Celestia: The Cursed Witch

xv

Celestia woke up from her sleep with a strange feeling in her chest. Something was off—and her gut was right. She was floating in the air.

Her eyes opened, and she spotted her aunt casually leaning on the doorway with her arms crossed.

“Aunt! Put me down!” Celestia shouted, squirming mid-air.

“What did I tell you? You have to be up early,” Renee said with a smirk.

She had already informed her team about her decision to stay in the Shadowclaw Pack for a month. They understood and agreed without hesitation. Renee knew her absence would be a loss, but preparing Celestia was more important now.

“Mother, please,” Celestia said in a dramatic tone, trying to pull some sympathy. The word made Renee’s heart melt a little.

“You can’t use that on me,” she said, but her voice softened. She gently lowered Celestia back onto the bed. Celestia giggled as her feet touched the floor.

“You love me,” she teased, sitting up.

“Of course I do,” Renee replied, walking over to her. “Now get cleaned up. Breakfast is ready,” she added.

Celestia nodded and stretched before heading to the bathroom.

When Celestia was done, they went out together and Celestial kept looking around the house.

“I’ll look for Kieran, Mother,” she said. Renee sat on the chair in the dining room.

“He’s already at the training ground,” Renee said. “We’ll meet him there with Roxy. I’m handling your training today,” she added.

After a quick meal together, they walked out into the fresh morning air. The training ground wasn’t far, and Celestia could already hear the faint sound of weapons clashing and voices calling out drills.

Renee turned to her as they reached the edge.

“Today, we focus on spell casting. Let’s see what you’ve really learned.”

Celestia took a deep breath and nodded, trying to hide her excitement. She was being trained by her aunt again, her protector, and the closest thing she had to a mother.

They stepped onto the training ground, and Celestia immediately walked toward Kieran, who was already smiling when he saw her.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Kieran asked gently.

Celestia nodded. “I did. What about you?”

“I did too,” he said with a soft smile. “I’m heading out for patrol today. Just wanted to see you before I go.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Okay… take care,” she whispered.

“I’ll be back,” he promised and kissed her forehead. Then he nodded at Renee and Roxy before turning to leave.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Renee said, her tone all business now.

The next hour and a half was intense. Renee didn’t hold back. Celestia gave it her all—casting spells, defending, focusing—but eventually dropped to the ground, completely spent. Her head was pounding, and she could barely lift her arms.

“I… I can’t,” she breathed out, chest rising and falling fast.

“Ophelia did teach you well,” Renee said as she stood nearby, arms crossed. She had expected Celestia to struggle more, but the girl had surprised her. She already knew a few solid spells for both combat and defense.

Celestia turned her head slowly and gave a tired smile.

“She did. She hated me at first because I wasn’t a full-blooded witch… but she never missed a day of teaching me,” she said with a soft laugh.

Renee’s expression softened. She walked over and knelt beside her.

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Renee asked. Celestia shook her head.

“It’s all in the past now, Aunt. And I understand why she was that way,” she replied.

Just then, the sound of quick footsteps caught their attention. Kieran was running toward them, his smile wide and excited.

Renee stood up quickly and helped Celestia get to her feet. Before she could steady herself, Kieran swept her up in his arms and spun her around.

Celestia burst into laughter, her head spinning.

“Okay, okay! Stop! I’m dizzy!” she said between giggles.

Kieran finally put her down, still grinning.

“I have news!” he exclaimed.

“What happened?” Celestia asked, wiping tears from her eyes as she caught her breath.

“The Grand Witch gave her answer,” Kieran said. “She’s allowing you to travel—but with one condition,” he added.

Celestia stared at him, wide-eyed.

“What condition?” she asked.

“They’ll send a witch to go with us. As our companion… and a guard,” he replied.

Celestia’s mouth dropped open in shock, then slowly turned into the biggest smile. Her eyes filled with happy tears.

“I… I can’t believe it,” she whispered.

“Well, believe it,” Kieran said, resting his forehead gently against hers. “You’re going to see the world, Celestia,” he added.

And for the first time in a long while, she truly felt like she was free.

“Aunt! You heard that?” Celestia turned toward her aunt, eyes wide with joy.

Renee smiled, eyes glistening with tears. She nodded.

“Of course I did. And I’m so happy for you,” she said.

She meant every word, even if her heart was heavy with worry. The world outside the pack was dangerous, full of unknown threats. But she didn’t want to spoil this moment for Celestia—not when she looked so alive.

“And since the Grand Witch finally agreed,” Renee said, her tone turning a little more serious, “that means your training will be more intense. You know that, right?”

“Yes,” Celestia replied, nodding firmly.

“It’s for your own good,” Renee added. “We don’t know what’s out there, waiting or watching. But if you’re well-prepared, you’ll stand a better chance,” she added.

“I understand, Aunt,” Celestia said quietly. The joy didn’t fade, but there was a new weight in her voice. She knew the responsibility she carried—and she was ready to face it.

Before the mood could grow too heavy, Roxy strolled up to them with a playful smirk on her face.

“Excuse me,” she said, raising a brow. “Are we all just going to pretend I don’t exist now?” she jokingly added.

Celestia laughed, already sensing where this was going.

“I just want to remind you, Cels, don’t forget about me when you go off and see the world. Because if you think training with Renee is brutal—mine was hell,” Roxy added, flipping her hair dramatically.

That made them all burst into laughter. Even Renee chuckled, shaking her head.

“She’s not wrong,” Renee said and they laughed again.

Celestia grinned, her heart feeling warm and full.