Erica, nicknamed Earwig, is a sharp-witted ten-year-old abandoned at an orphanage in infancy by her mother, a witch escaping twelve coven members. A cryptic note on her blanket reveals her name and origins, though the staff dub her Erica Wigg. She grows into a cunning strategist, deftly manipulating both staff and children to preserve her independence, fiercely rejecting adoption to retain control of her domain.

Forcibly adopted by witch Bella Yaga and her partner Mandrake, Erica bargains for witchcraft lessons while reluctantly aiding their magical tasks. Defying Bella Yaga’s reluctance, she probes their home, unearthing ties to the rock band Earwig—once composed of her mother, Bella Yaga, and Mandrake. Through covert spellcasting, she devises defenses against magical backlash and reshapes her reality, even enchanting Bella Yaga’s body to secure leverage.

Her relentless snooping exposes hidden familial bonds among the band, suggesting a past romance between her mother and Mandrake. Gradually, her tenacity chips away at her guardians’ stern façades, forging fragile trust. This tentative peace shatters when her biological mother arrives during a visit from Erica’s orphanage friend, reigniting old tensions.

The original narrative ends with Erica choosing Bella Yaga and Mandrake as her found family. An adapted version extends her story, reintroducing her mother to reshape the conclusion. Both iterations portray Erica as fiercely resourceful, wielding manipulation to command her world, her evolution driven less by self-reflection than by unraveling secrets buried around her.