One night dream can change everything. Nightmare will become the gate to enter the sorcery of hell.

"My daughter will come to you and exchange your soul to the grim reaper" One last curse of the witch while burning as hell.

The next one 
Was more obscured
Though just as terrifying
Yet harder to recall 
Aside from key bits and pieces

There were the ghosts 
But I was now 
An acclaimed person
Of interest

I was being called a witch 
Despite not knowing anything 
About that rumor 
Or about what else was being said

Something about I'm a witch
Named Constance
I'm the burning witch
The witch was set on fire 
And burned for a thousand years
Her name was Constance

I will die
I'm the burning witch 
So I will be set on fire
Like her... I am her... The same as her
I am the burning witch, Constance 

And the ghosts
The ghosts
Everything spiraled after that
It was hazy
But the haze clears just enough 
For me to realize 
I was holding on tightly to a compass

It was like the thought of my keychain was imprinted upon it.
Like when I looked at this compass
I called it my star
And the phrase on my keychain 
Was quietly repeated in my head
"Go directly in the direction of your dreams"

Something about this compass 
Was to point me in the direction 
Of my dreams and that I should follow
My path or something laid bare before me

And the ghosts 
Tried to take it away from me
They were pulling on it
But I kept trying to get it back 
Saying my star, no not my star
Please stop, this is my star, my star...

I am glad that I awoke
Before they managed their task
Otherwise I would feel empty
As I lived the rest of my life
Deprived; void of direction
Mourning the loss of my guiding star

A collection of short poems that vary in content and subject. There will be similarities between some, as will there be different variations amongst others. Repeating topics will occur as struck by inspiration.

Also includes some re-imagined nursery rhymes that have been paired with characters from one of my coming-soon stories. Kind of a sneak peak into their personalities and to get you excited to meet them later!

Most chapters will be on the shorter side as they are all poems, but there are longer ones included~

*Note: some chapters will contain heightened emotional triggers such as grief, loss, anger, betrayal and ECT. Please remember while you read, enjoy!*

Once upon a time, there was a Prince and a Dragon.

The Prince, blessed with the Holy Sword of the land–blessed by the gods to protect the kingdom from all its evils.

He would be sent out to slay the dragon.

The Prince, you see, had nothing to fear–for he was the crowned prince of the land, blessed with the Holy Sword to protect the kingdom. As such, it was his job to slay the beast before it would go rampant.

But...this...Dragon...was also quite frail, quite sick if you will. As such, the dragon spent much of its time nestled in its cave, watching as bystanders ran away in fear, watching as its food would run away, taunting its stomach, watching towards the entrance, waiting for the Prince to arrive and take away his misery.

The Prince, you see, had nothing to fear–for he was the crowned prince of the land, blessed with the Holy Sword to protect the kingdom. The Holy Sword would quickly eviscerate the threat that was the sickly dragon...

At least...that would have happened.

When the Prince arrived upon the Dragon's entrance, he was...surprised. Surprised by the lack of attack from the Dragon. Surprised by how sickly the Dragon was.

Gently, he walked close to the Dragon...

"...Please, kill me." the Dragon begged.

Sword in hand, the Prince...hesitated. He could not bring himself to slay the Dragon–it was, to him, a sin to slay a being who was unable to defend itself. This being...was also begging for death. No dangerous fellow would beg for its death like this, the Prince thought to himself.

Instead of ending the dragon's misery, the Prince held onto the Dragon's muzzle.

"I cannot kill you." said the Prince. "You have done nothing at all to deserve death to your name."

The Dragon shook its head. "...I have no reason to do anything when I am to eventually rot."


"Then I will help you!" the Prince proclaimed, "You look so frail, that I could have mistaken you for bones when I arrived!"

And so, the Prince would return to the Dragon nearly every day, bringing food and medicine to the Dragon. Eventually, the Prince and the Dragon would begin to speak to each other to pass the time. As the Prince visited more often, the Dragon found itself opening up to this Prince, finding a reason to live and care about the Prince's kingdom.

And Prince saw the Dragon, not as a dragon who needed to be slain, but a kind friend who deserved to be happy–to live–to survive.

But, regardless of the Prince's efforts, the Dragon knew she was to die...

At least, that was what the Dragon's fate beheld up till then...

One day, a witch doctor arrived upon the Dragon's lair.

"The reason behind your sickness, you see," the witch doctor began, "is because you are cursed. But, Madam Dragon..."

The witch brought her face close.

"I can cure your curse." she said. "Bless you, even."

The Dragon turned her head to the witch-doctor, astonished at her claims. "...You can cure me?"

"Yes," the witch-doctor said, "and I can turn you into something stronger than a dragon as well. I can make you so blessed that it would be as if your curse never existed. All for the price of nothing."

"...Nothing? Nothing at all?"

"You'll be able to be with the Prince for the rest of your life."

So the Dragon took her offer, wishing to stay by the Prince's side.

But when she opened her eyes...she was now the witch-doctor, her heart burning to ash.

And the witch-doctor...

She was now the dragon, powerful as she was meant to be—menacing, able-bodied.

"Yes...yes!" cried the witch-doctor, now the dragon, "With the body of a dragon, I shall be able to destroy the kingdom that destroyed my home!"

"You...you tricked me!" cried the Dragon.

"I cured you and gave you a powerful body!" she laughed, "If I were the king, you would have been slain!"

With that, the witch-doctor flew off—the Dragon writhing on the grounds of her home, unable to stop her.

"...No...I cannot let the witch doctor destroy the Prince's home..." the Dragon muttered to herself, picking herself up, the thought of the Prince's happiness still in her mind...

She remembered their conversations together, the food they shared together, his dreams of improving the kingdom—

His dreams of saving her life.

So the Dragon pushed forward, remembering the few spells she knew as a dragon—

Out into the burning walls of the kingdom—she ran forward.

She saw the Prince, struggling to protect his kingdom—struggling to protect his people—

Struggling to slay the dragon—even with the holy sword.

The witch-doctor laughed, the kingdom burning down to ash.

The kingdom the prince wished so much to protect—burning to ash.

Yet, no matter how much the witch-doctor destroyed, he could not bring himself to slay her...

The Dragon...was happy, was it not? It recovered, did it not?

He knew nothing of the deal between the Dragon and the Witch-Doctor.

And as the Witch-Doctor closed in to kill him—

The Prince, you see, had nothing to fear–for he was the crowned prince of the land, blessed with the Holy Sword to protect the kingdom. The Holy Sword was meant to kill the dragon way back then, so that she wouldn't destroy his kingdom.

He could only welcome death with open arms.

...It was, after all, his fault for not killing the Dragon.

...But the Dragon could not let the Witch-Doctor kill the prince.

