Chapter 14

　　Patricia

　　I'm walking through the forest together with Alice. I still can't believe Gloria was murdered by one of those creatures that aren't supposed to belong in our world. Shudders run down my spine. If I hadn't jumped into the river with Dior, we could have been the ones dying.

　　To concentrate on something else, I open my mouth. "So tell me more about your calling as a witch. You're supposed to keep the balance in our world?"

　　Alice smiles. She is much shorter than me, with a friendly face splashed with freckles. When she beams, dimples appear on either side of her mouth, telling me she often smiles.

　　"Yes." Alice glances up at the canopies above us, shivering a bit at the brisk wind blowing past us. "Witches are one with nature, and we usually respect every creature and accept them as part of the cycle, but these creatures that have been appearing in this town aren't normal."

　　"Do you have any idea where they came from?"