The witch's laughter was nothing human. It made the air tremble, crack, slip into the skull and claw from the inside. When her skin finally tore away, revealing what she truly was, I understood. This was no mere creature of the valley. This was something ancient. Something that had been playing with men for far too long. Her body twisted into a grotesque shape. Bones misaligned beneath dark, coarse skin. Limbs too long. Fingers broken, ending in claws black as dead roots. Her face, if it could still be called that, held fragments of the old woman, stretched and warped into something that was neither smile nor threat… but both at once.
—Now… —she whispered— now we can talk.
I didn't answer. There was no need. She stepped forward. The ground reacted. Stone groaned. The air thickened. And the echo of children crying surged again, louder, closer.
—Hold formation —I ordered, calm, steady.
Aldric was already at my side. Blade raised. Serah stepped back, hands weaving circular motions, calling something unseen to shield us. Maelor murmured under his breath, focused, precise. And Eldran… Eldran stood still. His eyes locked on the creature. Not with fear. With recognition.
—Eldran —I said.
He took a second. Then raised a hand. The air around him tightened, vibrating as if something unseen was being pulled taut.
—I'm fine —he said. But the voice… was not entirely his. The witch smiled.
—Of course you are… —her gaze fixed on him— you are special.
I didn't let her continue. I moved. Her claws struck my shield with a deafening impact that tore through my arm up to the shoulder. The force was monstrous, enough to split a man in half. I did not yield. I planted my feet. And pushed back.
—Now!
Aldric moved like a shadow at my flank. His blade came down in a clean arc—aiming for her side. The strike landed. But not as it should. Her flesh gave, then sealed.
—Not enough! —he snarled.
—It never is —I answered.
A burst of energy tore through the air. Maelor. A dark projectile slammed into her chest, forcing her back several steps. For a moment, her form flickered, unstable.
—Keep her contained! —the sorcerer shouted.
Serah raised her arms. From the ground, roots emerged, twisted, black, diseased. They coiled around the witch's legs, tightening, restraining her. She shrieked.
—You think you can stop me… —she hissed, her body straining— you think you can change what is already written…
Eldran stepped forward. His hands rose slowly. The air around him darkened.
—Be silent —he said.
No shout. Just command. A surge erupted from him, dense, raw, filled with something I had never seen before. It struck her full force. Her body arched violently. For a moment… it worked.
—Aldric! —I shouted.
He moved instantly. All his weight behind the strike. The blade cut a perfect arc, but she broke free. The roots exploded. Her arm lashed outward like a whip, striking Aldric square in the chest and sending him flying. He crashed into a stone wall. The impact shattered it. Rubble collapsed over him.
—No! —Serah cried.
I stepped in, raising my shield again. The blow drove me back a full step this time. The metal screamed under the strain.
—You are breaking… —the witch whispered— one by one…
Maelor struck again. A precise blast to her face. She turned, furious. And for a second, she forgot me. That was enough. Aldric rose from the rubble. Breathing hard. But his eyes burned. He said nothing. He advanced. The witch turned toward Maelor, unleashing a crackling surge that froze him mid-motion. His body locked, rigid, lifeless. She saw Aldric approach from the corner of her eye. This time, she didn't move.
—You… —she pointed. Maelor collapsed, unmoving.— You are interesting…
Aldric kept walking. His blade rose again.
—There is more darkness waiting for you… —she continued— more than you are willing to accept…
The strike fell. This time, the steel did not fail. It cut through her neck. Resistance. A heartbeat. Then it gave, clean. The head separated from the body. The corpse stood for a moment longer. Trembling. As if it did not yet understand it was dead. The head rolled. Stopped at Serah's feet. And even then it smiled.
—Captain… —it said— your indifference… will kill them all…
The words struck like a hammer.
—Aldric… —it continued— soon you will know… what you truly are… Maelor… you will be alone and Serah… you will learn to love… in darkness…
None of us moved. None of us breathed.
—Eldran… —it said at last— my king without a crown…
The body collapsed. The head melted into a thick, green and black tar. And then, silence. The children stopped crying. Night shattered into day. For a brief second relief. Then a young man burst from the church dressed as a priest. His face twisted in pure, infernal terror.
—What have you done? —he cried— You've doomed us all!