Chapter 4: The Desperate Alliance
Johanna's POV
Desperation drove me to seek the witch, Azazela. Rumors whispered she wielded ancient power.
I found her in a crumbling hut on Castrum's outskirts.
"Help me defeat the Carnifex," I begged.
Azazela's eyes glinted. "I'll give you power, but at a price."
"What price?" I asked, wary.
"Your heart," she replied, her voice dripping honey. "You'll never know love."
I recoiled, horror-stricken. "Never love?"
Azazela nodded. "A small price for survival."
I hesitated, weighing the cost. Could I live without love?
"But what if I fail?" I asked.
Azazela's smile twisted. "You won't fail. The potion will ensure that."
Doubts swirled within me.
"Are you certain this is the only way?" I pleaded.
Azazela's expression hardened. "Take it or leave it, Johanna."
Troy's words echoed in my mind: "We need to work together."
I thought of the Carnifex's victims.
With a heavy heart, I accepted.
"I'll do it," I whispered.
Azazela cackled, handing me a small vial.
"This potion will grant you strength."
As I left, I stumbled upon Troy.
"You're the one who's been warning people," I said.
Troy nodded. "I saw them. The Carnifex."
"We need to work together," I urged.
Troy's determination ignited.
"Azazela's power will help us," I said, unease creeping within.
What had I traded?
Azazela's POV
Ah, Johanna, dear fool.
You think I granted you power?
I bound you to darkness.
The potion's true purpose:
To fuel your rage, your despair.
You'll never love, never find peace.
And when the Carnifex falls,
You'll succumb to the very darkness
You sought to defeat.