Witch Adila

Magic comes from inspiration, and inspiration is a gift from the gods. Adila followed the ancient ritual, cleansing her eyes, anointing her lips, and lighting the candles, praying for the goddess's blessing. She stood silently in the small room, the air filled with the warm fragrance of seven tallow candles. The soft candlelight illuminated a noble and luxurious statue of the goddess. The cat's eye gemstones in the statue's eyes absorbed the votive flames, and Adila saw her reflection fragmented into countless pieces. The goddess's piercing gaze seemed to dissect her soul. The girl instinctively pressed her hand to her palpitating heart, her posture becoming even more humble and devout. The goddess reclined on a throne adorned with laurel leaves, a crown woven from silver threads and pearls upon her head. Birds and beasts of the forest were carved at her feet, ready to serve her. The sacred light of the candles bathed the goddess's statue in a holy glow. Her bright eyes and dignified features appeared increasingly lifelike. The fragrant air made Adila hold her breath, afraid that a single mistake would taint this radiant moment. The goddess's immaculate face also reflected the devout and beautiful face of the believer. Adila held her breath for a long time, silently praying, "Great Goddess, bless your servant, grant success in hatching and brewing..." Suddenly, there was a loud pop. One of the tallow candles was extinguished, and a dark shadow flashed by. Adila jumped in fright. Before she could check what was happening, the second and third candles went out. It appears an invisible hand was snuffing out the candle flames one by one, with darkness encroaching step by step. At this moment, Adila was so scared that she could think of nothing else. She muttered every protective phrase she could remember, while searching for anything around her that could be used as a weapon. Just as she grasped the heavy book "Divine Hymns," ready to throw it, a pair of clear green eyes blinked at her. "...Miss Poppy." Adila gritted her teeth. The candles relit, revealing another figure in the corner of the room. The woman, holding back her laughter, was bent over, her lush golden hair almost touching the ground. Miss Poppy, the green-eyed tabby cat, leapt lightly onto the woman's shoulder, her feline face showing clear disdain. "I thought you were too tense and wanted to help you relax. What were you muttering? Hahaha!" Sometimes, Adila really wondered if she was cursed. Adila's real name wasn't Adila. The woman named Amber had bought her from an oriental merchant ship as an abandoned baby. Even a baby was a commodity on the ship, and Amber had haggled fiercely with the shrewd oriental merchants, finally buying Adila for two dozen sprigs of dill. Too lazy to give her a new name, Amber simply called her Adila. Raised half-playfully and half-seriously by Amber, Adila grew up relatively safe and sound. Fragmented memories made her more mature than other girls her age, and she began to explore this unfamiliar world. Amber didn't buy a baby to be a servant, nor did she treat her as an adopted daughter. In fact, the village had many such arrangements. Older women would adopt clever girls, usually orphans like Adila. Amber made Adila call her "lady" and taught her everything about the world. Back to the present, Amber, having laughed enough, finally remembered her responsibility as a teacher. She snapped her fingers, and a faint ripple of air swept through the room. The toppled candles stood up obediently, returning to their places beside the goddess, ready for service. Despite having seen this countless times, Adila was still in awe. Without complicated rituals or prayers, magic was as easy as breathing or drinking water for Amber. She could draw inspiration from the breeze, moonlight, or even a drop of dew. Amber gathered her skirts and walked lightly, as if she were wearing a grand evening gown instead of wrinkled pajamas. When serious, she was a dignified and mature blonde beauty. She gently set down her beloved cat and approached the statue, assuming an even more exaggeratedly humble posture than Adila, murmuring apologies to the goddess. Just like everyone else in this world, the goddess was everything; she bestowed power. But beings like Amber, who used divine power so freely, were not ordinary nuns or priests. Amber's village had long been isolated from the world. They didn't worship the universally acknowledged supreme god of the continent but an ancient moon goddess. Amber always proudly declared herself a favored one of the goddess, but Adila knew how outsiders referred to their female-only cult—witches. Adila, an orphan with no one to rely on, was fortunate to be chosen by Amber. The blonde woman appeared lazy, always with a fat cat in her arms, wearing patched-up pajamas with countless pockets from which she could produce astonishing trinkets. Adila’s ability to thrive in this world was largely due to her reliance on Amber. Amber was the high priestess of the moon goddess, the most powerful and arrogant witch in the village—essentially the village tyrant. Adila's fragmented memories included waiting for an owl's letter in her childhood, so when she realized the uniqueness of this world, she dove into it headfirst without any hesitation. However, she quickly felt the world's hostility toward travelers like her. Once Amber confirmed that they had not angered the goddess, she leisurely strolled over and pulled a long-handled bronze magnifying glass from an unknown pocket. The lens, according to her, was made of