Disclaimer: I do not own WITCH.
Note: Setting is in the WITCH comic.
PROLOGUE
Sixteen years ago, the center of infinity, Kandrakar.
"What is happening, Oracle?" Yan Lin inquired, her forehead creasing in worry.
"The transfiguring cards!" Endarno exclaimed, pointing at the cards flying around.
"The transfiguring cards are telling us something…" the Oracle said calmly, his eyes closed. "An even bigger change is in store, and it has just begun…"
Sixteen years later…
A soft tapping could be heard as the squeaking of the windshield wiper tried in vain to dry the windshield. The girl inside the car sighed, a mist forming on her side of the window. She twirled her long hazel, locks around her index finger as she stared at the other cars heading the same way in the raging storm.
"What's wrong, Eva?"
The girl looked up, her golden eyes flashing. She raised her eyebrow at the man driving the car, sitting next to her. She pouted and returned to lose herself in her happy place, fingering the small turquoise pendant strung around her neck by a silver chain.
"Missing Midgale already? That seems too soon, Eva."
Eva remained silent. The man reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. The man sighed.
"I'm sorry we had to move but the company demands I should work here. I hope you can understand."
"I'm not blaming you, Dad," Eva finally spoke, clutching the hem of her navy blue jacket. "I'm just…just…ugh! I can't find a word to describe how I feel!"
Eva's father laughed. "Don't worry. We'll be fine here."
"Where are we supposed to live?" Eva gestured to the back of the car where piles and piles of boxes were crammed. "I'm surprised you didn't bring your books. You are a professor after all. And what about my books? Where did you put them? Where's the box labeled 'Eva's books'?"
"Calm down!" Eva's father said, a smile playing on his face. "The company has already shipped our books to the place they bought for us…well, I couldn't call it a home, but it's all they could give us. It's free, we don't have to pay rent or anything and it's ours. Besides, the place is full of books!"
"A library?" said Eva in surprise. "We're going to live in a library?"
"More or less…"
The car slowed down and halted in front of a dark building.
"Here we are," Eva's father went out of the car, bringing with him a box labeled 'Prof. Hoffman's researches'. "Well? Aren't you coming?"
Eva hesitated, then opened the door of the car. Hoisting the hood of her jacket over her head, she stepped out. She followed her father to the glass door of the dark building. She giggled as her father struggled with finding the keys to the door while holding the box straight.
"Let me take that," Eva offered, taking the drenched box out of her father's slippery hands.
"Thank you," Prof. Hoffman stood straight and studied his keys. "Now if I could remember which one it was…"
"Eva shook her head. She glanced in the depths of the room inside where only the large glass window was the only barrier. She pressed her nose against the cold, wet glass and tried to make out anything in the darkness. Nothing.
"Ah, finally!" Prof. Hoffman exclaimed as he pushed open the door. "Come Eva, we have a lot of boxes to move. You need to sleep early tonight. Tomorrow's your first day in school."
Eva nodded as her father walked into the darkness. A sign creaked overhead as a strong gust of wind blew. Eva held the box tightly. As soon as the wind stopped, she glimpsed at the sign attached to the edge of the front of the building.
Ye Olde Bookshop
"OK, it's my turn!"
Enid, a girl with long vivid red hair tied by a green ribbon and brown eyes, took a pair of dice and shook in her hands. Her four friends Nina, Maya, Esen and Luana were watching her as they were playing a board game Esen had made. They were sitting on the floor of the living room of a very large house.
"Come on, two, TWO!" Enid pleaded, her eyes shut tight.
Maya laughed and said, "That's not how the game works, sweetie. It's not like you'll get two ones, you know."
"Whatever!" screamed Enid, shaking her hands violently. "Come on, TWO!"
"Stop hogging the dice!" Maya said angrily, pouncing on Enid.
"This will take all night," Nina sighed as Esen tried to stop the other two from fighting.
"The rain's falling harder," Luana said as she stood up and opened the window slightly, letting cold air rush in and ruffle her braided shoulder-length indigo hair. She closed the window again and stared at her reflection on the glass. She squinted her turquoise eyes and whispered, "Someone's coming…"
"When's Tierra arriving?" Esen asked, pulling Maya away from Enid.
"I heard it's today…" Nina replied, and as though on cue, there was a knock on the heavy wooden door.
"It's Tierra," said Luana, and walked to the door to greet a girl with soaking long blonde hair and green eyes looking up innocently.
"I'm back!" the girl exclaimed and let herself in.
"Tierra!" Maya said suddenly, abandoning her struggle over the dice to walk over to Tierra and hug her. However, noticing that Tierra was wet, Maya stopped in front of her and shook her hand. "It's been a long time!"
"I've only been gone for a week," Tierra scowled at Maya and noticed Enid sprawled on the floor, her hands still clutching the dice. "What are you doing there?"
"We're playing my game!" said Esen in delight. "I finally finished it!"
"Oh, that's great…" murmured Tierra, surveying the girls in the room. "Listen guys, I stopped by Sheffield before I came here. There's a poster about a dance competition for the celebration of the cultural festival next month. Five to ten members are allowed. We can join!"
"I'll join depending on the prize," said Maya, sitting down next to Esen.
"200 bucks," Tierra said smugly, and Nina's and Esen's jaws dropped open.
"I'm not good at dancing…" Luana muttered, bowing her head.
Maya placed her arm around Luana's shoulders. "Don't worry, Loony, Nina's mother's a dance instructor. She can teach us, right, Nina?"
"Mom's busy," Nina answered. "They have a recital coming up soon so she has to train the students. She won't have time for us."
Maya pouted and Tierra's face fell. "Aw, great," said Maya sarcastically.
"Enid, will you just let go of those dice?" Luana glared at Enid, who was still shaking the dice in her hand.
"Fine!" Enid threw the dice on the floor.
The pair of dice rolled on the carpet as the girls watched it. One of the dice stopped rolling to reveal a red dot. The other continued to roll under the couch. Enid frantically moved the couch away.
"YES! TWO!"