Viola, the dark-haired witch, stood in front of her hut, filled with anger. Her usually calm and wise heart was beating faster now, and her thoughts were whirling like a storm.
She was irritated by the various little things and misunderstandings that had accumulated over the past few days.
She couldn't remember what exactly had been the drop that had spilled the cup of her patience, but it didn't matter now. She felt the anger overwhelm her like the waves of a raging sea.
With the broom in her hand, she clutched it tightly to her chest and looked back at her home with bitterness.
In normal times, it was a cozy haven where she found peace and inspiration for her spells. But now she couldn't go inside.
It seemed to her that if she went in, her anger would destroy everything around her like a thunderstorm.
Deciding to leave, she looked north, toward the dense forest.
The northern forest was known for its danger.
It was home to monsters and creatures stronger and more dangerous than any she had encountered before. But right now, Viola was ready for it.
She felt she needed to let her anger out, release it, and shift the focus of her thoughts from negativity to something else that would make her heart beat with joy or passion rather than anger.
Stepping forward, Viola headed into the northern forest. The path was not an easy one, but her determination was stronger.
The forest grew thicker and darker with each step. Huge trees hid the sky, and in places the branches creaked as if complaining about the disturbance.
As she walked between the gloomy trees, Viola felt her anger grow less and less.
With each breath, she was released from the heaviness that seemed unbearable in her home. The monsters around her meant nothing.
They were simply a physical reflection of the dark feelings she needed to leave behind.
Viola, still unaware of Lox's real intentions, continued her journey through the northern forest.
She felt something change inside her, and it filled her with strength and confidence.
- I am strong," she whispered to herself, as if convinced of it with every step.
Lox, following Viola, watched her from behind the trees, hiding his true intentions. His eyes glittered ominously and he smirked, seeing the girl unaware of his demonic essence.
"Oh yes, more souls," thought Lox, feeling her thirst for power and energy growing.
It was very flattering to him that Viola was unaware of his true identity, for it made her naive and vulnerable.
Viola walked on, unaware of the entity following her.
She felt that her aura was getting stronger, and it attracted the attention of even the monsters living in this dangerous forest.
Some of them even tried to attack Viola, but she easily dealt with them using her magical abilities.
Viola landed deep in the northern forest that was known for its danger. These were neutral territories that were home to creatures far stronger and more dangerous than any she had ever met.
But Viola was ready for this challenge. The anger in her heart had brought her here, and she intended to kill a couple of weak demons to release the emotions that had built up.
Lox watched her from the shadows of the trees. He could feel her anger, and it pleased his demonic soul.
He liked Viola being in this state, it made her vulnerable and predictable.
He decided to follow her, watching to see how she would handle the demons.
Viola looked around at her surroundings. There was thick vegetation all around her, and rustles and ominous sounds could be heard from the dark thickets.
She could sense that there were more than one demon here, and their presence made the air tense.
"How I hate these knights," Viola thought to herself. Her anger at the knights, who seemed unattainable and arrogant to her, mixed with anger at herself for her own weakness.
She wanted to prove that she was strong, that she could handle anyone who dared stand in her way.
Among the trees, the first demon appeared. It was a weak demon, incomparable to those she had dealt with before, but it was a good opportunity for Viola to vent her anger.
She directed her magical abilities at the demon, causing a powerful burst of fire. Glittering flaming tongues rained down on the demon, and soon all that was left was a charcoal trail on the ground.
Lox marveled at Viola's power, but his interest only grew. He knew that the next demon would be stronger, and this could be an interesting test for the girl.
Viola continued her journey through the northern forest and encountered demons along the way, weak and mindless creatures that ran through the forest with only one feeling: hunger.
[Imp].
They were devoid of reason and unable to think, their essence reduced to nothing more than an endless thirst to quench their appetites.
When the demons detected Viola's presence, they forgot the rest and headed towards her. But behind Viola stood the demon Lox with his dark magical abilities.
He would cancel out their magic, stripping them of their last vestiges of reason, and they would turn into ordinary demons who simply sought food, in this case Viola.
For Viola, killing the demons was a simple task. She used her magical abilities by channeling the elements against them.
As the demons approached, she created walls of water around her that enveloped them and turned them to ashes.
Every demon that tried to reach her met its death under her hands. She could feel her anger thickening and manifesting itself in every blow.
Lox watched Viola and her ruthless actions. He knew that these demons were just a minor nuisance to her that she could easily eliminate.
But his interest was not in the demons, but in Viola herself. He saw her finding an outlet for her anger and using it as a powerful weapon.
For Viola, killing demons was becoming more than just getting rid of dangerous creatures.
It was a way to release built up anger and discharge negative emotions. Her spells grew stronger, and each blow filled her with strength and determination.
So she continued to destroy the demons until the forest was filled with nothing but dust and ashes from their bodies. Viola stood amidst this destructive scene, her breathing calm and her anger gradually subsiding.
As Viola stood amongst the ruins of the destroyed demons, she didn't notice a demon much larger than the others appearing from behind the trees behind her.
Its size was impressive - it was many times taller than normal demons and muscular, as if it was made for destruction.
Such monsters dwelled deep in various caves, usually avoiding encounters with humans or mages.
[Imp: Destroyer].