With the magic of the witch, the Dragon killed the Witch-Doctor—the evil dragon, as the rest of the kingdom saw.

"...Prince!" the Dragon cried, "I saved you! I saved your life, like you wanted to do for m—"

But the Prince was furious. This...this estranged woman! She killed his closest friend! She was...a witch, as well!

He then came to the conclusion—

The Witch must've been the reason why the Dragon was suddenly healthy again—the reason why it went rampant against the kingdom.

"You...you evil murderer!"

The Prince, you see, had nothing to fear–for he was the crowned prince of the land, blessed with the Holy Sword to protect the kingdom. As such, it was his job to slay the beast once it would go rampant.


And so, as per the the Prince's job, he slayed the Dragon—

The Dragon, who saw him as a friend, who begged him to kill her way back then...

He fulfilled her wish.

"...Why? Why did you have to kill me?" cried the Dragon. "I thought we were friends."

The Prince, seething with rage, the sword stained with the witch-doctor's blood—

"You're a monster, not my friend!"

And with that, the Dragon died in despair.

...And the Prince would order for the Dragon's body to be preserved.

"My friend, I will ensure that nobody hurts you from this point on."

And until death, the Prince stayed by the dead dragon's side.

He died having never learned of what had happened that night.

Once upon a time, there was a Prince and a Dragon.

The Prince, blessed with the Holy Sword of the land-blessed by the gods to protect the kingdom from all its evils.

He would be sent out to slay the dragon.

The Prince, you see, had nothing to fear-for he was the crowned prince of the land, blessed with the Holy Sword to protect the kingdom. As such, it was his job to slay the beast before it would go rampant.

...But this beast, you see...

The Prince could not slay the dragon.

In a full moon of June 30th, Kata looked up to the moon..

"Why am I not good at anything..? A worthless fool like me should be exterminated for eternity. "

Kata shattered in tears.

"Why..? Why am I not born with a talent or anything good? It's not fair!"

After a moment of sadness, Kata stood up on a slippery stone. For a single moment, he shouted..

"Do your best to hurt me, I will never fall for it again!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he whimpers slowly in agony.

Slightly unsure of what he said, Kata moved an inch away from the slippery rock and fell down to the ground. He fully regrets the words he swore to already.. Suddenly, a smell of fire has rosed. 

Kata immediately stood up and looked for the fire. Then, he saw a trail of smoke from the northern part of Latra forest.

Kata, who is astonished with fear, immediately run to the burning part of the forest, only to see firefighters surrounded around his burning house.

Kata started to shiver in fear when a thought passed through his mind. 
"Mom and dad.. I think, they may be inside that house!"

Kata remembered the image of his beloved mother and steel-like father. 

With a calm and benevolent voice, Kata whispered in his thoughts, "Mom told me that I shall be home before 8 or I won't be treated for dinner... That's right! She was already cooking the moment I left and my dad was cleaning our backyard before I withdrew from the house."

He made a straight run towards the house, but the firefighters stopped him.

Kata shouted in fear as he expresses a raging look on his face.

"Mom! Dad!"

*Flash back*

February 21,First birth of kata a healthy baby with a perfect smile. The mother and the father were so blessed to have a perfect baby for them.Yet the father was hiding something from his wife.

Kata's father was never sincere to her mother.Having a fake smile from day and night.But his father was just forced to marry his mother for money.That's why Kata and his father never get along.There was always a dull moment between them.

His father needed money for a certain witch.The witch told him that if you won't pay up I will curse you and you will never ever again have a talent or anything useful for yourself.

When kata's father gained a large amount of money he suddenly realised.

"Why am I believing in an old fraud"

He took away the money and hid his family in Latra Village. After years have passed the witch came searching for him and saw their son having a healthy life playing with other kids.

The witch was filled with anger
"This is my revenge for who will cross the path of the witch. You shall suffer for all you've done."

The witch cursed kata instead of his father.Erased his memories and took all his talents and wealth away.

"You will suffer for the debt of your father."as the witch faded in the forest.At a fast paced momentum Kata's father saw how the witch cursed his son Through the glass window of a convenience store.He was shivering in fear..But he can't withstand the scenary, so he did nothing, but made a scared stare at his son.

After the witch vanished. Kata's father rushed to him,but slightly stepped away from his unconcious son.When kata woked up..  He made a blank stare at him.. ,his father whispered.
"Are..Yo-...u Alri-..ght... son."
Tears started falling down from his eyes.

Suddenly Kata tried to stand.But then he felt something piercing in his heart..Until.. He got knocked unconcious again.
His father driving in out of nervousness,screamed .
"Help!!!"but suddenly.. When his father looked around.He saw the witch grinning directly at him.

His father astonished in fear.Whispered.
"Wh-y"
As he kneels down the ground with falling tears in his eyes.Then suddenly he heard a loud sound at his back and he quickly looked behind.But then He saw nothing only his son lying down the ground. As he glances back at the witch.. It was gone..

Kata's father Dialed his wife for help, as he cries in verging fear

"Lucy..I nee-d your he-lp meet me at the convenience store near The Plaza..HURRY!."

After a long wait for Kata's mother to arrive.His father carried him into the car and brought him to the nearest hospital.

But then his mother was looking so blanked when she heard from the doctor that.

"He lost his memories of the past 2 years, but we have no idea how... were very sorry..."

As soon as time passes their family normally lived a life with kata not knowing about the past.


...


Fading scenary of Kata's past life,Back into the burning  house in latra forest.

In a slow moment of time kata once again felt something piercing in his heart.But as the fire fighters hold him tight.Kata Raged and fought over them as he ran towards back the burning house.

But suddenly..He heard a siren at his left.Kata immediately stopped and went to the ambulance.As he saw his parents having burnt flesh all over them.

Kata shivered in fear..Shatered in tears and kneel down the ground.
And in that moment..
All the red flames that is surrounding him turned to ashes..
As his life turned to a monochrome color in perspective.
He felt empty all over and as he make a blank stare he whispered.

"It's over.Everythings gone.I have nothing left,not a single thing..,I lost it all..I lost all the God damn things in my life!.. Yet It's all my fault. It's my fault.."

After a silent sigh..He fell asleep on the ground.One thought has crossed into his mind. The kind voice of her mother "Kata we love you.."

And as he slowly opens his eyes.He saw a white ceiling and a face of an old stranger.Kata asked in a low tone of voice..

"Excuse me Mister..,Are my Parents still alive?"
Replys
"Im sorry son..Please take a rest for now.."

When he slightly closes his eyes.Tears came falling down from his face...

