The gloom of the cottage was filled with a thick silence, broken only by the faint murmur of Lesky, who watched Liffel with concern.

-How is she? -He asked, without taking his eyes off the young woman, who lay on a makeshift bed of sheets and tattered blankets.

The sorcerer, a man with a reserved look and cautious gestures, inspected Liffel with concentration.

-I have applied a healing spell, but she is still bleeding for no apparent reason. It's as if her body were fighting against something invisible.... It seems to be the result of a curse. She'll wake up in a few minutes, but she'll need rest.

Lesky looked at Liffel, whose breathing was erratic, as if she was still fighting a battle within herself.

-What's wrong with her? -he asked, not looking away.

-I sense an immense power within her. Be careful,” the witch warned, as she gathered her things and prepared to leave. I don't like to be around other witches.

Lesky gave a wry smile.

-Funny you should say that, being a witch yourself.

The man looked at him seriously.

-Sometimes you have to be cautious, especially with a stranger like her. With the power she has, you should keep your wits about you.

Without further ado, the warlock left the hut and disappeared into the trees.

A few minutes later, Liffel began to stir. Her eyelids trembled before they opened, and in an instant she was up quickly, as if still trapped in a nightmare. Her body trembled, her breathing was rapid and erratic.

-You need to rest, don't get up,” Lesky said gently. You're safe.

Liffel tried to stand up, but her body did not respond well; she fell from the leaf litter, and when she opened her eyes, they began to bleed slowly . Lesky knelt down beside her, alarmed.

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-Are you all right?

Liffel clenched her fists, still weak.

-I think I overdid it,” she muttered, barely audible.

Lesky looked at her, confused.

-What did you overdo?

-I used too much power... I'm... Incomplete...” she replied, her voice a barely audible whisper, as if afraid to admit that frailty out loud.

Lesky frowned, trying to understand.

-Incomplete?

Liffel tried to regulate her breathing, her trembling hands wiping away the blood welling in her eyes. In a barely audible tone, she began to speak.

-Certain witches, like me, need to find their soul mate in order to unleash their true power,” she began, her voice trembling but determined. Our power is limited by an ancient spell, the work of a wizard who lived centuries ago and placed a curse on the last seven noble witches, the last of the most powerful of all time.

-That wizard,” Liffel continued, her eyes fixed on a lost spot, ”used a spell to restrict the abilities of those witches and their descendants. In doing so, he left a mark, a curse, that prevents us from using our full power until we find our soul mate. -He paused, his face reflecting fatigue and some pain. But the legend doesn't explain what 'soul mate' means, nor how to find it....

Liffel began coughing again, this time more intensely. The coughing intensified and small drops of blood stained her hands.

Lesky, alarmed, leaned over to her.

-Are you all right? Why are you coughing up blood?

She forced a smile, trying to play it down.

-As I told you, I overdid it using my power. Witches like me can get hurt if we use too much magic because of the curse. I'm paying the price for that excess.

Lesky nodded, understanding the gravity of what she was confessing to him. After a brief silence, he tried to lighten the mood with a friendlier tone.

-Well, since you shared all that with me, I should at least know your name, shouldn't I?

-Liffel,” she replied, her voice a little louder, though marked by fatigue.

Lesky gave a friendly smile.

-I'm Lesky. It's a pleasure to meet you, Liffel, even if the circumstances aren't the best.

A silence charged with complicity fell between the two. After a moment, Lesky asked him another question, trying to get closer.

-Where are you going?

Liffel lowered her gaze, as if searching for the answer within herself.

-Mainly... I'm looking for someone who disappeared and for some answers,” Liffel answered, her gaze lost.

Lesky watched her for a moment, feeling something inside him that he couldn't quite identify, an impulse to take care of her, to protect her, perhaps to accompany her on this uncertain path.

-If you need a helping hand along the way,” he said, smiling kindly, ”here's one for you.

Liffel looked at him in surprise and, after a moment's hesitation, she smiled back, grateful. Perhaps, in that unexpected encounter, both had found something they were missing: a budding friendship, in the midst of the mysteries and darkness that enveloped their paths.