this chapter does have character death be warned! I don't think it's too gory or anything but if you guys think its too explicit I will bump up the rating just to be on the safe side! Vote for it in the reviews section after reading this chapter. Should I bump up the Rating yes or no?

It was the last few days of the third week of elementary school. It was a new school Manami had recently just moved to. The sun was out, idly gazing downwards from the blue sky as fluffy white clouds slowly moved by. Manami was making her way towards the school, her two braids swinging behind her as she walked. She had a small smile on her young face. She was excited for science class, today they would be learning about potential energy and it just so happens that in that very same class she's managed to….'befriend' a classmate….She didn't know if she could really call this person her friend seeing as they only had a little over three weeks to really get to know each other….But still having a friendly acquaintance must have counted for something!

Manami was so very happy for school! It was her first time going to a public school! She's been homeschooled all her life up until till now. Which wasn't bad she loved learning about potions and witches from her mom and dad…though she did wonder why they asked her not to talk about that stuff in school…Maybe it was because that kind of stuff was too advance for other kids to understand…? They also warned her about…something…they called it her foreseeable awakening…? Okuda didn't know what they meant by that…but she had promised to be very careful! Her parents had explained…(recently explained) that not all people knew or had magic…Which was a baffling concept for Okuda, who had lived all her young life working with potions and runes and magical equipment.

They made it a point to explain to her that 'normals' as they called them, where often kind, rational people but when things beyond their understanding showed up they became primitive and angry, so one must always be careful around them so as not to offend or scare them. Okuda remembers her mother's lecture:

"Manami, honey listen you were born with a great advantage in life, you were born to become a witch. But don't you ever think that makes anyone inferior to you. Everyone has their own advantages, their own skills. Some people have math, others English, and some have sports as their special skills, so people who are good at math, good at talking, good at sports or people who can use magic…we all are of great value no one is superior.

Just because someone can run a hundred miles a day that doesn't make them better than the person that solves a hundred math problems per day… You can't place more value in one thing over the other. Our abilities and skills, our powers are as dangerous as knives and you should never point your knife at another person or threaten them. Do you understand?" Her mother explained

Manami had nodded and happily replied that pointing sharp objects at people was wrong. After that she went off to her first day in school and now she was her three weeks later happily making her way to school.

"Good morning Okuda-san!"

"G-good morning, Arakawa-chan…." Manami said with a shy smile as she waved good morning to her newly acquired friendly acquaintance.

Arakawa, Sakura. She was taller than most girls and she had pretty short brown hair that went down just past her chin. Sakura was a very energetic character which was in complete contrast to Okuda's quieter self…but they complemented each other nicely. Okuda kept Sakura in check and Sakura helped Okuda become more self-asserting. It was a beneficial relationship.

"Hey did you hear about that child star that turned out to be a…witch?"

"Hm…n-no…I don't really listen to pop news…" Manami admitted sheepishly as they walked down the hallway together towards their homeroom.

After school they would usually say their goodbyes and head home but today was different. Sakura said there was an ice cream shop nearby, said it was one of her favorites and she wanted to show Okuda. Manami pondered the idea…Ice cream sounded nice…and she could always eat it on the way home. She agreed and both girls went to the ice cream shop. It was located just down the street and around the corner. Sakura insisted she pay….Manami promised she would repay her. Sakura got triple chocolate and Okuda got plain vanilla with caramel drizzle.

As they walked back, innocently eating their ice cream Okuda tripped. She had stumbled forwards and bounced of someone and when she did she saw her delicious ice cream had covered the stranger she bumped into. She looked up at the stranger. He was taller and older than her…maybe a high schooler… Manami gulped and flushed pink in embarrassment.

"Okuda you okay?" Sakura asked as she placed a comforting hand on the petite girl's shoulder.

"I-I I'm s-so sorry, mister!" She stuttered as she bowed apologetically her braids swinging forth from the momentum.

