Lights flicker inside the old atelier while furniture hops, walks as the floor rumbles with the furniture stomps. There was a girl dancing along with the furniture. She wears a dark pointy hat, and a dark robe with red laces, and plays a wooden flute while singing enchantingly like a princess. However, she is a young passionate witch from the faraway woods of the northern isle of Europe "Ericht." Ericht halted when her sister called for her from behind. "What is it, Reiner?" Ericht asked her while she continued dancing along with the furniture. Reiner's eyes deeply stare at Ericht while her mouth is pouting and her hands are crossed locking both sides as she calmly asks, "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning." Said Ericht. "Really? Aren't you?" Reiner uses her wand negating Ericht's magic making the furniture go back to their original places. Ericht put down her flute and looked at her sister with disgust. "You are not cleaning, you're doing that because you're bored," Reiner exclaimed. Ericht let out a big sigh and sat down on a couch, she looked at her sister showing a little sour look on her face but Reiner didn't even care. Ericht sighed again and said "Then what are we supposed to do? It's not like we have something to do here without our master." Reiner composed herself and was about to answer Ericht's question but was immediately cut off by Ericht "We should practice the witchcraft that Master taught us! As you always said for a year already." Reiner was astonished by Ericht's quick response and barked back. "Then what are we supposed to do? It's not like we have something to do here without our master." Ericht smirked "Ha! That's what I have said earlier." Making Reiner flustered, taking back her words. After a while, the two fell silent, reminded of how they ended up alone in the atelier. It all started when their master took a job somewhere far away from the Northenlands, their master promised them to come back soon as she finished her job however, it's already been years since she left on a journey. The first few months the master was away, there were letters sent for them by an owl but years after there were no single letters sent or received by the twins. Months after years of waiting have become relentlessly worrying and very weary. There were days when they thought their master would never return or had abandoned them. Their anxiety grew stronger with each passing day. 

As the sun set at dawn and the stars illuminated the sky. On a certain night, a girl gazes upon the heavens drowned deep in thought, eyes brimming with curiosity about the vastness of the night sky as she reaches her hand in the air. She was filled with awe and smiled confidently with her palms closed pretending to catch one of the stars in the sky. 

“I got it!”

                        As the sun rises, Reiner typically wakes up earlier than her sister, Erich. As she yawned and scratched her head, she heard a loud thud coming from the living room. She noticed that Ericht wasn’t on her bed and thought that she may be causing an early racket or doing one of her shenanigans so she went straight to the living room and shockingly saw her sister packing her things with a traveling bag. “W-what are you doing?” Stunned by confusion, Reiner stood in the living room while Ericht turned around and faced her with a smile and said, “I’m planning on going on a journey, want to come along?” invited by her sister with open arms she then asked, “Why? We were told to wait here. We don’t know what happens when we leave here. O-our master might come back how can she find us if we leave the house!?” Frustrated, Reiner stood back as she gave her sister a sour look. Ericht stretched her arms and held her sister's hands “We’re witches Reiner, Master might have a spell to find us if we’re lost! Remember the time I got lost in the woods? Master found me so easily. And besides, if we go on a journey, we might stumble her along on our way!” Ericht said excitedly as she beamed brightly like a sun, “So, want to come with me?” Reiner gazes at her sister who stands confidently before her. Erich's warm smile relieved Reiner's worries however, her wary of the outside world made Reiner turn down Ericht’s hand. “No, it’s safer to wait here as Master told us.” 

“Who knows when she’s coming back! Reiner, we don’t even know if she’ll come back. It’s been a year and a half since we haven’t heard any news from her, think of the possibility that she might be in trouble too!” Ericht tries to persuade her sister unfortunately it turns into an argument. “Even so, Master’s words are absolute. If there’s a possibility that she might be in danger, do we have the strength and knowledge to fight back against the unknown? We never left or set foot outside the forest.” As Reiner’s judgment wouldn’t waver, she then summons her staff and threatens her sister taking a little step to the door, “I won’t let you leave this place.” 

“Do you intend to stay here waiting for Master… Forever?”

“Yes.”

“What if she’ll never come back? Then, what would you do?”

“As I have said, Master’s words are absolute. She takes her word seriously like an oath.” As she exclaimed, tightening her grip on her staff.

As time passes, Ericht and Reiner are still arguing about leaving their home. Still, both sides are not aligned and in disagreement therefore Ericht takes out her staff and challenges her sister to a witch’s duel. “If I win, you’ll come with me whether you like it or not.”

“Fine, if you lose, we’ll stay here and wait as what she had told us. The two finally come to an agreement which is to fight in a traditional way of one one-on-one duel. They went outside of the atelier and went to a place where they often hone their magic. As they stood on the field, they immediately positioned themselves in a fighting stance. Reiner swiftly switches out her staff and summons a grimoire, casting a defensive spell that envelops her protecting herself from projectiles, on the other hand, Ericht uses her staff and casts magic to penetrate Reiner’s barrier, However, it doesn’t work out for Ericht, her magic ricochet because of the barrier then was countered by an offensive spell cast by Reiner. Ericht ran as fast as she could as she tried to avoid the attacks that Reiner cast then again cast an offensive magic to try to penetrate Reiner’s barrier.

Reiner then tries to cast a binding spell through her grimoire as she raises her right hand in the air, she summons her staff and stomps it to the ground precisely locking Ericht’s movement.

“W-what?!”

“It’s over.” 

Reiner dispelled her barrier and put an end to their fight. As the duel ends unpleasant, despite that Ericht still persuades her sister in the hope she will change her mind however, “If you can’t beat me in a fight, then surely, you can't survive outside.” And left.

Ericht was left alone in the field. She flops on the ground and thought about giving up but her desire to go outside was far greater than her curiosity could go. Ericht stood up positioned herself into a fighting stance and began self-training. For couple of weeks, she went to the field and honed her magic, read grimoires, and self-meditating. She tries so hard to become stronger and stronger for her to win her sister. 

Two weeks later, Ericht stood on the field waiting for her sister, her sister came in a nick of time and as Reiner saw Ericht, she knew she was determined and stronger than before but she stood on her ground and began to summon her grimoire “Ready when you are.” 

Ericht held a copper coin she then told her that when the coin landed on the ground it would indicate their duel to start. Ericht flipped the coin and ran as fast as she could, the coin landed on the land and she immediately summoned a mist that covered the whole plain field. Reiner, who is using the same tactics as before was surprised by the mist her sister cast to, she then focuses her senses and blocks all attacks that could pierce through her barrier and quickly find Ericht lurking in the mist but was again surprised Ericht wasn’t on the field at all. As the mist goes away, Reiner was dumbfounded when she isn’t able to find her, she then realizes Ericht was in the air, flying in the sky, holding a staff, and is casting a powerful magic that can make her fall to her knees in one shot. Reiner quickly cast another barrier but it was too late, Ericht blasted a powerful magic and beamed through Reiner’s barrier making Reiner collapse on the ground. As Ericht won, she reached her arms to her sister again and they looked at each other as Reiner remembered their agreement. She took her hand and said-

“Fine, you win.” But let out a heavy sighed “But we will have to set some ground rules! Ericht got excited that she finally won her sister as she ran at their atelier happily with a her smile up to her ears. They packed up their things and left a note for their master on the living room table as they went outside the atelier carrying their bags and wooden staffs, soon they got out in the woods, starting their very first journey…

---Prologue End---