CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
THE GODMOTHER'S POV
Silence.
That was what frightened me the most.
Not the dark clouds hanging above the covenant.
Not the sacred baobab tree shedding black leaves one after another.
Not even the whispers spreading among the witches about the calamity that was coming.
No.
It was the silence of the ancestors that terrified me.
For centuries, our gods had always answered.
Sometimes through visions.
Sometimes through dreams.
Sometimes through signs hidden in the wind, the rain, or the sacred fire.
But now—
There was nothing.
And that silence carried more danger than any curse I had ever faced.
I stood alone beneath the ancient baobab tree, my wrinkled fingers resting against its rough bark.
The tree was dying slowly.
I could feel it.
Its energy had weakened ever since Tanya broke the sacred oath.
The forbidden child growing inside her womb had disturbed the balance of the covenant completely.
Yet despite everything—
I could not bring myself to hate her.
Because I understood Tanya more than anyone else.
More than the witches judging her.
More than the ancestors condemning her.
I knew the life she lived before becoming one of us.
A child abandoned by humanity.
Starved.
Beaten.
Broken.
Love had never touched Tanya's life.
Cruelty shaped her.
Hatred raised her.
Revenge kept her alive.
Even after becoming the most powerful witch in our covenant, Tanya never truly opened her heart to anyone.
Not even me.
But Daniel changed that.
For the first time since I found her drowning between life and death all those years ago—
I saw Tanya smiling genuinely.
I saw warmth returning to her soul.
And now—
That same love threatened to destroy her completely.
A painful sigh escaped my lips as I looked toward Tanya's chambers from afar.
She had locked herself inside for days after learning about the sacrifice demanded by the ancestors.
I knew what she was doing.
Protecting the unborn child.
Even from me.
My heart ached painfully.
Because despite being the Queen of Witches—
Despite all my power—
I could not protect her from fate.
Still…
I refused to give up.
That night, I prepared the sacred ritual once again.
Hundreds of candles surrounded the ancient prayer ground.
White ash formed sacred circles beneath my feet while smoke from burning herbs filled the air slowly.
The witches watched silently from a distance as I knelt before the sacred fire.
"Great ancestors," I whispered painfully.
"Please hear my voice."
The flames danced violently.
Then became still again.
No response.
I closed my eyes tightly and continued praying.
"Tanya has suffered enough. Her entire life has been pain. Must you truly punish her for loving someone?"
Silence.
Only silence answered me.
Tears slowly filled my old eyes.
"For centuries this covenant has served you faithfully. Please… give her another chance."
Still nothing.
Not even the wind moved.
Fear slowly crawled beneath my skin.
Because I finally understood.
The gods were angry.
Truly angry.
And when gods stopped speaking—
Disaster followed.
But I continued begging anyway.
Night after night.
Refusing to surrender Tanya to fate.
The other witches began whispering behind my back.
Some believed my love for Tanya had clouded my judgment.
Others feared the child growing inside her.
A forbidden child.
Half human.
Half witch.
An existence never allowed within our covenant.
Yet every time I looked at Tanya—
I saw not a criminal.
But a wounded daughter desperately trying to protect the only people she ever loved.
And perhaps that was my weakness.
Because somewhere along the way—
I stopped seeing Tanya as merely the covenant's strongest witch.
She became my child.
One night, exhausted from another failed ritual, I finally returned to my chambers.
The storm outside was unusually violent.
Thunder roared endlessly across the skies while strong winds shook the walls of the covenant.
Something evil was approaching.
I could feel it clearly now.
I lay down slowly, hoping for rest.
But the moment sleep claimed me—
The nightmare began.
I stood in the middle of the covenant.
But it no longer looked like home.
Everything was burning.
The sacred huts were destroyed completely.
Flames consumed the forest.
Smoke darkened the sky.
And everywhere—
There was blood.
So much blood.
Witches screamed in agony as bodies covered the ground around me.
Some were children.
Some were elders.
Some were warriors I personally trained.
All dead.
My breathing became uneven as I walked through the horrifying scene.
"No…" I whispered shakily.
"This cannot happen…"
But the nightmare only grew worse.
The sacred baobab tree stood at the center of the covenant—
Withered.
Dead.
Its mighty branches broken.
Its leaves turned black completely.
The ancient power protecting our covenant was disappearing.
Then suddenly—
I heard laughter.
Cold.
Cruel.
Mocking.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
And there he was.
Prince Raymond.
Standing beneath the dying baobab tree with blood covering his hands.
A devilish smile rested on his face as he looked directly at me.
"You destroyed your own people," he said mockingly.
His voice echoed across the burning covenant.
"Just like your great grandmother did."
My heart tightened painfully.
Prince Raymond began laughing louder.
"You called yourself their queen…"
"But your weakness doomed them all."
"No," I whispered.
"You chose love over duty," he continued coldly.
"And now your covenant will pay the price."
I tried to move toward him.
Tried to attack him.
But my body would not move.
It felt as though invisible chains held me down.
Then Raymond pointed toward the burning huts around us.
"Look carefully," he whispered darkly.
"This is your future."
Suddenly—
I saw Tanya.
She was kneeling on the ground crying desperately while blood stained her hands.
And beside her—
A tiny child lay motionless in her arms.
My chest tightened violently.
Then Daniel appeared in the distance holding a sword covered in blood.
Hatred burned inside his eyes as he stared toward the covenant.
And behind him—
An army approached.
The nightmare shattered instantly.
I woke up gasping for air.
Sweat covered my entire body.
Outside, thunder exploded violently once again.
For several seconds, I remained frozen on the bed while my heart pounded painfully against my chest.
The dream felt too real.
Too clear.
Slowly, fear consumed me completely.
Because deep inside my soul—
I knew it was not merely a nightmare.
It was a warning.
And for the first time in many centuries—
The Queen of Witches was afraid.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT