TWENTY: WICKED (This is the story of the Witch. It also contains more new details of Zell's early days and the story of a girl named Oralee. Featuring several familiar faces, including Kenna, Drago, Aliese, Serafine, Ash, Daphne, Laby, and many more.)

They say children are born innocent. Even the most vile of adults begin as pure beings whose choices change them into monsters. In the case of the Witch, however, this was not what occurred.

When the very universe was created, an evil entity began to form. Its essence existed from the earliest days, however it searched for the perfect vessel before becoming its own full entity. It would patiently wait for a very long time before the ideal set of circumstances presented itself.

Alizar was a the first Warlock on Eltar, born in the original generation of the Children of Eltar. He spent many years gaining power and growing more and more evil. He led other Warlocks with pride, taking whatever he wanted and harming the innocent at every turn.

One day, Alizar met Emmaline, one of the last first-generation Daughters of Eltar. The beautiful young Sorceress had an enormous amount of power even at the age of thirteen. He abducted the gentle girl, torturing and violating her repeatedly for nearly a year. In that time, Emmaline conceived a child. Alizar continued torturing Emmaline until the child was born. Childbirth nearly killed her. After Alizar took the infant away, the first Sorceress of Eltar and her dearest companion, the first Shapeshifter, found Emmaline. As Drago focused on comforting the girl, Kenna healed her and saved her life.

Emmaline's trauma was so severe, she blocked out everything that had happened. For several months, Kenna and Drago took care of the now-fourteen-year-old girl and patiently nursed her back to sanity, helping her heal emotionally. They brought her to their trusted friend, Teyo, one of the very first Sons of Eltar. They'd been exceptionally close since the three of them were children, with Teyo acting as a bit of a guiding voice of reason to the younger two. The powerful Eltarian was known to have an affinity for working with technology and the magic surrounding it. His energy was fiercely protective and also soothing. It helped comfort the severely traumatized girl. Eventually, they were able to return her to her family. She never remembered the child she'd delivered or who had abducted her, but she always remembered their kindness. Kenna, Drago, and Teyo vowed that, no matter what, they would protect Emmaline from further harm.

Alizar raised his offspring, the apparent heir to his evil Warlock empire, on his own. He named the girl Evianna. She was the perfect vessel to bring forth the ancient evil that had waited to "become" for so long. She was everything that would make a Warlock proud and more. Alizar was as good to her as a Warlock could be. He kept her largely concealed from others, fearing someone might try to steal her away from him or kill her for her power. Only the most powerful of Warlocks knew she existed, and they were never allowed to see her alone.

At just ten years of age, Evianna even drew the attention of Hezzo, who was one year her senior. He thought it might be fun to bed the dark, powerful girl and eventually maybe even make her his bride, and her father was seriously considering the equally powerful and dark boy as a suitor for his daughter, but Evianna firmly stated she had no intention of being married off to anyone. She preferred keeping her power to herself, and the Warlock wedding ritual combined the powers of the couple.

At the age of eleven, just because she was a bit bored, Evianna killed her father. The horrific, brutal murder shocked even the Warlocks, who were used to betraying each other for power. She hadn't just murdered him... She'd tortured him, experimented on him, and ultimately consumed part of his soul and left the remainder completely insane. Alizar had never been particularly unkind to the girl. He'd even shown her slight bits of genuine affection. Not even Hezzo, the evilest of the Warlocks, had slaughtered his own kin just for a good laugh. People steered clear of Evianna after that, fearing for their very existence.

Evianna raised herself from that day on. She lurked in shadows and haunted the dreams of small children or others who annoyed her. In jest, when asked to identify herself, she insisted on calling herself "the Witch." She'd laugh about it, although no one else seemed to get the joke.

She began experimenting on innocents, from Eltar and other planets she'd travel to via vessels. If Evianna could reach certain people in their dreams, she could consume their souls and take control of their bodies. She would then inhabit other realms and planets through countless vessels, finding new victims to target. The only catch was that she was forced to live at least part of the original destiny of the true owner of the vessel. Evianna faced whatever difficulties her vessel would have experienced until they were meant to come into their true power. Because Evianna had no empathy for others and was amused by torture, it never bothered her, and she always got revenge on her tormentors once she had full control of the vessel's destiny.

When Evianna was twelve, she met Zell. She'd been watching him for a while, but suddenly, she saw an opportunity.

Zell had already gained quite a reputation on the planet. He was adored by all, however, only one girl seemed to truly touch his heart. Her name was Oralee. She was a year younger than him and was a powerful yet gentle young Sorceress who lived next-door to his family. The two had grown up together.

