Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword

Summary: There's a difference between Witches and Magicians, though not many humans actually cared. In their eyes, this race were filled vile creatures that had longer life spans just because they could use magic. One incident leading to the next and the so-called Witch Hunt begins.

Dread seemed to linger in the otherwise peaceful night of a town that contradicted the very nature of nightfall. Most houses didn't emit any light, but Aisha could see light illuminating from a window every so often. Probably because of the commotion that she was causing.

Aisha's breath was nothing but hasty. It was a sign of fatigue, she knew, but she just couldn't stop - or she might get -

"This way!"

- Suppressing a gasp in fear of them hearing it, she forced her feet to a halt and pressed her back against the wall, turning it into her hiding place. She couldn't let them find her, or she might as well be dead. And she can't have that. Not yet.

Every footstep that came closer and closer resonated with the beating of her frantic heart. She tried to calm down, hoping that the very organ that keeps her alive wouldn't cause her her capture and a life worst than death.

As Aisha saw shadows around the corner, she pressed closer to the wall, willing herself to become one with the stone structure. She didn't even as much as dare to breathe.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the light that guided her pursuers' path through the dark streets of Ruben.

Don't come this way, don't come this way! She pleaded in her mind but to her utmost dread, the light became brighter, shooing the shadow that had aided her concealment.

She gritted her teeth, she was left with no other choice. And so, she utter a string of foreign - ancient - words under her breath while she wrote intricate symbols of the unknown language in the air.

She would have to be fast, Aisha thought.

"Over there!"

Despite the light of her spell giving her position away, Aisha was determined to finish it.

Magic was restricted, that she knew. Anyone who was seen using it without the knowledge of the authority would be charged with the crime of harming normal citizens; therefore, they would be captured, have their magic restrained to be only be used when the master gives permission, and a mark branded upon their skin for the world to look at in disgust.

Unconsciously, her free hand went across to grasp onto her uppermost forearm to steady her frantic casting when she saw light just around the corner. (And one would think that light was a source of hope, but it was the opposite in her situation.)

Nonono - She can't be caught now.

"Stop! Don't let her cast that spell!" One of her pursuers commanded.

Hunters, Aisha's mind registered deep loathing for these people. They hunt down Magicians (not witches because she would be damned to not even known her own ethnicity) and bring them to the tyrant who enforced that god forsaken law that forbid magic through all of Rurensia province.

The light source in their hands - a transparent orb that held a sphere of light (funny how they despise her kind but still rely on magical tools) - cast upon her figure, revealing what could have been a clean hooded white coat (had it been properly washed) that seemed a tad bit too big for her. The hood pulled up to hide the caster's unique hair color, which was of violet as revealed by the even bangs that failed to stay hidden. Eyes of a lighter shade concentrated almost desperately for the forming spell -

"Put the magic restraint on her!"

- just as some of them lunged at her with weapons, she finished -

"Tempest!"

- A violent gale came to her aid, pushing them back, cracked through the glass orbs, and cut off their light source while blowing her hood off, revealing a messy bun of violet tresses (it would have been neat if she had the time to car).

At that instant, her forearm flared up as if set on fire, but she ignored it in favor of running for her life. Albeit the sight of blood did cause her momentary delay - she was feeling nauseous at the prospect of spilling gore and cutting off limbs.

The spell Aisha had used was supposed to reduce their light source, not harming them. But... in that moment when they found her like a predator would to a prey, she unintentionally added more power to it. Even though they were after her life, she couldn't help but feel the weight of regret on her shoulder bringing her down when she saw that her gale had taken some of their lives. So, with a silent apology and prayer to whatever god that would listen, she made her escape once again.

Aisha knew that she couldn't linger around any longer, for that last spell used more of her already depleted energy reservoir. For days, she hadn't had a wink of sleep and scarcely any time to eat (not that she had anything edible to begin with in the first place, but that wasn't the point). It was not good on her part.

More Hunters appeared in front of her, and this time, they appeared to have magicians among their ranks to cast up barriers.

She knew there were two kinds of magicians that were registered under the tyrant's rule. The first being magicians who willingly sided with the tyrant, thus gaining favors, and the second, those who refused at first but were condemned to slavery because they were no match.

With just a glance, she judged that these magicians belong to the latter category because some other hunters were barking orders at they would at slaves.

Aisha gritted her teeth and drew her wand from her belt, extending long it into a winged staff as she pulled. Gathering up what magic she could spare, she focused on the head of her staff and then -

Swish!

