The Witch called Niel

It was just a certain day in Erestia, the kingdom of summoners.

The birds could be heard chirping their cadence of songs that resonates with the sounds of crickets. It is all but green, with the trees and grass surrounding the mud-filled road, the carriage hops causing Niel to press her head gently after bumping into the glass window. Her large staff falls into the tip of her toes.

She remain silent after, gazing at the driver seat containing a man who pretends he didn't hear her eek. She pouted and looked away towards the window, she behold the sunlight trying to appreciate its beauty only to get burned by its blinding light.

She immediately closed the curtain, making the entire inner part of the carriage dark and feel isolated. For the past few days, she experienced some emotional turmoil and mental difficulties related to stress, she tried to cope with it only to make the domain of her insanity grows worst. At night she can't sleep, in the day she can't properly eat. Nothing motivates her to do anything that causes her self-destructive behavior. Not, after the archivist's death.

But at this exact date, she slaps herself and squeezes her fist tightly. This day is the day where she is finally needed by the Prince of Erestia and Hero of Warriors, Prince Hilton Louis McBorgia.

She took a peek behind the curtains and watched as the sun slowly devoured by the antiquated defense wall of Lyricia, the capital of Erestia. It was also known through the archaic mouth as the Grand Fortress Lyricia.

She excitedly smile when she finally saw the approaching gates, took a pocket mirror to her hands, and starts scanning her skin for any unnecessary blemish.

She saw herself wearing a thick pair of glasses and below it, is swelling dark eye bags. Full of freckles is her skin that extends below her cheeks. Besides her pretty light-bluish and large eyes, she was not gifted by any meticulous features. She is small and thin, wearing a huge dark cloak and an oversized pointy hat of a witch.

Because of her appearance, she was dubbed as the 'Witch of Wisdom.'

Her face and stature dissatisfy her, she disgruntledly put away the mirror leaving a sigh from her mouth. She is all but worried that the prince won't like her appearance.

They were halted by the soldiers at the gate and warned to turn around. From then and out, Niel could see the molding chaos out of a dispute between the soldiers and the ordinary people. The driver is already rattling, nervously shaking from the threat he just heard with his bear ears.

When the soldier look around at the carriage all while making fun of it along with the distressed driver, they open the passenger seat and their brown-colored face turns ashen as they saw the witch.

"I-I apologize great hero Niel, y-you may enter the city"

And so, the carriage returned in its movement.

"Welcome back Niel. I am happy to see you"

Niel opened the door and was greeted with a warm smile by a white-haired guy accompanied by several high-ranking individuals. He is the Prince of Erestia, wearing an ordinary black coat and a sword hanging at his waist.

Niel's eye turned moist as the memories of the past converge to the current. It's just for 3 weeks that they didn't see each other but for Niel, it was a very long time.

"Yeah. I am happy to see yo-"

But… The memories she recalled are not all rainbows and sunshine. Because she was unable to sleep for the past few days, she is suffering from intense hallucinations. From time to time, she could see the Ghost of the Archivist, the man who supposedly died that day returning from the graves to haunt her down.

"I don't"

It softly whispers into her ears that cause her to perceive a sense of fear. His appearance is hazy, yet for her it is terrifying.

"Is something wrong? You look pale, do you eat properly?"

"No- yes, I mean, I eat. You don't need to worry about me, Prince Hilton. Is everything prepared for the incoming beast?"

Deliberately changing the subject, Niel brings out her palm to the current problem at hand about the mythical beast called the Pupa. It is a strange powerful beast that roams Melvia for almost 11 years, why it exists or how is still a mystery to the minds of the thinker but there is a man who knew, and now he is dead, burying the information about the Pupa to his grave.

Except, if he wrote that information to his journal. He is the archivist after all and his job was to collect information and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"We are getting at it, did you bring me his book?"

"Y-yes, here…"

"Thank you, you are a huge help Niel. And also, you don't need to call me a prince. Hilton is fine. We are friends, remember?"

Why Niel was called to Lyricia was because she knew where the Archivist's notes are located as well as because she is a hero. They need her power to battle effectively the Pupa.

Taking the book from Niel's hands, Hilton smiles in exhilaration as he immediately flips the pages of the book with eagerness. Hilton is oblivious to Niel's feelings and realizing this, Niel only smiles at his excited look as if a child encountering a beautiful toy.

