6

—Meanwhile, on Winky's side of life—

“Father, mother, I'm leaving!” Winky kissed his parents cheek then took his broom. Winky is an aspiring male witch. He climbs on it and heads to his school.

“I fly!” 

Winky is always excited to go to school. The Archilago School is a school for young witches. Winky is sitting in class D. The class classification of magic in this school is 5: A is a group of senior witches. They were great students who could create magic and enter any dimension they wanted, and they could return very easily. What's even more amazing is that seniors are able to use magic with just a glance. 

Class B is a class of aspiring witches who are able to read minds and control the minds of others. Class C is a class where witches learn teleportation with the ability to disappear. Finally, class D, Winky's class, a class that learns magic with magic wands and brooms, an early class that learns the basics of magic. 

Winky can't wait to move up to class C. He is a diligent student and never misses out. Even though he wasn't good at memorizing spells, he kept learning so he could move up the class quickly.

“Welcome to Archilago!” exclaimed a cloud guard guarding the cloud trajectory of the D-class witches wielding a magic broom. 

Winky smiled at Orlanos, the broom keeper, then he entered the school. Archilago School, a school with a large building like a white castle, elegant and beautiful. The principal who designed this school building is Mrs. Frute.

“Hello, Winky!” Deila, Winky's classmate, greets him.

“Hi, Deila, have you memorized the spell to fly faster?” asked Winky.

“Of course!” Deila chanted a mantra in her heart which meant “Fly fast as fast as the wind” and soon Deila overtook Winky's broom. 

He didn't want to lose, chasing Delia's broom until they got to the front of their class.

Ding, ding!

The bell rang signaling the start of class. All students enter and line up in an orderly manner; as usual their attributes should be checked, top to bottom. Uniform, magic book and wand. All must be complete, otherwise they may not attend the lesson.

“Winky! Where's your wand?” asked Master Arden the teacher.

“Here, Master!” Winky took out a wooden magic wand with the WY emblem engraved from inside his robe and held it up.

“Good. Come in.”

Winky smiled cheerfully and entered his classroom. He was very young, fifteen years old, on par with his classmates. However, he is a rather special student because he is the only descendant of the pixies. His mother is a fairy, while his father is an ordinary human, just like any other witch in general. So, it was only natural that Winky would easily memorize magic spells. 

“Pst, Winky! Come here!” Delia whispered something to Winky and asked him to sit down at a table.

“What is it?” Winky asked furrowing his brows because Delia was whispering to him, like there was something very important.

“Winky, did you know? There is a big secret in this school.” Delia pulled Winky's face and whispered something. Winky widened his eyes when Delia said, “There is a book of the ruler of the universe called Folkstreta.”

“There can't be a book like that.” Winky shook his head in disbelief.

“There is, trust me. Tonight we will be in action.” Delia raised her eyebrows.

Winky then turned his face to signal his disapproval of Delia's crazy idea.

“You don't believe it?” asked Delia.

“I am not gonna buy it!” Winky said firmly.

Soon the bell rang, all the masters entered the classroom and taught. Today Master Arden teaches plant-moving spells. Each student brings their own plant.

“Come on everyone, take out the wand and cast the spell!” the teacher ordered.

All of the students chanted a spell that roughly meant “Move, O greenñ” eloquently… except for Delia. She didn't manage to move the plants. 

“Delia, get the tone right. Follow my way.” Winky taught the girl by chanting his spell correctly. 

Delia tried to follow Winky's directions, but to no avail. The plant remains motionless. Winky chuckled, but repeated the spell words again. Delia nodded and tried again but failed. She put down her wand and gave up.

“You know? I've always wondered why I went to magic school. My father and mother were witches who guarded the noble caste, but I couldn't even do anything,” Delia said looking down. The girl almost cried. Then Winky patted her on the shoulder and comforted her.

“Delia, magic is about using your heart and peace of mind. Try to be confident and brave, and your magic will work. Stare at the plant with concentration, then swing your wand.”

Delia looked back at her plants and began to concentrate, chanting her spell earnestly. She closed her eyes and, PLOP! Grow beautiful azalea flowers.

“I did it!” Delia said happily, she was very happy to be able to make azalea flowers. Surprisingly, the plant was supposed to move and live after the spell was cast, but instead it grew flowers.

