The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Chapter 51: Unknown (Arc 2 – Across The Stars END)

Chapter 51: Unknown (Arc 2 – Across The Stars END)

Mella… didn’t know what to do.

She had a lot of regrets, but dealing with them had been hard since there was just so much going on right now.

The last month had been a mess, well the mess began before that, but ever since Ceella disappeared a month ago everything was just so much more exhausting.

“I should just be grateful for what I have…” Mumbled Mella as she placed both her hands on her knees. 

With a little bit of practice, she was right back as new, and all her friends were ecstatic but she was still down because she was missing her sister again. But they didn’t know that, she kept it a secret that Ceella came home originally, and now she needed to keep that fact secret again.

While Mella was feeling down again, a girl with trimmed pink hair walked inside, “You feeling okay Mella?” Lila asked, “I’ve brought some ice cream home.”

“I’ll have some later, but I’m okay thank you.”

Lila had returned home with them, which was another mess in its own right, but Mella was just glad she was okay and she felt guilty of nearly getting Lila killed.

Mella felt guilty about not seeking recovery immediately. Her body hated her as now with her limbs back, she never wanted to lose them again. And in her mind, she was a selfish arsehole, who delayed her recovery which just caused an uncountable amount of pain for herself and her family. She was a damsel in distress who couldn’t do anything while her family was under attack, and she nearly got Lila killed by being too close to the action and nearly getting caught.

That incident is what led to Lila coming home to Metous with the Stella family–not legally.

She had a special ID created for her, but she didn’t go far from the house and simply stayed home most of the time. If she did go somewhere, it was to help Tella at the flower store and maybe pick something up on the way to their house.

…This was all thanks to Nina. Who honestly helped out the family a lot.

She said it was just ‘repaying the favour’, but she was really going up and beyond what a normal person would do in Mella’s eyes.

Maybe that’s why she isn’t a normal person… Thinking about it, all the strong people she knew were kind of weird. Even her sister, while she seemed normal, Mella knew she had changed a lot.

The situation with Nina was told to Mella and Tyell by Tella, Tyell was part of the original talk but once he fell asleep he didn’t wake up for a week and forgot parts of it.

When Nina came by to treat the nearby injured, she came over to where the Stella family were resting and found Lila still in her Dominous Hood gear collapsed on the ground.

Mella and Tyell vehemently defended Lila, which allowed Nina to not capture or send her to the authorities, but they had to agree to make sure she talked to Nina once she awoke. 

The stress and excitement did finally get to Mella and she collapsed before the end of the conversation.

Once Lila awoke and the family was in a private setting, the beans were spilled. Lila spewed out everything she knew about Dominous Hood and her plan to disappear after this mission. Of course, this did lead to the topic of Ceella, how could it not?

Nina was nice enough and followed her promise and didn’t report Lila, and instead helped hide her while she was on Earth.

Afterwards, the family waited for Ceella to return.

But then the crack disappeared and Ceella still wasn’t back, then they waited a week and there was still no sight of her. There was fear for the worst but Tyell said with confidence, “There is no way she’s dead, she survived once, she just must be far away this time.”

Tella wanted to stay on Earth to wait for Ceella but she was convinced by everyone to return home. With Nina’s words of assurance that she will look out for and bring Ceella home if she pops up anywhere. 

Tyell said goodbye to Beatrice on behalf of Ceella, he didn’t know if the lie he gave to convince her worked but she didn’t call again, and she said she’d wait for Ceella to call first. 

Then with the help of Nina, they all went home on a private vessel, including Lila as Nina told them that if she wanted to hide, she needed to be somewhere completely different and the Stella family were all too quick to take her home with them.

She resisted a bit but was overwhelmed by the family’s persistence.

With everything sorted, they were now living together on Metous in the Stella family house. Nina also visited Metous frequently and checked up on them.

“What if she never comes back…” Mella started to spiral again, Lila quickly jumped to her side and Tyell rushed out of his room hearing her voice. This wasn’t the first time Mella started thinking the worst happened.

