Seraphina and the Mysterious Woman (Patreon)

Art by Chelsea

The dark stone chamber hummed with an energy that twisted the air, making it heavy, suffocating. Shadows danced across the ancient walls, moving in time with the low, rumbling tone that echoed from the jagged black stone sitting atop a raised pillar in the center. Carvings in a language long dead covered the stone, glowing faintly as they consumed the strands of light that swirled around the room.

Seraphina hung against the far wall, her body suspended by chains that seemed to sap her very essence. The once formidable witch now looked gaunt, her flowing white hair matted and limp, her dress torn and hanging in tatters. She had been here for hours—days, maybe—time had long since lost its meaning. All she could feel was the stone's pull, the steady drain of her power, her life, slipping away with each passing second.

Her chest ached, as if her soul itself was being torn from her body. She groaned, a soft, broken sound, trying to lift her head, but even that was a monumental effort. She felt as though she were unravelling, piece by piece, and the black stone was the source of it all.

Footsteps echoed through the chamber, slow, deliberate. A voice followed—smooth, mocking.

“Do you feel it, Magi? The shifting tides, pulling and pushing the very sands of our reality?”

Seraphina’s eyes fluttered open, but she could barely see through the haze clouding her vision. She knew the voice—knew the cruelty behind it. She tried to summon the strength to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Her body trembled, weak and helpless.

The woman emerged from the shadows, her form tall and graceful, her face sharp and beautiful in a way that sent a chill through Seraphina. She wore flowing robes that seemed to absorb the dim light, and her dark eyes gleamed with a mixture of malice and delight.

“I find your kind fascinating,” the woman continued, stepping closer to the stone. “Human creatures able to wield the Dark Light, bend it to your will... yet so utterly unaware of its true nature. Its true power.”

Seraphina groaned, her head dropping forward as she tried to cling to whatever shred of consciousness she had left. The dark energy swirling around the stone seemed to grow stronger, more oppressive.

The woman smiled as she circled the stone, her fingers trailing lightly over its jagged surface. “Take this magnificent stone before you. Its dark surface shows no signs of life, yet here it is, slowly depriving you of yours. Of your anger, your rage... your very power.”

Seraphina’s breath hitched, her body trembling as she tried, and failed, to lift her head.

The woman’s laughter was soft, cruel. “Speak up, Magi,” she mocked. “I cannot hear you.”

Seraphina swallowed hard, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I... am... no... Magi.”

The woman’s laughter grew louder, filling the chamber with its cold, mocking sound. “Oh yes. Forgive me. I forget—you believe you have some sort of free agency. That you are somehow... separate from the other adepts. Is that why you call yourself ‘Witch’?”

Seraphina’s anger flared, weak though it was. She grit her teeth, struggling to form the words. “What... do you want of me?” she rasped, her voice thin and broken.

The woman smiled, her eyes gleaming as she stepped closer. “Oh, dear Witch, is this all you have to say?” she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I want to know more about you. About your long, long life. Share with me the tales of your deeds.”

Seraphina’s fists clenched at her sides, though the effort it took to do so sent waves of pain shooting through her body. “I... will NOT... be toyed with... demon.”

The woman’s eyes flashed, and for a brief moment, her smile faltered. But it was back again, quick as lightning, and she laughed once more. “Demon?” she asked, feigning offense. “Perhaps I am. Or perhaps I am an angel? Or maybe... another Witch?”

Seraphina’s head lolled to the side, her strength fading faster now. She could feel the stone pulling harder, ripping more of her essence away. She had to fight, had to hold on, but it was becoming harder with every passing second. She forced herself to meet the woman’s gaze, her voice barely a whisper now. “I see... your true nature... what you really are.”

The woman’s smile widened, her dark eyes narrowing with amusement. “Of course you do, great Witch. For I am not the first of my kind you have encountered, am I?”

Seraphina’s breath came in shallow gasps. She had faced many monsters in her long life, but this woman... this creature, was something different. Something far more dangerous. “Release... me,” she demanded, though the words were weak, empty.

The woman’s smile faded, her expression turning cold. “No, great Witch,” she said softly. “I will not. Not until you have completed your task.”

Seraphina’s heart pounded in her chest, though she had no strength left to fight. “I will... do nothing... to aid you,” she spat, her voice cracking.

The woman’s eyes glittered with amusement once more. “Fool,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “I need not your permission. Nor even a conscious mind. All I require is your very essence, drawn to this stone.”

The stone hummed louder, the dark energy swirling faster around it, pulling harder at Seraphina’s chest. She groaned, her body convulsing as the force tore at her.

The woman’s smile returned as she watched Seraphina’s agony with delight. “And when the time is right,” she continued, “I will unleash a lifetime’s worth of suffering upon the people of this pathetic little place.”

Seraphina’s breath came in ragged gasps as the stone pulled more and more from her, draining her power, her will, her very soul. “No... won’t... uhhh...” she moaned, her voice fading as the darkness consumed her.

The woman laughed softly, the sound echoing through the chamber. “Do not fret, great Witch,” she said. “Soon, your suffering will be felt by every living thing around you. And then, when this place falls into ruin... I shall have my revenge.”

Seraphina’s screams echoed through the chamber, growing louder as the stone consumed her, pulling her deeper into the void.

The woman’s laughter followed her into the darkness, a final, mocking sound as the world faded away.

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