- she thrust it forward.

The head, where the sparkling energy of magic was concentrated into, allowed the wings to move, extend, and wrap around the staff's entire length while spinning in doing so. As it cut through the air like a bullet, a violet hue outline what now looks like a very sharpened - and very long - lethal needle.

The speed at which it came into contact with the barrier was much greater than the strength she'd used to launched the staff into action with. In a matter of seconds, the barrier cracked and broke into thousands of pieces, allowing the lethal staff to pierce whatever is behind - which were her to-be capturers.

Blood splattered across Aisha's pale complexion as she ran through while calling back her staff after it managed to skew some of her pursuers. She send another silent prayer to the heavens above and close her eyes, trying hard to ignore the painful sensation that was burning up on her forearm.

God, it was like sandpaper rubbing against an open wound that had been stained with salt, yet she was used to it.

She didn't want to see what she had done. Those people may have deserved death but it wasn't enough reason to soothe her of the fact that the lives she had taken were stacking up day by day. They may have families and loved ones to go back to but because of her, they won't be seeing them anytime soon.

Aisha didn't know how long she had been running nor did she check if she was still being chase - her best guess was that she still was. It wasn't until she tripped over something that she opened her eyes. She allow a yelp to escape her lips before her balance tipped her forward and colliding herself with the cobblestone path.

She cursed her foul luck that night and sat up.

Noticing that she still have her staff out and the blood that drip from it, she huffed exasperatedly against a stray hair strand. She then wiped - though a bit hesitant in the beginning - the blood off with the fabric of her coat and willed it to diminish in size till it look like a baton before strapping it back to her belt. She wasn't going to let anyone see her with a staff - with blood on it to boot. That was just yelling in their face that she was a magician - and a killer.

Suddenly detecting a presence before her, Aisha let her gaze fly forward and widening her eyes in an instant after. What stared back at her were bewildered crimson orbs. (If Aisha was to be more specific, it was blood crimson, the color of blood that she had seen many times before - though it seemed to look better than actual blood.)

Did he… She wondered silently if the young man holding a bucket before her saw her staff and what became of it. Her hand went back to the weapon she had just stow away. If he saw, then she would have to -

"Where did she go?!"

"We can't let that witch get away!"

- "I'm a magician, people!" Aisha found herself mumbling indignantly before clamping her gloved hand over her mouth, her violet orbs widening with horror at what she had just admitted out loud. Her worries reflected in her eye as she looked at the young man whose expression seemed unfathomable

Great, now she really have to make sure he was kept mum.

With footsteps rapidly approaching in her direction, she decided not to dawdle any longer -

"Wha - !"

- However, it wasn't her who reacted first. Without warning, the boy had pulled her up by the arm and roughly lead her into the small house that they were in front of.

Forcing her to the wall next to the door, the red haired male shut the door securely and all was still. Even she, who was on the run, who didn't know what the boy's intentions were, was silent despite wanting nothing but to escape.

"Look, blood!"

Aisha silently cursed under her breath, knowing that she must have been careless when she was wiping her staff clean.

"Check the residence! Knock on every door!"

Her breath caught in her throat at the command. They were in front of the place she was hiding in, which meant they would come knocking on this door first and they would see her and -

"Calm down."

- Aisha's supposed savior advised, reading her panicking mind.

And against all her will to knock the guy senseless and flee out the back, Aisha obeyed and stayed in place. She didn't know why she had complied. Was it because of how leveled his voice was that told her to trust him? That and many other thoughts were thrown out the window when a not-so-subtle knock came from the door. "Oi, open up!"

Her hand went to her waist to retrieve her staff, but the boy put his hand over hers, therefore halting her. She immediately looked at him, seeing him silently shaking his head and mouthing a few words that she read as 'it'll make it worst.'

Better than getting caught. Aisha found herself retorting in her head. She had came too far, done too many to have all her efforts be naught in the end. She have to get away from here!

"Open the door or we'll force break it down!"

Creak...

- Alarmed, but she was prepared for the worst when the redhead obliged and turned open the knob. However, to her confusion, he stayed in front, blocking the hunters from entering.

"Hello good sir," He feigned a yawn of fatigue. "What's with all the commotion in the middle of the night?"

"Have a witch," The hunter uttered the word in disgust. "A girl wearing a white coat, purple hair and eyes, been seen running around here?"

