Chapter 16: Chapter 16

I found myself standing in the grand hall of Windsor Castle. There was no royal dance or any sign of decoration as I had perceived on Talia’s birthday, and rather, a remorseful atmosphere seemed to echo blazingly from across the four walls of the humongous place. An unrecognizable woman sat on the dining table sobbing profusely as King Eric tried feeding her some soup out of a golden bowl. Looking at King Eric, I briskly assumed her to be my mother, Queen Margaret. We looked quite alike; her hair was reddish, her eyes a glistening green and she possessed a similar cute face with a milky complexion.

“If you love me Margaret, you will have this soup,” Eric said, wearing the same stony and bold expression as he previously did. “Though, misfortune has struck us time and again, and snatched away from us, the eternal honor and blessing of becoming parents. I swear on the love that we share my queen, tonight, I am going to place a mundane end to this vicious cycle of misery, and bliss will be forced to enter the gates of our castle forever.” proclaiming this, he called loudly,

“Agatha,” and astonishingly, the nurse came swiftly from one of the doors at the far end of the hall.

“Your highness,” she greeted, in a sing-song manner with a brief bow.

“I am going outside Windsor tonight to attend to some highly crucial matter Agatha. Now I know, that you have an ailing and fragile mother to take care of at home. However, this is the first and last time that I would ask you for this massive favor of looking after your queen, as I won’t be returning till dawn,” he declared, standing up with his stony eyes fixed on her.

“It would be my pleasure, my lord,” she affirmed, with a considerable amount of concern on her aging face. As King Eric stood up to leave, the nurse suddenly shrieked with terror, startling both the queen and him.

“My king,” she began, turning pale with intense fear. “In the name of the almighty lord, I beg you, please do not venture outside on this dreaded night. As the full moon reaches its peak tonight, dark forces of nature will prevail, and engulf the night sky…until dawn,”

King Eric’s expression failed to change and remained stony as he gazed at the nurse emotionlessly.

“Agatha…I respect your beliefs, however, there is no power in the world which my sword can’t pierce,”

“I know my king, that you do not place your faith in the lord of this world, but-”

“Well…maybe that’s what I am about to change tonight,” he said, with finality and marched hurriedly towards the gates of the castle.

The scene transformed instantly, and I discovered myself flying through the air, carried away by some unknown force across the forest of Dracon. King Eric galloped on his horse, fifty feet below. It seemed as though he was going for a battle in the chilly wind and guided by the moon that I was so familiar with. My speed matched with that of his white stallion which sprinted fiercely against the ruthless wind without slowing down.

We traveled nearly ten miles without halting. I felt like a feather, weightlessly moving through the fierce air surrounding me, as though gravity didn’t exist. A few seconds later, the horse and I came to an abrupt halt, as the gigantic building of a thirteenth-century gothic church emerged ahead. King Eric dismounted his horse and marched towards the church’s entrance (the invisible force landed me on the ground the instant he dismounted) and I followed him.

Was it just me? Or the light emitted by the glowing lanterns inside the holy place intensified, as King Eric made his entrance. The vacant church vented an aura of utmost tranquillity, and the typical fragrance of frankincense oil filled my nostrils, intoxicating me completely. And the instant I entered the place of god, an astoundingly soothing warmth sheathed my body, away from the torturously despicable chillness outside. The interior of the church was none like any I had ever perceived before. Innumerable rows were lined up in the gigantic hall, and at the farthest end, which appeared like a mile away, stood the heightened crucifix. King Eric quickly reached the lectern and surveyed Jesus grievously. I walked through the ridiculously extended aisle and stood beside him, gawking at his face stupidly.

Suddenly, he left me dumbfounded, as tears came gushing down his otherwise stony eyes and he fell onto his knees. He hung his head down and wept bitterly. Those tears surged like a tsunami, as though they had been frozen for decades.

“I never believed in the lord, the one who created this universe and the world hereafter. I have erred my lord. And that’s why you have punished me, by keeping me childless for so long,” he lamented, burying his head in his palms and sobbing profusely.

The tears flowed endlessly across his face, wetting his blonde beard thoroughly. I felt distressed taking over my insides as I gazed at him tenderly. The sight struck me with an astounding realization that even the strongest of us reveal our vulnerable side at some of the other points in life. I could feel his agony from deep within, and an uncontrollable desire to reach out to him and console him burst inside me. However, I didn’t attempt to do so, as I was aware that it wasn’t a physical realm and I would end up waving my hand through his ghost-like figure if I tried. Nevertheless, I inched closer towards him, my eyes brimming with spontaneous tears as I knelt down beside him.

“Oh, lord of the worlds, I beg your pardon. Today, I place my utmost belief in your might. If you desire to punish me further, gladly do so, for I have wronged myself my entire life. But for the life of me, do not torment my dear Margaret. I love her the most and she’s the only one I have got in this entire world. I cannot stand her tears any longer, breaks my stony heart into pieces,” he raised his head and directed his teary eyes towards the statue of Jesus. “Grant me a child, and I would give her the love of this entire universe. And cherish it till my last breath.” Saying this, he lifted himself up and walked away towards the church’s exit and I followed him blindly.

In a flash, I found myself flying again above King Eric’s ride. The night seemed to get more and more freezing and darker, with no sign of light emerging from any direction. Surprisingly, amidst the blinding darkness, a ray of light zoomed from the right side of the dense forest area. Distracted by the unexpected light, King Eric was forced to stop his horse in the middle of nowhere.

The Most Feared Witch of All Time

King Eric dismounted his horse and looked at the clearing in the forest that emitted the luminescent ray. Instantaneously, the stallion began neighing loudly in a distressful manner, as though it had sensed inexplicable danger and was warning its master against the peril that lay in that area. Nevertheless, the ray of light had clutched Eric’s attention firmly and seemed to draw him towards it. And I magically landed on the ground again to follow his lead. Setting the bushes aside, he made his way into the forest area towards the source of the light. Approaching the luminescence, we noticed that the ray was astoundingly being emitted by a slender hooded figure that seemed to walk at the pace of a turtle. King Eric began speeding towards it as though the person was in grave peril.

“Young lady!” he called, but she kept moving as though she hadn’t heard him. Eric called out to her twice and began sprinting towards her. Eventually, at his final cry, she halted and he approached her. I began panting profusely, grabbing my knees, as I had to chase him.

The hooded figure turned and unveiled her face to expose a moonlike visage that radiated everything that stood inches near her. Her complexion was milky white, with purplish lips and a brownish mole just above her upper lip. Her floor-length jet-black hair held an unmatchable flair that could swipe the fierce wind away and her large light blue eyes shone gloriously in the darkness.

“Yes, my king” she replied in a buttery voice, bending her body in a graceful bow.

“Young lady,” said King Eric, utterly perplexed. “How in the lord’s name do you know me?”

At this question, the girl let out laughter that felt like icy cold water. Which gave me razor-sharp goose pimples.

“My king, there’s no one in these woods that isn’t aware of you,” she claimed, holding that luminescent smile of sparkling white teeth. “The tales of your valor and greatness are spread far and wide across these lands. Every soul is aware that you venture out in the intense darkness of the night, to resolve the issues of your subjects, without even revealing your true identity to them.”