The high schooler just growled in annoyance…He didn't like annoying brats…She probably did it on purpose and the fact that his two other friends were snickering didn't help cool his temper….!

"You should be! Don't let it happen again, brat!" He scorned as he glared down at the girl.

The girl shrank down and gazed at the ground with shamefully red cheeks, her facial expression was somewhere in between a scared and sad expression… The high schooler just let out 'tch' and started walking away.

"Hey! You can't talk to her like that, it wasn't just her fault!" Another girl yelled as she sheltered the plum-haired girl in her arms with a protective scowl.

"What did you say brat!?" He said as he looked down at the brat who had the nerve to say anything to him.

"I said you're to blame to for not being aware of your surroundings! I would think that someone with huge ears like yours would be able to hear me!" She exclaimed angrily as Manami vainly tried to stop Sakura from making the situation worse.

Manami could feel the anger wafting off the guy and she could feel the annoyance of the other two high schoolers who were now blocking their exits.

"Sakura…stop..!" Manami hissed as she tugged on the girl's sleeve hoping she would stop.

"You either got guts or no brain; either way you're not gonna have either for long!"

In a flash Sakura's neck was in the guy's large hand, her small frame was easily lifted off the ground, her feet dangling in midair. Manami had been pushed back in the process; she stumbled backwards before regaining her balance. The two other male high schoolers had created a circle preventing any form of escape entrapping them in the narrow walkway.

"S-stop! Leave Sakura alone!" Manami cried as she tugged at the older male's uniform shirt hoping he would come to his sense… He just growled. His hold on the 'sakura' girl's neck tighten slightly out of irritation.

"Annoying brat get out of here! You two need to learn respect!" He said as he slapped the short plum haired kid out of the way with his free hand.

Manami gingerly held her stinging cheek as she fell backwards on her butt, she tried getting up again but one of the high schoolers placed a heavy hand on her shoulders his salty breath gazing over her ear.

"Hey glasses you make a real cute loli." He whispered as his grip on her shoulder tightened. Manami didn't know what that meant but she did know that the way he was holding her shoulder hurt. She winced.

"O-O-Okuda…!" Sakura wheezed out as she vainly tried to pry the high schooler's hand open.

Her eyes started to roll to the back of her head as her flushed skin turned deathly pale with a tint of purple. She was gagging and sputtering out. Her mouth hanging wide open gasping for air like a fish out of water, her pretty brown eyes slowly hazing over as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"S-stop it!" Manami cried as she tried shaking off the guy's hand off her shoulder, but he just pushed her down to the ground holding her down as he gripped onto her braids.

"Feisty aren't we…" The guy commented.

Manami gazed up from the hard concrete floor her hot tears streaming down her face and falling onto the ground….The guy had forced her down so quickly that her head had roughly hit the concrete. She could feel her temples pulsate with pain as the world around her turned fuzzy and the boy's cursing and Sakura's gagging muffled into static. Her nose twitched when she suddenly smelled smoke. She forcibly turned her head towards the smell and saw the third guy idly standing by as he lit a cigar.

Why was he just standing there! Her friend was getting chocked to death! Why aren't you helping her! Stop smoking and help her! Okuda glared at the lighter in the boy's hand as he tried to light his cigarette. How dare you! Is your cigarette worth more than Sakura! Nothing is worth more than Sakura! I want you to help her…! She glanced over at Sakura who was nearing her last breath…her anger was flaring up burning hot and boiling over. She glanced over at the guy with heated eyes, staring at his lighter as its hot burning flame flickered on and off.

….I want….!

I want….! I want you…!

I want you to…to

….

"…burn…"

The red and blue lights swirled around in speedy rotation. The loud beeping sound of the sirens warned spectators to stay as far away from the area as possible. Police cars encircled the area in a closed off ring. The policeman with their crisp blue uniforms swarmed the area as they gazed down at the horrifying scene before them. Two girls were wrapped in pure white blankets each holding a cup of water…the pure irony of the white was not lost on the young plum haired girl as she avoided looking at the 'scene'….but the wind refused to let her forget…she could still smell it….the lingering smoke and crisp black scent of burned flesh….it oddly smelled like an ashy tray of cigarettes….