Oralee was a generally happy girl, and her smile always made Zell smile back. When something managed to make her cry, it deeply bothered him. He'd go out of his way to help her smile return. When he was just seven years old, he declared he would marry her one day. He vowed to protect her with all he had. Their parents found this exchange adorable and encouraged him to do exactly that.

When she was nine, Oralee lost her parents in a tragic house fire. Zell awoke during the fire and ran inside of his neighbor's house. His magic protected him from the flames. It was too late to save her parents, but Zell managed to pull Oralee out of the house and heal her injuries. He also went out of his way to stop the fire so the bodies of her parents could be recovered and given a proper funeral.

Oralee was sadder after that. She moved to a neighboring village to live with her uncle, an Eltarian Senator named Traizon. On the surface, he was a perfect man, beloved by all of Eltar for the good work he did. In truth, he had a cruel, sadistic side he hid exceptionally well. He took those cruel urges out on his niece, abusing her horribly in private while doting on her in public. Oralee was too gentle to defend herself from a man who was meant to love and protect her. She never asked for help, certain no one would believe her and that she deserved such treatment. She explained away her bruises by citing her chronic clumsiness. No one questioned her except for Zell.

For over a year, Zell tried to get Oralee to tell him the truth. One day, he finally used his telepathic abilities to find out who had harmed her. Zell became enraged, but Oralee's instant terror at his sudden burst of anger caused him to force himself to calm down for her sake. He vowed to bring Traizon to justice.

Zell knew Oralee wasn't safe with her uncle. He approached a junior Senator, Raimus, and asked him to keep a closer eye on his co-worker, admitting he had reason to believe Traizon had become abusive toward his niece. Raimus was a genuinely good man who was horrified at the idea of that sweet little girl or any other child being abused. He began a thorough investigation into the charges, promising Zell the moment he found evidence, he would have the Senator arrested and removed from office. Junior Senators were able to handle many matters, however they had less power than Senators, working as their assistants. He could not make an accusation against his senior without exceptionally compelling evidence or he would face Treason charges.

Raimus worked tirelessly to investigate the matter. As a powerful telepath, he was able to read the truth on Traizon, however that was not something he could use in an official court. He went out of his way to keep an eye on Oralee, finding any excuse he could to keep her away from her uncle whenever possible. He befriended the girl and did his best to protect her. For a time, this seemed to improve her situation. Zell was certain Oralee was safe.

One night, when Zell was thirteen and Oralee was twelve, Traizon came home heavily intoxicated. As usual, Oralee did her best to take care of him. She stumbled and knocked over his latest bottle of ale. He attacked her, beating her worse than ever before. She tried to escape, but he overpowered her and beat her to death. Although Raimus sensed her panic, he was at a meeting of the Junior Senate and far away from her. He did not reach her in time.

Zell also sensed terrible danger around Oralee. He rushed to her, but by the time he reached the house, she had already perished. As he held her in his arms, he screamed. He had never felt such anguish or agony before. He did not understand these new emotions but he wanted them to go away. Zell became determined to undo what had happened and save Oralee's life. "I shall save you, my dear one," he said softly. "At any cost."

For the first time ever, Zell slipped into the place outside of the time line while awake. He had traveled there in dreams, but his body had never made the journey with him. Now, he knew he could save Oralee, his dearest friend and the girl he'd promised to marry.

He tried again and again. He reset time over and over, saving her repeatedly in different ways, but she still always perished by the end of the night. Sometimes, she died at her uncle's hands. Other times, she perished in increasingly bizarre accidents. Some were due to Oralee's clumsiness, like the time she fell off a cliff while trying to heal a wounded animal. At least a few of the times, however, she was killed for Evianna's amusement.

Evianna had realized Zell had created an endless time loop, trapping Eltar in the same day for several months. She knew Oralee would die regardless, and she was mildly amused by Zell's sheer determination to save her when it was clearly pointless. To keep it interesting, she occasionally arranged some of Oralee's tragic "accidents."

One day, L'Telgo realized what his son was doing. He broke through the cycle enough to begin remembering each instance and realized poor Oralee was only dying in more and more horrific ways as his son tried in vain to save her. Cautiously, he approached the boy as he was about to try again.

"My son... You cannot keep doing this," L'Telgo said gently. "I know you think you are helping her, but you have damned her to a much worse fate and trapped Eltar in time."

"Father, I must save her," Zell insisted. "I cannot allow her to be taken from me."

