Tangled in Magic

LOW-RANK WITCH HUNTER

Master Sio’s private chamber was silent. The walls were made of dark, cold, and sturdy stone, adorned with the witch hunters’ emblem on the eastern side.

On the tall shelves, old scrolls and dusty notes stood like silent witnesses. Behind a large wooden desk sat the leader of Velmira’s witch hunters. His presence was calm, sharp, and unreadable.

Aren entered first after knocking, followed by Zora. Both stood straight in front of the desk.

The tension in the air was almost tangible.“What is it, Master?” Aren asked. His tone remained respectful, though his chest was tight with nerves.

Sio didn’t answer right away. His gaze swept across Aren’s face, then shifted to Zora. A faint crease formed on his brow.Sio’s eyes sharpened at Zora. “What’s your name?”

Zora was about to speak, but Aren quickly cut in, “Her name is Zora, Master.”

Sio tapped the desk with his finger. “I was asking her, not you.” He stared straight into Aren’s eyes.Zora shifted slightly. Just as she was about to answer, Master Sio exhaled deeply.

“I apologize for how I treated you a few days ago,” he said, now looking directly at Zora. “As the leader of the witch hunters, I was only doing my duty. We can’t allow suspicious strangers to enter Velmira Village just like that.”

Zora nodded slowly, offering an awkward smile. “It’s okay. I sometimes punch people too before figuring out whether they’re good or bad.”

Sio raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the joke.

“Ah, I mean... I understand. If I were in your shoes, I might’ve kicked me out too.”

Silence crept in. The only sound was the ticking of a small hourglass on a corner shelf—each grain of sand adding weight to the room.

After a moment, Aren spoke, “So, did you call us here just to apologize, Master?”

“Of course not,” Sio replied. His voice was flat but carried weight. “I called you here because I have a question.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “What’s your relationship? You two seem too close for strangers.”

Both of them froze. Zora turned quickly to Aren, wide-eyed.Aren was no less panicked. They hadn’t prepared an answer. One wrong move could ruin everything.

Zora squinted at Aren slowly. Her lips moved silently, urging him to say something.

Aren looked at her, then at Sio, then back again—as if searching for an escape between their gazes.Sio tapped the desk again. Louder.

“Don’t tell me you’re—”

“ZORA IS MY SAVIOR, MASTER!” Aren suddenly blurted out with conviction.

Sio held his breath, clearly surprised by the declaration.

Aren stood straighter now, improvising like a stage actor. “At the temple that night, Zora saved me. She was injured and lost her memory. She only remembered her name.”

Zora turned to him quickly, clearly stunned. She was torn between confusion, admiration, and the urge to punch him. But she played along.

“That’s right, Master. I think I hit my head and forgot everything.”

Aren nodded quickly. “Her condition worsened after you punished her for three days, Master. She even asked me my name seven times in one day.”

Zora elbowed him, annoyed. That last line sounded like a joke, and silence returned once again.

“You’re sure this isn’t a cover for something else?” Sio probed, eyes narrowing in an attempt to intimidate. But he didn’t seem angry.

“Of course. That’s why I ask to stay by her side until her memory returns. That’s all.”

Sio exhaled deeply, then leaned back.

“Very well.”

They could hardly believe it. Their little play had fooled the leader of the witch hunters.

“But one thing—if I find even a hint of a lie in all this... I won’t hesitate to act. You know, Aren... romantic relationships with the opposite s*x are a serious violation in Velmira’s witch hunter code.”

Aren’s gaze turned sharp for a moment before he nodded.

“Good. You may leave.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Zora quickly turned to Aren and hissed, “Memory loss? Seriously?!”

Aren only raised his eyebrows and offered a faint smile. “Better than saying we’re lovers, right?”

Zora stared at him for a moment, then let out a long sigh. “You’re insane.”Aren chuckled. “At least we made it out alive.”

The air outside felt lighter, but the relief didn’t last long. Two men appeared at the end of the corridor.

One of them was Kavi, with his usual calm expression. Beside him, a young man with messy brown hair and a wide, overly bright grin for the situation.

“Hey, Aren! I heard you’ve got a girlfriend now?” he shouted without warning. His voice echoed down the hall, making a few heads turn. “Is Master Sio going to chop your head off for breaking the rules?”

Aren nearly choked on air. Zora’s eyes went wide. The guy looked innocent, but his words... were ruthless.

Just as Aren was about to speak, the man walked straight up to Zora. He leaned his face close to hers, inspecting her like a rare museum artifact.“Your eyes are beautiful,” he said in awe. “You’re also pretty. How did you end up with someone weak like Aren?”

Aren sighed deeply. With a flat expression, he pushed the man’s face away from Zora with two fingers on his temple.

“His name is Toma,” Aren explained to Zora, though he looked like he wanted to bite a rock.

Toma gave a small wave. “Nice to meet you, future widow of a hunter.”

“TOMA!” Aren snapped.

“What? I thought you’d be executed. So... when’s your execution? I should bring snacks,” he said casually, never dropping his grin.

“There is no execution!” Aren’s voice rose an octave. “And Zora and I aren’t... we’re not like that. We’re just... comrades... gratitude

repayment.” The words stumbled out like they’d been made up seconds ago.

Kavi glanced at Zora with his usual gentle eyes.

In the distance, noise could be heard from the training grounds. Zora turned to see several hunters sparring—just like Aren had earlier.

Dust flew. Cheers echoed. The match wasn’t over yet.

“You’re not joining the match?” Zora asked, trying to shift the awkward vibe.

“Oh, that’s only for hunters below custor level. We’re high-level hunters. From our batch, only Drek and Aren are in that fight.”

Zora looked at Aren, as if checking if he still had any pride left.

“You know, Aren’s hunter level is actually lower than Drek’s, but he begged Master Sio to level up. How pathetic.” Toma said it without an ounce of guilt—he even laughed.

Aren looked down. His fingers clenched, but he stayed silent.

Kavi grabbed Toma’s arm. “Don’t take it to heart, Aren. You should see the healer for your head injury. I’ll be off now. See you later,” he said, dragging Toma away, though the man still looked like he had more insults to throw.

Once they were gone, Aren remained silent. Zora glanced sideways at him.

“You didn’t argue?” she asked, half curious, half confused.

Aren sighed. “No. It’s all true. I’ve always been terrible. Everyone knows that.”

With slow steps, he walked ahead down the stairs toward the yard.

Zora watched his back. She wanted to say something, but before she could...

Her stomach growled—loudly. The loudest sound of the day, and definitely the most annoying.

She clutched her belly and winced.“Oh, right,” she muttered. “I came here to eat. All this drama made my stomach forget it was starving.”

She quickly caught up to Aren and tapped his shoulder from behind. “Hey, witch hunter, got any coins left? You can start repaying your savior today,” Zora said, holding back a laugh.Aren turned with a look of pure misery. “What kind of repayment are you talking about?”

“The kind that’s tasty and filling,” Zora replied with a giggle.