Encounter: Witches of Sin

Encounter: Witch of Mirage

As I stood there pondering, I could feel a cold wind pushing against my back, which is strange, considering the library is supposed to be an enclosed space. I move backward, and I could feel my foot stepping on water. The cold wind starts becoming more aggressive, to the point that it's starting to push me in all kinds of direction. And each step I take, I could feel the water level rise. This illusion of a stormy sea, I could feel it becoming more reality than just being an illusion.

As I was struggling to even stand straight, in the horizon I could see a large figure. A large ship, but I couldn't figure what kind of ship. At this point, I don't know what's an illusion and what's not anymore, so at desperation, I tried to signal the ship to my direction. What happened next, was something straight out of a fantasy novel.

The ship in the horizon was now surrounded by large, practically titanic... black, bladed tentacles, the very same description used for the mythical beast, the Kraken. It is said that in the middle of the Pacific, the Kraken uses it's humongous black, bladed tentacles to surround it's pray and drag them towards the ocean floor, where the Kraken itself is awaiting it's meal. As I was in awe of the sight before me, the ship was dragged into the sea, just like the stories say, and the moment it did, I felt such a large wave shaking my feet, and the cold storm pushed me off balance.

I sat there, wet and cold, unsure of what to do anymore. I'm definitely not in the library anymore, but I don't know what's happening. Everything is just too confusing. This is supposed to be an illusion, right? So then why is it that the rising water, the cold storm, everything feels so real? Even my ears have gone deaf from the loud thunderstorm. What is this place, an illusion, or am I truly at ocean? I don't know the answer anymore, and I'm too confused and scared to think straight.

My motionless body was subject to all of nature. The cold and loud thunderstorms, the raging waves of sea, and I couldn't do anything but sit there. I'm not even sure why I was just sitting there. Perhaps I'm waiting for something, or maybe I've already given up hope? As I was pondering about the reality, I could see little black strings surrounding me covertly. However, I can't just see them as little black strings. To me, they felt just like the Kraken's bladed tentacles, the same things that took down that ship in the horizon. So this is it? This is the end? Will no one be there to wake me up? In the first place, is this even a dream or is this reality? I don't know anymore, and I've practically given up at this point. I don't care anymore, I don't care. Just take me, I don't care anymore! Kill me!

I accepted my fate, and the black strings rushed towards me, and pulled me down into the sea. Everything is about to end at this point, huh. As I was being pulled towards the seabed, I could see various other life forms, mostly different types of fishes, swimming about. And as I reached the ocean floor, what awaited me were the floating bodies of my fellow palace staff, and even the king and his close subordinates. What... does this mean? The black threads let go of me, but I couldn't move. Every passing second, I felt like my body was deteriorating. I looked towards the other floating bodies, and I realized that they looked so pale and thin, drained and dehydrated, despite being at the bottom of the ocean. I'm sure that they've all died, and soon, so will I. Ahahaha, what a way to go, I can't help but laugh internally. I was being drained of my life, and I'm laughing. I don't even know who or what's doing this, but I'm placing my bets on Ms. Lilith... I guess Witches really are just plain evil incarnate...

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I closed the book I was reading, and I looked over to the lifeless body beside me. Mr. Willis was a nice man, he always took care of me whenever I went to the library. Perhaps that was the reason why I left him for last, or maybe it was something else... He posed a scarily striking resemblance to William, to the point I was hesitating in draining him for a while. But, what's happened has happened. There is no turning back anymore. Though the library looks plain and peaceful, that's only an illusion. The truth of the matter is more... hopeless.

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Lilith's eyes were glowing a bright gold color as she paid respect to the lifeless body to her side. And then, as her golden eyes became a dark blue color, the entire palace was returned to the reality. The moon light shining on the windows were the only source of light. After paying her respects, Lilith moved towards the front desk of the library, where there were three more lifeless and pale bodies. She paid her respects to them and exited the large room. In the hallway, she made a handful of stops, to pay respects to the skeletal-like corpses laying there. She walked slowly and gracefully, as she stops by every single lifeless body to pay her respects.

Finally, she reached the king's quarters, and there awaited the king's subordinates' drained bodies. Lilith approached each body and paid her respects, and then she looked towards the standing king.

“...playing with the dead is below you, Witch of Dolls.”

Then, the king's body slumped forward and fell, his head being cleanly cut off from the rest of his body and rolling towards Lilith's feet.

“Caught, ey.”

And sitting on the throne was an ashen white-haired girl looking to be in her teen years. She was wearing the now dead king's robes, which were too big for her so she just looked like a child princess wearing her father's clothes.

“So, what are your plans now, Sofia?”

“Scratch that name, wouldja? S'long as I'm sittin' on this 'ere throne, I'm thinkin' of callin' meself sumthin' else.”

“If you plan to do that, atleast do something about your speech pattern.”

The two struck conversation as Lilith walked towards the girl she called Sofia.

“I know, I know, I'm practicin'... practicing. The noble lady speech is harder than ya... you think.”

“...so? Your new name?”

“Right, right. I'm... thinking of taking the li'l princess' name. Marie Antoinette, yeah?”

As Lilith approached Sofia... Marie, she hopped off the throne and did the same. And now the two were standing in front of each other. Marie told Lilith about her next plans after eliminating the government.

“Well then, I'll tell Celestine about your little plan, I'm thinking she could be of help.”

“That quiet, uncooperative blondie? Ya serious?”

“You think you can fool the countrymen alone?”

Marie retreated at that statement. It would appear that she hasn't thought that far ahead. Lilith put her hand on Marie's shoulder and knelt so that they were on equal eye levels, then she looked straight at Marie's golden eyes with her own golden eyes.

“You can trust that I'll help you, yes?”

“...I guess.”

In a blink, both of their eyes stopped glowing gold. Lilith's eyes returned to their dark blue color, while Marie's became a lightless brown. Looking at it from afar, you'd think they were a pair of mother and child.

“Good. In exchange, you'll have to use everything in your arsenal to find my two sweeties, okay?”

“I can do that.”

“Then I'll find Celestine.”

Afterwards, Lilith got up and left the king's quarters, leaving Marie there alone. Marie returned to the throne and sat on it, then she looked at the lifeless bodies that Lilith left.

“...Did she... just leave the cleanin' to me...?”

Marie sighed as her glowing golden eyes were the only illumination in the dark room. Dealing with the aftermath, she plans to find a way to dispose of the bodies.

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Afterword

By the way, Sofia actually loves cleaning, that includes dealing with the aftermaths of slaughters.