In this life, you are either born as a witch or a wolf.

Thanks to the advancement of technology, the world developed so that those born as wolves don’t need to change their form. Still, within their race, they are separated between dynami - the strongest, dominant, and often, leaders; eidos – kindhearted, mostly weak and submissive; and the nikos – they stand somewhere between the dynamis and the eidos, they love adventures and are good liars.

Another thing is that every person in this world has a mate, someone threaded to them with a red string, as per the Goddess's choice. Of course, you can deny, mostly times it works, although you may not find another mate again.

Witches were a minority, but powerful. Over the years, there was a massive hunt for them, which caused the death of many. Thus, most witches lived together, in small communities, afraid of the wolves.

The most known witch community is the Kirel Valley, home of the Crescent Moon Coven for the last two centuries. Just a few people left their homes there… It wasn’t safe for them to leave.

 Every year, on the 15th of January, all children who were nine years old were brought to be tested in the forest, for the elders to assess what powers they possessed and so, learn which class they belonged to. This was needed because the community had only one simple rule: no vanik’s were allowed.

Vaniks were pure evil. The ones responsible for so many innocent deaths.

There are five classes of witches.

The zydas are natural healers and can control the elements of nature (usually, some are more inclined to one specific element but it doesn’t mean they can’t control others). The zydas are always good-natured people.

The drycs are mages that work with potions and telepathy, and they can cast basic spells like opening or closing doors and moving things around. The drycs are impartial, they tend to stay in their zone, never meddling with other people’s affairs.

The ziens can foresee the future and talk to the dead. On rare occasions, a zien can train and upgrade to a level in which they can bring dead people back to life for a short period. Like the drycs, the ziens are impartial; the difference is that they usually trade their magic for money.

The fourth, and not-so-common class, is the zeyha. A zeyha is what it’s called a child who is born with the blood of a witch and the blood of a dynami. Their personality and traits are unpredictable, being the parents responsible for it.

Then we have the last class, rare, almost extinct: the vanik. The vaniks are always hunted down as they are the strongest of all classes, capable of doing what all others do, but perfectly. Their personality is unpredictable, but it was noted through time that they tend to be irrational, angry, and uncontrollable. They are also called chaotic.

The Crescent Moon coven was known for being peaceful and kind. Other towns would usually ask for their help with their sick citizens, infertile crop fields, and even protection when a threat was made. The reason why they had such a reputation was mainly that they had only zydas and drycs, and an old couple who were ziens with unquestionably good hearts.

A community filled with good people.

As the sun rose on the horizon, awakening the citizens of the Kirel Valley, the excitement of the families was visible as they began their work, happily humming songs and chatting with each other, as another day full of work was starting; besides, it was an important date for most families with kids with the age of nine.

The cold wind blew softly the hairs of the kids, all gathered in the clearing of the Irrimont Forest, the largest of the country, situated at the very north. The ground of the forest was covered in snow, making it hard for anyone to get to the most important and sacred area: the clearing, where all rituals were made.

The test, as it was known, was a simple ritual realized in the clearing. The elders drew sigils in the middle of it, potentiating the power of the place, and placed not only one of each element as well as a little cauldron.

If the kid turned out to be a zyda or a dryc, the elements or the cauldron would activate. For a zeyha, the power engraved on the ground below them would make them shift into a wolf; and for a zien, some kind of spectrum would form around them.

If the child turned out to be a vanik, a storm would form. And this was something beyond the will or power of the elders. The storm was caused by the gods, as a warning to everyone that a vanik had been discovered.

One by one, the kids were called, all a little bit nervous and anxious.

“Little Elle... It seems that you’ve been graced by nature just like your parents…”, an old woman, in her sixties, said softly to the little kid, blond ponytail bouncing from side to side. “Now…”, the woman held her hand gently as a greenish light, like a thread, wrapped their intertwined hands and drew a symbol on the girl’s wrist. “Go tell them you’re a zyda as well, child. Go.”

Elle jumped in excitement, hugging the woman’s waist and nodding fast as she thanked the older woman over and over again. She then ran over the clearing, anxious to tell her parents the good news.

After two more zydas and four drycs, they came to face the last test of this year; a highly awaited one. A child who came from a long and pure lineage of strong zydas: the Bexley family was known by every witch. The name itself exuded power.

