Chapter 95

The sting of Death's embrace had robbed us once more of a beloved soul, leaving our hearts entwined with the vines of grief and our spirits in danger of being crushed. Though Carter's face had once shone with vitality and effervescence, it now lay still and ethereal, surrendered to Death's relentless grip. His quick wit and razor-sharp tongue had always brought light and laughter to our lives, while his perfect decency had earned him a special place in our hearts. How we would miss him.

A sharp intake of breath pierced the deafening silence, causing every one of my senses to jolt awake. It sounded almost like a cackle, a wheezy sound that set my heart racing with anticipation. Then, in front of my very eyes, Carter began to stir, rising from the ground with a sudden surge of strength.

"He was dead," I stammered, still reeling from the shock of what I was seeing. But Carter only clutched at his chest, drawing in deep gasps of air as he fought for control.

"Miss me?" he rasped, a mischievous grin on his lips as he coughed up a storm. I couldn't help but roll my eyes - it was just like Carter to make a joke when the situation was so dire.

Then he spoke again, his voice rough and hoarse. "I saw Lily," he said urgently. "She's fading away. We have to hurry." Without a moment's hesitation, Carter leapt to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his legs.

"Perhaps we should take a moment to rest," I suggested tentatively. But Carter's response was immediate and forceful. "We don't have time to rest," he declared, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination to see this through to the end.

My gaze slid over to Tay and Yoongi, my own eyes pleading with theirs. Carter looked positively ashen. Was it rash to push him onward? "Carter's correct," I heard Yoongi say, the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders as I fretted over my feeble friend. With those fateful words, we resumed our arduous trek, plunging ever deeper into the shadowy and labyrinthine woods.

The dense forest loomed around us, the twisted trees reaching up like skeletal fingers. From within, the eyes of the children watched us with an eerie intensity, black as the abyss. They beseeched us silently, their screams echoing in the shadows of my mind. Yoogni, the wisest among us, warned against heeding their call, and we carried on, our tired feet dragging along the treacherous path.

As we journeyed deeper still, the smell of smoke filled the air, the warmth of a fire beckoning to us from a nearby cottage. Yoogni stopped, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Had we truly found her? Renee, the powerful witch we sought, who held the key to our salvation? Could she truly help us, or were we doomed to fail? The thought of losing Lilly, my long lost sister, filled me with a cold dread, and I feared the worst.

From the shadows to our right came a movement that caused us all to snap our heads in its direction. As the figure holding court before us slipped out of the mist, cloaked in black, I found myself holding my breath.

"I have been waiting for you," the figure intoned, closer now than ever before. The voice that drifted out of the shadows was not what I expected. So young, so soft. It wasn't long before the figure pulled back her hood, revealing the whitest hair I had ever beheld. In the dim light, it shimmered with the slightest hint of grey, but it was the figure's eyes that held me captive. So bright, so vivid, the color of violets in full bloom. I felt like they could peer right through me, past my soul even.

The girl's features were ashen, her lashes curling like wisps of black smoke her crimson lips full and plump. She was a vision of beauty, a siren's call to all who gazed upon her.
"Renee?" Yoongi ventured forward with caution, wary of her bewitching aura.
"Indeed, child." She cooed, a sardonic smirk curving her lips.
With a graceful turn, she swept towards the cozy cottage, beckoning us to follow.

In that moment, a spark of doubt flickered within me. Could this mysterious being be trusted? With trepidation, I trailed after my companions and stepped into the quaint cottage. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted towards me, causing my stomach to protest like a caged beast. We ventured deeper into the abode at Renee's behest, settling onto a plush black sofa. The flooring was strewn with wolf pelts, and a roaring fire illuminated the room. A wave of heat washed over me, cocooning my frostbitten flesh in a gentle embrace.


"You said you've been waiting for us?" Carter inquired, his fingers forming air quotes as he spoke.

"Indeed, I have," Renee replied, her lips curling up into a small smile.

"I must admit, for a being as ancient as yourself, you look rather...well, um..." Tay trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

"Ah, the burden of immortality. I am as old as time itself. The first witch to tread upon this earth, and quite possibly the last," Renee remarked mournfully, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her endless existence.


“There as been a shift. A magical in balance threatens us all.” Renee said gazing at the fire.

“I don’t understand.” Yoogni said in a low hum.
“If Lilly fades away then the world as we know it will be no more.” Renee answered.

"How to rescue her?" Tay inquired urgently. Renee turned away from the flames and gazed at each of us with a penetrating stare. "Such formidable power should never have come to be. Now, the world is rent asunder. Right this injustice you must. The answers lie in the past, yet beware: do not allow your heart to weaken your resolve." We all stared at her, mouths slightly ajar.
"Could you put it in simpler terms?" Carter piped up from the opposite end of the settee. I would have smacked him if he had been within arm's reach.
"I apologize, child. You must forge your own path," Renee murmured. "I regret that I cannot offer further assistance. I am bound by fate, and it is not my place to intervene."