Eternal Undying Chronicles

The barrier was thinnest by the river, a subtle flaw the creators couldn't entirely avoid. Every creation, no matter how powerful, had its imperfections. However, finding the weak point didn't guarantee an easy breach. Yet, Malefica, being well-versed in the coven's brand of magic, had a distinct advantage.

The barrier wasn't fully active. If they wanted to, they could simply walk through it. More importantly, Malefica's true name was tied to barriers, making her an expert in both creating and breaking them.

The real challenge lay in avoiding detection, something Malefica was keen on, even if Alicarde was ready for a fight.

He had a feeling Malefica would not allow him to start a bloodbath in this forest, so he decided he was going to try being on his best behavior.

Malefica approached the barrier, raising her palm and whispering softly. Alicarde didn't feel any surge of magic, but a human-sized opening appeared in the translucent wall.

"Let's go. We don't have all day," she said, lowering her hand.

Alicarde nodded, stepping through the breach with Malefica following close behind.

"You can use magic now," she continued, "but don't overdo it. We don't want to draw too much attention."

He nodded again, taking in the scene before him. The air past the barrier was dense with magical energy—far more concentrated than anywhere he'd been before. The cold winter breeze carried a mystical essence, and the forest shimmered with bioluminescent plants. Even some of the animals radiated magic.

"Wow, this place is incredible," he muttered.

Malefica glanced around, unimpressed.

"Yes, they've done well to convert much of the natural flora into magical plants."

Alicarde noticed the slight dissatisfaction in her voice.

"You don't sound too happy about that… Is it because they're your enemies now?"

"No, that's not it," she replied.

"I just think it's unfair to change a part of the mundane forest so drastically. The natural residents can't adapt. They're forced to either migrate, evolve, or die. The wolf likely had to migrate."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Alicarde chuckled under his hood. She sounded like a priestess of the forest, concerned for the animals. He wondered if all witches cared this much about preserving nature's balance.

"Mundane humans are already killing the forests, anyway. Animals go extinct because of human actions—pollution, deforestation, and all that. If you ask me, this place is like a sanctuary. The air's even cleaner here. Sure, some creatures can't adapt, but most do. Mana's not toxic—it's just survival of the fittest.

I'm sure some wolves have already adapted."

He walked up to her and gently took her hand.

"Most of the animals probably made it," he added with a smile.

Malefica tightened her grip, her eyes meeting his, despite the fact that his face was hidden by his hood.

"Are you trying to comfort me? I never thought I'd see the day when someone as tactless as you would show such thoughtfulness."

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"What kind of idiot would want to make a pretty lady sad? Even someone as tactless as me wouldn't want that."

She seemed momentarily surprised by his words but quickly composed herself.

"Let's keep moving. We still need to find the coven."

Before they could continue, the wolf from earlier tugged at Malefica's dress. It hadn't left them after all.

Alicarde scowled beneath his hood.

'Give us some space, man,' he thought, irritated. But it appeared the wolf wanted to lead them somewhere.

Malefica patted the wolf's head and, still holding Alicarde's hand, allowed it to guide them deeper into the forest. Alicarde glanced at their intertwined hands and silently cursed his gauntlets.

'Bet her hands are soft, and here I am feeling absolutely nothing through these damn things,' he thought bitterly.

They followed the wolf for a while until they came upon a village nestled in the woods. The cabins were sturdy, and far in the distance stood a stone structure resembling a temple. In front of the temple was a statue—one that looked strikingly like Malefica.

Alicarde recognized the figure from a statue he'd seen in Evergreen City's central district. But why would a coven, which she had cast out, display a statue of her?

Curious, he decided to ask.

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"Hey, Malefica, don't these people hate you?"

Malefica frowned, glancing at him sideways.

"They dislike me. I wouldn't go so far as to say they hate me. Why are you bringing this up now?"

Alicarde smirked, amused by her reaction.

"So they do hate you… good to know. I'm asking because they've got a strange way of showing it."

She furrowed her brow.

"What are you talking about?"

He pointed toward the statue.

"That."

"Oh, I see. You mean the statue."

"Yeah. Why keep a statue of someone they loathe? I mean, it's not defaced or anything. No curses, no graffiti—"

Before he could finish, Malefica cut him off.

"That's not supposed to be me. She just… looks like me."

"She?" Alicarde raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, she. That's my grandmother."

His eyes widened. He looked back and forth between the statue and Malefica.

"Uh… not to sound rude or anything, but your grandmother was a hottie. Damn. Where can I find me a babe like her."

Malefica's eyes twitched in displeasure.

"Thank you for sounding rude," she replied sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that! I was just saying she was really beautiful," he protested.

Her glare was icy, but before he could dig a deeper hole, he blurted out.

"I mean, you guys look similar, but you're way more beautiful."

Her expression softened slightly, and she turned away, muttering.

"It doesn't matter to me who you think is more beautiful."

"Actually it looks to lik—"

Before Alicarde could respond, a voice from the shadows interrupted them.

"Who goes there? This is private property. Trespassers are not welcome. Show yourselves, or I will be forced to attack."

The voice came from a woman, she must not have been able to see them clearly due to how dark the forest was but they could see her well enough, considering she was by a floating light source.

Alicarde recognized it as an illumination spell.