The little girl was quietly waiting her turn, looking at her own intertwined hands, nervously anticipating the result.

“So, Moon, are you ready?”

The little girl placed her small hand over the necklace she was wearing, a gift from her late grandmother, and tightly held it as she nodded her head.

“Have I told you how pretty your name is?”

“Many times before, Miss Claire.”

Claire left out a low chuckle, caressing the girl’s hair, pitch-black as the night. “Yes, I did. Now, go place yourself at the center.”

Moon walked fearfully, each step carefully taken; she stopped right before the stone circle. Somehow, her slow movements made all the elders there present anticipate her result.

Although for sure she would turn out to be a zyda, deep down, it felt like she could be something else.

As soon as her first foot touched the ground, a thunder echoed through the forest, together with the sound of crows flying above them. When the other foot did the same, not only thunder but lightning illuminated the sky, now fully dark with heavy clouds.

The little girl’s fears weren't simple anxiety. She knew, deep inside her soul, she wasn’t like any other in her family. She wasn’t a healer with a good-natured personality.

She was supposed to be evil. She was supposed to be chaos.

As unfortunate as it sounded, she was a vanik.

Just like her late grandmother.

And her existence was abominated.

When the first droplet of rain fell, Moon’s eyes became red as she understood the excruciating silence of the elders in the clearing: her fate was sealed, right there and then.

“Moon, follow me.”, Claire’s voice now was cold and distant, void of any sweetness it held before. “We need to inform your parents about your result.”

The girl quietly followed the elder witch across the forest and toward the valley. Upon the sudden storm, everyone knew, just by looking at them, what was to come.

Claire knocked three times on the heavy light wooden door of Moon’s house before being greeted by the girl’s mom. The woman proudly welcomed them, hugging her daughter tightly, as she knew for sure Moon was a zyda. She wondered, though, which kid turned out to be a vanik.

“Judith, is Elijah home? I would like to speak to both of you. About Moon.”

Judith seemed confused at first but promptly walked towards the back door of the house and called her husband, dirty from head to toe as he was tending their garden.

As they all took a seat in their small but cozy living room, Claire kept herself standing. Judith insisted that the woman should sit down as well, and have a cup of tea if she’d like as well.

“No need to, Judith. I’ll soon take my leave.”, Claire intertwined her hands. “I’ll be straightforward with you two. The ritual revealed Moon to be a vanik. As you both are aware of our valley’s rules, no vanik is allowed within our territory. From this moment on, Moon is exiled from our land. You can either leave with her, given she is your child or send her down to Macondo, the nearest city to welcome any kind of person.”

“What?”, Judith’s shoulders fell from shock, her arms no longer hugging her daughter.

Elijah’s eyes shifted from Claire to his little girl, unable to form a sentence.

“You both have till tomorrow morning, ten hours sharp to make a decision. Two guards will be here, at your door, to either accompany you or her, out of Kirel.”

Judith began yelling, unable to accept such destiny easily. Her family was purely made out of zydas, so how could her daughter be a vanik, out of all classes?

“I’m truly sorry, Judith. This outcome was surely a surprise to us all. But rules are rules, and we must abide by them if we want this place to continue the same.”

Claire left, not looking at Moon at all, but surely disappointed with the current situation. Losing the Bexley family would be a great loss to the valley.

Moon held back her tears as she ran upstairs, closing her bedroom door and hiding under the blankets.

For a few moments, all she heard was silence. A bitter warning of what was coming. Her parents talked in whispers, soon escalating to screams from both parties.

Amidst her cry, she couldn’t make out the words being said but was sure she was the topic of it.

Her tears fell endlessly, slowly pulling the little girl to deep sleep.

Moon was softly awakened by her uncle, from her father’s side, in the middle of the night.

“Hey, sweetheart. You need to get up… We have to leave…”

“We’re leaving?”

“You heard what Elder Claire said earlier. You can’t stay here anymore…”

“I’m not evil, uncle, I’m not. I’m a good girl… I eat my vegetables, I help mom around the house, I help dad at the shop, I-”

“I know, sweetie, I know. That’s why we’re leaving. Your mom is blinded by the power her name holds, too blind to understand anything. And your father can’t leave her, nor your little brother. So, we’re leaving. Together. You and me.”

“You won’t leave me?”

“Never, sweetie. Never.”