chapter one—the unfulfilled promise.

—"Ms. Charleston!"

The teacher slammed a ruler against the girl's desk, causing her to flinch back to reality.

"Reading that nonsense book again, I see? You didn't even realize that class has already begun." The teacher darkly scorned before turning away.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It...it won't happen again," Elodie stammered obediently.

The teacher sharply rebuked her, "Hardly. Put that book away before I confiscate it!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" The girl packed her book into her bag, hearing her classmates quietly snickering at her.

Elodie sighed as she took out her class textbook and began her lessons as she's done every day.

The school bell rang, marking the end of the school day. Elodie hastily packed away her textbooks into her shoulder bag, catching whispers of her classmates discussing their plans to travel to London or seek work as maids or workers. Just as she stepped out the door, a leg tripped her, causing her to tumble to the wooden floor.

The kids pointed fingers and derisively laughed at her misfortune.

As she struggled to her feet, her classmates sneered, "What a clutz!" and "She should learn how to walk better! Pathetic!"

"She could've used her witch powers to make herself float or something!"

Elodie was different from her classmates, or rather from her agemates. She was always separated from everyone around her. No matter how hard she tried to hide it. Even though she has been on Earth since she was a baby, the other kids had often teased her because she was always seclusive. And she often lives fairly distant from the nearest villagers.

The kids called her horrid names such as freak or witch and accused her of possibly being one. But they had no proof of it. Even though the adults were all nice to her, Elodie was alone with no one as her friend.

"Leave her alone!" Until she met Roland Strauss. Son of a middle-class aristocrat who lived in the same village. The brunet-haired boy with grey eyes held out his hand to Elodie and helped her up on her feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Eww! Roland touched a witch!" The kids rudely pointed. "Now he'll have warts all over his face or turn into a toad."

"For the last time, stop it! Elodie's not a witch!" The boy defended. "All of you are immature."

"Students! That's enough! I'll have no childish slander against Ms. Charleston," The teacher ordered to the two bullies. The two huffed and left the class with snarky eyes directly at Elodie.

"Witch," the bullies hissed at Elodie as she moved past her.

Roland has been Elodie's only friend from her days in prep school. All the kids have accused Elodie of being abnormal. Her occasional time of being distracted and disappearing elsewhere a lot. Not to mention, being friends with a popular aristocrat sparked jealousy in the girls. But Roland stood tall and defended her, like a true friend.

But the truth was; Elodie was a witch. Well...a Gaian.

Roland and Elodie walked out of the school gate towards a coach waiting for them. As the son of an honorary noble, Roland often had the luxury of having his horse carriage drive him around town. And Elodie was always welcome to the Strauss Manor whenever she wanted. The boy helped the maiden onto the carriage and sat opposite to her.

"Thank you again, Roland."

"I was doing what friends should always do," the 18-year-old cheekily smiled. "We can...go to the shopping district if you want. We can buy new outfits for–"

"Roland. You know I'm not a girl to be spoiled a lot..." Elodie pouted. Roland chuckled, "Right. My apologies. I just..."

"You're always trying to make me smile. But I'm not like those noble ladies you've dated..." Elodie sighed.

Roland had a habit of wanting to spend his budget on Elodie. Excursions to the countryside, fairs, restaurants, shopping malls, anything a girl could dream of. But Elodie wanted none of that.

She was not like the other girls who wanted to be around him for the luxury. She was...a mystery. And Roland liked it about her.

"We are almost at the end of our middle school. Have you thought of what you are about to do next?" Elodie asked.

"I thought of going to London for university, I want to be a lawyer like my father. You?"

"Well, I..." Elodie pursed in thought. She didn't know what to do. What school does she go to next?

The coach continued down the town drove past a flower shop, the flowers were dull and dying from the extreme heat. Elodie frowned. She hated seeing plants shrivel and wilt.

Flowers to her represented a person's life. Or rather a sign of rebirth. She loved the poetry behind it all. Nature was indeed her first love. As the carriage turned to the next corner away from the shop, sparkles of green stardust rained out of her fingertip as she subtly pointed to the dead florist shop, bringing the dying flowers all back to life.

The florist walked out of the shop and basked in wonder at the suddenly flourishing flowers. The man from the shop turned his head and looked out the window to be left flabbergasted. Not knowing it was Elodie's work.

Elodie's Nature Magic had grown exponentially and it sometimes happens on its own. She had to be careful of how her magic reacts to her emotions. Meaning she couldn't get angry. "I am not so sure what I will do yet."

