The Rules of the Witch

"Let's get to know the members of the Witchwood today." El and Mi strolled through the forest, with Joe following half a step behind El as usual.

“The fulcrum of the Witch Forest is these Mind Trees, also called Consciousness Trees,” El stroked one of the giant trees, its brown bark cracking to reveal a pale yellow heartwood inside, like the furrows on the forehead of a wise old man: “These Mind Trees separate newborn witches, protecting them from being swept away by the chaotic sea of ​​consciousness.”

El led Mi to the treetop, pointing to the gray clouds. "That's the witches' resting place," she said, "also called the Sea of ​​Chaotic Thoughts. It's the consciousness of witches who no longer wish to wander or stay in the Witch Forest. Those consciousnesses are chaotic, no longer a single wave, but fragmented, chaotic thought points. No longer complete, they are no longer witches." Above the Witch Forest, a gray haze hung in the air, like the sky before a storm, concealing countless thunderstorms and a chilling atmosphere.

"Are they no longer a single entity or have they all merged into one?" Mi looked at the gray clouds above her head. Mi's body was now also gray, even darker, while El was a bright blue and Joe was a lovely pink.

“I don’t know,” El said, staring at the sea of ​​clouds before him. “Maybe it’s just what you think.”

"Is that the Chaos?" Mi looked at the slowly moving clouds, where there were witches everywhere, filled with their kind, and he would never be alone again.

"You'll have to discover that for yourself; perhaps your destination is the starting point."

Why would a sorcerer want to return to their sea of ​​consciousness?

"Perhaps he has been lonely for too long and is no longer willing to continue his solitary journey as a witch."

Do witches also fear loneliness?

"Humans are born alone, and shamans are, after all, derived from humans. Who is not afraid of loneliness?"

“So a person’s life is a pursuit of recognition, a search for like-minded people, a search for mutual understanding, and then a demand for lifelong companionship.” Mi looked at El and asked, “And you? Having traveled through so many worlds, aren’t you afraid of loneliness?”

“I have Joe.”

"What about before Joe came along?"

“Before Joe, I was a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, yes, that’s what you mean, what you call a ‘scumbag’ where I’m from, and I’m a ‘scumbag’ woman.” El smiled. “I’ve had many partners, and they’ve been with me for varying lengths of time.”

“You know my—my thoughts?” Mi asked suspiciously.

“Yes,” Al laughed, “I’ve seen your witch’s headband. The first witch’s rule I’ll tell you as your guide is ‘Don’t let anyone see your witch’s headband, and definitely don’t let anyone touch it.’”

"Why?"

"Because the witch's headband is the embodiment of the witch, anyone can see right through you through it, and none of your thoughts or ideas can escape it."

"If that's the case, why did you look at my witch's headband without my permission?"

“You don’t agree with anything I’ve said, and you don’t consider yourself a witch,” El explained, spreading his hands. “I wouldn’t have done this if there were any other way. Of course, those creatures who try every means to see your witch’s headband don’t consider whether they need your permission.”

"No, you want to turn me into another Joe."

"Heh, a little follower like Joe?" El covered his face and chuckled. "Joe is petty, and I've already shown Joe my witch's headband, so I don't want to show it to any other witches."

"No, what I mean is that you might just be curious about me, maybe you just want to see what I'll do. But you think I adore you and depend on you, like the little prey you collect, that runs away on its own but always comes back to you."

So what are your thoughts?

“You really are a scumbag!” Mi glared at El. “What you’re doing is called ‘fish farming.’ You’re just a sea queen who wants to own an entire fishpond.”

"Oh!" El looked at Mi with interest. "Are you angry?"

“No,” Mi shook his head, “you will not succeed, at least not with me. I will be a shaman with principles, just as I am a human being.”

"Hahaha, I admire you." El glanced at Joe in the woods. Joe raised his hand and waved at El. El also raised his hand and shook at Joe: "Don't worry, I'm also a woman of principle. I won't have a threesome."

“You just won’t initiate a threesome,” Mi glared at Al. “Could you refuse? You always talk about the outside world, about how difficult it is to go out. If I asked to go with you, would you refuse? Don’t even mention Joe. Joe is a traditional person. I know she’ll only go along with you. Of course, as a fellow countrywoman, she probably wouldn’t be able to refuse me either.” Mi stroked her chin. “Why do I suddenly feel that Joe is the most dangerous one?”

“I now believe you are one of my kind,” El blinked and reached out to shake hands with Mi.

“Oh, damn it, I’m not one of your kind,” Mi withdrew her hand. “I only know how to have one-on-one relationships.”

“I believe you, after all, I only raise fish one by one.” Al and Mi smiled at each other. “I’ve realized I’ve fallen for you, oh, don’t worry, not like Joe’s kind of love.”

"I would never like you." Mi paused for a moment. "Wait, can I ask why you became a scumbag? After all, according to you, the witch is just a consciousness."

“Perhaps, I hope that playing the field is no longer a right exclusive to men,” Al blinked. “Perhaps, I’m just competing with those men for women; perhaps, I just don’t want their only choice to be men.”

"All I hope for now is to never see you again after I get out of here," Mi said, shrugging.

“Your wish will come true,” El laughed. “Now let me tell you the second rule of witches: ‘Never tell anyone you are a witch, even if she is one of your own kind.’”

"Why? Aren't you with Joe?"

