After driving following every direction given by the old ghost.
Ruby saw something appear in the distance—tall mountain peaks with their tips hidden in fog. But what caught her eyes more was the forest spread all around it. The trees weren’t green like usual. They were deep red, as if dipped in warm sunset. From a distance, it looked magical...
Julian leaned forward slightly, looking through the windshield in awe. "It looks... beautiful," he whispered.
"It’s breathtaking," Ruby said softly, slowing the car just a little, not wanting to miss the view.
The forest was clearly getting thicker the closer they drove.
And as the silence stretched too long, Ruby glanced at the rearview mirror and raised her brow. "By the way... you all never introduced yourselves to me."
The youngest witch, who was sitting at the end with her short legs tucked up, perked up. "Oh! I’m Nini," she said quickly, flashing a nervous smile. "I just finished my basic learning."
The witch sitting squished in the middle raised her hand a little. "I’m Maira," she said softly. She had a very thin body and voice like thread, almost like she could vanish with wind.
The tall one beside her cracked her neck and leaned a little forward, her tone confident. "Call me Sora. I used to be a defense witch during the southern border season. But I prefer mountain hunting more."
Ruby nodded, lips twitching into a smile. "Impressive."
The old ghost sitting beside them gave a short chuckle. "And I’m Bran. Just an old man with a big mouth and too many memories."
Julian turned slightly and smiled at him. "You’re the bravest one among us today, Bran."
"I wouldn’t say brave," Bran muttered. "Maybe just tired of sitting around waiting for kids to fix things."
Everyone laughed softly, and the car continued moving toward the forest.
"Lower a bit—yeah, yeah, just like that," old Bran muttered from the back seat, pointing his wrinkled fingers toward a curving part of the forest road. "Now go left... slowly... it’s a downhill slope but we’re almost there. See that shadow? That’s the cliff area."
Ruby adjusted the steering wheel gently, her hands steady even as the path grew narrower and trees brushed against the side mirrors. The car slowly rolled deeper into the forest’s heart.
It was quieter here—eerily quiet. The sunlight barely reached the forest floor now, and a soft fog had begun to settle along the roots of the red-leaved trees.
"That area," Bran said again, his voice growing firmer, "That’s the one. Pull over near that fallen tree... yeah, yeah... that’s close enough."
Ruby turned off the engine and everyone slowly stepped out of the car, stretching their legs and adjusting their suits again. They stood in a circle now, surrounded by trees so tall they blocked the sky. The air smelled damp and earthy, like old soil and morning dew, but there was something else too—a faint, bitter scent that made the back of the throat itch.
Bran reached into his leather pouch and pulled out five small cloth packets tied with string. The cloth was dark gray and slightly wet, and as soon as he untied one, a horrible stench hit the air.
Everyone immediately leaned back.
"Ugh!!" Nini covered her nose.
"Oh my god, what is that!" Sora stepped back, waving her hand in front of her face.
"It’s the protective pouch," Bran said calmly, like he didn’t even smell it anymore. "Tie it around your neck or your waist. The Yellow Bitters hate ugly smell. They won’t come close unless you touch their hive."
Ruby coughed softly, already tying hers. "Let’s just not touch anything yellow and buzzing."
Bran nodded. "That’s the goal. Stay together, don’t panic, and whatever you do—don’t run."
They all exchanged glances, the mood turning serious again. The wind rustled through the red leaves above them like whispering warnings. Ruby looked at Julian, who was still making a face at the smell, and gently patted his shoulder.
He nodded with a deep breath. "Let’s go find your Mistvine."
After Ruby opened her car trunk, she started taking out their personal bags and gave them one by one. The trunk had many bags inside, all neatly arranged, and as she handed them over, the witches couldn’t help but notice how well-prepared everything looked.
The younger witch, Nini, leaned closer and blinked at the number of bags still sitting in the trunk. She tilted her head curiously and asked, "What is this? Why do you have so many bags?"
Ruby smiled as she closed the trunk gently. "Oh, that’s a gift for my other husbands,"
As soon as she said that, the witches blinked in surprise.
"You have other husbands?" Sora asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Ruby said, smiling gently. "They’re at home. I didn’t bring them this time."
"Ehh?" Nini tilted her head. "How many do you have?"
Ruby laughed lightly. "Four."
After Ruby locked the car, the soft beep echoed faintly through the forest. She placed the keys in her pocket and turned around, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at the narrow trail in front of them.
The red trees swayed gently in the wind, their leaves rustling like soft whispers. Everyone adjusted the straps of their bags, the pouches of bad-smelling herbs still tied at their waists or hanging from their necks, and slowly, the group began walking.
The forest floor was uneven but walkable, covered with soft moss and dry leaves that crunched quietly beneath their boots. Ruby walked beside Julian, while Bran led from the front, humming a low tune like he was keeping the forest calm. Behind them, Maira walked silently with her eyes scanning the trees, Sora kept pulling up her sleeves and looking annoyed at the heat, and Nini kept swinging her arms as she looked left and right with childlike wonder.
"Is this path safe?" Ruby asked softly, glancing at the shadows between the trees.
"As long as we stay on this trail," Bran replied. "They don’t like open paths. They build hives in tight rocky spaces."
"Ehh..." Julian whispered, already keeping close to Ruby, his hand brushing against hers from time to time.
—To be continued...🪄