King Eric was baffled beyond words and his mouth was left wide open at this piece of information. But the expression of shock quickly turned to tenderness quickly. Surprisingly, I hadn’t seen more tenderness in his expression the entire time. Suddenly, I noticed something that rang the alarms in my mind…the young girl’s blue eyes glowed red for a few seconds. Instantly, I realized that she was a maleficent witch.

“Come my king,” the witch uttered softly, offering her hand to him. King Eric placed his hand in hers with a sparkle in his eyes that was previously unnoticed by me…he was bewitched. And the moment their skins came into contact, they vanished into thin air.

Within a second, I felt my body quiver and I vanished too. The scene transformed and I landed on the hard grassless ground. My surroundings were filled with terrifying ancient trees and a horrible stench reeked from nearby. I viewed a small hut a few meters away from me. A dim light shone from its triangular window. I marched towards it readily, expecting to discover something mysterious within its tiny wooden walls.

Its wooden doors were wide open. With a bubble of fear blowing inside me, I entered the creepy place. And what my eyes witnessed inside, shocked my soul. The young witch had wrapped King Eric in a tight embrace and was cuddling his hair like a long-lost lover. I let out a scream of utmost shock, but obviously, no one could hear it. They broke apart suddenly, as they felt my presence. King Eric caressed her cheek lovingly, gazing into her mystifying eyes like a zombie.

Immediately, she held his hand and gently pushed him down on a tiny wooden bed and lay there, continuing to stare at her lifelessly. The sorceress began unraveling his robes and was about to quench her lust, when suddenly, King Eric’s eyes rolled, he shook his head instantly, and with a repulsive look at the witch, he pushed her away. The evil sorceress fell with a massive thump on the ground. He got onto his feet instantly and spread a sigh of immense relief on my face as he had returned to his senses. The witch began hissing furiously and drew out her crookedly ancient black wand.

“Who are you evil woman?” he exclaimed, drawing out his trusted sword. The witch began laughing with dangerous hilarity.

“Foolish king. It seems you have never been really educated, despite being in possession of all the wealth of your kingdom,” she replied, her voice changing drastically to a towering one. “I am a lethal being that you’d have never encountered your entire worthless life. I am Jezebel, the most feared witch of all time. And tonight, I will take from you what I desire and become what I want to be,” saying this, she waved her wand and shot a spell at him. However, the king deflected it using his sword and it hit the wooden wall, punching a large hole through it. The sorceress shot another spell which again deflected off his sword and smashed the tiny bed that lay inside.

Burning with immense fury, the witch opened her mouth and let out an atrocious scream aiming it towards King Eric, who was thrown backward by the unbearable force of the wail and fell outside on the ground. The sword had slipped away from his hands and gone flying away into darkness. The witch stepped out of the hut, which collapsed behind her as she did. The witch began roaring with laughter, seeing the pitiful figure of King Eric huddled on the ground clutching his ears like a child.

She swished her wand and he slid towards her instantly. The evil witch looked at him lustily, her eyes turning reddish again as the weak king lay on the ground helplessly.

The Series of Rebirths

The witch stood staring at King Eric with bloody eyes.

“Finally, I will have what I have been waiting for centuries,” she claimed, as the helpless king lay beneath her feet. I felt really desperate, I wished I could do anything, anything at all to save my father. I knew she had no intention to kill him, but one thing was clear, that whatever she desired, was nothing but evil.

Before the evil sorceress could make another swish of her wand, the weakened king slowly unsheathed his dagger from his robes and thrust it up her stomach. For a few seconds, she stood still, not realizing what actually happened. Eric removed the dagger, and the witch placed her palm on her lean stomach and gazed horrifyingly at her bloody palm.

“This….is....impossible,” she uttered, as she clutched her torn stomach. “How…how?”

“Witch, these are my ancestral weapons. Passed on in my royal kin since the last two thousand years,” Eric declared, slowly rising up onto this feet. “Till today, I never believed in dark supernatural powers, but my ancestors did, and they had blessed this dagger and my sword with pure magic,”

The witch collapsed on the ground, but before the angel of death arrived and took her soul, she looked at the king venomously.

“I….will…return….and… take away, what is mine.” Saying this, she blasted into smithereens. But something really weird and creepy happened seconds before that. The maleficent witch looked in my direction, as though she knew I was there. And the moment my eyes met hers, a vision flashed in my mind, a very bizarre image of a young woman dressed in an ancient warrior’s attire, with a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left. And then, the biggest shock engulfed my body as her face emerged briefly….it was me.

In the next second, I felt myself falling through blackness again and finally landed deep below. And my eyes fluttered open. I was back with the nurse, who let go of my hand. I didn’t know what to think, say, or react to. I couldn’t understand my own feelings at that point in time. I just looked at the nurse, hoping she could solve the mystery that I had been through.

“Nurse, who was that sorceress?” I inquired innocently, as she stared in mid-air again. Suddenly, she turned towards me and with a grim smile on her face, she explained to me a tale that blew my mind.

“That witch whom your father encountered in that forest is the most feared witch of all time. Her name is Jezebel,” she broke it to me, her voice sounding really grim.

“And, was she merely after my father to quench her lust?”

“No dear girl, but that’s the actual question, whose answer will unravel all mysteries and will tell you everything about why all of this has happened to you,” she paused, licking her lips slightly and clearing her throat, as though the words had been choking her.

“Jezebel, along with Malena, was one of the two witches who had heard the prophecy of your birth. The coming of a miraculous child into this world, whose soul would end their eternal need to prey on the souls of young beautiful maidens, in order to preserve their youth and beauty. And the one and only soul capable of providing them with-”

“Immortality,” I finished her sentence, and she nodded slowly.

“But, that’s not all,” she continued, looking at me intensively, as she was about to reveal the final truth that was going to blow my brain. “The brief vision that you had when your eyes locked with Jezebel’s is the true answer to your question. That’s why the almighty Lord chose you. The vision you had was of Helena, the warrior of Themiscera, an ancient kingdom in Greece that was destroyed a thousand years before Talia was born...You are Helena, my dear child,”

She finished, and I felt as though my mind was going to blast. What on earth was that? Being the re-incarnation of an unfortunate medieval princess was a shock on its own. And now being the re-incarnation of a pre-historic female warrior was just too much to take in.

“I know that this has come as a tremendous shock for you my dear child. But it’s simply the truth. And not just Helena or Talia, but you have taken birth in various eras of mankind. In different kingdoms and in different roles,” she claimed and waved her in a circular motion, and a piece of the intense fog transformed into a magical screen.

The screen displayed scenes that boggled my mind beyond measure. Flashes of girls bearing my face emerged. A girl wearing an Arabian belly dancing dress was shown dancing in front of an Arab man. Another girl was shown to be seated on a queen’s throne in Ancient Egypt. Another one was shown to be nurturing a child during the Mayan Civilization. And eventually, in the ancient warrior’s attire holding a sword and a shield emerged and my eyes widened.

The young lady's expression appeared very unlike me. It was stone cold and absolutely fearless. Her body was built strongly and she wore a golden tiara, which bore the symbol of an eagle. I could have never pictured myself in such a light, despite being trained heavily by Sebastian Holden and having broken into a highly secured police facility.

