The spirits shone brightly, filling the air with golden and green light, as if they were celebrating Anansi's arrival.
Her long lilac hair waved in the wind, though her signature pointed hat stayed firmly in place, untouched by the breeze.
Her gaze, empty of any emotion, settled on her student and adopted son.
"I see. We'll talk about it later, then. Aida, could you heal him, please?" she asked calmly.
As the words left her mouth, Anansi's hat lifted slightly.
A rag doll's head poked out, braids painted in rainbow colors.
"Right away, boss!" the doll chirped cheerfully, leaping from the witch's head onto Alioth's shoulder.
As she sailed through the air, her green dress flowed in serpentine curves, catching the sunlight in serpentine curves.
Alioth knew her well. She was a Lwa, one of the living dolls Anansi had created.
In this life, they had raised and cared for him, and he had grown deeply fond of them.
Aida landed lightly on the boy's shoulder and stretched her small doll hands toward his bruised face.
"My poor Alioth! What happened to you, my sweet boy? That wound looks awful," the Lwa said, her voice full of concern.
As she spoke, she waved her arms near the injury, summoning a multicolored glow.
"It's nothing, Aida. Don't worry," Alioth reassured her, already feeling relief spread through him.
His face began to mend until no trace of the damage remained.
"Thank you so much for healing me, Aida," he said with a small smile.
Aida was the most affectionate of the Lwa, and she knew more about raising children than anyone.
His mind drifted back to the time when, as a tiny baby, Anansi had set him in front of a book and told him to start reading.
If not for the Lwa, things would have been much harder for him.
"Don't mention it, my little snowflake. You know your big sister will always look after you," she said, wrapping her tiny arms around his face in a hug.
His cheeks flushed a faint red, but he tried to play it cool.
'Don't hug me in front of everyone! It's embarrassing.'
The boy thought to himself, though he said nothing.
"By the spirits, who are you? I've never seen such a beautiful aura," a soft voice said.
It was Latisha. She seemed captivated by Anansi.
'Aura? So she's not blind.'
The boy reflected. Latisha must have a mutation in her eyes, granting her one of the "celestial senses."
These were rare mutations that altered a sense, letting people perceive the world in unique ways.
Alioth had studied them because of his own ability to see spirits—not his only innate gift.
He could also understand other dialects and forms of communication. Sometimes he could even hear spirits and interpret their "words."
"My name is Anansi. I'm Alioth's tutor," she replied calmly.
"It's a pleasure, Anansi. My name is—"
Before she could finish, another voice cut in.
"Wow! What is that?" Nora exclaimed.
The girl rushed toward Alioth. He instinctively raised his arms to shield himself, but it was too late.
She was already there.
"What is that?! It moves on its own! How cool!" She leaned in close to inspect the doll.
Aida greeted her with a bright smile.
"I'm Ayida-Wedo, but everyone calls me Aida. I'm a Lwa, a doll brought to life basically," she explained kindly.
Nora's emerald eyes sparkled with excitement, but it didn't last.
"Nora! Don't just run off while we're arguing, and stop bothering these people. You've caused enough trouble already," her mother scolded sternly.
The woman grabbed Nora by the hair and pulled her back, earning a groan from the girl.
Ignoring her protests, the woman turned to the white-haired boy and his teacher.
"I'm really sorry about my daughter's behavior. She's... intense. Trust me, she'll get a proper scolding from me," she said, looking embarrassed. "If there's anything I can do to make up for it, just say the word."
Alioth shrugged.
"It's fine, really. I can see you have your hands full with her," he replied indifferently.
He immediately felt a murderous glare from a pair of emerald eyes, but he ignored it.
"Are you sure? At least let me treat you to a meal. We're not from around here, but my sister runs an inn called The Winged Pig. Tell them you're with Tata, and they'll give you an amazing spread."
The woman offered, clearly still upset about what Nora had done.
Alioth felt a twinge of sympathy for her, dealing with that golden-haired whirlwind every day couldn't be easy.
But he also felt sorry for what was coming next.
His teacher would probably turn it down flat. Not out of rudeness, she just tended to be direct.
And he knew the routine: she'd take him back "home" while she handled her business in the city, and he wouldn't set foot outside until she said so.
He didn't mind, really.
At home, he could study in peace and quiet, exactly what he preferred.
It was all because of Anansi's concern.
Prolonged exposure to ambient spiritual particles could be dangerous without enough orgone.
Most illnesses in this world stemmed from that very thing.
That's why he rarely went out.
At first, it had frustrated him. He wanted to explore, to make the most of this new, mobile body.
After spending so long in a coma in his previous life, freedom tasted sweet.
But then the fear set in.
What if he slipped back into that state? What if he got sick enough to end up vegetative again?
He wasn't willing to risk it.
He needed to develop some kind of safeguard before venturing out properly.
He had accepted it.
And he'd grown used to this lifestyle.
The boy glanced at Anansi. For some reason, she was already looking at him.
Her usually blank eyes held a flicker of something he couldn't quite place.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"The truth is, I'm very busy today," she began.
'Yes, turn it down. I don't want to spend another minute with that chaotic brat.'
"However, why don't I leave Alioth with you? He's a very obedient boy. I'm sure he could help with something, and if you could look after him until nightfall, I'd be grateful."
Alioth's heart skipped a beat. Those words hit him like a brick.
"I see. No problem at all. I'm used to handling brats, haha," Tata replied with a forced laugh.
'No no no, wait! You can't leave me with this crazy girl all day!'
"Fantastic. I'll leave him in your care, then," Anansi said, her face still expressionless, though Alioth could have sworn he saw a glint of mischief in her eyes.
'Don't I get a say? I don't want to!'
Spirits twinkled in the air, splashing green and golden lights around them as Alioth watched his quiet library afternoon vanish.
"See you later, Alioth," Anansi said, turning to leave. "I'm leaving Aida with you too, so don't worry about a thing. Have fun."
With no choice left, Alioth forced a smile and waved.
"Goodbye, teacher. See you later."
'I'll remember this betrayal.'
And just like that, Alioth was dragged against his will into an afternoon far from his peaceful routine.