The sun’s rays burned brightly as two poor dehydrated figures made their way across the unforgiving desert. The figures were a young lady and her five year old sister. Panting heavily, the young woman glanced up to see their destination. Triumphed City. It was right there; both sisters were relieved to see such a sight. They couldn’t believe that through all of their suffering, they finally had made it. “Sis, we are here!” the younger one yelled.

“Ah,” the elder agreed, “finally.” Even though this should have been a great moment, one of celebration no less, the elder lady was very fearful. What would become of them, especially if she was found out? There were many things the younger didn’t know; one of them being their family line. The girls both had different mothers. The younger had a normal mother with a normal life while the other’s mother, well, she was a witch. The elder was also a witch. The elder’s mother was one of the reasons the sisters had to travel across the desert.

“Crys? Crys!” the younger girl exclaimed. Crystal, or Crys as the younger called her, jumped. She was lost in thought. As Crys acknowledged her, the younger girl grabbed hold of Crystal’s wrist and drug her along through the scorching sand and sun, “Let’s go! Let’s go! Oh, we’re almost there!”

Crys, overwhelmed with the speed they were moving, barely breathed out the words, “A-ah! Bella! Slow down!” Bella immediately stopped, causing her sister to topple over the thin-grained sand and onto her face.

“I’m sooooooo sorry!” Bella cried out with teary eyes. She buried her face into Crys’s long dress, and let out all her emotions. Crystal’s eyes widened at the spring of sentiment. These feelings weren’t just about launching her into the fiery depths of the sand abyss, but they were also about everything the little five year old just had to go through. Crys’s mother just intentionally caused their father’s death. It did not help the fact that Crys’s mother, Lyra, didn’t even try to hide it. She just smirked as little Bella screamed her heart out. There was nothing Crys could do but take Bella away from the scene. That’s how they ended up on their journey to Triumphed City.

Triumphed City was a safe haven for anyone to get away from witches, except for the other witches of course. This was hardly a problem since Crys did not like to practice witchcraft, much less call herself a witch. Anyway, Triumphed City is a place where many non-witches came to share their ideas, some of which have to deal with exterminating witches.

As they arrived, they ran into a young man who was delivering crops to the different citizens, “Are ya new here?”

The siblings nodded.

“Well then, let me be the first to welcome you! My name is Andrew, born and raised here in Triumphed. Who are you?”

“My name is Crystal,” the elder sibling said smiling, “and this little rascal here is Bella. We’re siblings trying to find a better life.” This was the truth, but not the whole truth. She couldn’t tell anyone her secret, ever.

“Nice ta meet ya!” Andrew said returning Crys’s smile. “Do ya need a guide?”

“Really?!” Bella asked with sparkling eyes. She looked towards her sister, who was trying her best not to look into the younger’s innocent pleading eyes, and whispered, “Crys. . .”

Crystal bit her lip and eventually gave in, “If you are willing. . .” She did not want to force the poor man to help them. Also, even though the city was a supposed ‘safe haven’ there were still attacks, and that could cause her to expose her powers to just protect them. Please say no, please say no, Crys thought.

“Well, I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t willing!” Andrew answered with a goofy grin. Both girls bowed to show him their respect, and while Bella was ecstatic by this development, Crys could honestly want nothing to do with the man for fear he would get hurt, either physically or mentally.

Their tour was very entertaining from Andrew cracking jokes at every place he deemed important enough to stop to Bella tipping over a box of live frogs and the manager crying hysterically as his ‘goods’ escaped. The siblings were smiling and laughing, unlike how dreary they were when they arrived. For this, Crystal was grateful. She did not believe that her and her sister could actually laugh this much after all that had happened. The siblings grew close to the young man they met on the streets delivering goods to people. She figured things would get better from there, but little did she know, things would only get worse.

Almost immediately as the tour was about to end, Crys could sense an evil presence. Fearing the worst, she started to look for escape routes; doing so caused her to stop in the middle of an alleyway that they were using as a shortcut. Seeing her stop, Andrew called Bella back to him. Seeing how she was skipping ahead of the two, he called out to Crys, “Is everything alright, Crystal?” His eyes widened as he saw an evil sorceress behind Crystal. He hurriedly forced Bella behind him in attempt to protect her. His surprise only grew when Crystal barely glanced behind her and shot herself away from the sorceress, her back still towards him.