“That,” said nurse, pointing firmly at the magical screen. “Is you as Helena, the female warrior of Themiscera?” Talia my child, whenever, evil has grown beyond tolerance, and the innocent have been harmed, you have taken birth to place an end to it,"

“Yes, okay, I was Helena a long time ago, agreed. But what does she have anything to do with Jezebel and Talia?”

“Yes, that is the question that will clear all your skepticism dear girl,” the nurse uttered, and offered me her palm again, which I nervously grabbed again, knowing exactly where I was heading this time.

Helena: The Demon Slayer

My eyelids fluttered open as naturally as having woken up from a deep slumber. I half-expected to be landing in another castle, however, the scenario that came into view left my eyes widened.

I was standing in an open-air arena like a massive open-air auditorium. I stood on the topmost step of a series of lengthy stairs that descended below towards the center. And at the center of the arena stood a circular platform that was raised a few inches above the ground…I was in Themiscera, Greece.

And on the platform stood a massive golden throne, where a white-bearded man donning royal ancient Greek robes was seated. A greenish-yellow tiara sparkled on his forehead. Two Greek soldiers wearing golden armors and holding a spear and a shield respectively stood like robots on either side of him. And right in front of his throne, stood the gifted warrior of Themiscera…Helena.

She wore a blue star-covered short, and a red bustier with a golden eagle on the front. And a golden tiara sparkled from across her forehead.

“My lord Adrian,” greeted Helena in a deeper voice than mine, with a bow, and I felt extremely weird seeing myself in a position like that.

“Stand still Helena,” called the man, surveying her intensely but with a warm expression on his face. “I am sure you are very well aware, why I have summoned you here today,”

“Yes, my lord,”

“Your strength and courage are beyond measure, Helena. You are the finest and the most gifted warrior of Themiscera. However, despite your unshakeable protection over Themiscera, that ruthless demon Agregor is still successful in slaughtering and devouring the people of our beloved home,”

“I beg your pardon, my lord. I assure you, that the next time that beast makes the sin of appearing and makes an attempt to bring harm to anyone, he shall not escape from my clutches. I was inches away from getting my hands on him previously, but there was some dark magic at play that night. That caused him to vanish into thin air. But I swear upon the almighty god, no matter what happens, I shall rip that monstrosity’s head, and offer it to you as a gift,” she claimed, and with a deep bow and approval from Adrian, she mounted her white horse that stood nearby and marched away.

Instantly, I was carried away too, through the fierce winds that blew across the freezing weather. It was the most bizarre feeling in the world watching myself riding like a man across the mountains. Helena’s horse galloped nearly as fast as a cheetah, moving across grasslands and the most ravishing valley that I had ever seen in my life. The scenario was nothing short of heaven, birds chirping across the crisp autumn air and massive clouds of various shapes gliding across the lightest blue sky that I had ever seen. The breathtaking scenario and the cool weather had mesmerized my senses, while the curiosity of where I was headed bubbled inside my stomach greatly.

A gigantic fortress emerged at the edge of the valley, whose doors seemed larger than two blue whales. The moment she inched towards the doors, they slid aside magically, opening the gateway to a gargantuan palace. Helena rode inside and halted at a series of steps that ascended a long way up. She ran up the steps like a cheetah (another thing I couldn’t have ever achieved) and gazed at a huge circular well that stood there glowing under the sun.

As I landed near Helena, it was the most bizarre feeling in the world; looking at your own face on a completely different personality was mind-boggling. The well was so deep and densely dark that perhaps it would take a man a year to reach the bottom of it. Suddenly, Helena closed her eyes and gestured her arms in a way as though lifting something up into the air. With a sheer feeling of exhilaration, I expected something dramatic to occur. However, nothing really happened.

And just as I let out a sigh of disappointment, a terrific gushing noise sounded from inside the well. And a second later, a huge gush of water swam upwards like a tsunami. My eyes popped at the sight of crystal clear water zooming upwards. The water reached the brink of overflowing when Helena reached out and splashed some of the elixir-filled liquid on her face. Some of the water splashed in my direction, but being a ghostly figure I felt nothing.

“Oh holy water from the house of Elm. I ask you to give me that vision to see the repulsive beast Agregor even in the darkest of darkness,” she prayed, closing her eyes and allowing the luxuriously sparkling water to engulf her visage. Looking at myself through Helena I realized, how beautiful I was, especially in that tanned skin and those muscles that clearly showed my veins.

“Helena dear,” exclaimed a slender middle-aged lady wearing royal red robes with a green tiara on her forehead.

“My lady,” Helena greeted with a bow, which made me realize that she was the wife of the king whom Helena had met at that arena. The lady lifted her up gently and gave her a warm hug.

“Dear girl, your place belongs here and not on your knees,”

“My lady I have disappointed you and my lord-”

“Oh for lord’s sake, the only human you have disappointed is someone who hasn’t walked this earth yet,” she cut across her, caressing her cheek like she was a precocious little child. “You are the bravest woman Themiscera can ever hope to have, Helena. Your lord and I raised you up to be the strongest, most compassionate, and cleverest of all. Even though dark powers have their own tricks up their sleeves, but eventually, they fall prey to the hands of goodness. You will surely find that maleficent being, and restore peace to our heavenly home. And that, is the will of God, my dear child,” saying this she turned around and departed, leaving a sparkle of extreme hopefulness and a sense of victory in Helena’s eyes.

Agregor: The man-eating monster

Night fell instantly, bringing with it its pitch-black darkness and deafening silence. Only the sparkling moon was visible, enlightening my vision and allowing me to watch Helena as she stood at the peak of a towering mountain. There was a mixture of tenderness and extreme worry in her otherwise tough expression, as she stared below. She possessed my face, voice, and height, but everything else about her was completely different.

The icy weather engulfed by veins and froze my insides, as I stood beside Helena hugging myself desperately. I wished that nurse could somehow provide me with warmth. But before I could think of a way to connect with her, an ominous bawl filled the horizon, making my skin crawl, and raising the tiny strands of hair behind my arm.

“Agregor,” muttered Helena fiercely, and to my utmost shock, she jumped. And within a second, I went flying below as well. She landed on the ground with a swift roll and began running like a lightning bolt. What sort of powers or supernatural abilities did she possess? I wondered, taken aback by her heroic ability to fall from a tremendous foot and not even wince.

Reaching the palace area, I noticed the most repulsive creature ever to be seen. The monster was over seven feet tall and possessed the torso of an abnormally muscular man with grey skin. Multiple bull-like horns protruded from his white hair. His eyes were bloodshot and his nose resembled a hippo’s, and two horn-like teeth emerged from the sides of his disgusting mouth that dripped fresh blood.

The utterly appalling creature was carrying an unconscious man on his shoulder whose forehead was bleeding profusely. At the sight of Helena, the monster let out an earsplitting roar that shook the walls of the palace.

“Vicious devil,” cried Helena, drawing out her sword, and grabbing her shield that was hooked to her back. “Put that innocent civilian down, otherwise, this will be your last night in Themiscera,”

Nevertheless, her words added only fuel to the fire as he grabbed the man and bit into his neck with cannibalistic instincts. This rushed the blood to Helena’s head as she bawled like a lioness and sprinted towards the abominable beast. In turn, the beast threw the man’s lifeless body aside and charged towards her. The king and queen of Themiscera along with the other residents of the palace had all woken up and had come out of the palace to witness the chaos.

