rida didn’t speak right away. Her gaze lingered on Evelyn for a long, heavy mont. Then she slowly turned, walking toward the door.
But just as her hand reached for the handle, she paused. Her voice was calm, but it was full of warning and caution.
"If you have lied to , Evelyn," she said, without turning around, "if you have twisted the truth to feed your own hatred, then know this, every witch in the coven will turn against you. And I will not stop them."
Evelyn’s eyes widened. Her throat tightened, but her voice ca out steady.
"Are you doubting ? Do you think my family had the power to control the land when he was the duke? I haven’t lied, ridia. Rhistel is the Northern Duke. He is the one who led the burnings. I swear it’s in my blood that it had nothing to do with ."
For a mont, ridia didn’t respond. Then she turned her head just slightly enough for Evelyn to see the cold gleam in her eyes.
"Then I hope, for your sake, that your blood speaks true."
With that, ridia opened the door and left, her footsteps echoed sharp into her mind. The door closed behind her with a quiet thud alienating her again from the world. The silence sounded louder than any shout in her heart.
She had thought she could hide there and complete her plans, but now this calm place felt suffocating.
Evelyn stood frozen in place, staring at the door long after ridia had gone. Her breath ca in short, uneven bursts. Then her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor.
Her palms pressed against the stone tiles, and she let out a shaky exhale. The room felt colder, tighter, like the walls were pressing in on her.
She had lied. She had taken a gamble that could destroy her and if ridia ever found out!
"No."
A tremble passed through her as she clutched the edge of the chair, dragging herself upright with sheer will.
She couldn’t afford to be weak now.
"If the truth cannot protect ," she whispered to herself, her voice hoarse with fear and desperation, "then I will make the lie stronger than the truth."
She looked at the quiet, empty, silent room as her eyes hardened.
"I will twist history itself if I have to. Rhistel will burn for what he never did. And Olivia! she will regret ever coming back."
A cruel smile tugged at her lips, forced and trembling, but there nonetheless.
"I will make them all believe."
—-
"Where the hell were you two?" Olivia paused and grinned as she saw Liliana jumping from the tree and making a perfect landing on her feet.
She glared at Olivia and Damon but at the sa ti scanned their bodies for any possible injury. She was relieved to see there was none. "You foolish girl, why did it take such a long ti? Were you planning to settle there?" Liliana scowled at Olivia who laughed.
"Why? Were you worried or were you going to follow if I decided to live there?"
Liliana looked at Damon, who gave a subtle nod, but the tension in his jaw told her more than words.
Olivia, who had been silent for a while, finally turned to Liliana.
"Can I ask you sothing?" she said, her voice soft. Liliana nodded. "Of course."
"Why were the witches burned?" Olivia’s eyes searched her friend’s face. "What really happened back then?"
Liliana’s expression faltered for a mont. She looked away, sighing as she brushed her fingers along the bark beside her.
"It’s not just one story," she began. "But if I had to explain it simply, it’s because witches needed things that magic couldn’t give them."
Olivia blinked. "What do you an?"
"We can’t create everything from magic," Liliana explained. "So herbs, grains, clothes and even our shoes and other things. All those have to be bought. Our magic doesn’t work the way people think. We can’t just summon food or shelter from thin air. That kind of material creation is forbidden. So we need to depend on humans for that."
"So you had to live among them," Olivia said slowly with understanding.
Liliana nodded. "Yes. Many witches worked quietly in villages, hiding who they were. So were healers and helped in making herbal dicines. So helped on farms as we have good relationships with animals. We tried to blend in. But..." Her voice trailed off for a mont before she continued, "...sotis, we slipped. Sotis a witch helped a sick child who was on the verge of death but they all doubted our position. Once a witch was surrounded by thugs and they were going to take her innocence. The witch had no choice but to use magic to save herself. The thugs died, but the witches were accused of harming humans. Sotis we had to defend ourselves and fall into their traps. "
"But isn’t it strange that the thugs captured witches? " Olivia whispered.
"Well, we are beautiful and attract attention easily. Or it might be our exceptional qualities." Liliana finished with a bitter smile. "They said we were doing dark things and would bring harm to them. The fear spread faster than the truth ever could."
Damon leaned back against the tree trunk, his arms folded. "Fear is a powerful weapon," he said quietly. "Once it takes hold, no one asks for proof."
Olivia’s hands curled into the fabric of her dress. "So they burned them," she said, her voice hollow. "Not for doing evil, but for surviving."
Liliana looked at her. "Yes. And even now, so of that fear lingers. That’s why so many witches still hide."
There was a long silence as the three of them sat beneath the shade, for so reason it was too much of a coincidence that witches were always bullied and then caught easily.
She felt both sorrow and fury ripple through her.
"I want to change that," she said softly. "Not just for but for all of us."
Liliana smiled gently. "Then maybe there is still hope left. But this would not be easy."
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