The Devil’s Cursed Witch

Meanwhile, in the realm beyond the mortal world.

A female being with long copper brown locks was seated on a throne made of red gemstones. Though her entire body was exuding divinity, rather than sacredness and serenity, a pulsating pressure was centered on her, causing the atmosphere within the heavenly palace to grow cold and heavy.

“My Sovereign, what happened? Why do you look so agitated?” that divine being’s angel, Petra, asked as soon as she felt the shaking of the stone pillars of the palace.

Goddess Isis was restless as she felt the seal on Ember’s powers had further weakened.

The moment her gaze landed on the angel, a golden glare escaped her eyes, though not a single emotion could be seen on that beautiful face.

“Where is that purple-eyed child?”

The gentle voice sounded like heavenly music as it echoed within the vast halls, but it caused the angel to freeze in fear.

Petra could see this time that the goddess was not in a good mood. Another change must have occurred. She immediately kneeled, her head touching the white marble floor as she bowed in front of the goddess.

“My Sovereign, we are still searching for her. Please forgive my incompetence!”

The silence that followed caused Petra to feel more fear as she kept her head on the floor.

“M-My Sovereign, I have sent more of my brethren to spy on the mortal realm, so please be patient. I am sure it won’t take long for us to find her after she comes of age. It will happen soon–“

“Soon? I have been hearing the same thing from you.” Though Isis had an image of a calm benevolent ruler on her, the suffocating divinity wrapped around her made it seem like she would destroy everything around her. “That seal on her is about to break and you are yet to find that purple-eyed child?”

“My Sovereign, please punish me.”

“Punish you?”

The beautiful goddess heard that, causing her lips to curve into the sweetest of smiles–

“Ahh!” Petra cried out in pain. Goddess Isis’s eyes remained glued to her as she inflicted well-deserved punishment on her loyal but incompetent servant.

“My…Sovereign…”

Petra completely lost strength as she fell on the ground, her body writhing in intense pain. For a span of time, her pitiful cries were the only sounds within the palace covered in clouds.

The instant Isis released her from punishment, the trembling angel crawled back to her knees.

“…T-Thank you for…your boundless… compassion…”

“If you fail this time, your punishment won’t stop here,” Isis warned as she watched her with a satisfied expression. “I will take back the blessings endowed on you, and you will be stripped of your divinity. You will no longer be an angel and will be banished to the mortal realm to face a worse fate than death.”

Petra trembled, her weakened body covered in sweat, at the looming image of her future.

“Apologies again, my Sovereign!” she said, a strong conviction to survive colouring her tone. “I will make sure to find her to the best of my abilities!”

“Do you resent me, my dearest Petra?” Isis suddenly asked, her voice gentle. “Was my punishment too harsh?”

“My life is yours, my Sovereign! Even if you erase my soul at this very moment, I will never bear hatred for you. It is I who committed a mistake and let down your expectations.”

“I am glad you understand how it pains my heart to punish you like this.” Isis then let out a lonely sigh. “My heart is aching, Petra…”

“Is it because…of the Sealed One?”

“Indeed, I cannot find her while the seal on her powers is about to break. She will endanger not only you and me, but the entire peace of the pantheon. Before she remembers everything and gets back to us, we need a way to stop her and the only way is to find that purple-eyed child…Sierra’s child.”

Petra straightened herself up and looked at Isis. “Please give me permission, my Sovereign! I will personally go to the mortal realm and use my powers to search for that child. I assure you, my Sovereign, that I will bring that purple-eyed child to you.”

“I trust you, my most loyal follower. This is the last chance you get…for even a goddess as gracious as I have no use for an angel who knows nothing but failure.”

“Y-Yes, My Sovereign.”

“Leave,” Isis commanded, her expression kind though her voice was icy cold, which made Petra’s body tremble even more. The angel immediately stood up and left her presence, leaving the heavenly palace covered in clouds to regain its peace once more.

=======

“I am not wrong, you all are!”

“You power-hungry creatures!”

“You want to control everyone and manipulate the innocents–“

A green-eyed woman with long mahogany hair had her entire body chained–from her torso to her four limbs–as she angrily challenged the celestial beings in front of her. Each of her words was full of rage and resentment. Her anger made the surroundings silent and tense, as if something unholy was going to happen.

Yet her struggle was futile; no matter how much she tried to break those chains, she was unable to free herself.

“I dare you to free me and then see what I will do to all of you!”

The celestial guards who were holding the other end of those chains were having difficulty holding those chains, as the one, they were trying to suppress was one of the most powerful beings that the pantheon of gods had ever seen–but even a Primordial goddess such as her had a weakness. She had no choice but to kneel in front of the heavenly powers meant to subdue divine beings such as her.

Though none of the deities were responding to her taunts, she could feel the contempt in their gazes slithering on her body like the snakes they are.

“If not for you tricking me into losing my powers, do you think you can stop me? Do you think any of you can even stand in front of me?”

She was growling like a hurt lioness, her eyes holding nothing but burning rage in them caused by the pain she had gone through. She looked like she could not wait to be free and kill all the greedy beings who wronged her.

Dark clouds were gathering in the sky with threatening thunderbolts. Though she knew the end was near, she looked up with fearless eyes, as if mocking those thunderbolts themselves.

“Mark my words, you hypocrites!

“Cherish what little you have gained this day, for though I have lost, I will never perish. With my soul at stake, I am making an oath to the heavens, the world be my witness.

“The moment I return and walk through the gates of the heavenly realm once more, I will strike down upon you the great vengeance and furious anger of those who you have oppressed!”

Her emerald green eyes glowed golden, as if they were burning flames.

“And when the day of reckoning comes, I will destroy you all! I will destroy this place full of wickedness!

“Tremble in fear for my return! My name is—, the sovereign of —, loyal servant to the Absolute, the emperor of heavens…

“And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next!”

At the end of her oath, multiple thunderbolts fell on her, making her existence disappear into nothing but numerous small flames.

Ember, who was still unconscious after the phenomena of the night of the full moon, had tears rolling down the corners of her eyes.

It was as if she herself had been the one bound in chains. What that woman in her dream was going through brought her a complicated sense of helplessness, anger, grief and misery. Negative emotions so deep swirled inside her like an abyss, and she could feel every bit of that darkness as if it was her own pain.

…and that desire to destroy everything was the most dominant of them all.

Even in her deep sleep, Ember felt no peace as she experienced the woman’s pain.