The fierce battle between good and evil had erupted. Agregor tried to sink his venomous claws into her, however, Helena was too quick for him as she swished her sword viciously and made a slash on his shoulder. The beast howled in pain, but instead of retreating, he grabbed Helena’s plaited hair and tossed her away. She was sent flying away but instead of failing miserably, she performed a backflip and landed safely on the ground.

“Everyone! Return to the palace,” she shouted, not keeping her eyes off the monstrosity for even a second. Helena’s plait had opened up, causing her waist-length hair to spread out and swish as the fierce wind blew. Nevertheless, the residents of the palace were rooted to the spot out of shock and fear and continued staring at the thunderous crash.

Helena threw her shield on the ground and grabbed her sword with both hands. And with a furious growl, she rushed towards Agregor and battled the beast. He was too powerful and shielded every blow with his metal-like claws. After defending himself for the fifth time, he struck her face ruthlessly and left a horrible gash on her left cheek. Blood trickled down her cheek endlessly, but the mighty warrior didn’t even wince. She rolled on the ground to avoid another blow from the creature, and with one brisk movement, she stabbed the sword in his massive waist.

All hell broke loose at that point and the most horrendous cry of agony filled the air, which nearly burst my eardrums. The beast got wilder and started growling due to an unbearable amount of pain as the sword remained jabbed in his waist which bled profusely. Helena made an attempt to withdraw it, however, Agregor waved his huge arm and smacked her on the face and she went flying backward. She fell on the ground with a gut-wrenching thud, as blood began oozing out of her lower lip. The monster pulled the sword out of his waist and flung it far away into the blackness of the night.

Helena rose up to her feet and got ready for a barbaric retaliation, however, to her astonishment, the wounded monster began retreating and began charging away into the darkness.

“Not this time!” exclaimed Helena, grabbing her shield and sprinted after him at lightning speed. Helena charged into the darkness as efficiently as though she possessed night vision. But I realized that it was perhaps due to the power of the magical water that she had sprinkled on her face at the palace.

The moon in the sky had disappeared, and no stars glowed either, but Helena could easily trace the monster and chased him persistently. The chase seemed to last a lifetime when suddenly, the beast stopped in his tracks, as though bound by an unbreakable spell.

With an air of triumph, Helena plunged over him. But, to my utter bewilderment, she went directly past his torso and tumbled on the ground as he vanished into thin air.

Intense confusion engulfed her as she got onto her feet and looked for him desperately hither and thither. The valley was dingy and extremely tranquil. Even the winds had ceased to blow and you could hear your echo.

Helena fell onto her knees and began heaving with utmost rage. The bruises on her face looked terrible, such that they made me flinch just by looking at them.

“Agregor!” she bellowed, facing the starless sky. Her rage had just begun to erupt when a soft buttery voice sounded from nearby.

“Agregor’s gone, Helena,” the sound took the form of a slim hooded figure that emerged out of the darkness. The hooded figure turned and unveiled her face to expose a moonlike visage that radiated everything that stood inches near her…

The Centuries-old Enemy

The young girl surveyed Helena through her exotic sky-blue eyes with an unending smile on her divine face.

“Who in the name of Hera are you girl, and how do you know my name?” demanded Helena breathlessly, as her fury refused to cease.

“Well, I am just a friend Helena, someone who knows everything about you,” she claimed pacing around her in a circle.

“What do you want girl?”

Jezebel began laughing coldly, revealing her sparkling teeth that sparkled in the darkness.

“The more relevant question would be, what do YOU want?”

“That is none of your concern strange girl,” snapped Helena, rising up. However, something strange happened. She was rooted to the spot and couldn’t move at all as grasped tightly by invisible hands. She struggled desperately to move for ten seconds then gave in helplessly.

“Stop trying Helena. It’s an absolute waste of your energy and my time. My body-binding curses are irrevocable by anyone, other than myself,” she uttered, with an unpleasant cackle that raised the blood to my head.

Rage seemed to be taking over me as well, channeling my body with an inexplicable amount of electricity.

“Who are you, sorceress! And what do you want from me!” Helena growled, making another futile attempt to free herself.

“I just desire one thing out of you,” she claimed, continuing to circle her, as though performing a ritual. “Your soul, insufferable warrior girl. The only thing that would preserve my dazzling youth and ethereal beauty for the next two hundred years,”

“What…what are you saying evil witch, and how do you know me?” demanded Helena, although this time there was less rage and more apprehension in her voice.

“Well, I guess, before I obtain what is rightfully mine, let me not keep you in the dark,” Jezebel declared, coming to a sudden halt.

Abruptly, out of the pitch-black darkness emerged Agregor. Astonishingly, his roars had ceased and the barbarous beast stood there silently like a robot. The sight of him raised the blood to Helena’s head again. And she growled and made another attempt to break free from the unbreakable magic.

“Sorceress! By the almighty Lord, I shall spare your life, but move away from that beast and just free me now. I shall kill that monstrosity. Runaway girl, otherwise, it will slaughter you too!”

Surprisingly, Helena’s bawling had no effect on Jezebel’s face as she began sniggering. And to our utmost shock, she moved towards Agregor and began caressing its shoulder like it was an adorable pet. The monster did not react but remained silent.

“Helena, the brave warrior of Themiscera. I would like you to know, that your bitterest foe, the brutal beast and the ominous threat whose name strikes terror into the hearts of this land is merely a tiny creation of my indestructible power,” announced Helena haughtily, continuing to stroke the creature and leaving Helena thunderstruck.

I, on other hand, wasn’t shocked. A witch creating a horrifying monster using her dark powers was something that I had already experienced. Nevertheless, I did feel slightly taken aback as it was completely unexpected. Jezebel’s arrival onto the scene was a massive bombshell in itself, that no other bamboozling news could come anywhere close to it.

“Witch!” Helena shouted, with clenched teeth and eyeing Jezebel with extreme hatred and disgust. “You created a devil who slaughters pure and innocent souls, just to get your hands on me!”

The witch began laughing mirthlessly, which created an insuppressible desire inside me to chop her head off.

“Beauty and bravery with brains you are, charming warrior. I did plan all of it and created young Agregor to lure you here. And now, when the moon cycles have made you reach adulthood. I am going to have what I desire and take your soul,” she declared and paced towards Helena. I felt extremely desperate as I wanted to grab Jezebel and somehow prevent her from performing the inhumane deed. However, I was unequivocally helpless, and nothing more than a ghost.

She reached Helena and drew out her wand, and was going to suck her soul out.

“Wait!” shouted Helena, leaving Jezebel expressionless with her wand-held hand hung in midair. “You can have my soul, but do I have the right to have my last wish fulfilled?”

The witch threw back her head and began laughing coldly, which made me want to rip her head off.

“Foolish girl, you think I needed your permission to take your soul,” she said, gawking at her humorously. “But yes, my mercy prevails my wrath. I, Jezebel, the mightiest sorcerers since the beginning of time, grant you your last wish. Tell me Helena, what do you desire?”

Helena’s expression turned stony and she threw a dirty look at Agregor.

