A Whisper in the Night: III

Hope. Something she had thought died within in her those many years ago along with Rose. But now, now she had something greater than hope. She had certainty. Certainty that the revenge once seen only as a blur of ripples across the surface of time, had focused into a singular pattern. With the Shadow Crystal now in her hands it was clear what Iris must do.

The feeling truly was extraordinary. She felt alive in a way she never knew possible. All her senses became sharper, thoughts clearer, and desires uncontrollable. The power of the crystal was so much more than she had ever imagined. As she embraced the moment fully, indulging the sense of strength she never had before, she could feel it everywhere. Everywhere except for her left hand which felt heavy and weak.

“What… what is this?” Iris said confused, a slight edge to her voice. “My hand feels so…weak. What have you done, Specter?”

I have done nothing, girl. Why don’t you look closer, see beyond the physical.

She wasn’t entirely sure what the Specter meant by this until she looked down at her left hand. It appeared to be rotting. The flesh around her hand had blackened, the skin scabbed and scaly. Flecks of black skin crumpled and tore over the slimy bloody flesh beneath. Wisps of thin black smoke were rising from her hand as drops of black blood fell to the ground.

“But…why?” She asked, both confused and amazed at the grotesque site. She instinctively let go of her wand and it hit the ground where it shattered in two. The once brilliant turquoise light that it emitted faded into blackness. She felt a small piece of herself shatter and die at the same time. But she also no longer felt the heavy burden of the wand. The weakness that had gripped her hand was no more. Her hand had returned to normal with no trace of the blackened scaly flesh.

It was weak. You were weak. The crystal is all you need now.

The moment was bitter-sweet. The wand given to her as a child by her dying mother now lay broken and useless. It wasn’t just a wand to her, it was a part of her, a part of her mother. But now, that part of her was dead, and from the ashes she was born a new. No longer will she be known as Iris. That name was given to her in another life. In a life where love and compassion were the only things she knew. But that life was over now and had been for some time. A new life had begun, and with her new life she decided to erase any trace of her past-self. Just like her now shattered wand, any light within her had been extinguished too. Now, she knew nothing but the darkness. Wanted to embrace nothing but the darkness. For she was the darkness now. She was the night.

I can sense your grief, girl. There is no use dwelling on what was, especially when it was so weak. Forget your mother, girl. Forget the wand and your past. Now is all that matters, and now you have me. You see it now, don’t you? It isn’t just me being set free, is it?

“No…” Iris replied. “It is not…”

She stood there in silence for what seemed like minutes as she realized what was in her future, and what will be lost to the past. Most in her situation wouldn’t be ready. Wouldn’t have the determination to follow through with what must be done.

But revenge is a parasite.

Once it takes over its host, it assumes total control. The old Iris knew this and feared this. But not the new Iris. The new Iris did not have regrets, did not have fear for the unknown. What she had was pure determination and will. A power that when properly focused is more harmful than any curse or affliction. You cannot manifest that power by just harnessing the magic of the Forest. No. You can only obtain that power by nurturing and feeding the parasite. Letting it grow, letting it consume more and more of you over time. It is a great power and it comes at a great cost.

Over the years, in her search for the crystal, Iris became arrogant and hyper-fixated on her revenge. She was exceptionally powerful, every Witch and Wizard before her was. And she was more powerful than most of them. Most of them, but not The Specter. And yet, her arrogance let her believe she could deceive him.

The parasite blinds as much as it consumes.

Iris finally spoke. “I care not for that wand anymore. Like you said, it was weak. And I... ” She paused as she knelt down and picked up one of the shattered vines that had caged the Shadow Crystal just moments ago. She held it up and began inspecting it thoroughly. It was approximately the full length of her body and consisted of three intertwined vines blackened by her spell but still strong and rough to the touch. It had an odd shape to it, almost like a slithering snake moving in an arching motion. She placed the Shadow Crystal on one end, and as she did, the three vines slowly crawled up it wrapping themselves around it in a spiral. When they met at the top, a shimmering violet light crept its way down her new staff straightening it and leaving a smooth and polished texture in its wake.

“...am not.” She finished in a tone of finality.

An immense sense of power and absolute domination surged through her at that moment. The Shadow Crystal so easily bending to her will. Did she even need the Specter at this point to kill Akumen?

“Perhaps not.” She thought.

Arrogant as she was, she was no fool. She knew such thoughts shouldn’t be entertained in this place and quickly brushed aside the thought of destroying the Specter here and now from her mind. Though certain she could do it, she knew the Specter was not being completely honest with her, there were still some things lurking in the shadows not wanting to be seen. She couldn’t destroy The Specter until she obtained the last bit of knowledge she needed to find Akumen. Knowledge that only The Specter possessed.

No, no you are not weak my child. You are… extraordinary.

