An overwhelming sense of terror held Waverly spellbound and managed to make her look braver than she felt when the creature began to move inside the mist that seemed to wrap around it like a fortress.

Her palms grew sweaty.

She could not see it per se, but a confusing silhouette left quick shadows against the mist, leading her to believe that it had to be a stupendously large thing.

"How hopeless you are!" It said in a voice that sounded much like one restricted by age-old cumulating mucus and left startling grumbles in its wake.

She stirred mentally, though her bones remained static. Each time the creature moved, her heart rate increased for fear that it would pounce. Should such a creature attempt to, there was no chance of survival. But since it sounded oddly conversational, she doubted it was ready to flatten her just yet.

"Hmm! An unlucky hero." It mused on. "I have little interest in how you came to be in this place. I see your light, mortal. It is weak, and oh, how weaker still it will become."

She forced herself to remember to blink, and when she did, tears rolled down. The inside of her eyes felt cold and stagnant, like water trapped under ice. "W-What are you?"

"I have no name, mortal, for none of your kind has ever encountered me. . ." It hummed. "You are the first to and definitely the last."

"How can that be?" Her limbs began to awaken, her feet unglued from the ground. "You dwell here and there are other things that live here too."

"Indeed." It agreed even though it sounded irritated. "Yet they never encounter me."

"How, then, have I managed to do so?" Although she was not at all interested in discovering how, she thought it best to keep the creature in conversation, untill she at least knew exactly what she was dealing with.

The mist sparked with an intense bluish flame then dulled. Again, the creature seemed to run past, broadcasting a brief shadow.

"You felt me. . . greatly." It did not sound so convinced.

All the while, she was quietly taking steps back to achieve a greater distance and a longer headstart should the monster decide on a chase. "I don't understand. Are you fear?"

The idea seemed unlikely because she had met Fear once long ago and it neither sounded nor looked anything like the monster before her.

"No." It denied, grumbling as if in deep thought over the matter. "No, I am not fear. I am something far greater and more ancient than that. I am what you mortal kind may call desire. You felt desire and allowed it lead you to me."

She swallowed nervously. "So, what now? Are you going to kill me?"

Its sinister chuckle made her skin crawl to the point of breaking apart.

"Desire can bring an end to mortality." It claimed. "As can fear. It is in your will to decide whether I kill you or not."

"Let me go then." She made to turn. The monster growled in vicious anger, bringing her to an instant halt. She gripped her dress tightly as it was the only thing within her grasp.

"It does not work like that," It snapped. "Mortal!"

"Wh-What would you have me do?"

Again, it laughed. "Can you not tell? And I thought the likes of you godly abominations were supposed to be in possession of greater intelligence than mere men."

"I can tell you're calling me stupid."

"You are stupid!" It snapped again, sending the ground into a brief tremor. "Stupider than any mortal I ever saw."

"But I thought you-"

"Be wise to keep your next statement a secret from me, otherwise this meeting will come to an end you dread."

She thinned her lips. "Alright. You are apparently a good deal more brilliant than I can ever be, so, please tell me what I must do so that you can let me go."

The creature hummed. "You have humility in you. Believe it or not, I am very capable of sensing when I am being bamboozled by words."

She nodded. "Well, thank you. But first, may I ask you a question?"

"If you are certan it guarantees your safety, carry on."

A little bit of tense air escaped her nostrils and she silently prayed she was on the right track. If there was one thing she noticed that all deities had in common, it was that they loved high praise.

"You say you are desire,"

"I am."

She fidgeted. "Since you are the primordial embodiment of desire, does it mean you have existed long before all of the gods?"

"You can say that." She took note of the faintest hint of ease in its tone. A difficult achievement because the creature barely sounded anything other than malicious.

"And that means you are not subject to Hekate's will as others are."

The mist shifted in a strange way, as if it were an animal on its belly making slight readjustments to its position. It ached to think that the creature was the mist itself and she hurriedly put the thought away.

"I may not be subject to the witch, but I understand well enough that she exercises dominion over Nys to an extent. And we are not enemies. She has defined her territory, and I mine, thus if your aim is to tarnish her name to gain my allegiance, you are starting on the wrong foot."