“Allow me to murder this devil who has brutally butchered dozens of people in my land,”

“Very well dear. I am both impressed and saddened by your last wish,” she asserted, raising her eyebrows. “Impressed by your courage and determination to take revenge for your peoples’ deaths. And saddened by imagining what my aggressively ruthless pet here would do to you,” saying that, she waved her free hand and freed Helena from the body-bind curse.

Helena rose up like a phoenix and stretched her arms and legs quickly. She was about to pounce on Agregor when Jezebel stopped her.

“One-second dear girl,” she said, gesturing her hand in midair and summoning something from far away. And a second later, Helena’s sword zoomed through the air and darted towards her, who grabbed it firmly. “Let me make this more compelling and give you a lifeline dear girl. You defeat Agregor, and I shall spare your soul. But, if he beats you, your soul will be mine anyway, but your honorable warrior body shall be slaughtered brutally and my dear beast will prey on it,”

Helena looked at her as though she had been expecting this to happen, and a wry smile spread across her jawline while she nodded in agreement. She turned…and it was all chaos…

The Lethal Lifeline

The worst combat in perhaps, the history of the world took place that day. Which shook the entire horizon and the grounds of Themiscera. This head-to-head battle between good and evil probably shed more blood than anyone could ever envision. The vile witch had summoned a throne for herself and sat there in the middle of nowhere, as the two opponents faced each other with blood in their eyes.

Helena removed the tiara from her forehead and placed it on the ground.

“Lord, give me victory,” she invoked, gripping her sword with both hands and placing it close to her face with her eyes closed. The full moon had reappeared, providing its warm and soothing glow over Helena. Agregor gawked at her with bloodlust, his mouth still smeared with the blood of the last innocent resident of Themicera that he had slaughtered.

Jezebel waved her wand, and a vast circle of fire surrounded Agregor and Helena.

“The rules of the combat are simple,” she proclaimed in a towering voice, totally unlike hers. “You fight, till one of you is thrown out of the circle, gets killed, or is set ablaze by the fire that surrounds you…The combat may begin.”

The instant those words erupted out of her mouth, Helena grabbed her shield and sword and bolted towards Agregor. While the remorseless creature charged towards her like a killing machine. In a flash, he pounced on her with his razor-sharp-clawed hands, however, she managed to escape his attack by bending her body and sliding forwards. And while doing so, she slashed his thick shin which bled profusely. Agregor roared ominously and turned to retaliate, but she was too quick for him and so she sliced his chest and made him fall on the ground with a midair kick using both her legs, on his chest. Helena performed a short backflip and landed safely on the ground.

With a fierce sprint, she jumped in the air and made a substantial attempt to thrust the sword across his chest as he lay on the ground, but the beast rolled aside and she missed.

Taking advantage of the missed attempt, Agregor rose up suddenly and caught hold of Helena’s should and sent her flying away. Helena landed on the ground with a thud but showed no sign of weakness or getting hurt.

The beast paced towards her, and before she should make a move, he clutched her ankle and lifting her in midair, ruthlessly smashed her body against the ground. He held the back of her head and pressed it against the ground mercilessly. Helena wriggled like a fish out of water but in vain, as the murderous monster was too strong. A tear trickled down my cheek, looking at the horrifyingly pathetic sight. I desperately wished I could do something to help Helena, however, what was going to happen was already written in destiny. Nonetheless, I still raised my hands and called upon the Almighty to save this brave and noble warrior.

And before I could lower my hands, a growl of fury struck my eardrums. And to my uttermost delight, I noticed Helena pressing her fists against the ground. The creature increased the pressure on the back of her head, however, with one massive growl, she broke away from his grip. Rising up, she caught hold of his neck with her single hand and threw him onto the ground. For a second, it seemed as though she had won, but as she held her sword to stab him while he lay on the ground, something strange happened. Her sword-held hand froze in midair. Helena struggled furiously but the invisible force was far too robust. I looked around and noticed Jezebel’s hand held up in a gesture. That bloody cheating witch! I thought furiously, turning my own hands into fists.

Abruptly, her hands were set free but the damage had been done, as Agregor rose onto his feet and grasped Helena’s throat. He raised her into the air, as the sword slipped away from her hands. The bloody eyes of the monster stared into Helena’s. She seemed to be suffocating under the unbreakable clutch of the ruthless monster. For a moment, I felt he would take her life. However, before her struggles under his firm grip halted, he brought her close to him, and with a massive force he swung around and flung her away like a discus. Helena’s weakened body flew far away, outside the circle of fire, and landed right beneath Jezebel’s throne.

“Well, well, well,” Jezebel chanted, eyeing her from above. “You fought gallantly dear girl. I wish there could be another round, however, we must abide by the rules,” she said loftily her eyes gleaming with victory.

“You…deceptive….piece of vermin,” scoffed Helena under her breath, with a substantial attempt to grab the arm of her throne and rise.

“Finally, I will have what is truly mine,” saying this Jezebel removed her wand and aimed it at Helena’s face.

“If…you want my soul…take it gladly…but…kill that monstrosity,”

“You are in no condition to make demands, girl. I am going to get your soul anyway, and as for my dear Agregor, he will feast on your corpse and continue to prey on the people of this land,” she asserted, throwing a look of pride at the beast, whose mouth salivated with blood. “You see, he has a massive appetite, I can’t deprive him of his food. That would be really heartless,”

“Witch!” breathed Helena, her eyes turning dreamy.

“Be glad Helena, that the merciful Lady Jezebel fulfilled your last wish,” she said pompously. “Consider yourself extremely fortunate girl,”

My eyes brimmed with tears as I stared at Helena. Was this the end meant for a warrior, who had spent her entire life fighting to protect her people? How could God be so cruel? How could he let evil triumph? These desperate thoughts wavered inside my head when the pointed edge of Jezebel’s wand got directed at Helena’s ailing face…

The Shock of a Lifetime

Jezebel gaped at Helena with lusty eyes and initiated a chant under her breath. Her wand was pointed at Helena’s pale and weakened face. But before she could move another muscle to gain access to her soul, Helena thrust her hand inside her long boots and seized a gleaming dagger.

With a lightning strike, Helena struck and sliced Jezebel’s wand-held hand. A thunderous scream filled the night, which shook the horizon. Helena made an inexplicable effort to rise, her face was pale and sweating heavily. The darkness was subsiding, and the dawn was bringing with it the light of peace and serenity. Helena stood upright, and with a final blow, she jabbed the dagger across Jezebel’s heart.

There was no blood, nor any scream, but rather a wisp of smoke rising as the body of the brutal witch burst into smithereens. And so did the body of the deadly beast Agregor, who vanished into smoke as he was merely a creation of Jezebel’s dark magic.

The sun emerged out of the clouds and struck our faces. Helena closed her eyes and began to enjoy the warmth of the blazing star. I smiled at her victory and wiped my tears away.

But suddenly, something unexpected happened, Helena’s body began to sway, the dagger slipped away from her fingers and fell with a clunk on the ground. And with a final movement in her fragile body, she collapsed on the ground…and lay there lifelessly

Intense sorrow filled every inch of my skin, as I ran towards her motionless body. But before I could reach it… and a cloud of blackness filled my surroundings, engulfing me thoroughly as I fell across a black hole.

