The screams of the witch died as the labyrinth dissolved, the strange dark world of trees and lanterns fading away into the golden light of the setting sun. It had been a powerful witch, one that had sprung seemingly without warning, which turned to the group desperately fighting their way out, eventually encountering the witch itself.
The monster was gone now, however. In its place was an elaborately decorated black ball, resting perfectly still on the tip of a needle, its design bringing to mind the image of a kerosene lamp.
The exhausted youngsters slumped where they stood, Salome struggling to haul herself up while using her spear as a cane, Maria Clara wincing and clutching her side. Linaresâ breathing was coming in shallow breaths, and Basilio limped as he moved towards the girls, the two having been clipped by one of the witchâs more powerful attacks.
Throughout all this, Elias sat pensively, flipping his balisong knives as Basilio tended their injuries. The boyâs healing powers were the most powerful out of all of them, and Clarita sighed in relief as the magic flooded her battered system.
Meanwhile, Elias crouched against the wall, watching them. The long-haired manâs breathing was labored, and his gaze was trained on the other young man in the group, who had shakily stood up and moved to take the grief seed.
Just as the young manâs fingers were about to close on the tip, he felt a sharp blade against his throat. Immediately, his eyes flitted to his right, where Elias had one of his knives pressed against his neck. His gaze was steely as he regarded him in a low voice.
âDonât you fucking touch him.â
Linares blinked in confusion, as did the others. A tense silence reigned as they looked upon Elias, his salakot shielding his eyes as he pressed the knife firmly against the young manâs throat. Linares shook in fear.
âE-Elias?â he asked, terrified. âWhat- What are you doi-â
âI saw it. And I know you did too. Stop hiding it.â
âElias,â Salome warned. Maria Clara summoned her fans. âWhat are you talking about?â
Elias regarded them all, the shadow of his salakot obscuring his face as he bent to pick up the grief seed, his blade never leaving Linaresâ throat. He ran his thumb over the lines of metal, feeling the vile magic thrumming within the orb at his touch. His mouth was pressed into a grim line.
âJust before the witch appeared, you and Crisostomo were fighting. Crisostomo had been particularly anguished at this point, and was all but willing to resort to violence to settle things. Then the witch appeared, and Crisostomoâs gone.â
âNow of course, one could make an argument that the witch had consumed him, something which is unlikely given his attitude, though there is some compelling evidence to the contrary.â
He paused, his emotions clogging up his throat that it felt like he could barely breathe. The girls had taken a fighting stance. Linares was whimpering. Basilio was looking at him with a face akin to fear. And all the while his thoughts kept whirling, flickering in varying intensity. He thought of the familiars, and how they seemed to laugh in a most vile and cruel way, distorted remains of another, much kinder one. The runes on the walls, forming the lyrics to old songs and poems that few but one had even bothered to remember. The hulking form of the witch, a humongous mass of wailing darkness, and the carving of runes which adorned the ceiling above its head, written in the form of a very familiar hand.
âLinares,â he asked looking him in the eye. âWhy did you turn Crisostomo into a witch?â