“It should be alive, able to talk like any other plant.” Winky notices Delia's plant.

Delia laughed. “It's because I want flowers.” 

“Who hasn't managed to get the plants moving?” asked Master Arden. Two students came forward carrying their plants. Patiently the master taught them. 

After coming home from school, Winky accidentally bumps into a student in a red robe, meaning a top-level student, and he accidentally dropped two thick books. Hurriedly, the boy took his book and ran. Winky didn't know what he was afraid of, but no one was after the boy. Winky frowned and looked at the book he was holding. He opened it, but the book was blank, even just a plain leather cover with no writing.

He finally chose to go home. Their books were swapped, but Winky hadn't had a chance to ask who hit him earlier. Without thinking, he took the book home.

“Father, Mother, I'm home!” Winky said happily. 

His parents apparently have not returned from the government office. It seems they've been busy lately because the Gigants are attacking their town. The master witches were still struggling to prevent the walls of this city from breaking apart, including his parents. The giant Gigant didn't kill the humans, but they intended to steal the fairy powder that would allow them to master magic.

Winky put down his book and he changed his clothes. It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door which brought him out. It was Delia with a plate of chocolate cake in front of his house.

“My mom made cookies for you. She said she wanted to thank you because today you made me succeed in chanting a plant-moving spell.”

Winky chuckled. He then invited Delia in and pick up an interesting story book, reading it together while enjoying chocolate-flavored cookies. Soon they heard a loud noise from Winky's room, like a book had fallen. Both were shocked and looked at each other. 

 “What sound is that?” asked Delia in surprise. She looked at Winky's room, from the direction of the sound. Looks like something happened.

“I dunno, let me check it out!” Winky then got up and opened his room. He was very surprised when his room there was someone with a crow in his hand. The person was wearing a black robe, his face invisible.

“Save them or give your life.”

Winky instantly got goosebumps at the person's words. He backed away and picked up his wooden wand that was under his feet. 

Winky cast a spell which roughly meant “Go to another realm!”, but actually it was used to get rid of small insects or beasts. Even so, apparently the spell reacted slightly with the crow. The bird seemed to be choking in pain. The owner was also in great pain.

“You! I will come back!” 

The person then disappeared and emitted smoke. Actually Winky was very scared, but he had to be able to fight his fear, because that person looked very dangerous. Winky turned around, while Delia hid behind him, frightened.

“W-Who is that?” Delia asked. These two fifteen year olds were so scared that they couldn't get the words out. Delia's hand gripped the hem of Winky's shirt.

“I dunno, I think it might be someone who got lost.” Winky then came out and closed the room again.

Delia snorted in disgust Winky always took things lightly. Assuming that person is not a dangerous person.

“Wink! It could be that that person is an evil witch!” said Delia. 

Winky chuckled looking at his friend since baby. “Delia, think again! If it had been an evil witch, he would have fought me, but he disappeared instead.”

Delia thought for a moment, then remembered something. Like something's odd. “Wait a minute, Winky! Do you remember the first word that came out of his mouth? He said something! He said, ‘Save them or give your life.’ What does that mean?” 

Winky himself just remembered the person's words after Delia asked and was surprised. “Ah yes! You're right, Del! But, who does he mean? Save who?”

“He didn't say anything else?” 

“No, you yourself know, I immediately cast a spell.”

“Wink, I feel like you have to save someone.” Delia took the mineral water and took a sip. It was like a nightmare. She saw someone scary.

“Who?” Winky asked. Delia shrugged her shoulders in a clueless way. But the most dangerous is if suddenly that person will appear again.

“Wink, you should have told your mo—” Delia's words were cut off when she heard the sound of a book falling from Winky's room again. The hairs on their necks growled. Both of them were afraid to enter Winky's room.

“What should we do?” asked Delia.

“You brought your wand?”

Delia nodded and took her wand which she put inside her jacket. She tried to swing her wand and cast a spell to open the door from a distance. They were completely shocked when the one present was a man in black. 

“Follow me”

The man approached them. He looked at the faces of Winky and Delia one by one. 

“You're not Winky's partner. You don't need me to take you.” The man smiled lopsidedly, he pulled Winky's robe and made a teleportation hole. Winky struggled, screaming but his voice had been bewitched to disappear. Meanwhile Delia tried hard to pull Winky's body but failed.