Underneath a Starry Night Sky

It wasn’t winter without the Yule ball. Every year like clockwork the most elite in society danced, gossiped and canoodled through the night. This year however was not like the rest. 

This year, the witches came. 

Magick is condemned, and those who practice are outcasts. Deemed to be of the lowest worth. 

The first attack didn’t start as one, two factions set on peace were both tired of war. 

No one knows who started it, whether it was the Zodiac or Ophelias. But when the smoke cleared and the dust settled everyone could see that no one made it out alive. So the war continued. 

The Hellfire witches, known to be the most level headed of the twelve factions decided a neutral zone was necessary. And so the location of this year’s Yule ball was on their territory. 

“Emerson, I see you decided to join in this year’s festivities.” The tall intimidating woman spoke from behind her. Her raven curls fell to her broad shoulders and covered the scarlet straps of her curvy dress. 

The woman’s eyes always seemed to peer into Emerson’s soul, they were hypnotic and unnerving. 

“Well you know me Natalia, always up for a party.” Emerson raised her glass in a small salute. Her grimace was a clear sign of how much she was enjoying tonight. 

Natalia’s thin smile was her usual clue to her own growing impatience. 

“Of course. In any case your parents wanted me to pass on an important message. Seeing as they set up this event, they wanted me to make sure that there will be no unexpected disturbances on your part tonight.” Natalia’s slight frown and passive aggressive mention of her most recent disturbance, left Emerson in the mood for a stronger drink.  

“Wow, thank you so much Natalia for checking in. You can tell my parents I'm not planning on reminding them of my existence tonight. I will stay completely and totally out of their way.” She sighs, emptying her glass of rum. 

“Oh Emmie, where did things go so wrong?” Natalia exhales. “I mean your parents, the council they loved you, admired you even. I admired you. What happened to you? To us?” Natalia reaches for her, placing her hand on Emerson’s arm. 

Emerson closes her eyes and takes a breath, exhaling a slow sour breath. 
“I don't care about the council, or my parents. I never did, Natalia. And I sure as hell never gave a shit about us. So you can just crawl back to my parents like the good little witch you are, alright?” She shakes off Natalia's hand and pushes past her, heading towards the bar. Not fast enough to avoid a glimpse of the hurt plastered on Natalia’s face. 

Emerson ordered a bottle at the bar, deciding a small drink wasn’t going to last her the night. And drowned herself in as much self pity as she could muster.

She heard the shouts before the screams. 

Her bottle wasn't even halfway when a spell hit the wall beside her. She grabbed her bottle and scrambled to stand. She moved down the hallway and through the clearing to the open ballroom. 

Bodies littered the floor, and a mist of colors were popping in slow motion. 

Her hearing going in and out was proof a silencing spell had been cast. But she quickly moved past all that, searching for two faces. The faces she had just said earlier she didn't care about at all. 

A spell knocked her off her feet, and slammed her onto the ground. She struggled to catch her breath, the shouts and ringing came back just as quickly as it went out. 

Her breathing evened out, but pressure built in her chest as her panic grew. A body fell to her right. She tried not to look, told herself it wouldn't do any good. 

The man’s eyes were still open. They were a faded green. He died on impact. 

She laid there, staring into a dead man’s eyes as the world around her burned. 

Her hearing came back, and so did the loud ringing. Emerald flames covered the walls when she pushed herself off the ground stumbling through the colored mist. 

“Ābayē? Mom?” She called out quietly. She didn't know if there was anyone left alive to hear, but she sure as shit didn't want the wrong person to. 

“Emaiye, over here.” She followed the voice of her father, he was crouched against the wall panting. Her mother’s head was gently lying on his shoulder, her breaths were alarmingly quiet and eyes were shut. 

Emerson spotted her father’s leg, a bloody gash ripped his pant leg open. Without hesitating she tore off the end of her dress, and used it as a tourniquet to keep him from bleeding out. 

“Emaiye please, just- focus.” He grabs her hands together forcing her to look up. “You have to get out of here. Now.”

“Wha- No, what about you? What about mom?” 

He shakes his head, panting again. “Your mom and I… We aren't going to make it k’onijo, you have to go. Go. Please.” His bloody hand brushes away the tears at her eyes, she hadn't noticed were spilling down her face. “We love you. We always will.” 

“There’s a safe haven out of the city, your uncle will be there. You need to tell him what happened here, and- tell him to hold a tribunal. You need to tell him the sage have returned.” 

“No, dad, please don't make me leave you. I dont- I can’t-” 

“Emaiye listen to me. You are a hellfire witch, there is nothing you can’t do.” He holds my gaze, and I see what I couldn't before all of this. “Now do as I say, okay? I love you.” He coughs, and wheezes some blood as he kisses the inside of her hand. “አንተ ሙሉ ልቤ ነህ.”  

His hands relax and he closes his eyes, as his breaths begin to disappear.

Emerson didn't feel anything. Just emptiness. 
And as she ran under the cover of a starry night sky, she held onto that feeling. 
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