The next morning, I met Qiric in our communal space's kitchen. Mumai was there too.
"Morning, guys," I said. "Wild day yesterday, huh?"
"I heard Special Forces cornered those androids practically immediately," Qiric replied. "When in doubt, call in the pros, am I right?"
"A shame about those police guys," Mumai added. "Apparently only one of them survived."
"Well, good thing we don't have to worry about the androids anymore," Qiric said. "Special Forces had it wrapped like a crempola." With that, he turned the crempolas he was cooking.
"Cottovi?" I pointed at them.
"Vitruvi," he corrected me. "Only heretics eat savoury."
"What! You take that back, crempolas cottovi is goated!"
"Yeah, don't be lame," Mumai cosigned.
"What are you guys on about?" Arle walked in, carrying an old book. "That Witch is still out there, we aren't safe yet."
"Oh, is that your old guy's journal?" Qiric pointed with his cooking stick.
"His name was Marqis," Arle explained, holding it up. "My great-great-something grandfather. He was a key figure in the Witch hunts following the banishing war."
"That was… like, three hundred or so years ago," I said. "Didn't know Witches were involved."
"They're the reason the banishing war even happened," Arle told me, "And probably why there are barely any mages in Yylinovia compared to the rest of the world."
"Untold history," I breathed. "Oh! Can I do my capstone project on it? It'll look amazing in my portfolio."
"What, the banishing war or the Witch hunts?"
"Whatever's in that journal! Come on," I pleaded. "Secret firsthand records are like an archaeologist's wet dream!!"
"Sheesh, okay." Arle handed it over. "History nut."
"And proud of it! Unveiling the past to brighten the future; what's not to love?" I excitedly flipped through it, taking in that old-pages scent. "Hello, lovely… authentic handwriting, well preserved, full of priceless insights from days gone."
"Ah, shoot. I got class, see ya," Mumai said, then quickly left the communal space.
"I'm out too. Don't forget to return it!" Arle waved as she left.
I spent the next week or so poring over Marqis's journal.
It was fascinating, seeing a survivor of a Witch attack take up arms against them, eventually leading his own platoon in the banishing war.
And the Witch hunts… let's just say this bit of history was not in any textbooks. How to kill the unkillable, how to chain the incorporeal. Witches were leagues above even the world's strongest mages thanks to the profane energies in their bodies.
Though honestly, reading through it, the bias against Witches was painfully clear. Marqis had it out for them basically from the moment a Witch massacred his hometown. Though I'd probably dedicate my life to killing Witches too, if that ever happened to me.
He detailed his many attempts at killing them, but as a regular human, his options were limited. His insistence on not relying on the mages for help probably meant he didn't trust them, either.
His last entry was in different handwriting. A family member or a friend, maybe? They detailed the witch-killing process Arle had mentioned that day – restraining them to a blessed stake and setting it ablaze at the crux of light and dark, when the Witch's powers were in greatest flux.
The greatest challenge, of course, would be immobilizing them. According to this entry, Marqis had to give his life to hold the Witch down long enough for the ritual fire to take effect.
Reading all this, I couldn't help but wonder. If Witches were so strong, maybe that masked woman really wasn't a Witch. She had gotten injured, after all.
And those androids… just what was their deal, anyway? I started to feel like a detective whose case suddenly went cold. Not that I really needed to handle this in the first place, but still. And anyway, they were in custody, under the Special Forces' supervision. Nothing I could do even if I wanted to.
The day I finished drafting my project's outline, I knocked on the door to Arle's dorm. "You there, Arle? Told you I wouldn't forget," I called.
Her door opened. "Hi, Kendel," she yawned.
"Hmm? You don't have class today?"
"Not 'till this evening. I'm catching up on Zs," she said, taking back the journal.
"Hum. Well, see ya later," I replied, then headed outside.
As I walked towards the library, I suddenly felt an electrifying sensation run through my body, like lightning was about to strike.
Then, CRRRACKLE–! A strange wave of energy made my hair stand on end, followed by a strangely quiet sensation, almost hollow. Or, empty? Cold?
As people began to exit the buildings, I realized the power had been knocked out.
