I sat atop my bed and breathed steadily. One of my eyes was closed while the other was likely staring ahead with an unblinking and unparalleled focus. I couldn’t be sure of it because I was currently peering through the eyes of a crow.

Once I entered a state of concentration, the mental fatigue I received when using the crow was reduced. As of now, I estimated that a radius of 100 meters was my current limit. I had no doubts that training would expand that limit, but if I tried to push past it at my present level, my eye would be filled with stinging pain.

There was an incredible sense of freedom that came with looking through the eyes of a bird in mid-flight. My aerial perspective revealed everything to me from a way I wouldn't have seen before. I wanted to use the ability longer, but I felt my mind getting tired so I directed the crow back to me. It entered through the window and flew into my chest, leaving a symbol of the crow’s silhouette on my skin as it did.

My next meeting with Jameson and the other’s was set for today, but I had spent the last few days obsessed with the avian abilities granted by the crow figurine.

In that time, it was only natural that I would’ve discovered a few things.

First, if I forcefully severed the connection between myself and the crow, I’d immediately feel a splitting pain in my head. Actually, anything like an impact, crash, or attack on the crow would have the same effects. It was the result of my mind not having time to adjust to the change. I wouldn’t receive any backlash if I just absorbed the crow into me normally.

Secondly, when I shifted into a flock, any impact or crash would instantly undo the transformation. Now, when I was in the form of a flock there was no radius, but my senses would overload after more than a minute, forcing me out of the transformation. I found that out the hard way when I went plummeting into an alley and landed in a pile of trash.

Other than practicing Penelope’s Dance, I constantly used the crow transformation so I could build experience with it and that’s exactly what happened. With a single thought, I could flip a mental switch and briefly change into a flock of crows.

I was excited to test it in battle as it added another layer of mobility. Since my possessions would be brought along with me, I was eager to combine the crow transformation with an attack with the war scythe.

The notion of being surrounded, shifting into a flock of crows to break my encirclement, and coming back around for a counter-attack was too enticing to ignore. It added an entirely different layer of complexity to my style of combat. Hit and run tactics might just be what I need to overcome the gap created by a strong opponent. Though, the fact of the matter was, I could only manage to use Crow-Shift, the name I had given it, three times without a break in between.

I would have to be careful in my use of the ability if I chose to use it.

“Oh, yeah!” I had nearly forgotten the time while I immersed myself in the effects of the artifact. Our meeting place wasn’t very far so I wondered if I could use my new abilities to get there, but I did away the thought. I didn’t want to end up taking longer than needed so I called a taxi and headed out.

As I opened my door, I coincidentally ran into one of Rosemary’s daughters as she was about to head into the apartment. At least, I think she was one of Rosemary’s daughters. The black-haired young woman stared at me and her deep blue eyes seemed to stab into my soul, making me a bit uncomfortable.

“Uh… Hello,” I greeted her.

There was no doubt to her attractiveness but there was an air of gloom around her.

“...Hi.”

Surprisingly enough, she spoke to me, though it sounded just as forced as my own greeting.

“Could you tell your mother that I’m thankful for the fruit basket?”

“My mother?” She narrowed her eyes at me as if I had insulted her.

“Rosemary?”

“That woman is not my mother,” She said in a cold voice.

“Oh, sorry, then could you tell Miss Rosemary that I’m grateful.”

“...Sure.” The woman answered me before entering the apartment.

“Whew.” I sighed as I left the building.

I didn’t know a simple interaction could be so intense. I almost missed my hermit days where I didn’t have to speak to anyone.

…

While Casper was on his way to meet with Jameson, Rusalka entered the apartment and headed directly to Rosemary.

She minced no words of greeting as she began to speak, “There’s a problem.”

“Oh, that’s not good? Did something happen with the basket? If he ate any of the fruit we should be able to track him for twenty-four hours.”

“That’s not it… The guardian artifact at the school is missing.”

“Ah? But no one should’ve been able to enter without running into the familiar, no?”

“That applies to normal people, but if the person was a gifted or perhaps a witch…-” Rusalka’s eyes fell on a young woman whose hair was dyed green. Her nose ring and ear piercings also stood out, but what mattered the most was the light scowl on the girl’s face.

“Why are you lookin’ at me?” Sunny glared back at Rusalka.

“Your rebellious tendencies make you stand out the most.”

“So? That doesn’t mean I went to that school to steal a damn artifact.”

“No, it doesn’t… but if I find out you were involved, I’ll-”

“You’ll what?”

“Sunny,” Rosemary spoke up with a concerned expression.

“No, I wanna know what she’ll do!” Sunny stood up and goaded Rusalka.

“I’ll punish you on behalf of the High Mother.”

“I never got that bullshit! The High Mother this, the High Mother that, and so on. She doesn’t seem care about any of us but when some random bastard appears she's suddenly-” Just as Sunny was about to continue, a water tendril emerged from Rusalka’s hand and wrapped around her leg before flinging her into a wall.

A loud impact rang out as Sunny crashed before she fell to the ground.

“You shouldn’t speak on things you can’t understand you, idiotic girl. I won't tolerate much more.” Rusalka spoke in a frigid voice as another water tendril lifted Sunny into the air by her ankles.

“Fuck you-” Sunny was pulled into the air and slammed onto the ground once more.

“Please, Miss Rusalka, she didn’t mean it.” Rosemary pleaded as she grasped Rusalka’s forearm.

“I’m sure she didn’t.” Rusalka snatched her back and let go of Sunny.

Rosemary immediately rushed up to her and began to apply some sort of healing magic to Sunny, but the girl resisted, moving away before it could take effect.

“Get off of me.” She barked as she stormed out of the apartment.

“Sunny-” Rosemary tried to stop her.

“Leave her,” Rusalka said before frowning, “Maybe the pain will help clear her mind.”

Rusalka’s words reached Sunny who slammed the door shut out of anger.

“Oh, Sunny.” Rosemary seemed to be incredibly sad as the young witch departed.

“Did Sunny leave again?” An even younger brown-haired witch with a fragile look about her, peeked out of her room cautiously. She was the youngest of the small Emerian branch as she seemed to be in her early teenage years, but her eyes were ripe with naivete befitting someone much younger.

“She’ll be back, Hope.” Rosemary replied, seemingly giving assurance to herself rather than the teen girl.

“I hope so,” Another girl with blonde hair stuck her head out of the adjacent room.

“You know how Sunny is, Joy,” Rosemary spoke with a melancholic look on her face. She grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the glass left behind from the short scuffle.

“You’re the enchanter, correct?” Rusalka asked as she approached Joy.

“Y-Yes, Ma’am,” Joy answered while straightening her back.

“Your enchantment spell should allow us to track the young man, right?”

“Yes, well, Hope would have to track him since she’s the Dreamer.”

“I see… Well, Hope, make preparations to keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, Miss Rusalka.” Hope nodded before returning to her room.

The door was left open wide enough to see Hope laying on the floor, surrounded a circle of twigs, bones, flowers, and candles.

The biggest difference between Gifts and the abilities of Witches lay in the fact that they could learn different spells outside of their own talents. Gifted, those without evolving Gifts, couldn’t learn any new abilities unless it was through a rare artifact. Even Gifted with evolving gifts were different. If someone had an evolving gift related to fire, they’d receive new abilities, but they would always relate to fire. Witches were different in that regard, but just how much remained to be seen.