The National Potionmaking Cup. It was finally today. I had been waiting for it for weeks now. It had been one of the biggest events of the year for the witch society for centuries now. Others were The Winter Festival and The Hoverball Tournament. Ryujin unnie and Yeji unnie both played hoverball. They were both very competitive. We loved to go watch their games. Even if they didn't win, we'd shower them in kisses and hugs either way.

 

This morning, the unnies had made me my favorite breakfast, but I couldn't really eat anything due to the nerves.

I carefully wrapped my own ingredients in a big pouch Ryujin unnie had made for me. It even had my initials, SYN. I loved it.

You would get some basic ingredients at the start of the competition, but any extras you would have to get yourself. I had been collecting and saving ingredients ever since I applied. I would work any odd job I could find to buy the more expensive ingredients, like bat fangs and dried frost grass. Luckily, no rule excludes you from getting help from others and one of my lovely girlfriends happened to have an amazing garden full of different plants and potion ingredients.

 

"Unnie, I'm really nervous," I told Chaeryeong unnie yesterday when we were gathering the nomad's cherries. They were used to boost one's potions effect.

"Oh Yuna darling, it's okay to be nervous. You're gonna do just fine" Chaeryeong-unnie told me and reached to caress my cheek gently. She could always make my heart flutter. Her hands were covered in dirt, but I didn't care. I smiled at her sweetly, but the cloud of anxiety still flouted around my mind.

 

Jisu unnie and Yeji unnie were stressed about the competition for me, each in their own way.

"Do you guys have everything? Where's your cauldron Yuna? What about snacks? And water? Where's your pouch?? Are you absolutely sure you have everything?" Jisu unnie rambled and checked our bags for the hundredth time as we were about to leave.

Yeji unnie had been running around the house in her wolf form all morning, mostly gathering all of our missing things. She was panting with her tongue out and everything so I went to scratch her ears. Almost immediately she laid on the floor in hopes of belly scratches. She loved them with her whole heart. She looked so adorable I gave in immediately.

"We have everything, Jisu unnie" Ryujin unnie said as she laughed at us on the floor. 

 

Because of magic being illegal, all of the witch events were always extremely planned out and closed off. They would send someone to get the competitors and two of their companions. The unnies had decided that Ryujin unnie and Chaeryeong unnie would accompany me with a game of rock, paper and scissors. The match had been fierce. You could hear the cries of agony and screams of victory from outside. 

"The pick-up should be here any minute," Chaeryeong unnie muttered while checking her special pocket watch. It would alert her whenever someone would step inside our lawn. Yeji unnie really had her ways with enchanting objects. Then suddenly the pocket watch started blinking rainbow colors and beeping loudly.

"Why is it so loud?" Ryujin unnie said while staring bewilderedly at Chaeryeong unnie.

"Well, because I want to be able to notice it, dummy," she said as she turned it off. She kissed Ryujin unnie on the cheek as she went to open the door.

 

Behind it was no one other than Jihyo unnie. Her coven had been working at witch events as security for years now.

"Hi guys, you ready to go?" she asked us excitedly. I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I could almost see my eyes twinkling from excitement.

"Yes, we are!" I said brightly.

Jihyo unnie smiled. "All right, then let's go. We don't wanna miss the jumper" she said.

I turned to Jisu unnie and Yeji unnie to say goodbye. They looked like we were moving away from home. I chuckled a bit.

"Good luck love. Ryujin and Chaeryeong, watch that she is safe" Jisu unnie said with tears in her eyes. They nodded as they chuckled a little at Jisu unnie's silliness. Yeji unnie was crying so she just hugged us all tightly. I hugged her back and then I ran after Jihyo unnie with Ryujin unnie and Chaeryeong unnie.

 

The jumper was a little more far away than I anticipated so we had to jog to get there in time. When we arrived, there were nine people plus their pick-ups already waiting.

"Just in time, Jihyo unnie" one of the pick-ups said. "As always, Dahyun," Jihyo unnie said.

"All right everyone, make a connected circle around Mina here" Jihyo unnie said clearly. I clasped hands with Chaeryeong unnie and Ryujin unnie. Ryujin unnie caressed my hand gently. I smiled at her brightly.

When we completed the circle, the pick-ups gathered around Mina, making an inner circle. Mina started muttering a spell quietly in a foreign tongue. The wind picked up around us. Leaves started to circle around us and then suddenly we were in a completely different place.

 

[Hello! This is the first part of this story. I decided to split it into two parts. Next chapter you'll see the real competition;)

This story's inspiration music is Itzy's "It'z Me" album.

-Blue]