Tyell reassured her, “Mella, Ceella is probably fine…”

“How do we know that?!” Mella snapped back, “She could be dead, her corpse lost in space!”

“I don’t think she will be dying anytime soon…” Tyell remembered the line ‘Ceella better thank me for this later’. Tyell thought, With her strength and willpower she should be fine… she made it home once, and she CAN do it again… plus there is that voice… 

The voice frightened him so much he didn’t tell anybody, but what it did was amazing, and if that was on Ceella’s side at the bare minimum she should still be alive in Tyell’s mind.

Lila added, trying to help Mella and lighten the mood, “Tyell’s right… I doubt anything will kill her easily. Even if something was strong enough to kill her, she’s too stubborn to die.”

Tyell chuckled, “Stubborn doesn’t even remotely describe it.”

Mella smiled and remembered all of Ceella’s kind words but also her ferocious side, “Yeah…”

While the trio were having this conversation. Far away from the house in a small private garden that Nina rented out, completely blocked from any outside interference, two individuals were enjoying a quiet lunch.

“This is too much,” Tella sighed.

She looked down at the teacup in her hand and then back up and across from her was Nina wearing a new dress. A blue dress with a gradient blue to purple, with a faded moon pattern towards the bottom quarter.

Nina smiled, “Tis fine, I know you gave me more than you are willing to let on.”

Tella put down her cup, “It is nothing to be proud of, I was just doing what any mother would.”

“Even mothers have their limits.”

They continued their small lunch, the garden was something Nina had built long ago. Not the only one, it was brand, she just wanted a place to relax and meet people no matter where. It was a decently successful business, nothing crazy, but the only one who knew Nina was involved with the company's creation was the president himself.

Nina stared at Tella again, and mentioned, “Like last time, I can still see the concern in your eyes, why?” 

Tella simply answered, “Your purpose here.” 

Nina went along with Tella’s question and asked one herself, “So why do you think I’m here?” 

“To keep tabs on Lila, and to see when my daughter returns home if she suddenly shows up. That’s the only reason I can see you staying here for so long.”

Nina gave a light chuckle, “You underestimate how fast I travel, to you it might seem like I’m here a lot, and I guess in my schedule I am, but I’m not really staying here, I’ve visited numerous locations, some on different planets, in the short time we’ve known each other.”

Nina added, “There are thousands of people I know and visit regularly, your family is just another one I’ve added to the list.”

This comment shocked Tella, she didn’t really know much about Nina after, “How do you even remember that many people?”

“Being a high level mostly, but having a skill for it does help.” Nina sipped her tea, “I do just enjoy interacting with people, 

“I still don’t know why you chose to interact with me more than once.” Tella was just an ordinary person who worked in a flower shop after all, hanging out with what was basically a celebrity more than once made no sense.

Nina answered again, “Well I like you and as I’ve mentioned, you helped a lot.”

“Yes, I was successful in defending my family thanks to you, but I didn’t help, you still lost an item that was important to you.” Tella had no idea of the importance of Nina’s staff when they first met, but she did her research after the fact and was devastated that such a powerful item ended up in the hands of those who wanted to hurt her family. If she just helped more, maybe that wouldn't have happened.

Nina just wryly smiled and pondered for a moment, “Well, cause you were there I will let you in on a little secret, no telling your kids alright?”

Tella nodded but was a little confused.

There was a small flash in Nina’s left eye, and a crescent moon appeared within. “They may have gotten the staff, but I don’t keep the core of it in it unless I enter a combat situation.” She tapped the air in front of her eye, “If I was successful in keeping this safe, then I’m sure you were completely successful in helping your kids. They will all come home.”

Tella asked for confirmation, “...you sure?”

“Yes, I haven’t met her, but your kids and her friend have spoken quite highly of her.” Nina thought about her own research into Ceella as well, “She'll be back one day.”

Waking up on a faraway planet in a mess of blood and metal, she coughed up some stones that entered her stomach and stood up.

The bloodied horns retracted into her head and her unfocused golden eyes stared up into the void of space, not recognising the new stars in the sky.

Not again… 

There she was… alone in the cold emptiness of space.