CHAPTER 40: HAE WITCHES

In the darkness of the night, Lilith opened her eyes to nothingness, her vision swallowed by the pitch-black void. She struggled to make sense of where she was and why she was there, the last thing she remembered was speaking to Fiona in the scullery before collapsing.

"Fiona!" she called out, once, then twice, but was met with utter silence. Not even the wind stirred, the air was stiff and still. Lilith turned around, searching her surroundings, when her gaze caught something bright in the distance, a gemstone-like glow that shimmered even through the darkness.

Without thinking, Lilith began to run toward the gemstone, but just when she thought she was close, it seemed to shift farther away. She came to a halt, bending over with her hands on her knees as she panted, exhausted from the chase. Still, the gemstone remained out of reach.

Straightening her back, she decided to try again, hoping that this time she would reach it. As she ran, a hint of a smile touched her lips, she was getting closer, and this time, the gemstone didn’t move. She stopped a few feet away, the glow so intense she had to squint and shield her eyes with a hand against the dazzling light.

Slowly, Lilith bent down, hesitating for a moment before reaching out to touch the stone. The moment her fingers brushed its surface, it vanished, plunging her back into complete darkness. Almost instantly, she blinked and found herself standing in what appeared to be a castle, an ethereal place adorned with silver and diamond, every part of it shimmering. From a distance, she could hear the soft sound of falling water.

Lilith then noticed she was wearing a dress, white as snow. Confusion clouded her features as she turned toward a door, just in time to see a woman approaching. The woman, dressed like a queen, wore a magnificent silver gown and a grand diamond crown. Her long, straight white hair cascaded down her back, reaching her knees.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful that Lilith doubted she was even real. "Welcome, Lilith. I have waited centuries to finally meet you." Her sultry voice echoed through the space.

"Who are you? How do you know my name? And... what is this place?" Lilith asked, narrowing her eyes as she watched the woman’s every step.

The woman only smiled.

"This is a castle, Lilith, the home of the Hae witches. I summoned you here on behalf of the goddess of Hae. She has a message for you," she said eloquently, her silver dress gliding gracefully as she moved.

"Hae Witches? What are you talking about?" Lilith snapped, her voice trembling with confusion and rising frustration. "I don’t understand any of this. I don’t know anything about Hae witches or your goddess, and I don’t want to. I want to go back to the palace." Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, knuckles pale.

The woman’s smile stretched wider, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "You know," she said, her voice laced with something darker, "I never understood why you were chosen one. You’re not wise, you’re not prepared, and certainly not strong enough to wield the power you’ve been given." The bitterness in her tone barely hid behind the false sweetness of her smile. "But I suppose... the gods must see something I don’t."

Lilith took a bold step forward. "Take me back to the palace. I don’t want to be here," she demanded, her voice firm despite the unease in her chest.

Suddenly, the woman’s eyes turned pitch black, and a violent wind whipped through the space from nowhere, howling with an unnatural force. Her voice deepened, echoing with raw power.

"I bring you a powerful warning, Lilith," she said, each word sharp. "You are meddling with forces far beyond your understanding. The devil cannot be saved, he brings only destruction, chaos, and death. Your powers were never meant to defy ancient laws or rewrite the will of the gods. If you continue down this path, you will doom us all."

She took a step closer, her hair whipping around her face, eyes glowing. "Heed my warning, Lilith. Stay far away from the devil of destruction... or be the reason everything burns."

Lilith stared at the woman, dumbfounded, her lips pressed into a tight line. She had heard every word, yet her mind struggled to make sense of it all. "You must be mistaken," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I’m not the chosen one. I’m not trying to alter any destiny or... play with the devil. You’ve got the wrong person."

The woman’s voice suddenly echoed like six overlapping voices, deep and otherworldly. "The gods do not make mistakes, Lilith. Be wise, heed our warning."

As the last word left her lips, her eyes faded back to normal, and she staggered slightly, gasping for breath as if the possession had drained the very life from her.

"Now that you’ve heard the warning for yourself, you can return to your world," the woman said coldly. "And I must admit... I look forward to watching you fail." She straightened her posture, a sinister smile curling on her lips.

Lilith’s frown deepened. Just as she opened her mouth to question her further, a sudden force yanked her downward, as if the ground itself had swallowed her.

In the blink of an eye, she was back in the palace. More specifically, in the prince’s chamber... and on his bed. She pushed herself up, dazed, and the damp towel that had been resting on her forehead slipped down to her thighs.

"Oh dear goodness, you’re finally awake," came Grim’s voice. Lilith turned her head to the side and saw him lounging on the couch, casually admiring his paws. "I thought you were going to sleep forever."

"What happened? How long have I been unconscious?" Lilith asked, her voice low and laced with confusion.

"I’m not sure," Grim replied, stretching lazily. "But imagine my shock, I was just about to fall asleep on that soft, luxurious bed when Master nearly shoved me off just to lay you on it. I felt very betrayed." He muttered the last part under his breath, then looked at her more seriously. "Well, tell me, girl, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

Lilith paused for a moment, checking in with herself. After a beat, she shook her head slowly. "No... nothing hurts."

"Wonderful. Now that you’re awake and well, kindly get off the bed. I need a short rest," Grim declared, climbing onto the mattress with practiced ease and gesturing grandly for Lilith to move aside.

Lilith quickly drew her legs back and scooted up against the headboard. "Stay away from me. Don’t come any closer," she warned, her voice firm.

Grim let out a mocking chuckle, mimicking her tone with exaggerated drama. "Oh, please. You—"

Before it could finish, Lilith panicked and kicked him off the bed with surprising force.

"Augh! What is wrong with you?!" Grim yelped, tumbling to the floor. He rolled back to his feet, brushing himself off with a deep frown plastered across his face.

Just then, the door to the chamber creaked open, and both Hades and Viktor entered the room. Hades’s gaze flicked suspiciously between Lilith and Grim, while Viktor looked visibly relieved to see her awake.

"Your Highness, Lord Viktor," Lilith greeted, offering a low bow as she smoothed the edges of her dress.

Viktor raised an eyebrow. "What happened, Lilith? The lady with you mentioned that you were speaking when you fainted. I called for the physician, and he said you showed no signs of illness." His voice held a mix of concern and curiosity.

Lilith shifted her gaze to Grim, who was whispering something to the prince, before she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I don’t know what happened. I had this strange dream. I was in this beautiful castle, and I met a woman who told me I was called by the gods for a warning." She paused, her gaze drifting to her hands.

"A warning?" Hades’s voice was sharp. "What was it about?"

Lilith swallowed, her throat dry. "She said she was from the Hae witches, and that I would bring ruin to them all if I kept trying to change destinies and... play with the devil." She hesitated, noticing Viktor and Hades exchanging a knowing look, their expressions darkening.

"Did she say anything else? Who the Hae witches are, or what devil she was referring to?" Hades asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

"No, she didn’t. She wasn’t exactly fond of my presence there," Lilith replied, her eyes briefly lowering. "She sent me away before I could ask any more questions."

Hades gave a curt nod. "Viktor and I need to discuss something important. Grim will look after you," he said, turning toward the door, Viktor following closely behind.

"Me? Why me? This woman assaulted me TWICE," Grim grumbled, hands placed firmly on its hips, glaring at Lilith. "And now you want me to babysit her?"