It was Adrian Icarus. He was definitely the last person Olivia wanted to bump into. He was unable to contain the look of surprise on his face.

"Adrian!" Olivia almost shouted his name.

"Shh. Not so loud. We're not alone here. So, do you have any plans of telling me why you're wandering around in these woods?" He didn't look happy to see her.

"I'm looking for the pastry shop owner's dog."

"You don't have to. My union is in charge of investigating this."

"I'll take my leave once I find the dog."

Adrian sighed. "As you wish. Just don't do anything rash. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

"Where are the others?" Olivia looked around. Surely, it wasn’t just Adrian here to represent the union.

"Scattered around the woods putting up wards and traps. We encountered a few dark creatures. There are probably more in here. These conditions make it a perfect place for them to thrive." He bent down and examined the vine that wrapped itself around Olivia’s leg earlier. “I suspect they’re not the only ones here.”

“These vines grabbed my leg and tried to drag me deeper into the forest.”

“Earth magic?” Adrian placed his hand over his mouth. “That’s worrying. Let’s look around for clues.”

Olivia heard a bark up ahead. “Ham?” She instinctively ran towards the direction of the sound.

"Wait! It could be a trap." Adrian ran after her.

Olivia stopped in front of a worn down hut made of wood, mud, and dried leaves. A line of clay pots with medicinal herbs decorated the front. The shelter looked like it was still in use with smoke coming out from a small chimney.

"There's a hut here," said Olivia.

Adrian felt uneasy about the mysterious hut. "This could be a witch's doing."

Witches were people who use magic to gain control of the dark creatures. They were often corrupted by stronger evil beings who wished to take control of human territory and establish their rule.

Adrian snuck all the way to the hut's entrance. Olivia carefully followed behind him.

"You're not going to wait for the others?" she asked.

"In my experience, wasting time often leads to more casualties. If my hunch is right, the missing people are held prisoner inside." He pushed the door. Surprisingly, it swung open.

The two of them silently snuck inside and looked for any sign of the missing people and dog. What they found instead was a bubbling cauldron of mysterious liquid, fresh unidentified meat and bones messily strewn on top of the table, herbs dangling from the ceiling, and a totem-like structure at one corner. A pile of books in an unknown language was on a nightstand. The interior was dim with only a few lit candles that illuminated the room.

Olivia accidentally tripped over a rug. “Ouch.”

“Be careful.” Adrian noticed a wooden trap door peeking out from under the rug. He pulled the rug away and opened it. “They might be in here.” He yanked the trapdoor open and climbed down the ladder.

What Adrian found underneath it was a makeshift prison where the missing people were. They looked fearful of something.

“Are you here to rescue us?” one prisoner asked.

“Yes. Who locked you in here?” Adrian inquired.

“Some kind of witch… A horrifying and grotesque monster. It abducted us and bound us with its vines, then kept us locked here to be used for something. It said it needed servants.”

Adrian was uneasy about the new information. A witch was a big deal. “Let’s get you out of here.” He tried to get the wooden cell doors to open, but it appeared to be protected by some kind of magic.

Olivia dropped down from the trap door. “Adrian, someone is coming.”

“Hide.”

They each hid inside a basket. A few moments later, something entered the secret basement. The sound of slithering vines echoed. They seemed to be everywhere. Next, a dragging noise accompanied a low growl. Its aura was strong. Whatever this thing was, it was certainly the cause of all the strange events in the forest.

Olivia stayed quietly still as she heard the vines circling around the basket she was in. For a moment, the sounds disappeared. Immediately after, her basket was squeezed forcefully with her inside it. She screamed as the vines tightened around her.

The witch laughed. It moved towards Olivia until their eyes were merely inches away from each other. “Trespasser, do you fear not the evil eye and curses of a forest witch? You shall rue this day. Your soul is mine.”

Olivia’s breath was squeezed out of her. She couldn’t even call on her familiar. Nevertheless, Mezolas was timely in his appearance. He was eager to have another chance at roasting somebody.

“Surely you do not recognize the blood eyes of the Lady?” Mezolas spoke. “What a blind witch you are!”

“The Eye!” The witch feared Mezolas. “The Eye… has awoken!”

“My Lady, burn this witch to the ground. Leave no trace behind.” The Eye of Nightmare’s voice was ruthless and commanding. Olivia listened. Her body moved to the tune of Mezolas’ song of slaughter. It welcomed her, beckoned her. She was easily entranced by its spell.

She was able to call forth fire. The vines around her blazed and turned to ash, freeing her from binding. Adrian could only watch from the side.

“Rise, my Lady! Purify this forest with the fires of redemption!” Mezolas locked the witch in place using shadows.

“No! No!” The witch screamed in agony as it was being burned.

“Farewell,” said Olivia.

Right before the witch was completely charred, Olivia saw the image of a young lady for a split second. It snapped her out of her bloodlust. When the witch turned to ash, an old locket dropped on the floor. Inside it was an old photo of a young girl. Olivia bent down to pick it up.

“Are you alright?” Adrian went out of his basket and asked.

“I’m fine,” Olivia replied. She paused before continuing. “Adrian, I saw a girl right before the witch perished. Did you see the same thing?”

“That was probably who she was before she became that thing.”

“Who she was?”

“The witch used to be a normal person. Like all witches. They transform into those monstrous forms gradually as they borrow power from dark creatures.”

Olivia was sad to hear it. “I killed somebody again?”

“You had to do what was right. I would’ve done the same. There’s no going back once you’re at that point.” Adrian walked over to the prison cells. “Come on, we still need to get these people out.”