The Witch and the Zodiac | Kyo

Chapter 10- Witching Hour

Aki sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

I still can't believe that I'm here... and with these people. It doesn't seem possible, and yet...

She sighed again and turned her head to look out the window.

If only I was fully healed already. The longer those Ghouls run loose, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

She pressed her lips together.

And Hatori forbade me from using my magic for the time being...

Her eyes opened wide and she sat up with a slight smirk.

But... everyone else is asleep now. No one will be able to tell on me if they don't see me using my magic.

Aki pulled the blanket off of her and shifted, wincing as sharp pain shot through her legs.

Well, I still can't walk...

She closed her eyes, exhaling, and her body slowly levitated.

But, this works just as well.

She floated over to the door, opening it quietly and smiled faintly at the garden outside as the moon hung in a clear, cloudless sky.

And the conditions are perfect, too.

She closed the door behind her and floated to the center of the garden, setting down gently in the cool grass. She reached down to rub her hand against the grass, drawing in a deep breath as she looked up at the moon.

The moon is just as beautiful here as it is at home... and the stars are the same, too. If I ignore whose house this is, I almost feel at home.

"Right." She muttered to herself and held her arms out to the side. "I have work to do."

Aki closed her eyes and concentrated.

Alright, first, imagine the circle. Draw the sigils in my mind. Extend that image around me. Channel my spiritual energy.

Around her, several circles of light appeared on the ground around her, eleven smaller circles inside of a larger one. Within each of the small circles, runes and symbols appeared slowly, as if painted with light by an invisible hand.

Once the smaller circles finished forming, the entire circle illuminated a soft blue glow as it absorbed moonlight.

Now, the invocation...

"Oh, moon; Mystical face of the heavenly maiden, I call upon your power to strengthen my essence."

The jewels on her body began to glow, as if made of moonlight, and her eyes matched their light. A tingling sensation spread through her body, and the healing began.

She let out a soft sigh without breaking concentration.

I already feel better... if I can keep this up until sunrise... I might just be able to fully recover.

----

Kyo rolled over in his sleep, his eyes cracking open as small slivers of moonlight streamed through his curtains. He blinked and furrowed his brows slightly, noticing the usual soft glow of the moon was unusually bright.

"What...?"

He sat up slowly, yawning as he stretched his arms above his head, then looked back over to the window. After a moment, he shuffled over to the window, moving the curtain aside to look down into the garden. His eyes widened again and he stared down at the girl.

"What the hell?"

Quietly, he quickly padded downstairs and opened the door, staring at Aki. She was floating several feet off the ground with her legs crossed and her arms out to her sides, her crystals glowing the same as the circle she was centered inside of. Even her skin had taken on a pale blue tone, and a faint hum sounded in the air as the magic worked.

"Dammit..." Kyo scratched his head with one hand, resting the other on his hip. "And Hatori told her not to use magic, either."

He moved in front of her to look at her serene expression.

"She's asleep?"

"Hey, you shouldn't be—" He stepped forward to breach the circle, reaching out to her, but received a slight shock from the invisible barrier and he frowned, stepping back from the circle to look at his hand. "What?"

He looked back up at the Witch, and her peaceful expression shifted as her eyelids burst open, revealing only a bright light where her eyes should be.

"Do not interrupt." Her voice echoed, as if many people were talking at once.

He blinked and stepped back again. "W-What..?!"

Her eyes closed again and the light of the circle grew brighter. He lifted his head to shield his eyes, but the light remained the same intensity.

"What is she doing?" He muttered and crossed his arms. "She's not supposed to... what the heck was wrong with her eyes...?" He rubbed his head and made a face. "Why do I even care?"

He turned to go back inside, then stopped and let out a short breath. "Tohru's the one who was supposed to watch her, but she's asleep and Hatori might scold her if he founds out that girl didn't listen." He glanced over his shoulder at the girl, sighing again as he crossed his arms and sat heavily down onto the porch. "I don't want to wake her up, so I guess I'll stand in for her this time and keep an eye on this girl for her."

After some time, his lids grew heavy and closed, falling over in a deep sleep as the girl continued to hover in her circle, remaining in her strange, glowing trance.