"That's not my aim." She shrugged meekly and quite sadly. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm the only one on my side down here. I simply stated my curiosity because, sometimes, she makes it seem as though all of Nys is under her authority. And on a sincere note, I was beginning to believe her, until, well. . . here you are."

It hummed, growling in low tones. "Have I satisfied your curiosity then?"

"Fairly." She admitted, though secretly disappointed about her failed strategy to win the creature over. "Now, it is your turn to satisfy mine."

"You wish me to reveal the way to free yourself from my realm."

"Yes." She nodded.

Then, the mist suddenly parted, unveiling a long path of eerie darkness in its middle. The sight filled her with an alarming sense of vulnerability. She felt as though she had been cut open and could feel the wind whooshing around her insides. The creature's tone became just as eerie when it spoke.

"Now, why would I want to do something like that?"

"Because you have to." She trembled. "I don't want to stay here."

"Oh, but you desired to." It cooed evilly. "You went with your so-called wish and it landed you here, or do you think feats like those you accomplished earn you laurels? Perhaps they do, but only amongst folly men."

She swallowed, unsure of what the monster meant. "I never wished to come here."

"Yes, you did." It barked briskly, making her jump. "And because you did, you will never leave. Your fate is now tied with mine and with the confines of this realm. Until you learn to not be fooled by your own desires, here is your trap."

A strong gust of wind shoved her from behind, toward the path. She shielded her face, a bloodcurdling scream exploding out of her as she was tossed forward.

A few somersaults later, she laid face down with pained groans, sobbing in between.

The longer she cried, the more she noticed a vague series of soft sounds accompanying her sobs. Then, she stopped for a moment and frowned at the magnified ground. It was green.

Jerking back, she inspected it for a split second before glancing around. She gasped long at the sight of a field. The largest one she had ever been in.

The landscape was neatly dotted with bushes, plentiful trees, and a winding stream. In the far distance were large hills; and on the far left, a series of cleared paths that looked like roads from the distance. Deliberately, she trudged across the carpet of even grass, admiring the environment: the sight and song of thrushes whose melodies had first snagged her attention, the smell of fresh air; hills that seemed to follow her, rolling along at a snail's pace, and the sky - a dull, blueish green as of a precious stone - sprinkled with foamy white clouds to compliment the remarkable scenery.

The roads gradually drew nearer, until she was standing before them - wide paths yawning in three different directions.

The wet north road bore a trail that resembled overlapping carriage wheels and was flanked on one side by withering bushes. It seemed to vanish toward the left at a point and gave her a queer feeling. The west road was dirty, fresh with hoofprints and a deep gash that suggested a pig farmer's cart had experienced trouble there and was dragged for the rest of the way, hence the prints. The east road, on the other hand, was cleaner, dryer, smoother and without any evidence of usage. On both sides trees shielded the path, yet traces of fallen leaves decorated it like a sacred passage, or rather one meant exclusively for a King.

She frowned, repeatedly reviewing the roads.

Although she did not feel up to taking one, there came a gnawing suspicion that she was mandated to. On instinct, she turned toward the clear road and was already at the start of it when she halted, restrained by a feeling of uncertainty. She longed to take the easy, flawless road, but something clawed her insides and steered her away, condemning her for being selfish.

"It's not shameful nor is it a selfish thing to want the best, you know." A person contributed.

She spared turning around to acknowledge them because she recognized the voice. It was Brijjet's.

"What if it's not meant for me?" She needled, squinting attentively at the path ahead. "If I'm striving for it with brute force when it's not my destiny?"

He scoffed in the nonchalant way that she sorely missed. "There's no rule that says you can't alter your destiny. You just need to adopt the right attitude in order to get there, and I believe you already have the right attitude."

"What if I have only just been fooling myself all this while?" She whispered in a shaky sob, tears rimming her eyes. "What if all of it was vain? My path has always been darker, murkier and uncertain."

"Then, do you not think it is time you took a different path for a change?" A different voice countered.

She gasped and spun sharply, shocked by the sweet suddenness of the intrusion. Brijjet was gone and in his place was Judson. The sight of him, like sunlight in a hoary blizzard, drew a breath of relief from her and she lurched in an attempt to run toward him, only to falter at the last minute.