"A witch?" He cocked a brow and this was when she braced for the worst. He was going to turn her in, she knew it. What with the price on her head more than enough to buy 100 acres of land and probably a castle in it. He would be able to live a good life without a drop of sweat!

"Nah, none here. Why would you think there's a witch here?" The answer made the magician in question look to the opened door that helped blocked her from view.

"Because we were hot on a trail of one and we found blood right in front of this house." The hunter retorted impatiently.

The other leaned against the door frame, sporting an inquiring look. "Ever thought of the witch performing a teleportation spell? I mean I would if I knew how to use magic. Beats walking all the way to work and back - saves me sleep too!"

"She couldn't perform such a risky spell since that mark will prevent that." The hunter explained and she could hear the sneer in his voice. "So you haven't seen anyone that fit my description?"

"Nope, I was asleep before you woke me up from my dream." He answered nonchalantly, then stood up, stretching and yawning. "Now if you'll excuse me, my job requires me to wake up before dawn so I would appreciate it if you'll let me get back to sleep."

"Fine." The man replied begrudgingly. "But if you ever see the witch, inform us immediately."

"I will and good night sir." He waved a stood there for a few more seconds before closing the door and leaning his back on it. "I'm definitely not going to get a wink of sleep tonight."

"You…" Aisha breathed, she was holding her breath for far too long. Her legs finally gave out to exhaustion, sending her plummeting to the floor. "... helped me."

The young man cocked a brow in her direction. "And is there something wrong with that?"

"But that's… that's against the law!" Aisha weakly argued. "If - if they find out that you hid me, you'll be severely punished!"

"How nice of a magician to care about little ol' me." He smiled with mirth and it caused her cheeks to heat up for some reason.

Aisha then realized that he had called her a magician, not a witch like he and the others did a few minutes ago. Her hands unconsciously clutched onto the front of the white coat she was wearing. Was that part of the act to make it more convincing?

"Let me see your arm." He said as he knelt down, her movement had reminded him of something. It wasn't even a request for he just reach for arm without so much of a refusal on her part. She was still trying to figure out what his intentions were for helping her - who was essentially an outlaw - to respond anyways.

He then leveled his eyes with hers, curiosity lighting up in crimson red. "Are those your blood?"

"H-huh?"

The redhead gestured to her face, then to her once pristine white coat. "You were wiping it off of your staff."

"Oh… um…" Aisha bit her lips when she remembered the deaths that she had caused. "No."

"I see." He mused, and Aisha was glad that he didn't pry any deeper into the subject. Instead, he rolled the loose sleeves of her right arm all the way up until it revealed a black mark in that shape of two crescent moons facing away from each other with a full moon stacking on top of the pair. The entire thing appeared to be a tattoo but she knew that it was anything but.

His eyes soften at the sight of it. "Did it hurt?"

"... What?" His voice was so quiet that she wasn't sure if she heard the question correctly.

"When they put it on you."

Aisha stilled for a moment, wondering why he cared. The mark on her was what told those who saw it that she was a slave. It was carved into her skin with magic from those who willingly followed the new laws. It was how they control magicians who were against it.

If they were to use magic without permission, the marks would react and automatically punish them. It would start by burning red, then intricate runes of lines would then start searing outward - almost like a web - from the the activating mark, ensnaring the area where it have been imprinted on (in her case, it was her forearm) and give the worst pain imaginable. And believe her when she said it was like having her guts twisted inside out and being stabbed by a thousand flaming needles. It was the same intensity as when the mark was placed onto her, if not worst. At one point, if one were to use too much magic without permission, it may become life-threatening.

It was essentially a curse.

"... Not really." Aisha decided lie, prying her arm away and rolling down her sleeve to hide that hideously accursed mark. She stood up, looking anywhere but him. "Thanks for helping me. I'll leave before I cause you more trouble."

"It's dangerous for you right now." He spoke but didn't do anything to stop her, knowing that there was truth in his words.

"I'll… I'll handle them." Aisha countered hesitantly, then balled up her hands into fists, muttering to herself, "As long as I don't get caught, I'll be fine."

"I suggest you rest here till the sun comes. It would be easier to roam around when there are people present in the streets."

Aisha turned to him, eyeing him suspiciously yet incredulously. "Are you telling me to use innocent people as my shield?"

He chuckled at her words, standing up. "Why does that bother you when you already have blood on your hands?"