My eyelids fluttered, and I found myself beside nurse again, who released my hand. The shock of watching Helena die in front of my eyes still banged my heart like a pendulum. However, I was proud that her death was of a martyr who had died protecting her people. Allowing this bubble of pride to take over my grief I looked over at the nurse and asked her the question that had been pressing my mind continuously.

“Nurse, how-” I opened my mouth to inquire, but she cut across me by finishing the sentence.

“How was Jezebel there you wish to know right,” she finished, and I nodded my head innocently wiping my nose with my hand.

“The Lord has played an intricate game while handling the fight between good and evil. And you have been the ultimate warrior at every stage of it,” she paused, grabbing my hand again and caressing it with her rugged fingers. “The prophecy which declared about the birth of a child that would provide eternal youth and immortality to anyone who gets its soul was revealed to the witches at the beginning of time. When humans were at the early stage of the revolution, and when this earth was ruled by dark powers and witches,”

Abruptly, the nurse got up and her expression turned hard. I rose up too, slightly taken aback by her sudden change in movement.

“Talia, my dear child. Since the day Jezebel has heard the prophecy, she has attacked you in every era and every land wherever, you have taken birth. She has always presented herself at every age and has made various attempts to take your soul. But… the power of goodness has always prevailed over evil, and so, you have always thwarted her. However, you have always lost your life while doing so,”

“But…if we have had encounters in every era, how come she didn’t show up in my last birth?”

“Talia… this is where the Lord made things complicated. As Jezebel had been unsuccessful in obtaining your soul since the beginning of time. She hatched an extremely crafty plan, which none of us could ever imagine,” her voice turned really high-pitched and a little scary this time. And I realized, something highly shocking was going to be revealed… and I was right. “In your previous birth, instead of getting to you herself, she used a vulnerable pawn. She dug out the deeply concealed desire for everlasting youth and immortality from the pawn’s heart to reach her own goal,”

“Malena…” I muttered immediately, as the words rose onto my lips spontaneously. And the nurse agreed serenely.

“Yes, Talia, Malena. You’d be baffled to know that Malena wasn’t a maleficent and murderous witch. She was an intensely loving, caring, and amiable woman who never could have imagined hurting anyone, let alone kill them. But that brutal witch Jezebel transformed her into this evil juggernaut who wouldn’t even wince before murdering even an innocent child,” nurse croaked, her voice had turned really heavy at this point.

“Nurse,” I said, holding her soft shoulders as she succumbed to tears. “Is there…something that you are hiding from me?” I muttered and the bomb fell on me.

“Talia…Malena is my mother…” she let out, leaving me thunderstruck. My chest felt as though it had been struck by a bolt of lightning.

“What!?”

“Yes, that is the truth,”

“But…but how?”

“When I was of your age, Jezebel lured my mom into the forest. My mom was in her fifties and suffering from leprosy. She cured her and narrated to her the prophecy. Jezebel was the one who manipulated her and turned her into a sorceress using her own powers. And that is when she truly became…Malena, witch of the darkness,”

There was an intensely prolonged pause, as the shock of the revelation scintillated my veins and bombed my mind.

“Nurse,” I uttered breaking the deafening silence. “What should I do now?”

“It’s up to you my child. Over there lies the door to heaven,” she claimed, pointing at the golden door which she had been staring at when I had arrived. “You can choose to come with me, and leave the sorrow of this world forever. Or…you can walk through that door,” she said, directing me towards the one on the left end of the long hallway. “And return to the mortal world and place an end to the viciousness. The choice is yours…”

Saying that she began walking towards the golden door. While I, made the choice to put an end to this realm of evil, forever. However, as I began to walk in the opposite direction towards the door to the mortal world a voice called me.

“Ellie,” it was the nurse, who stood behind me. She placed her rugged palm forward, and a gleaming dagger appeared.

With a slow but hasty movement, I grabbed it from her hands. I observed the dagger which displayed an unusual gloss as if polished and sharpened a minute ago. It seemed sharp enough to slash away a hugely thick branch from a tree and had tiny carvings on it which read: King Eric.

“Yes, dear child,” she announced in a soft, apparently ghostly manner. “This is indeed your father, the great King Eric’s blessed dagger. And the same one which was used against him by that sorceress and made it cursed,” her ghostly, but more like revenant voice turned vicious and dangerous as she uttered this. “And it’s the same dagger used by Helena…who is also your ancestor...The coincidentally astonishing fact is…you have been a descendant of all the girls who you have been in your previous births. You are well aware of what is to be done princess Talia,” she whispered gently, as she vanished with a wisp of glowing smoke, leaving me to continue staring at the dagger with a mixture of ferocity, revulsion as well as desolation and sorrow filling up inside me…

The Death of Malena

My eyes opened and the pain that I had felt in my ribs when Malena had struck me had returned.

With all the energy I could muster, I pulled myself up to face the sorceress, who was on the verge of sucking off my best friend’s soul.

“You were right Malena,” I began, with a bold and victorious smile emerging across my face which had a drastic effect of wiping hers off, as she looked at me with horrified bewilderment. “About my destiny of being reborn. But you failed to fathom one fact… it wasn't meant to free you. But to bring about your termination!” and with a massive bellow, I rushed forwards towards the sorceress, who had a second to apply her empty hand to defend herself. She directed her wand towards me and shot red sparks which I deflected, quite skilfully using the dagger. The lady growled viciously and again applied her dark magic, as a wisp of smoke began to arise out of nowhere. It molded artistically like clay being molded into shape by a potter, and within seconds.....took the form of an enormous serpent.

My legs froze on the ground, as though chained from below. The little color my pale face had regained after seeing nurse, drained off like water, at the sight of the massive and intimidating creature which was either summoned or produced, by dark magic.

"Meet my little wand-made pet darling," shrieked Malena, with purely terrifying bliss in her eyes.

The gigantic serpent was of the length of a standard great white shark. Its fangs were the size of human fingers, with emerald eyes which gave me the feeling that it could kill with just a stare. It possessed a purely black body with white stripes. It kept ogling me, while hissing ferociously, in preparation to spread its venom across my body. And I couldn't help but stare back, however, in utmost horror.

"Oh my dear ravenous boy," exclaimed Malena loftily, stroking the serpent. But you do not have to wait for long as it's dinner time. And with a freakishly hissing sound, she instructed it to attack.

The serpent barged forward to strike in a flash as I closed my eyes in defeat. But just on the brink of death, an extreme force of warm hands pushed me aside...it was Judy. I fell sideways rolling as I noticed, Judy being thrown in the farthest corner of the hall, the snake's head had collided with her body.

She fell on the ground with a bone-crushing thump and lay there lifelessly.

"Judy!" I screeched madly and with a furiously courageous effort, I struck the creature's body with the dagger, which left a slash onto it, leaving it to flinch crazily.

However, it quickly recovered and got back at me. And this time, with a swish of its hugely overlong tail, I was sent flying over the grand dining table and fell atrociously onto it which splintered into two.

I moaned in agony, as I couldn't muster the strength of seed to force myself to rise. How much more torture could my body endure, I thought desperately. Nevertheless, it came off as an astounding realization to me that in my position another person, irrespective of gender would have perished long ago.

I let my body loose in defeat, as the snake approached me. I guess this was the way it had to end.

