In the shadowy quiet of the mountain evening, a woman sat on a cold, flat rock outside her stone house. Shadows danced around her, seeming to move with a life of their own as the wind swept through the trees. Her gaze was fixed forward, her face hidden beneath a dark hood, eyes piercing as they reflected the eerie moonlight.
Then, without a sound, a bat swept down from the night sky, its wings flapping as it flew closer and closer until it hovered just before her. In one swift movement, the bat shifted, bones and sinews snapping and realigning until it took the shape of a tall, lithe woman, her face pale and eyes sharp as they glinted with dark magic. She wore a long, flowing black robe, symbols etched faintly along the sleeves, and a strange amulet glistened against her chest.
The woman on the stone nodded, greeting the figure. “You’re here,” she murmured, her voice as cold as the mountain air.
“Yes, I came as summoned.” The newly transformed witch’s voice was laced with malice, her gaze piercing. “What would you have of me?”
The woman in the hood pulled a small, battered spellbook from her cloak and handed it to the witch. “I need your assistance in casting a spell. One that will shift the tides and bring ruin to my enemies.” Her eyes darkened. “Aria’s time is running out. Valerie will be the one to end her.”
The witch nodded, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She extended her hands, beginning to chant under her breath, her fingers twisting through the air as she gathered the dark energy around them. The air thickened, and the forest around them seemed to fall silent, as if holding its breath.
She began the incantation, her voice low and ominous:
"Shadows deep and darkness thick,