Chapter 38 Chapter 37
The revelation that another Shadow Witch existed sent shockwaves through our entire team.
"That's impossible," one of the demon scouts said. "Shadow Witches were hunted to extinction. Your bloodline was the only one that survived."
"Apparently not," I said, still reeling from the discovery. "There's someone else. And their magic feels wrong. Corrupted. Like they've twisted shadow magic into something it was never meant to be."
"Can you track them?" Azrael asked.
I reached out with my senses, following the thread of corrupted shadow magic. It led deeper into the border territories, into areas that bordered the space between realms.
"They're close," I said. "Maybe a mile from here. But the signature is fading. Like they're trying to hide now that I've detected them."
"Then we move fast," Kael said. "Before they disappear completely."
We ran through the twisted landscape, the Veil growing thinner with every step. Through it, I could see glimpses of Earth. Streets. Buildings. Humans going about their lives, unaware that reality itself was fraying nearby.
The magical signature led us to a clearing where the Veil was so thin it was nearly transparent. And standing in the center, hands raised and power swirling around them, was a figure I never expected to see.
A woman, maybe in her sixties, with silver-streaked black hair and eyes that glowed with shadow magic. She wore robes that looked ancient, covered in symbols I recognized from Elara's journals. And the power radiating from her was undeniably Shadow Witch magic.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
The woman lowered her hands, and the magic around her dissipated. She studied me with an expression that mixed recognition with something like disappointment.
"Seraphine Blackwood," she said. "Elara's distant descendant. The one who repaired the Veil and bound herself to these monsters." Her gaze swept over Azrael and Kael with contempt. "I've been watching you. Wondering if you'd live up to our bloodline's legacy."
"You're a Shadow Witch," I said. "But that's impossible. We were all supposed to be extinct."
"We were supposed to be," the woman agreed. "But I survived. Hidden. Waiting. Learning. Preparing for the day when I could finish what Elara started."
"Elara created the Veil to protect humans," I said. "You're trying to destroy it. That's the opposite of what she wanted."
"Is it?" The woman's smile was cold. "Elara created the Veil because demons were preying on humans. Because vampires were treating them as cattle. Because the supernatural world was destroying the human one. But the Veil didn't stop that. It just delayed it. Made the supernatural world hide better."
"So your solution is to tear it down completely?" Kael asked. "Let chaos reign?"
"My solution is to remake it properly," the woman said. "The Veil Elara created was flawed. It kept demons mostly contained but allowed vampires and witches free access to Earth. That's not balance. That's favoritism. I'm going to create a new Veil. One that keeps all supernatural beings on their side and leaves Earth purely for humans."
"That would destroy the alliance," I said. "Everything we've built. Demons need limited access to Earth to survive. Witches live on Earth. You'd be condemning entire species."
"I'd be protecting humanity," she corrected. "Which is what Shadow Witches are supposed to do. Not make alliances with their oppressors. Not fall in love with vampires and demons. Not betray their own nature for political convenience."
"Who are you?" Azrael demanded.
"My name is Morgath," she said. "And I'm Elara's younger sister. The Shadow Witch who was supposed to die in that sanctuary three hundred years ago but escaped through a hidden passage. I've spent centuries learning magic Elara never mastered, power she never dared to use. And now I'm strong enough to do what she couldn't. Save humanity by removing the supernatural threat entirely."
"You're insane," I said.
"I'm practical," Morgath corrected. "Look at what's happened since you repaired the Veil, Seraphine. Demon attacks. Vampire oppression. Loyalist rebellions. The supernatural world is chaos, and it always will be. The only solution is separation. Complete and permanent."
"That's not a solution," I said. "That's genocide. You'd be killing demons who need Earth access to survive. Destroying witches who've lived among humans for generations. Creating a prison for entire species."
"A necessary sacrifice," Morgath said. "For the greater good."
"There's nothing good about mass murder," Kael said coldly.
"Says the vampire who's killed how many humans in his three centuries?" Morgath's eyes flashed. "You're all monsters. Every single supernatural creature. And the fact that this child has been fooled into loving you doesn't change that."
