Under the crimson

Withney, overloaded with information, stood still as the world around her began to blur. It was sudden and overwhelming like the edge of a waking dream. The trees around her melted into abstract shapes, and the ground lost its definition. Her limbs trembled.

A wave of nausea rose in her throat. Her head throbbed, her eyes watered, and her body swayed as if she were falling though, she was firmly on her feet.

Moments later, the disorientation gave way to silence.

She found herself standing on a plain a wide, serene, empty stretch of land under a velvet sky, eerily quiet and cold. The wind had died, and not a single sound could be heard. There was no forest now, no trees, no rustling leaves only a strange, barren land overlooked by a crimson moon.

It hung low, bloated and red, watching her.

Withney breathed slowly, blinking several times. Her mind tried to grasp what had just happened. Her dizziness faded a little, and once she could finally raise her head, she took a proper look around.

The field stretched far in every direction, fenced off by dark wood that looked more decorative than functional. The quietness here felt unnatural, as if she had been pulled outside the world itself.

Her thoughts started to catch up with her.

What was that rat?

She wondered, her skin crawling at the memory.

After seeing it... hearing it scream like that... I couldn't move. My feet felt glued to the ground. She shuddered. And the way it looked after it died it was more horrifying, more unnatural in death than in life. I still feel sick thinking about it.

Her eyes narrowed at the fences. They stood tall and unbroken, encircling the open field like a ring.

Is this a training ground? she thought. The wooden puppet did say something about training.

As her gaze swept across the area, her eyes instinctively drifted back to the sky to the only familiar presence in this alien place: the Crimson Moon.

But the moment she looked directly at it, her eyes fluttered shut. It was like staring into a burning forge. A sharp pain pricked the back of her eyes, and she turned away with a gasp.

Blinking away the sting, she brought her attention back to the field.

That's when she saw it.

A lone wooden puppet stood in the center of the open space. This one wasn't like the first puppet she had seen. It lacked the red, glowing eye and the black cloak. It stood still no movement, no eerie hum, just a wooden bear figure, slightly hunched, frozen like a statue.

With nowhere else to go and no other presence in sight, Withney slowly began walking toward it.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

When she finally reached the puppet, she noticed it was about the same height as the previous one. It stood with a blank face, smooth and featureless, carved from soft, pale wood. There were no runes, no strings, no signs of life.

She hesitated for a moment but without anything else to do with she extended her hand.

I need to do something,

she told herself.

I can't just stand here forever.

The moment her fingers touched its surface, the puppet jerked backward. She yelped and took a step back. An eye appeared illusory, and ghost like on its face. It was entirely white, with only faint outlines giving it form.

Then came a voice, soft yet firm, echoing from nowhere and everywhere.

"Welcome."

The voice was that of a woman calm, composed, and oddly gentle. It lacked the cold menace she expected.

"This will be your first lesson," it said. "You may address me as Lady Marionettist. I will teach you for now. The two puppets you saw today are my marionettes. This one is a training model. It is made of soft wood and designed to withstand magical attacks. Do you have anything to ask?"

Withney stared at the puppet, wide eyed.

She couldn't believe it. Someone was actually speaking to her, in this strange place, as if all this were routine. As if she weren't confused, terrified, and lost.

Gathering her breath, she asked, "Where am I? What do you mean by training? I didn't ask for any of this. Please, send me home. And what was that rat? Did your puppet kill it?"

There was a pause.

Then the voice answered.

"You do not need to know that yet, child. What matters now is that I prepare you for what lies ahead. The training you will undergo is for your fated future. You will return home, do not worry. And yes, my marionette killed the rat. As for what that creature was... I do not know the latest terms people use. We called them Chaos creatures. But far darker and more horrifying beings walk this world, waiting to awaken. That was merely one of many."

She pressed on. "What do you mean by fated future? Why do I need training for something I don't even understand? Are there really more horrifying things out there? What are chaos creatures?"

Again, the voice replied but now it carried a note of solemnity and a heavy emotion Withney couldn't exactly place her finger on.

"Some are chosen by fate," she said softly. "Others... are claimed by it. That is your fate, child. You may not see it now, but soon... you will understand."

"There isn't much anyone can do. It is better to fear fate than to oppose it. A dark path awaits you, Withney. Trust me you will need every ounce of strength you can find."

The voice grew distant now, as though strained.

"I will give you your first spell. Fight this marionette until you gain total control over it. That will be your task. I will also show you how to get back. I cannot remain much longer."

Withney opened her mouth, but before she could ask more questions, something else happened.

Voices not spoken but felt rushed into her mind. Ancient murmurings. Deep, unintelligible chants. They flooded her thoughts, imprinting knowledge into her very soul.

Fated future? Fear fate? What does she mean?

Her mind spun. Among the flood of information, one thing stood out clearly the spell.

She now knew how to draw a special circle: a cross at the center, strings like a puppet's extending from it, all bound within the ring and decorated with strange, arcane symbols. Then, pouring her True Force into it, she had to chant a phrase in an ancient tongue:

"I shall become the hand, the string, and the puppet. I shall relinquish every prejudice and become my own puppet."

That would bind the circle to her force body.

To return home, she would need to relinquish her True Force and express her desire to return. It would happen automatically. To come again, she would do the same only this time, desiring to return.

Withney didn't understand half the words in her own thoughts "force body" it all felt unreal. But her mind held onto it anyway.

She felt sick. Tired. Weary.

The image of the rat kept flashing in her mind. Her appetite was gone. Her hands trembled.

I want to go home.

Following the chant she expressed her desire to return using her true force as a catalyst and felt the sensation of being absorbed.

Her vision blurred again.

When it cleared, she was back in the forest.

She immediately checked the pocket watch she bought 7:25 p.m. It had been 1 hour and 25 mins she was in the crimson city.

"Crimson City" was the name Withney decided to call it as it was a city overlooked by a crimson moon.

Just as she began to pack, a low growl echoed through the trees.

Is it a wild beast?

She looked around, alarmed.

As she fumbled to gather her things, she smudged the circle by accident. Then, just as she turned to leave, the growl returned louder, closer.

She froze.

Behind her were yellow eyes. Drooling fangs. She couldn't see the body in the dark, but her instincts screamed and started to run.

She bolted.

The creature gave chase.

"Duck!" a voice suddenly shouted from behind.

Withney obeyed without thinking.

Something sliced the air. A second later, the beast's head flew off and its body dropped beside her, blood splashing on her dress.

Shaking, Withney stood and turned.

A figure approached from the dark.

"Wait... I know you," the woman said. "Aren't you the kid with two characteristics?"

Withney stared, stunned.

She saw a familiar battle robe, gold trimmed glasses and a scar.

It was her Practical Magic teacher Mrs. Crysis.

"Mrs. Crysis?" she asked, breathless.

Two others stepped out from behind her teacher. They were silent.