The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Side Chapter Metous 5: New Addition to Daily Life

Side Chapter Metous 5: New Addition to Daily Life

Seven months.

It had been seven months, and Ceella still hadn’t returned home.

However, the Stella family didn’t give up hope this time.

There were times when individually they would spiral, but by supporting each other they were able to stay strong. 

Tella kept up her work and made sure to be a good role model and supporting pillar for her family.

Tyell got a normal casual job where he could work, and he made an effort to connect more with some of his old friends.

Mella also made an effort to spend time with her friends, who were all ecstatic about her recovery. She also had school, which had been taking up a portion of her time.

But of course, there was a massive change in the family, and that was the addition of Lila. Lila felt guilty about Ceela’s disappearance, and because of that, she tried to leave many times, but the Stella family didn’t give her the chance. 

They wanted her to stay and be comfortable.

Lila had some very basic identification, but not enough to allow her to go anywhere. It was Nina’s suggestion to keep Lila’s presence here on the down-low, which she agreed with, and so she had enough to be able to purchase goods with the Stella family account and avoid trouble. However, she also tried to make sure she would not get into any kind of trouble in the first place.

It was a weekend, and Mella was in their backyard training her skills. Ever since everything happened, she wanted to become at least a little bit stronger. 

A gust of wind blew around her. Gentle and calming, Mella was trying to maintain it for as long as possible.

After an hour, she started breathing heavily, and her vision got blurry.

Her eyes looked up towards her coach, and Lila in the distance by the door sent a hand signal saying it was time to stop.

However, Mella wanted to push herself one final bit before finishing off this session.

Then she snapped her fingers, and the breeze turned red and flames erupted within it. The weak flames were within her control; she couldn’t manipulate them like Ceella could, but she was able to move them in the direction she wanted.

When she was trapped in her own body after the incident, she remembered being constantly and absolutely afraid of dying and fire, but then all those feelings disappeared when she awoke. Even when remembering the incident, she felt nothing… no fear, desperation, or dread.

The lack of fear should’ve been a good thing, and it was. Mella had no issue moving on after the incident because of it. But it was also an issue for Mella… it was uncanny, that she didn’t have any negative feelings about the traumatic experience, but her brain knew at one point she did. However, this disconnect caused her a different type of pain.

Her brain knew those memories were supposed to be fearful experiences, and that caused pain in itself. Even partly being responsible for her inability to use her [Fire] element initially, along with all the guilt that she was feeling, and still knowing the fact that flames took her limbs.

Now though, thanks to the support from her family, recovering her limbs, and a new drive to do better, she has overcome the internal barrier and successfully become able to use [Fire].

Mella breathed out and fell forward, with Lila catching her. “Thank you for the help, Lila.”

“It’s… the least I can do.” Lila handed Mella an ice-cold drink, and Lila supported her as they walked back into the house. 

Once they did, Mella found Tella sitting inside at the kitchen table on her phone. She had left before she started training to go on another lunch with Nina.

“Mum, Tyell, not back yet?”

“No, he’s working a partial night shift as well tonight.”

“Right… I forgot.”

“It changes every week, can’t blame yourself if you don’t remember.”

Lila added, “Exactly, and he only said he was going to work when he left.”

“That’s fair.”

Lila and Mella went to the kitchen to sit down with Tella, and to enjoy some fruit at the table.

After they got comfortable, Mella asked, “Has Nina got any news on Ceella?”

Tella paused for a few moments, thinking.

Lila questioned, “Mrs Stella?” 

“Tella is fine dear,” Tella said for the thousandth time before she thought about the meeting she just had. “It’s complicated, but apparently she will be talking to someone who might know something.”

Mella shook her head. “A maybe maybe…”

Tella sighed. “Yes…”

Whenever Tella visited Nina, the question of Ceella’s whereabouts was always brought up when Tella got home by Mella or Tyell. 

Lila painfully smiled, “At least that’s better than for sure nothing…?”

Whether that was true or not was left up in the air as Tella was ready to move onto a different topic.

She said, “Anyway, on more bright notes. Nina asked how you were, Lila.”

“Oh, what did you tell her?”

“The truth.” Tella covered her mouth and chuckled. “That I managed to bring in a beautiful, well-behaved, and kind cookie thief into my house.”

Lila blushed pink, matching her hair in embarrassment. “I.I.II don’t eat that many of them.”

"No, please, don’t hold yourself back; it’s been great for my cooking skills.”

Mella questioned, “I thought Tyell was the one eating them?”

“He does take a few to work, but Mella.” Tella looked at her dead seriously. “Do you no longer like my cooking or something?”

Mella stood up, offended, quickly stuffing a pear slice down her mouth. “What no! I love everything you make.”

