The dream dissipated for Henryk, but not for the young witch.

The Peyton's snicker greeted her. "…and who might you be, little witch?" the beast inquired, its voice a sickening mixture of mockery and malice.

Turning toward the sound, the young witch faced a grotesque creature, its decaying form twisted into a grin adorned with too many human teeth. As its skull inclined toward her, she sensed the weight of unseen eyes upon her, an unnerving presence she couldn't quite grasp.

Amidst the river's crimson and black currents, as the once-abundant fish chose death on the shore over the tainted waters, she demanded answers. "What is this?" she demanded, her voice echoing with a boldness that belied her youth. With each step she took, the Peyton's smirk followed, a macabre dance of decay and defiance.

"What are you trying to do?" she pressed, seizing the silence as an opportunity. "You invaded Henryk's dream and showed him a perversion of his home world."

For a moment, there was nothing but the distant cacophony of destruction. She scanned the desolation, realizing Henryk was nowhere to be found. The dream should be unraveling soon, yet...

"The pot calling the kettle black," the Peyton retorted. "You invaded his dream as well. I mean no harm to the boy, unlike you Witches from Jupitar."

Her resolve hardened. "Yet, I know who you are," he countered. The little witch met the creature's gaze head-on. "The yellow of your robes marks you as a light mage, correct?" The Peyton's smirk widened at her recognition.

"You know of our…" she began.

"Yes, I know how you witches categorize yourselves. Blue for water, Green for Earth, but yellow…not good enough for orange?" the Peyton interjected, relishing in the subtle jab.

She felt his presence now, a sensation akin to encountering the most powerful mages she had known. He exuded age, his voice gravelly with years of hate. And it was that hate she felt, searing beams of animosity aimed directly at her.

"No pity," he muttered, his words barely audible. "My apologies, little witch, but stay clear of Henryk. You shouldn't even care. From what I recall, you witches prefer empty laps instead of staffs."

The girl sneered, her disdain evident. Retrieving a steel cylinder from behind her, she transformed it into a staff with a click of a button. A faint jewel atop the staff emitted a subtle yellow glow as she gripped it tightly.

"Our business with Henryk is none of your concern," she retorted, her voice dripping with defiance. "But I'd warn you about the bloodlust you're feeding. Like you said, I may come from the weakest order, but I am a mage nonetheless. This isn't your dream, your power wanes here, this isn't your domain."

The Peyton chuckled at her bravado, his eye sockets now alight with blazing light, each containing a different pair of eyes—one cyan, the other a deep red.

"It isn't yours either, little witch," he countered.

Before she could react, a powerful blast surged toward her with startling speed.

"W-what!" she stammered, wide-eyed and caught off guard.

Frantically, she attempted to cast a spell with her staff, but it was already too late. "H-how could you cast a spell like that in someone else's dream?"

With the feeling of impending doom looming over her, she awoke. But instead of finding herself in the rugged comfort of a familiar bed, she was submerged in water.

Gone were the witches and their assessments. Instead, she found herself surrounded by women in robes of varying colors, manning machines and surrounded by a massive metal tank at the center of the room.

As she stirred within the expanse, the unsettling reality of her situation began to sink in.

Naked and submerged in deep, brackish waters, she floated, her only lifeline a rebreather within reach. Her long hair cascaded around her like tendrils in the abyss, her eyes closed in a deceptive peace, until chaos shattered the tranquility.

With a resounding thud, she slammed against the tank's interior, jolting everyone present to attention. The rhythmic tapping of keyboards ceased as all eyes fixated on the source of the disturbance. The little witch was thrashing, her screams muffled by the water flooding her lungs, her desperate struggle to reach the hatch evident to all.

"Get it open!" a woman in a green robe screamed, urgency lacing her voice.

Two young women dashed to opposite sides of the tank, climbing the ladder and attempting to turn the massive wheel of the hatch. But their efforts were in vain.

"It's not working, it's jammed!" one of them cried out in frustration, panic mounting in the room.

