Honkai Star Rail (READER)

Kafka - Witch

This world that you lived in was no stranger to the paranormal. Though, this was no fairy tale, for a dark plague had wiped off entire towns from the face of the Belobog kingdom. By the will of its leader, your mission was to investigate the strange disturbances that threatened ruin. 

The coven truly had it's grasp on you, with in-depth research and extensive discoveries into the truth behind their closed doors. Everything would come to a head, once you entered the frightened town of Rivet. 

The report given to you by your employer, the captain of the royal knights was descriptive in the effects experienced by the town. They claimed to suffer from frequent crop loss, drought, famine, and infertility. 

"This idiot thinks that all problems are created by witches?" You huffed, there was no sign of witchcraft in these symptoms alone. Though, Gepard had other thoughts, sending you off with a warning. 

"Deliver to me a witch, or I will have your head on display instead." he ordered, exacting the wishes of the ruler of Belobog. 

You huffed, knowing that this had to be done, or else it was your life on the line. Finally arriving at the town, you realized why Gepard might have been concerned for supernatural forces. An unnatural silence amidst a swarm of dead plants and a clear lack of life. The ground was a pitch black with rot, while the trees were grey in decay. 

When you passed by with a dark brown trench coat and large overhanging feathered cap, the locals mistook you for a mercenary. You realized that your presence in this place was not welcome. 

A single reverend stood upon a guillotine stage, screaming to all those before him, the injustice carried out by the blatant evil in the community. "Witches, are women who engage in the practice of evil! We must purge them from this community, so I ask of you- any and all who see a woman who reads, who writes, to report her directly to me!" The voices of the crowd mirrored his anger. Though, others were not as eager to go on a spree of accusing women of witchcraft. 

You decided to try your luck at a local tavern. 

"What can I do ya' for?" The local tavern man spat into a cup, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I'm looking for a witch." 

The crowd that sparsely cornered you looked around apprehensively. Unsure of whether to trust a random stranger or their local pastors, they eyed you intensely.

"There's no witches in this here town. You best skedaddle. Don't need another reverend in this place."  The tavern man warned, his one good eye widening in warning. 

That's when you noticed it. 

Just below the man's eye, a single dark mole. It would ordinarily mean nothing if the man didn't have an identical one on the other side of his eye. "Going a bit blind in that eye sir?" 

"How-"

"No worries, I'll take care of this." You snarled, with a slight irritation on your face as you aggressively wrestled the man's hair. Patting him like a stray before you walked off. 

Your assumptions could not be taken at face value without a bit of investigating. If you mistook the signs of another beast for witchcraft, you'd be making deals with an uncomfortable ally. The moles were indicative of magic, though the certainty of what type could only be determined with a bit of scrutiny. 

"Let's see. What do we have here?" You bent down, the coarse dirt was far too dry for a fairy ring. You fought the urge to taste it, just to be certain it wasn't some form of druid attack. 

Nothing. 

Every inch of this hollow town was covered in a dense fog that left the townsfolk scrambling for safety. The only indications of other humans within the fog served to be the torches they carried around, in hopes of burning the one responsible.