Third time is the charm, Eliza thought to herself. Once again she was enveloped in the emptiness of the Void. Would she always return to the Void when she passed out?
Before she could continue her pondering, a familiar face popped up in front of her.
"You!"
The old woman nodded. She materialized fully and with a snap she let two comfortable looking chairs appear.
"Please sit down and I'll explain."
Eliza hadn't even formed her question yet and the woman already knew what she wanted to ask.
"I have to appologize for the whole jade fox fiasco. You have to know that that wasn't my intention, my visions didn't show any anomalies like this. That sly Kumiho must have slipped through the cracks of possibilities and changed the spells on the jade fox charm."
From a small side table that Eliza hadn't seen before the woman picked up two cups of tea and handed one to the witch.
"Kumiho did that?"
The woman nodded.
"Yes, in the forest where you first met her."
This woman was suspicious. How did she know all of this? Was she stalking her?
"What is your real name?" Eliza asked, more hostile than the last time she had spoken to the old lady, "You didn't give me your name last time."
The woman nodded, then waved with her hand and made Eliza's tea hover away and then settle down back on the table it came from.
"I think I owe you my name after all. At first I figured it wasn't important for you to know, as it would only complicate things and I didn't want that for you. But seeing as your timeline is very different from mine..." She paused for a bit, gauging the young witch's attitude, and then continued: "My name is Eliza Falton, and I am you from a different timeline, a parallel universe if you wish."
Eliza was glad she had no tea in her hands anymore, because she was sure she would have dropped it.
"You are... me?"
"Or I am you. We are the same person from a different timeline, and the Void can connect our timelines. It actually is a forbidden technique what I'm doing, but in war anything is fair game."
Holy Moon Bunny. Eliza was in deep shit, wasn't she?
"Eliza, there's a war coming, a final battle between gods and goddesses. Find the goddess of Light named Theia, without her Chaos will rule the Human world and conceal it in everlasting darkness. Do you understand?"
Even though she wanted to go hide in a cave and only ever read books for the rest of her life, she knew she couldn't. There was too much at stake and she was already involved. Nothing would be resolved by becoming a recluse.
"Yes."
Her older self nodded.
"Good. I'm aware it will probably be a very difficult task for you, but I'll try to help you wherever I can. That's the least I can do from my side. Our grimoires should already be linked by now, so call me whenever you need the power. You're not alone in this."
The younger Eliza nodded and then asked: "Why are you helping me anyway?"
The cup and saucer appeared back into the witch's hands, the tea now at a pleasant temperature.
"Because Chaos doesn't stop at a single universe. When Ahriman, the god of Chaos, appeared in your timeline, I got a second, more grim vision. If he gains control over your world, there's nothing that stops him from continuing to the next. Even my universe could be invaded."
"I understand."
This was her calling, her task as a Salem Witch. Then and there she decided that she wouldn't back down, not until the light had overcome the darkness. The war was coming, and she would come prepaired.
-------------
"My Lord, I've returned."
A black mist swirled around her red dress, repairing the holes and cleaning the stains. It also touched up Kimoho's hair, returning it to it's original pristine condition. It then disolved into the air as a tall man stepped out of the shadows.
"Good, how did the plan go?" The voice of Chaos resonated through her bones, making her blood rush to places she didn't want it to go.
"It... did not quite go as planned, my Lord. You see, the shapeshifter is still with the demon goddess, and Midori is gone..." Her voice trembled, she knew what the god of darkness could do to her if he was in a bad mood now.
Red piercing eyes watched the fox spirit's face, which had decided to settle on a fearful expression.
"That's a shame." Black, cold fingers traced the woman's jawline, "Though it's not all that bad. That witch and her apprentice had followed you, no?"
Kumiho nodded, confused as where the man was going with this conversation.
"Yes, my Lord. The portal should have closed sooner."
A tear rolled down her face, afraid of what he would do to her for that error in her magic. But he didn't do anything except running the tips of his fingers over her cheek, stopping the tears from wettening her just recently restored gowns.
"Well, call it a happy accident, because I think I've sensed the reincarnation of the goddess Theia in that fight of yours."
Ahriman brought his now damp fingers to his lips and slowly ran his tongue along them, savouring the taste of the woman in front of him.
"Maybe I should reward you for letting them slip through. How about a nice dream about your dearest Nora?"
A wicked smile split the man's face in half as he touched her forehead, sending Kumiho into a trance. Giant pillows appeared behind her, breaking her fall.
"You need me, Kumiho, Get addicted to me, Kumiho. Because the darkness won't let you go so easily, Kumiho."
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