The Gate of Shadows

"What are you doing here?!" Amelia screamed from the side, dragging my gaze onto her.

She was lively, as always, but with the same hostility she always bore toward me. Even though I didn’t particularly love her, she was Fenris's sister, and he cared for her. On her side was an injured Ben, whose eyes were wide open upon noticing me, and his mechanical hand was busted.

He probably tried to stop one of the mad Lycans, only to be attacked. Even though they weren’t happy to see me, I was glad to see them alive—especially Ben, the gentle older brother who allowed me into his family.

A wall of wolves protected them from incoming dangers. However, behind the two siblings was who I wanted to see the most alive: Fenris, who Layla was tending. He had a facial injury near his right eye that slowly healed.

Ah… Another Lycan must’ve hurt you for it to affect you still.

Even though Liam's restored quickly, they were more superficial, thanks to his thick fur. Whatever happened to Fenris was when he was in his humanoid form and when he least suspected it.

From everything I could gather, Owen was probably the culprit of his assault. The way Ezra held his blond friend while laying on him with his weight alerted me that his friend went mad, just like the others.

Surely… It’s from that variant Stella mentioned wanting to make.

Blood was visible on Owen's fingertips, solidifying my suspicions.

Ah… I’m sorry, I don’t think I can save you.

"Lilith?!" Fenris called out, noticing my presence thanks to his sister's announcement.

Standing up from where he was, he took two steps towards me. Relief washed over me to see him up and still sane. Even so, the dark circles under his eyes alerted me that our late night lingered on him. That alone made me want to run to him.

“Fen—” before I could even call out to him, Owen, who elbowed Ezra, launched at me.

In an instant, Shade met with his aggression, slamming him back to the ground and changing forms quicker than I had ever seen her do. Unlike Liam, Melody, and Fenris, Shade didn’t know Owen well enough to care for his safety, placing pressure on his limbs to the point bones were starting to crunch.

Instinctively, I reached for her, “Stop!” wrenching my eyes away from Fenris before running towards her.

I never meant what I said before with Tobias. The innocent don’t deserve to die, Shade!

However, that state of mind would transform into something else when someone stepped from the shadows on the forest's edge.

"You... why do you help your oppressors?" A corpse shouted.

How kind of you to announce that I’m not with you.

All eyes were on me again, yet I refused to acknowledge whoever they were. Instead, I crouched down to Owen, whose eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes had a purple hue coming from them. Ezra reached for me, not knowing what to expect, but his sudden approach caused Shade to flick him away with her tail as a warning to stay away from me.

Touching Owen's face, I traced down his cheek, only for him to snap at me with his teeth, unable to form words. It triggered Shade to hold on to him tighter.

Ah… All the signs of wolfbane poisoning and that purple hue in his pupils are present. That’s new…

Sadly, there was no cure for this deadly affliction.

Oh… Owen... No one deserves this. There’s a reason every race helped that plant go extinct. It’s inhumane. It’s supposed to be gone! Yet…

I felt hollow inside, knowing this man’s fate was sealed to an agonizing death.

Lily… I’m sorry, but I didn’t know you cared so much about it.  Shade’s voice quivered, feeling everything I felt.

He’s a kind soul, but I must say goodbye to him. It’s the only kind of thing left to do.

"It hurts... doesn't it?" I simpered, remembering when we played together before the fall.

While I was with Tobias, I was willing to let the insignificant person die, but that wasn’t me. No, I couldn’t close my heart to those in pain. If I did, I wouldn’t be better than those before me.

I can’t be wicked to everyone. No… Just those who hurt those who can’t protect themselves! Those who hunt the weak when they least expect it!

"Cor tuum sit sedare, perturbatione anima patitur ut innotescat." I whispered.

Calming heart, allow this troubled soul to find clarity.

It was a simple, calming spell—one I had no hope of being successful with. Yet Owen appeared to briefly regain control of himself as he fought the raging beast within. This enchantment didn’t usually help Lycans.

I didn’t expect it to do anything, but I wished him a moment of peace. His strength resonated with my magic, allowing him to cling to clarity. Sadly, it was temporary.

Ah… I forgot how strong you are.

Even after the fall, Owen wasn’t malicious to me whenever he came around or anything that showed hostility towards me, even though I was a witch.

Just like Ezra and Liam. You’ll always be precious to me, even if we drift apart.

Even if we had grown apart because of what life had in store, my first friends would never forget the kindness they showed me the days before the fall, even if Ezra was more of a brat than the others.

Tears swelled in his eyes, regaining some self-awareness.

"End it... please!" Owen pleaded as Shade freed a single hand, which he used to grasp onto his chest.

"What?! No!" Ezra reached for us again.

The tone of pain in his voice resonated with me. He wanted nothing more than his friend to live, but all that was left for this wolf was suffering. Shade again pushed him away, this time rougher, sensing a change within me.

"Don’t interrupt, mortal!" she snarled at him, her eyes shimmering.

Finally, she was showing her true nature as her body became more like the demons from that fateful day. My feelings were influencing her as the temperature within me skyrocketed and my heart drummed in my ears, yet I couldn’t show that to a dying man.

No, to him…

"I’m sorry, but I can’t save you," I whispered.

None dared to get close to me while Layla held a weakened Fenris back. I was thankful for her. He couldn’t be near me for what was coming next. All the others watched, helpless to do otherwise.

