Eternal Undying Chronicles

Chapter 163 : The Pool

Malefica stumbled as Helga and Madera dragged her into the temple. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the restraints binding her vanished, and the two witches released their grip.

She took in her surroundings, her gaze sweeping across the expansive space that stretched far beyond what the temple's modest exterior suggested.

Spatial magic had been used to its fullest here; the small building from the outside gave way to vast halls within. Towering pillars lined the interior, with an ornate altar at the center and statues scattered across the space, each one crafted with delicate precision.

Her eyes traced the enchanted artifacts adorning the walls and the intricate runes carved deep into the stone, pulsating with latent energy.

A ceremonial pool filled with bluish-green water glistened nearby, casting faint reflections onto the temple walls. She remembered stories of its powers—how it could reveal fleeting glimpses of the future or summon terrifying nightmares, depending on the heart of the one who gazed into it.

Nostalgia washed over her as she took it all in. This temple had once belonged to her grandmother—no, to the coven. Malefica had spent much of her childhood here, wandering through its halls.

Her grandmother had often been by her side, telling stories or playing games. She could almost see her grandmother's golden hair as she chased her around the temple, laughter echoing through the air.

Lost in these memories, Malefica felt her hardened expression soften. She moved slowly toward the altar, her mind flooded with the warmth of a time long gone.

She stopped at the pool, staring at her own reflection in the still water. She hesitated, knowing the pool's mystical properties could show her visions she might not be ready to see. Yet, curiosity took hold, and she leaned closer, letting her gaze settle on the reflection.

At first, nothing happened. Her own face stared back, calm and unaltered, and she let out a small sigh of relief. But then, the image began to shift. Her reflection's dark hair turned golden, and her eyes transformed, taking on a familiar, softer gaze.

Malefica's heart quickened as she realized what she was seeing. Her reflection was no longer hers—it was her grandmother's. The figure in the water morphed, becoming younger, until she appeared as a teenage girl wandering through a dense forest.

Malefica's eyes widened in surprise.

"Is this… Grandmother's past?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Helga and Madera exchanged puzzled glances, watching her intently but keeping silent, uncertain of what had captivated Malefica so deeply.

The vision continued to ripple across the surface, pulling Malefica into a scene she never expected to witness, a hidden fragment of her family's history—one she was destined to uncover.

The pool revealed quick-moving images, hazy yet undeniably familiar. They depicted her grandmother in her youth, a woman Malefica had only known as stern and guarded. Yet, here in the pool, she wore a different face—a face Malefica had never seen before. There was an unfamiliar glint in her golden eyes, and on her lips, a rare, almost childlike smile bloomed.

In these images, her grandmother stood beside a man dressed in the garments of the Magicians' Guild, though these robes were unlike any seen in the last thousand years.

His face was obscured, his voice lost to the passage of time, yet his presence was undeniable. She watched as her grandmother reached out to him, laughing and embracing him with a tenderness that made Malefica's heart ache. Enjoy more content from empire

They kissed under morning lit skies, and her grandmother taught him magic, her hands guiding his through incantations and symbols.

The scenes flickered forward. The two of them made a solemn vow, a promise to leave together and start a new life.

The images shifted, showing her grandmother heavily pregnant, standing alone in the forest.

There was joy in her eyes as she spoke to the unborn child, speaking of the future they would share with the man who had not yet arrived.

Malefica's breath quickened as she watched her grandmother's hope transform into anxiety.

On the morning they had planned to depart together, she went to the meeting place but found only silence.

She waited, her anticipation dissolving into worry, and then into despair. Her labor began alone in the woods, with no one to hold her hand or share in her suffering.

After hours of struggle, her grandmother gave birth to a silver-haired baby at noon—a child who would later become Malefica's mother.

Malefica's face grew pale as the pool revealed these painful moments.

Her grandmother had endured so much alone. She watched her search the forest, calling for him, holding her newborn close to her chest.

She waited until nightfall, then until dawn, yet he did not come.

Her faith in him wavered, but still, she clung to the hope that he would return. Days blurred into nights, and finally, she could wait no longer. But she was not alone for long.

Another figure appeared—another witch with a presence so powerful it seemed to ripple through the air. Malefica recognized her immediately, though she had never seen her in person.

'Is that…the Enchantress? The original leader of the coven?'

The pool's images sharpened, showing the Enchantress's face. Her gaze was cold, her aura veiled in illusion and mystery.

The Enchantress approached Malefica's grandmother, speaking in a tone both stern and pitying.

She told her grandmother that the man had betrayed her and handed her a ceremonial dagger, urging her to end the child's life before she, too, was betrayed by the weakness of love.

She told her of his evil plans to betray her and learn her magic.

Malefica's heart raced as she saw her grandmother take the dagger, her eyes welling with tears. She could almost feel her grandmother's pain—a struggle between loyalty to the coven and the love for her child.

The dagger trembled in her grandmother's hand, but instead of striking her daughter, she clutched the child to her chest and summoned her grimoire.