Chapter 10

I felt it, just like I had read. The little stars seemed to connect quickly and make a path. Earlier, I had closed my eyes so that I could get a grasp of my witch's heart, the source of a witch's power but I was shocked at what I found instead.

According to the books I had read, when a new witch is going to cast her first spell, their witch's heart will stir and whirl and turn, gathering whatever element they control from every corner of their being, awakening whatever witch bloodline they have and hence they can connect with natural elements such as ether, chi and mana.

Yes, those three. There are four types of witches. One who can use ether, one who can use mana, one who can use chi and one who can use all three. The most common type of witch you can find even in your sleep is one who controls mana as it is more populated in the atmosphere of our surroundings.

One would think that chi would be the easiest as it's a part of the body but that's false. Chi is harder to sense as it's a very volatile force. Chi is life and life is chi. It is a part of our lives after all.

"To control chi is to control life. To control life is to control chi." The base of chi control is this very statement. Confusing, am I right?

Ether, on the other hand, is easy but hard. Easy, it's common like mana, hard because not all bodies can sense it.

A witch's body type or body constitution plays a big part in elemental controlling. For ether, the conditions to be met are rather strenuous. One needs to be able to control ether and not let ether control them. There have been cases of ether madness. For chi, one must be able to awaken their chakras and meridians without fail. They must also live a clean life to prevent their meridians from being polluted. Most people who have chi, well, they mostly end up as monks living a life of celibacy. They are the order of clean witches. Weird name right there.

Anyway, I had never heard of stars connecting. Maybe this had to do with the other thing about witches. Which witch, you ask?

Well, basically there are different types of witch's heart. Yes, they are different. According to what I read, there are different witch's heart for the different elements. For each element comes different specifics. For chi, their heart is small as their main force is not the heart, but the chi core found at the dantian.

For ether, their heart is larger as ether is very rare so they need to store it up. It is called the ether sea. One only needs to have an ether awakening to be able to sense their ether sea and use ether. For those who control mana, their heart is a mana pool and it is a normal size, not too small or too big. Mana is the easiest of the three to control and find hence the normal size. Now, if you could control all of them, you'd need a black hole!

Picture a massive ocean surges and collided with a sea which was filled up with countless other water sources! A black hole might not even be enough!

What on earth! Maybe I have all three hearts that's why I see stars instead. Anyway, I would deal with it later. Right now, I need to get out of here.

Like a reflex action, I had a set of words at the tip of my tongue, waiting to be sent out. As I was getting ready to do so, a bright light shot out of nowhere and illuminated the way. Not wasting a moment, I hurriedly recited the spell that I didn't know I knew.

My speed seemed to have reduced and I think I might have said the spell wrong. Whatever!

I looked around for where to land and then I realized that the creature had somehow stopped moving. How you ask? Well, it's just that, it's tentacles were now attacking me!!

Landing was hard as it is and now, huge bullets were trying to get a piece of me. Somehow due to my mental state the spell disrupted and now I was back to free fall. Sigh, why couldn't my life be easier

As I fell, I realized that the world around was beautiful. Okay, let's forget my eminent doom, tentacles trying to grab me and possibility that I won't survive if I do reach the bottom. Looking around, the trees, the other creatures running for their lives, somehow, this was better than what I had to go through every day.

Wait, why am I constantly thinking of death?!

Still lost in thought, I didn't realize that someone had taken me into their bosom. It was only when the scent of the seas and osmanthus hit me that I realized that I was no longer suspended in midair.

Osmanthus. Reminds me of grandpa and his warm hugs, his sweet cakes that would make you smile no matter the situation, his warm actions that assured you that you weren't alone in this great spectrum we call life.

My eyes got teary and big crystal like teardrops left my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, leaving behind a wet trail. And I'm not joking about the teardrops. They were indeed crystal and would shimmer and shine wherever the light hit.

I guess the light that bounced off it is what caught this stranger's eye.

"Can you stop crying, you big baby? You're going to attract that psledon again." He scolded worriedly.

I looked out from his embrace and realized that we had gotten back to the ground and we were on a horse? Yes, a question like declaration. I really couldn't tell what was what in this domain. And I can't say that it's a horse because of how comfortable it was.

Sigh, let's leave it be.

I looked back to the psledon like he had said and realized that it had disappeared. Strange. Where does a colossal like creature disappear to in a blink of an eye?

"Look up." Grunts a voice and almost instinctively, I look up and yes, my jaw goes slack.

It was on top of us! Ok, no, that sounds wrong.

It was above us! How?! That goes against all that I know. Technically, not everything. The stranger must have seen my expression for he let out a soft chuckle that seemed dark and throaty.

He seemed a little older than me. Maybe by two, three years but it seemed as though he was full grown man and I was but a little bunny skipping to her doom. Setting my focus to the front, I stopped minding my surroundings and him.

Though my mind was empty, it quickly wondered away to my golden times. Now, I'm no old soul living reincarnated or anything, I mean back to when I was three, when I was sent to live with my grandparents. To date, I find that my life has been a rollercoaster ride but that one time must have been the craziest.

Flashes of osmanthus cakes during evening tea and osmanthus tea to replenish our systems after a long run kept zipping by my eyes, making them even more watery.

I really missed those two. A particular memory made me remember another sweet old lady. With her immaculate face even at her old age, she exuded elegance and royalty. She was Esmeralda Quentin, queen mother of the kingdom.

I didn't know at first and treated her like a grandma. She was a sweet old lady. I wonder how she is.

"If you don't mind, I would like to feel my legs now." Came a voice over the top of my head.

I think I looked like an abandoned puppy because his next words astounded me.

"Little bunny, who's stolen your snack? You look abandoned."

"But I am abandoned. Alone and afraid."

Those were the words that I wanted to say, to perhaps convey what I truly feel towards all sort of shenanigans that everything has brought upon my itsy bitsy shoulders. Ok, weird choice of words but ok. I couldn't say anything as I looked up to the stranger who sounded like a tyrant. I couldn't tell much of his features because he was shrouded in darkness and mystery but his scent was disturbing.

"You smell like osmanthus." I said out of the blue. Impulse disorder, I would say.

"And what's wrong with that, little bunny?" He asked, amused.

"What was funny with this situation that he has to sound like that?" I thought.

"Osmanthus is a very intriguing scent. Soothing like oolong tea and satisfying like a chocolate bar. Tell me is there something wrong with the smell of osmanthus?" He asked bellowing and I felt that for one second, I saw a glimpse of the real him.

Pained and forgotten, his emotions mirrored mine which had me wondering why he felt this way.

"Osmanthus is a soothing tea that makes even the craziest of soul's sooth down. Osmanthus makes nice cakes if mixed well with glutinous rice." I said on a low voice.

"It was my grandfather's favorite flavor." I said with a sniffle at the end.

The scent coming off him was too prominent that it was clouding my thought process and directing them towards grandpa.

"I miss grandpa." I thought while rubbing my nose after which I rested my hand down.

I felt the guy stiffen up and I wondered why. Turning to him, I saw that at some point I had leaned in towards him and he was looking towards a particular area. I saw his line of sight and I followed it to where my hand was. OMG!