Chapter 53: Something Witches Often Learn
With a snap of Lilian’s fingers, numerous splashes erupted from the ground. Under the relentless splashing, the flames in the treehouse were eventually extinguished.
As the fire subsided, the howling sound vanished from their ears. However, even with the fire out, the treehouse was beyond salvation. Most of it lay in ruins, with the interior in complete disarray. The trees turned to char, and the leaves had become ashes. Even the flowers untouched by direct flames had withered under the intense heat.
Handcrafted tables and chairs became fragile in the fire. The efforts put into creating them now seemed like a joke. Initially standing, Eveum lost her strength the moment the flames were extinguished. Kneeling on the ground, she stared blankly at the wreckage of her cherished treehouse.
Despite having a thousand words in her heart, Eveum could only collapse and cry out. On the way home, she felt so happy, momentarily forgetting her painful time as black mud. Living alone in the Wind Veil Basin, Eveum was somewhat lonely. The days in Wind Bird Town reminded her that there were people she could be close to. Reality dealt her a heavy blow, plunging her into despair once again.
Lilian sighed, “I didn’t expect you to encounter such a thing. I’m sorry for that.”
She apologized for following Eveum without permission and finding her a mysterious witch.
Ron readily agreed to Lilian’s actions for reasons she couldn’t discern. Lilian couldn’t allow an excessively mysterious entity to linger near Wind Bird Town.
“I may not need to know everything, but I must know where Eveum lives.”
“Those refugees must do it,” Lilian murmured. Such things were often attributed to refugees.
“It seems that no matter the era, people are the same,” she said with a disdainful click of her tongue, disregarding the elegance befitting a maid.
“Lilian, I have a question for you,” Eveum said.
Her voice no longer carried a tone of crying, surprising Lilian.
“Please ask, Miss Eveum,” Lilian replied.
Eveum asked despondently, “Besides Moluna, have you seen other witches?”
“I’ve seen many,” Lilian replied truthfully.
“Are they all like me?” Eveum raised her hand, pointing to her treehouse.
Lilian lowered her eyelids, “Miss Eveum, all the witches I’ve seen are tragic, without exception, including Miss Moluna.”
Most of the witches Lilian encountered had either become black mud or were already dead.
The blatant malice from the Bi-coloured Realm towards them even made Lilian, as a dragon, shudder. She couldn’t fathom why people in the Bicolor Realm harbored such intense hostility towards witches, treating them as if they wanted to strip them to the bone. Sometimes, people would even mistake non-witch girls for witches and subject them to brutal punishment.
“Why is it like this?” Eveum had only heard about such things from her mother in the past.
Now that such things were happening, she found it challenging to comprehend.
When her witch identity was exposed, it felt like everything had changed.
“I find it challenging to answer that question,” Lilian shook her head.
Her mother had been gentle with her, so she learned to treat others kindly. But how did it end up like this? It was completely different from what she had imagined.
Lilian glanced at Eveum. Although she wished Eveum wouldn’t continue staying in this place, she knew it was impossible.
“Staying in this place will be very dangerous. You’ve already attracted attention,” Lilian advised, “Miss Eveum, please take care of yourself.”
This place has already attracted the hatred of those who despise witches. Eveum might be ambushed while she sleeps. Many witches met their demise this way. They couldn’t keep their nerves tight forever, depriving themselves of rest. And once they let down their defenses, their powers couldn’t be utilized, and the entities that sought to kill them would strike.
After pondering for a moment, Lilian bowed to Eveum, “I’ll take my leave now.”
After Lilian left, Eveum didn’t know how much time had passed before she stood up from the ground. She walked into the burnt treehouse and, with trembling hands, brushed away the wood ash on the table.
Eveum hesitated for a few seconds before pulling open the drawer—the table had been destroyed, and it was hard to believe that the drawer’s contents were unharmed.
However, when Eveum saw the leaves inside, placed in a glass case, she couldn’t help but heave a long sigh of relief. Her tears flowed incessantly, and no matter how much she wiped, they wouldn’t dry. “Thank god you’re still here…”
After confirming the safety of this particular item, she awkwardly ran to other places, searching for the remaining items in the burnt treehouse. Everything in this treehouse was a treasure to her, holding memories.
Her expression froze when she picked up her diary and carefully opened it. Her hand moved across the charred paper, and everything recorded on it was erased by the flames. She couldn’t even find the culprit responsible for this.
She stood on the steps, looked up, and deeply breathed. The scent of burnt wood and ashes made her feel suffocated, and sorrow surged in her heart.
At that moment, she heard unfamiliar footsteps. However, she didn’t react to it and just stood there.
“Why did we come back? This is the witch’s place.”
“We came to make sure this place is thoroughly burned.”
“You’re crazy. You want to take the witch’s things, right?”
“She’s already dead. Don’t worry. We’ll leave soon.”
A few people parted the bushes, speaking in hushed tones. However, upon seeing Eveum standing on the steps, their voices abruptly fell silent.
Eveum had already noticed them, but her gaze held no hint of warmth.
One thing witches often learn in this bi-colored world is – ruthlessness.