"Zell, please, see reason. This is not the way. You cannot use your power like this. It is wrong, and it is unfair to that poor child."

Zell refused to listen, growing enraged and shouting, which he never did. Zell was always incredibly soft-spoken even when upset. He shoved his father away from him and jumped through time again. That day, as Oralee was stabbed to death by her uncle with a shard of the bottle she'd broken, L'Telgo used his telepathy to awaken his wife.

"Matriece, we must put an end to this," he said in concern.

"He is still a boy, my love... He is grieving deeply. You cannot blame him for trying to save the girl. He loves her," Matriece said sympathetically.

"No," L'Telgo said. "This is not about love... He didn't say he had to save her because he loved her... He said he wouldn't let her be taken from him, as though he owned her."

"He's a child, L'Telgo. He does not understand what he is feeling. His words are simply his way of expressing that."

"My beloved... There is something wrong with that boy... I love our son, however, he is headed down a dark path... One I fear shall lead us all into darkness."

"Nonsense. Have some sympathy, darling. You know how he adored her."

"I know this behavior, Matriece... My father fell into it once as well. He became determined to prevent a horrible event he had seen in a vision and went in search of a great power meant to be wielded by two... The very power our sons possess. My father had good intentions. He hoped to save our people. However, while he did prevent the event, he became obsessed with the power flowing through him. It was too much for one man. He began doing things to make himself stronger so he could protect Eltar, but he slowly lost his mind. That obsessive behavior led to him causing a storm that might have destroyed all of Eltar. The first Sorceress, Kenna, stopped the storm, but at a terrible cost. My father killed a beloved Son of Eltar, Drago. He never spoke of it, but I saw the events in his mind. He deeply regretted his actions and begged Kenna to remove the powers from him, which she did. He was never the same. It was why he retired and went into near complete seclusion."

"My love... You never spoke of this before," Matriece said in horror. She pulled L'Telgo into her arms to soothe him.

"Our son's grief is mostly based in rage that Oralee was taken from him. He is not like other boys, my darling. He has become obsessed with Oralee. In order to stop him from continuing this perversion of his power and violating time, I fear we must bind him and make him forget her."

"Taking his memories of poor Oralee is too cruel, my love. He deserves to remember the joy she brought to him."

"I know it is cruel, and it pains me deeply, however it is the only way. His obsession with the girl shall make it impossible to stop him."

Reluctantly, Matriece agreed. She bound Zell, ensuring he could no longer travel through time. He was furious. "I can do this, Mother! I can save her! I simply need to find the right way to prevent her end."

"Zell, my sweet boy, I understand your grief... However, you must let her go. You have trapped her in something unnatural."

"No! She shall not be taken from me!" Zell shouted firmly.

Matriece knew then that L'Telgo was right. "I'm terribly sorry, my darling..." She said. Then, before he could see it coming, she put him into a deep sleep. L'Telgo slipped into his mind, removing the memories of Oralee.

Zell awoke calmer. It had worked. Then, he began to feel like something was missing. He was angry, but he didn't know why. That was when Evianna approached him.

"Poor Zell... They are holding you back," she said in a sing-song tone, mocking him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Zell demanded.

"Who am I? Why... I am the Witch! The Witch, the Witch, the Witch!" She sang, spitting the word witch out sharper each time and holding her tongue behind her teeth the last time to accent it even more dramatically. She laughed.

"I... Do not understand," Zell admitted. "What is so humorous?"

Evianna ignored his question. "Do you want to know why you feel so bothered, Zell?" She asked.

"What do you know, Witch?" He asked.

"You lost someone you cared for deeply," she informed him. "You became obsessed with saving her and kept traveling through time to attempt it but failing miserably every time. It was highly entertaining to watch, so thank you for that! To repay you for amusing me, I'm going to help you, Zell."

"Help me how? I don't even remember this... You must be lying."

"You feel the truth in your very core, Zell. Listen here, carefully. Your parents bound your time abilities. It's why you no longer travel in your dreams."

He hesitated. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I know much, Zell..."

"But... My parents would never do such a thing."

"Yet they did. They left you unable to save your poor little friend. Then, to truly betray you, they took your memories of her. If you do not believe me, ask Elgan about Oralee. Go on. Then, come find me." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Zell was annoyed at her disrespect, but he had to know. He approached his baby brother. "Elgan, may I ask you something?" He asked.

"Of course," Elgan replied.

"Do you know the name Oralee?"

