The mottled shadows harshly divided the world into two:
One of liveliness, the other of loneliness.
Huli crouched alone in the deepest part of the shadow.
She clutched her knees with all her might, as if she wanted to bury herself into the ground.
She tried to wrap herself in her fluffy white tail, seeking a shred of comfort from the soft fur to resist the suffocating emptiness outside that made a witch feel breathless.
Huli hugged her old teddy bear tightly in her arms—
Its fur had faded to a dull gray from age.
It was as if that bear was her only support.
Huli lifted her head, her eyes hollow, and stared at the blue sky above the Aerial Arena.
Up there, countless students from the Witch Academy were soaring freely on their brooms.
Laughter and joy mixed with the wind, spreading across the entire sky.
The witches flying in the sky were like a flock of unrestrained birds, while Huli, stuck on the ground, was like a fledgling with broken wings, pitiful and alone.
Just when Huli was about to be overwhelmed by sorrow, a long, slender shadow suddenly appeared, covering her from above, shielding her from the glaring sunlight.
Then a cold yet soft hand gently landed on Huli’s head, rubbing her little head tenderly.
Huli looked up in bewilderment and saw Tunzuo gazing at her with concern.
Those lazy, indolent deep green eyes, usually so full of sloth, were now filled with care.
Behind Tunzuo stood Olivia and Sally, also wearing looks of worry.
At the sight of Tunzuo, Huli’s already fragile mental defenses instantly crumbled.
Grief surged like a tide, and she could no longer hold back her emotions.
She sobbed and cried out to Tunzuo with a wail, like an abandoned cub.
Seeing this, Tunzuo’s heart tightened.
She quickly bent down and picked up Huli, who was trembling and curled into a ball.
Tunzuo rested Huli’s head on her shoulder, gently patted her back, and softly comforted the little one who was weeping like a fountain in her arms.
“It’s okay, Huli. We’re here. We’ll help you. Don’t be afraid.”
Standing beside Tunzuo, Olivia watched her skillfully soothe the child with such tenderness, and couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
‘Who would have thought that the usually lazy, tsundere, and slightly sly Little Ghost could be so maternal? After she gets married, she’s going to be a great mother.’
Unaware of what Olivia was thinking, Tunzuo was busy comforting Huli.
Grief-stricken, Huli buried her face in the hollow of Tunzuo’s shoulder.
Tears soaked her collar as she choked out, “Tutu, am I really useless? I can’t even fly. I can’t get my license. I’ll never be a proper witch…”
Facing Huli’s self-deprecating words, Tunzuo refuted her firmly.
She fixed her gaze on the little one in her arms, not wanting Huli to give up on herself.
“That’s not true at all. You’ve just hit a small obstacle. As long as we find the root of the problem, we can definitely solve it.”
“Little Ghost is right, Huli. Everyone faces setbacks. It’s just a hurdle. Once you get over it, you’ll be fine.”
Olivia spoke in a gentle tone.
“Yeah, Huli. Look—I brought Tutu and Lady Olivia here, didn’t I? As long as we work together, we’ll find a way!”
Sally also cheered Huli on from the side.
Encouraged by the three witches, Huli finally stopped crying.
With red, swollen eyes, she pulled herself together and decided that for the sake of her friends, she would work hard to overcome her fear of heights.
“Come on, Huli. First, take your broom and fly a lap. Let us see what’s going on.”
Tunzuo released her embrace and set Huli down, steadying her on the ground.
Huli obediently followed Tunzuo’s instructions.
Trembling, she straddled her flying broom.
As Sally had described, when Huli slowly rose off the ground on her broom and reached about a dozen yards in height, her body began to shake violently.
Her face turned pale, her eyes went unfocused, and she gripped the broom handle so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
She showed clear signs of panic.
Olivia and Sally watched Huli’s reaction nervously from the ground, ready to rush up and catch her at any moment.
Just then, Tunzuo suddenly noticed a subtle detail.
Even though Huli was terrified and frantic in the air, her eyes kept darting toward the teddy bear that Sally was holding for her.
