Episode 5

—Serena’s POV—

“Don’t worry Annet, I will see to it that everything is taken care of,” I tried calming my mother’s personal adviser.

“It’s not as easy as it seems, your sister. She’s very powerful and has been locked up for a long time waiting to unleash her evil and desires for witch flesh. We need to do something about her and fast,” she complained and I just nodded. How is it that she was able to escape? It is something I must find out and I must find out how to put her back in her cage.

“What must we do then? What would you have advised my mother to do?” I asked, confused and I needed answers.

“I would have advised your mother to end her,” she said, hovering over me from where I sat down at the palace lounge.

“What do you mean? To kill her?” I gasped a little because I couldn’t think of the fact that I would be the one to murder my sister.

“Yes! I told your mother this, years ago but she refused to listen. She decided to lock her up in the void of doom that can as well release her if your mother’s powers were tampered with.”

“And her powers were tampered with?” I was inquisitive of everything, finding this whole new life without my mother quite daring.

“Yes. You see, the moment a witch dies, everything that she had her everlasting powers on would fade away or begin to lose touch. If your mother had the garden outside to bloom with her powers, the moment she dies, the garden will dry up and die. That is just how it is child.”

“So you advise me to kill my own sister?” I asked her but it was more of a reassurance to myself because I had no idea how I was going to pull that off.

“It is no easy task child, but it must be done. Remember that if it is not done and you die, she will become alive again to hunt us. Who then will save us?” She said and her words pierced deep into my heart. I was more motivated now, more than ever to end my sister. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.

A few moments later, I heard cries from outside the palace. It was as though there was a commotion between the palace guards and other witches outside.

“What’s going on?” I asked the men guarding the door.

“It’s a group of women, they’re here to see you. They are wailing.” One of them replied to me and I was keen to know what they were wailing about but also scared because I’d never been the one to handle palace affairs.

“Where are they? Let them in,” I commanded and they opened the door at once, letting the women in.

“May you live long Princess Serena,” one of the women said, slightly bowing while the other one joined her to bow.

She had very long flowing black hair and looked to me like a woman in her early thirties. She had smudged eye liner and a pale face which made me understand that she had been crying.

“Long live, Aretuza,” I said, hailing our community, Aretuza.

“What may I do for you today?” I asked the young woman, standing before me and she fell to the floor, unable to control her tears, she was wailing.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, more concerned while her escort tried to hold her up and console her. She was crying uncontrollably for a while before she finally found her voice to speak.

“My child. I cannot find my child,” she said with a desperate tone.

“Relax. What happened to your child?” I asked, moving a bit closer to her, looking her in the face.

“I heard your sister, Amanda is back right? The evil witch! The outcast!” She yelled and went back to crying again.

“I need my child! Bring my child back to me!” She was already crawling quickly toward me and grabbed my dress, almost tearing it out. I could feel the pain from her voice but my guards stepped in and tried to get her away from me, which they did.

I just stood there, in utter shock, unable to say a thing or move an inch. This is not happening. What do I do from here? Were the questions rummaging through my mind.

“We’re doing our possible best to make sure everyone has their children returned to them, unharmed,” I explained and it seemed to only aggravate her the more.

“That’s what you’ve been saying to the other witches! You think I’m going to let it slide? I won’t. I’ve been barren for a long time and thought I could never bear children. Now, I have a miracle and she took my miracle from me,” she said between sobs, obviously very much agitated as though she was going to rush me and beat me up.

“I understand you ma’am,” I said, trying to calm her down but she wasn’t having it.

“No, you don’t! You don’t have a child of your own so how would you understand me?! I need my child. I cannot live without her!” She yelled and the palace guards had already had enough. They decided to interfere in the situation and get those women out of there.

“It seems you have a hard time finding Amanda or doing anything about her. But whatever it is, make up your mind fast. The people are starting to lose hope in you. They’re starting to lose hope in everything your mother built.” The other woman who came with her whom I guessed right be her sister chipped in.

“What is your name?” I asked her, curiously because she seemed way calm and collected unlike her sister who was causing a scene in my abode. She also seemed really smart and I loved to be around the smart ones.

“Cirilla your witchness,” she said bowing slightly.

“Cirilla is a beautiful name,” I said and she smiled slightly.

“I want to see you here at this time tomorrow, I have something to discuss with you that I’d rather not talk about here and now,” I instructed and she nodded while she stood up and took her sister with her to leave.

“See?” Annet nudged me after the women had left.

“I see. I’m making a promise to you and my people. I will serve her head back to you,” I said with determination in my voice.

“That’s your queen,” Annet said and disappeared with a flick of her finger.

“When will they stop doing that?” I muttered under my breath. I walked back into the palace and began adoring the palace walls. I had grown up there but for some reason, I became more drawn to it than I used to when I was a kid

It was paintings and sculptures or different witches who have lived on. There were writings on the wall, telling their stories.

“One day, your story will be written on that wall,” a voice said to me and I was startled. I turned around to see who had the voice but I didn’t find anyone.

“Who are you? Show yourself!” I said, preparing my magic, ready to attack the intruder.

“Relax Serena,” the voice in the form of whispers said again and I was confused. Was it a witch? Who owned that voice. I couldn’t tell the gender of the voice with all those whispers the words came along with.

“Who are you?” I said more firmly this time, I stood put, alone in the halls that I could hear my own heart beat.

“Who are you?” I said, again after the voice had refused to heed to my question. And then again, I didn’t hear a word from the voice.

“It is treason to startle the Princess of Aretuza and keep your identity hidden. So I ask again, show yourself and you may live,” I said, hoping for a positive reply but I got none.

“Oh, but I don’t have a body,” the voice said again and I gasped.

“How can you not have a body?” I asked curiously.

“Well, unlike you witches, I was born as a soul,” the voice said again and soon after, I started laughing and laughing so hard.

“This must be a joke, I don’t have time for this,” I scoffed and went back to looking at my paintings. I would have brushed off the voice as an intrusive thought but I knew it was something more.

“I speak the truth Serena,” It said and I heard a light cackle from the voice too it made me shudder. But I decided to ignore it. I kept touching the paintings, writings and drawings on the wall. I was taking in the whole serenity and I noticed how they were carefully carved onto the wall very passionately. I thought the painters and sculptors must have been very passionate ones who loves what they did.

“Ignoring me I see.” The voice said again and I didn’t mutter a word.

“Then I suppose you don’t need help from the ‘others’ in securing your mother’s throne safely and opening the lock of doom,” the voice said and immediately, my eyes shot open in shock as I started to pay keen interest again in what the voice was saying.

No one else knew about the lock of doom outside the walls of this palace. Everyone read it as a myth while they were growing up. Only my descendants and ancestors have been able to secure that locket for years and centuries

“What do you want?” I asked finally and the voice cackled again, with a raspy voice.

“I am your mother’s doppelgänger. Her doppelgänger in the form of nothing, thin air,” she said and I let out a huge sigh.