"Come to me." He urged, beckoning with both hands.

It took a lot of will to shake her head in rejection.

"It is alright."

The assurance was crushing and led her to take an inadvertent step forward despite the fit of trembles her innards had fallen into. He encouraged her on til she was standing right in front of him. The gray of his eyes was shrill and he looked no different from when she last saw him, but the proximity made her banish the thought that, just like everything else, he was not real.

His fingers closed around her forearm. He stared deeply and said the last thing she ever thought to hear.

"There is still hope."

Everything came to a rushing standstill when he wrapped her in a warm hug. A spring of emotion broke and she cried into his embrace. He hugged her still, whispering the same words over and over, until her weeping lessened into sobs and eventually soft hiccups.

Then, he released her.

Staring at him, she felt awfully frail, as though she had cried out all energy as well. He brushed a hand over her hair, which had grown a little past shoulder length, and a soft smile lit up his face.

"Now, go." He gestured to the east road.

She took up her dress and noticed that it was going past her calf, apparently a lot shorter than when she had last paid mind to it. Because she also started to feel exposed, she let it drop and walked toward the road, stealing glances at Judson behind. His expression stayed the same every single time - encouraging.

Eventually, she kept her focus fixed ahead and felt awash with ease when the fallen leaves were stirred up by a cool breeze. Midair, they turned a bright orange and encircled her, resting against her head to form a lovely garland with little daisies peeking out. The ground turned solid gold and blossoms rose out of it to flank the way. Up ahead, soft light marked the end of the road and the closer she came to it, the drowsier she felt.

Then, motion gently seized and reality warbled, throwing her into easy slumber.

When she awoke again, there seemed to be no trace of weakness in her bones any longer. Albeit, she did feel heavy and quite tired. She sat up with a lot of reluctance, and for the first time, yawned.

"Found some solace, have we?" Hekate sniggered.

Waverly rolled her eyes, frustrated more by the fact that she would have to deal with the witch's attitude a bit frequenter than endure eternal punishment. The latter was a tad preferable. Choosing to ignore the goddess, she rose and inspected the new arena. The inside of a magnificent courtyard.

"Want to know where you are?" The goddess came to lean against her and whispered the words in her ears.

"Since when did you become as generous as telling me something like that?" She fired coolly and flinched, keeping her eyes on the statue ahead. It was somewhat familiar in the sense that she had come upon it in person and not for the fact that it was of Hekate herself.

A half suppressed chuckle rolled out of the goddess. "Humor is retained, I see. Don't worry. I will not try to wringe it out of you, not when it entertains me as well."

"I am cursed to see you enough already." She stated, allowing her eyes roam away from the statue. The courtyard seemed to sit on very high ground because she could clearly see mountains in the horizon and an ocean glittering between them.

"This image might just be the one to burn into your mind forever." Hekate retorted easily then gestured to a grand building on the far left. A palace. "Go in."

"What if I'm not interested?" She snarled.

"What else would you rather be doing?" The goddess countered with a mocking scoff. "Whether you go in or you stay out here, you're damned to lose your mind."

"Then I'll choose what method best suits me."

Hekate laughed a second time, but it was laced with anger. "You have no choices down here, twattish scullion."

"Just as you have no other hobbies than this run-of-the-mill, boring jugglery you've been at since eternity."

Waverly threw the goddess a brief glance and caught an expression of stunned offense on the latter's face, which thoroughly satisfied her, before taking a casual stroll toward the palace in the full awareness that Hekate could do no more harm than she was already doing.

People began to appear all of a sudden as she approached, busying with one thing or another. The heavy doors of the palace was left wide open and the moment she stepped into the spacious hall, memory clapped over her senses like sudden thunder, reminding her why the place felt familiar.

Although she did not get to see the inside during her last visit to the kingdom, the palace was just the same on the outside and much grander within. It did look centuries older, flooding with sweaty servants who were trucking equipments of different kinds to the very center of the hall, where complicated work was being carried out. The entirety of the hall resonated with mechanical sounds and heavy machinery hung from the impossible ceiling.

Around a low table in the center, which even with the distance, she saw was painfully crammed, stood several men and women.