Her hands would occasionally let go of the broom and reach out in Sally’s direction, as if desperately craving that teddy bear.
A realization dawned on Tunzuo.
She quickly took Huli’s teddy bear from Sally, transformed her lower body into black mist, flew up into the air, and glided over to Huli.
She stuffed the teddy bear into Huli’s arms and steadied Huli, who had let go of the broom, so she wouldn’t fall.
The moment Huli touched her teddy bear, her condition miraculously improved.
Her rapid breathing gradually calmed.
She hugged the teddy bear tightly, as if she had been given a shot of adrenaline.
Her mental state quickly stabilized.
Though she still didn’t dare to fly high, at least she stopped retching and shaking.
After the test flight ended, Tunzuo led Huli back down to the ground.
Once she had helped Huli off the broom, Tunzuo looked at the worn teddy bear in Huli’s arms and asked softly, “Huli… is that teddy bear very important to you?”
Tunzuo’s question made Huli unconsciously stroke the teddy bear’s ear, which was worn to a pale white.
Her fingers traced the fine stitches, marks left by Huli’s mother when she first mended the teddy bear.
“When I was little, our family’s sea beast farm had just started. Every day before dawn, Mother and Mom would have to leave, leaving me alone at home. They always said, ‘Just wait until this batch of sea beasts hatches,’ or ‘Just wait until this batch grows up.’ But one batch after another hatched and grew, and they came home later and later.”
Huli’s voice was very soft, as light as a gust of wind.
The memories, wrapped in a damp aura, slowly spread through the air.
She lowered her head and buried her face in the soft fur of the teddy bear.
Her voice was muffled, as if she were drawing a little warmth from it.
“Sometimes I came home, and the house was pitch black. Only the sticky note on the fridge gave off a faint glow. It said, ‘There’s food in the pot. Heat it up before you eat.’ I had to sit alone at the table, listening to the sound of the waves outside the window, all by myself.”
“I’m really scared of thunder, Tutu.”
As she spoke, Huli’s body trembled slightly, as if she had returned to those stormy, lightning-filled nights.
“One time, a thunderstorm hit in the middle of the night. I was woken up by the thunder. I saw the windows banging in the wind. Lightning flashed through the gaps in the curtains, stretching shadows long on the wall like clawing monsters.”
“I curled up in the corner of my bed with my blanket, crying and calling out for Mother and Mom, but the Grimoire couldn’t get through. The only sound in the house was my crying.”
“Then I saw the teddy bear placed at the head of my bed. Mom had bought it for my birthday before. I hugged Teddy tightly, tears and snot all over it. But I was so scared, I couldn’t let go.”
“The next day, when Mother and Mom came back, they saw me sitting at the door, crying and holding Teddy, waiting for them. They hugged me and cried for a long time, saying they would never leave me alone again. But not long after, the farm sent new sea beast eggs, and they were busy again, never touching the ground.”
“But after that, I never let Teddy leave my side. When I ate, I put him by the table. When I did homework, I sat him on my desk. When I slept, I held him in my arms. I didn’t dare let Teddy leave me… because I was afraid… afraid of being alone again…”
Huli lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed.
A faint smile appeared on her tear-streaked face.
“Later, I bought a lot of new teddy bears. Some could sing, some had pretty new clothes. But every time I held those new teddy bears, something felt off. It felt like something was missing.”
“Only when I hold Teddy can I remember Mom’s voice when she first told me stories, and Mother’s smile when she lifted me up over her head. It helps me… not feel so bad… when I’m alone…”
Huli’s voice gradually lowered.
Her fingers lightly brushed over the faded cloth scarf on the teddy bear’s chest.
“So… so I can’t be without Teddy. The thought of leaving Teddy on the ground while I fly up alone scares me so much. It’s like going back to that night of thunder. The house was just me, a witch, all alone in the dark, with nothing…”
“But the flight exam doesn’t allow outside items. When I fly, I have to be separated from Teddy. And as soon as I’m too far from Teddy, I… I start to get scared. Even though I know Teddy is on the ground. Wuwuwu… I’m sorry, Tutu…”
Huli began to sob softly again, her voice full of helplessness and sorrow.
