Near the base of the great clocktower, the woman and the young girl sat at a small, ornate table, steam rising from their porcelain cups of coffee. The woman, Caelia, placed her cup back on its saucer with a soft clink.
The young girl, Alexia, took a delicate sip, then looked at her grandmother through her long, dark eyelashes, her gaze thoughtful.
People passing through the fog-draped square couldn't help but glance their way. While nobles were common in the Realm of Fate, the sheer opulence of their attire was beyond the reach of even most royalty.
Caelia's gown was a masterpiece of silk and velvet, while Alexia's celestine dress, with its embroidered stars and lace collar, made them look like visiting deities, capturing the attention of every onlooker.
Alexia placed her own cup down. Caelia looked at her, her voice as calm and gentle as a summer breeze. "Alexia, do you truly believe you will be able to meet him here?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.
Alexia met her grandmother's gaze, her own voice as melodic as a mermaid's song. "Well, it would be wonderful if I did. But I don't know if I would be able to compose myself in front of him." A faint blush colored her cheeks as a small, private smile touched her lips.
Caelia smiled in return, a knowing look in her eyes. She picked up her coffee for another sip before setting it down again. Her gaze swept briefly to the right before settling back on her granddaughter.
"Well, these things take time, so it is not a pressing issue. But you should start building your courage, my dear, or you may never find the strength to speak your heart," Caelia advised.
She then placed her palm flat on the table. A soft, golden light emanated from beneath her hand, fading as quickly as it appeared to reveal a leather-bound book and a pristine white quill.
Alexia looked at the items with interest. "Are you going to write another novel?" she asked.
Caelia opened the book, its pages blank and inviting, and picked up the quill. "You are correct. I feel a story coming on."
"So, what is this one about?" Alexia inquired, taking the last sip of her coffee.
"It is nothing particularly grand," Caelia said, the quill already beginning to dance across the page in elegant script. "Just a story about a girl who was summoned to another world with her classmates, only to be separated from them and discover she had become a witch."
"It sounds… decent," Alexia offered.
"I know it does," Caelia replied without looking up, a hint of amusement in her voice. She paused her writing and glanced at Alexia. "Why don't you walk around for a bit and explore the city? You might just find him."
Alexia nodded, slowly rising from her chair. The fine fabric of her dress whispered against the stone. "By the way, where should I meet you later?"
"You don't have to worry about that, dear. Just call for me, and I will come to you," Caelia assured her, already absorbed in her writing once more.
"Okay," Alexia said. With a deep breath, she turned and walked away, her figure slowly swallowed by the thick, romantic fog that perpetually clung to the city. Caelia watched her go for a moment before the world faded away, leaving only the story unfolding beneath her quill.
—
Alexia roamed the cobblestone streets, her eyes scanning the crowd as if searching for a specific face. She navigated the bustling foot traffic with care, avoiding bumping into anyone, though the voluminous skirts of her elegant dress made the task difficult.
"I shouldn't have worn this dress today," she muttered under her breath, carefully lifting the hem to step over a puddle. "I don't know why I agreed with Grandma on this."
Her gaze drifted across the storefronts, eventually landing on a small food vendor nestled between two larger buildings. She hesitated for only a moment before making her way toward it.
She stopped before the stall, its aromas of spiced meat and fresh bread making her stomach rumble. The owner, a muscular man with black hair and a kind face, smiled at her. "What can I get for you, young lady?" he asked, his voice a friendly rumble.
Alexia pointed to a golden-brown pastry. "I would like this one, please."
"As you wish," the man said, expertly wrapping the treat in a piece of parchment. He told her the price, and Alexia produced the exact coins from a small, hidden pocket, placing them in his calloused hand.
"Thank you, young lady!" he called as she walked away.
Alexia took a bite as she merged back into the flow of pedestrians. "It's quite tasty," she murmured to herself, savoring the flaky crust and sweet filling.
She continued her aimless journey through the foggy streets. After a few more minutes, she found herself near a bustling train station. She looked to her right to see multiple colossal, black steam trains, their bodies made of riveted steel. They hissed and groaned, releasing great plumes of black smoke from their chimneys into the already-hazy sky.
Alexia walked past the noisy station, munching on her pastry. A few meters beyond, she passed a bakery, its windows filled with loaves of bread and elaborate cakes.
Then, suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath hitched. The very world around her seemed to tremble. Her eyes widened, and a cold sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. Her body began to tremble slightly, and every hair on her arms stood on end.
She looked around in a panic, seeing other people in the street clutch their heads or slump to the ground, overcome by the same invisible, oppressive sensation. Then, her heart seemed to stutter and stop as a figure walked past her.
She caught his profile from the corner of her eye. He was an adult man with long, flowing white hair, wearing a white robe that hung open at the front, revealing a chest covered in intricate, dark tattoos. But it was his eyes that froze her soul—sharp, piercing lavender orbs that seemed to see straight through her, laying every secret bare, the horns on his head bearing the same color as his eyes.
As the figure moved past her with a slow, deliberate pace, the crushing pressure began to fade. Alexia's heart hammered back to life in her chest, and she gasped for air, stumbling before catching her balance on a nearby lamppost.
She placed a hand over her heart, feeling its frantic rhythm slowly return to normal. She took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out. "What… what was that?" she whispered to herself, whipping her head around to look back. But the mysterious man had already vanished, consumed by the fog as if he were a part of it.
She took a tentative step forward, her movements slow and cautious. It was then she realized her hand was empty. The pastry she had been eating was gone, vanished without a trace.
"Where did my food go?" she said aloud, looking down at her empty hand and then around her feet. There was no sign of it. "Could… could he have taken it?"
She stood there for a long moment, trying to process the encounter. "Nothing can be done about it now if he did. But… who in the world was he?"
Shaking her head to clear the lingering dread, she continued walking. A few moments later, still lost in her thoughts and glancing warily around, she turned a corner and bumped squarely into someone. The impact sent her tumbling to the ground, landing hard on the cobblestones.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed, reaching up to rub her head.
A voice, laced with concern, cut through her daze. "Hey, are you alright?"
Alexia slowly opened her eyes, blinking to clear her vision. Her gaze focused on the two figures now standing over her. Her eyes widened, her face transforming into a mask of pure surprise and shock.