The faces of mum, dad, and my two brothers flashed in my eyes. I felt their warmth and love inside me which provided me with an inexplicable comfort; even on the verge of death, they were with me...in my heart. Just as I was ready to embrace death with open arms, a soft voice rang in my ears.

"Ellie.....Ellie..." It was Judy, she was still alive, lying on her face pitifully and squealing for me.

This diverted the attention of the snake for the first time. It changed its target automatically and advanced towards the innocent soul. I felt its body slithering towards its prey, hissing profusely, and craving for a meal. As it approached her and opened its jaws.

"NO!" I growled, opening my eyes with all the energy restored. I had lost enough loved ones tonight and now it was time to extinguish the lamp of malevolence once and for all.

I rushed forward, revulsion and fury bursting out through me, and with a final wallop of the gleaming dagger...I sliced the throat of the loathsomely venomous creature. The head went spinning around like a saucer and landed in the hands of the vile witch…who all this while was watching the entire battle like an attentively enthusiastic spectator while sitting on King Eric's throne.

"Bravo!” she applauded with an ice-cold smile, clapping her hands, whose dreadful noise echoed across the hall and pinched my ears irritably. “You are stronger than I believed little girl, very like your nincompoop father, well like father like daughter," she mocked loftily. There was relish in her voice as she uttered these words which seemed substantially baffling, considering how I had butchered her creation.

I moved towards Judy who was still lying on the ground and calling my name in her soft voice. I could hold myself no longer and succumbed to tears, looking at her pitiful condition.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, it will all be over soon, we will go home," I comforted her, holding her in my arms, which got smothered with her blood. Blood was oozing from the back of her head which was swollen.

"Oh, how touching, the bond shared by these little angels. How I would feel so distressed to separate your souls," she chuckled madly, walking towards us.

With that, she drew out her wand, but before she could make a move, I raised myself with a wrathful bellow, and in an instant, jabbed King Eric's dagger right across her heart. The witch's eyes widened with trepidation as she moved backward.

What followed was the most horrendous shriek my ears had ever heard. The witch tumbled backward, and removed the dagger gradually through her chest with a squeal that raised the hair on the back of my neck, and threw it aside. Her flawless skin began withering away like plaster off a wall and got replaced with the wrinkles of a thousand years, her sparkling teeth turned pale yellow and grew pointy and her eyes became pupil-less… The same face I viewed in my nightmares.

Her hands turned bony, like the branches of a tree. They could never have been a more hideous and repugnant sight on earth, diffusing the air with a pungent and nauseating stench. A million sparkling vapors were tearing through the figure, what appeared to be souls of young maidens, with lively smiles on their ghostly faces, who had been sucked off and been trapped by the sinister lady over the centuries.

"You….will…pay for this,” the ancient lady croaked. “I.....will return… and crush your world….through your offspring." and with these final words, she blew apart into smithereens, leaving the entire place with an obnoxiously sickening odor.

The Bitter Revelation and Betrayal

A sort of relief broke out on my face, despite the unbearable pain I experienced, as I felt that I had avenged the death of every loved one I ever cherished, both in this life and the previous.

“Father,” I mouthed, thoughtlessly, believing King Eric was listening to me. “I hope you’re in peace now, the monster which caused our destruction has been destroyed.”

“But it hasn’t sweet girl,” a girlish voice claimed from behind me, and as I turned to detect it, the ground slid drastically from beneath my feet and my world turned upside down as the speaker was,

“Judy,” I mumbled, as she thrust my father’s dagger in my stomach. She stood there upright, with a maliciously abhorrent expression on her face which I had never seen before. All her wounds had been healed mystically as she looked dynamically healthy.

It was the end of the world, as the dagger sliced in, providing me with the most excruciating pain I had ever felt through my body as I stumbled backward and fell onto the ground with a mundane finality. She dragged me through the color of my sweatshirt and placed me callously against the wall and removed the dagger from my stomach as a gush of blood spurted out leaving me howling in pain.

“Why,” I mumbled pathetically, with a tear falling off my eye onto my puffed cheek. She gave off a burst of wild laughter that was completely foreign on my best friend’s face.

“Coz, I am the lady who heard the prophecy of your birth and plotted with Malena to have your parents killed princess,” she exclaimed forthrightly, with another malevolent laughter. “Shocking isn’t it?” she jeered licking the tip of the dagger containing my fresh blood. “Poor nurse,” she said loftily, subtly mocking her. “She restrained Malena to this castle, but never in her wildest dreams would have known about the brains behind her plans,”

Her laughter turned even more malicious and spine-chilling which could never have been Judy’s. Spontaneously, her expression changed and she paced towards me and pulled my hair ruthlessly, but I didn’t even wince. There was no pain left that she could afflict me with that hadn’t already been afflicted.

“I waited for your rebirth for five long centuries!” she howled, moving the dagger across my cheek which started bleeding.

“How did you know where I was?” I inquired, my mind bursting with a million questions despite my pathetically wounded condition.

“Malena branded you with that cross mark when you were a toddler, which allowed both of us to know your position, no matter in which corner of the world you hid,” she said loudly and slashed my cheek with the dagger as I groaned horribly.

“It was me, who filled your mind with those poisonous dreams, and those terrifying hallucinations. I, who planned this trip by bewitching that young fool, Alex. You will be amazed to know that he was under my spell all this while,” she claimed, jeering at me. “You know, we sorceresses possess this one most powerful ability, which we can make use of flawlessly, which even worked on your pathetic king father who fell for Malena,” she revealed this fact with an ironically bitter tone. “That wretched witch,” she spat with clenched teeth, poisonously referring to Malena. “Thought she could have your soul for herself while I rotted my entire life. The day you turned eighteen, she backstabbed me and robbed me of most of my powers. Powerlessly, I used the little magic I possessed, to transform my face and body and that's the reason Malena couldn't recognize me. I knew about your telepathic abilities long before you conveyed to me, and I cast Holden under my spell to discover the extent of your powers. Too bad I had to kill him for helping you reach your full potential… just like I butchered those damned fools, Emily and her boyfriend,” she spat bitterly as she took their names. “Those imbeciles tried to kill you….How they dared to snatch away the soul which I waited for centuries….. Meanwhile, I placed the blame on Matt as I planted his fingerprints on the knife I used. Moreover, it was me who sent those buffoon bike riders to snatch away that forensic report from you, but I must say, Ellie, you managed to beat me at that point,” she applauded mockingly, whose noise echoed across the entire castle.

Those revelations had a profoundly shocking effect on me which felt worse than a sword's slash…

“And not just that, sadly your beloved Madam Maxima perished too, as I used the tremendous powers of her crystal ball against her while she meddled with me inside your head,”

“Why didn't you just suck away my soul then, you had all the time in the world with me? Why murder those innocent souls?” I demanded weakly, struggling desperately to remain tough.

“Now that's an excellent question! You see dear child, there are restrictions on us witches too, Malena or me, for that matter, could have taken Talia’s soul in this castle only, the place where she was born and raised. A frustratingly difficult but crucial piece of the prophecy,” she informed me, moving the dagger subtly across my cheek with a sort of bloody relish.