Friends.

"Yes! Of-"

She felt a heavy sting in the top of her head all while hearing a sharp imaginary noise with her ears. Because of the pain, she curled down to the ground and press her hat expecting the agony to wane. In her peripheral vision, she could see Rvis staring at her with blood-curdling large eyes, asking her in a deep mocking tone.

"Friends… really?"

"You don't really look good. Come with me, I'll bring you to the infirmary"

Seeing her like this, Hilton, a very caring individual to his allies immediately gave her a hand. Niel took it, however, she refused to take Hilton's offer. She gazes away from Hilton's eye seemingly embarrassed by this turn of even. She does not want to be taken care of as it will only make her look bad in front of the prince.

"No… I-I don't need it. I'm ok, I am just a little dizzy. Ha-ha! I am really an idiot for getting so drunk so early in the morning"

She said while knocking herself on the top of her head.

Finding her excuse, she pretends to be drunk but as far as Hilton knows, her scent does not reek any traces of alcohol. He felt dubious whether is she could trust Niel or not in this situation but as time goes by he gave up, there must be a reason why… he thought to himself.

"Let me have a good look on your face… you're eyes looks… tired. Are you getting enough sleep"

He is worried, he can't help but care for his allies. He gently holds Niel in the chin and tried to make her eyes look at his. She gazes away with a faint blush to her cheeks, this time, Hilton used both of his hands lightly pressing both sides of her face. Niel finally gave up as the warmth she felt as Hilton holds her made her feel weak yet she closed her eyes as she saw the silvery-blue eyes of the prince.

When she slowly open her eyes, her blood runs cold when she saw the prince's head missing. Spraying blood towards the sky that splashed to her face, her mouth dropped beholding the amount of blood to the floor and up.

She immediately steps back and pushes Hilton's headless body away.

"No, ha-ha. I am very busy so maybe I am tired, that's all"

"Care for a walk then, maybe the scenery will cool your head"

She knew it was just an illusion, her mind is playing tricks on her again. But the pain growing inside her head doesn't dissipate no matter how she wobbles her head.

"Sure, after you pri- Hilton"

Taking Hilton's offer, they walk their way side by side towards the garden full of diverging types of flowers and herbs. Insects like butterflies and dragonflies are usually seen from time to time. The scent of fresh leaves could dispel stress and worries along with the refreshing cold breeze whenever the sky hopes to blow its wind.

Niel hoped that they could talk personally appropriate to the alluring scenery but Hilton kept browsing attentively each page of the book finding useful Intel against the Pupa. Niel only smiles knowing that he is doing it for the sake of their country, for the safety of everyone but her melancholy can still be seen in her eyes until the pain grows again inside her head.

"I see, so this beast, the Pupa is a sealed monster, 11 years ago awakened due to a supernatural intervention with a devil. Lutherica, even the origin place of that beast is here. Rvis, you really betrayed us aren't you?"

"Lutheri… ca"

The word makes her recall some of the memories when he first met the archivist. Along with the pain are the thoughts that wreak havoc on her behavior. Just a little bit more and she will be insane, more of it and she will explode and deteriorate.

Hilton with all his attention given to the books, can't see the progressively sorrowful state of Niel as she forcefully tolerates the ache raging inside her head.

"Yes, you heard it from legends, right? It's a dead continent filled with abnormal monsters. Once, an army consisting of highly trained professional adventurers explored Lutherica, they didn't return. According to researchers, they have all been wiped out by a monster similar to Pupa. Niel?"

She disappeared, it is far too late before Hilton turn around to look at her.

Inside her head are the screams, the hatred that he bears, the archivist continuously shouts inside her head as she runs forward with a strained face.

"RUN! RUN! RUN! DON'T LET THEM KILL YOU!"

With her wheezing breath, her tearful eyes, she grips her staff tightly and continued to run until she trips. She tried to stand up, pushing her body up with her arms and saw laying on the floor a newspaper dictating the archivist's betrayal. She took it and read with doubt.

"Heh? What's this? Traitor? Spawn of the devil? I guess they are right… Rvis. Even after you died, you are still a thorn in my throat you know that?"

Her grip on the paper causes it to crumble, then burns. Her displeased face became more visible as she bit her lips and tears slid down her cheeks. Then finally saying a single question within a range of whispers from her mouth.

"Why did you leave me alone?"