The five witches arrived at their base before sunrise.
It was an old stone building with crooked wooden doors, used to store all the goods they stole before handing them over to their boss.
They jumped down from the wagon one by one and began unloading the sacks, their grins still wide across their faces. Each sack was dropped onto the floor with a thud.
Four sacks—heavy, filled to the brim with the so-called Dreadmire flowers.
They looked at their loot with pride.
"All this in one night," the second witch said, kicking one of the sacks lightly. "We’re unstoppable."
The youngest witch ran her fingers through a bunch of flowers poking from the sack’s mouth. "So soft and pretty. They’ll fetch a good price."
"We’ll wait here. Once the boss comes, we’ll hand it over and get our reward," said the leader, folding her arms with a pleased smirk.
Meanwhile, back at the small inn...
The sunlight peeked through the curtains, falling gently on the bed where Ruby and Julian still lay. The room was quiet except for the soft humming of the ceiling fan and the faint breeze from the AC.
Ruby slowly opened her eyes, blinking the sleep away.
Julian stretched beside her and sat up. The first thing he did was check on the clothes they had washed the night before. He walked around the room, touching the fabric.
"They’re dry," he said, glancing back at her. "Well... almost. Not fully, but we can leave them here. They’ll dry by the time we return."
Ruby nodded as she sat up, tying her hair into a loose bun. "Let’s go then. We need to check the fields."
They quickly freshened up, changed into whatever dry clothes they had, and left the inn.
As they arrived near the outskirts, they were surprised to see a large group of villagers already gathered near the fields. Some were laughing, some clapping each other’s backs, and others smiling so wide it looked like they had won a prize.
Julian blinked. "What’s happening?"
Ruby raised her brows and walked forward.
Leader Kerry saw them and rushed over, her face glowing with joy. "They took the fake flowers!" she said, laughing. "All of them!!"
"They didn’t even realize?" Ruby asked, a bit surprised.
"Not at all," Kerry said proudly. "Not one clue. Our plan worked perfectly."
A few more villagers joined in, their eyes bright with mischief. "And they’ll suffer loss now," one of them said. "Their boss will open those sacks expecting real Dreadmire... but instead, She’ll get paper and waste things!"
Everyone grinned together.
Ruby looked at the empty field, then at the villagers’ happy faces. Her eyes softened.
If her guess was right, it wouldn’t take long. That company’s boss would face public embarrassment, suffer financial losses, and soon enough come crawling to Dreadmire herself.
Which meant the real battle was just about to begin.
She crossed her arms and gave a small, confident smile. "Let’s wait and watch. The show’s just getting started."
The villagers were so happy, their joy couldn’t be hidden even if they tried. Their plan had worked, and for the first time in many months, they had outsmarted the ones who kept trying to steal from them.
And it was all because of Ruby and Julian.
To show their gratitude, the villagers quickly began preparing a small feast in the village square. Everyone helped—some brought fresh vegetables, some lit fires, and others started setting up mats and wooden tables under the open sky. The children ran around excitedly, giggling and peeking from behind trees.
Leader Kerry walked up to Ruby with a wide smile. "Tonight, we’ll celebrate. You both deserve it."
Julian smiled politely. Ruby gave a small nod, touched by their kindness.
By evening, the whole village seemed to glow. Lanterns were hung from tree branches, casting a soft golden light everywhere. The smell of fresh-cooked food filled the air—roasted red corn, spiced vegetables, warm bread, and sweet jaggery treats. Everything was simple, but made with love.
Ruby and Julian were seated on soft cushions near the fire, surrounded by smiling faces.
Then the music started.
A group of villagers dressed in colorful traditional clothes stepped forward, clapping their hands to the beat of the drums. They began their local folk dance—lively steps, cheerful spins, and expressive movements
Ruby watched with wonder. She had seen many things in her life... but this pure joy, this laughter under the stars—it warmed something deep inside her.
Julian leaned in close and whispered, "This is the first time I’ve seen you smile like that in weeks."
Ruby didn’t answer, but her eyes sparkled as she watched a little girl dance near the fire, holding a flower in her hand.
She clapped gently with the others.
As the celebration continued under the soft glow of lanterns, the music played and laughter filled the air. The villagers danced with joy, and the night felt like a happy dream.
Just then, a group of little children came running toward Ruby. Their steps were quick and full of excitement, their soft shoes tapping on the stone path. They were dressed in their village’s traditional red outfits—simple cotton tunics and knee-length skirts, decorated with ribbons and tiny hand-stitched patterns. Some had flower crowns on their heads, and a few wore tiny bells on their wrists that jingled with each step.
In their hands, they carried bunches of flowers—some fresh from the nearby fields, others made of colorful paper and soft cloth. The mix of petals and handmade beauty looked bright and cheerful.
They gathered around Ruby in a circle, giggling and smiling.
"Miss Ruby," one little ghost said shyly, holding up a bouquet with both hands, "thank you for saving our village."
"Yeah!" said a little witch beside him. "These are for you!"
Ruby blinked in surprise as each child stepped forward, placing flowers in her arms, on her lap, even gently behind her ear. Their small faces were glowing with happiness. Their eyes were full of admiration.
She couldn’t help it, a soft blush spread across her cheeks.
—To be continued...🪄