In The Chamber
Carl turned abruptly, eyes wide with terror as he spotted a group of boys barreling toward them, their expressions twisted in fear, as though they had seen death itself. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and dread. Beta's shock mirrored Carl's as he witnessed the drenched figures stagger into view, their clothes clinging to them like shadows.
"Hey! Why did you stop me? I was just going to ask them what happened!" Beta exclaimed, urgency fueling his voice.
Carl quickly raised a finger to his lips, a gesture that felt almost futile against the overwhelming fear that filled the chamber. "You don't understand this place yet. Listen to me," he said, his voice low and grave. "There's a girl—a witch. She kills boys as if they were mere toys, and those who cross her path are doomed to a fate worse than death." His eyes darted nervously toward the shadows that seemed to linger just beyond the dim light.
Beta's expression hardened, disbelief battling with a growing sense of foreboding. "A girl who kills only boys? Who is she?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"I don't know her name, but they call her the Water Witch. Some even whisper that she commands the very essence of the sea," Carl replied, his tone steeped in dread.
"A water witch? Sounds like a bedtime story meant to scare children," Beta scoffed, though uncertainty gnawed at him.
Carl's eyes darkened. "Don't be a fool. If you confront her, you'll be dead before you even realize what's happening."
Beta's bravado flared, but it was laced with fear. "So what? I can defeat her! Even if she can control water, I've got this power—some kind of blue shockwave!" He clenched his fists, a mix of determination and foolishness dancing in his eyes.
Carl's brow furrowed, skepticism hardening his expression. "You have what? Some blue energy you can't even describe?"
"It's something I used back in Aires City," Beta replied, the excitement dimming as Carl's seriousness set in.
"Well, you'll find out soon enough if you keep that attitude. For now, forget about facing her. Do you understand?" Carl's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife.
"Okay! Okay! I understand," Beta replied, though a flicker of stubbornness remained.
---
After an hour of repetitive Tai Chi training, Beta approached Ossa, his heart racing with urgency.
"Hey! Ossa, how's it going?" Beta asked, attempting to breach the silence.
Ossa's gaze remained locked on the floor, his expression unreadable, as if trapped in some dark memory.
"Are you just going to stand there and stare? Say something!" Beta demanded, frustration bubbling over.
"Damn it, is he mute or something?" he muttered, annoyance creeping into his voice.
Finally, Ossa broke the silence, his voice flat and hollow. "What do you want to talk about?"
Beta leaned closer, the seriousness of the situation pressing heavily on him. "There's a girl out there. They call her the Water Witch. She can control water, and she's dangerous."
Ossa's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of awareness breaking through his stoic facade. "What's she done?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"She's killed countless boys, and they say she's unbelievably strong. We need to be cautious if we ever cross paths with her," Beta warned, dread curling in his gut.
Ossa's silence hung heavily in the air, thick with unspoken words. "Have you heard of her before?" Beta pressed.
Ossa finally responded, his voice steady but laden with a chilling intensity. "Since you've been living with me, I have no choice but to answer your question. I know of her. Everyone says she's strong. I want to know how strong she really is."
Beta's heart raced. "You want to kill her? Why?"
Ossa's gaze dropped to his sword, the weight of the metal reflecting his internal struggle.
"Is he really going to fight her?" Beta thought, unease creeping up his spine.
"I guess that makes sense. But why do you want to know her strength so much?" Beta pressed, curiosity mingling with concern.
Ossa's silence was deafening, but finally, he spoke, the depth of his ambition revealing itself. "I seek a stronger opponent to push my skills to the limit," he admitted, resolve flooding his voice.
After parting ways with Ossa, Beta returned to his room, the echoes of their conversation reverberating in his mind, intertwining with the shadows that danced around him.
"He said he just wants to test his limits against a stronger opponent, the Water Witch," Beta pondered, the chill of fear settling deep within him.
---
WATER WITCH
Julia, the Water Witch, is a malevolent figure, a dark legend whispered in the corners of the kingdom. With icy blue eyes that gleam like shards of ice and flowing silver hair that flows like the darkest waters, she instills a primal fear in the hearts of all who encounter her. Her beauty, while captivating, masks a heart as cold and unyielding as the abyss of the ocean.
Her powers are vast and terrifying, able to summon storms and drown the unwary in an instant. Julia harbors a particular hatred for boys, luring them to their doom with false promises of wealth and power. Once ensnared in her web of deceit, she unleashes her dark magic upon them, leaving behind nothing but empty shells, their souls extinguished.
The kingdom's people speak in hushed tones of her cruelty, warning their children to steer clear of the water's edge lest they become prey to the Water Witch's insatiable thirst for blood. Each whispered tale sends shivers down their spines, for they know her power is unmatched and feel the weight of her gaze upon them.
Julia's reign of terror is unrelenting; she hunts down every boy in the kingdom with a fervor that chills the very air. With each life she extinguishes, her power deepens, feeding her insatiable hunger for destruction. The kingdom lives in constant fear, knowing that as long as she roams the land, no boy is safe from her deadly grasp.
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Next Chapter: Clash of Elements in the Wo-Ha Region
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