Damon ran through the streets. The white light shinning from lamp to lamp. The lined cars, body parts crushing them, blood splattered across the curbs. Shattered windows. Death and dead. And Damon ran through it all. Past cars, past mindless bodies. His burning blue flames scattering in all directions. Across buildings, across the dead, across the blood. Slowly with every leap, the city blew blue and burning.
After fifteen minutes of nonstop running, he eventually reached the World Trade Cen-
Bang!
Slink!
He was sniped in the head from the building across the street from the World Trade Center. f
Thump!
Damon fell back as the bullet shattered his brains across the boiling bloody ground. But as soon as he was killed he was back.
"What was that?"
He sat up like a vampire and looked out at the buildings surrounding the World Trade Center. Ten, twenty, thirty snipers all perched on rooftops all around him. Their red dots all pointed at his flickering flaming body. Damon looked in close at their eyes, at the glowing glow of their faces. Purple.
"More obstacles-"
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Slink-thunk-slunk-splat-crack!
He was hit on all sides. His limbs blow off. His skin torn apart. Blood spilling and flying everywhere. But with every shot, he just regenerated instantly. Like a sponge, bouncing back with every hit. And whenever he would heal the flames would follow.
---
Ten minutes later.
After thousands of bullets, the snipers finally ran out of ammo. And it was Damon's turn to fight back. He looked to the nearest rooftop. Five snipers staring at him all in a row.
Bite!
He bit off one of his flaming fingers.
"Good thing I was also a professional thrower in the Olympics."
He threw his flaming bloody finger across the air.
Whooosh...
Smack!
It hit one of the snipers on the back. The eternal flames engulfed him in seconds. then the flames carried over the other one, and the next and the next.
"I'm not done yet!"
Damon bent down and pushed his knee over his arm.
Crack!
He broke off his elbow as all the blood vessels in his arm popped. He then held up his dangling arm to the air. And with the power of his regeneration, he made his blood spray across the sky like a raging fire hydrant.
Splassssshhhhh!
But that wasn't the end of it. Damon's flaming blood still wasn't strong enough to reach the tall rooftops. So he channeled his regeneration and with precision, he started healing his arteries from the molecular level. So that every time they would regenerate they would be crushed again.
This resulted in hundreds and thousands of little streams of flaming blood. All pointed toward the sky. He sprayed it across the streets, across the buildings, across the rooftops.
All the purple-eyed snipers were lit ablaze in an eternal burning. Their skin melting. Blood everywhere. Blue flames everywhere. There was no escape.
After five minutes of doing this Damon finally healed back his arm and stepped forward in his new blue sea of death. He looked out at the tall World Trade Center. His body still ablaze. The city ablaze behind him. Millions dead.
He opened up the door and stepped in.
"Damon the Eternal. Damon the Immortal. Damon the Infinite. Your name is infamous across the underworld. And soon it will be famous across the news and world."
A short thin kid and a taller woman in a schoolgirl uniform stood at the other end of the main building lobby. Behind them stood fifteen purple-eyed soldiers, all with machine guns pointed at Damon.
"So your the Mind Witch?" asked Damon.
"Yes... Mother, father, sister. We are all the Mind Witch. But mother and father are dead..." He stepped forward, his hands crossed, "that's where you come into play Damon the Infinite."
"Me?" he asked confused by this kid's serious adult-sounding voice.
"Yes, you. All so we can bring them back. Back from the dead."
"Bring them back? What do you mean?"
All Damon could think about was his deal with the Witch to bring his sister back from the dead.
"Sister tell him!"
The purple-eyed woman in the schoolgirl uniform stepped forward.
She explained, "there can only be one Witch in a family born with the Gift. When they are born with the Gift they get special powers that they can only do in that family. My little brother can use his Gift powers to swap bodies."
"Wha- What does this have to do with the Immortal Necronomicon? What does that have to do with me? I don't care about-"
She interrupted, "when there is an Immortal Witch with the Gift. They can not just sacrifice others but they also have the power to sacrifice themselves, to bring back the dead."
"What?!"
"Yes..."
Bai the Mind Witch stepped forward, "we are not lying to you Damon the Infinite. We just want our parents back."
"Parents... Sister... Luna... If... If Aria becomes an Immortal we can bring Luna and my sister back from the dead?"
"Yes and no. Aria the Gravity Witch is most likely already dead."
Damon's eyes widened, "what do you mean?!"
"She trusted the Witch Hunters too much. And now she is going to be turned into a Summoning Witch, sacrificed into a weapon."

Damon stepped forward, furious, his anger raging as just the thought of Aria's death would break him, "what are you talking about! You better be joking! Olezka would-"
"Did you think the Witch Hunters really trusted you? Did you think that they wanted to help you? Damon, your friend Aria is on her way to Connecticut as we speak. And I have eyes everywhere so I know exactly where she is going. She's going into a trap. But if you give me the location of the Immortal Necronomicon I will be able to bring her and your sister back from the dead.
Damon stood still, his mind confused, his body burning. He looked at the skinny kid talking to him. He thought about Luna, about Aria, about his sister.
"Do we have a deal?"
"Yes! But... I'm pretty sure Aria has the Immortal Necronomicon with her."
"I see..." He closed his eyes, "so that is what's inside the silver case."
In those moments, Damon's emotions flip-flopped from one anger to another. Anger from revenge for his sister, revenge for Luna, revenge for Aria. Who did he care about? Who did he really love? 
Where was it going to go next?





The woman in the school girl uniform clapped her hands.

Damon a Seven-Hundred-Year-old Immortal has lived his life trying to avoid the unnecessary and live in the shadows. But one day he is unearthed by a determined bloodthirsty young woman who has a plan to infiltrate the Immortal Horses, an organization comprised of Immortals, and kill them all in the name of revenge.

