Witch awakening

"Hi. Do we know each other?" Her greeting was polite yet lacked enthusiasm. Hayley didn't have the energy or inclination to engage in small talk with people she barely knew at that moment.

"We met at the Magic Box yesterday."

"Oh." Hayley didn't know what else to say. Lucia's appearance sparked a faint memory—they bumped into each other, and that was the extent of their acquaintance.

"Are you okay? I mean, you don't look right. That's not what I want to say. Do you need help? My name is Lucia, and if you need anything, I'm here."

Lucia's concern seemed genuine. Hayley didn't know how to respond. She didn't know Lucia, and while she appeared harmless, Hayley wasn't in the mood for conversation with a stranger.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry." Despite Hayley's attempt to reassure Lucia, doubt lingered in her eyes.

"Okay. Do you want to have a coffee with me?" Lucia's hopeful invitation

caught Hayley off guard. This woman's persistence was unsettling. Hayley was about to decline when she noticed a man a few benches away, his presence drawing her attention away from Lucia and her insistence.

The man stared at them without moving. His expression was blank. Yet,

his eyes revealed a deep desire. Hayley couldn't shake off the feeling of discomfort.

Hayley suspected who he was, or rather, what he was. He seemed like a demon. She felt the urge to give him a defiant gesture. However, Lucia's presence kept her from doing so, and she seemed oblivious to the unsettling presence.

Noticing Hayley's distraction, Lucia fidgeted, waiting for a response. Hayley's attention returned to her momentarily.

"Huh... If you don't want to, I can understand..." Lucia's uncertainty was evident.

Hayley remained silent, her gaze drifting back to the man. Lucia turned to see what had kept her attention, finding no random people in the park.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. And sorry, I've got something to do." Hayley's abrupt departure left Lucia puzzled, her eyes following Hayley. She couldn't hide the coldness in her gaze.

Lucia didn't stop Hayley. Instead, she pulled out her phone and dialed her sister's number.

"Elena, go see Aurora and try again to enter the house. Hayley won't be back anytime soon."

"What?"

"Hayley and Aurora fought. It's the perfect opportunity to attempt entry into the house."

"Oh! Okay. I'll be there shortly."

Lucia shot a disdainful glance at the man, her distaste for demons evident. She had observed him earlier, checking out Hayley, and pretended not to notice. With Hayley gone, she couldn't suppress the contempt towards these low-intelligence parasites.

Elena arrived at the sisters' house just minutes later. She knocked and waited for Aurora to open the door.

"Hey, Elena, what...?"

"Hey, Rory! I was just in the neighborhood and came to see if everything was all right. Last night was—I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been angry with you..."

"No, it wasn't your fault. Hayley shouldn't have talked to you that way. I should be the one to say sorry. Would you like to come in?"

Elena's smile widened. "With pleasure."

Aurora stepped aside to let her in. As Elena moved to cross the threshold, a barrier appeared and catapulted her away from the house. Aurora's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Elena!" Aurora rushed to her friend's side.

"What the hell?" Elena got up by herself, eyes wide as she stared at Aurora.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Aurora cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Seeing her friend so distraught, Elena patted her back, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. Don't worry. Everything is fine."

Elena wanted to ask what happened, but Aurora was too overwhelmed to explain. She could only manage to utter apologies. The sobs were starting to get on Elena's nerves. She had to pretend to be considerate; otherwise, Lucia would have her head.

"Let's go to my place." Elena gently guided Aurora away, casting a last glance at the house. She saw the door closing on its own, almost as if it were saying good riddance to her. She felt speechless and angry at the same time.

Elena lived in a house at the other end of town. She lived with her sister, although she had never mentioned it to Aurora. Seeing another woman at her friend's place was shocking.

"Who's that?"

"That's my sister."

"You never told me you had a sister."

"Of course, I told you. You must have forgotten." Elena's eyes darted to the side, showing she lied, but Aurora didn't catch it.

"Hello, I'm Lucia."

"Hi." Rory fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable.

"Sis, we need help. You know I talked to you about my friend Rory and her problems."

"You talked to your sister about me?!" Aurora's voice rose in disbelief.

She had thought her friend would have known that whatever she had shared about her life was in confidence, not to be shared again with another person. A feeling of betrayal tightened over her heart, making her breathless.

"Rory, Lucia is my sister, and she's a stronger witch than I am. If someone could find a solution to your problems, it's her. I want what is best for you. You are my best friend." While talking, Elena took Rory's hands and stared into her eyes, wanting to convey her sincerity.

"Aurora, don't worry. You're safe. Those demons won't hurt you here." Lucia tried to make Aurora feel less insecure; it seemed to work.

"I'm sorry. So much happened in such a short time; I'm in over my head."

"I understand. Don't worry." Lucia commiserated with Aurora while casting a reproachful glance at her sister. Aurora didn't notice the sisters' interaction and felt she had met true friends.

They escorted her inside the house. They gave her a cup of milk to soothe her emotions.

"Rory, I think we need to talk about what happened?"

"What happened?" Lucia repeated, hearing her sister's question.

"Well, I went to Rory's place, she invited me in, and I was... denied entry by the protection spell in her house."

"Nonsense. If you had an invitation, how could you be denied? Unless—you weren't allowed in by a De Varenne." They both stared at Aurora, waiting for an explanation. Her guilty look told them everything they should know.

Aurora wasn't a De Varenne witch.