>> Chapter 02: The Witch
The night had already fallen when he returned to the shelter.
The sky was covered by heavy clouds, and the moon, hidden, left the forest plunged in shadows. The sound of the wind, as it darkened, seemed louder and louder.
The man finally reached the shelter, descending slowly and landing in front of the crevice between the rocks, where the wind could barely enter.
The fire still burned, weak, crackling in orange tones that danced on the stone walls.
He entered, feeling the gentle warmth touch his skin.
In his hands, the rabbit he had hunted was already starting to harden from the cold.
"I managed to get back in one piece..." he murmured, after entering and snuggling near the flames, while at the same time removing the invisible dome that kept the cold away from him.
The warmth of the flames welcomed him like an old friend. Then he placed the rabbit on the ground and observed it for a few seconds, thoughtful.
"Alright... now comes the complicated part."
The animal's skin was still intact, and he realized he had nothing sharp nearby. No knife, no pointed stone enough.
"How am I going to open this...?"
He looked around, searching for something useful, but the shelter was poor in resources. Just smooth stones, dry branches, and snow.
"I could try using telekinesis to cut... but what if I ruin everything?"
Before he could think better, something made him freeze.
A shiver ran down his neck—not the cold this time, but something different. His telekinetic sense captured a movement.
The sensation became clearer, closer.
He frowned and turned slowly toward the entrance of the shelter. Outside, everything seemed normal. No sound, no step on the snow.
"Am I going crazy...?"
Closing his eyes, he concentrated. The energy around him expanded, spreading like invisible waves.
Then he felt it, something was coming from the north.
Strangely, it wasn't walking but rather.
Floating.
"A person?" he murmured, still confused.
As much as he couldn't see clearly with his eyes, his telekinetic sense perceived every detail with precision. Now, closer, he felt it was something with a light body, precise movements. Human.
And there was more, a firm metallic blade in one of the hands.
The shape... feminine.
"A woman?" He thought, confused. "But why would someone be coming straight here in this cold?"
His eyes scanned the darkness. Nothing. No sound besides the wind.
But the presence continued approaching, now less than fifty meters away.
He knelt beside the fire, pretending tranquility. His face serene, but his body ready.
"Let's see what you want..."
The shelter was in absolute silence. No step, no crack. But he could feel... Someone was there. Close.
Behind him.
Time seemed to slow down.
Suddenly, the woman materialized appearing behind him, and moved extremely fast. An ordinary human probably wouldn't have the slightest chance to react. The blade she carried descended in a precise arc, aiming at his neck. Curiously, the blow would come with the handle, not the cutting blade.
He just smiled slightly.
At the last instant, his body tilted to the side. The air cut where his head had been. The blow passed grazing, unable to hit him.
Before she could react, he raised his arm. An invisible wave of telekinesis surged forward.
The wave of energy hit her with brutality.
And she was thrown backward, plunging into the snow, which sank under her impact.
Without waiting for her to get up, his hand extended again. And an invisible force pinned her against the ground, crushing the snow around her body, immobilizing her completely.
His eyes shone golden under the flickering light of the fire, in a state of alert.
"Who the hell are you?" The voice came out firm, controlled, cold as the cutting wind outside.
"And why did you try to attack me?"
The woman writhed slightly, panting. The hood fell, revealing blonde hair and clear violet eyes that reflected the fire's light.
Even immobilized, she stared at him calmly, without fear, but with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
For a few seconds, only the sound of the wind filled the silence between them.
Then, she spoke, her voice still hoarse from the impact:
"What... what are you?"
"Hm? Obviously, a man."
"Impossible..." she replied, almost without thinking. "Only women... witches can use magic. I've never heard of a man capable of that."
"Wizard? Magic?" He frowned completely confused. "So that's what you call this power?" (Give an improvement to this reaction)
She looked at him as if she were facing an idiot. "You messed with me without touching me. You threw me to the ground, and you're holding me here... What else could this be, if not magic?"
That answered many of the man's questions about how the inhabitants of this world called these powers, and also about how people who had powers called themselves, but he didn't have much time to get lost in reveries.