"Was that the secret Totem Technique of the barbarian race? It was quite powerful; so much so that it crushed the huge ice ball you had formed." Shi Mu looked at the Demon Witch. He then sighed and spoke in a sulking tone. 
"It was my fault. I hadn’t expected that Zong Yuan would integrate the soul of a Thunderbolt Tiger into his body," she stomped her foot and replied. There was a look of reluctance on her face.
"The luck was on his side today. So, he could escape from your hands. Don’t let this bother you. If you really care about this… then I’ll take care of him once I step into the Xian Tian realm," Shi Mu blinked his eyes and spoke with a smile. 
"I wonder if you’re ignorant… or just too full of yourself. Do you really think that it would be easy to advance to the Xian Tian realm? You must know that Zong Yuan – the barbarian that we just confronted – is considered to be one of the most formidable Xian Tian warriors. You won’t be a match for him… even if you successfully forge ahead with your goal… and enter the Xian Tian realm. So, don’t throw away your precious life in vain," the beautiful maiden said with a smile. She seemed to be pleased and amused at the same time. Moreover, she found herself struck by a feeling of warmth in her heart. Even her tone had softened now. 
"I – Shi Mu — will definitely do as I say," Shi Mu spoke-up in an earnest tone. 
"Humph! A man who can’t even stand-up on his feet dares to talk like this. Now, I’m sure that you’re an absolute fool," the Demon Witch snorted and waved her jade ruler. The cluster of white clouds cradled Shi Mu and the girl surname Qi. Then, it rose and got suspended in the air. It seemed ready to depart.
"Wait a moment. Sister Ke is still outside. She was also injured by that Xian Tian Warrior – Zong Yuan. I wonder what happened to her. Can we take her with us?" Suddenly, Shi Mu remembered something. He then said promptly.
"Ke…" The Demon Witch wrinkled her delicate eyebrows. She looked at Shi Mu with a dubious look in her eyes.
"There’s nothing ‘special’ between us. We’ve been assigned to the same stronghold. She’s a wood-style magician of the Wonderful Sound Sect. She has helped me several times." Shi Mu’s heart leapt into his throat. Then, he hastily explained.
"Humph! You don’t have to explain it to me. The girl has a defensive treasure with her… that resisted the major part of the attack. So, she didn’t receive any fatal injury. In fact, she’s awake now." A gleam of blush flashed across the charming face of the Demon Witch as she replied in a cold voice. Then, she turned her eyes in other direction.
Shi Mu was startled. He turned his head with difficulty, and followed the Demon Witch’s line-of-sight. He was surprised to see Ke staggering towards them. Her face looked pale; there were bloodstains on the corners of her mouth. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Shi Mu was alright.
"Brother Shi, it’s good to see that you’re alright… It’s a great honor to see you here, Senior."
Ke greeted Shi Mu and expressed her concern about him. Then, she bowed to the Demon Witch with veneration.
A gleam of suspicion flashed across the Demon Witch’s eyes as she looked at Ke. She waved her jade ruler, and a cluster of white clouds emerged under Ke’s feet. The white clouds then lifted her up into the air.
"It’s not safe here. Let’s leave this place. I must find a safe place to heal you," the Demon Witch spoke in a low voice. Then, she floated upwards and sat beside Shi Mu. After that, her lily-white delicate hands rose once again.
Then, the three clusters of clouds started to fly towards the distant place at an extremely fast speed. 
*** ***

The cluster of clouds continued to fly for more than an hour at an incredibly fast speed. They finally landed on a huge mountain peak.
Then, the Demon Witch took them inside a cave. After that, she began to heal the girl surnamed Qi.
That girl had received much lighter injures than Shi Mu. The Demon Witch fed her a pill. Then, she pushed her abdomen to invigorate the circulation of blood. This worked and the girl’s breathing stabilized. However, her eyes were still closed; she didn’t show the slightest sign of regaining consciousness.
Shi Mu lay on the ground, and watched the Demon Witch bustling around in front of him. There was a trace of a soft smile on his lips.
His external injuries had already been cured by the Demon Witch before they had arrived here. So, he wasn’t bleeding now.
Ke sat on a side with closed eyes. A green beam of light was twinkling on the surface of her body. She seemed to be healing her injuries on her own.
The Demon Witch stood-up after a while; she seemed to have healed the girl’s injuries. She then turned and walked over to Shi Mu’s side.
"You’ve just gone through a fierce battle. You’ve also carried all of us here. This would’ve consumed a huge amount of your Real Qi. So, you also need to take rest. My injuries won’t get worse if you take a short rest," Shi Mu said; he had noticed her pale and exhausted complexion.
"It doesn’t matter. Healing your wounds won’t consume too much of my strength," she replied in a low voice. The, she waved her hand gently. Another cluster of clouds lifted Shi Mu up into the air.
A beam of red light flashed as a short dark-red stick appeared in her hand. She stooped it down, and began to draw something on the ground.
Her movement appeared exceptionally skilled. Then, a dark-red charm character appeared on the ground with a flick of her wrist.
A gleam of astonishment flashed across Shi Mu’s eyes as he saw this. He had never thought that the Demon Witch could also draw a magic circle. 
The beautiful maiden seemed to be extremely proficient in drawing a magic circle. Moreover, her attainment was worth noticing. She finished drawing a complex magic circle within a mere quarter-of-an-hour. 
Shi Mu was still swaying in the tide of amazement when the Demon Witch waved her hand. Suddenly, Shi Mu found himself sitting in the center of the magic circle.
Then, a beam of bright-red light fled from her hand, and submerged into the magic circle.
Buzz! Buzz!
The Charm Spell drawn on the ground got activated. It formed a red light beam that enveloped Shi Mu’s body.
Then, a stream of warmness was released from the red beam of light. It permeated inside Shi Mu’s body. It rendered an inexplicable amount of comfort and warmth to him.