"I'm not fooled," I said. "I've seen the worst of the supernatural world. The violence, the oppression, the wars. But I've also seen the best. People trying to change. To be better. To build something that benefits everyone instead of just one species."
"Naive idealism," Morgath said. "It won't last. It never does. Eventually, supernatural nature reasserts itself. The strong prey on the weak. The violent dominate the peaceful. Better to end it now, cleanly, than wait for the inevitable collapse."
"So you're going to force your vision on everyone," I said. "Whether they want it or not. How is that different from what Malakai did? From what every tyrant does?"
"Because I'm right," Morgath said simply. "And history will prove it."
She raised her hands again, and power surged. The Veil around us began tearing further, reality fracturing under the assault of corrupted shadow magic.
"Stop," I commanded, reaching for my own power. But when my shadows tried to interfere with hers, they recoiled. Her magic was stronger, more refined, backed by centuries of practice and preparation.
"You can't stop me," Morgath said. "You're too young. Too weak. Too conflicted. I've spent three hundred years perfecting this magic while you've had it for barely six months. You're not ready for this fight."
She was right. I could feel it. Her power was overwhelming, and my attempts to counter it were like trying to stop a flood with a teacup.
"Then we fight together," Azrael said, moving to my side. Power crackled around him, demon essence ready to be unleashed.
"And I'll ensure she doesn't kill you in the process," Kael added, vampire speed making him a blur.
"How touching," Morgath said. "The alliance in action. Too bad it won't matter."
She attacked. Not with shadows, but with pure magical force that threw all of us backward. The Veil tore wider, and through the gap I could see Earth clearly now. A city street. Cars. People.
"If this tear opens completely," one of the witches in our team shouted, "it'll create a cascade. The entire Veil could collapse."
"That's the idea," Morgath said. "Once it starts falling, nothing can stop it. And then I'll rebuild it properly. My way."
"Over my dead body," I said, struggling to my feet.
"If necessary," Morgath said.
She raised her hands for a final assault, and I felt the Veil beginning to fracture beyond repair. This was it. The moment where everything I'd built would either survive or collapse.
I reached for the bond with Kael, pulling on his strength. Reached for Azrael, drawing on his demon essence. Reached for the three witches with us, borrowing their power with their permission.
And then I reached for something I'd never tried before. The connection I had to the Veil itself. The bond created when I'd repaired it. That link between my magic and the barrier between worlds.
I pulled. Not on my shadows, but on the Veil itself. Asked it to resist. To hold. To remember what it was created for.
The Veil responded.
It pushed back against Morgath's assault, fighting her corrupted shadow magic with the pure intention of its original creation. Protection. Balance. Coexistence.
Morgath's eyes widened with shock. "That's not possible. You can't command the Veil. No one can."
"I repaired it," I said through gritted teeth. "That makes it mine as much as Elara's. And I'm telling it to hold."
The tear began to close. Slowly. Painfully. But it was closing.
"No," Morgath screamed, pouring more power into her assault. "I won't let you stop this. Humanity deserves protection."
"Humanity deserves choice," I countered. "Just like every other species. And I choose cooperation over separation. Integration over isolation. Hope over fear."
The Veil sealed completely, reality snapping back into place with a sound like thunder. Morgath stumbled, her power depleted from the massive assault.
"It's over," I said. "You lost."
"This battle," Morgath said, already retreating into shadows. "But not the war. There are other weak points. Other opportunities. I'll find them. And next time, you won't stop me."
She vanished before we could capture her, disappearing into the space between shadows where even I couldn't follow.
"Let her go," Azrael said, seeing me prepare to chase. "You're barely standing. We need to regroup."
He was right. I was exhausted, drained from channeling so much power and directly manipulating the Veil.
"We have a new problem," Kael said grimly. "Another Shadow Witch who wants to destroy everything we've built. And she's been preparing for this for three centuries."
"Then we prepare too," I said. "Find her weak points. Figure out how to counter her magic. Stop her before she succeeds."
"Easier said than done," one of the demons said.
"Everything worth doing is," I replied.
But as we made our way back to the fortress, I couldn't shake the feeling that Morgath had been right about one thing.
I wasn't ready for this fight.
Not yet.