The Witch and the Zodiac | Kyo

Chapter 1- The Witch

"Alastair, as you can see behind me, preparations are already underway for the festival in three days. All of the major hotels in the city have already been booked by eager tourists and many businesses have closed in advance. It seems like this year's festival will truly be the biggest we've ever seen."

The female reporter beamed into the camera and the screen split to show the male anchor sitting at his desk in the studio.

"Right you are, Jenny. As everyone knows, this year's festival is particularly special because our beloved Witch, Aki Nakano, has finally come of age to complete the Ceremony of Succession. People from all over the globe are gathering to attend the festival in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her during the parade."

"I know I'm excited for it." Jenny continued. "To add to the excitement, Aki herself has requested that the traditional Witch's Ball be brought back after so long. The last Ball took place over a thousand years ago, so the entire world is buzzing with anticipation."

"Just to remind you folks out there, the Witch's Ball is a tradition going back thousands of years. When a Witch comes of age, eligible bachelors apply in the hopes of being one of the lucky few invited. Though the old tradition was for the Witch to select a husband at the Ball, the question now is if Miss Nakano intends to follow that tradition in this modern age."

"An excellent question." Jenny nodded. "And I'm sure all of the young men in the city have already applied and are waiting anxiously for their invitations to arrive. To be chosen by a Witch for marriage is a great honor, and it doesn't hurt that she's a beautiful young lady. Reports say that over three million young men have submitted their application, but only a lucky one hundred will be selected to attend."

"That's quite a lot of hopeful bachelors." Alastair nodded. "And there is still a twenty-four-hour window for applications to be submitted, so, be sure to submit your applications if you haven't already. Remember, you must be between the ages sixteen and twenty-five in order to submit an application." He paused and smiled. "Stay tuned; After this break, we'll have Aki's own head of security, Michael Sanders here to discuss security for the festival and the recent Ghoul attacks in Leeport."

Aki sighed and muted the television as a commercial came on and rolled from her stomach onto her back. There was a soft knock on the door and she sighed softly.

"Come in."

A maid walked in carrying a tray and she smiled cheerfully.

"Good morning, Miss Nakano!"

"Morning, Hanna." Aki muttered a greeting with her eyes still closed.

Hanna set the tray down on the side table and put her hands on her hips. "You're still in your pajamas! You're going to be late at this rate. Being a Witch doesn't give you the luxury to neglect your education, miss."

Aki rolled onto her stomach again, then sat up and nodded at the redhead. "I know, I know." She set her tray in front of her and began to eat. "I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed is all. It wouldn't hurt to just take a few days off, would it? There's still so much that I have to do before the festival."

"None of that, now." Hanna shook her head. "All of the preparations are being handled by Mr. Sanders and the Prime Minister. All you need to do is show up with a lovely smile on your face and have a good time."

Aki sipped her cup of juice and exhaled as she mumbled. "That's not all I have to do..."

"Hurry up and eat, then finish getting ready. Leo will bring the car around soon." Hanna smiled. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No thank you." Aki shook her head and continued to eat.

"Alright. If that's all..." Hanna turned and frowned slightly as she saw the television. She grabbed the remote to turn it off. "Miss Nakano, you really shouldn't watch those programs. All they're doing is causing you to stress unnecessarily."

"I kind of like them. It's fun sometimes to hear what people really think about it."

Hanna sighed and shook her head. "If you say so, miss."

She left the room and Aki chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then unmuted the television and flipped channels until she stopped on a news program that showed a small-scale protest outside of the Prime Minister's office building. Protesters shouted and chanted, holding signs and shaking them at the camera.

"Reject the Witch!"

"She's a murderer!"

"Cancel the festival!"

Aki shut off the television and bit her lip.

I guess there will always be some people that I can't please...

She finished her breakfast quickly, then showered and dressed. She smoothed out her uniform in the mirror and frowned slightly as her fingertips brushed against the small crystals in her forearms before pulling her jacket on.

The door cracked open again and Hanna peered inside.

"Miss Nakano, are you ready to go?"

The Witch smiled faintly and nodded.

"As ready as I can be."