Victoria was laying on her back, her crimson hair spread out behind her. Her arms and legs were tied to metal hoops fixed to the ground. She wasn’t moving.

  “V-“ Charles stopped Elizabeth before she could call out her sister’s name. He glanced at Alaric, clearly wanting him to go in and check on her.

  Please be alive. He stepped into the room and carefully approached the young girl. Now that he was closer, he could see what she was laying on – a metal pentagram was inlaid upon the floor, and Victora was right in the middle of it.

  Ignoring his hurting arm, he crouched next to her and gently placed his fingers on her neck. A wave of relief washed over him as he felt her pulse. Scooting upwards towards her tied hand, he fiddled with the rope, quickly untying it.

  Victora’s eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes glinted red under the light of the chandelier hanging above. She looked at him in a daze as he untied her right hand, then her left. “Quiet,” he whispered.

  Please be yourself. If the witch already enthralled her… No. She’s fine. He didn’t allow himself to continue that line of thought. She was fine. Everything was fine.

  “She’s upstairs.” Victoria’s voice was but a whisper, barely audible to even him despite how close to her he was. He nodded and hurried even more as he freed her feet one by one. As soon as he did, she sat upright, then pushed herself up on her feet.

  Just as he was about to stand up, the sound of high heels echoed above them.

  “Well, well,” The Witch’s voice rang in their ears. Alaric felt his body freeze up. Victoria fell on her knees. Eyes wide open, her pupils widened with fear. “Look who we have here – my two new favourite people in one place!” She descended down the narrow wooden stairs, her silken gown trailing behind her. “And two more guests as well – how kind of you to bring friends, Alaric.”

  As soon as she called his name, he felt his arm burn with more intensity than before. Her lips parted with surprise. “I thought you would have lost to it by now, but I suppose your mind is stronger than I thought.” Her lips curled up into a smile as she walked up to the edge of the pentagram and stood right in front of them.

  “Why are you doing this?” Charles called her out. “Why harm innocent people, hunt them down in the middle of the night?”

  The Witch turned her gaze towards him. “You’re not really asking such a na?ve question, are you honey?” Her sweet voice rang condescendingly.

  “I am.” Charles clenched his fists. “And it’s not na?ve. You’re clearly powerful – you have creatures obeying you, a castle. What could we possibly have that you desire? That we wouldn’t just give to you if you helped us instead?”

  The Witch raised her eyebrows. She seemed genuinely surprised at his question. “Help you?” She pointed at herself. “Me?” her laughter echoed. “Why, so the Empyrean can punish me again? No, sweetheart, I’ve done that mistake once. I have a role to play in this story, just as you have – and none of us can stray from our paths.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’ll learn in time.” She paused, then chuckled. “Well, you won’t. They might,” she pointed at Alaric and Victoria. “If they survive.” She raised her hands on either side.

  Elizabeth screamed as the door shut in her face, locking her and Charles outside the chamber. “Now then,” The Witch turned her gaze to Alaric and Victoria. “Shall we begin? I have no need of them, but you two will do just fine.”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Dark smoke rose from the edges of the pentagram.

  “No!” Victoria screamed as the smoke lunged at her. She flailed her arms as the smoke whirled around her, reaching for her face. Her body spasmed as the smoke covered her face.

  “As for you,” the Witch’s sweet voice rang in his ears. “Time for that mark to finish its job. No matter how strong your will, once the mark reaches your mind, you will become mine.” Her hand broke through the smoke, her fingers grabbed his throat.

  He grabbed her arm with one hand and tried to pry her fingers off of his throat with his other hand.

  His arm was hot as if it was on fire. His palm had begun to go numb, and he could feel his strength fading. The heat travelled up to his shoulder, then slowly began spreading towards his chest. A growing part of him simply wanted to stop fighting the Witch and let her spell take hold.

  “Help…”

  Victoria’s weak whisper jolted his mind back into action. He had to help her. I promised. Her sister was waiting just outside that wooden door. He could hear her shouting and hitting the door. Her muffled words were too distant to make out, but she was there, and she was desperate. I can’t let her down.

  A scream left his lips as anger reared its head. He stopped trying to pry the Witch’s fingers off his throat, and pushed himself back up on his feet, then grabbed her arm with both hands, and stepped back, pulling her along.

  He glanced over his shoulder, confirming a window was right behind him. Sunlight shining through the round window blinded him for a split second. He could feel its warmth on his back. With a smirk, he pulled the Witch closer, grabbed her waist, and before she could react, leapt back.

  “No!” Victoria’s scream rang in his ears as the glass broke on his back, and he fell, along with the Witch who had only now realised what was going on. Her eyes widened, her lips parted as they began to fall. Screams – voices calling his name rang from below.

  Something leapt out of the window above – black smoke hiding crimson lightning.

  A hand caught his own as the crimson-black mist wrapped around him. It was a pale hand, cold to the touch, and too small to belong to an adult. He felt something press on his back. Wavy crimson hair blocked his view for a split second before his hands went numb, letting go of the Witch.

  “I won’t let you!” The sharp, frightened voice whispered in his ear. The strangest sensation spread across his body, as if it was being destroyed, then rebuilt. Before his mind caught up with what was happening, the floor appeared beneath his feet, and he fell down on his hands and knees.

  I’m alive. How was that possible? A weight leaned against his shoulder, then Victoria fell down, her eyes closed. He barely caught her before she hit her head agaisnt the ground.

  “Alaric!”

  “Above you!” Two screams were drowned out by the third. “Down!”

  His body reacted before he quite understood why Sarah screamed. He threw himself over Victoria like a shield, and at the same moment, the sound of a gunshot echoed, deafening him for a moment.

  Something fell next to him. He saw the red of blood, and white of bone, and the crimson glitter in still alive eyes. The Witch beckoned him – and a large part of him wanted to obey. He wanted to help. To protect her.

  He stood up on wobbly legs. Victoria was unconscious, seemingly unharmed. Her expression was one of relief, her small hands clutching her cloak.

  The Witch was… alive. Her limbs broken, her chest bloody from Sarah’s gunshot, but her eyes glimmered with hate and triumph. Her bloody lips whispered something. She knew how much he wanted to save her. The spell she cast on him was almost at its completion. The heat had spread up to his neck, clouding his mind. His thoughts had become sluggish.

  I won’t become a thrall.

  His fingers had trouble grasping the sword’s hilt, and it was an even bigger challenge to unsheathe it.

  I will survive.

  The Witch’s eyes widened. An odd, gurgling sound escaped her lips. Was it a beg for help? Or an exclamation of surprise?

  I can’t die here.

  He held the blade above her neck and struck down.

  I want to go home.

  The blade pierced her skin and dug into her flesh.

  YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE BLOODROSE WITCH

  YOU HAVE LIFTED THE CURSE ON CASTLE LORNE

  YOU HAVE AIDED ONE IN REALISING THEIR LATENT POTENTIAL

  REWARDS GRANTED

  He collapsed on his knees as more text appeared in the system window before him. Footsteps rushed around him. He heard people call his and Victoria’s name as his vision blurred.