Akeru and Itsuki were pacing around the tree near Ci’s last known location, hopefully waiting for her to return.

Akeru: I can’t believe that she did that!

Itsuki: Do you think something happened to her?

Akeru: She’s a Witch! What do you think would happen to her?! She could blink and kill someone!

Itsuki: True…this is just great; not only do we not have a lead…but now our guide is missing!

Akeru: Not missing, abandoned us!

Akeru sits against the tree in the snow as Itsuki sits next to her.

Akeru: What do we do…?

Itsuki: I don’t know…ever since we left Sanoptia, everything has gone to shit.

Akeru: No kidding…

Itsuki: Once we find…if we find this amulet, what will we do next?

Akeru: I…don’t know, really. I didn’t think that far ahead. I will see where the wind takes me, I suppose.

Itsuki: Where you go, I’ll probably head there as well.

Akeru looked up at him, a bit confused.

Akeru: W-Why is that?

Itsuki: You needed a Mage to get this far, right?

Akeru: I can take care of myself!

Itsuki: Fine then, I won’t follow you.

Ci: What are you two doing…?

Akeru: Waiting for that stupid Witch to come back!

Itsuki: Yeah, after she…left…

The two looked up to Ci, who was just towering over them. They quickly got up and backed away.

Itsuki: L-L-L-Left to do something super necessary!

Akeru: D-D-D-Did I say stupid? I was talking bout Itsuki and messed up my sentence, yeah! I meant to say, “Waiting for that stupid Itsuki to make his mind up on what to do when our Witch comes back!”

Ci: I…see…

Ci looked at them as there was an awkward silence between the three.

Itsuki: So uhm…

Akeru: Where did you…go…?

Ci: I went on a short walk, was all…did you find what you needed?

Akeru: No…the town was useless.

Itsuki: Ci, why did you freeze the island over?

Ci: What are you implying, boy?

Itsuki: W-We heard that the island used not to be so…snowy and icy. That you and the Anti-

Ci: Don’t finish saying that filthy name, boy; you don’t know about -

Itsuki suddenly gets in her face and yells.

Itsuki: We do know! I want to kill the bastard who destroyed an innocent village solely because they asked Aurora for help!

Ci kept quiet as Akeru gained the courage to stand next to Itsuki, yelling at her.

Akeru: We don’t blame you! We just want to know why you keep freezing it as they thaw it out!

Ci pushed them both out of her face and turned away, looking at the snowy landscape before her.

Ci: How much do you know about us Witches?

Akeru: There are thirteen of you…that you were supposed to keep the peace for the world, to unite it…but you all refused.

Ci created an igloo suddenly for them with a fire source inside. She crawled in and signaled the two to follow. When they crept in, the igloo was far taller on the inside…it looked like an actual room. Ci had a sofa in there and a sofa chair as well. She sat on the sofa chair as the two sat on the couch. Ci snapped her fingers, and suddenly two cups of hot chocolate appeared on the table between the three.

Ci: Get comfy…I’m feeling generous today, as I’ll tell you everything. But let me make one thing clear…there are eleven Witches, and then one that is evil incarnate…known to most as the Beast Witch. I’ll tell you all you wish to know about us, though I doubt you will fully comprehend most of it.

Itsuki: Wait, you said..eleven, right? If you don’t count one as a Witch..then it should be twelve Witches and one evil incarnate, right?

Akeru: The books I read mentioned thirteen Witches as well…

Ci: At the start, yes, but one of them has passed on. The Zero Witch is no longer of this world. But I will get to her…first let me start at the very beginning, the creation of the Witches.