XX ||| Ice Cream & Creepy Witch

"So, what's the plan?"

"I have to find the person with aether magic. They're the key!"

He blinked, "Aether what? Is that a thing?"

A nod, "It is. If what I search on it is right, it's the ability that of the 5th element, the strongest undoubtedly. It allows control over elemental, cosmic, spiritual, transcendental, and primordial forces. And after searching even further into it, I also learned that, altogether, it also grants the user the ability to mentally manipulate the energy generated by stars, as well as their electromagnetic, gravitational, radiation and comic energies. Granting the person both super strength, immortality and much more.

"Also grants the user the ability to manipulate their own magical aura and copy one's ability as well as combine multiple abilities together to unlock new ones. By controlling spiritual energy, they can use it as a sixth sense, not just sensing, talking, and seeing spirits, but also materializing it into a physical form to unleash attacks, or even becoming intangible like actual spirits. Essentially, their sixth sense allows them to also acquire info by means independent of any of their known senses or previous experience. And this applies to any and all kinds of information, knowledge, wisdom, experience, etc.

"Information can be either personal, such as memories, thoughts, etc.; or impersonal, such as academic knowledge, data, etc. It can be used passively, as an instinctual reaction; or actively, by them wanting to known specific information. This overall can be used to perceive and detect the presence of ghosts, spirits and otherworldly beings, reading the memories or thoughts of other people's or objects, seeing into the future, or any kind of form of gathering elusive information about the surroundings through unnatural means.

"Regarding transcendental forces, they can manipulate a form of energy in a more extraordinary league of power, vastly surpassing all others, and are on pair with transcendent beings and entities. While when it comes to primordial stuff, they can manipulate anything, and everything made by primordial forces, the unique source or origin of every universal concept. Which, pretty much, makes this person a supreme being above others!"

["How do you know all of this?"] Jack finally broke his silence.

I have absolutely no idea. Gulping, I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to remember when I found out all of this. My mind is so chaotic that I must have forgotten how I knew this. I must have learned in one of the ancient texts Cosmos handed to me.

["How can you forget something like this, Hel? By all means, this makes this aether user a God. Or at least, very fucking close to one. What if they are against the cause and have no desire to fight Meredith? Have you thought about that?"]

Don't say that. I'll convince them to fight. They have to. If Meredith gets her hands on this person, they are done for. And if they don't… wait, how can I speak to you through my thoughts?

["I've never bonded to anyone before, so how would I know?"]

Weird. I had no idea about this. Whatever, it's better this way. Now I won't look like a insane psycho speaking to you out loud.

"…this?" What?

I blinked, turning to Felix who had his jaw on the ground, "What? Can you repeat it, please? I was talking to Jack," I pointed at him.

"I mean that you think I can nullify this… this… God-like person?"

He definitely can. I don't know how, but I can feel it in my bones. "Yes. I'm positive you can. Aether magic may be over powerful and sound intimidating when put in the way… I ended up putting it, but it is a type of magic nonetheless. If you can nullify everything, you can definitely nullify their powers."

His tanned skinned turned ashen pale, "Hel, I get it, I do, but I have no desire in making an enemy of this… God. Because fucking hell, that's some God-tier type of shit of a power to have. I never even heard of that. It sounds like everything wrapped up in one big bombastic dangerous deadly package. Not to mention that this person, is also supposed to be of one of the other races. Fuck, I may sound like a coward, but it's scary as hell, Hel!"

["Now I get why the Dragon Queen is scared!"]

Sigh, "You aren't going to be their enemy, Felix."

"If they are in this Academy right now, I'm pretty sure I'm already their enemy, Hel," he let out a squeak. "I'm too young to die."

I couldn't help laughing, "Look, we'll make them believe in us. We need them to destroy Meredith. It's the only way. She's terrified of them, I know she is," now Naël's words make a whole lot of more sense. "And I believe you, okay? You know why? Because I can tell when people lie."

"I'm straight," bro.

"Straight as circle, you mean, right?" I joked. "That was an easy one, I already know you have a crush on the male vampires."

He turned crimson red, "What? H-h-how… how?"

Is he serious? "Ah," I joined my hands together, mimicking a heart eyed emotional girl, "Igor is the cute one with fluffy light brown hair, crystalline blue eyes, and a underwear-dropping smile," I quoted him in my best high-pitched voice, bating my eyelashes excessively.

Felix turned even redder, then he covered his face with his hands, "Ugh, you're the worse. I don't sound like that!"

"Oh, yes, you do!" I chuckled. "You are so, so, so gay. You should be proud of that, Felix, and not hiding like this. But worry no more. None of them will lay a mere finger on you from now on, because if they do, I'll break all the bones in their bloody filthy hands," I grinned viciously, fangs flashing, and he seemed to relax his body.

"Uncle told that if we became friends, you would protect me."

That smartass, "He was bloody damn right. I've lost my mother, the only person I've ever loved and cared for, Felix. I was against making friends because I know how much I will care for them. How far I'll go to make sure they are safe. To make sure Meredith don't harm them, like she did to my mom," sighing, I passed my fingers through my long curly silver hair, now lose from the braids. "You can count on me, I'm reliable."

"You are a magnet of problem and chaos, Hel," he chuckled.

I bit my bottom lip, "That's a way to put it. But I'm still very, very reliable, okay? But yes, the trouble comes with the package," taking the box of Magnum ice cream I still had in my ring, I summoned two spoons made of black onyx by my mom, that I also had kept inside it, and handed one to him. "You uncle recommend me to try these, but I heard they taste the best when you eat with a good company. So, shall we dive in?"