Elgan froze. "You remember? Mother and Father said not to bring her up because it would upset you and that you had forgotten," he said softly.

"Who was she, Brother?"

"She was our neighbor... Your dearest friend. You loved her. You told everyone you were going to marry her."

"What happened to her?"

"She perished... Mother and Father did not tell me the details. They said she is at peace now, and that is all that matters. I'm sorry, Zell. I know you loved her and must be very sad." Elgan hugged his brother with tears in his own eyes.

Zell held his brother, wiping away the tears Elgan had shed gently. "Do not be sad, Little Brother. I am sorry if I upset you." He released him and went in search of the Witch.

Evianna looked up and laughed as he approached. "Back so soon?" She asked mockingly.

"Alright... I trust you. You said you'll help me. How?" Zell asked.

"I shall unbind your power," Evianna promised. "You cannot save her, Zell. I cannot restore your memories, and even if I did, she is fated to die that night. It simply will not work, as amusing as it is to watch you try. Instead, I offer you this promise... You shall find her again. I have seen it." She knew Oralee would one day return to Eltar as her own kin, the daughter of her future half-sister who had yet to be born. She did not share that information with Zell.

"Why do you want to help me?" Zell asked.

"I see something in you... Great power and an incredible destiny that shall forever change Eltar. I am also amused by your passion, determination, and stubbornness when it came to trying to save the girl. I wish to ensure you rise to power, Zell. I think it shall be quite entertaining to watch. You have my vow that I shall do what it takes to help you achieve greatness."

"You are... loyal to me?"

"I am loyal to myself. However, I shall play the role of your secret champion, always cheering you on and helping you along the way as needed... Like today." She proceeded to painfully rip the magical binding from his very core.

Zell screamed in agony, but soon felt relief as she freed him. "You have impressive power for one so young," he said.

"As do you. Now... Your parents are holding you and your brother back, Zell. They stand in your way. Do with that what you will, but remember they not only prevented you from saving her but they also took even the memory of Oralee away from you. Find me if you have need of me." With that, she left.

Zell was already furious because he knew the truth about his parents taking his memories, but now he allowed his rage to consume him. What if it had been Elgan who'd died? Would they have bound Zell then? Some rules should be broken. "They shall never stop me again," he vowed.

That night, Zell made sure Elgan was sleeping peacefully before he cast a powerful spell, instantly stopping his mother and father's hearts at once. They died holding one another in bed. It had been painless and quick, a merciful death.

His only regret was that Elgan awoke before him and discovered their bodies. The seven-year-old was heartbroken. Zell did his best to comfort the brother he adored so much and vowed to raise him himself.

Within two years, an evil force came to Eltar. Kenna and Drago were already dead, however, Teyo still survived. He discovered the incubus feeding on innocent souls and attempted to stop it. He shoved a sword through its chest. In anger, Banlo, the First Incubus, slaughtered Teyo and absorbed his life force. Evianna witnessed this and took an interest in the incubus, the first entity who'd ever challenged the very powerful Teyo and survived to tell the tale. She kept an eye on him when he later returned to Eltar looking for new innocents to feed on.

Evianna knew as soon as Bartello, the first Incubus born on Eltar, was conceived that he belonged to Banlo. She also realized Teyo had somehow escaped from the energy field of his killer and become this boy. Bartello proved this theory a short time later when he began to show the same affinity for technology and magic which Teyo had possessed.

Long before that, about a century and a half after her own birth, Evianna's half-sister Aliese was born. Evianna despised her immediately. The girl was light, beloved, and exceptionally powerful. She wanted her to suffer. She went out of her way to torment her when she was a child, then began tormenting her children as they grew.

It seemed that Kenna had chosen to incarnate as Emmaline's granddaughter to keep her promise that she would protect her. Serafine was very close to her maternal grandmother because of this. That bond kept Evianna from killing her mother. Recognizing Kenna in Serafine, she did not often cross her directly, however, she did target Ash and Daphne. Daphne, of course, was Oralee, but Zell hadn't realized that yet. Evianna would leave little Daphne terrified and covered in cuts and bruises when she woke every morning.

Evianna was content to torment the children of Eltar and wreak havoc wherever she went. Still, she wanted Aliese to suffer more. One day, the incubus returned. "You there... Incubus," she called to it. "I have a proposition for you..."

Intrigued, the incubus acknowledged her by asking, "Who are you?"

"I am the Witch. And you?"

"I am Banlo, the First."

"The First..." Evianna seemed to taste the word on her lips. "Yes... You'll do nicely."