One woman in particular caught her attention - tall and gracile, lovely all around in a golden silk dress and several eye-catching jewelry decorating her forearms and wrists, neck, ears, and dark curls. She glided from place to place in nimble movements, inspecting and crosschecking every individual work. The busy groups seemed to be in the process of building something - a large and complicated device that was in bits and pieces across the room.

Waverly crossed the ocean-sized hall, nervous about being smashed by the dangling thingys above her head. They seemed so far up yet so close.

When she drew nearer, she picked up on conversation around the table.

"These measurements were all perfectly correct this morning, governor." The svelte woman voiced worriedly, tapping against a wide parchment filled with drawings, markings and confusing numbers.

"But we have tried the practical aspects over and over, Your Majesty." The man she spoke to, the governor, replied. "We have attempted other possibilities as well, but it is only possible on paper."

In the back of Waverly's mind, she had an idea who the woman might be, but the memory felt too far from reach.

The lady fisted refined hands against the parchment, chewing on her bottom lip in deep thought. She had a lovely face - upturned eyes framed by scanty lashes being the most prominent features. There was no crown on her head in spite of her obvious status as royalty though it was unspecified what position she held. She appeared more like a princess, but showed the elegant mannerisms of a Queen.

"And what about the progress of our armory collections, Areem?" She queried a different man.

"The smiths report smooth work, Your Majesty. Seventy five thousand completed thus far."

She nodded, visibly satisfied with the report, then her eyes clocked from one individual to the other as she began to belt out different orders. "I would like to see a sample by nightfall. Inform the laborers that all tasks are to continue, until I say otherwise. Dispatch all import trade vessels; we are in need of timber, iron, aluminum and plastic. Arrange a meeting with my taskmasters at midnight. I will see my creations come to life."

When the group cleared around the table with several bows, the governor whispered. "But, Yriel-"

"Save the lecturing for later, Jini." She lifted an interjecting hand. "I did those calculations myself and they were correct, but if I have to redo every one of them again and rid myself totally of sleep then I will make that sacrifice with the whole of my heart."

"And leave me all alone in our chambers yet again." The governor muttered in a sad tone of voice.

The woman, Yriel, or Uriel as Waverly had already recalled upon hearing her name, heaved a sigh and stole furtive glances around the room before taking the governor's hand.

"With me." She called and led him toward an adjacent doorway at the end of the hall.

The distant walls closed in, the scene melted and reformed into the private one Uriel had gone into with the governor.

Waverly back stepped nervously at the sight of them sitting side by side on a marvelous chamber bed.

"You have no sense of respect for privacy, do you?!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Hekate's scoff came from nowhere, the most entitled sound of them all. "I am a god. Privacy means nothing to me."

"Why am I in here?" She tried to walk away, but the rugs rolled in from behind and shoved her forward, until she was standing right next to the bed poster - an arm's length away from Uriel.

"To eavesdrop, obviously." Hekate responded with a mild snap, then her tone cooled. "It's definitely not your first time."

Waverly felt very tempted to stick her tongue out at the goddess even though she was invisible, but thought the better of it and faced the conversing pair.

Uriel's hands were lost in the governor's own and she slightly leaned inward to stare at him.

"It's not how you seem to see it, Jini." She was saying. "I have to finish this. For the people. Not for me. It is why I am Queen. All I have is their best interests at heart. I wish to protect them from our enemies. You remember how it was when we were children, don't you?" She brought his hand to rest against her stomach. "Do you want the same for our own?"

"No, Yriel, I don't." The governor whispered.

Waverly moved forward a little to watch his face. He appeared sad with his head bowed, as if he had been hurt somehow.

"But it is always one thing after another with you."

"What do you mean?"

"You are never done." He straightened and she did likewise, like a cat dodging a serpent's strike. From her movements alone, Waverly had the sense that the Queen could handle combat perfectly.

"Armors, swords, warships, calibers; you spend so much time worrying over them and you never stop. You have raised fortresses and battlements over the years, you spend all your time with that Elvish military advisor of yours, and with every accomplishment, you are hungry for more still."

"This is the last, I promise." The Queen implored.

"How many times have you promised that? You have a place in your heart for everything but me."