Amidst the chaos, one figure remained composed—the senior witch, twenty-five years of age, with dark hair and sun-kissed skin. Draped in a heavy deep blue cowl, she stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the thrashing girl. Taking her place in front of the glass, she clasped her hands together and began to mutter incantations, her words weaving through the air like an eerie melody.

As she chanted, the temperature in the room plummeted, a frost forming on the glass, and the air grew colder with each passing moment. Raising her hands, she conjured a bullet of ice, its surface jagged and spiked, tinged with faint black edges.

"Now, everyone, move!" the senior witch commanded, urgency in her tone.

With a sense of urgency, those present scrambled to safeguard vital equipment, shutting down computers and laptops. With a swift motion, the older witch released the ice bullet, watching as it struck the tank with force. For a tense moment, it seemed as though the spell might not hold, but then the glass began to crack, splintering and collapsing in a deluge of glass and water.

Amidst the chaos, the little witch was swept out with the tide, coughing and sputtering as she collapsed onto the floor. Others rushed to her aid, their voices filled with concern.

"Brilya," one of them said, her tone laced with relief.

"What happened… did she…" Someone attempted to rouse around her.

"No," someone bluntly defended. "Did you see that? How the heck could she have flung herself into the…"

"Enough, enough, give her room to breathe!" yelled out the senior witch. She pushed and shuffled everyone away, her gaze fixed on the shivering, coughing form of Brilya. And only one word escaped her lips, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Bri."

It took fifteen to twenty minutes for them to gather everything they needed to leave. Bri was wrapped in towels, still shivering. Her hair was tangled, and she winced at the pain in her lower right back, as if she had been thrashed upon…

Her eyes widened with sudden recollection, her breath growing heavy.

"Brilya," spoke the same voice, drawing Bri's gaze back up.

"H-hey, Senior Witch Esava," Bri replied, her eyes drifting to the remnants of the room.

Water pooled in the corners, the glass of the tank shattered, leaving behind a dripping, massive pod. It would be a mess to clean up, and it was all her fault.

Esava groaned and rolled her eyes. "Relax, the others are gone, and we don’t need to keep up appearances right now. How are you doing, seriously Bri? You had us all scared."

Bri stared at her as she spoke, but…

"What happened?" Esava inquired.

Bri lowered her head. "I…I don’t know, I don’t know what to make of it. For a moment I was fine, and then, and then…"

Esava ran her fingers through Bri's hair, observing her closely. The girl's eyes were wide, the redness evident, and her back, though covered in towels, bore a bruise.

"Take your time," Esava said calmly, extending her hand. "Was this Henryk? Did he do something to you… I've heard that he was skilled in the magical arts, man or not. Is he…"

But Bri shook her head. "He didn’t have any protection spells and didn’t have anything to properly protect his mind. Yet, he did have a protector."

Esava stared at her, then sighed. "Did you learn anything useful?" she asked.

Bri grimaced as she tried to untangle her locks. She had nearly drowned because of this dream. And when she put it into words, she didn’t have a damn thing to show for it.

Bri shook her head after a moment. "No," she replied softly.

Esava sighed. "Fine," she said. "The mission was a bust, but don’t worry… we’ve got more plans in store."

"More plans?" Bri repeated, sneering. "I messed up, failed the mission, and nearly died in the process… and you're telling me not to worry."

Esava sighed. "You're too hard on yourself, Bri. This isn’t the army. Report to me what happened in full tomorrow, but get some rest and something to eat. Today you…" But Esava paused at the word.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"I nearly died today," Bri remarked, a loathing pain evident in her voice.

"Y-yes," Esava found herself stuttering, the shock of it all evident. Bri, too, seemed stunned.

Esava sighed, her curt tone returning. "Go and rest, Brilya. There are more things coming in the future, no use worrying about it now," she said. "Is Himari and Bellanne here tonight? I don’t want you to be alone."

