Karen's evil spirit.

Here, I just stood like a novice while looking at Vincent. I really wanted to ask him questions concerning his sanity.

How were we even going to cross an active volcano without melting?

I knew that he had talked about the possibility earlier, but thinking about the possibility of everything that surrounded that volcano even made it more weirder.

"How are we going to cross this volcano without getting affecting?" I asked him with a weary look. "Vincent, I'm honestly not convinced about this final process." I said with a panic.

In all frankness, I wasn't really good at hiding my feeling to please anyone. I just wasn't okay with what I was seeing.

"Ma'am, you don't have to be scared. Since we were able to make it out of this cave without getting hurt, I firmly believe that we can also make it across this volcano." He said in a soothing manner, and I just gave him a blank gaze.

What could I even do in this situation?

After all, it had been him leading the entire way.

"We better get out of here, alive." I responded to him, and he smiled.

Just as we were about to begin our next round of the journey, a familiar sight caught my attention.

It was the sight of Karen, she was directly opposite us.

"Is that not Karen?" I asked Vincent with a surprised look. At this moment, I was already trying to pinch myself to be sure of what I was seeing.

"Yes, it is Karen." He responded.

At this point, the only thing that took over my mind, was the best possible way that we could help her.

"We have to help her..." I mumbled in tears. Although it hadn't been long that I lost saw her, she already looked like a shadow of her former self.

I knew that she really needed our help.

"Unfortunately, we can't." Vincent said without looking up.

"Why...?" "Why is that not even possible? Remember, she was part of us, and she is still our own flesh and blood..." I responded to him as calm as I cold.

No matter how hard I tried to convince Vincent, it seemed very impossible. I would have loved to swim across this river and help her, but I couldn't unfortunately.

"Ma'am, this isn't the Karen that you used to know. This one has been possessed by the water spirits." He mumbled with a trembling voice.

He was right!

This was just the sad truth that I had to embrace. The old Karen that I knew, had been traded with this one.

"Shut up your dirty mouth...!" The voice of Karen, echoed through the entire space in twos and threes.

Honestly, I was surprised to hear the bark from her.

"Karen, do you remember me...?" I asked her with a friendly smile. I was really trying very hard to remain my composure. It was indeed not easy to see someone who was just part of you, being controlled by external forces.

Just as I asked her that question, she turned back and gave me a very deadly glare.

"I remember you, Ember, and I'd kill you. Now, jump into this water..." She commanded, and my head began to spin.

I could hear the continuous echo of her voice in my brain. It was telling me to jump.

'Jump... Ember, jump...!' I kept hearing these words with any hindrance. Now, I knew that I didn't have any control of my body at this particular moment.

Even though I tried to restrain myself from doing what this voice actually wanted, it was still very impossible.

All of a sudden, I turned back, with the intent of running into the river. Obviously, Vincent was also the savior in the hardest of the situations. Immediately he twisted my right palm, I got back my sanity.

"How dare you try to set her free?" Karen barked at him from the other side of the river.

"Because she isn't part of your evil coven...!" I responded to her, and she faced him in full anger.

I knew that it was going to be a very long thug of war between them.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson..." She muttered and immediately raised her right hand, and sent something like fire towards Vincent's direction.

"I dare you to do your worst." Vincent responded.

As she sent that ball of fire, I knew that she got hold of Vincent immediately.

"Now, jump inside the river... Hehehe..." She commanded him, and let out an evil laughter.

Shockingly, he obliged. That was when I knew that her spell had worked on him.

"Vincent, you can't do this..." I said with tears in my eyes.

He looked at me, with so many words in his eyes. I knew that he wanted to say something, but the spirit had already taken control of him.

"Do... Do..." He kept trying to mutter something.

Just before the dying minute, a weird thought came into my mind, and it was to do exactly what he did when I was hypnotized. Without wasting any other time, I picked up his right hand, and twisted it with all my might.

Sadly, it didn't work.

"Oh goddess of the moon, don't forsake me at this dying minute." Just as I made this prayer, Vincent sneezed, and I knew that it was a sign of life.

Words couldn't explain the joy that I felt at that moment.

"You're really a strong woman. Thank you for saving me..." Vincent appreciated me, as he made to rise up to his feet again.

Just then, a strong wind blew, reminding us of Karen's presence at the other side.

"I'd kill the both of you, and drink your blood..." She laughed in evilness.

Out of anger, I made to reply her, but Vincent made the save in time. He covered my mouth with his big palm.

"Don't say any other word to her. I've told you before, and I'd safe it again; spirits only hypnotize you, when you say a word to them." He said to me with so much seriousness, and I nodded