Uriel shot up to her feet. "That is not true."

The sudden tension rose by a tangible degree, cautioning Waverly, who had forgotten that it was all a simple vision, to retreat to a safer space.

Jini appeared calm. He rose as well, and until then, the fact that he was a head shorter than the Queen had been elusive. "It is true. Are you ever going to stop? You are with child, Yriel, our child. It is time for you to focus on your growing family and leave these inventions be. Let your generals handle the battleplans. Come back to me, please."

He went closer and took up her hands to kiss the back of them. "I love you, Yriel."

Remorse clouded her face before the scene instantly melted and changed into nightfall. Uriel was fast asleep and her stomach seemed to have grown much bigger, translating to the passing of time. The space beside her was empty, yet showed rumples, as if someone had been lying there.

Waverly stared at the empty spot, then at the Queen. "I had no idea she was married."

"She was not." Hekate offered, but gave no further explanations.

A sudden change in the atmosphere stole her attention to the other side of the room. Jini, in his night robes, was drawing close to the bed. He seemed crestfallen, and although he carried no weapons, Waverly sensed something dangerous around him. A suppressing aura.

"What is he going to do?" She asked, leaning forward from being overly tensed.

Very quietly, Jini crawled over the bed to where Uriel slept, defenseless, and placed his hands on either sides of her face. Dull shimmers that resembled tiny stars streamed out of his fingers and circuited every inch of her head. They were beautiful. She stirred softly, but did not wake. When the lights had all fully drained into her, he kissed her forehead and settled into the empty spot.

Just then, Hekate materialized near the Queen and sat by her side, taking up her curls in one finger. "Every night, he enchants her with dreams. By daybreak, she forgets the engineerings and abstract calculations of her inventions. He stumps the growth of her kingdom because of his own obsession - her."

"Why?" Waverly stared at the Queen, wondering whether she felt enchanted each time she woke up, or if she ever wondered why she had such trouble with retentivity.

"He makes it so that all her calculations are incorrect and nothing can be done." Hekate went on. "War was upon them and would have caught them unprepared."

The goddess rose, suddenly angry, but the burning emotion was not directed at Jini. "They came so close to being wiped off the face of the earth - my believers - because of your maggot kin."

"What?" Was all Waverly could manage whilst shuffling in retreat.

Hekate suddenly came to a halt and gestured toward Jini. "What do you think he is?"

Whether it was as a result of sudden pressure, or the obvious fact that was staring her right in the face, Waverly swiftly put together what the governor was. Not a magician as she previously suspected.

"Zanaan." She mumbled, realization settling faster. "Hephus. He was a son of Hephus."

"Exactly." Hekate snarled, closing the space between them. "And because of his foolish obsession, a vital part of history was almost erased."

Waverly's hair was caught in a painful fist and her head forcefully yanked back with it. She felt Hekate's burning breath against her neck. The deity seemed to be breathing up an inferno as a result of fury.

"One thing to kill a man faster than sickness is his own greed," She went on. "And always this has brought forth the downfall of self-righteous fools like yourself."

"I am," Waverly quivered through the discomfortable position. "Nothing like them."

"Then how did you get here?" Hekate hissed in a sharp tone. Then she swiftly retreated and gestured to the sleeping pair. "Best to find out what happened later, isn't it?"

She flicked her index and the scene shifted as if she had merely flipped the page of a book. The action left dizzy lines swirling above Waverly's nose.

The new scenario was taking place in the open courtyard. Locals were gathered in hundreds and before them a good feet away was a strange wooden contraption that resembled an execution stand. Jini stood at the start of its rickety steps flanked by armed guards. His hands were chained together and he looked neatly groomed for someone in his predicament.

To the far left of the gathering was a different platform. It supported a throne upon which Uriel sat leisurely, arrayed in gold and wearing overlapping gold clasps to substitute a crown. Her round stomach was flat, indicating that she had probably delivered. She was staring coldly at Jini, her eyes forming slits to conceal every remnant of pity that might ruin the hardened expression on her face.

She leaned into the chair and gestured to a man by her right. "Begin."