One of the other Lycans stopped Ezra from coming back towards me after Shade’s last shove. They all knew what she was, and I could feel the fear radiating from them, leaving me wondering if that was another thing a witch could gain power from.

My kin are truly dark beings.

"I don’t... want to hurt anyone else, please!" The blond wolf pleaded to me, slowly losing himself within the beast again.

My heart ached in a way that it had never done before.

Ah… I’ll ensure you don’t suffer needlessly if I can't protect the innocent. I’ll become a monster to free you all from your pain.

All I wished was to end his suffering, to grant him the mercy that the others were too scared to give. Wolfsbane would kill him after an hour of rampaging, but knowing my grandmother made this variant, it probably took longer.

It was sad that no one studied it enough to create one; thinking it was gone wasn’t the answer. Around me were other cases like him, all loved by someone.

Death… is it possible for it to be a mercy?

I couldn’t count how many times I wished for it to come to escape from my agony, and now all of them were waiting to be released from theirs. I was too late to do anything for them but to be their harbinger of death.

I don’t know anything about necromancy, but death magic, which necromancy is just a branch of, is something different. There’s so much more to it.

The many moments I revived withering flowers in the garden using my blood as a sacrifice replayed in my mind.

I only extended their insignificant experience when I should’ve just let them go. Yes… death is just a part of life, even when we don’t want it to be.

Witches and warlocks were the true messengers of death as we communicated and fed off it.

Ah… we’re nothing more than reapers. This will be no different.

As a kid, I created an incantation to bind dead gods to me.

How hard can it be to create an enchantment, to release tormented souls from their binding?

Closing my eyes, I placed my bloody hand over Owen before releasing a soft sigh.

Releasing a beast differs from sealing it, but I did it. This will…

To create an incantation, all that was required were three simple things. One was a strong understanding of how magic worked, which, thanks to Stella, was engraved into my mind. The second was a powerful emotion to accompany the idea of what the caster desired to happen. The third was the words to channel what one desired into fruition.

Spells are fickle little things; anything can make them go wrong. Yet… I can’t… allow that to happen.

Even if everything went right, there was a chance that it wouldn’t affect the Lycans, thanks to their resistance to magic; however, if they were overwhelmed by sheer power, then…

I won’t hold back. Forgive me, but I won’t let you suffer any longer.

Upon feeling the magical essence gather around us, reacting to my intentions, a soft smile rose on the blond wolf’s lips before mouthing something that caused my eyes to widen before wincing.

There isn’t a single thing to thank me for. I’m… Just…

"O dulcis excrucior animabus vestris viam inveniam in tenebris, et in vertice montis de longe, quo modo scire pace. Dulce est mori in complexibus haesit." I whispered as a tear trailed down my cheek.

Oh, sweet, tormented souls, find your way through the darkness into a deep slumber where you will only know peace—into death's sweet embrace.

For the first time, I would take the life of an innocent on purpose.

I’ll be the wicked witch who brings the end to their suffering.

A shimmering blue hue emanated from my hand before erupting from him and the other afflicted Lycans around the festival grounds. In an instant, all the lights radiating out of the bodies shot back to me, gathering in my bleeding palm. However, I wasn’t using my blood for this spell.

No, the sacrifice was the last moment these people could’ve had with their families. For a moment, I was stealing from them like the harbinger of death that I was. Noticing Owen’s lifeless gaze, I straightened myself up before gazing at the hand where the souls of the departed were gathering, leaving their empty shells.

Raising my hand towards the deep blue sky, once the light from the afflicted diminished, all the growls and snarls from before were gone. Pure silence filled the space around us as my previous incantation burned the dead, preventing the necromancers from using their friends as fodder for their gain.

At the same time, my hand erupted with an array of shimmering butterflies, counting each soul the spell had claimed. Each flew to their loved ones for one last goodbye before fading, leaving the ones behind to break down weeping.

Destroy!

Injustice must never be forgiven!

Eat them alive!

Following the spell, more whispers erupted in my mind. I could only imagine the ringing sensation the surrounding survivors were feeling from the sheer magical energy I had expelled into the world.

However, it wasn’t long until their pain was directed toward me as, in their eyes, I had killed their kin. Most didn’t know what was happening or why their kin had gone rampant. No one would think an extinct plant would come to haunt them.

And how did they know it was extinct?

A locator enchantment that allowed everyone to know where everything was. In this case, nature elves created it to find wolfsbane. I didn’t know how it was still around, but it probably related to Edna.

That woman hid the plant somewhere; the elves couldn’t find it. 

It also didn’t help that the organization that protected them kept them in the dark. However, none of them moved an inch. Even Ezra and Fenris stood there, shocked that their friend, who had just been laughing beside them, was no longer in this world.

Destroy!

Kill!

Make them pay!

The whispers tried to sway me as a pulse rushed through my body. Wiping the single tear off my cheek, I closed off all emotions. There was no time for doubts or pain. No, all I had to do was punish those who instigated this to happen.

Focus… None of this was your doing, Lilith.

“Shade,” I called out as she wrapped her tail around me before bringing me to the corpse, where it awaited my response.

With her help, I disguised the discomfort slowly rising within me. However, what happened next wasn’t something I had prepared for.