Bri rose from her seat, her legs unsteady but beneath her nonetheless. "Himari and Bell are here tonight. Heck, we were supposed to get food tonight," she said, attempting a smile. But her voice choked, her mind…

For a brief moment, she remembered the strange beast. Her blood ran cold at the memory, and she was certain she would never forget. "Little Witch," the monster had called her. What kind of monster was he? And she watched as Esava said her goodbyes and left the room, leaving Bri to pack up and head back.

And she did, but for a brief moment, she paused. Her blood ran cold as she felt the eyes of the Peyton still upon her, that laughter, that smile. She whipped her head around with widened eyes, breathing heavily, her hands clenched in fists shaking. She… she…

She exhaled sharply as she realized there was only darkness. She scolded her fear and turned away, hoping the laughter echoing in her head and ears would soon fade. But it didn’t, it only echoed.

The Witch’s of Jupitar dwelled in one of the campus's smallest residential areas, a selective series of apartment complexes reserved exclusively for witch business. The buildings were of a dark, inky stone, absorbing light as if it were nothing.

Briya found her apartment door and entered. The lights were off, a breath of relief escaping her lips. She was still drying her hair, dressed once more in her robe, when she made her way to the kitchen.

“Hello, Briya,” Himari greeted, her voice cutting through the once quiet and dark space. She sat at the wooden table pressed against the window. Himari, of East-Asian descent, was taller than most, her raven hair flowing down her back in a ponytail. Out of her robes, she wore shorts and a t-shirt, her smirk both alluring and dangerous.

Bellanne flicked on the light. Like Himari, she was also out of her uniform, exhaustion evident in her red-tinted eyes and the faint smell of burnt wood clinging to her. Slim-waisted, with glasses perched on her nose and dull blue eyes, she stood at Bri’s height.

“Where have you been for these many hours?” Himari inquired.

Maybe on a better day, Bri would have played along. But after the night she had…

She sneered and headed into the kitchen. “Really, Bri?” Himari feigned hurt. “No 'Hi' or phone call to let us know where you were… or that you weren’t going to make it for dinner?”

Bell rolled her eyes. “Himari, leave her alone. She’s obviously not in the mood,” she interjected, turning to Bri.

Himari snickered, but they all fell silent as they beheld Bri's tear-streaked face.

“Bri,” Bell was the first to reach out, touching her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Bri shook her head, tears streaming down her face at the exchange. “Bri, what happened?” Himari inquired.

Belle shot a look towards her. “I told you this was a bad idea. You know Bri always has a good reason for being late,” she said pointedly.

Himari rolled her eyes. “You always tell me to leave her alone… and Bri really doesn’t mind the teasing. Come on, Bri, you can tell us anything.”

Bri made her way to the table and sat down, the others pulling chairs to be by her side.

“Bri, do you want us to get you food?” Bell asked, a glimmer of concern in her eyes, prompting a weak smile and a chuckle from Bri.

“Ah, feeling a bit better,” remarked Himari.

Bri wiped away the tears. “I… I can do with some food, I think. I haven’t eaten all day,” she admitted.

Bell went into the fridge, rummaging through its contents. “Listen, we don’t have much, so we ordered, and we didn’t know what you want, and…”

“Bell made an executive decision,” Himari interjected.

“Again,” Bri replied, another chuckle breaking through her tears. “You’ve got to stop letting her have the final say. Did you get…”

“Chinese food is very affordable, and the place in Academy City runs for twenty-four hours,” Bell cut in. “You were gone for the day, so we were just waiting to pull the trigger.”

Bri shook her head. “No, honestly… I don’t want to eat,” she sighed. “Listen, just sit down. I’ll tell you where I was.”

Then, she gathered them around and recounted the events of her day, focusing on the incident in Henryk’s dream.

“He flung you!” Himari exclaimed, rising from her seat, her hands planted firmly on the table. “How could he be so strong?”

