Even Shiri arched a brow.
"…Palace?" Kairo repeated carefully.
Bethany froze mid-chew. Her face went crimson. She waved her hands wildly. "I-I mean! Um! Did I say palace? I-I meant… cottage! Yes, my… my cottage back home! Totally not suspicious at all!"
Theo snorted. "Smooth."
Kairo folded his arms. "Name."
She straightened like a scolded child. "Bethany Evermist! But-but just call me Beth! Everyone does!" She puffed her chest proudly. "I'm a witch! A real one!"
Shiri gave a polite nod. "I am Shiri. This is Theo. And he"—he gestured at Kairo—"is our lord."
Bethany's eyes sparkled again as she gazed at Kairo. "My prince charming, the lord of this land…"
Kairo cleared his throat. "Lord Kairo. And stop calling me that."
Bethany ignored him completely.
Kairo pressed on, voice steady. "You mentioned a palace. Where are you from, and what are you doing in the ruins?"
Bethany immediately flustered, fumbling with her hat. "Uh—I—I'm um… well, you see, I'm actually… I'm totally not lying when I say I'm a court mage! Yep! From the country of mages and witches! The, uh… stronghold of magic in the fallen continent!"
Theo's jaw dropped. Shiri's eyes widened slightly.
Kairo frowned. "Court mage? From such a place? And yet—" He glanced at her again. "You are Tier 1. Weak. Barely holding yourself together."
Bethany gasped, scandalized. "H-How rude! That's not a nice thing to say to a lady!"
Theo chuckled under his breath.
Shiri interjected smoothly, his tone calm and informative. "The country of mages and witches is no small place. Outside the three great powers of the fallen continent, they hold the most magical firepower. If she truly comes from there, even as a novice… she is connected to something vast."
Kairo's mind raced. Magic as a power equal to great empires… If it exists in such depth, I want to learn it.
Bethany, meanwhile, puffed her cheeks. "Well, I-I may not look it now, but I'll grow strong! I was exploring, you see, and then—then I stumbled into this awful mess! A whole beast tide! They chased me for hours!"
Kairo stiffened. "Beast tide?"
Shiri's expression darkened. "That explains her exhaustion. If one is near the ruins…"
Kairo's jaw tightened. "We fortify the base. Immediately."
Bethany perked up, waving her hands eagerly. "Ooh! Ooh! Then I'll stay here! Yes, yes, the Great Witch Bethany shall camp here until the tide ends! I'll even help! You'll see, I'll be so useful!" She puffed her chest dramatically.
Kairo exhaled slowly, not entirely convinced. "…Fine. Stay. But cause trouble, and you leave."
Theo smirked. "If she's as weak as you say, she won't help much anyway."
Bethany spun on him, fists on hips. "Excuuuse me?! I'm not weak! You—you cabbage-head!"
Theo grinned. "Better than being a clumsy witch who trips over blankets."
Their bickering filled the room like the squabbles of siblings. Shiri chuckled, clearly amused. "It seems, Kairo, that Theo has found someone his age to quarrel with. Perhaps it's good for him."
Kairo didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Bethany as she wagged her finger at Theo, then shifted toward the window. Beyond the walls, the ruins stretched into the horizon—and somewhere in that horizon, a beast tide gathered strength.
He clenched his fist. If it strikes, I'll use it. I must reach Tier 3.
The next morning, Shiri served a hearty breakfast of roasted meat, root stew, and bread. Around the table, Kairo laid out their plans.
"The walls will be reinforced. Weapons prepared. Shiri, I want you to begin crafting—something large. Something destructive."
Shiri's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "At last… it has been too long since I forged something epic."
Bethany munched happily on her stew, crumbs dotting her chin. "I'm telling you, even palace feasts weren't this good…"
Kairo's gaze flicked to her, then back to the map of the ruins spread before them.
Do the other lords know a beast tide approaches? he wondered silently. If not, this knowledge may change everything.
The air in the hall grew tense with the weight of what was to come.