After learning the specifics of Huli’s situation, Tunzuo let out a long sigh and fell into brief contemplation.
Huli’s problem, rather than a fear of heights, seemed to be severe separation anxiety and an attachment complex acting up, preventing her from being apart from her closest companion, leading to a psychological dependency issue.
After some thought, Tunzuo had an idea for how to solve Huli’s problem.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
She picked up Huli’s teddy bear, held it in her arms, mounted her own broom, and flew over to Huli.
She said, “Go fly, Huli. Teddy and I will both be with you.”
Tunzuo’s action made Huli freeze in surprise.
But she didn’t ask anything.
She just nodded firmly.
With Tunzuo accompanying her, Huli mounted her broom again and slowly took off.
As she rose in altitude, Huli instinctively sought a sense of security.
Trembling, she turned her head and immediately saw Tunzuo holding Teddy right beside her.
Feeling the familiar plush toy so close, within reach, Huli’s heart settled.
Her panic eased considerably.
On the first lap, Tunzuo kept holding the teddy bear and flying alongside Huli.
She deliberately slowed her broom’s speed to stay perfectly parallel with Huli, strictly controlling the distance so that neither she nor the teddy bear left Huli’s sight even for an inch.
With Tunzuo and the teddy bear flying beside her, Huli shakily completed the first lap.
On the second lap, Tunzuo began to intentionally slow down, gradually falling behind Huli, opening up a gap of about two or three yards.
When Huli realized she could no longer see Tunzuo and the teddy bear, she suddenly panicked.
She looked around anxiously and shouted, “Tutu! Tutu!”
Just then, Tunzuo’s calm and clear voice came from behind her.
“It’s okay, Huli. I’m right behind you. Teddy is too.”
Hearing Tunzuo’s voice, Huli quickly turned her head to look back.
She saw Tunzuo holding the teddy bear, following closely behind her.
Even though there was a distance, Tunzuo and Teddy were still clearly visible.
Seeing this, Huli swallowed, took a deep breath, and continued flying in the air.
The second lap passed with Huli looking back every few steps and calling out from time to time.
Tunzuo kept holding the teddy bear, trailing behind Huli, and responded to every call Huli made, giving her a constant stream of courage.
Then came the third lap, the fourth…
Lap after lap.
Knowing that Tunzuo and Teddy were always behind her, the fear in Huli’s heart gradually dissipated.
The number of times she looked back and called out decreased.
She began to try looking straight ahead, listening to the wind whistle past her ears, feeling the thrill of the broom weaving through the clouds.
Finally, after flying so many laps she lost count, Huli completed an entire lap without looking back even once, without calling out a single time, all on her own.
Huli was overjoyed.
She couldn’t wait to turn around and celebrate her progress with Tunzuo.
“Tutu! Look! I didn’t call you even once that time! I did it!”
But when Huli turned around, she found that Tunzuo, who had been following behind her all along, had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
“Tutu?!”
Panicked, Huli quickly twisted her head, searching everywhere.
Then she spotted Tunzuo standing on the ground far below, holding her teddy bear in her arms, standing side by side with Olivia and Sally.
The three witches had smiles as warm as a spring breeze on their faces.
They shouted up to Huli, “Look around you, Huli!”
Hearing this, Huli instinctively looked around.
Only then did she realize that around her were clean, soft white clouds.
Her classmates were chasing each other on brooms, laughing and playing.
Everyone had bright smiles on their faces.
The refreshing wind blew through Huli’s hair, and sunlight fell on her face, warm and pleasant.
So she had been flying up here all alone for so long.
Huli looked up at the blue sky, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease.
The fear of the sky that had once gripped her formally waved goodbye, dissipating into the vast blue sky.
Down on the ground, Tunzuo gazed at the small figure alone high above, her eyes full of smiles.
And the button eyes of the teddy bear in her arms sparkled brightly under the sunlight.