“First you call me, girl. Now you call me, child…” Iris said arrogantly and yet quite amused while admiring her new staff. “I am neither child nor some girl. Now, I am so much more than even you know, Specter.” She stamped her staff down on the ground as hard as she could. A violent violet light shot out from the Shadow Crystal illuminating the hollow inside of the massive tree trunk and accelerated out off the top and up to the black sky. A whirl of thick black smoke began to creep slowly out from the bottom of her staff where it made contact with the ground, and it started to spiral and flow outward in all directions. She lifted her staff several inches, then tapped it gently on the ground. The smoke went rushing, swirling around her violently, then shot out the top of the tree trunk with the rest of the violet light. There was a loud trembling and the ground began to shake and fracture.

The tree trunk shook aggressively for a few seconds as large cracks began to form around Iris and crawl their way up the hollow tree trunk. More thick black smoke crept out from the cracks on the ground surrounding her, and spread out in all directions. It was accompanied by a violet light and a strong gust of wind. But then, in an instant, there was nothing but silence and stillness. The fractures in the ground and the cracks in the trunk were gone along with any smoke.

You mock me now…

“An eye for an eye.” Iris replied. “Your tricks are nothing more than that. And tricks are for kids.” The arrogance still seeping into her words, “I have no more time to waste conversing with you. I must leave now if you want to be freed.”

I must admit, you impress me. Something not easily accomplished. You are right. You are no girl and certainty no child. You are something greater now. Something powerful and wicked. No longer shall you be known as Iris. That name belonged to the girl with the turquoise wand. That girl is dead now but The Night Witch lives on.

“The Night Witch…” Iris said amused. “Yes, yes, I think I like that. From now on I shall be known only as The Night Witch.” She said nothing more and simply tapped her staff gently on the ground again and was whisked away in a cloud of thick spiraling black smoke and violet light. She re-appeared in front of the Destiny Door that had brought her to this forsaken place and stood there for a minute and thought to herself, “Akumen will be dead in a few days and I will destroy the Specter shortly after. The others will have a choice. Embrace the night, or embrace death.”

She gripped the round golden knob of the door, twisted it, then pushed the door open. She was about to step through but before she did, she turned around to look back at the colorless forest with its glowing hollow trees. Barren, dead, macabre, just like when she had entered. The only difference now was the lack of a faint violet glow somewhere off in the distance.

She turned back around to face the door then stepped through it.

***

Very few remember who had built them or why, but it is said that the Destiny Doors have existed since around the first days of the Forest. Blueish gray doors bound to the base of certain trees with round golden knobs and intricate carvings of twisting vines and flowers etched in silver around their edges. Exceptionally powerful artifacts connecting regions of the Forest together. Although their purpose and creation have faded into mystery, their existence is convenient for those capable of controlling them.

The Destiny Doors are all connected to one another. Enter one and come out another, but which other will it be? For those who—like The Night Witch—were capable of controlling the Destiny Doors, they could walk in one, and come out another of their choosing. But for those unable to control them, there is no way of knowing which door you’d come out until you’ve already stepped through one. The existence of the doors is useless to most in the Forest, but to very few, their existence is crucial.

***

She was flying through space at the speed of light, stretching and twisting in on herself. She couldn’t feel her body, but she somehow felt herself being pulled in every direction at once. The colors surrounding her blended into each other, like drops of paint swirling in a motif of bright colors. She continued to tumble through the chromatic tunnel of twisted colors and shapes, when as suddenly as her chaotic spiral began, she found herself standing upright back in the Forest of Eternity.

She had not returned through the Destiny Door that had taken her to the Dead Forest. Instead, she forced her way through another door that opened near a great waterfall that was crashing down loudly onto large silvery stones. But this couldn’t be. This was not where she had directed the doors to take her. This place was foreign to her, and yet, she felt something unmistakable. Something familiar and soothing.

Clever… She thought to herself. Very clever, but I still feel you.

The Night Witch closed her eyes and placed the bottom of her staff on the ground. She began to hum quietly in as low a pitch as she could and her staff began to vibrate.  Black vines started rising from the ground around the staff and slowly began crawling their way up the staff, wrapping themselves around it in a spiral as they made their way up to the Shadow Crystal. Thick black smoke was now seeping from the tip of the Shadow Crystal and sinking to the ground. It pulsed violent and sinister with a deep violet light as it spread out around her.

The Night Witch’s humming began to pulse with intervals of intense vibrations disturbing the once calm air. The black smoke was pulsing in rhythm with her humming which grew louder and louder. Then, The Night Witch held her breath and thought:

I feel you, Mae.

She lifted her staff off the ground then slammed it back down as hard as she could. The black smoke and violet light rushed back to her staff in an instant causing an intense gust of wind to be expelled in all directions from the Shadow Crystal. Leaves were torn from vines, branches fell from above, and dirt and dust shrouded the air. The sound of strong winds, crushing plants, and snapping twigs filled the air for several seconds, then everything went silent.

Where the once great waterfall stood, was now a narrow winding path that lead somewhere deep into the forest.

”And now,” The Night Witch said quietly to herself, “I see you.”