How To Burn A Witch |DISCONTINUED|

Chapter 11

Today was the day Nehir would finally become an official hunter. People she did and didn't know gathered in the assembly hall of L'Académie, curious to see who𑁋other than her and Polaris𑁋 had graduated.

The huntress scanned the room for Alev. Glad to see the witch wasn't here, she searched for the blue-haired individual, making eye contact with them almost as soon as she started looking.

Nehir let out a sigh of relief. I was scared they wouldn't come. She shot them a grateful smile but Aether didn't return it.

They shot her a loot that told the huntress everything she needed to know. I'm still mad at you. But this is important to you so here I am. She was thankful for their presence nonetheless.

As the bell's annoying ding echoed through the assembly hall, Dame Marion and the Headmistress went towards the podium situated in the middle of the room, the sound of their high-heeled boots now filling the silence that had settled over the students after the bell rang.

Nehir's mentor cleared her throat and made way for Headmistress Lucille, positioning herself next to the woman and standing so straight it was a wonder how she didn't strain her back.

"Dear students," started the woman, the glasses on her nose and wrinkles that decorated her face nearly making everyone forget this woman was one of the most feared witch hunters of her time. "We are gathered here today, for the happy occasion of four of our students finally becoming Dames."

She gestured for Nehir, Polaris and two other students she didn't recognize to come on the stage, took their black velvet cloaks and replaced them with dark red ones.

Red like the blood of a witch each of them had spilled. Nehir felt a shiver of fear and anticipation slither up her spine as Headmistress Lucille gave her the red cloak. The velvet felt soft in her hands.

The old woman took a step back, a look similar to pride settling in her eyes as she regarded each of them. All four of them straightened their backs, tears gathering in the corners of their eyes. This woman had practically raised them, after all. No matter how scary she had seemed in some aspects when doing so.

Nehir smiled at the presence of her mentor behind her. She had always watched over her, defended her whenever Nehir herself wasn't strong enough.

She looked up to meet Dame Marion's eye. Her mentor smiled at her and shot her a smile of encouragement. She had finally done it. She was finally graduating!

The next part of their graduation would be the most mortifying. She let out a quiet sigh and waited for their Headmistress to tell them to show their peers their new-gained tattoos.

The first two people had full sleeve tattoos which extended to their torso. The two men smirked at each other with a look that said "We look so badass right now" passing between them. They threw their shirts into the crowd, thinking girls would be fighting over them. They didn't.

Nehir pitied the two as an awkward silence settled into the room save for the light chuckle that escaped Polaris' lips. Dame Marion cleared her throat and signalled to the endeka and Nehir to show theirs.

The two girls shared a glance and nodded, mutual respect glimmering in their gaze as one grabbed the other's hand and gave it a little squeeze. Right now, we are allies.

"Let's do this," whispered Nehir as she turned her back to the audience of students and unbuttoned her uniform. Her tunic slid from her shoulders to her wrists as the crowd admired the swirls of fire which formed a Zümrüd-ü anka bird that started at her back and ended with the bird's wings spread on her shoulder blades.