“Joe and I are a special case; our witch headbands are linked together,” El explained. “It’s like a pact of mutual life and death, preventing us from harming each other. The witches you encounter outside can gain not only your consciousness but also your skills through your witch headbands, and of course, they can also harm you.”

"Just like plunder and betrayal, the witchcraft indeed originated from humans."

“You’re not entirely wrong,” El said, shrugging. “There are many species in the world that are different from humans, well, not the animals or plants you’re thinking of. Just think of them as alien civilizations. Don’t you have a saying on your planet, ‘Never answer the call of a stranger’? The witches only steal your skills; you can still recover and survive in the Witch Forest. Some, well, let’s just say they’re aliens, they devour witches, and they have the power to capture them—that’s definitely not an ability that humans, as you know them, possess. You have to understand that the outside world is full of species you never knew before, even more advanced species. For some species, their only interest might be dissecting witches for research.”

"Like humans and lab rats?"

Do you think it's cruel?

"I have no way to answer that question."

“You have a strong sense of humanity,” Al remarked. “The complexity and variability of human nature are becoming increasingly apparent in modern society. Some say this comes from resistance, but that’s not entirely true.”

"Why?"

"Human resistance is merely a symptom, or rather, just a trigger. What's truly at play is human cognition, that is, the change in human nature." El stared at Mi. "You know that human nature changes with the environment and one's own circumstances, right?"

“I understand that, but why is resistance just the trigger?”

"In the early stages, human nature was merely a means to extend divinity. But once humans began to enjoy the wealth and conveniences brought by killing, such as women, human nature began to rebel against divinity. You understand that, right?"

"I understand, but isn't this the essence of enjoyment, or rather, the essence of plunder?"

"Where there is plunder, there will be resistance. Since humanity no longer unites to expand outwards, the nature of plunder will lead to the rule of those in high positions and the resistance of those in low positions, and thus human nature will change."

"What has changed?"

“Look at that distant hillside, so steep it’s impossible to climb. A ruler in a high position can’t kill all the rebels in a low position and become truly isolated.” El pondered. “Take your Earth for example. The West had a long, dark Middle Ages, a demonic age that you Easterners can’t even imagine or understand. So the Western rebellion was very thorough. The people, without waiting for a savior, stormed the Bastille and directly beheaded the emperor. Moreover, they are very good at expanding outwards to appease their own people and alleviate internal conflicts.”

"It's just colonization, but they make it sound so nice."

"In the distant East, beneath the emperor were powerful clans and aristocratic families. In their struggle for power, they had to curry favor with third parties, and the relationship between these three was extremely delicate. When the common people were in dire straits, the emperor would execute a few corrupt officials to appease public anger; the powerful clans would then force the emperor to issue an edict of self-reproach to quell public anger. In this gap, the common people had a chance to breathe. The power struggles in the East were mainly among the upper classes. Although the common people also suffered hardship and destitution during times of famine and war, it was not for long. Once the upper-class disputes subsided, the common people would be appeased. Therefore, for thousands of years, the common people in the East developed a dependence on a 'hero' or a 'wise monarch' to rescue them from their predicament."

"What they gained through resistance wasn't democracy, but merely breathing room?" Mi pondered. "How is this any different from the Western saviors?"

“You can understand it this way: resistance tore open a breathing space. With this breathing space, people will want more space, and wanting more space inevitably requires some people to give up this space. The breathing space in the East was brought about by different heroes and sage rulers. If one doesn't work, maybe the next one will. Ordinary people believe in a just and upright official and also believe in ‘the emperor's throne rotates, next year it’s my turn.’ When there is enough luck, even a person from the bottom can become a hero or sage ruler. Easterners believe that a wise ruler will appear and also believe that they can become a wise ruler.” El shook his head and continued, “The savior in the West is unique, predetermined, and irreplaceable. That’s the difference.”

"Those in power relinquishing space?"

"Yes, that's true for those who already have power. Those in power are willing to relinquish some power to secure stable rule. But human nature is the same; those who have power always want more. So compromise is temporary, but the struggle is eternal. The root cause is not resistance but the struggle for control. Resistance is only for the sake of more control."

"I don't want to agree with your point of view, but I'm speechless."

“I say that humanity is rebelling against divinity, whose sole purpose is reproduction. Humanity is vying for control of the body, and once humanity gains the upper hand, reproduction will no longer be the sole purpose of life. Rebellion is not about confrontation, but about the struggle for control.”

“I think I understand. The essence of power is the same. What matters is not who has power, but limiting the extreme imbalance of power. You remind me of the separation of powers.” Mi thought for a moment and added, “There are too few women in positions of power, which is why women’s power is waning.”

“Restriction and balance,” El thought for a moment. “Humans are truly the strangest species. Their nature is to expand and plunder without limit, yet they put shackles on themselves in the name of justice, morality, and fairness.”

“This is an inevitable step in the development of modern society. Only with a legitimate reason can one stand on the side of justice,” Mi said softly. “At least modern people have some sense of shame. People need to have a sense of shame, just as trees need bark, for this is the only way to survive in the long run.”

“People who care about their reputation always suffer a little,” Al laughed. “But when it comes to choosing between vested interests and saving face, I don’t see anyone choosing to save face.”

“Well, signing treaties to establish checks and balances on humanity brought about a brief period of peace, but violating and tearing up treaties plunged humanity into wars for power and profit,” Mi thought for a moment, “this in itself is a part of human history, what more do you want?”