His eyes glowed with childish happiness, "Hell yeah, Hel!" Hah, seemed like these stupid jokes runs in the family.

✵ 𖣔 ✵

It was near midnight when we finished all of the six ice creams, as I ate three and he ate three too. And bloody fucking hell, Cosmos wasn't playing when he said it was delicious. "Felix, want to play matchmaker with me?" I grinned after making the box and spoons go into my ring again.

He grinned interested, "To whom?"

"You uncle and Hanna Ruotsalainen."

["She took great care of me for a while, so I'm in!"] Good, good.

His eyes widened in excitement, "Oh my Goddesses, you also could tell that she's totally into him? I swear, she always fans over him when she brings me here. Always making me seat in the front of the submarine with her, so she could talk about him with me throughout the entire travel."

Sounds familiar, "That way he'll be with her, and will snap out of his disgusting crush on Meredith!"

Felix cringed, "Don't even tell me. It's nauseating!"

"I know," I froze when I sensed someone coming closer to us, and after a second, a woman looking to be in her forties popped up. And by her Korean looks, she must be Ivy Kim, the librarian Cosmos told me about.

["Light witch!"] Yeah, I figured.

"Midnight. Time to close the library, so, could you two stop chit chatting and go to your dorms?" Her gaze scanned me, "You must be Hel. The new kid who's been throwing the Academy into chaos in her first day. Getting into two fights with the Circle isn't good for your stead, child."

I clenched my jaw annoyed, "They brought that to themselves!"

"Maybe yes, maybe not. But you a dangerous little ancient creature and also destroyed all the windows of the kitchen hall with your scream. That was all you," she does has a point, but I don't like it.

Felix gasped and turned to me, "You got into another fight with the Circle? And you destroyed the windows with a scream? Is that why you were wounded? Who harmed you?"

"Oliver-Sean Montgomery Strauss-Khan did," the librarian spoke before I did. "Though no one seem to have seen what she did or how did they ended up getting thrown away from each other," she grinned wolfishly. "Might be because you stop time to deal with them, no? Well, you shouldn't underestimate the oldest Strauss-Khan, kid. He's a force to be reckoned with."

And so am I. "So I've heard. But I don't give two shites."

Her gaze became feral with amusement, "Don't you?"

Could she tell? Could she know? "No. He's nothing to me, but a step stone for me to get the top spot of the school. Which makes him my enemy. Thus, making the whole Circle my enemy by third party. And I am not scared of that vampire," I'm scared of this… shite bonding us.

"Keep lying to yourself, sweetheart," she knows. Bloody hell. How does she know? Can she see it? Is that a light witch thing? "Now, out of here, Felix, and you too, little snake."

Fucking hell. "Don't offend her like that, Ivy. That's not cool!" Felix gasped, getting up after me.

"Offend her?" She scoffed and turned to me. "Oh, yes, you are all but keeping it a secret from everyone else, aren't you, little snake? Should I keep my mouth shut about it too?" I don't like this witch at all.

"Do you always goes around meddling in shite you shouldn't?"

Felix gasped in shock, but the light witch grinned widely, "Yes, I do, indeed. Why? Annoyed, little snake?"

"Correction," I kept my chin high and my smug on, even though all I wanted was to break all the bones in her face and put her in her place. Hah, maybe I have some anger issues.

["Maybe? Aren't you being too humble?"] Jack mocked.

Ignoring him, I glared at her, "I am not a snake. I am a serpent!"

Gasping in shock, Felix held onto the wall not to fall on the ground. "You.. you are a what?"

Aye, I didn't want to let him know it yet, but fuck it. He'll learn about it one way or another, sooner or later.

"I'm a winged serpent," I told him, eyes still on the witch.

"From… from the legends?" He squeaked.

"Yes," the witch menacing grin grew wider. "Hel is the legendary beast who was said to have been extinct in the ancient times of the old world and she's powerful," she came one step closer and I held my ground. "Fangs and bat like powerful wings and an indestructible reptile body, with such a powerful and strong and toxic venom that can kill any idiot who tries to drink from her."

["Except her mate,"] Jack added, and I did my best not to fucking glare daggers at him. ["What? I'm just saying!"] Yeah? You shouldn't.

All of a sudden, her eyes turned kind and she relaxed herself as if switching her personality entirely, which is not scary at all. "You look just like your mother, Hel," and that was enough to make me wave. "Your hair may have turned silver with time, but I can tell they were once black like hers. You are covered in things she made from head to toes, it's hard not to notice it." Did she knew my mom? "Yes, I knew your mom. And so did the oldest people in here."

Can she read my mind?

"Your hair was black?" Felix gasped, still in a shock state.

"Are you seeking for revenge?" She ignored him.

I clenched my fists, "Yes."

"Good. That means we still have hope. It means you didn't fall for her," wait- does she knows about Meredith. "Blood only runs thicker than water when spilled like a fountain, Hel. Do you have what it takes?"

"I do," my voice came firm as I intended, opposite to how my body was feeling. "No matter what blood relations I may still have, it remains the fact that the only real family I had was my mother."

She smiled softer than before, "Good. You're resilient. Now, go!"

In a second, I held Felix arms and ran out of the library using my thunder magic to speed us up. And only when we were about ten meters far from the giant double door and the light creepy witch, I let out the breath I didn't even know I was holding.

["Creepy is an understatement!"]

I couldn't agree more.

"What. The. Fuck. Was. That?"