"The bones and muscles of your entire body have been badly crushed. So, I’ll have to rebuild your broken bones by recombining them with your veins and arteries," the Demon Witch explained. She pulled-out a red jade box, and opened it. There was a blood-red pill inside it. It was as big as a pigeon-egg. A red light was gleaming on its surface. A faint image of a ferocious tiger could also be seen in the light. It emanated a strong wave of magic power.
"The Black Blood and Soul Pill…" a surprised voice was heard from behind. Ke opened her eyes and saw the blood-red pill. She covered her mouth and spoke in astonishment.
"I never thought that a little girl like you could be so knowledgeable. That’s right. This is the Black Blood and Soul Pill. The essence and soul of a Blood Wind Tiger are sealed inside it… You’ll have to endure extreme pain… and accept the black blood vessels in your veins. This will rebuild your broken bones and muscles if you can do that… In addition, the massive amount of fire element Qi stored inside the pill will also get stored within your body. This will benefit you a lot in your future cultivation." The Demon Witch shot a glance at Ke. Then, she explained to Shi Mu in an expressionless tone.
Shi Mu’s complexion changed as he gazed at the pill in the jade box.
This pill had to be extremely precious if it was so wonderful. So, the Demon Witch wasn’t devoid of feelings for Shi Mu if she really wanted to use it on him.
Shi Mu felt extremely cheerful as this thought crossed his mind. He took a long and deep breath and spoke, "You don’t need to worry. I can endure it; no matter how painful it is."
The Demon Witch burst into a giggle as she heard his words. The pleasant sound of her giggle was like a lotus flower that had blossomed on a glacier. Shi Mu seemed to be lost in a dream; as if her melodious giggle had cast a spell of dizziness on him.
Ke had realized by now that there was something unusual between Shi Mu and this beautiful maiden. She was left stupefied for a moment. A trace of perplexed look appeared on her face.
"The Nine Reincarnations Spell drawn on the ground can reduce your pain to an extent." The smile stayed on the Demon Witch’s face for a fleeting moment. She then resumed her cold and indifferent expression.
After that, she moved and stepped out of the circle.
Shi Mu took a deep breath and nodded.
The blood-red pill flew out from the jade case, and made its way inside Shi Mu’s mouth as the Demon Witch waved her hand.
Shi Mu’s complexion changed as soon as the pill entered his mouth. The pill felt like a piece of burning red charcoal had been put in his mouth. He almost slipped into unconsciousness for a moment.
He then opened his eyes and slightly raised his head. After that, he swallowed down the pill.
He felt as if a group of blazing fire-ball had floated down his throat and landed in his lower abdomen. A hot wave of flame spread throughout his body.
Shi Mu’s complexion became deathly pale out of severe pain. Soybean-sized beads of sweat started to slide down his forehead. Blue veins protruded out of his skin. However, he clenched his teeth, and refrained from groaning out in pain. 
The Demon Witch threw a glance at him. Then, she started to chant a strange incantation in a clear voice. She also continued to wave her hands every now and then.
The Nine Reincarnations Spell started to exude a dazzling red light. This red light twined around Shi Mu’s body – like a band of silk. It wasn’t very effective, but it forcefully suppressed the burning pain within his body.
Shi Mu’s body quivered as the pill turned into a ball of burning flames in his abdomen. One could see a group of bright-red flames in his lower abdomen with naked eye.
The burning pain had grown much fiercer, and it rapidly spread to every part of his body. He felt as if every inch of his flesh was burning. At the same time, he felt as if his entire body was being cut with countless sharp knives. It was an extremely torturous process. An ordinary person would wish for immediate death rather than going through this process.
"Stabilize your mind… Don’t let yourself loose. Otherwise, it’ll ruin my previous efforts," the voice of the Demon Witch resounded in Shi Mu’s ears.
Shi Mu tried hard to suppress his pain. He started to practice the Art of Accumulating Spirit Power in order to adjust his mind and control the violent fluctuation of his spirit power.
The severe burning pain continued to rush to his mind. But, his mind gradually regained its steadiness under the influence of the Art of Accumulating Spirit Power.
Suddenly, the stream of scorching heat-wave started to spread from his abdomen. It passed through his veins and arteries, and started to circulate all over his body. He could feel his fractured bones getting repaired as the heat-wave passed through every part of his body.
This sensation filled Shi Mu’s heart with a joyous feeling. He began to practice the Art of Accumulating Spirit Power more carefully.
The Demon Witch’s eyebrows snapped into a frown, and a gleam of astonished look streaked across her beautiful eyes. She started to mumble something, and pointed her finger at Shi Mu.
The Demon Witch was relieved to see Shi Mu’s improved condition. Her eyes twinkled as she gazed at the cocoon-like red light wrapped around Shi Mu’s body; she seemed to be lost in thoughts.
Time passed-by really fast. The sky turned bright before anyone of them could notice.
The Demon Witch sat motionless on the ground with crossed legs. She was staring at the blood-red cocoon standing upright in the magic circle.
The girl surnamed Qi had also regained her consciousness. She and Ke stood next to each other.
The Nine Reincarnations Spell was still active. It was emitting a buzzing sound along with a faint-red light from its surface.
Suddenly, the Demon Witch’s vision moved and ran over the cocoon. She nodded to herself, and resumed to chant an incantation in a low voice. 
The red light gradually dissipated from the surface of the charm spell. However, the faint-red light on the blood-red cocoon hadn’t been diminished.
"Senior, how is Brother Shi now?" Ke asked hesitatingly.
"His bones and veins have been rebuilt. It happened only because he went through such an extreme suffering. But, he still needs a couple of days to rest and fully recuperate." The Demon Witch’s eyes turned towards Ke. Then, she spoke in a low voice. 
Ke heaved a sigh of relief as she heard this.