“Really?” Tella tapped the table, “I even made special mint-choc chip cookies for you, and you didn’t even touch one.”

“Um–! That’s because Tyell and Lila ate them all.” Mella firmly stated.

Lila turned to her flabbergasted, “Hey… I don’t even like mint.” 

“Even I know Lila’s food preferences, Mella, don’t try to throw others under the bus.”

“Eh…” Mella began to stumble over her words.

Tella continued with the questions, “It can’t be about your weight, it wouldn’t be peer pressure from your friends either, so what is it?”

“Itt’s’s nothing.” Mella wanted this conversation to be over. She continued to tell her mother the actual reason she stopped eating the cookies. It was too embarrassing.

“Maybe I should ask Irene or Elka? Maybe they could help provide an answer.”

Mella covered her face to hide her embarrassment and she whispered, "Please, no…”

Lila just stayed quiet, watching on. The Stella family was a weird place, but she was glad she was able to be here, at least for a little while. She thought this chance would disappear years ago with her sister’s passing, but life decided to throw her many surprises over the last half a year.

Tella eventually gave up interrogating Mella, but she told her to have a better excuse next time.

It was another normal day at the Stella household.

Tyell was on his way home when he noticed a friend on his way home.

“Good afternoon, Elly.” Tyell waved towards the person in front of him. 

Elly turned around. “Oh, hi Tyell.”

It was late at night, and Tyell had just left from work. He didn’t always work night shifts, but sometimes he chose to do them because of the quiet atmosphere. He worked at the gym owned by Brigade Maxim, the same place his dad used to work. Unlike his father, Chris Stella, he didn’t work as an instructor or coach, but as a simple everyman. His job was to either keep the place clean, help get set up, or get equipment for other people. Brigade, as usual, treated Tyell like a nephew and gladly welcomed him into the fold when he asked about the job listing.

They were wearing casual, warm clothes for the cold night. 

Tyell asked, “How have you been?”

Elly quietly replied, “Fine, busy, but fine.” 

They hadn’t talked much in the past few months. While Tyell connected with some of his old friends and even made some new ones, Elly was and still was his closest confidant for the longest time. Tyell kept to his word and invited Elly to work at the gym after he got the job there, but she turned him down. Then after that, busy schedules and different sleeping hours made it hard enough to connect. However, adding to that, Tyell felt Elly was avoiding him.

He could easily guess the reasons why, but they didn’t matter. 

“Want to go get something to eat together?”

“No, I got work now.”

“Fair, how about later this week then?”

“That… might be tricky. I’m already booked out for this week.” 

“You have been looking better, Tyell.”

Tyell flexed his muscle, “Thanks, I can help you at the gym if you want to get in shape as well.”

Elly chuckled, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Tyell laughed as well. “But we should meet up sometime soon.”

“Maybe… but sorry I have to go now. My shift starts soon.”

“Understandable, but be careful okay?”

“I will.”

The two went in different directions and Elly made her way to work uninterrupted. Unbeknownst to Tyell, she had indeed switched jobs, but it was still just another place that sold food and drink on one side and dealt with illegal activity on the other. 

When she entered the backroom of her job to change, a surprised “Hello,” spoke from behind her. 

Elly replied back to the surprise guest, “Oh, hello Colours, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, nothing much.” 

Colours was the name she went by, she was the new person from Dominous Hood who had been assigned to the area temporarily. She was pretty laid back but Elly believed she must’ve had a higher rank than the people previously here.

“Does that mean a new request?”

“Kind of, but a suggestion to move and work at one of our bases.”

“I thought I would be able to work from home with my position?” 

“Yeah, but for two reasons. First, the situation recently has been crazy. Have you seen the mess that happened on Earth? I was there, it was a mess. Second, we have new equipment set up to enhance your abilities. ”

“...Do you even follow the security and secrecy rules?” Elly knew the rules that were in place, but Colour seemed to just ignore some of them.

“Most of them, but that is probably the reason I haven’t been promoted in a long while.”

“Is it an order, or a suggestion?”

“Does it matter?”

“...I just don’t like changing my environment. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Well, for the time being, it’s a suggestion, but it may become an order soon. So better go before it gets too busy.”

“Hmhmm.” Elly continued to change for work.

“Worried about missing people?”

“Not really… it is just a chance. It was already painful enough just to switch jobs in my neighbourhood.”

“Okay then, I’ll be back next week for an answer.”

The Dominous Hood member disappeared without warning, leaving Elly alone in the room.

She thought in her head… Tyell… What did your family do? Remembering her recent use of [Future Prediction] from a month ago. The only prediction she ever made on the clock for work that she didn’t report on. It was vague and only she would understand the meaning, but she had no idea whether to believe it or not. Either way, the only thing she was certain of was that turbulent times were ahead.