“…5324… 5325… 5326… 5327… I think that’s more than enough…”

  Said the red-haired woman, sitting at a wooden desk with a candle lighting her workspace. The hut’s shelves were packed with hand-bound books, and only a few of them came from outside sources.

  “A few more… a few more…”

  She kept talking as she crossed off another day on her calendar. As she spoke, her breath could be seen condensing from the cold she was exposed to. In her moment of concentration, someone suddenly knocked at the door.

  “Griezu, are you there? The village chief called a meeting about tomorrow.”

  Said a woman with a high-pitched, off-key voice.

  “I’m coming!”

  Far, far away from the central beast kingdom, in the frozen tundra of Lydenfrost’s seventh ring, there was a village of human refugees: nomads who belonged to no kingdom, exiles or survivors of beast attacks. The village didn’t have many members—at most, there were 28 people. A third of them were women, and the rest were men. There were no children, but there were some pregnant women.

  “I’m glad to see you’re still alive, folks,” said the chief. “Enjoy the warmth while you can; the cold season is approaching and we’ll have to migrate to the central rings soon. Does anyone have anything to report?”

  “Food is starting to run low,” one of the attendees mentioned. “We did an inventory of our supplies, and we only have enough for three months.”

  “That’s a sign we need to leave as soon as possible. We came here for her, remember?” The chief sighed and continued speaking. “Anyone else?”

  Silence filled the meeting, and practically the only sounds were the crackling fire and the faint distant howling of the wind through the trees.

  “I’ve been watching the hawk beasts. They’re preparing to send their tribute,” another person said. “According to my predictions, we’ll have a clear path to descend to the sixth ring at midnight.”

  “Midnight?” one of them complained, crossing his arms. “Why so late at night?”

  “If you want to survive and not be found by the beasts, that’s the time. The chief also wants to carry out his plan with the Witch, so that’s the only viable time,” he responded.

  The others fell silent for a moment, looking at one another.

  “You’re talking about the gifted one, right? The one who can cast spells without even reciting them, the one with the pointy ears,” a villager mentioned.

  “The Witch’s magic is powerful, but I doubt she could even take on a beast,” a female villager argued.

  “Seriously? After all this time, you still think she’s not capable enough?” another villager snapped. “Nonsense! If she weren’t, none of us would be alive.”

  “Only the best of the best go to the beasts’ tournament,” another woman said. “She saved us, yes, but those were everyday beasts.”

  “Trusting her blindly would leave us humans even more exposed than we already are!”

  “Oh yeah? Then why don’t you go and try to protect us with your basic spells, huh?!”

  Suddenly and out of nowhere, the red-haired girl appeared behind them.

  “How about you all just shut the hell up already?!” the Witch exclaimed.

  “It’s her!” all the villagers shouted.

  “I told you there’s nothing to worry about. Defeating a beast is easier than you think, you just have to put in the effort!” Griezu said seriously.

  “Griezu… uh… you finally showed up,” the chief said, trying to deescalate the situation. “I guess you were a little panicked about today’s plan and showed up late… hehehe…”

  “Do I look like I just got back from a walk in the woods? Has the cold frozen your brains or what?” Griezu snapped. “I’ve been working day and night non-stop to be ready for today, and you’re doubting me at the last minute?”

  “I know there’s no way to be sure, but… if they went against their principles… you’d be surrounded,” a villager said.

  “That’s if she survives the mana sickness from using beast magic. I used to be a wizard apprentice in my hometown. Human magic always seemed too simple and boring compared to beast magic,” said a male villager. “I couldn’t move for more than three hours and had a few seizures, according to my master.”

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  “She uses beast magic?” a female villager asked, surprised. “I-I thought she used advanced human magic.”

  “Human magic is limited by the mana in the environment. Beast magic is limited by the mana within you,” Griezu emphasized. “I’ve been using beast magic for over twenty years. That long has made my body get used to the mana flow.”

  “A human can’t do that,” the apprentice villager objected. “I’ve always been curious about your pointy ears. You’re the only one I’ve ever seen like that.”

  “That’s enough!” said the chief. “Don’t bite the hand that’s saving you. What’s the point of questioning her if she’s clearly on our side?”

  “Some of you really don’t deserve to be saved,” said Griezu. “But if I have to do the impossible to save those who are worth saving, then I will. Chief, the time for the transport is near, I’d better go prepare my things.”

  “Yes, yes, of course, Griezu,” the chief replied, then turned to the others. “You heard her, get your things ready. We’ll head to the sixth ring once Griezu distracts the hawks.”

  Midnight was approaching. In half an hour, the villagers had packed up all their belongings and tents into carts. Meanwhile, Griezu returned to her hut.