crystal condensed from moonlight, enhancing a witch's sight to see through all blessings and curses and even the truth of things. Amber held the magnifying glass and carefully examined the potion at the bottom of the cauldron, then looked up and teased her apprentice, "Is there really a need for a cauldron blessing? My apprentice, how lacking in confidence must you be? It's just a growth potion..." Before Adila could stop her, she instinctively glanced at the window. Sure enough, a shadow flickered, followed by a girl's sharp cry, "Adila is practicing potions again!!" Immediately, there was a clatter of pots and pans outside, accompanied by hurried footsteps. It was like a call to arms. The usually carefree Amber caught on, and a hint of apology appeared on her face as she saw her apprentice burying her face in her hands. It wasn't hard to imagine that the entire village of women was now heading toward them with soup bowls in hand. Adila's dream of mastering magic had come true, albeit with a slight deviation. This deviation was akin to thinking you'd enrolled in the hottest mechanical engineering course, only to find out it was actually agricultural mechanical and biological engineering. Amber and the other witches suspected Adila was cursed. They tried all sorts of strange potions and spells on her, nearly turning her into pickles. Finally, they came to a barely acceptable conclusion: Adila wasn't cursed; she simply had a good name that happened to align perfectly with one of the moon goddess's many divine aspects—fertility. A witch's power came from the goddess's authority. Different authorities granted different magical abilities. To put it nicely, Adila was deeply favored by the goddess, receiving an excess of "fertility" blessings, causing her magic to manifest unusually. So, before she could become a great witch, Adila became the village's chief cook. Whenever she brewed a potion, a group of witches would watch her hungrily, and the young witches even made up a little song: "When Adila fails, we all have a feast." At these times, Adila missed chili peppers dearly. In her previous life, as a foodie from a country of gourmets, such hands were akin to the golden touch, ensuring she never worried about food and drink wherever she went. Getting lost in the desert wouldn't mean starvation. Her hands were the perfect golden finger for traveling. All she needed were oriental spices and hometown ingredients to open an exotic Chinese restaurant, perhaps embarking on a grand light novel journey. However, once Adila understood the nature of this world, she couldn't maintain such naive thoughts. "Is that today's soup base?" A girl with braided pigtails popped up at the window, excitedly pointing at the basket on the floor. A large white egg sat nestled within, carefully wrapped in soft cloth with lace trim. It looked particularly plump and sweet, and combined with a large cauldron of boiling water, anyone would misunderstand. With a snap, Adila slammed the window shut and quickly cradled her precious egg in her apron. All her hopes were pinned on this egg, and she couldn't let these heartless foodies get their hands on it. This time, she would not fail! The witches outside, wary of the powerful Amber, only dared to peek through the cracks in the doors and windows. Recently, every young witch had successfully bonded with a familiar in the Moonlight Forest—from the abundant wildcats to the rare white deer, even agile squirrels. Each witch, guided by the moon goddess, found a familiar that matched her. Similarly, Adila, following the moonlight's guidance, found...an egg. A group of witches who had tasted her delicious concoctions began to imagine all sorts of things, convinced that the moon goddess intended to reward her diligent devotees with a hearty meal. They used every trick they could think of to persuade Adila to cook the tempting egg. Of course, Adila wasn't actually planning to cook the egg. When she found the egg, she placed all her long-forgotten ambitions and hopes in it, just waiting for the right time to hatch it. Days passed peacefully in the witch village as Adila continued her magical studies and daily life. Although her magic was always unpredictable, with Amber's guidance and the help of other witches, she gradually learned to embrace her unique gift. Whenever she felt discouraged, Amber would humorously and wisely help her regain her confidence. One day, Adila was practicing magic in the courtyard when a familiar warmth swept through with the gentle breeze. She closed her eyes, feeling the magic in the wind. Slowly, her hands began to glow with the goddess's blessing. She knew her powers might be unusual, but they were not without value. "Adila, remember, magic comes from the faith within your heart and devotion to the gods," Amber's voice came from behind. She walked over, smiling at her. "Every witch has her unique talent; the key is how you use it." Adila nodded, understanding Amber's words. Her magic might not be as straightforward as other witches', but she believed that with perseverance, she would find her path. Night fell, and the village was quiet. Adila sat alone by the window, gazing at the mysterious egg. Her heart filled with hope and determination. No matter how challenging the road ahead, she would not give up. "I will find my strength and become a true witch," she whispered, her eyes shining with resolve. Adila's journey was just beginning. In this mysterious land, she would face more challenges and adventures, gradually uncovering her secrets and finding her glory and brilliance.