Chapter 21: A new witch
The wind howled through the trees as Menma sprinted toward the horizon, his boots kicking up frost-laden leaves in his wake. The forest ahead looked deceptively ordinary—just another stretch of ancient oaks and winding paths. But he knew better.
This was the Witch's Forest.
A place where technology hummed beneath the bark of every tree, where the air itself tasted of herbs and whispered secrets. And somewhere beyond those towering trunks, his family waited.
A smile tugged at his lips. *Lunara. Annie. The others.* Ten months had been too long.
His momentary distraction cost him.
A sharp *click* beneath his boot was the only warning.
Menma's instincts flared. He twisted mid-stride just as a volley of arrows erupted from the underbrush, their tips glistening with something unnatural—sleep venom, maybe, or worse.
He dodged, weaving between them with the fluid grace of someone who'd spent months dancing with death under Zayne's watch.
But the trap wasn't done.
A high-pitched *whistle* pierced the air—a signal. Somewhere deep in the forest, alarms would be ringing.
*Nice upgrade,* Menma thought, impressed despite himself. The witches had been busy.