  “The time has come,” she said as she pointed her staff at the last written page of the book she was assembling. Instantly, without saying a word, half the books in the room came apart. Their pages were absorbed into the spell, slowly forming a single, thick book. “My twenty years of work is complete. My Arcanicon,” she said, storing it in her robes.

  “Ahh… what have you gotten yourself into, Griezu? What have you gotten yourself into?” she said to herself while playing with the Arcanicon’s pages. “One day you’re brewing potions and the next you’re in a world you know nothing about,” she added, placing a hand on her chin, thoughtful. “A hundred and fifty-one years go by faster than I thought…”

  Griezu took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  “There’s no time to waste. Humanity’s survival depends on me. The beasts will pay for the atrocities they’ve committed. I’ll show them who the dominant species is.”

  Determined to carry out her plan, Griezu and the others departed for the descent point. The journey was rough, the freezing weather biting to the bone, but thanks to Griezu’s magic, they arrived safely.

  “This is where we part ways, Chief. It’s been a pleasure and also not really a pleasure being with you all these years. The next time you see me, I won’t be a wandering witch—I’ll be the queen of Lydenfrost.”

  “On behalf of the village, thank you for saving us all those years ago. Now go and fulfill your promise, Witch of the Seventh Ring,” said the chief, moved.

  Griezu nodded at him, looking him in the eye before turning away. With the help of her staff and magic, she rose into the air.

  “éntoírift!”

  Near the descent point stood the arch of the portal to the central beast kingdom, similar to the one in the kingdom of Vereida, but with different inscriptions. From above, the witch saw the hawk beasts lined up in two rows, creating a path for the tribute to walk through the portal.

  The hawk beasts wore oriental-style robes—a haori with unique designs, fastened only by a cord with several flasks on it.

  The portal wasn’t active yet. The witch spotted a very, very old beast, carrying a spherical rock between his wings—likely a piece of the meteorite from Lydenfrost’s creation.

  Griezu descended cautiously into the thick foliage around the clearing. She watched as the portal activated before her eyes. The whole scene resembled a sacred ritual, meant to honor the hawk race.

  “Now… where’s the tribute?” Griezu asked herself, constantly glancing toward the portal.

  But her questions would soon be answered—the tribute had arrived late to the farewell ceremony. And where was he? Right beneath her.

  Griezu realized this, and faster than lightning, pulled the Arcanicon from her robes. Flipping through its pages, she chose one and made it float using her staff.

  “A shapeshifting spell should be enough to pass as him.”

  The Arcanicon page began to orbit the gem at the tip of her staff as she got into position. Her staff had a trigger, which she placed her finger on, ready to fire.

  “Peipei! Quick, I need my tribute diadem! I can’t leave without it!” said the hawk beast.

  “I-I’ll go get it!” said the hawk assistant.

  But then, a cracking sound came from beneath Griezu’s feet. The branches she was hiding on began to break, and since her spell was ready in her staff, she couldn’t prevent the fall—landing directly on top of the tribute.

  A loud crash echoed. Several guards tried to see what was going on, but the underbrush made it difficult to see clearly.

  The tribute passed out from the impact. Having a person fall on your head must be painful. Griezu quickly got up, rubbing her sore rear, and immediately cast her spell on the tribute, perfectly copying his appearance.

  She hid the unconscious tribute’s body in the bushes just in time, as Peipei arrived to check.

  “Novell?! Are you alright? I heard a loud noise coming from here,” Peipei asked, flustered.

  “Yeah, yeah, all good. Just a branch that fell from that tree,” Griezu said.

  “Alright, put on the diadem, quickly. You were supposed to be gone five minutes ago,” Peipei scolded.

  Griezu walked to the portal entrance, where the old beast awaited.

  “It’s time for the tribute’s oath,” the elder said, placing his right wing over Griezu’s head. “Do you solemnly swear to represent the House of Hawk until your body ceases to exist?”

  “Yes, I swear.”

  “Then so be it. May the strength of the ancestors guide you on your journey.”

  Griezu stepped through the portal without hesitation, and it immediately closed.

  “It’s done. Time to return to the village,” said the old beast, spreading his wings. But suddenly…

  “Wait, open the portal!”

  It was Novell’s voice—the real tribute. He came out from the bushes, covered in vines and leaves.

  “I’m coming!”

  Everyone’s faces showed astonishment and confusion. Their tribute was still here… but if he was here… who had they just sent?

  “N-no-no-no-Novell! W-what are you doing here? How is this possible? Then… who… aaahh…?” Peipei stammered before fainting from the shock.

  “Aunt Peipei! Are you okay? Answer me!” Novell shouted, rushing to help her.

  They say luck turns against those who deserve it the least. I’ve also been told that luck doesn’t exist, that everything is predetermined from the start. Whatever you believe, the result is the same: a clash of epic proportions between humans and beasts. The final battle that will decide, once and for all, which species reigns supreme.