His challenged was met with silence because what he said was true. She had taken more lives than she could count, but she didn't mean it. They gave her no choice. Every time she killed, she'd always thought about how they deserve death, how for some of them, death was better than the life of slavery. It never completely get rid of her guilt, but it was enough for her to not look back on it.

"No… but…"

"There is no 'but' in this." The young man grinned at his victory, then turned around. "You hungry?"

"... What is your intention for helping me?" Aisha shot back with suspicion instead of answering. Despite him trying to aid her, she still couldn't trust him yet. She couldn't trust anyone that resides in the Lurensia province.

"Do I need one?" He retorted back.

"..."

"Then there you go!" He grinned in victory again before resuming his movement to the kitchen area. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry -"

Grooowl...

- But her stomach doesn't seemed to be on the same page.

The redhead raised a mocking questioning brow. "Oh really?"

Aisha cursed and clasp her hands on her stomach, blushing with embarrassment. "I'm really not!"

Cue more grumbling protests.

He chuckled at the sight. "Better make up your mind before those Hunters come back because of all the ruckus you're making."

"S-shut up!" She demanded through more grumbling, though whether she was commanding her stomach or the young man, only she would know. "Oh fine! Whatever you make will do!"

"Yes ma'am!" He saluted then peaked around the entrance to the kitchen. "The name's Elsword by the way."

The impromptu introduction was so sudden that she was taken aback. In spite of that, however, she pursed her lips in doubt, silently saying that she couldn't trust him.

Elsword shrugged at her reluctant silence and gave her a gentle smile that she rarely receives in her life. "It's fine if you don't tell me. Just have a seat and wait."

It was only after he disappeared that she whispered softly, "... Aisha."

.

.

.

"Sorry about the lack of quality," Elsword said sheepishly, sitting down after he placed the plates of food on the table. "I haven't cook for myself in a while so…"

Although reluctant at first, Aisha took a bit out of what looked to be a piece of carrot. If it tasted bad, she didn't show. "... It's fine. Like I said, anything will do."

"You must be starving then," He observed as she tried to keep her table manners while eating.

"I would be lying if I said no." She answered, shadows falling over her eyes. "I've been... too occupied."

Elsword bit his tongue before he could ask the obvious. He didn't want to pry too much into the girl, who was essentially an escaped convict of some sort. But really, he saw nothing but a scared girl who had lost her innocence after being confronted with the bad side of reality.

To him, she didn't seem to be the type that should belong in this harsh reality. And the fact that she had taken life with her own hands troubled him for some reason. Not that he was afraid that she might kill him, but more uneasy about the fact she shouldn't be a killer in the first place.

"Where are you headed to?" He decided to ask out of curiosity and to interrupt the silence that settled in. He always hated those depressing quietude.

"... Why?" Aisha asked suspiciously back.

He shrugged. "Maybe I could help."

She didn't care if he was offended when she scoffed and remained resolute in her silence. Why would he go to that extent anyways? Helping to hide her from the hunters was already enough of a life-time jail sentence and condemnation. There has to be a catch.

"Well… if you don't want me to help then I won't push it onto you." Elsword continued, drumming his hand against the wooden table while he rest his chin on the other that had been propped by the elbow. "But a girl like you shouldn't be a criminal."

She looked up to meet his gaze and couldn't help but be stunned by him being so blunt and casual.

He returns the look with an innocent one, topping it off with the tilt of his head. "I'm saying that you look too fragile to be killing."

Aisha creased her brows sharply and frowned, obviously offended. "I'm not weak."

"No no no, that's not what I'm saying…." He paused, trying to find the right words. A bright smile adorned his face when he found a comparison. "An angel shouldn't be doing the devil's job, right?"

This time, Aisha was stunned to speechlessness, which caused her to drop her chopsticks. She didn't even think that Elsword knew the weight of what he just said judging from the innocent look in his eyes.

"... Hello?" Elsword started after a moment of silence. He leaned across the table to wave his hand in front of the stunned magician "Earth to the magician, you there?"

Then without warning, Aisha grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

"Ow!"

The girl blinked and immediately let go in shock. "S-sorry! I-it was a reflex…"

Elsword grimaced, returning to his seat and rubbing his wrist. "You would only have that kind of reflex if -" He stopped and snapped his head towards Aisha. "How long have you been like this?"

"... it's late, you should be sleeping." Aisha hastily replied, giving the obvious hint that she wanted to dodge the topic.

"..." Elsword eyed the magician carefully but comply with her unspoken request. "You should too then."

