Witches of Mellgrah

It was already late in the practices and Maya went straight to the locker room instead of the infirmary. While changing she found more bruises she hadn't noticed from her fall. Even where Chris had grabbed her left a mark on her skin. It was nothing in comparison to the bump she felt on her head, well hidden beneath her hair. The ringing in her head hadn't yet ceased and Maya began to suspect she might actually have a concussion.

Having insisted she was fine she didn't want to be a bother now. Maybe she should've allowed someone to at least check up on her. Alone in the locker room, she began to reconsider whether she should even show up now.

'It's not like I can use magic, anyway…'

Sighing, Maya's gaze caught a glimpse of the highest school tower through the locker room window. It is the tower Elena used in her threat to harm herself.

'It really is high up. Was she being serious? Would she really do something like that?'

A silhouette up in the tower caught Maya's attention. It made her feel as if she was being watched by it. It quietly retracted where it was no longer visible.

Maya wondered if it was a ghost. They seemed so helpless and trapped by their state.

'Is that what death was like?'

Her thoughts returned to that ghost girl. She seemed to understand more about their state, which Maya didn't notice as the case with other ghosts. Unlike Leo, whom she felt longed to be alive, the girl must've been dead for a long time and had gotten well used to it. Perhaps she should try to learn more from her. After all, she did say some quite vexing things in passing.

"I'm so sorry," Leo said.

"Ah!" Maya almost jumped out of her skin. He does it to her every time.

"Sorry… again."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For being unable to do anything. Seeing you get hurt. And… there's nothing I can do. It's driving me insane."

"I'm fine."

"You don't think I know you? Four years we were apart may seem a lot, but you haven't changed that much. You're still the same girl that hides her pain like you'll be punished for it."

"Leo… You were right about Elena. She never cared about me. Even said so herself."

Leo hesitated. Maya knew he wanted to say 'I told you so' but held back since she was in a bad mood.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing…"

"Nothing?!"

"What can I do? If she doesn't like me, that's fine. I have other people who want to hang out with me. In fact, I am even invited to a party this weekend," she indulged in self-praising in hopes it would make her feel better. "Oh, crap! I haven't told Elena that the party's at our place."

🜺🜺🜺🜺

After rushing to the field, her mentor, Tanya, having heard what transpired earlier, didn't reprimand Maya for being late. In fact, she even ordered her to rest and observe for today. This in return made Maya receive some not-too-kind glares from the other group members. They seemed especially bothered whenever Maya would receive special treatment.

"Did you used to be some kind of royalty?"

Maya didn't know what she did to deserve such scornful comments when Tanya would turn her focus to the other group, but she couldn't deny having received certain privileges that others didn't. The Headmaster herself was her guardian and the dorm room she stayed in would be considered a penthouse among dorm rooms. Not to mention, having Tanya as a mentor was considered the best option one could pick with her impeccable skills and unique insight thanks to wielding two elements.

'Am I truly blessed?'

Perhaps she would find out during her next temple visit.

As she had received a notice to come after school, Maya made her way toward the temple ground. It was a secluded but beautiful area behind the academy grounds. Temple of Light they called it, but it consisted of pretty gardens with four rounded temples around a small plaza. Temples resembled buildings of ancient times and one of them was more grandeur than the rest.

For the place of worship, it didn't look like it was often visited and the atmosphere was somewhat modest and more friendly, even though it didn't seem like a place someone could venture in freely. Soaking in the ambience, the temple complex was truly like a hidden world with a flare of mystic romanticism. For a moment, Maya expected fairies instead of priestesses to show up.

Maya didn't arrive alone. Beside her were a handful of freshmen girls Maya had speculated to have already succeeded in Awakening. They were all invited under the guise of temple work, but Maya suspected she was invited for a different purpose since Maya hadn't connected to her element yet.

Among them were Sarah and a girl named Lisa whom Maya recognized as the one who kept her company for a short time when she had first arrived in town. Although Maya had lunch with Sarah for three days now, Sarah still seemed rather unapproachable and too haughty to start a conversation with. Not to mention she didn't seem to want to do anything with Maya outside school.

And Lisa… Maya was under the impression she was snubbing her. No wonder, since she was warned by Lisa about Elena the first day and then proceeded to somehow become associated with that exact Elena.

After they entered the grounds, Maya thought she saw a glimpse of her mentor Tanya in the distance.

'Does she also do temple work after school?'

Maya didn't get the chance to interact with the rest of the group because she was soon separated. As the Head Priestess came to greet them, soon after priestesses in pastel green gowns led other girls away while Maya was told to wait at the plaza.

While others were being directed to their tasks Maya was observing the four elegant stone statues adorning the plaza. They were of four androgynous figures in long flowy gowns.

One held a spikey golden orb close to its chest. The gold glistened in the sunlight, looking like a small sun or a star being carefully cradled in the statue's palms.

Another one held its eyes covered with its palms as if mournfully refusing to look at the world, while golden streams trickled from underneath their fingers like tears.

The next one was more lively, with its elegant hand gripping a golden trident and the gown and long hair sculpted in a way Maya could almost feel a strong wind it was trying to resist.

The last one was calm in contrast, with a long golden sceptre in its hands. Looking at its face, Maya almost felt like the statue was looking directly at her even though it had no eyes or defined features of the face.

Then, Maya realized she wasn't alone.