The echo of hurried footsteps bounced off the marble walls as she ran, her brown hair streaming behind her like a shadow. The green gown clung to her form as if it, too, feared what was chasing her, but she didn't dare look back. Clutched tightly in her hands was a scroll, its edges worn, its importance unknown to anyone but her.
The palace hallways stretched endlessly, ornate tapestries and towering doors blurring past in her frantic flight. Her heart pounded as if it might leap from her chest, but still, she ran. Finally, she reached a secluded room. Pillars of ivory and gold rose from the polished floor, forming a sacred circle around a solitary stand at the center.
Breathless, she approached the round pedestal, the scroll trembling in her hands. With a determined glance around the room—no one dared follow her here—she placed it carefully on the stand. Raising her hand, she whispered an incantation, a magic that hummed in the air like a living thing.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, the scroll shot off the stand, spinning and soaring through the air at impossible speed, leaving a trail of sparkling light behind it. The room fell silent, save for the fading echoes of her heartbeat and the whisper of magic lingering in the air.
She took a trembling step back trying to steady her breathing.
A shiver then ran down her spine as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as the air itself seemed to thicken. The room pulsed with an unnatural heat, prickling and cold all at once, as if warning her that something wicked had arrived.
Evil laughter.
Her gaze snapped upward, and her fists clenched instinctively. Two witches floated above her, their presence twisting the shadows around them like living things.
"Sister," the one with fiery red hair purred, eyes glowing with malicious amusement, "we have ourselves a little snitch."
Her companion, hair as icy blue as frozen rivers, tilted her head with a wicked smirk. "And what shall we do about that?"
The red-haired witch's smile vanished, replaced by a predatory grin. "Let's show her what happens to those who become obstacles."
Her hands shot upward, and a surge of dark magic erupted from her palms, crackling and writhing in the air. The power lunged straight toward the girl with brown hair. Before she could react, the spell struck, and in an instant, her body froze, stiff and cold, transformed into unyielding stone.
The witches' laughter echoed through the chamber, sharp and cruel.
"I'm not gonna lie, sister," the icy-haired witch said, her tone tinged with boredom, "this is getting dull."
"Don't worry sister," the red-haired witch replied, a sinister edge to her laughter, "things are about to get… Very heated."
~~~~~~~
The bell tolled across the grand halls of Verelia Academy, its chime echoing like a summons. Students scattered through the corridors, books floating obediently beside them or clutched tightly in their arms, hurriedly making their way to classes.
At the far end of the hallway, a lone girl with hair as white as snow ran, her chest heaving with each breath. The polished floors reflected the glint of her determination as she pushed forward, weaving past bustling students.
She burst through a massive door, and inside, her friends awaited.
A dark-skinned girl sat poised on a chair, her voluminous Afro catching the sunlight that spilled through the tall windows, haloing her in golden light. Beside her, a girl with deep indigo hair reclined in another chair, one leg draped casually over the other, her marine-green eyes radiating an almost imperious perfection.
A third girl, with short raven-black hair, stood with her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie, her posture relaxed but alert, as if she were ready for anything.
At the far end of the room, a woman with long gray hair in a pale pink gown faced the window, her presence commanding yet calm.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Estella gasped, skidding to a stop beside the raven-haired girl.
"Ahhh, finally!" the dark-skinned girl exclaimed, her tone teasing. "I almost thought the garden norms had kidnapped you again."
Estella let out a nervous laugh. "Oh no, I was just helping Mr. Normfrank with some papers," she said, brushing off the comment.
The indigo-haired girl huffed, clearly impatient. "Whatever. Headmistress, did you want to tell us something?"
"Yes, Aurelia," the headmistress said, turning slowly toward them. "I do."
Estella frowned at her friends, sensing the shift in atmosphere. "Is something wrong?" she asked cautiously.
With a graceful flick of her wrist, the headmistress conjured a scroll that hovered above her open palm. "We received this from the Kingdom of Planetia yesterday," she began, her voice calm but grave. "And… it does not bring good news."
The girls leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation.
"This message comes from King Luther of Planetia," the headmistress continued, "and he warns of a grave threat lurking in the galaxies. Someone—or something—is attempting to steal the Galactic Stones."
The room went silent, the weight of her words sinking in.
"Galactic Stones?" Solaria, the dark-skinned girl, whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"They aren't something anyone can just take," Reika, the raven-haired girl, added sharply.
"Yes," Aurelia said, her tone incredulous. "The stones protect themselves, don't they? Who could possibly challenge them?"
"We thought the same," the headmistress said, her eyes meeting theirs with a steady intensity. "But this is no ordinary threat. Not even an SSS-rank galactic warrior could match it. This… is something far greater than we've imagined."
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, their excitement replaced with dread.
"They've already taken one of the Stones," the headmistress revealed.
Shock rippled through the group.
"What…? That's impossible," Estella stammered.
"It is true," the headmistress said, her voice low but unwavering. "They've stolen the Stone of Petrification."
The air in the room grew heavy, the enormity of the situation pressing down on them. The girls could feel the shift, this was really serious.