Stripped

When Alcina arrives at Andre's huge hut, she reports her presence at the reception.
The receptionist leads her into a small waiting room overgrown with creepers and the walls are painted with all kinds of witchcraft paintings and idioms. With all this, Andre makes it clear to everyone visiting him that he is no ordinary leader but an initiate in witchcraft and descendant of a long bloodline of warlocks. He is not one to be underestimated.
“Alcina!” he suddenly calls her from one of the rooms. "Please, come in".
With a jerk, she is shaken out of her dreams back to reality and quickly gets up. By entering the room, she sees the warlock sitting on the floor at the far end. In front of him, he has a flat wooden board with bowls with all kinds of liquids in them. Next to him is a mirror leaning against the wall.
"Come closer, witch", Andre's deep masculine voice sounds. He keeps his eyes fixed on her face. Somewhat awkwardly, Alcina takes a few steps towards him but stands at a safe distance while looking down at him. To her surprise, she reads disapproval in the man's eyes. Bewildered, she wonders what she did wrong in the coven that displeased Andre. She hardly interacts with the other witches while always disciplined in carrying out her duties. In all the years, there has never been a complaint about her functioning in the coven.
“Alcina, you know I hate it when someone stands above me looking down. Sit on the floor too so we can communicate on the same level. I'm still the warlock of this coven and you a witch working under my supervision," he remarks. It is clear to the woman that Andre is not in a great mood. Not to irritate him further, she sinks to the floor, folds her legs and looks at him. “Andre, sorry for the inconvenience. You called me, the man said you wanted to discuss something important with me," she replies politely.
Andre clears his throat as he continues to stare at her, but his aura is anything but encouraging. Alcina knows she won't hear any good news here. “Alcina, you are out for revenge against some werewolves. It has something to do with your previous coven and the warlock that was killed," Andre tells her. The witch is shocked. It's just been a few minutes since she got word about Drina and her parents. She wonders how the warlock came to know all this.
She shifts in panic but remains silent. It's not in her plan to confide in anyone, but she now knows she can't lie to Andre. He probably knows everything that goes on in her cabin. “Of course, I don't need confirmation from you. But I want to warn you to get that idea away from your mind. The coven doesn't need to cloud relationships with werewolves. If it becomes clear that you are responsible for the death of high-ranking werewolves, packs will open the hunt on us. Remember that witches depend on the werewolves to find a safe place to stay to set up a coven. We all live in pack territories”, explains the warlock patiently.
When Alcina stays silent, Andre tries again to make her change her mind. “I know Giles was your lover and you hated Florence because he loved her. But that was so long ago, you have to move on with your life. You can't keep going with hatred in your heart," Andre insists. “Let it go, Alcina. It will ultimately only destroy you. That is how it goes, always.” But Andre senses in the witch's aura that she is determined. The hatred deep inside her has become almost an indelible part of her. It was the prospect of a cruel revenge that made her breathe and function all those years. And now she sees her chance to get her way.
Facing the floor, Alcina stands up.
“Andre, if there's nothing else you want to discuss with me, I take my leave. I still have a few things to do," she states. But she doesn't notice that Andre's eyes are now turning into a sea of ​​flames. Only when she feels the heat burning on her skin, does she lift her head in terror.
Before her eyes, the warlock turns into an energy source, indicating its power. Alcina anxiously crosses her arms to her chest as if to protect herself from the heat. “Alcina, I am the warlock of this coven. Your refusal to follow my admonitions compels me to impose sanctions against you. I'm taking your powers for three years. You will be an ordinary human until that period is over. That’s my decision!” he speaks out over her.
A shock runs through the witch as the warlock makes his statement. Alcina lets out a cry of terror and pain. This punishment means she cannot carry out her plan at this time. And she was so looking forward to it. Now she has to wait another three years, that is impossible. Stamping her feet, she leaves Andre's room and walks straight to her own cabin. Out of intense anger, she smashes everything there. The sound of breaking wood and glass, falling cups and candles, mingled with her enraged cries, echoed through the hut. Everything is destroyed.
“If you thought you could stop me, you're so wrong, Andre. Watch me! Just watch what I’m capable of," she screams in full hatred. “No one can undermine my plan. As long as my name is Alcina, I avenge the death of Giles. Florence and her family will pay for what they did to us.” She throws herself on the floor and cries her heart out. After lying helplessly on the floor for about two hours, she gets up and stares ahead. Determination mixed with hatred is plastered on her face now.
In a trance, she picks up a few pieces of clothing and stuffs them into a backpack.
In a safe on the wall, Alcina pulls out her personal documents and doesn't forget her credit card. In all the years in this coven, she hardly used anything of her fee, she lived cheaply and primitively. She knew she would need a lot of money once she started her mission. With one last look at her cabin, she walks out and takes the path to the gates of the coven. In a mantra, she breaks her ties with the community that has provided her with a roof over her head for over twenty years.
And steps out into the wide world...