59-The Hunter and the Witch

The water around the witch seemed to grow denser, heavier. Krahs' gaze pierced her soul like the teeth of a predator ready to tear its prey apart. He did not advance immediately—he didn’t need to. The sheer pressure of his presence was suffocating.

The witch felt her body turn cold. Her muscles stiffened, her mind screamed at her to flee, but Krahs' shadows seemed to stretch like invisible chains, holding her in place.

— You won’t defeat me with just your glare.

But the truth was bitter—bitter and undeniable. He could kill her easily, and she knew it. Her entire body knew it. Her instincts screamed in her ears to run.

The leader of a fallen tribe, burning with fury, stood before her.

And she… was just a witch with incomplete magic.

She growled in frustration, trying to push the fear away with rage. Her body glowed with a deep hue, runes appearing along her pale skin and scales. She raised her hands, and the ocean around them responded to her call.

— Freeze.

The ice spell spread through the water like an invisible explosion. Tiny crystals formed in the liquid around Krahs, dropping the temperature in an instant. The witch forced a tense smile—if she could immobilize him long enough, she might escape.

But then…

The ice shattered.

With a single movement of his tail, Krahs surged forward, the sheer force of his swim breaking the frozen fragments as if they were nothing. Before she could react, he was already upon her.

She barely had time to raise her arms before Krahs’ fist slammed into her stomach.

BOOM!

The impact sent her flying backward, her body spinning uncontrollably before crashing against a wall of rock. A muffled cry escaped her lips, bubbles rising to the surface.

Too fast… So fast that the pouch carrying the child was taken from her before she even noticed.

The witch tasted blood in her mouth. She clenched her teeth, eyes widening as she realized her prize had been stolen with ease. And there he was—Krahs, swimming toward her again.

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This time, he was holding the child in one arm.

And in the other…

He wielded a freshly plucked moray-kelp spear.

Strangely, she could see a golden glow surrounding the weapon. In an instant, she understood.

The spear had been enchanted with a star’s blessing.

Shock hit her, followed by a chill running down her spine. Her instincts screamed—if that weapon struck her, she would die.

Desperate, she summoned another spell, her hands trembling.

— Ice Spear!

A series of frozen spikes formed in the water, shooting toward Krahs like deadly lances. But he didn’t slow down.

A single flick of his tail sent a shockwave through the water, shattering the spears as if they were made of thin glass.

He kept advancing.

— Wait—! Your ch—

Krahs did not wait.

The spear moved.

The witch twisted her body at the last second, barely dodging, but the cold tip grazed her skin. Pain exploded in her shoulder. She could feel half of her life force vanish in a single blow.

She screamed, the water around her turning red.

Krahs looked at her, his eyes filled with pure rage and contempt.

— You attacked my home. You took my child… Your judgment today is death.

Like jury, judge, and executioner, Krahs raised the spear, preparing a real strike.

She gasped, clutching her wound.

— It was necessary! — she growled. — HE wants the child.

Krahs did not care.

This time, Nimue could not escape.

The spear pierced the side of her abdomen, slicing through her flesh with ease—even the stone behind her was impaled. The world spun around the witch, and a choked scream left her throat.

Her body went limp, blood mixing into the water.

She gasped, her vision blurring for a moment.

— No…

Fear finally consumed her.

Her fingers trembled. Her teeth clenched. She pulled from her last reserves of magic, her runes glowing once more.

— SACRIFICE!

An explosion of energy burst from her, forcing Krahs back for just a second—long enough for him to shield Nexha from the blast.

Her body glowed, and her wounds rapidly began to heal.

But at a great cost.

The witch’s eyes turned completely black, her breathing erratic. This magic drained her sanity—her soul.

But she had no other choice.

She raised a trembling hand toward Krahs, her voice distorted and dragging.

— You… won’t kill me…

The water around them began to twist.

But Krahs felt no fear.

He had realized something.

She was running away.

Her magic was not for attacking—it was for escaping.

His gaze narrowed. Disdain dripped from his voice.

— Coward.

With a single thrust, he shot forward.

The witch screamed, trying to conjure another spell, but the spear was already raised, ready to end her.

The ocean trembled.

At the last moment, multiple shadows surged from the rocks—like a black octopus, they grabbed the witch and pulled her into the darkness, vanishing before the final strike could land.

Silence fell.

Krahs stopped in the middle of the kelp forest, his breathing heavy.

The witch had fled.

But he no longer cared about her.

He looked down at the sleeping child in his arms.

He dropped the spear, which crumbled under the immense force it had endured.

And then—

He embraced his son.

Tears fell from his eyes as he held him tightly.