"What is it you want from me, Witch?"

"I wish for you to target a woman... She is exceptionally powerful with enough life force to sustain you for ages. Her name is Aliese, and she is my half-sister. In exchange, I shall supply you with four rare souls I have acquired. You'll gain great power."

Banlo considered this. "Very well," he said after a few moments. "Why are you so desperate to have me attack your sister?"

"Half! Half-sister," Evianna corrected him. "And I want her perfect little life ruined. She's so... Pure. And boring. I despise her. She is married to such a perfect man... Imagine his pain when she lets another man touch her! Imagine the scandal! Such anguish comes with betrayal! What fun! Oh, and... I want her dead. And humiliated." She grinned at him darkly. "I rather enjoy the pain of others, and since her daughter currently prevents me from harming our mother, I must find other forms of entertainment. Do we have a deal? There's really no down side for you. She's physically appealing enough and her energy will give you great power, plus you gain four other souls."

Banlo nodded. "I accept your offer," he said.

"Excellent! Here is one soul..." She ripped one of the many souls she'd collected from the realm she stored them in and fed it to him. He radiated with power from the young Wizard she'd slaughtered nearly a century before. He had an incredible affinity for necromancy, a fairly rare gift on Eltar. "You get the rest after the brat is dead. Go have fun hunting her."

Banlo did indeed hunt Aliese. Her strong mind provided a challenge, but he was winning. That was when Zell arrived, and he was not alone. Evianna watched the surprising turn of events from the shadows as Zell intervened, saving Aliese from the evil incubus. When his errand boy, Jezzeff, seemingly destroyed Banlo, Evianna cackled to herself.

"What fools," she mumbled. "An entity that powerful could never be destroyed by a determined boy with a sword." Sure, Aliese had strengthened his spell and helped drain all the energy from Banlo, but the incubus was a bit like Evianna. He'd been formed in the darkness, born of evil and bloodshed. He would not perish so easily. In fact, he could never truly perish at all, except perhaps at the hands of his son, Bartello. Killing Teyo had probably been a fatal mistake on his part.

Although he'd failed her, Evianna suspected Banlo might prove useful as an ally. She brought him back in other realms where she had vessels, feeding him the souls of the innocent and letting him wreak havoc when he was strong enough. Jezzeff and Aliese's spell had caused him serious harm and Evianna knew it would be several millennia before he returned to his former glory, but that didn't mean he couldn't still do serious damage when unleashed.

It wasn't long before Zell killed Serafine, framing Ash and ultimately killing the boy. He also had Jezzeff put their parents under a seemingly unbreakable enchantment. Evianna knew she could free her half-sister and her husband from the spell, but why should she? After all, she hated Aliese.

After casting that spell, Zell began to focus on her only surviving niece, Daphne. "He's found her," Evianna said with a laugh. "As I promised him he would. And it seems he is still obsessed with her. Good. He can have her. She's too much like Aliese. I hope he violates her and makes her his pet!" She laughed again at the visual, knowing that was very likely exactly what would happen and that the people of Eltar trusted him too blindly to suspect he might abuse an innocent girl.

Zell realized Evianna gave Daphne night terrors often. He ordered her to stop tormenting the girl. Since she still wanted Zell as an ally, Evianna reluctantly agreed to leave the girl alone going forward.

With Serafine dead and Laby completely dysfunctional, Evianna finally targeted her mother. The last thing she expected was for Laby to appear behind her and lock her in a labyrinth. She screamed in fury and tried to break free, but nothing worked. Broken or not, Labyrinth was still Drago's reincarnation, and his vow to protect Emmaline still held.

"What are you trying to do, Witch?" Laby demanded. He was afraid of her on some level, but he hid it well.

"I just want to play with her," Evianna replied innocently.

"Go play with yourself. Granny Em's off-limits."

"She's not your grandmother."

"She's S... S..." He paused, taking a breath. "She's Sera's grandmother. That makes her as good as mine."

"Still so loyal... Is she really worth defending? Little Serafine is dead, Labyrinth. Dead, dead, dead and gone!" She laughed.

Laby's pain was clear, but he kept his voice fairly steady as he replied. "I will always be loyal to her," he vowed.

"How sweet. You disgust me, you pathetic boy! Always following her around like some loyal dog. She'll never love you like you love her!"

"She loved me," Laby whispered. "Nothing you say can make me doubt that. Stop with the mind games."

