After finishing our dialogue, we walked to the guest house. Inside, the faint hum of voices and the clattering of tools filled the air — the girls were busy with their daily tasks.
Lyra's steps grew firm as she entered. The moment the girls saw her, they straightened up, eyes filled with both relief and curiosity.
"Everyone," Lyra called out, her tone clear and commanding. "I've found us a safe place."
Dozens of gazes turned toward her. Then, with a slow breath, she gestured toward me."This man—Leonard Greyborne—is the lord of this town. He offered us protection."
The silence that followed was heavy. Suspicion rippled across their faces like a wave through still water. The word lord carried years of hatred and pain.
Then one girl stepped forward. Her hair was dark as ash, her voice trembling with fire."A lord?" she said bitterly. "How can we trust him? All lords are the same."
I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off sharply."What if you're luring us into a trap? What do you want from us?" Her eyes burned. "Why do you all hate us so much? We were human once. We didn't choose to become witches. Why is God punishing us for something we never asked for?"
Her words pierced the air — and me. Around her, others began to murmur, fear and anger twisting together. Some girls backed away from me. Others clutched their charms, as if expecting me to summon soldiers at any moment.
Lyra raised her hand, her voice firm."Enough. Leonard isn't like the others."
But the girl stepped forward again."And when you're gone, Lyra? When he stands alone, how do we know he won't betray us too?"
For a heartbeat, no one spoke. The tension pressed down like a storm cloud. Then, a voice came from behind — soft, familiar, and filled with quiet strength.
"She's right to be afraid," Natalia said.
The girls turned sharply. Natalia stood at the doorway, her dark hair glinting in the low light. I had asked Elias to bring her, knowing she was the only one who could turn fear into trust.
Natalia walked forward slowly."But fear shouldn't blind you," she said, her voice gentle. "I am living proof that you can be safe here."
She raised her hand, and from her palm bloomed a small white flower. Its petals shimmered faintly — fragile yet alive. Gasps broke among the girls as she stepped toward them.
One small girl, perhaps fifteen, stood frozen. Natalia smiled softly and tucked the flower behind her ear."I was captured once," she began. Her words trembled at first, then grew steady. "They called me a devil's whore… a monster, a killer. The townsmen assaulted me. They were going to burn me alive. Even my parents—sold me."
A murmur ran through the hall. Some of the girls lowered their eyes; others clenched their fists.
"But Leonard saved me," Natalia continued. "He hid me, knowing the risk of keeping a witch in his home. He treated me as an equal, not a curse. And yes…" she hesitated, eyes flickering toward me, "…I love him. And he loves me."
The confession struck like thunder. A few of the girls gasped; others exchanged stunned looks. Lyra smiled faintly, while I stood still, unsure what to say.
Slowly, the anger in their eyes began to fade — but not vanish. Trust doesn't bloom overnight.
Then another girl spoke, her voice quiet but resolute."Lyra, we know how hard it's been for you to protect us. You've risked yourself for our sake. But you shouldn't bear all this alone. You need to protect your sister too. If we stay here, we'll make things harder for you."
Lyra shook her head, but the girl pressed on."We can't just trust a lord. Even if his words sound kind, history doesn't forget. I think… we should go our separate ways."
Before Lyra could answer, I stepped forward."Wait," I said. "You don't have to leave."
All eyes turned to me again. I took a slow breath."I've founded something—something new. A belief. A religion that sees witches not as cursed, but as divine blessings. In this land, faith shapes power. If the people believe, your safety becomes law."
Their murmurs quieted. I could see hesitation, but also curiosity flicker among them.
"I won't ask for your faith right now," I continued. "Just your time. Stay here for a few weeks. Let me prove what I say."
Lyra stepped beside me, her expression fierce."You think I'm doing this to abandon you all and protect my sister alone?" she asked, her tone cutting through the silence. "You're wrong."
The girls froze as Lyra continued."If you go alone, you'll be hunted. You'll die before the next moon. I won't let that happen. I trust Leonard, and I want you to as well. To show that—" she turned to me, then to her sister, "—I'll leave my sister here with him."
Gasps filled the room. Even I turned to her in surprise.
"Lyra…" I began, but she raised her hand to stop me.
"If I can trust him with the person I love most, then so can you," she said firmly. "But the choice is yours. You're free to go. Or you can stay, and give him a chance."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then slowly, one by one, the witches nodded. Fear softened into fragile hope.
Natalia smiled faintly and looked around."Let's start fresh," she said. "We can't trust each other if we don't even know each other's names."
The tension loosened a little. One girl — tall, confident, with red hair that looked like a flame itself — stepped forward first."I'm Arion," she said. "I mess with fire. Don't worry, I won't burn your house down... unless someone gives me a reason."
Laughter rippled faintly through the room.
Her younger companion nudged her and grinned."Seraya," she said. "Same fire business. Arion's my teacher… or my bad influence, depending on who you ask."
"Dareth," said a broad-shouldered man near the back. His hands were stained with dirt. "I work with soil and stone. You'll probably find me in the fields before the kitchen."
A small girl, barely fifteen, raised her hand next."I'm Liora. I can call lightning. It kinda... listens to my mood, so if I get mad, better step back."
That earned another small laugh.
"Varyn," said a quiet girl with feathers braided in her hair. "Birds listen to me. I don't control them much—they just... talk. Complain mostly."
Then came Elenor, brushing a strand of silver-blonde hair from her face."Wind," she said simply. "If there's ever a breeze inside a closed room, that's probably me trying to eavesdrop."
"Thalen," a man said next, voice calm but eyes cold. "Ice, if you couldn't guess. Helps when the drinks get warm."
Three people stood together — Nyssa, Corven, and Isolde — their eyes carrying the same faint red shimmer."We're blood witches," Nyssa said quietly. "Our magic makes the body stronger. Pain too, sometimes."Corven added, "It's not as bad as it sounds. Mostly."Isolde just gave a faint smirk. "Depends who you ask."
Then Rynar — older, steady — stepped forward."I use blood too," she said. "But mine shapes into weapons. Handy for defense. Scares most people off before they even try."
A soft light filled the corner as Maelis bowed her head."I work with light. I can heal a bit, help others recover mana. I prefer tending wounds to fighting."
Last came Zevra, the youngest, barely sixteen, with a mischievous glint in her eyes."I can… change shape," she said, rubbing her neck a little shyly. "Any living creature, really — people, animals, whatever I can picture clearly. But…" she gave a small laugh, "it only works if the size is about the same as mine. No dragons or bears, sadly."