"Answer my question," he said, his voice firm, cutting the silence. "Why did you try to attack me?"
"I didn't want to kill you," she replied, firm, keeping her gaze on him. "I just wanted to knock you out. My mana is low, and I needed a safe place to spend the night. I saw the smoke from afar and... acted too fast."
He arched an eyebrow, incredulous. "You could have just asked."
She let out a short laugh, almost bitter. "Ask? You really think someone would let a witch approach like that, willingly? And still share shelter with her?"
He frowned, confused. "People... don't like witches?"
She studied him for an instant, as if trying to assess if he was mocking or serious.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No." He lowered his gaze, his voice lower, tired. "Actually... I don't remember anything. I don't know where I am, nor what happened before this. When I woke up, I was in the middle of the snow... without clothes, without memories. Just that."
She remained silent, observing him. But her power, which could sense intentions, confirmed his sincerity. He was really lost, confused, and yet curious.
"So you really don't know anything..." she murmured, almost to herself.
"Exactly." He breathed deeply, looking at his hands. "So explain to me... why is being a witch considered wrong here?"
She averted her gaze to the fire, the flame reflecting in her eyes. "Wrong? For the Church, everything we do is blasphemy."
"Church?"
"They call us demons," she said, bitter. "They believe our powers come from hell. That we're a threat to humanity. That's why they hunt us. Always."
He remained silent, digesting the information. The sound of the crackling fire filled the pause.
"So... that's why you were surprised when you saw me use... magic?"
"Exactly." She stared at him, firm. "Witches are rare in this world. And something like you... a man capable of using magic? I've never heard of anything like that before.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his thoughts swirling as he tried to digest all that.
"And you witches are hunted just for being born with these powers?" He asked, with evident curiosity in his voice.
"Yes." She replied, without hesitating. "The Church says we're cursed. The more we use our magic, the closer they get to calling us monsters. For them, we're mistakes that must be erased."
He let out a heavy sigh, feeling a mixture of indignation and disbelief. He had barely arrived in this world, and he already realized he would have enemies on all sides. Breathing deeply, he asked another question.
"But if you're so powerful, why don't you fight back against them?"
Nightingale let out a short laugh, without humor. "Some tried. None lasted long. The Church has soldiers called the divine punishment army, who are men with monstrous physical strength and extremely fast, besides them having spies everywhere, and large amounts of resources, and the support of the people."
"As for us, we're few... And we're always on the run."
The silence returned to fill the shelter. The wind outside made the fire seem more distant. He rested his chin on his hand, thoughtful.
"So this is the world I fell into..." He thought in silence.
She looked at him sideways. "If what you said is true, and you really lost your memory, you were lucky not to fall into the wrong hands."
"If the church finds out about someone like you... A man who can use magic, I'm sure they'll do everything in their power to capture you, and then dissect you alive."
He arched his eyebrows slightly, a shadow of irony crossing his tired face. "Well... That doesn't sound very nice."
For an instant, she almost smiled too, before assuming her serious expression again.
"It's cold here, can you release me now?" she asked, impatient.
He blinked, as if only then remembering that he still held her pinned against the ground.
"Ah... right."
With a light gesture of his hand, the pressure disappeared. The air released around her, and she breathed deeply, massaging her wrists.
"Thanks," she murmured, without taking her eyes off him.
"What's your name?" he asked, his voice calmer now.
She hesitated for an instant, as if pondering whether she should answer.
"I don't have a real name... but my sisters call me Nightingale."
He repeated the name, testing the sound. "Nightingale, huh... it suits you."
"And yours?"
He stayed silent for a few seconds, thoughtful. A name... that body was new, that world too. Maybe a new name was the right thing.
"Radan," he said finally. "You can call me Radan."
She nodded slightly, without showing much reaction.
For a moment, the sound of the fire filled the shelter. The smell of smoke mixed with the cold of the night, and the rabbit still lay in the corner, forgotten.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, breaking the silence.
