First Steps

The room was shrouded in silence, a stark contrast to the chaotic day ahead. Discarded clothes littered the floor, and an open bag sat haphazardly on the table. Empty closets gaped, devoid of their usual contents. A narrow opening in the blinds allowed sunlight to streak into the room, illuminating Francis' ruffled black hair. He struggled to sleep, his blanket mostly on the floor.

It was a room immersed in such profound quiet that it seemed like an alternate dimension, the kind where noise didn't exist. If it weren't for the nightmares that haunted him, Francis could have easily slept the day away in such a tranquil setting. But that peaceful solitude was abruptly shattered when a distant scream from downstairs tore through the mansion.

"Lyss! Eryk just ate my pancakes! Do something!" a girl's desperate voice reverberated throughout the sprawling house.

"Ailee! Could you please keep it down? We have a guest trying to sleep!" Anna's voice cut through the commotion, downplaying the reason for the uproar.

1st Pov.

I blinked my eyes open; my first reaction was to shield them from the blinding sunlight. My head was throbbing slightly from the shouting that had torn through the stillness, and it didn't help that I had a restless night of sleep, haunted by strange dreams. As my surroundings gradually came into focus, I pieced together the events of the previous day. Dazzled by the room's beauty, I finally rose, attempting to regain full consciousness. I reached for a large mint green t-shirt, some random black underwear, white shorts, and white socks before heading to the bathroom.

A groan escaped my lips as I made my way to the shower, my headache worsening. It felt as if I'd gone wild at a party the night before and was now nursing a monumental hangover, even though I didn't drink a drop of alcohol.

As I scrutinized my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I noticed my red, puffy eyes from the tears I had shed the night before. I looked like a trainwreck.

After disrobing and stepping into the shower, my thoughts wandered to the day ahead, contemplating the impending chaos.

Post-shower, I brushed my teeth and slipped into the fresh clothes. My green eyes stared back at me from the mirror, tinged with an unmistakable sorrow. Returning to my bedroom to straighten up my bed, I was greeted by a familiar face.

"Francis! It's time to... Oh, you're up already?" Anna appeared at the door, dressed in a yellow dress with black dots, black ankle boots, and a leather jacket. She appeared to be attempting to exude maturity, even though it wasn't quite working. I secretly chuckled at her seriousness.

"You must be famished after all the commotion yesterday, right?" Anna inquired, her eyes roving around my room, undoubtedly curious about my sleeping habits, given the bed's state.

"Yeah, it was quite a hectic day, but I managed to grab a meal at Adam's place." I replied.

"Okay, that's good. At least you didn't starve. I would just keel over and die if I only ate once a day," she commented with a laugh.

"It wasn't that hard to ignore the hunger, given how stressful the day was," I responded with a fake enthusiasm that concealed my nervousness.

"I can imagine. Come on, breakfast is ready, and you'll get to meet some of the coven members." Her smile managed to chase away my worries. I attempted to conceal my anxiety, but it was as if she could read me like an open book.

We left my bedroom and headed downstairs. As we approached the dining room, a distant conversation reached our ears.

"Eryk, apologize to Ailee. You know it's wrong to take someone's food," I could hear Lys' stern voice. It suddenly struck me how she had a motherly aura about her. If she asked me to do the dishes, I'd probably comply without question.

"But Lys, she didn't touch her pancakes for a full 2 minutes, and I was starving. Who knows what could've happened if I hadn't eaten them? Maybe they'd have gone bad? I couldn't let that happen," Eryk defended himself.

"That's not true, Lys! I only went to get some orange juice, and when I came back, he had my pancakes in his mouth!" Ailee protested.

Anna swung open the door to the dining room, revealing a long table that could accommodate at least 20 people. Seated at the head of the table was Lys, serving as the coven's matriarch. On either side of her were two other individuals, a boy who seemed to be around 13 and a girl who appeared younger, perhaps around 10 years old.

The boy sported brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in a blue shirt featuring a penguin. The girl, on the other hand, had long blonde hair and wore a pink dress adorned with white polka dots.

As we entered the room, the trio's attention went toward us. Lys wore a welcoming smile, while the two children wore expressions of bewilderment, understandably curious about the unfamiliar guest in their dining room at such an early hour.

"Ah, Francis, good morning. Come, sit and have breakfast with us," Lys beckoned to me as she patted the shoulders of the two children flanking her.

"Kids, this young man is Francis, and he's our guest, so please be polite to him," she instructed them. "Francis, these are Eryk and Ailee. They're also members of the coven." Lys introduced the kids to me.