“So you plotted her death too,” I managed, with an immeasurably considerable effort to keep myself alive. “To have my soul,”

“Well partly, Ellie, there are other perks too you know. When one witch perishes in the presence of another who has lost her powers or whose powers have weakened over time due to a lack of soulful nutrition, the latter can imbibe her powers as well as consume her beauty and lifespan,” explaining that, she lifted Malena’s wand and gave it a flick, causing a whirlpool to surround her as she was lifted in the air, and the fierce wind struck me with immense force, nearly causing me to slide on the floor. The whirlpool extinguished and she landed on the ground, her skin glowing like a diamond and her face emitting dangerous beauty. “Consider yourself exceptionally fortunate child, you’re face to face with the most enchanting, powerful, and prepossessing sorceress of all time, Jezebel,” she announced glowing with malicious arrogance. “And this very propitious moment has awaited me for over two thousand years, the day when I’d fulfill the prophecy and attain youth and immeasurable power for eternity!” Jezebel exclaimed raising her wand and shooting glittering red sparks out of it. “You know I feel pity for you, Ellie, I frankly do,” she began, expressing false sympathy, as she turned and pointed the wand towards me. “We could’ve been the best of chums for eternity my dear, but your fate is bound with Talia’s, so, you have to be sacrificed.”

The Downfall of Evil

A spark of red light emitted out of her the tip of the wand and I knew what was going to follow, I possessed no strength to fight back, I could hardly gather the energy to remain alive. I guess it was in my face, I thought, with no fear, and got ready to embrace death and surrender my soul to her. Well, at least I am being given death at the hands of someone whom I have considered to be my best friend since childhood, I thought painlessly, attempting to gather some cheerfulness through this minute bubble of ironical consolation.

At that point, there was a slicing movement through the air which my feeble ears could catch. Stony silence was formed, as the sorceress was rooted to the spot with no expression on her face, the bloody tip of the gleaming dagger was perceived sticking out from her chest. Her face became pallid, and she turned to witness the person who had struck her with such precision. It was the charming man whom we had encountered when we arrived here and the one who had rescued me from the lake and slaughtered that manly beast, saving my life. It was astounding how he had launched the dagger with such perfection and force despite his exceptionally feeble physique, but then he had also killed the beast with his absurdly exceptional sword fighting skills.

Jezebel faced me, and I saw her stony expression being softened for the first time. With a substantial effort, she pulled the dagger out of her back and it slipped down from her hands onto the floor. She murmured “Ellie” in Judy’s manner and gestured me to take her hand while collapsing with a thump on the ground. Unexpected remorse conquered me at her condition and I made a lifetime’s effort to crawl up to her and held her hand. A few tears shed from my harrowing eyes and landed onto her ashen face, with her eerie eyes gazing at my face.

“I’m sorry Ellie,” she gulped, with her life’s effort, and blew apart into white vapors, leaving me to confront death myself. The man walked up to me and held me in his arms, gazing at me through his brilliant blue eyes which always seemed so recognizable.

“Who….who are you?” I asked feebly, lying in his arm with immeasurable comfort.

“A man who has your best interests at heart miss,” he said, wiping his palm all across my scorching wounds which healed miraculously at his soothing touch and I could feel fresh blood rushing through my veins like a flood. His touch was exceptionally warm and snuggly that I half wished I could die lying in his arms. He smelt so ravishing, nothing about him seemed human. He was surely a guardian angel sent by the Lord for my protection.

“You…you saved my friends from the other beast as well isn’t it? I mumbled feebly, touching his miraculous arms. He nodded gently in agreement with a jubilant smile on his angelic face.

“There is no vileness on earth that my sword can’t pierce,” he stated in his golden voice, continuing to pierce me gently with his dazzling blue eyes.

As I got healed, he placed me softly on the ground and began pacing away.

“Wait,” I called, unsatisfactorily. “At least tell me your name,”

“It’s Gerald, princess,” he asserted calmly, without turning, and with an eventual glimpse at me, he vanished in mid-air, enveloped by a thick smoke which evaporated quickly with his departure.

His reply left me in a state of uttermost astonishment mixed with shock. The man had abandoned both Talia and Ellie craving for more of his presence in their brief lives.

The day had been so full of despicable surprises, followed by blood-curdling revelations and horrifying events that my head burst with unfathomable anguish. But before I could contemplate any further on the subject of the night’s events, the ground beneath me shook violently, and with one massive tremor, the ostentatiously large chandelier fell with a crash, shattering glass all over.

The entire castle was shaking tremendously and was on the brink of collapsing. With a final substantial effort, I rushed across the great hall and through the hallway, dodging falling armors and ruins. It seemed, that the castle had somehow been connected to Malena and now as she remained no longer, it had approached its culmination too. Deceiving death all around me, I managed to shove myself out of the demolition and hurled myself onto the ground outside.

The blazing sun hit my face hard, it was beaming with all the light in the world and wrapped me up in its warmth, as I lay there sighing deeply, I had lost track of time since entering the castle. My heart thumped heavily as though it would finish a lifetime’s beating in one go. It was still so incredible that I had encountered death so closely, and escaped from its clutches throughout the night more times than I could count.

A day and a half had passed already. The trees of the forest looked a lot younger and more alive since I last saw them, as though the curse on them had been lifted with the downfall of Malena. Every decayed leaf, every twig, and every fragment of nature began transfiguring and flourished thoroughly.

Though the loss of Matt and Alex tormented my insides vigorously and inexorable, a heartening feeling of satisfaction as a result of warding off some evil from this world rose through me, lending me the strength to rise. Moreover, my heart was filled with immense perplexity as to whether mourn the death of Judy or not, but my insides did experience an agonizing sense of losing my dearest friend, although it was a devil in disguise.

Both Talia and Ellie had sustained dreadful losses tonight. Both had lost love and witnessed gruesome horrors. However, it came off as a tiny but effective consolation to me, after passing through the ordeal with its unbearable losses and extreme torments....the nightmares wouldn't haunt me any longer.

I managed to force myself to stride to Matt's ancestral house despite the atrocious pain in my legs. It was the weirdest and poignant feeling ever. Coming as four, while leaving in solitude, and the absence of Matt, Alex, and astoundingly Judy, afflicted me like hell. It was implausibly confounding, that the girl whose friendship I cherished beyond limits was a demon in disguise.

The manor house emanated a forlorn atmosphere as I moved in to grab my luggage. The desolation felt in the house was perhaps for the reason that the magnificent place had no heir left to visit it in the future, I thought, with foolish innocence as Matt’s face flickered through my mind, supplying me with anguishing heartache. I crammed my stuff in the large handbag that I had brought and started to leave when my eyes fell on a row of medieval paintings, which I unambiguously guessed were Matt’s ancestors. They were landlords, all dressed in affluently, and portrayed no less luxury than kings. The last portrait exhibited a man with sky blue eyes, and a radiant complexion wearing dress robes and had no gash on his flawless visage. It seemed as if Gerald was truly observing me through the portrait, keeping an eye on me. Then it came as no astonishing realization that Matt’s heart pumped the same blood as Lord Gerald’s, as both their hearts had beaten for me.

“Ellie,” said my heart, quite serenely. “What was all that for...?” It asked innocently like a child, as I drove out of the forest in Alex's SUV. It might have perhaps been ungrateful to say but life had provided me with the worst birthday gift ever.

“For the brutal crime of being a princess,” I affirmed to myself, as I drove across life's road, leaving the almighty to decide the destination.