She arched an eyebrow and replied without thinking much.
"Yes."
"Perfect." He turned, pointing to the rabbit. "Then take it. I have no idea how to prepare this."
Nightingale looked at him for an instant, surprised by the lack of ceremony, and let out a coquettish laugh. "We barely know each other, and you're already putting me to cook?"
Radan shrugged, trying to look serious, but unable to contain a slight smile. "You invaded my shelter… I think I'm being reasonable."
She shook her head, still laughing softly. "Alright, Mr. Reasonable. But don't think I'll settle for just this. I need you to get some dry branches to skewer the meat."
Radan raised his hands slightly, and the branches moved on their own to his hands, making her widen her eyes. "That I can do."
She observed him for a few seconds, still incredulous. "Interesting… your magic seems quite convenient.
He limited himself to shrugging, while she began to work on the rabbit with quick and practical movements, concentrated.
"Do you do this often?" he asked, curiosity overcoming shyness.
"When you live on the road, you learn quickly to fend for yourself," she replied, without looking at him, focused on the work.
The silence settled again, interrupted only by the crackling of the fire. Radan watched, still apprehensive, when he finally broke the tension:
"Do you know where the nearest city is?" he asked, breaking the silence.
She raised her eyes, slightly surprised. "City? There's none nearby, but there is a small growing village. The Frontier Village. It's a few days' travel to the south."
"Frontier Village, huh…" He repeated the name, thoughtful, observing the fire reflect on the surrounding snow. "Then that's where I'm going."
She arched an eyebrow, skeptical. "Are you serious? You really want to go there?"
"Yes? Why not?" He shrugged. "I don't intend to spend my whole life in the middle of the ice."
Nightingale let out a light sigh, almost a laugh, but with a gleam in her eyes. "You talk as if it were simple. That village may be small and isolated from other cities… But even so, even far from the Church, they always have spies. People like us… or like you… aren't exactly welcome there."
He frowned, crossing his arms. "You think I'd be discovered there?"
She leaned her body slightly forward, with an almost provocative tone. "You're a man with an attractive and extremely striking appearance." She paused while looking at him sensually.
"Besides having white hair and yellow eyes. You're lucky to be a man because maybe some of them will just think you might have some rare characteristic, but if they see you using your magic, and believe me, sooner or later you'll end up using it in front of other people, at that moment you can be sure you'd be discovered, and maybe because you're a man with witch powers, they might treat you even worse."
He stayed silent for a few seconds, processing that, but without backing down. "So what do you suggest? Stay hidden in this hole for the rest of my life?"
She averted her gaze to the fire, thoughtful, before speaking, more serious. "Maybe you don't need to. I'm part of a group… the Cooperative Association of Witches. It's a small group, but we're growing. Our goal is to gather and protect witches that the church hunts."
"A kind of shelter for people like you?"
"More or less." She observed him from the corner, studying his face. "And maybe… people like you too."
"Like me?" He frowned. "You yourself said only women can use magic."
"Yes, but…" She hesitated, biting her lip lightly. "You're different. I've never seen anything like it. Maybe my leader would want to meet you… or maybe not. I don't know yet."
He stayed silent, looking at the flames reflecting in her eyes. "I can think about it."
She straightened up, adjusting the rabbit over the fire, but without taking her eyes off him. "Think fast. Tomorrow morning I'm going to the Frontier Village. I heard rumors that a new witch awakened there… and I need to find her before the Church."
"So you're going alone?"
"That was the plan… until now." She sketched a quick smile, light and almost provocative. "If you want to come with me, I can guide you. It'll be safer than getting lost out there alone."
He studied her for an instant, observing the determination and fatigue on her face, and finally nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow I'll go with you."
"Great." She adjusted her hood, relaxing a bit. "But if I regret it, I'll pretend I don't even know you."
He smiled softly, a little amused. "Fair."
The aroma of the roasting meat began to fill the shelter. For an instant, the cold seemed to disappear. Outside, the wind continued to blow over the frozen forest, reminding that the world out there wouldn't be kind.
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