A wonder falling down from heaven! A boy possessed by strange blood! Gods tremble! Demons flee! A boy from the land of Dong Zhou. A pink skull as his sworn friend until death. A story of a determined warrior struggling for power. A legend that shakes the galaxy and disturbs the worlds of god, demon and man.

        As Andrew made his way around Aspen checking the meticulous list tasked on him, he begins to feel just how much there is as bags just seem to appear in his hands until he's finally lugging multiple heavy bags stuffed with all sorts of items. He doesn't break a sweat, but he still finds it grueling -enough that he remembers the days where he was still in the military college.
The military college was the response Mires made against the 1000-year-old declaration of war made by a witch against the Churches. With the coming times nobody that is human remembers who that witch is as the true name passed around and the true reason had changed overtime, but there is an image that persisted for over 50 years now that is still revered and Andrew is hearing and seeing that witch's epithet everywhere he turns. He could also see some black rats with beady red eyes lurking in the alleyways.
        "The Church Sect in Marstadt was swallowed into the ground, I hope my relatives there didn't get caught in-between the firefight," said a man to an older fellow who had the paper discussing about the Burning Witch.
Under the man's breath he curses why a war like this has continued for generations without end.
        "Why was witchcraft even created? Just how pitiful were they as a person to not accept being normal," The man continued to rant while growing more concerned for his relatives.
        "Don't speak about witches like they're human," the older fellow spoke up and began educating the young man "My old man told me that ever since the Burning Witch made a contract with a devil, all witches born thereafter are Helfiends."
Andrew clenched his fists and continued walking. He does his best to shutout the stories he's hearing, all miserably construed to give witches a terrible reputation. He doesn't care about the stories, as he has his own belief -his own reason for being an Anti-Mage, and that reason is to root out all evil and protect those he loves. He doesn't understand why people need to make up tales to justify their hate for witches, maybe it's their reason and if it was, he finds it shallow. It gets on his nerves because those with actual reasons to hate witches are fed lies, and now that he's actually met witches who are nothing like the Burning Witch, he begins to silently loathe the people who do nothing but stoke the fire and complain why a church is burning.
The news about the Burning Witch spread like wildfire and the entire city seemed to be talking about it, but gradually the veil of nonchalance was being pulled to show fear and concern.
        "I heard from the Aspen guards that they're going to be on high alert tonight. Strange isn't it?" A man blurted out which snapped Andrew back to reality. He eavesdrops on the conversation while buying the last item on his list.
He could see worry begin to sound in the man's voice as he continued. It's however brushed off by the shopkeeper he's talking with.
        "Pretty ominous when the laidback drunkards we call the city guards start doing their actual jobs!" The shopkeeper replied, laughing boisterously as he continued to take jabs at the laziness of the guards.
        "That's because they got word from Vindictus about a witch fleeing to Aspen -or was it a demon? I forgot." Another man chimed into the conversation and it became the topic of the people around them.
From his observer's perspective, Andrew slowly starts to see people prepare for the worst, rush buying to the point that each shopping tent now had people pushing to be serviced. They feared the end of the world, after all the Burning Witch had just made her way into the newspaper and now a rumored demon-witch was making its way to Aspen. Andrew was worried too and he hurried his way back to the forest, only to bump straight into someone. That person turned out to be Basil who he can clearly see is stressed out.
        "What's going on? Is there an emergency?" Drew asked and it got some attention from those with sensitive ears.
        "E, -Everything's fine! Just get to your houses now -wait! Aren't you with that redhead?!" Basil replied and looked around, seeing the concerned citizens eyeing him as they want to know what the situation really is.
        "… Listen! The maire had declared a state of emergency! Everyone is to return to their homes immediately, no questions asked!"
The inexperienced squire wanted the unreasonable, for the people to calm down despite the looming threat that they knew so little of. The rumors about a demon and a witch, now muddled together, painted the image of the Burning Witch making her way to Aspen. The citizens scrambled without any cohesive thought that would corral them. Some wanted to flee to the capital while others wanted to lock themselves up in their homes. It became a sea of madness that Drew and Basil were caught in. In this stampede of people, the chances of someone being trampled over by others is guaranteed. Drew wanted to avoid that and prepared himself to get the crowd to listen to him, only for something else to get their attention. A large explosion went off in the distance and the sound of rubble falling was heard right-after. Now Andrew was torn between saving the people and confronting what he knew was the threat that Aspen was preparing for. It's abysmally obvious as its presence made Andrew feel like the air was cold sludge that weighed on him. Some perceptive people in the terrified crowd who also felt its presence panicked even more, as if they saw the threat was right in front of them.
        "Basil, can I ask you to do something for me?"
        "What're you saying at a time like this?! Get back -Agh!? Are these, groceries?! Why didn't you make back-to-back trips!?" Basil complained as he was forced to hold onto Drew's heavy grocery bags, leaving him encumbered.
        "Take these back to Melissa and Aranea for me, will you?" With a smile Drew offhandedly waved goodbye to Basil as he disappeared into the crowd.
Finding it difficult to push through the crowd to get to where the site of the explosion was, Andrew decided it was better to use the alleyways and as he rushed through the dark passages of Aspen he notices that it was teeming with black rats that weren't there before when he and Melissa hid from the city guards. It was hard not to notice something obvious as a red-eyed black rat, even when its dingy black fur blended well with the alleyways, its jewel-like red eyes was hard to miss –especially when Andrew was disturbed from seeing all the rats staring at him, ready to maul him instead of scurrying away to hide.
He tries to push the experience to the back of his mind to focus on the matter at hand, confronting the demon that suddenly appeared in the city and caused pandemonium.
Andrew comes out of the alleyways to see a vacant market plaza. It was a completely different feeling for him since last he checked there were a bunch of people here. They all left in a rush when the emergency was announced, leaving a lot of the tents for the rats to snack on.
But without any people it made things easy for Andrew to run to where the smokes are. But he then notices that in one of the four main roads to the market plaza, the one that that'll lead him to the chaos, looked as though a storm of blades had just passed through it.
The sudden sweet yet eerie melody of a flute blends into the air around Andrew and he just notices now the silence of danger. Something was stalking him and it was now about to pounce.
It happened only for a moment in his eyes, the silence breaking into discord as something charged at him through the market tents, ripping through rows of stalls like they were made of sticks and paper. It slammed straight to Andrew and even when he had the time to react by pulling his sword and using it to guard his left side, the demon had more than enough momentum to throw him across the plaza. Andrew crashes into a market stall that shattered into pieces upon impact, turning into rubble that the renegade Anti-Mage laid down on.
The trauma of the crash leaves Andrew hacking up blood that he wipes off with his right arm as his left got dislocated from the tackle. He tries to stand over the rubble of the stall and looked in front of him to see the demon and to his surprise it was nothing like he had thought.
Andrew sees a woman in a tattered blue dress a few meters from where he once stood. What he thought was a large demon was no taller than him, but she clearly is a demon from what he can see. Two pairs of black segmented horns protruded from the sides of her head, one growing upwards and the other pair growing on the sides of her face. She also has long, chaotic, and flowing white hair. Her forearms were large, plated with the same hard black chitin that made up her horns, and ending in sharp claws.
While Drew analyzed the demon under the pressure of her presence in front of him, he begins to acknowledge that there's a possibility that he'll die. But running away wasn't an option, both because he knows there's no point in trying to escape and if he does it would be on his conscience if he succeeds and lets this she-demon continue her carnage go uninterrupted.
        "You definitely caught me by surprise, but don't think you'll get lucky again," Drew says to the demon who only glared at him with her glowing blue eyes with black crosses.
The blue she-demon made a full-sprint towards Andrew and this time he was able to strafe to the side to avoid her from crushing him against the wall behind the stall. Drew sees that the she-devil had her foot embedded into the wall. She wasn't trying to ram him with her entire body -no she wanted to eviscerate Drew.
She lets out an unhinged howl and instead of just taking her foot out she raze the wall her foot was in, kicking large rubbles towards Andrew. The moment she did, she also lunges towards where Drew was going to strafe, her claws ready to skewer him. Even though she's lost in her instincts, her intelligence in combat remained.
However, Drew could see through the demon's tactics and as he strafes out of the danger of the rubble and into the demon's claws, he leaps towards her and he narrowly avoids getting skewered. Drew locks eyes with the demon who frowned at him as he throws a head-butt at her. She could've bit his face off but the idea of a human leaping into what could be their death stunned the demon enough that she couldn't make that decision.
But the head-butt wasn't enough to knock the demon out as her arms were ready to crush Andrew with a bear hug. Once again though, Andrew scrapes away from the she-devil's clutches by ducking down and then strafing to the demon's right side where he was about to swing his sword to cut her head off.
The infuriated she-devil lets out a tormented wail and from her back she instantly grew vestigial wings made of the same black chitin, and that catches Drew's sword. A black bony tail also sprung out of her back and it whipped at Andrew, slashing him across the torso and throwing him away from her. The end of her tail ended in a sharp blade, now dripping with Drew's blood.
Because of the adrenaline, Andrew managed to keep himself on his feet despite the gash across his torso that bled profusely. He wasn't going to last though and he knows this himself, the blood loss hasn't kicked in but when it does his reactions are going to get slower.
        "Once that happens, then I'll surely …" He pictures himself in the worst-case scenario, his death. "Before that, I need to at least do something about this demon."

Andrew is an Anti-Mage, a soldier of Mires that specializes as a countermeasure against witches. He first believed that everything he does, no matter how callous to another life, is necessary in order to protect those close and precious to him, but one day he meets a witch that threatens that worldview.

Inside the plaza, a woman whose face was covered by a veil was standing on top of wooden planks stacked together to form something like a stage.

She was wearing a very conservative outfit but her clothes could not hide her curvaceous body. Her eyes were closed as she clasped her hands.

