Chapter 41: The girl and the witch

The group stood at the edge of the wooden planks, staring out at the glimmering lake. The abandoned ruin in the middle seemed ancient, its weathered stones covered in moss and vines. The spirit butterflies flitted ahead, their glow reflecting off the water's surface, guiding the way.

"Do you think the lake is deep?" Lumine asked, her voice tinged with worry. She hugged her lantern tightly, her eyes darting between the murky water and the distant ruin.

Hu Tao smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine. The butterflies haven't led us astray yet."

"Yet," Heizou added, his tone playful but cautious.

They carefully crossed the planks, each creak underfoot amplifying the eerie silence of the lake. Scaramouche walked behind Lumine, whistling softly to himself, clearly unfazed.

"If you fall in, I'll save you," he teased, smirking at Lumine's nervous glance toward the water.

"Focus, Indigo," Lumine retorted, rolling her eyes.

When they finally reached the ruin, they climbed up onto the stone platform. The air felt heavier here, and a faint scent of damp earth and sakura blossoms lingered.

"Dead end," Aether muttered, scanning the area.

"No, look," Furina said, pointing to a crumpled piece of parchment pinned to a broken pillar.

Lumine stepped forward, lifting the note. It was long, its ink slightly smudged with age. She held her lantern closer to illuminate the words and began to read aloud:

> "A little girl named Haichi was playing with her doll, which she had called Shaku. Shaku was like the only friend to Haichi. Together they snuck out to go on an adventure, like they always did. Upon their adventure, she stumbled into a sakura forest that had a vibrant pink and red pattern. Its beauty mesmerized Haichi. In the middle of the sakura forest was a distinct and vast sakura tree that seemed fairly taken care of."

Lumine lowered the paper, her brows furrowed. "That's all it says. It's just page one."

"Maybe there are more pages scattered around," Aether suggested.

Hu Tao looked intrigued. "It sounds like the start of a story. But why here, of all places?"

Scaramouche leaned against a nearby pillar, crossing his arms. "Why is it titled The Curse of the Witch? It didn't even mention a witch. Should've been called The Girl and the Tree or something equally boring."

Lumine turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "Stop with your annoying antics, Indigo. You're not helping."

Scaramouche smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. "I'm just saying, Lumine. If we're dealing with curses and witches, this story better start making sense."

"Or maybe the curse started here," Heizou suggested, his gaze drifting toward the lake. "That tree could be the origin of everything."

Furina frowned. "If this Haichi girl is connected to the curse, why was her story left here? And why now?"

Before anyone could speculate further, a soft rustling sound came from the water. The group froze, their lanterns swinging toward the lake. Ripples spread across the surface, though there was no wind.

"Did anyone else see that?" Aether whispered.

"No," Scaramouche said, straightening up, "but I'm starting to think we're not alone."

The ripples grew closer, accompanied by a faint, haunting hum. It was melodic yet distorted, echoing across the water.

"We need to move," Heizou said, his voice low. "If there are more pages, we'll find them. But not here."

As they began to retrace their steps, Lumine hesitated, glancing back at the ruin. Her gut told her this place held more secrets than they realized, but the growing unease in the air pushed her to follow the others.

The hum faded as they reached the planks, but the feeling of being watched lingered. The butterflies danced ahead, lighting their way back to the maze, while Scaramouche's teasing remarks kept their spirits somewhat lifted.

"Bet the witch has a thing for me," he joked, grinning. "I mean, who wouldn't?"

"She probably just wants to shut you up," Hu Tao quipped, earning a laugh from the group.

Despite their banter, the looming sense of dread remained, and the story of Haichi and her doll lingered in their thoughts

I'm gonna post 3 of my drafts it's been a hella week😭

And the midterms are killing me lol