Bell's eyes remained fixed on the table throughout, but now she raised them to meet theirs. “It could’ve been a familiar or a spirit, or something else. There's a lot of magic that we don’t…”

“There's a lot of magic that the core worlders don’t know,” Himari affirmed, ignoring the disapproving glance from Anne.

Bri shook her head with a groan. “Himeria, Bell, it wasn’t no familiar or spirit. He had to be a human.”

“He?” repeated Bell. “It was a man?”

Himeria chuckled at that. “A man? How could you lose to a male wizard of all…”

However, Bri’s glare cut her short. Himeria only sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. “All I am just trying to say is that it’s a bit…strange. You know that men can’t connect to magic like how we can.”

And she cocked her head towards Bell. Bell hesitated for a brief moment, then slowly nodded her head.

“Himeria is right,” Bell agreed. “A novice male wizard will lose to a weak female mage. It’s genetics and biology, it should…”

“Well, it didn’t,” Bri replied sternly. “He had taken the form of this strange beast, but it was nothing like I’ve ever experienced. He was old, I could feel it. And it was his hate aimed at me... I could feel it, that sort of hate was raw and unfiltered. It was archaic, it was bloodthirsty, and as a junior light mage… I was defeated. The dreamer has more strength within his dream, but this man even after Henryk was gone… he was able to keep the strength of the dream, and he…”

Bell sighed. “I just don’t understand that part, but your bruise shows the truth of it…”

“Of what?” Himeria asked.

Bell continued, annoyed. “It shows that she isn’t lying or imagining it. Himeria, come on. There are very powerful male wizards out there.”

“But what do they want with Henryk?” Bri asked sternly. “He might’ve beat Piper, but by that means doesn’t say anything about his aptitude.”

“That’s…” Himari’s voice trailed off. “Shouldn’t you know that? Didn’t the senior witch herself ask you for this?” she queried.

Bri nodded slowly. “She just tells me what to do and I follow her orders. It was a bit difficult to get in and his mental strength is stronger than I expected, but there is always a way in. But I don’t ever want to go back there.”

“So, this thing was talking to him?” Bell asked. “What was it about?”

“I don’t recall. I came at the end of their conversation,” Bri replied.

Bri sighed and leveled her eyes at the table. “I can’t believe tomorrow is the first day of classes, and this is what I’ve got to deal with.”

“Just skip,” remarked Himari.

Belle rolled her eyes at that. “If you are really not feeling good, by all means, you should just stay. I know, I know, but you’ve got to be careful… especially in regards to your health. Just email them.”

Bri paused and glared at Belle. “How am I meant to email my professors that I hijacked into some boy’s dream, that I was violently expelled from it with such force that my real body dented the side of a metal container, and thirdly…”

“Okay, enough is enough,” regarded Belle urgently. “Classes start tomorrow, but I’ve got nothing for tomorrow. Do you need anything else, because I am quite exhausted. We can continue talking about this in the morning though.”

Bri sighed. “I’m fine Belle. Go get your rest.”

Belle hesitated before she left, but as she was about to open her door she paused and glanced at the pair of them. “We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.” And with that, she closed her door.

Himari rose with a smirk gracing her lips. “You want some pop or some…”

“We’ve still got beer,” Bri remarked.

And Himari nodded with a smile. “You mind if I partake?” She replied, testing the waters. For the first time since this encounter, Bri could actually truly smile.

“Sure,” Bri said.

Himari went to the kitchen, parting through the contents as she made her way towards aluminum cans bound together by plastic, chilled to the touch. The golden bands highlighted the alcohol.

Himari handed Bri a can, and Bri went to work undoing her robe as she took the beer in her hand.

“You’ve got any cigs?” Bri asked.

“God, you're gross,” replied Himari. “I’ve got an…”

“You’ve got that nicotine pen you keep talking about?”

Himari chuckled with a smirk. “I picked it from some midworlder boy at the party, they’ve got these in every store I’ve heard. It really is just miraculous what a pretty girl could get with the right type of smile. He practically was drooling over me, Bri.”

