Using her body's vitality - Part 2 (Patreon)

Scott stepped into the kitchen, his arms laden with bags of groceries while he thought back to when he had extra help. Thankfully, Caroline moved swiftly beside him, her youthful hands grabbing the bags and setting them on the counter. The sight of her, so full of vigor and life, brought a smile to his face as he completely forgot about Brenda for a second. It was hard to believe that just a while ago, Caroline had been a frail 98-year-old woman. Now, she looked no older than 20.

It felt like an eternity ago when he learned about Caroline’s hidden secret. As he and his coworker sat by the fireplace, Caroline had shared her secret with them. She had revealed that she had been a witch her entire life. With a sigh, she had expressed her longing to be young again, to feel the energy and vitality of her youth. But the magic required was complex and taxing. She didn't want to endure the stress and strain of performing such a powerful spell. Scott, who had grown deeply fond of Caroline during his time as her caregiver, felt a surge of determination. He wanted to give this kind-hearted woman a chance to relive her youth.

But Brenda wasn’t too fond of the idea. It sounded evil, and she didn’t hide the fact that she didn’t like playing along with the old woman’s fantasies. The saddened look on her face made Scott stay behind after Brenda left for the day. He’d worked with Brenda for at least a year at that point, and he understood that she was a superstitious and anxious woman.

But Caroline didn’t stop talking about how badly she needed his help, so he did everything in his power to assist her. The refrigerator door opened with a soft hum, and Scott began placing the groceries inside. Caroline, standing next to him, handed him items one by one. The ease with which they worked together was a testament to their deep bond. Scott remembered the day he had retrieved Caroline's personal spell book from her storage. The book, bound in worn leather and filled with handwritten notes, held the key to Caroline's transformation.

With Scott's unwavering support, he had gathered the rare and mystical ingredients required for the spell. The final item, a blue sapphire that glowed in the moonlight, was the last piece that he placed at the center of an arcane circle. By then, Brenda had left for the day, leaving Scott to do whatever he needed to do in order to get the spell to work.

The night they performed it was one neither would forget. As Caroline chanted the incantations, a radiant glow enveloped her. Scott watched in awe as the years melted away from Caroline's face and body. When the glow subsided, a young Caroline stood before him, her eyes sparkling with gratitude and wonder.

He had wished that Brenda was there to see all of this. While she was superstitious, he knew that she would have been fine with it all if she understood how helping Caroline would mean being able to help other people with their physical ailments. Unfortunately, when he tried to contact her, nobody knew where she had gone. She mysteriously vanished without a trace. She didn’t have a boyfriend or family, so that made the search only harder.

But Scott had no idea that his coworker had been trapped in the sapphire. By voluntarily bringing the sapphire into the magical circle, Caroline was able to absorb the younger woman’s life force. Once she was fully rejuvenated, the sapphire ended up shattering into ash, leaving no way for Brenda to be restored while Scott would always wonder where she’d gone.