Witch Hunter Academy

Chapter 8- A Terrifying Truth

Sorry Serena.

Arai looked at her friends one at a time, studying each expression. Emilie pulled away from her like she had suddenly become a fireball, Ren and Myra were reaching for their weapon tattoos and
Silas looked mildly betrayed.

She had expected them to react like that, she had known they’d hate her after they found out, she knew she’d be thrown in a prison, killed or exiled the second anyone found out, but she knew, in that moment, she had done the right thing by telling them.

“So, you’re a… you’re an…”

“Enchantress. Yes.” She finished for Silas, who looked at a complete loss for words.

“That’s why Ren’s weapon hurt you so much. I wondered about that.” He murmured, mostly to himself.

“Who cares? She’s been lying to us this whole time! What are you, a spy or something?” Ren demanded, grabbing her out of her chair and pinning her to the wall.

“Ren! Stop it!” Cried Emilie.

“Tell the damn truth you weaselly witch. Why the hell are you here?” Snarled Ren, trapping her between the wall and himself.

“Because… I… they…”

She couldn’t find the words to explain, how could she? She was terrified and sad and had no time to recover her words. She knew very well she wouldn’t live long, but still, the words wouldn’t come to explain, because she herself didn’t quite know.

“Well?” Growled Ren, trapping her in his intense, fiery gaze.

“Ren, relax. Let her explain.” Silas came to her rescue, putting a hand on Ren’s shoulder.

Ren pushed him off rather roughly and Silas landed hard on the floor. A headache made its way up the back of her mind, pounding forwards to her temples, then right beside her eyes almost. She let out a muffled shriek as the pain intensified and images started flashing in her vision.

Ren, attacking Silas. Myra, holding a terrified Ryu. Emilie screaming, Arai screaming, everyone fighting, everything going horribly wrong.

“I’m not a spy!” She managed. “In fact, I have information I can share about the witches that I’m sure you’d like to hear.”

That caught everyone’s attention, Arai made a mental note to keep Ryu in his tattoo form on her hand so the poor fox couldn’t be held hostage.

“Why should we trust you?” Snarled Ren menacingly.

Arai told them everything. About her life as a witch, about her constant failure and then sudden magic, her mission as a spy with no actual instructions, the explosion, the note, everything. When she finished, she realized she was crying, and she quickly wiped away her tears, embarrassed.

She was terrified, terrified of her future of pain and suffering, her future that was so uncertain and yet felt like it was set in stone.
She was going to die.

She wasn’t going to live long enough to actually know the real meaning of what it was like to have friends, to be apart of something greater than herself. She wouldn’t live to stop the war, she knew it, but she also knew that she had to try.
In order for her to have a chance at success, she knew there was one thing she needed, and that was the support of her friends, if they still wanted to be her friend after this.

Arai waited for what felt like forever, Ren’s eyes no longer as hostile, more distant and unsure. Silas was deep in thought, definitely worried and considering whether she was telling the truth or not. Emilie looked hopeful, like she desperately wanted to believe that Arai was just like them, someone she could be friends with and laugh with without feeling threatened or obliged to attack. Myra, well, her expression was more unreadable than it usually was, which made Arai even more nervous.