Clumsy Training [Weekly Short-Short]
"You are absolutely hopeless! You have no right to be a witch!"
Nina was finally kicked out of the house.
Every day was filled with blunders. Today, she messed up a potion recipe, and a swarm of poisonous insects erupted from the pot. Her mother's patience had finally run out.
As she walked along crying, she found herself in a land very, very far away.
It was the world of "humans."
The rule of the witch world, "You must not approach humans," crossed her mind. Just as she stepped back to run away, it happened.
"By any chance... are you a witch?"
Nina nearly jumped out of her skin. "You look strange," the human girl continued.
Nina was bewildered at first, but she gradually opened up. Before long, they became friends and started playing together.
Forgetting that she was breaking the law...
One day, the girl slipped and fell into the river. Her cries for help were in vain as she was swept further and further away.
"I have to save her! I have to save her!"
Instinctively, she transformed into a large bird and scooped the girl out of the rough waves.
The relief was short-lived, however, as Nina noticed something strange. No matter how many spells she cast, she could not return to her original form.
And then, she realized. The punishment for breaking the taboo had been dealt.
The girl thanked her, wearing a smile that seemed to overflow with joy.
As that dazzling smile was reflected in her eyes, a warm patch of sunlight bloomed in the hollow void of Nina's heart.
*I participated in the following project.