“Carolle!”

Malaya found herself in a very dark place as she blinked her eyes open. Only her body was gleaming, casting a dim light on the space she was in.

“Where am I?” She continued scanning around, but all she could see was nothingness. Malaya began to walk, unsure of where she was going. But it was much preferable than being in one location.

“Carolle!”

‘Someone is calling me.’ Malaya looked more around. ‘But where did I hear that voice?  It sounds quite familiar.’ Her eyes widened with great shock when she realized something. ‘That voice! ‘It’s been a long time, but how could I have forgotten that voice?’

‘Carolle!’

.

“Riza! Is that you?! Where are you?!” Malaya began to run despite the fact that she couldn’t see her path. “I’m here, Riza!” Although she knew it was impossible that she could hear Riza’s voice but she kept ongoing.

“Carolle! Hurry!” Riza’s voice became more strained.

“Riza! I’m here!” She continued scanning ahead and around, but she couldn’t see anyone. “Where are you, Riza?!”

“You have to wake up!” Malaya immediately felt as though she was being choked. She knelt and grasped her neck as if someone was strangling her neck, no more like crushing it hard! ‘I can’t breathe!’

*Gasp! Gasp!*

“Wha-what’s happening? Ri-Riza!”

“Carolle, wake up or you will die again!”

—⚓⚓⚓—

Malaya jerked her eyes open again. But she couldn’t move straight away. She was suffocating!

It wasn’t just a dream; someone was actually squeezing her neck! The room was dark, but as the lightning struck, she had a clear glimpse of her assailant. A woman with a burned scalp and a big scar across her face stood out.

“Yo-you’re that…witch!” Malaya said with much difficulty. She both grasped the witch’s hands, which were now strangling her neck. She fought to break free from the witch’s clutches.

“Hello, sweetie.” When she saw that her prey had woken, the witch grinned evilly at Malaya.

“Let m-me…go!” Malaya tried her utmost to push the horrifying woman’s hands away from her. But she was too powerful for her. She was now choking severely. ‘I need to do something!’ Malaya caught sight of the tiny vase on her bedside table.

She began to reach for it while keeping her gaze fixed on the witch.

The witch’s eyes, which were blazing ominously red, smiled even wider. “The plan was meant to work. You should have perished long ago.” She began speaking.

“And now that you’re alive, you’ve destroyed some of my plans.” Her hold tightened as her long, pointed, black-painted nails sank into Malaya’s neck.

Malaya winced. ‘Just a little while longer…There!’

“I…” Malaya eventually made it to the little vase. She grabbed it right away and slammed it into the witch with all her might.

“Ahh!” The witch screamed furiously. It smashed into the witch’s left face, close to her mouth. The vase rebounded and crash to the floor beside Malaya’s bed. The witch’s grip on Malaya’s neck loosened as a result of the unexpected attack.

“I-I don’t give a d*mn!” Malaya kicked the witch out of her bed when she became distracted. With a loud thud, the witch rolled out of bed.

*Cough! Cough! * Malaya began coughing as she gasped for air. She touched her writhing neck. There was also some blood flowing from the gaping wounds caused when the witch dug her fingernails into her neck.

But there was no time to relax. She leaped out of bed, wobbling and in pain. She winced when she stepped on some vase shards, but that doesn’t matter right now. She went to retrieve her Trinity, which was hung on the wall over her desk. She took a strong position and leveled her weapon at the witch who was now standing. The witch made crackling sounds by stretching her neck left and right.

With a cruel grin, the witch stared at Malaya. Her crimson eyes became even more vividly bright. “Hahaha. Despite the fact that you lack magic, I admire your physical strength.” She licked the blood that had come from the little cut in her mouth.

“You appear to have put in a lot of effort. Hahaha! Definitely intriguing!” As she fixed her sight on Malaya’s bright aquamarine eyes, the witch remarked. “I enjoy it when my prey is struggling harder. It gives me a very amazing sensation. They fought valiantly to live and endure, only to be crushed in the end!” The witch cackled with malice. “So strive even harder! Hahaha!”

Malaya’s eyes were drawn to her as well as the witch continued to spout madness. Malaya started walking backward as the witch approached. ‘This is terrible. I don’t have any talismans with me. It’s in my closet behind her.’

“Now that I think about it, you’re rather beautiful as well. Especially those eyes.” The witch continued talking. “I will grant you the honor of being included in my collections! Hahaha!” The witch stopped laughing and looked troubled all of the sudden. “But if I do that you will not be able to ask your friends in the afterlife.”

If one recalls, when one died here, the corpse would disintegrate, yet there was dark art performed to preserve certain dead bodies. It was called the Genelthus Malice. Genelthus was the first demon king and supreme evil wizard who wreaked havoc until the first Saintess arrived and defeated him. But when he died, the mayhem didn’t stop there. Every record of his dark arts spread like wildfire over the continent. The Church of Zion attempted to destroy all of these, but some remained undiscovered.

‘And to think this witch had knowledge of such heinous black arts, which were one of the deadliest curses described in the book. The Genelthus Malice would keep your body from dissolving into particles while also preventing your soul from reaching the Origin of Life. You will be stuck, and if you are not liberated from the curse soon, your soul will slowly fade, and your body will become nothing more than an empty shell known as Malice.’

‘She’s a total psycho. But she’s too powerful for me right now.’ Malaya’s eyes strained as she cast a brief peek at the door.  ‘I could make a break for it. And wake up Dorris and Rein. She’s also extremely talkative, maybe I could use that to wait for an opening to escape.’

“Is that your only goal, to kill me?” Malaya was careful with her wording.

“Hmm…” The witch paused for a minute, then stroked her chin. “Yep. Since that useless man told you everything, I have no option except to silence you personally. I suppose you’ll come seeking for me as well. So I made it easier for you by coming here myself.” The witch began to cackle once again. “I’m really such a generous person, right?”

*Throbbed* Malaya felt like her heart started beating faster. An ominous dark aura was now surrounding the witch.

“Oh. And don’t bother to escape or think that your friends would be able to help you.” The witch brought out something that was very familiar to Malaya.

Malaya’s eye’s widened. ‘It’s the recording orb!’

“What. Did. You. Do?” Malaya asked. All the trouble and dread she was feeling disappeared and was replaced by coldness.

“Oh, deary. Don’t get mad at me it’s only natural that I need to clean every pest that was hindering my path.”

Malaya clicked the second button of her Trinity and without hesitation jumped towards the witch. Two blades came out from each of its sides. “You. Dared. Hurt. My. Friends!” 

The witch maintained her smile as she stopped Malaya’s weapon by her right hand. “What could a person devoid of any magic like you do to me?” She said as the dark energy surrounding her grew intense. Malaya coughed some blood and her insides felt like she was burning when she was hit by the dark Lifa of the witch. But she only tightened her grip on her Trinity as she exerted more force.

To the witch’s surprise, Malaya was able to force her back away.