"..S-Sakura…a-are you ok-…" Okuda tentatively asked as she gingerly made her way towards the pale faced Sakura.

"Don't touch me!" She hissed as she swatted Okuda's hand away her voice crackling like dying fire.

Her eyes were no longer hazy but they were still very red and puffy. Her lips were still tinted a light blue and her skin was still sickly pale…though Okuda wasn't sure if it was because of the chocking or because of Sakura's newly acquired fear for her…. The glaring red scar that coiled around Sakura's neck and flared up across her right cheek gave Okuda enough proof that Sakura was indeed scared of her.

"…Okuda….just…don't…I know you're a witch…" Sakura spoke softly so as not to be overheard. Okuda clutched onto the blanket more tightly as she wrapped it around herself protectively….

"I-I…"

"Stop…!" Manami sealed her lips shuts as she watched her friend's shoulders shake.

"L-Look I'm grateful y-you saved me…b-but…."

It was at that moments that Manami realized…She was a witch with magical powers…powers that were connected to her emotions and feelings…If she ever lost control of her feelings….if she ever lost control of her temper like that again….she could hurt someone…she could hurt a lot of people…she could hurt the people she cares about…

"I-I understand…" She mumbled quietly as she walked away her bangs covering her heavy eyes…

It was at that moment Manami understood what her mother was trying to say….Witches are like normal people…normal people who constantly wield knives…. they are people who are burdened with the curse of magic…and they must take that burden and make it into an asset...It's a double edged knife, one that can help you but also hurt you or others around you….So they [witches] must always remain kind, so they may help the innocent, they must have integrity, so they never try and use their powers to get ahead, they must remain in control of their feelings, so their magic doesn't go haywire…they must never use their powers on Normals….ever….it's wrong to point sharp things at people….

I will never lose control of my feelings like that again…I can't afford to hurt a loved one…I can't let things get to me…I just always have to remain nice, quiet, and passive….like I've always have…I can't let my emotions become a hazard…emotions are as complicated and as messy as words are…so you should never mix your magic with your feelings because there is no set result…there is no definite answer to what might happen…

The next day she didn't go to school….Okuda's parents found out about the incident and they immediately began filing paperwork to send Okuda to the nearest witching school available, they feared what people would do to their little witch if she kept going to a Normals' school….but until then Okuda quietly finished her last few weeks in school….avoiding everyone…especially a tall girl with short brown hair and burn marks.

Mother Shipton's elementary school of witchery…It was a tall stone structure hidden away in the deep green forest. It was a private school…most witching schools were…. Manami quietly tip toed her way to her new class….but the wooden floors still creaked every once in a while…

She was glad that she wasn't the only new kid…there was another new kid that would be introducing themselves with her…She was short like Manami and she had long wavy black hair that fell down to her elbows. She was wearing the school's uniform which was just a simple black dress that fell to the knees with a white collar, a black witch hat, and a red ribbon tied around the neck….

"Good morning my name's Yukimura, Akari I hope we can become great friends! Please take care of me." She said cheerfully as she slightly bowed to the class when she was done introducing herself….

She curiously turned to Manami with a happy smile and curious hazel eyes. Manami gulped…the whole class was now staring….Her knees felt weak and she felt like gravity had increased… No…no stay calm breathe….don't let your emotions get out of control! 1…2…3…4...

"Uh…G-good morning….my name's Okuda M-Manami…p-please take care of me!" She said as she bowed politely hoping no one could see her flushed cheeks.

With that her new life as a witch started.

"Hey, Okuda-san, want to eat together during lunch?" Yukimura asked when the two girls took their seats.

"H-Huh…? I…"

"Come on, us newbies gotta stick together!" She said with a happy-go-lucky smile…

"O-Ok…" Manami replied with a small shy smile…

At least her new witching life was off to a good start…