Loud pounding alerted Waverly to the presence of drums, though she could not see them. A scroll was opened and read by a different personnel, perhaps a herald. When he mentioned Jini's crime of bewitchment as an act of high treason, the briefest flash of pain rippled across Uriel's face. Nonetheless, Waverly saw it.

"For his treacherous actions against the throne, kingdom and our beloved Queen, Rudo-Medjini Erroll is hereby sentenced to death by public hanging according to the laws of Uriel Neris."

The herald rolled up the scroll amidst overlapping murmurs.

Somewhere inside Waverly, sorrow churned. As she watched Jini being led up the steps to the loop of rope dangling from a beam, she felt oddly sick and began to feel like his ghostly double - being executed not only for what he had done, but for who he was as well.

How else could he have gone about it?

Uriel never listened nor understood. Indeed his choices were unforgivable, but his reasons were not entirely selfish. He only wanted something beautiful with the woman he loved. She stopped her mental evaluation of Jini's motives swiftly enough to hear Uriel speak.

"Any last words?"

Though the Queen's gaze stayed ahead and she held her chin high, there seemed to be forced composure about her that was dangerously on the tip of melting. Should the execution drag on any further, Waverly thought Uriel would break into tears.

Jini, with the thick rope around his neck, turned to look at Uriel. He was a handsome fellow with eyes like cobalt, curtains of dark hair and dark beard. His skin tone matched Uriel's - tawny, in a way that reminded Waverly of the wings of a certain brush-footed butterfly native to her home realm. His robes were regal, making him appear outlandish in the current situation. It looked as if he was a King about to be murdered.

"Tell her." He said, tone plain, yet with a clear voice. "Tell her the truth."

Uriel softly rolled her eyes in disdain and looked to the corner. Standing far beside her throne was a young woman in silky white who cradled a swaddle. Uriel's newborn.

A lever was pushed and the wooden floorboard fell out from underneath Jini's legs, leaving him dangling. The crowd gasped in unison; women shielded their children's eyes, men lowered their hats and heads, and the sorrowful drums serenaded the gloomy atmosphere as Jini struggled with his life, until he stopped twitching.

A single tear rolled down Waverly's cheek. Her lips, which were parted the entire time, quivered. "How could she?"

"She had nothing to do with his decision to act foolishly." Hekate defended, still sounding angry. "He stuck both hands in fire and received the burn. No one interferes with fate."

"What was the fate he interfered with?" She turned in search and the scenario dissolved back into a wasteland of gloom.

"The fate of a small yet mighty kingdom, one strong enough to challenge the authority of any other." As she spoke, Hekate materialized. "Did you think if his enterprise had not then been stopped, you would have lived at all?"

For a moment, Waverly was confused. "What?"

Hekate snickered and began to stroll about. "A wounded, near lifeless body floating down the rivers of Erci would have died there had it not been found by those underground dwellers who showed it mercy. You were already on the verge of death when you arrived Uriel Neris, moon scum, and you know this. Imagine that that kingdom was obliterated during a war centuries ago, tell me, how would you have survived?"

It felt like stirring up a headache trying to recall past things, but streaks of memory thankfully pieced themselves together and reminded Waverly of when she once lived under the hospitality of Gypsies long ago.

"Do you mean. . .?" She faltered. "It was his destiny to die so that I would-"

"I alter history as it should be." Hekate interrupted in a casual tone. "Whomever it may or may not benefit is under my choosing. Now you may think I worked so hard to get you here. Part of that is true, but history is a game of chance as it is of skill. I have let things take their course while guessing how it would play out, and several times, I have been proven right. So, you see, moon scum, it is all as I mean it to be, even when I don't."

A deep frown creased Waverly's forehead. "You went through all this trouble to prove a childish point? Who, now, is desire eating up worse than sickness?"

In a flash, the top of her dress was caught in the goddess's fists. Green flashed inside Hekate's angry eyes and that monstrous form hiding in the background clawed its way up front, marring her face to become something utterly horrendous.

"You really know how to push those buttons, fool." She sounded like a talking serpent. "You think you have an idea what it means to survive? Let's test that, shall we?"

She pushed Waverly with a force that instantly cracked the latter's skull as soon it hit the ground, and the atmosphere drowned in absolute darkness.