The Witch from Another World

Rubielle

"You, who are you?"

A girl with long black hair stand in front of me demanded, her voice sharp and threatening. She pointed a short sword at my neck while her eyes filled with suspicion.

The sun already set and we're alone in this narrow way with the man lying on my feet.

"Over a week ago," she continued, her voice gaining intensity,

"the air became unstable, shaking the balance of this world." She took a step closer, her gaze narrowing. I swallowed hard, knowing that she's explaining what happened after I arrived.

"The next day, you showed up at school with a strange aura. You controlled everyone." she said, her suspicion growing with each word.

"Suddenly, you stopped show up at school, and then—"

*SCREEECH!*

"WATCH OUT!" I screamed as I reach out.

Another person, his body consumed by darkness, charged toward me. My instincts kicking in ready to jump but before I could react, the girl spun around with lightning speed. Her short sword elongated into a long blade, and with a single, fluid motion, she slashed at him.

But instead of cutting through his flesh, she cleaved through the darkness that had taken over his body, leaving the man unharmed.. The man collapsed to the ground, untouched, as the darkness inside him dissolved into the air like smoke.

I stared, my breath caught in my throat. What kind of power is this?

"And after you appeared, more people seemed to be possessed by something," she added, her voice unwavering.

She understood the darkness inside him, but she didn't know what it was. Could this be the magic of this world? If I understood it better, I could save more people faster.

I looked up at her, my gaze hardening as she peered down at me in suspicion. What am I supposed to say? Should I lie? Or tell the truth? I didn't want her to end up in danger like Ethan... 

"Answer me! Are you human, or a... supernatural being?" Her voice cut through my thoughts.

Supernatural? What's that? What should I say? I wish I'd studied more on Ethan's 'PC'. I only knew the language and few basics. I wish I stayed a bit longer.

I reached a conclusion and felt a resolve. If it's her, she can definitely help me!

"I'm... not from here," I confessed.

"I'm looking for a way to return to my world, but my enemies followed me here. They're the ones causing this chaos. I know it's hard to believe, but can you help me?" I pleaded, my eyes wide with sincerity. I wish she would see I wasn't lying.

"Wha... are you an alien?" she asked, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Alien? I blinked. What even is that? One moment she calls me supernatural, the next an alien? I barely knew what those words meant. Are they other creatures here? I should've spent more time understanding this world.

"Forget that for now," she said, brushing off my confusion.

"I've followed you for days, trying to see if you're the one who cause this, but it's clear that you're helping these possessed people."

"We need to prioritize helping people. But if you try anything funny, I'll restrain you."

Her tone was firm, but it had a hint of concern that I hadn't expected.

She extended her hand, "I'm Lillian. Lillian Graveshade. My family is a lineage of exorcists,"

Exorcist? What does it mean? Were they the mages in human community like in my world? I wasn't sure, but it felt important.

"I'm... Rubielle," I replied, shaking her hand.

"Just Rubielle?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... just Rubielle," I confirmed.

"Alright then," Lillian said, stepping back.

"We'll go back to school so we can talk. I need to keep an eye on you to see if you can be trusted."

School... I gulped. I was going back, and after everything that happened. What was I supposed to do there now? I had promised to stay away from Ethan, but everything felt so tangled. I wasn't even sure how to act around him anymore.

"You know Ethan, don't you? I saw you guys being together," Lillian said suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Ah..."

"He's the one who saved me when I arrived, injured. Now I'm staying away from him because... I've caused him too much trouble..." I responded, I'm still hesitating of telling her too much.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said, brushing off my discomfort.

I pouted at her reaction. How rude, she's the one who ask me first.

"I've got my own job to do. But you should come back tomorrow"

"And call me 'President,' by the way. I'm the class president." she said with a smug smile.

Class president? That sounded like a leader. I nodded, unsure.

"Okay, Lillian... President..."

"Don't make it sound like a last name!" she said, swatting my head playfully.

"And why do you look so down? I'm here to help you. You should feel relieved!" she boasted, a burst of confidence in her voice.

I look at her and—

"Pfft!"

I couldn't help but laughed, she acts like she's the best. Her confidence was strangely reassuring. It reminds me of a friend long time ago..

We walked out of the narrow way and then split up, each heading our own way. Well... I don't have a home anymore so I kept wandering around searching for people to help.

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Lost in thought, I found myself near Ethan's house. I stood there quietly, staring from a distance. After a while, I turned to leave, but suddenly—

"Oh, my little miss~ Did you have a quarrel with your lover?"

An elderly woman standing by near Ethan's house called out to me.

"Lover?" I asked, confused.

"My, my, you two should get along! Do you have somewhere to stay?" she asked with a kind smile.

"No... I don't have anywhere.. But why are you helping me?" I replied, still puzzled.

"Ah, sorry for prying~ It's just that this old lady gets lonely as the days go by. Being left behind feels so isolating, so maybe you could keep me company for a bit."

The woman seemed genuinely inviting, with no ulterior motive, so I decided to stay and talk for a while.

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(Next day)

I entered the school, casting a small spell to make myself less noticeable. As I passed through the grumpy man, I went toward the room where Lillian president and Ethan are in.

While walking through the bustling crowd of people, I saw him. At the same time, Ethan spotted me, and for a moment, our eyes met. What do I do? Should I say hello? Or pretend I didn't see him?

"Rubie-" Ethan called, but—

"Rubielle!" Lillian's voice rang out, cutting him off.

She waved at me standing near the room. Without thinking, I ran to her, leaving Ethan standing there, his words hanging in the air.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug,

"I just wanted to cut the tension between you two. It was getting awkward."

"...Thanks, I guess," I muttered, still feeling like I'd just run away from something important.

"Forget that," she said, her expression suddenly serious.

"Meet me later at lunch. I need to tell you something important."

Her tone was urgent, and I could feel the weight of her words. I nodded, sensing what she was about to say. We both knew it had to do with the situation at hand.