She sighed in relief and nodded without thinking, which caused her to snap up in alert immediately. "W-what?"

"Sleep." The young man pointed to a closed door. "I'll stay out here."

She opened her mouth to argue but he seemed to have read her mind.

"No buts." Elsword said adamantly, pulling her up from her seat and leading her towards the only room in the unkempt house.

"...!"

"Y'know, for a girl, you sure don't talk much. Can't you at least say that I'm such a gentleman?" Elsword grinned cheekily, sparkles radiantly off of him.

"... You're an idiot." She deadpanned as she stood just inside of the room she was to sleep in.

"Are you really going to insult the person who gave you refuge?"

"..."

"Oh, by the way, you should really fix your hair. Right now, you look like a crazy la -"

Wham!

- Aisha slammed the door on him before he could finish. She heard him chuckle and then silence. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and slide down against the door. Browsing through the recent events, Aisha willed herself not to break down just yet. She hugged herself, clutching tightly on the over-sized white robe as if it was the only thing that kept the bad things away. In a way, it did. After all, the piece of clothing had once belonged to the one person she had looked up to the most.

"Noah… it's… just like you said... humans... they're not really all that bad..."

The next day, when Elsword woke up at the break of dawn and went to wake the magician because his leave was up and he had to return to camp to resume his training as a knight.

"Hey, Miss?" He knocked three times, but no response came. He tried again but that still produced no result.

Now, his sister told him long ago that he shouldn't barge into a girl's sleeping quarters without the aforementioned girl's permission, but Elsword couldn't wait all day.

"Miss -" When he swing open the door, he stopped in his tracks. The bed looked as though no one had slept in it because it was empty and tidy. (And Elsword was pretty sure it had been a mess even before he lend it to the magician girl.) "... Miss?"

He looked around the room, thinking that the girl might be hiding but she was nowhere to be seen. His gaze then stopped at the open window, where the morning breeze came in.

"... She left." He finally said, somewhat dejectedly. He sighed and shook his head as he turned around. "Not even a goodbye?"

He was going to leave when he noticed the piece of paper on the night stand, the candle holder keeping it from being blown away.

The instant he read it, the corner of his lips tugged upwards into a small smile.

Thanks.

- Ai.

"That girl…"

.

.

.

A figure slowly came to a stop in the middle of a barren wasteland. The rocks a color closed to rusted iron and the plants that were able to live within this environment were far and few.

Aisha looked back in the direction that she came from, her breath hitched as if she had just ran a marathon but her hair hadn't been in a mess anymore. She had pulled them into two low ponytails in lieu of the usual tight bun, finding it easier tie and more convenient. (It wasn't just because of Elsword's comment last night okay?!)

I'm pretty far now. A distant look replaced her exhausted one. I hope they won't trouble him…

She shook her head and turned, seemingly staring at the barren horizon that the sun was just now slowing rising from.

"Keep moving, Aisha." She muttered to herself as she pulled her dirty hood over her violet hair. She continued east, towards the Pluone province without looking back. "You have to live on."

.

.

.

In the Seventh Count of the second Solace Cycle, Witches and Wizards became scarce due to the Witch Hunt that people initiated under the rule of the Tyrant. With the shower of lights that flew into the air in the night of the first month of the Year of Ebalon, a night known as Mīrāculum, the era of Witches and Wizards to an end and the Magi -

- Eyes narrowed with a sigh at the book, History Through the Ages.

Humans, the person thought in discontent whenever she read the book, only knew how to twist the truth until it was no longer one. None of them, absolutely none, knew the whole ordeal of that so-called Night of Mīrāculum.

The image of a certain red haired knight came into the person's mind. It had been that very same idiotic knight that had -

- She forced herself to stop thinking, and instead, stared out of the library window she was seating next to with a distant gaze in her violet irises. The autumn breeze brushed against her face, playing with her purple hair, and flipped the pages of the book that she no longer cared to read.

"It's been... a century already huh."

Annnnnd my sudden enlightenment ends there. So, how was it? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between boring and snoring?

Anyways, this here project will just be a mix of ideas that I have in my head for Elsword. (See it as the place where I dump my incomplete plots)

And as a [[[BIG WARNING]]] The chapters that will be contained in this fic are in no way related to each other because they're all different plots that came to be on a fly. So unless I bother to continue one of these ideas, then the chapters will all be separate universes and I have little to no intention to develop them into an actual plot line... unless someone picks it up or I just felt like continuing it.