Lox was also surprised by the appearance of this huge demon. He didn't expect that such a monster could appear in this area of the forest, especially at such an inopportune moment.
But his curiosity took over, and he stayed to watch what would happen.
The imp slowly approached Viola, its eyes blazing with lust for destruction.
Its huge claws glistened and its skin was covered in thick armored scales, making it virtually invulnerable to normal attacks.
It made muffled and intimidating sounds, reminiscent of the roars of wild beasts.
Viola, still focused on her thoughts, was unaware of the impending danger.
But Lox, though he was a demon, realized that Viola was now in grave danger.
He knew that this demon was far more dangerous and stronger than any she had faced before.
As the demon approached, Viola finally felt his presence. She looked around and saw the huge monster standing in front of her. Her heart sank, but she didn't back down.
The danger posed by this huge demon was underestimated by Viola.
When she weakly struck with water magic, hoping to deal with the monster, it simply tossed her aside like a puppet. Her body slammed into a tree with a swing, and she experienced a deafening pain.
Lox, being a demon, watched without any feelings of worry or compassion. To him, Viola was merely a means to his own dark ends.
The demon's supernatural powers manifested again as he instantly ripped off the fallen Viola's arm.
- AAH! Mother !
The girl let out a horrible scream of unbearable pain. The imp swallowed the torn off arm as if enjoying his victim.
Viola lay on the ground, her body writhing in agony.
- Oh shit !!!
She screamed and moaned in pain, unable to believe that such a horrible fate had befallen her.
Her arm was lost, and she could feel her life force drying up.
The imp, while Viola suffered, simply stood there as an emotionless observer of his ghastly creation. He was a mindless creature, devoid of human feeling or conscience.
After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity to Viola, her body began to weaken.
Blood was draining from her wound, her life force was leaving.
All her fears and anger were fading away, replaced only by a feeling of horrific pain and helplessness.
Lox approached Viola's body, which was already resting on the ground. Lox's gaze penetrated the girl's weak soul.
The soul was slowly pulsing inside the body as if trying to find a way to come back to life.
The witch had not yet finally left her physical form.
Lox moved closer to Viola's body and lightly touched the girl's forehead with his head. It was his way of absorbing the soul of the dying creature.
The demon clearly felt the presence of her soul and joyfully realized that he could now make his next move.
"I can finally absorb your soul!" - Lox's thoughts flashed through his mind, full of sinister satisfaction.
He was a demon and his nature gave him the power and ability to devour the souls of dying beings. It was his dark nature and his way of feeding.
Leaning over Viola's body, Lox began to feel her soul slowly begin to leave her remaining body.
Her energy, though weak, was pure and magical. Lox savored this moment, savoring the evil that accompanied his demonic essence.
But suddenly, something happened. Viola's weak soul, as if discovering that her fate had not yet been determined, began to fight back
. Her energy began to shimmer brighter, and Lox felt it begin to slip from his control.
This surprised the demon. Usually the souls of dying creatures were weak and helpless before his power.
...
Viola stood in the middle of white space, feeling that she no longer belonged to the world of the living. She felt nothing-no pain, no fear.
Her left arm was in place, as if nothing had happened. For the first time she felt lightness, as if freed from the burden of life and death.
"Am I dead?" - A thought flashed through her mind. There was no answer, but she realized she was no longer part of the world of the living.
Her voice echoed through the white space as if she were talking to herself.
But a sound interrupted the silence, and she heard something strange-a rustling, as if someone was moving through the water.
She cautiously began to move through the white water, not knowing where to go. Viola felt no fear or anxiety, she just walked, gripped by the world between life and death.
Suddenly, she came across a creature with white pupils sitting on the water. It was Mr. Poof, a cat, her cat.
His black fur blended in with his surroundings, creating a strange image.
Viola looked at Mr. Poof, sensing that he knew more than he seemed to.
Her face was devoid of emotion, but her eyes reflected curiosity. She asked the question without words.
Mr. Poof made no sound, but Viola sensed that his silence carried some message.
His white pupils seemed deep and mysterious, as if reflecting eternity.
Viola was shocked at the words she heard. Mr. Poof was just an ordinary cat, but his voice, not like a purr or a meow, sounded clear and distinct in her mind. She could hardly believe the cat was talking to her.
"No," rang out the answer in her thoughts. Mr. Poof's gaze remained unchanged, and seemed certain of something.
Instead, he simply began to paw at the girl's feet like a normal house cat. But Viola sensed that there was something unusual about this behavior.
She gingerly touched Mr. Poof's soft fur, feeling the lightness of his touch.
Inside herself, she felt a strange mixed feeling - surprise, disbelief, and a kind of inner relief.
The kitty, still purring affectionately, uttered:
"You're dying, if nothing is done, you'll die."
His words sounded like a warning. Viola didn't understand what was happening, but at the same time her curiosity and longing for life inside her revitalized her
. She began to ask questions of the cat, even though she knew he could seemingly only purr in response.
"What should I do? How do I save myself?" - she whispered, her thoughts racing through the void of white space.
Mr. Poof, as if understanding her words, continued to caress and purr. But this time there was a certain directionality in his voice. He was leading Viola somewhere.
She began to follow the kitty, trusting his instincts. The path through the white water was strange, and Viola didn't know where she was going or what lay ahead of her.