5 Are you a witch?

Astraea and David continued running into town until they got to a forest. Before running into the area, they exchanged glances. They took off running across the woods. Astraea's leg became tangled in a vine, causing her to misstep and fall to the ground, scraping her knee.

She yelled in pain but got up and ran again, indifferent to the pricking pain in her knee. As tears welled up in her eyes, she wrinkled up her face and fought to let them fall. She raced ahead of David, without pausing to check if he was following her, fearful of what she might see.

Astraea came to a halt, turned around, and peered behind her. She saw David sprinting towards her at a horrifying speed, and her eyes widened as he yelled at her, "Run, Princess, don't stop!" She turned around and resumed her sprint.

Astraea had been running from the guards for an unknown amount of time when she came to a halt at a small home in the woods. Her lungs ached from the lack of oxygen, and she let out painful gasps. Astraea took a look around and saw how magical the surroundings appeared to be.

It was dusk, and long threads of crystals jingled against each other as they collided. As the moonlight bounced off them, they glistened and shone. With its foresty vibe, the hut was small and added to the magical charm.

Astraea searched the area but couldn't find David. She wondered if he was okay and hoped he would find her soon if he was somewhere secure.

Astraea moved towards the cabin, wondering whether anyone was there. She knocked a few times on the door, which opened, but there was no one there when she glanced inside. She lifted the end of her dress and entered inside, glancing around at the darkroom.

Candles lit up as she moved farther into the room. Astraea shrieked in terror and jumped away. Nonetheless, she was grateful for the light because she didn't want to go around blindly in this strange location.

When a mouse scurried by Astraea's feet, she leaped in terror. When she understood there was nothing that may endanger her life, she held her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. She continued her search by taking one of the lit candles from the shelf near her.

"Who are you?" Astraea dropped the candle in fear, but it never fell. Instead, it vanished before reappearing in her hand. Before she remembered the new presence, she gasped in awe at what had transpired.

"I'm sorry for invading; I was being pursued and became separated from my friend, and I had no idea what to do. I knocked, but no one replied, and the door just opened, so I came in, and the candles were lit, and I was-" Astraea went quiet when she realized she was rambling; her mother had always warned her not to do so. "I'm sorry," she said.

Astraea noticed how gorgeous the woman in front of her was as she took a good look at her. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun, and her pale skin accentuated the magnificence of her forest-green eyes. Her figure was curvaceous and tall, and she exuded confidence and wisdom that seemed to float around her.

"So you say when you knocked, the door just opened?" The woman pondered what Astraea had said with a puzzled expression. 'She couldn't really be that person, could she?' She examined Astraea and scowled at her, puzzled as to why the gods had chosen such a fragile girl.

The woman sighed and resolved not to dispute the gods' decision and to carry out her duties. "You are welcome to remain for a while. I'm certain your companion will make his way here." Astraea found herself believing the woman because she sounded confident. She motioned for Astraea to join her. They entered a room and sat across from each other.

"My name is Ophelia," the woman introduced herself. She locked her gaze on Astraea for a long time, taking in every detail of the young lady. As she peered into Astraea's eyes, Ophelia's face was covered with a big childish smile. She expressed it more like a statement than a question, "You're a constellation witch."

"Constellation witch?" Astraea had no prior knowledge about witches. Her mother made certain she was kept away from such things. Astraea was aware that her mother was from a witch family, but she refused to acknowledge it and abandoned her witch heritage.

"Constellation blue eyes were named after witches because they were the only ones who had them. They reject you if you are born into this bloodline without this eye color. They were, however, extinct, having been hunted down because of their power. It's likely that you're the only one remaining."

"They are the most powerful witches, according to you. What distinguishes them from other witches?"

"Anyone can become a witch if they are committed and diligent in their studies. They must study and practice for years before they can even cast a spell, and then they must train for even more years to make it more potent." Ophelia checked to see if Astraea was listening attentively. She continued when she realized she was.

"Constellation witches are born with the magical ability that non-witch people have worked so hard to acquire over the years. They are the only pureblood witches, and there was a book of spells that could not be used by non-witches, no matter how hard they trained. The constellation witches, on the other hand, were able to use these strong spells without any prior practice. It was the book that allowed you to command the stars."

As she absorbed all of the facts, Astraea nodded. Because they shared the same eye color, Astraea's mother was not expelled from the clan. Perhaps she despised talking about witches as a result of her clan's extinction, and her mother's aversion to learning magic stemmed from the fact that it was magic that killed her family. Everything began to fall into place.

"Your bodyguard has arrived." Astraea wondered how she knew she was a princess, how Ophelia knew David would make his way here, and how she knew David was her guard. She didn't raise any of these questions, though, because seeing David and ensuring that he is safe and well is her first priority right now.

Astraea leapt from the couch and sprinted. Astraea had no idea how to get around the cabin, but she was turning corners without hesitation for some reason. She wondered if her instincts were leading her to the exit, but she didn't stop running. Astraea had finally arrived at the front door. She threw open the door and walked out. David was sitting and panting on the freshly mowed grass.

Astraea moved over to David and sat alongside him, taking deep breaths because she was out of breath from sprinting around the cabin. It was strange because, despite its diminutive size on the surface, it seemed abnormally large on the inside.

"You're safe." Astraea whispered, "Say, how did you find here?" David was relieved by her voice and delighted by the princess's care for him.

David said with a shrug. "After I lost the guards and discovered you were missing, I heard a female voice in my head giving me directions and telling me that if I followed her, I would meet you."

Astraea nodded. "Did she say her name?" Astraea sighed in disappointment and gazed up at the sky when David shook his head. She didn't notice the cold, night wind until she started to relax. Astraea shivered a little but made no attempt to enter the house. She welcomed the cold.

"I think we should ask her if we can stay here," Astraea remarked, her gaze fixed on the stars. They were beautiful. Astraea wondered if the vampire-witch would teach Astraea if she found her. If she succeeds, she'll be able to teach Asraea how to manipulate the stars. Astraea's mind was filled with similar questions, all of which went unanswered. She was even curious about the vampire witch's whereabouts.

When the stinging ache in Astraea's knee returned, "Why did Astrophel do all this?" she asked herself as tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered her brother and a memory raced through her head, she refused to cry.

Astraea was five years old, and she was running in the garden that her mother had forbidden her from entering, but the flowers were so beautiful that she couldn't stop herself and went. She spotted a large bush of lovely red roses and grabbed it to remove it. She shouted out in agony as thorns punctured her skin, but she refused to give up. Astrophel hurried to the garden in search of her, only to find Astraea screaming and blood streaming from the hands gripping the rose bush. He dashed over to her, gently removing her hand from the bush.

"Are you all right?" he said, his voice trembling. He rushed Astraea over to a pale of water and rinsed the blood off her hand. Astrophel kissed her hand and smiled at her, "Pain, pain, go away," he said as he ruffled her hair.

As she heard the door open, Astraea shook herself out of the recollection and wiped the tears that were about to fall "I'm sure you're going to ask if you may stay here. Yes, you may "Ophelia remarked

'Again? 'How did she manage to achieve that?' Astraea asked, looking her in the eyes.

"Are you a witch?"