Her Witch, Her Demon [WxW]
20. The Beginning

Two weeks later

Twenty years. That was how long Herragal had been in seclusion, patiently evolving her divination skill. And in twenty years, she’d not had a moment of peace. Her mind tormented her. Day and night. The threads of the present, past, and future interwove like the labyrinths of Madorathis. When she strained to untangle them, they knotted even tighter.

For eons, her prophecies had been nothing but accurate. But from the moment her evolution began, nothing made sense as the lines between that which is known and unknown blurred. It was a bloody war, and her mind was the battlefield.

For twenty years, two months, and six days...

But one cool evening, while nurturing her mind in her temple in Tavras, the wheezing in her fractured mind silenced, and the constant shifting of her memories and visions froze. Peace. She had never felt this still, this serene in two decades. It was almost foreign to her mind.

Slowly, the cracks of her broken visions pieced together. Torrents of images effused from her mind like a burst dam, flooding her room, as though Herragal herself had been transported into an infinite realm molded from her own dreams.

Trillions and trillions of visions and memories. Past, present, future. From the Old Realm and New. No doubt her skill had evolved. The scale was much vaster in space and time. Then the last crack of her mind healed finally, melding into a coherent whole.

Suddenly she could see everything now. It all made sense to her. Unlike when she struggled to piece together bits and pieces, the process was seamless now. Instant, even.

For the first time in twenty years, she could completely trust her visions again.

Herragal stood up and frowned. The Union. How had she completely misinterpreted what she saw about the Union? She thought the Union would destroy the world. How wrong she had been.

Nothing could be further from the truth. She had softened the severity of the end of the world, far less than it was supposed to be. Now that her mind had finally healed, one thing was crystal clear: This was just the beginning of the end.

Her prophecy to Onixcasria suddenly made sense, and she shuddered in excitement for the future.

“When you crush the moon,” Herragal said, “and the crown touches your head, then your seed will conquer the crown of the sun.”

The first half of the prophecy had been fulfilled. The second part would be the catalyst for everything that is to come. It would usher in a new age in all three realms.

But first, she had to go back to her dominion and deal with the impatient demon prince.

Two days after Herragal returned to her palace in Gatr, she had a visitor. Already expecting him, Herragal instructed her Second Power to usher her guest to the throne room where she sat imposingly on her high golden throne, dressed in her most spellbinding dress. She was not one for formalities, but it was necessary to silently remind this particular guest that he was in her dominion of power.

In strutted the First Power and Lord of Nozra Dominion in all his dazzling glory. Firstborn of Lucifer. His black princely robes clung to his slender body perfectly. With his olive skin, long silver hair, and fiery ruby eyes, he was the spitting image of his father.

“Lord Darizen,” said Herragal, not even attempting to rise from her throne. “To what do I owe the pleasure, your highness.”

“I heard you returned, Lady Herragal,” he said, flashing his most charming smile. Yet, Herragal would not be fooled. She’d known Darizen from infancy. That clogron was the most cunning being to walk the face of the earth, second only to Lucifer. Most people would fall for Darzen’s charms. She was not most people. “I wanted to welcome you back,” he added.

“Oh,” said Herragal. “Well, thank you, your highness.”

“So it’s true then... You have evolved.”

“I have.”

“I sense your power. It’s deeper and vaster than ever.”

Herragal rested her head in her palm, completely bored by all the faux courtesies. “Why are you here?”

Darizen chuckled. “You must already know... I believe?”

“I do. But I still want to hear it from you.” The last time Darizen suddenly showed up in Herragal’s dominion was over fifty thousand years ago while seeking the location of a lost primordial weapon. Even if he was Lucifer’s son, he knew better than to appear in another dominion of a First Power for no good reason. Only Lucifer and Lilith had the authority to do that. Yet, even they — the two most powerful entities in Heldan — would dare not, unless it was the last resort.

After a long silence, the prince said, “I seek to know the future.” The usual haughtiness in his tone was absent. He may be the most arrogant clogron in existence, but he was no fool. Like Lucifer, Darizen was a master at concealing his real motives with flattery and charisma.

Everyone knew to some extent how Herragal’s divination skill worked. But no one truly knew the depth of her full power. If they did, Darizen wouldn’t even be here in the first place, pretending to be cordial.

“The future is deep and wide,” she said, humoring him. “Which one do you speak of?”

If Herragal didn’t know any better, she would have missed the tiny embers of anger that flashed in his eyes in an instant. Herragal smiled. “Surely you know what I mean.” He managed to keep his voice calm.

“You know how this works, Lord Darizen. You must tell me exactly what you’re looking for. I cannot do that for you.” She could, but she purposely put limitations on her skill to stop people from being unreasonably demanding.

“The future of Heldan. Who will be my father’s heir?”

“Why does that matter?”

“I am my father’s firstborn. Heldan is mine to rule.”

“Heldan is for the strongest to rule. Your father is the strongest. Do you dare challenge his authority?”

