‘Go back to the real word Ryan! I wish you luck!’ Said master Eldric.

Before I could answer, I felt a strong pull on my soul. Master’s dreamscape was replaced by the familiar sight of my prison cell.

I saw Lucas and Karim watching me intently.

“How did it go?” Karim asked keenly.

“The training was great, I learned everything I need … But master past is …” I answered, unable to finish my sentence.

“Yes. It’s complicated.” continued Karim for me.

I nodded, not wanting to share master’s past with them.

“But what about you? Do you think you are ready?” asked Lucas with great interest.

“Well. Yes. But I want to rest first. All that training took a toll on my mind."

"I knew you could do it mate! Pay up Karim ! You own me one hundred shillings!" Lucas tapped Karim shoulders and grinned gleefully.

"What? That's not fair!!! How did you manage to learn everything in such a short time, Ryan? It doesn't make sense!" Karim exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

I shrugged, trying to suppress a smile. "It’s not about the time spent, Karim. It’s about the intensity and focus. Master Eldric's methods are... unique."

Lucas chuckled. "Unique or not, you did it! Now, get some rest. We'll need you at full strength later."

I nodded grateful for their tact. I didn’t want to talk anymore. I just wanted to sleep.

I stretched and lied-down on the cold floor of the cell, feeling the fatigue settle in.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to relax for the first time in what felt like ages.

The intense training had been grueling, both mentally and physically.

As I drifted off to sleep, fragments of Master Eldric’s lessons floated through my mind. His voice echoing in my thoughts: concentrate on the divine energy flowing from your core ; your shield must reflect the light and absorb the sound ...

* * *

When I awoke. Lucas and Karim were sitting nearby, whispering to each other. As soon as they noticed I was awake, they hurried over.

"Feeling better?" Karim asked with concern.

"Yeah, much better," I replied, while siting up. "Thanks for letting me rest."

"Good," Lucas said with a smile.

“Are you ready Ryan?” Karim asked me.

“Yes, my mind is clear now.” I answered with confidence.

“Alright, do your best Ryan, we are counting on you!” Karim said to cheer me up.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Lucas added, “You can do it Ryan!"

I nodded and said, "see you later guys!"

I put my defensive shield on, cloaking my body into an undetectable armor of divine energy. Then, I visualized a golden thread stretching towards the witch mind. I imagined it connecting with her, creating a bridge between our minds. I took a deep breath, mentally stepping onto the bridge. I felt a strong pull, as if my soul was leaving my body. My surroundings changed.

Suddenly, I found myself in a lively home, filled with laughter and love.

“Grandma, grandma, can I get a cookie please, my stomach is grumbling.” The little girl said with a sweet smile, softly tugging on the old woman apron.

“Alright darling, I will give them to you as soon as they leave the oven.” The grandma replied, putting her cooking gloves in the drawer.

“But grandma, I don’t want to wait, I want them now!” answered the little girl with a pout on her face.

“There is no but, sweetie, I don’t want you to burn your mouth.” Grandma said gently, bending down to kiss the little girl's forehead.

The little girl crossed her arms and sighed dramatically, but then her face brightened. “Can I at least have some milk while I wait?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course, my dear. Milk and cookies go hand in hand, don’t they?” Grandma chuckled as she poured a glass of milk and handed it to her granddaughter.

“Now, why don’t you sit at the table and tell me about your day while we wait?”

The little girl climbed on a chair, clutching her glass of milk. “Well, at school today, we learned about dinosaurs! Did you know that some of them were as tall as houses?” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

“That sounds fascinating! Which one was your favorite?” Grandma asked, genuinely interested as she checked on the cookies in the oven.

“I liked the T-Rex the best because it’s so big and strong. But Mrs. Johnson said that even though it was really powerful, it had tiny arms and couldn’t even clap,” the little girl giggled, mimicking a T- Rex with tiny arms.

Grandma laughed along with her. “That’s true! Even the mightiest creatures have their limitations.”

As the delicious aroma of baking cookies filled the kitchen, the little girl continued to share stories from her day, and Grandma listened with a warm smile, happy to have these precious moments with her granddaughter. Finally, the timer beeped, and Grandma carefully pulled the golden-brown cookies out of the oven.

“Here you go, my darling. Fresh and warm, just like you wanted,” Grandma said, placing a plate of cookies on the table.

The little girl’s eyes lit up as she reached for a cookie. “Thank you, Grandma! You are the best grandma in the word!” she declared before taking a bite.

“How about we go for a walk in the forest after you finish your cookie?” grandma suggested.

The little girl’s face brightened even more. “Yes, yes! I love going on walks with you, Grandma!” she exclaimed, quickly finishing her cookie.

Hand in hand, they stepped out of the house walking toward the forest.

They soon arrived at their secret spot.

“Look, Grandma! There’s rabbit!” the little girl pointed at an adorable furry creature. Then started to run after him in excitement.

"Don't go too far sweetie." grandma warned. But the little girl couldn't hear her anymore. She was running wildly, chasing after mister rabbit.

Suddenly, something ruined the peaceful atmosphere.

A goblin appeared.

The little girl yelped in surprise.

"Hic!"

"Liddie run!" yelled grandma.

Then she said something in her own language.

"Aritma Kazuri litm ryes corsk."

Purple chains materialized, binding the goblin into place, but it was too late.

The goblin had already pierced the girl heart with his claw.

A heart-wrenching cry pierced the air.

"Nooooooooooooo"

Grandma rushed to her granddaughter's side. The little girl laid on the ground, clutching her chest where the goblin had struck her. Blood stained her pink princess dress, and her face was pale with shock and pain.

"Sweetie, stay with me," Grandma pleaded, her hands trembling as she assessed the wound.

With trembling fingers, grandma began chanting softly, another incantation in the ancient language, this time focused on healing.

"Yerni tasuri ental grana," she whispered.

She continued to try all kind of things to heal the little girl to no avail. The body had turned cold.

She embraced her frail and cold body tightly. Crying bitterly. Unable to let go.

"Liddie, my sweet child, I am sorry your grandmother has failed you."

After what felt like an eternity, grandma tears dried, replaced by something else - something more violent.

Her eyes turned deep purple, pulsing violet tattoos appeared across her skin, her expression turned savage - burning with hatred and insanity.

"I will avenge you Liddie. I promise."