Eternal Undying Chronicles

Alicarde held Malefica's hand as they ventured deeper into the dark woods. The chill of winter wrapped around them, and with the sun now gone, the temperature plummeted further.

The cold was clearly affecting Malefica, despite her efforts to remain composed.

Alicarde, however, remained unfazed by the freezing air. The Reaper's Vestments he wore protected him from the cold. As they continued through the dense woods, Malefica stumbled over a large rock, nearly losing her balance. Alicarde swiftly caught her before she could fall.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself. Stay close and hold on to me," he said, his voice calm but firm.

Malefica couldn't make out his face clearly in the dark. The night was pitch black, and the earlier awkwardness between them lingered, making her hesitant to speak. Instead, she simply nodded, wrapping her arm around his and pulling herself closer to him.

They walked in silence, side by side, the closeness between them resembling that of a couple on an unusual, eerie date in the forest.

After some time, Alicarde broke the silence.

"Uh, it's fine if you don't want to tell me, but I'm curious… what's your story with the coven?"

Malefica shook her head slightly.

"It's fine, I'll tell you."

Alicarde waited patiently as she gathered her thoughts.

"My relationship with the Coven of Dawn started the day I was born. I was born into the coven, with the leader being my grandmother."

Malefica began, her grip on his arm tightening slightly as she mentioned her grandmother.

"Her name was Diana Farmazoană, but she was more commonly known as Mana Framazoană. She was a powerful witch—so powerful, she could take on the three major powers on her own."

Alicarde raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, seriously? She was that strong?"

Malefica nodded solemnly.

"Yes, she was that powerful. But she was also overprotective of me to the point of obsession. I was like a bird in a cage under her protection. One day, I finally broke free. And for my defiance, she leveled an entire village."

"What? Why would she do that?"

"She didn't want me leaving her sight or getting close to anyone who wasn't part of the coven."

Malefica's eyes reddened slightly, her voice strained with suppressed grief.

"I… I'd had enough. Even though I understood her reasons, I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted my freedom. I turned against her, and I won. But in return, she cursed me—a curse that condemned me to a thousand years of solitude."

Her story was filled with gaps, and Alicarde still didn't understand how it connected to her decision to expel the coven fifty years ago. He remembered her mentioning that event but couldn't piece it together.

"How did that lead to you kicking out the coven fifty years ago?" he asked.

Malefica took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions.

"Yes… I was getting to that. After I defeated my grandmother, I was supposed to succeed her as the leader of the coven. But honestly, I'd had enough of witches. I turned down the role. Besides, most of the coven resented me for what they saw as my betrayal. It wouldn't have worked out."

Her expression grew more forlorn as she continued.

"For the next few centuries, the coven remained on the land while I tried to leave, but I couldn't. My curse wouldn't let me stray far from Evergreen City without weakening. So, I thought… if I couldn't leave, why not bring the world to me?"

A sad smile appeared on her face, her usual sternness giving way to vulnerability.

"That's when I orchestrated the creation of Evergreen City. It wasn't easy. Every time I tried to bring settlers, the coven chased them away. It wasn't until four hundred years ago that I finally succeeded."
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Alicarde listened intently as she spoke.

"I was so happy when more people came. I could finally meet others outside of the coven. Centuries had passed, but I did it. The city grew quickly, and there was culture from all over—Xia, Edo, Persia, Kemet. It felt like a dream come true."

Malefica let out a small, humorless laugh, though it was clear her laughter was tinged with sadness.

"Or so I thought. My curse did more than just restrict my power—it isolated me. I tried to befriend the people of the city, but misfortune followed anyone who got too close. I was in denial at first, but…"

Her voice cracked slightly, and Alicarde noticed her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He had never seen her like this—so defenseless.

"I… I couldn't deny it any longer. A young man once approached me, intrigued by who I was. He barely knew me, and all he did was try to hold my hand. And do you know what happened to him?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Alicarde shook his head, though he had a grim suspicion.

"His heart exploded," she whispered.

"But I still denied the truth. I tried again with another man. I didn't even know his name. I thought it was just bad luck. We went for a simple evening walk through the city, and he was run over by a carriage."

She turned to Alicarde, her eyes filled with grief.

"That's when I knew. I was cursed with solitude. And in that moment, I awakened to the first part of my true name—Solitaria, the Solitary One. My name, my very essence, was solitude."

Alicarde had never imagined Malefica in such an emotionally raw state. He wondered if coming back to confront her old coven had stirred up these long-buried memories.

"How did that lead to you expelling them?" he asked softly.

"I went to confront them, hoping to find a way to break my grandmother's curse. I thought maybe if I understood why she was so protective of me, I could undo it. But the coven rejected me. I had abandoned them for centuries, defied their ways for centuries. Why would they help me?"

Malefica forced a smile as she remembered her coven.

"Naturally, they turned me down. A few years later, the coven got a new leader—a younger witch, impulsive and fanatical about my grandmother's legacy. She wanted the humans in the city gone, deeming them impure. We clashed. I won in the end and banished the coven from the city."

Alicarde could feel the weight of her past pressing down on her, the pain of centuries of isolation and rejection. He started to regret all the times he had joked about her being a spinster. He had never understood what it meant to live a life of solitude for a thousand years, to be cursed to turn against her own people just to find freedom.

"And all that led up to this moment, this time, maybe I would finally get the answers I've been searching for."