"Oh lord, today we bring forth a pitiful woman who has fallen for the whispers of the devil. We ask your power to bring divine punishment to vanquish evil."

Her voice contained an extremely earnest plead that made the hearts of the crowd who's watching her feel sorry.

After this short moment, the crowd had once again erupted in jeers when a guard had shouted. "Bring out the witch!"

The woman who was standing on the wooden stage raised her hands as she made a gesture to silence the crowd.

Once again the solemness had returned only with the power of this woman's actions.

"I am not a witch!"

"Please!"

"Someone! Save me! Believe me!"

"I wasn't lured by any devil!"

Seeing that the girl who was accused of being a witch was still speaking, the woman who was standing at the stage thought that the men that she had asked to make quick work of this girl were still not up to par with her standards.

"Silence witch!"

"If you just admit that you had been lured by the whispers of the devil then god may even forgive your sins."

The little girl looked at her with deep scorn in her eyes. She then shouted, "I'm not! I already told you once, and I'll keep on saying the truth! I am not a witch!"

Slap! Life who was held together by chains and stones of retaliation was slapped hard on her cheek that it turned red.

"It's a pity, the demons had already brainwashed her." The saintess had a really sad look on her face. The crowd even felt the sadness of the Saintess as she softly uttered those words. On her eye, a tear could be seen silently dripping.

This had enraged the crowd. They all felt the deep dejected feeling that the Saintess had portrayed. Little did they know that the Saintess had hidden her mouth because she was snickering at how the masses were easy to fool. To other people, this looked like she could no longer hold her emotions as she covered her mouth. 

After a few minutes. The Saintess once again spoke.

"Since the witch refuses to admit her sins then I could no longer do anything else."

She pointed towards the witch and shouted.

"BURN HER!"

The soldiers immediately complied with her orders as they each held a torch. This time, Life was tied on a stake on top of the wooden stage and was screaming from the top of her lungs. "NO! STOP! PLEASE BELIEVE ME! I'M NOT A WITCH!"

The Saintess had already left the stage without anyone even noticing. She had already reached her wonderful carriage and was watching the crowd throw stones at the burning witch.

"Silence witch!"

"Begone!"

"Die!"

They all had the looks of disgust as they watched her suffer. The fire that had initially started as small had suddenly enlarged as if eating away the life out of the poor little girl.

Life who was getting slowly burned to death felt something in her stomach. It was different from the pain that she could feel from her burning skin. It was something that made her dizzy.

At that point in time, she could no longer resist. She had just let go of her life as she closed her eyes.

The flames had already engulfed her legs and arms. It was now slowly making its way towards her torso and would then swallow her whole leaving only dust.

She was now dead.

At that moment, a flash of blinding light had enveloped Life's body or rather, what was left of her body.

This is a story about a common girl who was happy with what she had. But suddenly within one night, she became a witch and all of the things had suddenly gone awry.

Life, the little girl loved by her family had one day obtained the powerful ability to go back in time before she was killed. Entering a never-ending loop, her spirit will be broken only to be saved by the third prince who will eventually become the king who goes by the name Roland.

"There lived a witch in the woods with her blood-soaked teeth.
In her house, treasures and bodies're buried underneath.
Her pots of gold, shimmering and bright
As she hung childish strings during the winter night.

There lived a witch in the woods, with a sword and a sheath
Stuck in her chest, as the soldiers plunged deep.
They ambushed the witch once she fell asleep
But they were too late, the strings can never once again weep."


———
Prologue: "A Winter's String"
———

They called the forest behind the city as the 'Wistful Woods'. There, it snowed ruthlessly like a blizzard has fallen during the winter. And when it is summer, the air is still cold, unrelenting, like something is shielding the whole area from the sun itself.

The freezing wind became a gentle reminder for the townsfolk to stay away from the forest, because if you're near 10 steps away from it, you could start becoming hysterical. Hallucinate, even.

That's why it is such a Wistful forest— left alone, with no one but the cold as its company.

Lis knew that. How those who had passed through the broken fences never returned to their homes— he knew of the tales told about the so-called woods.

But that didn't stop him from stepping in, someone like him who had no place to call home.

Everyday was winter in Helina, and so it snowed. The boy walked through the pile of snow with his bare feet that were quite red and blue from the cold.

The fences barely stood tall, broken and battered as a pile of snow and thin clothe strings accompanied its side. It was built there to keep people out, but Lis thought otherwise.

He was at his limit. He could only do so much with his power.

His hands were burning from the cold, but despite his loosened control over his body, he held the glowing necklace tightly to his chest.

'They won't chase me here anymore...' Lis thought to himself, his voice drying out from the cold. He ventured further, hoping that something, someone, will end up giving him the warmth that his body was seeking. He stumbled his way underneath a gigantic tree.

It was so cold. So, so cold. 

His body cried out, but he ignored it, choosing to gaze up at the towering tree with leaves that almost looked like crystals because of the ice.

The necklace he held grew brighter, and brighter as the winds became harsher. It was still freezing.

"I guess… the legends are true," Lis said through a trembling smile. He tugs on one of the loosened strings on his ragged shirt, a culture that most people in the city liked to continue.

The strings designed on one's shirt is the symbolism of their life. It shows that the people are willing to be bound by their own fate. It gives them nothing, but fairness as they creep closer to death.

A Wistful Woods is not wistful because of its lack of company, but it is wistful because it only has company when their person's death is near. And that's why Lis knew of the true meaning behind the fences on the forest.

This is the end for him. And he can't say that he regretted escaping from 'that' dreadful place.

His knees buckled underneath him as he went closer to the tree. There were no signs of strings near it, meaning Lis was the first one to venture further into the Wistful Woods alive.

With those thoughts, he dropped the necklace on the snow, and he buried it beneath with his shaking hands. The necklace was still glowing despite being underneath a pile of snow, but Lis couldn't keep himself conscious anymore.

The wind grew harsher, and as his white hair followed the direction of the blizzard, he couldn't help but see a person from his peripheral vision.

What…? 

Lis was confused. But he was losing consciousness as the person stood in front of him. The ringing in his ears grew louder, and louder, and louder.

It's true that when you're closer to death, you'll remember everything that you did in the past. But in Lis case, he remembered the things he couldn't do in his past.

He looked up, seeing only dull, and rosy eyes staring down at him as the ringing in his ears continued.

Ringing… ringing… ren.. ren…

"Ren…" he let out a word that children used to describe as ringing back in the city. And with one last breath, Lis fell limply on the cold, cold snow.


———
Prologue: End.
———


"There lived a witch in the woods with her dull rosy eyes.
In her house, she planted trees and flowers to ignore her demise.
Her pots of gold were fruits of labour
Until the city's hatred were not kept on harbour.