Another weird thing, I thought, rubbing my arms. Maybe Aridovia doesn't sound so bad after all. I heard Oguron is pretty calm too.
But this emptiness in the air… something in my gut knew it wasn't just the power.
What was it? What was it?
I spotted some people running out of the business building, panicked and bleeding. And the fire alarms had begun to sound! Was it an attack?
I found myself running towards the building. "What happened?" I asked someone. "Did the noise come from there?"
One girl stopped in front of me, breathing heavily. I recognized her as Mumai's off-and-on-again-sometimes-but-not-really girlfriend whose name I kept forgetting. Her dress was burned, and lightning scars streaked her legs.
"The… the androids," she panted. "One of them blasted the Lecture Hall…"
The biggest room in Eonis Social University?
Then that emptiness I was feeling, it was the void of death! Why would they…? I thought… were they wrong about them? What was going on?!
"Consider this an ultimatum," I heard One's voice through the public comm. "If the Witch doesn't show herself, Three will stormbomb the next biggest gathering."
"##~~~."
"Oh. I guess you have until she recharges. Which means more time for you! No excuses!"
"Eh…? I thought… she was their master…" The girl suddenly slumped down.
I rubbed my head, gears spinning.
"Kendel!" Qiric ran up to me. "Mumai was in the Lecture Hall when the androids…"
"Rrgh… damn it all! Nothing is making sense," I growled.
"Huh?"
"Those metal bastards have to be lying about their connection to the Witch! They probably want something from her, like blackmail or assets," I figured.
"Do you know where the Witch is?"
"Huh? N-no," I stammered.
"Sorry, sorry. Won't do to point fingers." Qiric helped the girl to her feet. "Shell, you okay?"
"The… androids," She gasped. "Info… about the Witch."
"Oh yeah! That announcement they made in the Lecture Hall before they blasted everyone," Qiric nodded. "It's already making the rounds."
"Before? What is it?" I asked.
"A description." He pulled out his tablet. "Um, Kendel, don't take this the wrong way, yeah?"
"Why would I?"
"Er… just listen. According to the posts, the Witch is a girl, obviously, with fiery red hair. She's also a master of deception," Qiric read. "Again, not pointing fingers."
"I know, I know…" My mind flashed back to that masked woman again.
The masked woman… with red hair like mine…
"So it WAS her," I muttered.
"Who was?"
"Uh! Nothing," I replied. Saying I encountered the Witch when we have the same major identifying feature, AND when everyone is already stressed? No way that would end well for me. "W-we should help in the Lecture Hall."
"No! No," Shell rasped. "The blast… I only survived 'cause Mumai protected me…" Tears started streaming down her face. "Ah… ah… Mumai…"
Mumai is dead? My mind started to cloud up. No, not just him… the Lecture Hall can hold up to five hundred students…
"The Special Forces and medics are coming, just hang tight," Qiric told Shell.
The public comm crackled again. "Maybe I should've given you guys a time limit. Let's say, um… tonight. Midnight," One announced. "We KNOW you're here, Witch. Let's make this easier for all of us, yeah?"
"Hah, that'll be plenty of time," I breathed. "Alright, I'm gonna go find Arle."
I started running back to our hall. It was still relatively early, so she should still be in her dorm… if not there, the maybe the library?
I stopped in the communal space, staring at the open door to Arle's dorm.
It was open… and empty?
It wouldn't have been so weird if her door was shut. Arle was the sharpest of all four of us, never forgetting her keys, assignments, or grudges.
And she was gone? Some kind of secret compartment sticking out from under her bed was open, and the other stuff strewn about gave the impression that she left in a hurry.
"Well, as long as she's fine," I muttered, picking up her tablet. Actually, I had no idea if she was fine, and she left her only form of communication behind so I had no way of knowing for sure.
And really, why did she pick now to suddenly run off? This was a crisis!
"Whatever," I sighed, walking into my dorm. My bed looked extra-invitingly soft, all of a sudden. "We'll be fine once Special Forces gets here," I assured myself, flopping down on it. "Honestly… those fricking androids, making it everyone's problem… what if the Witch doesn't want to hang out with you, ever think of that…?"