The abundance of children in the coven, with so few adults in sight, left me confused. Did I miss something? Where are all the adults?

I made my way to the table and took a seat next to Ailee, while Anna sat across from me, beside Eryk. I exchanged a smile with the girl.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," I greeted her with a friendly tone.

Ailee responded with a big grin, asking, "Hi! Are you a witch too?"

"Yeah, I am," I replied.

And so, we kept talking throughout the whole breakfast.

I devoured two sandwiches, two eggs, a strip of bacon, and a cup of tea. Their perplexity over how someone so thin could consume so much food amused me. I attributed it to genetics and brushed it off. Our lively chat revealed that Eryk and Ailee were adopted by Lys, the identity of their parents remained a mystery. Lys had stepped in when their biological parents were absent, leaving the kids without a coven to provide for them. I could already tell that Eryk and Ailee were an energetic and endearing duo. It was heartening to see how quickly they warmed up to me, so much so that I promised them we'd head to the garden and play games after breakfast.

Anna was equally chatty, lamenting her experiences at school and sharing tales of ignorant and apathetic teachers. She also revealed that most of the coven's children had either lost their parents or fled from another coven, which explained the lack of adults I had observed since arriving, save for Lys.

After breakfast, Anna departed for school, and the children, being homeschooled, were free to linger and eat some more if they wished. Lys explained that this arrangement was typical for coven members under the age of 16. When they reached that age, they'd attend the local school to learn how to integrate with regular humans and other magical creatures.

Lys also mentioned that she needed to speak with me after dinner, granting me five hours to spend with the children in the garden.

And that's precisely what we did. I took Eryk and Ailee to the garden. Our hands intertwined with each other as we navigated through the mansion in search of the garden's rear door. They found it amusing to withhold the location, even when I asked them for answers. My frustration grew as I struggled to navigate the massive mansion.

"How am I supposed to find the garden? This place is like a maze," I muttered to myself, contemplating if blowing a hole in the wall of the mansion, just to find that elusive garden, would be a good idea.

"Francis, how was life back at your old place?" Eryk inquired as we continued our search through another corridor of the mansion.

I swore that if I didn't locate the garden in the next ten minutes, I'd be inclined to create my own door.

"It was peaceful. I was homeschooled like you, and it probably would've continued that way until graduation. I lived near a forest, so I spent a lot of time wandering through it. I really love going out to see nature," I replied, catching a glimpse of a double door that appeared to be an exit.

Oh, dear God, let this be the right door. This has to be it.

"That's cool! I like the forest too," Ailee chimed in enthusiastically.

"Hey, I think I found it," I exclaimed as I opened the door and was greeted by the garden's beauty. The children released my hands and dashed to the garden's centre. They threw themselves onto the grass and began rolling around in pure delight. I trailed after them, looking around.

Walking into the garden was like stepping into a burst of colour. Flowers of all kinds painted the scene with their bright hues and large trees provided some nice shade. The air was filled with the sweet scents of different flowers, making it feel alive and refreshing.

The garden wasn't just a visual treat, it was a sensory experience. Every step brought a new wave of colour and scent, and you could feel the energy buzzing around you. It was like nature at its best, a place where you could just take a deep breath and enjoy the simple, beautiful things around you.

"Francis, will you stay in our coven? It would be so much fun," Eryk requested, sporting his signature puppy eyes, while Ailee nodded eagerly.

As I lay down, sandwiched between the two kids, I contemplated the uncertainties that lay ahead. Lys' decision was a major factor in determining whether I would stay or start a nomadic journey to find another coven, willing to take me in.

In the midst of the garden, under a tree with a slight chill in the air, a contented silence enveloped us. Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to drift off to sleep, so I simply lay there with my eyes closed. The kids had already fallen asleep beside me, their soft breaths harmonizing with the rustling leaves overhead.

I shifted my gaze from the sleeping children and pondered my new life in the coven. The weight of Lys' impending decision pressed heavily on my mind. Would I be allowed to remain, or would I be forced to leave and try my luck somewhere else?

While lost in thought, my attention was abruptly snagged by two pairs of eyes fixed upon me. A young man stood before me, appearing a few years older than myself, perhaps around 20 or 21. His fiery red hair and intense brown eyes were locked onto me. Dressed in black skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket, he had sharp features and an expression that conveyed a mix of pain and, quite frankly, disdain.

I was startled as his gaze pierced through me, and he approached, standing in front of me, his feelings a conflicted storm within him.

"Lys wants to speak with you about your stay here," he uttered flatly, though his eyes hinted at a deep indifference bordering on animosity.