Witches

Nearly a day had passed since Alex's duel with Marcus, and Aurora had yet to return until after classes had ended. Before she finally returned.

"So, how did it go? Did she inform anyone?" Alex asked.

"Nah, you're safe for the time being. That human spends all her time holed up in her lab, buried in research. It was boring, but it kind of reminded me of my past self." Aurora replied, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, I guess we're safe for now. Let's hope she considers it a misunderstanding and leaves it at that."

Aurora nodded in agreement. "You could say that. She seems to be the nerdy type, and it appears she doesn't have many friends."

Then, Alex asked a question that had been on his mind for some time. "Aurora, if you don't mind me asking, why do you sometimes refer to people as 'humans'? I know there are other races in this world besides humans, but you sound like you're not one."

Aurora was taken aback by the question, but she replied with a composed smile, "Yes, I am not a human being. I am a witch."

Alex's curiosity was piqued. "Oh, so you're a witch? Is it different from us humans? I mean, you look the same, and since we humans can use magic in this world, aren't we the same?"

He tilted his head in thought, eager to learn more about the differences between witches and humans.

"..."

"..."

A heavy silence filled the room as Alex and Aurora exchanged gazes. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

It was clear that Aurora hadn't expected Alex's calm and inquisitive response, and she seemed somewhat taken aback by his reaction. Alex, on the other hand, waited patiently for her to continue.

Finally, Aurora couldn't contain her thoughts any longer and voiced her concerns. "Why are you acting so normally and even asking such silly things? Aren't you scared of me? Don't you know what kind of existence and race a witch is and how feared we are?"

Alex replied with a nonchalant tone, "You forgot that I'm not from this world, and for your information, witches were just myths in my previous world, not real, as far as I know. So yes, I literally have no clue about it."

Aurora sighed and continued to explain, "But that doesn't change the fact that I am a witch, and you are a human. Witches may appear to be like humans, but we are vastly different. We are a race infamous for being the first beings who brought the advent of demons and monsters to this world. We also don't have a good reputation among other races, as we are considered the harbingers of bad luck by some of them."

As Aurora provided more details, Alex's expression grew increasingly serious. He struggled to process the information she was sharing.

Aurora paused for a moment to allow him to absorb the knowledge before she continued, "We are feared mainly because we can use curses and hexes. Our magic is also vastly superior to others, especially dark magic. People who can use dark magic are called 'cursed ones' because of us, as we are considered the pioneers of dark magic."

Alex remained silent, contemplating the gravity of what he had just learned.

Seeing his reaction, Aurora delved further into their history. "The hatred between witches and humans runs deep through the pages of history. There has been a lot of conflict, bloodshed, and hatred between our two races. So, now, what do you think about us?"

Alex couldn't formulate an immediate response. The newfound knowledge had left him thoughtful and introspective.

After some contemplation, Alex decided to speak honestly about his feelings. "Aurora, to be honest, I don't really know, understand, or care about the past conflicts between humans and witches. I only care about you. So, honestly, tell me, are you going to harm me or plan to do so in the future just because I'm a human and you're a witch?"

Aurora responded without hesitation, "Never. I would never harm you or have any intention of doing so in the future."

Aurora thought to herself, 'And I've also come to care about you a lot.' She kept that sentiment to herself, treasuring their friendship.

Alex continued, expressing his appreciation and feelings for Aurora. "You already know all my secrets, and I kind of expected you to be a vampire or something, but who cares? You're the only one who has helped me since I came to this world. I would have never been able to learn about magic or understand the dangers of revealing my talent if it weren't for you. And, most importantly, you're my first friend ever. I don't know about others, but for me, our races or our past don't matter as long as we're honest and there for each other."

Alex, being originally from another world, didn't hold the same prejudices as the natives of Eldoria. This allowed him to approach his interactions with an open and unbiased perspective.

Aurora, upon hearing this, couldn't help but shed tears of joy. She attempted to lunge forward to hug Alex but missed him completely as she phased right through him.

Confused, Alex asked, "What are you doing, attacking me right after saying you won't harm me? And why are your eyes getting teary?"

Aurora wiped her eyes and explained with a playful tone, "I was trying to hug you, you idiot. Saying all these cheesy things to a girl and then being so oblivious, you're a bad boy, Alex."

"Huh? Why am I the bad guy all of a sudden?" Alex responded, still perplexed.

Aurora then decided to impart some wisdom to Alex about not being overly kind and naive, cautioning him not to trust people too easily. She emphasized the importance of being cautious in a world where betrayal was always a possibility.

Alex replied in a playful manner, "Then I think I should be wary of you from now on?"

Aurora pouted, saying, "I'm different."

"I was joking." Alex reassured her.

Aurora, wanting to be sure, asked, "So you're not scared of me?"

Alex replied, "No, but should I be?"

Aurora was relieved and declared, "Then we are still friends."

Alex teased her, "Yes, if you don't mind being mine."

Aurora replied with a smile, "Then we will be friends for eternity."

"Alright, but there was something else I wanted to ask." Alex inquired. "Is there anything I can do to help you? You've helped me thus far, and it's only fair for me to reciprocate."

Aurora considered for a moment, then replied, "There is nothing on my mind, but I'll remember your offer of help. Anyway, you seemed to have figured out that I'm not human, but why a vampire?"

Alex elaborated on his earlier deduction, saying, "Well, you occasionally referred to others as humans in a way that suggested you were different. The <Mana Drain> spell you taught me is a vampiric spell. Your pale skin, rosy, beautiful face, and that otherworldly charm you possess – not even the models in my previous world were this beautiful. I've heard vampires can be this striking."

Aurora blushed and stammered, "W-What are you saying all of a sudden?"

She then decided to change the topic and asked, "You mentioned once that there were no other races besides humans in your world. Where did you hear about them?"

"I've only heard about them in myths and fantasy stories. They don't exist as far as I know," Alex replied.

In his mind, he added, 'There are mentions of witches as well, but they're described as really ugly and hideous-looking.' Alex decided to keep this last part to himself to avoid causing any offense.