Himari dug into her pants and tossed her a pen-shaped item. Bri took a rip as smoke filled her lungs and she expelled it. She then took a sip of her beer.

Himari chuckled at the action.

Bri raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been laughing a lot,” she observed.

“Am I not allowed to laugh?” Himari countered.

Bri shook her head. “It’s that you laugh a lot when you’ve got something on your mind. I know you, Himari.”

Himari paused, and then that dashing seductive smirk danced along her features. “Maybe I do…” she teased.

She pushed the chair closer to Bri as Bri’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do?” Bri asked.

Himari chuckled, leaning close to Bri’s ear as she spoke. “That boy from House Venus, the new president. I slept with him a couple of nights ago.”

Bri’s eyes widened, and she turned away in shock. “Are you insane?” she exclaimed. “We're the witches of Jupitar… he’s not even of magical proficiency, and you were going to allow him to taint your…”

Himari rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you believe in all that celibacy crap,” she retorted. “Sure, we may be witches and take our vows. But some vows are more serious than the others, don’t you think?”

And a passing glance settled upon Bri. “Yeah,” she muttered, and the action was not lost.

Himari leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and scratching the back of her head. “Look at Belleanne, a good fucking would loosen her up real…”

Bri's eyes widened at the words.

“Come on, can’t we just play,” replied Himari. “No matter. If it really bothers you… then you can take solace that I was more so, ordered.”

Bri’s eyes widened. “Ordered,” she bluntly repeated. The ramification of the word and action caused her to feel a sickening churning within her stomach. “Are you telling me that one of the senior witches forced you to…”

And Himari raised her hand to silence the conversation.

“Esava herself came to me and asked what I would be willing to do for the order and the cause. So, I told her anything… and she really pushed me out of my box for my first mission. But like I said, he wasn’t that bad. Smaller than I expected, but still not bad,” Himari explained.

Bri’s eyes widened. “Why did Esava ask you for this?”

Himari leaned closer. “You know how strong Jace’s family is. If we can control that, we can gain an iron grip on the inner workings of House Venus. If we can root their power by the source… they may lead, but we’ll be the true ones in control.”

“How are you going to get him in control?” Bri inquired. “I was at the party a while back. And from what I can recall, Jace was rude and too pompous to know what was good for him. Henryk… that boy from the dream saved Sirine from his very hands. How can you control someone who isn’t even afraid of the corporations or the social hierarchy?”

Himari chuckled loudly. “Water, blood, or seed…” She paused for effect. “Once you get one of the three, you can have glaring control over a man.”

“In that order?” Bri questioned.

Himari shrugged. “I’ve heard horror tales of people utilizing all three, but you only go for one. Water means sweat and any other water that your body produces. It’s the lowest amount of control, but there is still a degree of it. The blood is more self-explanatory; it gives you a medium amount of control, but it’s sloppy… I know that Venus witches may be trained to see the mental signs this caused. Thirdly, the seed… but I do not have to explain that to you.”

Bri’s eyes widened at the information.

Himari chuckled to herself, and Bri realized that she was already onto her third beer. This was going to be an interesting night. “Control, memories, dreams… heck, I’ve heard that blood can be utilized in prophecy readings. And once you read them… they’re set in stone and immovable.”

“Yet, why does Esava care about Henryk and why did she have you do this?” Bri pressed, but Himari had already started to rise from her chair.

Himari shrugged at the question. “It isn’t really our job to ask questions, Bri. The senior witches know better; we can’t always know the truth of their wisdom in these darkest times.”

Himari turned to wave, leaving Bri alone within the darkness of the room. The echoing of that strange monster had mercifully faded from her ears. Now, peace settled upon the rising sun along the horizon. But darkness always does return.

Bri whirled her head to the side; she thought she saw something. However, it was just her imagination. Sweating, reeling, and tired, she fought her way back onto her feet and decided to head to bed. The room seemed to close in on her as she moved, shadows playing tricks on her weary mind.