Her words came out cracking, but she knew that she had to get her point across to Andrew, “Take Bella away from here!” Her tears were visible, she did not believe she would make it out of this battle, but she would protect those important to her, “Keep her safe! P-please. . .”

“Crys! Don’t do this! Please!” Andrew called out. Bella looked around Andrew, and when her eyes locked onto her mother she started to whimper. Hearing this, Andrew turned and held the younger sibling. He was at a loss of what to do. Does he leave with Bella or help Crystal? A high pitched scream emitted from Crystal pulled Andrew from his thoughts in enough time to catch Bella around the waist. Crys took out a gold Sharpie, drew small, demonic creatures in the air, and brought them to life. That was when he knew that this was a fight between two powerful witches, and he couldn’t stay. The decision was made, and he hoped he wouldn’t regret it, “You better come back alive, Crys!”

Tears leaked from Bella’s eyes as she was carried away by Andrew, “No! Stop it! Drew! A-Andrew! Please! Crys! . . .Crys. . .no. . .”

Hearing her sister’s distress, Crystal turned and smiled a small, sad smile. She mouthed ‘Stay with Andrew. He’ll protect you.’ At this, Bella cried hysterically into Andrew’s shoulder, who held her softly and ran from the scene.

He silently promised to keep the little girl safe, even though she was related to a witch.

After seeing that her sister was safe, Crystal turned around to face her foe. Both witches sized each other up. They charged at one another, their strongest spells reared back and ready to be cast. When the mother and daughter reached one another, they cast their spells and the result was a colossal explosion. As both were blown back, Crystal hit the brick building that was once to her right. While trying her best to keep her consciousness, she couldn’t see her mother anywhere. Her sight started to go out on her, and she started to beg silently to be able to stay. Oh, how much she wanted to stay. . . “Guess that’s a no then,” Crys whispered as she slowly lost consciousness.

Six months later, Bella and Andrew were silently eating dinner at the table in Andrew’s house. It had been like this since they left Crystal in the alleyway. They went back there several times hoping that Crys would be there. No one could find her body; they didn’t even know if she was alive. It did not even look as though there were even a chance, but they kept believing. It was all they had. Finally getting the courage to talk, Andrew spoke softly, “How’s school? I saw your grades, they’re good.”

“Sis wouldn’t want me to fall behind. She always thought that I should get as much knowledge as I can,” Bella mumbled keeping her eyes on her food. She was not even trying to be ignorant anymore. Her hope was dwindling.

“Right. . . Are the kids treating you well?”

There was silence for the longest time, and this was not the kind of silence that was anywhere near comfortable, until Bella murmured, “No.” Frozen to his seat, Andrew couldn’t think of any words to help the poor girl.

He bit his lip, “Do you want to go again?” The only thing he could do was take her to where her sister’s memory still lasted. Mutely, Bella got up and grabbed his hand. The two had grown closer and closer, even though they hardly ever spoke to one another. Bella saw Andrew as an elder brother. He honored the Crystal's wish and kept Bella safe. There was nothing more important to him than Bella’s safety and happiness.

When they reached the familiar alley, they were surprised to see another figure standing in front of a crack in the brick wall on their right. The figure was a young lady who had short choppy hair. It looked as though the bottom was burnt off a while ago. The lady was also wearing glasses and a pair of dark jeans and a blue button-up shirt. She wore dark brown boots. Hearing the two approaching, the young lady looked up at them. Bella only hesitated until she saw the young lady smile softly at her, turning so they could take in her full appearance. As Bella ran over to the lady, realization lit up in Andrew’s eyes, and he started to tear up. The lady then picked up Bella, and then she looked over to Andrew, “You wouldn’t believe the headache those nurses were giving me when I woke up! Man, being in a coma sucks!”

“Are you alright?” Andrew lamely asked.

Bella started to cry as she heard the soft laughter that she never thought she’d hear again, “Yeah. . . It’s nice to be back.”

“Welcome back, Crystal.”