See you soon Laurel

At the end of each witch’s time at the Nansity academy there was a grand test. Today was the day of my test. After today, I would be saying goodbye to Everlyne. I’m not sure how much time I have left before my curse completely devours me.

Even if my life ends, I can die happy knowing I made at least one friend. Not even the goddess who cursed me with this broken body can take that from me.

“Sugo Laurel!” Everlyne came running up to me, burying her face in my chest.

I couldn’t help but turn red.

“H-hello…”

“Sugo Laurel, you’re burning up are you nervous?”

I was a little nervous about the final exams, but I was more concerned with Everlyne at the moment, of course, I couldn’t say this to her face.

“Yeah…the exams.”

“Don’t worry! I hear this exam isn’t gonna be combat based!”

The final tests for witches in the academy could be one of two things: a combat test or a test of skill, this year’s test was the latter.

“W-will, you come uh…”

“I’ll be sure to watch you, Sugo Laurel!”

“Thank you…”

The test was to make something beautiful using magic.

Beautiful?

What even counts as beautiful?

One girl performed a simple levitation spell and passed. Another tried a similar thing and failed.

Was the passing grade given for complexity? Or simplicity? What is it? What are they looking for? I don’t know. What do I do? I need to graduate. I have to graduate and become an official witch otherwise I’d be letting my family down…

“Next!” The teacher called for me and I froze. All eyes were on me, and I couldn’t breathe. What do I do?

It was a pretty vague test.

“DO YOUR BEST, SUGO LAUREL!”

How embarrassing…

I could feel the corners of my mouth spread into a smile.

I began to mentally write down the complex spell formula for the most powerful spell I knew. Everlyne had always told me how much she loved the territory I created.

In a single instant the entire campus was transported to the endless garden in my soul.

Are you watching?

The garden she loves is the most beautiful magic to me.

I had passed.

My doll body was at it’s limit soon it would fade to dust, that was when I met her.

“Growing up can be hard, but you can do it. Never forget what Everlyne means to you, promise me that.”

How does she know about the promise I made with Everlyne.

“D-do I know you?”

“Uh, I suppose you could think of me that way.”

This was a perfectly illogical explanation, and I was fairly confused, and yet I accepted it as if it were natural.

She wasn’t someone I knew, and yet I felt I could trust this person. As someone with so little people skills, this girl gave off the same vibe as myself but different.

I should have asked her what she meant, but I also got the feeling I shouldn’t.

“Oh.” I could only say that.

“AAAHHH!”

Everlyne herself had shown up. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Everlyne!”

Everlyne had just called the other girl Everlyne.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked.

“Ho-ho-ho, my poor ill-informed Sugo. This girl is me!” She said with a smirk.

“E-eh? Who told you that?” The girl herself seemed confused by Everlyne.

Everlyne smirked, “Ho ho ho, you did? When we first met, remember?”

“Huh! so Blake said that you…” The girl whispered to herself. “My name is actually Alice.”

Alice. The strange girl then left.

As I reviewed the sequence of events, my body broke out in a cold sweat. There was something odd about Alice. Everlyne didn’t seem to mind, so I dismissed the thought.

“Ever—”

The puppet I had been using disintegrated to dust, I had used too much magic transporting the entire school, the students, and teachers. The clay puppet turned to dust before I could say goodbye…