Witch Adila

This is an egg!

Adila, blessed to be a "descendant of the dragon" in both her lives, was filled with thoughts of various mythical creatures from her homeland's legends. Dragons lay eggs, and so do phoenixes; an egg holds infinite possibilities. Even if it turned out to be a panda, as long as it had some Eastern flair and a time-travel element, everything would be perfectly reasonable. Ignoring the sympathetic looks from others, Adila carried a mysterious confidence, already imagining herself riding a black and white panda and wandering the world.

To protect her beloved giant white egg from a bunch of predators, Adila ate, drank, slept, and did everything with the egg. She even thoughtfully added a bib with an opening to her clothes, carrying the egg every day amidst others' sneers. Even Amber, who loved teasing her apprentice, couldn't stand it anymore and severely punished the witches who laughed at Adila, calling her a mother hen.

But Adila didn't mind at all; she believed that what she was carrying wasn't just an egg but hope and dreams! However, as days went by, the egg still didn't hatch, and while the witches grew more and more expectant, Adila grew more and more anxious.

In truth, she was also somewhat afraid, afraid that her identity as a visitor from another world had truly angered the local gods. As the saying goes, "Daytime thoughts manifest in nighttime dreams," and in Adila's nightmare, her beloved giant white egg finally hatched, only to reveal a bucket of fried chicken, which was immediately devoured by a group of zombie-faced witches.

Awakened by the nightmare, Adila refused to wait endlessly anymore and decided to try a hatching potion on the egg. However, she was ultimately afraid of her own hands turning the egg into a tea egg. Before starting the cauldron, she hastily offered a sincere prayer to the Moon Goddess, asking her to forgive any past disrespect and offense.

All past matters have dissipated like smoke; from now on, she would be the Moon Goddess's most faithful follower. Just as she was brewing her emotions and showing her loyalty, Amber suddenly interrupted her.

"I have some hatching potion here. How about using mine?" Feeling guilty, Amber became uncharacteristically gentle and considerate. She carefully drew the curtains, cast strengthening spells on the doors and windows, and didn't forget to make a threatening gesture to the people outside.

Adila was about to say something when suddenly, there was a "c***k" sound. The master and apprentice quickly exchanged glances, and the surrounding air instantly froze. Only the bubbling sound of boiling water in the cauldron and that faint peculiar noise could be heard, creating a c***k in the icy atmosphere.

Inside and outside the house, everyone was silent. Even the cats tiptoed as if they all sensed something. Adila, with trembling shoulders, listened to the sound of the eggshell cracking behind her, her neck stiff as a stone, unable to turn around.

After a while, hearing something fall to the ground, Adila regained her senses. She winked at Amber, signaling her to ask: How is it?

Amber, facing her, happened to witness the birth of the familiar. At this moment, her expression was a colorful mix, comparable to the burnt bottom of the cauldron.

"…Is it alive?" The woman tried to find a neutral word. Adila held her breath, waiting for her answer, almost fainting when she heard it. But she couldn't bring herself to ask directly, fearing her heart couldn't take it.

She tentatively asked, "W-What color?"

"White?" Amber answered.

Adila's heart tightened, and all possible Eastern mythical creatures flashed in her mind. "White with black?!" Could it really be a national treasure?!

The girl's ecstatic expression made Amber a bit uneasy. She hesitated and said, "No black, but a little red?"

White with a bit of red? Adila's face fell. What is that?

"Does it match me?"

"Match, very much." This time, Amber was very sure, nodding vigorously.

White with red, matching her Eastern aura. Could it be… a red-crowned crane?! Adila turned around in excitement, eager to embrace her compatriot… only to see a snow-white, plump creature with red feet standing there, just as Amber had described.

So… so white, so red, so down-to-earth, such a big red-footed white goose!

The black-haired girl and the white goose stared at each other, and Adila felt the world spinning before everything went black.

Amber sympathetically looked at the girl who had fainted on the ground, then at the round, plump white goose, pondering for a long time before trying to squeeze out a comforting word: "At least the familiar looks tastier than its master; it might buy you ten more minutes of survival."

Half-conscious, Adila barely opened her eyes, vaguely seeing the tattered book "The Great Ceremony of Deities" that she had casually thrown on the ground earlier. It was open to the most crumpled page, one corner folded into a large triangle, evidently frequently read:

"A young witch must, on the full moon night of her eighteenth birthday, hunt a magic wolf alone and offer its head to the temple of the goddesses. Those who fail to complete the sacrificial ritual will be stripped of their magic and eternally cursed by the Moon Goddess."

She felt cursed already.