Chapter 4

Amaryah hasn't gotten over what had happened yet. She was still promising to teach the witches a lesson in the future when she was abruptly interrupted by the subject of her thoughts.

"Our little Aryah…"

"Child, do you…"

"...want to know…"

"...what we've seen?"

The witches are talented and skillful. One of their very special abilities, which they also taught Amaryah, was to influence other spirits, making them submit almost completely to them.

When their dominance is used correctly, they can share their senses, thoughts, and emotions, and sometimes even control their actions. But it is not as if they could possess them.

Possession was releasing your own spirit, leaving your body, and overpowering someone else's spirit to take over their body.

What the dominance of the witches does is different.

They will be able to hear their thoughts, able to see what they see, hear what they hear, taste what comes inside their mouth, and smell whatever they smell. They can feel their surroundings and know where they are.

The power can even go as far as feeling their emotions and controlling their body. Almost like they can possess and use them to their own will and advantage.

But that would be crossing the line. The god who blessed the witches believes in free will. They hold deep connections and attachments to their maker, so they would never do anything to displease this maker.

The witches only like to call what they do as just "giving hints" or "suggesting".

It seems supernatural at first when you hear them talking as if they are different people and when they seem to be predicting the future.

But in reality, they know because they spy and pry. Not just their target, but also those around the target.

This way, they claim knowledge that is almost a hundred percent true because they obtain information from all available references.

Amaryah spent quite a while under their wing. Although the witches were a bit sadistic and torturous, they're full of puzzles but never lied.

Anyway, it won't do them any good to lie. They are one with Amaryah as of the moment, so they won't do anything that can harm her or put her in danger, risking even the safety of them witches.

Just then, they must have seen snippets of the next moments about to happen. So, while enduring the pain and dusting herself, she impatiently asked, "What?"

"It's a flame…"

"...a scorching flame."

"It's headed here."

"Run!"

"Our child, run!"

Their giggles once again echoed in the room, yet this time not lingering but fading.

She doesn't have much time to catch her breath now. The urgency in their voices made her scurry up immediately without pausing to find out the meaning behind these words or to realize anything else, thinking, "They took time to bully me. They should have told me sooner!"

Amaryah ran out of the cabin, but when she opened the door, she was shocked at the picturesque view that greeted her.

The small cabin is standing solitarily on top of a hill and below are lilies dancing to the night breeze. Above is a clear sky filled with stars.

Just that, the brightness of the round full moon was unnatural, making the place look hauntingly beautiful and dangerous.

It wasn't the striking dark aura that surprised her since that must be her trace. It absolutely isn't the present strong spiritual power either. It was the place itself that she cannot take in—Lily Valley!

"Dear…"

She gasped at the same time she heard the shrill voice. A floating ball of light appeared before her and it came from her body.

It was so small in size that others would mistake it as a firefly, yet she could already feel her knees growing weak.

It continued, saying: "As you can see, you're far too weak right now and cannot control us."

The light watched the mess that she was, from head to toe. She knew it was studying her, so she held her head up and proudly stared back.

It was amusing. Amaryah, who was always so conscious about looks and appearance, is right here in a state. Her white clothes are dirtied with visible red spots on her sleeves because of her bleeding wrist a while ago.

The little light spoke again, "You can only summon a scrap of our soul."

Amaryah's expression contorted. She wanted to retaliate but it was true. The light then flickered when the little flame danced a bit with the soft wind it made when it moved, trying to look at itself.

"I can hardly even be called a scrap now. What a pity."

Also as discontented as the light was, and probably because of exhaustion, Amaryah could not hold back when she humphed and stomped towards a direction she randomly chose, leaving the light behind.

"I just need to get used to it!" she shouted.

Irritation was building up inside her. The human body is indeed so weak and frail!

She used to think she was powerful when she was young, but now, feeling all the lacking qualities this body has, she can't help scolding her ten-year younger self for being so arrogant.

"You need a shelter where you can recuperate and train," the light knowingly said after catching up to her.

"I know! I'll look for a place! Now, go back! You're wearing me out."

Impatience and annoyance were evident in her voice and movements that the light could not help thinking, if it had a head right now, it would be clicking its tongue and shaking its head.

Amaryah hasn't even run a mile yet and she's already panting. She had just entered the forest, not once looking back to the fields of Lily Valley again.

She was so out of it that she didn't even notice the sudden darkness that enveloped her. Space warped ever so slightly.

The haunting moon was gone, the spread out trees were getting denser, and no sign of lilies could be seen.