There lived a witch in the woods, with a sword and a sheath
Burning and burning in the piles of snow underneath.
They ambushed the witch once she fell asleep
As she stopped the soldiers from falling on her cold home, in deep."

"I want to take everything away from him, like how he took everything away from me." Revenge. That's the only thing that Lis wanted. "So please, teach me how to be stronger. Strong enough to beat a God."

Magic is a fickle thing. It flows naturally in the blood of mystical beings, and rarely does it flow in the blood of humans. But when it did— they became blinded by their hubris, and caused a long suffering for those who were weaker than them.

Lis was one of those who were weak. He's been driven to death by his fellow humans who wished to call themselves as 'Gods', and yet he survived.

So now he only asks for one thing. Strength. The ability to fight back. And the power to end the era of suffering for people like him.

• • • • • • •

A fight against Gods, a fight to learn the mysteries of magic, and a fight for the people they will soon meet on their journey. 

Belle could feel the burning scrapes against her skin after she fell on the ground, her body sliding that caused one side of her dress to tear. She didn't stay down though. She stood up and dusted her hands along with her dress. 
"You tore my dress," said Belle, her eyebrows knitted together as she took another glance at her dress before looking up at the black witch who had disappeared in front of her to stand behind her on a branch of a tree. 
"Did you think because you were a vampire you could get away?" cackled the black witch. 
"I guess," Belle replied looking at the witch who smiled with her snake tongue slithering out of her mouth. 
"Do not worry. Soon you will be on the ground and be dragged to the coven. You will have fun along with the others."
Belle noticed how there was something very different about this black witch. Most of the black witches were supposed to have slit eyes, their colour ranging from yellow to green but this one had red eyes. 
"I will pass," Belle responded back to her. When the black witches got ready to throw the knife, Belle picked up the log of wood to catch the knife that got stuck to it.
"Smart," the black witch sat down on the branch on her heel, "For a doll wearing girly shoes you are smart."
The black witch didn't like that she couldn't see the fear in the girl's eyes and she jumped down, coming full force with her knives again that was meant to slice at Belle but the girl was no fragile human. Belle moved along with the black witch, passing one tree after another, tricking the black witch and she stopped moving. Catching the front of her dress, Belle raised her right leg when the black witch came to stand in front of her, she rotated it enough to have the black witch crash against the dress. 
"Sorry, but I prefer shoes," Belle moved her feet to showcase that she indeed was wearing flat shoes instead of the girly ones that were supposed to be worn for weddings. The black witch was unhappy and irritated when Belle had kicked her and had sent her flying to crash against a tree. 
"You little cunt!" the black witch stood up to go again. 
On the other side, Lucas played with the other two black witches, keeping them occupied. The black witches tried to get as close as they could to attack but Lucas read their movements. They found it hard to launch an attack on him. 
"Why are you collecting children?" he asked the black witches. 
"Why don't you get caught and we will tell you," said one of the black witches, her hands had long nails and she tried to swipe it right in front of him, missing him every time. 
"I will need to think about that," he said to her when the other black witch launched a knife and then threw something on the ground that burst into flames. Lucas's eyes narrowed and he had to wipe the fire before it would catch on to him. This was something he had not come across. 
"Do you like it?" asked the black witch, "I stole it from a white witch."
"How unfortunate," commented Lucas, "I was going to ask you how you made it. Are you going to tell me where the children are and why you abducted them?"
"Over your dead body," Lucas couldn't help but chuckle over the ironic statement as he was already dead. He took a quick look where Belle was holding her ground so far which was good as she didn't need him to save her. 
When Lucas had turned to look at Belle, the black witch moved her leg against his face but he caught it in time with his hand, "Looks like I will have to find it myself," he twisted the witch's hand that came off her body and she screamed. 
"MY ARM!" the witch screamed in pain. The other witch came and Lucas twisted her neck, tearing her neck apart from the body. The one whose arm was torn, she came at Lucas. He flicked her forehead and her body flew hitting the tree and she fell motionless. 
Belle who was fighting with the black witch raised her hand when the witch came at her, stopping her from coming further. Smoke started appearing from the palm of Belle's hand. This even caught Lucas' attention from afar. 
The smoke started to move quickly towards the black witch, trying to surround and encapsulate her who tried to get away from it. And in less than a second, the witch fell flat on the ground with her eyes open. The body then combusted into dust. 
The ability of death, thought Lucas to himself. Belle didn't need weapons as she was a weapon. 
"Where do you think she will go?" asked Belle to Lucas when he walked towards her.
"To the land of the dead, I suppose. To be fed by the Mighouls."
Starting to walk away, Belle saw the other two black witches who were killed by Lucas. Arms or head were torn gruesomely. It reminded her of Mr. Robbinson and Olivia. Thankfully Olivia didn't know who Lucas was else she would have gone out and about telling people that he was the one who had killed her. A grim reaper. 
After passing through many more trees and finding no more witches so far, they came to a house that was built by stones. Stepping inside the house, they found potions that were being prepared as something black bubbled in the pot but the abducted children were not found here. 
Belle noticed how there were small cages built that could fit in children inside it. 
"They aren't here," said Belle looking around the small house that only had one room, fire burning under the pot. 
Lucas who walked by the window stopped his footsteps, taking a step back he looked outside the window, "Found them."
Belle walked towards him, turning her head for a small gasp to escape through her lips. Children were hung by their hands to the tree who appeared to be dead.


Waking up from a nightmare several hours before dawn, Belle fetched a drink of water. 

She paused in front of her kitchen's window when she noticed a lit lantern in front of her mansion's garden. Her butler stood there, shovel in hand. This was no hour to be gardening. 

Curious, she made her way outside, but when she had gotten close enough to see a large and hollow pit next to her eternally-stoic and polite butler, she saw him pick up a rotten body. 

A DEAD BODY!

Her eyes widened fearfully when she saw her handsome butler drop the rotting body into the fresh hole. She asked in horror, "What are you doing?!" 

Surprised to see his young miss awake at this hour, he stared at her with the same expression he had been keeping up for all these years. He had made sure she was asleep before coming here.

"Gardening."

"And the body?!" she looked at him in disbelief.

"Fertilizer," he answered her before picking up the shovel that was on the ground. Belle was now certain something had possessed her butler. Who gardened dead bodies?!

She then heard him ask her, "Want to help me in planting it, Miss Adams?" he gave her a sweet smile.

Note: If you enjoy a book of comedy with light-hearted romance and a gothic background. This book is for you~

witch burning novel

The Witch Daughter

Flash Poet

The Dragon and the Prince

The Inside World

Infinite Immortal Murder

The Portal of Wonderland

Journey: The World of Witches

I won't die even if I'm killed

The Weak One's Retribution

Belle Adams' Butler

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