"Well, you and I have good grades. And you're a family friend. Perhaps Father will help find work for you."

"You mean...as your advisor?"

"I've been thinking about that." Roland couldn't help but raise a smile at the thought.

"I don't think I'll be fit for that, anyway..." Elodie lowered her head. "Besides. A partner of an aristocrat has to be their partner at work as well."

Roland really cared about her. He was the only one who could see her better than anyone else. He'd spent hours watching her sit under a shaded tree with her book. And it was always that one book. He looked down at her hands. Staring at the very same book she held in her hands right now.

It was a very eccentric book even. It had an earthly green cover with vines around its spine. And a crystal engorged right at its centre.

The book was moderately thick to be a novel book. And it wasn't a book he recognized from the school library. At first, he thought it was just a frilled diary book made for her. But he often pondered why she had with her. In fact, she always had it with her.

"I know it's rude to ask but...is your book really that important to have it so close to you?" Roland touched on the matter.

Elodie fluttered her blue eyes and stared down at her book again, holding it even tighter. "Oh, sorry. It's too big to fit in my satchel."

"It's been 5 years since we've known each other. And even so, you've had that book with you so much that's it's ingrained into my memory." The brunet male joked.

"Well...this book...it's really important to me," Elodie whispered.

"I understand. It reminds you of your sisters."

It had also been 5 years since that day, and yet they still haven't come back. Xakheia...Pandora. Nothing was heard from them.

Elodie was so adamant that they would return in a matter of months. But those months began to go further. Every day, she thought; they were waiting at the station for her. So she would go to the station every day in the afternoon and look for familiar faces in the crowd.

Only to be disappointed. Again. And again. And again.

Everyday. For 5 years.

"Master Roland, we have arrived at the train station," the coachman announced.

"We're here..." Roland turned to Elodie. He watched her hold the book tighter again. Her shoulders slouched as she spared the last bits of hope left. To see if her sisters returned like Xakheia promised.

So they can be a family again. And maybe...finally see Gaia she's desperately dreamed of.

"Elodie?"

"Hmm?" The blonde maiden snapped out of her daze.

"Do you wish to go check again?" Roland asked.

"Of course. I feel it this time."

He frowned subtly. He knows that she goes to the train station to await for her older sisters. But he has never really met them, yet he knows they were important people to Elodie. So he offered to accompany her every day.

The maiden got out of the carriage and held her book tight in her hold. Her other hand held up the fabric of her long grey dress as she walked down the wet roads of a freshly wet town. Elodie walked on the same set of stairs, down the same hallway, and towards the same dock. The same dock she last saw Xakheia.

The hope of being reunited again was but a tiny thread. But she still held onto it. She had no reason to be angry at her sister for the length. Perhaps something happened in the homeworld that wouldn't allow her to return to Earth. It had to be the reason. There was no way she could be abandoning her baby sister, breaking the promise they made.

Promises were a magical bind. It would be setting a curse if it were broken.

"She's coming. She has to. This time around." Elodie whispered under her breath, standing near the empty railway for the train to come through.

It had been vacant for half a decade and left abandoned. The people said the train lead to nowhere. It had no conductor no route. No one was taking that train. And that train has never appeared.

3 hours later. And it was the same result.

"Any minute now..." She sat by the edge of the dock, whispering the same word under her breath. Over, and over, and over again.

The area was slowly devoid of people, except for Roland. Holding an umbrella as it was preparing to rain soon. He stood from afar, watching the blonde-haired young lady gawk at the empty railway. Hoping to hear the horn and the chugging iron of the rudders racing against the rails.

But it was ghost quiet, like always.

Elodie was let down once again.

"I'm sorry, Lady Elodie..." A voice softly rumbled. But it wasn't from Roland. It was coming from the book in her hands.

A drop of water fell right onto the crystal of the book. A drizzle of rain finally set and the grey weather resumed over the town. Elodie lowered her head to protect the book from being wet. Roland qued in and opened his umbrella to her. He walked over to her and he already heard a whimper out her lips.

Her shoulders shivered and tears rushed down her eyes. The same tears of disappointment. Slicing away the last chalk of hope she had. Her sisters weren't coming. Will they ever come back? She wondered.

Or maybe...they never wanted to come back after all.

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[ AUTHOR: heyo, hope you've enjoyed so far! Please vote and comment on what you think about it! It would mean so much if you supported this book! Ill try to update, about 5 chapters per month. I don't have much time because of college and other matters. But I hope you liked it. TSYM! ]