Darizen clenched his jaws. “I do not challenge my father. But soon, Heldan will be mine. Surely, you’re wise, Lady Herragal. You do not want to make an enemy of the future king, do you?”

Herragal laughed. How pathetic was this prince? On the surface, he always looked so calm and collected. But deep down, he was the most insecure little bitch in all of Heldan. Always looking for approval from Daddy dearest. As firstborn, he got more attention and love from his emotionally absent father than any of his several hundred siblings.

But that wasn’t enough for him. Everything was beneath him. Unless they were actively worshiping him, they weren’t worth his time.. or being alive at all. If Darizen wasn’t terrified of Lucifer and Lilith, he would have started a coup a long time ago.

“If you’re so sure you’ll be the next king, then why are you here?” Suddenly, she was bored by the whole thing.

Darizen balled his fist. “Onixcasria... that little bitch. She might take what is mine.”

“How you can be so sure?”

“Do not pretend you don’t see it, vision or not,” Darizen roared. “Onixcasria is a fated child. Do you really think my father will acknowledge anyone else other than her as heir?”

Herragal said nothing. Darizen’s concerns were not unfounded. For several millennia, it was unspoken knowledge the Darizen, spawn of Lucifer’s essence, would be Lucifer’s successor.

But Darizen’s fate changed abruptly forty-eight years ago. After eons of Lucifer and Lilith being together as fated mates, they had a child together for the very first time. A fated child — the first offspring from a fated bond.

The love shared by fated mates would grow even stronger for their first child. Lucifer might be an emotionally absent father. But he became a completely different person once Onixcasria was born. It was no wonder Darizen was so threatened by his little sister that he planted an enemy in the guise of a friend right next to her. This person has been spying on Onixcasria and reporting everything to Darizen for the last twenty-two years.

Herragal’s face remained expressionless as she realized what Darizen had done. Oh, little princess. You have so many enemies in your fold. Well, it still wouldn’t change the course of the future.

“Why do you worry yourself so, Lord Darizen? Your sister wants nothing to do with Heldan. Your other siblings, on the other hand, are far more likely to fight you for the throne.”

“My other siblings are not a threat.”

“Oh... so Onixcasria is a threat. I didn’t know you were afraid of her.”

“I’m not afraid of her.” His voice was so still, so calm, it almost made Herragal’s blood run cold.

“Onixcasria doesn’t want Heldan,” she said.

Darizen stiffened for a moment. “It doesn’t matter. You know how persuasive her mother can be. All Lilith has to do is convince her and she’ll accept to be queen.”

“What do you want from me then, Darizen? You seem so sure that Onixcasria will be the next heir. Surely you didn’t come here to ask for a future you already know. So why are you really here?”

“So she’s the next heir?”

“I didn’t say that. You did.”

Darizen sighed, balling his fists. “It’s so hard dealing with you, Herragal.”

“And yet here you are.”

“Here I am indeed. Offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to partner with me.” And there it was. The truth finally comes out. Herragal said nothing, and Darizen continued talking.

“You’re one of the few people in all three realms Lilith respects and trusts. My father also holds your divination skills in high regard. I need you to convince them to make me the next heir. They’ll listen to you. And once I become king, I will grant you any wish you desire.”

Herragal paused.You’ll grant me any wish I desire. Surely you have no idea what you’re talking about.“You say Lucifer and Lilith trust me, yet here you are, asking me to betray that trust.”

“Will you rather have me as an enemy?”

“Darizen,” Herragal felt the fury intoxicating her, searing the deepest crevices of her body, “it’s the second time you’ve threatened me. In my own dominion.”

Darizen smiled. “Forgive me. That was not my intention, Lady Herragal.”

He was toying with her. “Nozra is yours to rule, Darizen. Not Heldan.”

“I refuse,” he roared. “I am Darizen. Spawned from Lucifer’s crown horn. Who will dare rule Heldan if not me? Onixcasria? I will kill her before she dares.”

“How many times have you tried and failed?” Herragal asked. “Your last attempt even led to her premature evolution.”

Darizen froze. His shiny red eyes seemingly wondering exactly how much Herragal knew. More than he could imagine. All she had to do was focus hard. And now, focusing on the demon prince with the eyes of a hawk, she saw everything.

“Onixcasria won’t rule Heldan either,” she said.

This time the prince could not hide the shock on his face. “Who then?”

“Let the dragon sleep, Darizen.”

Darizen ruby eyes brewed in storms. He’d run out of patience. “Who, Herragal? Tell me now.”

“You have no power here, Darizen.” She laughed mirthlessly. “You will never be the heir. Accept it and live in peace as Lord of your dominion. Or wake the dragon and burn the world in the process.”

Darizen clenched his teeth, his hand trembling in fury. “I guess the world will burn then... right before I slay the fucking dragon.” And then Darizen was gone in an instant, leaving Herragal all alone in her massive circular room.

Herragal slumped onto her icy throne, sighing heavily. That idiot prince had no idea what chain of events he’d set in motion. The bloodiest war in the history of the three realms was yet to come.

It was just the beginning.

The End... or is it?

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