"How about a new sort of game then? She made you immortal, right? Let's test that theory, shall we?" Evianna sent a powerful killing spell at the boy. It did nothing. She laughed. Then, she shoved a sword straight through him with impossible speed. That at least made him bleed and cry out in pain. Still, he wasn't dying. She tried to decapitate him, but an invisible force deflected the blade. "Not bad," she admitted. "The girl had power."

Laby was healing quicker than she'd expected, probably because they were in one of his labyrinths. Evianna tried a new tactic, slashing his entire chest open. He was still too wounded to defend himself, and since he'd been neglecting himself and refusing to eat or sleep since Serafine had died, it wasn't hard to catch him off-guard. Still, when he released Evianna, she was surprised he'd given up. Then, she realized her mother was nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" Evianna demanded.

"You'll never find her," Laby replied with a cocky smirk. He was still bleeding severely, but somehow, he'd found the strength to hide Emmaline in a labyrinth. No matter what Evianna did, she would never find her.

Evianna was infuriated. She'd wanted to kill her mother just as she'd killed her father. She punished Laby for his actions, torturing him for a bit before growing bored and finally leaving him three days later.

It was Zutan who found Laby bleeding horribly and suffering immensely. He was loyal to Zell, but the sight of the normally carefree shapeshifter lying so broken and helpless was enough to shock him into getting Laby assistance. He brought him to Plurri and asked him to heal Laby. Plurri immediately agreed and worked quickly to end Laby's suffering.

Laby never told them or anyone else what had happened. He knew with the way Aliese and Tiktah had changed that something was wrong with them and they could not keep Emmaline safe. He'd tried to cure what he assumed was madness but it had failed. Whatever had changed them, it wasn't insanity. He told Daphne gently that her grandmother was safe but couldn't return to Eltar. That was more than anyone else got out of him. Emmaline was free to live a new life somewhere no one would find her. He couldn't save Sera or Ash or even their parents, but their grandmother would be safe.

Evianna hated Laby for what he'd done. She was determined to make him pay for it one day, but she could wait. She had eternity, after all, and so did he.

Time wore on. Zell slaughtered the Junior Senate in a horrific building collapse he told everyone was a freak accident. He thought they all perished, but Raimus survived. He fled to Earth, using his telepathy to hide and remain safe. Zell didn't understand why he despised the Junior Senators because he had no memory of asking Raimus to help Oralee, but he made sure Eltar never replaced them, citing their deaths as a "bad omen" and eliminating the role from the Counsel of Eltar.

Zell eventually murdered Daphne because he had begun to come too close to genuinely loving her. He was still obsessed with his Oralee, even if he couldn't understand why that was. Aliese and Tiktah reacted by throwing themselves into helping the community to protect their image, unable to grieve or love under Zell's enchantment. Evianna was impressed the spell didn't break. It continued to hold even after Zell's death.

Ultimately in her boredom after Zell was destroyed, Evianna joined the Rebellion of Eltar, approaching Garron and Vitella in front of everyone at a meeting. "I wish to raise arms with you," she informed them with a dark laugh. "If you do not already know, I am the Witch. I, too, dislike our government."

"No way in Hell," Laby objected. "She's a lunatic, guys. And evil."

"She harms small children," Bartello added. He'd revealed that he was still alive by then, and he protectively stood in front of his younger brother, Zee.

"I'm sorry, Witch, but we do not seek to harm the innocent here," Vitella said kindly. "I think you misunderstand our mission."

"I thought you gave everyone a chance to prove they are loyal," Evianna objected.

"We do, yes, however-"

"Am I not a part of everyone?"

Vitella looked to Garron. Evianna had a point. Still, she hesitated. Garron nodded. "Of course," he said. "Welcome, Witch, to the Rebellion of Eltar."

Evianna cackled, bowed sarcastically, and vanished from sight.

"Garron, are you out of your mind?" Laby demanded. "You know what she is! She terrorized you, too, when you were a kid! You didn't wake up covered in cuts and bruises like some of the others, probably because you were still sick and weak and she saw no fun in that, but I know she scared you."

Garron put up a hand to stop him. "Laby, in this case, it may be best to keep our enemies close. We can keep an eye on her this way," he explained patiently.

No one could argue with that logic. The Rebellion kept as close an eye on the Witch as they could from that day on, but there was little they could do to stop her. She moved from place to place often and only showed up for Rebellion activities when she felt like it. She vanished over a century before Zell returned and the Rebels hoped she'd simply stay away or that she might have died. The Witch was very much alive, of course, and she sat patiently waiting for Zell to return so things could resume being more interesting. Only then would she choose to resurface.