Belle Adams' Butler

Crane's face turned in pain when the person behind him, pushed the stake further. On a closer look, Belle realised it wasn't a log of wood but a metal rod that was used on him. She quickly looked around to see the number of witches who stood out in the open. A bonfire was lit at the corner. 

"I am disappointed with you, Preciosa," said the same man who had handed the flask to her before she had left the church, "I was expecting you to be on our side. Not to help the demon instead. Betraying your own kind. Why would you do that?"

Preciosa didn't answer but stared at Crane who was being tortured across from where she laid. 

"I told you she was going to change sides," said a woman, walking to stand behind the girl who was tied, "She has crossed the limits by not obeying our words. Imagine what would have happened if we weren't informed about it?" she asked the man.

The man shook his head, "Preciosa, answer me," he said, disappointment in his voice. 

"I love him," came Preciosa's feeble words who looked like she lacked energy, "Why do we need to fight. We are all part of these lands. You want to eradicate people who haven't done anything." 

Belle's eyes widened when the man took hold of another rod and used it to hit against the girl's back, bringing blood out of her mouth, "How dare you defy our beliefs! Siding with the demons! Is this what I taught you?!" asked the man. 

"Stop hurting her!" Crane shouted. He put his hand on the rod that was sticking into his shoulder to bend it as his face contoured in pain and his fangs baring out for everyone to see. 

"Kill the demon!" ordered the woman who had spoken earlier. 

"Father no!" Preciosa cried, "He's innocent!" she cried. The witches who were actually black witches attacked Crane who Preciosa loved. He struggled to keep them away, fighting and killing them now, "Don't hurt him!"

"You have sinned," said her father, "I cannot let you live," and he used the rod this time on the back of her head, bringing out blood from her mouth and her head bleeding. 

Belle wished she didn't see this as it was too painful. She wished she could do something! But if she did something, there would be too many changes in the living and the land of the dead. But what if this was her destiny? Just like how she helped Lord Nicholas, maybe she was supposed to help but time was a tricky thing to play with. 

When Preciosa's father left to go near where Crane was, Belle quickly went to the girl's side, sitting down next to her. Blood had started to flow from the girl's head. Belle moved her hand to place it on the back of the girl's head. She could feel the wet blood on her hand. 

Preciosa turned her body around slowly in pain, her eyes were dilated, her silver hair was turning red because of the blood that was oozing out from her head. Her eyes then subtly moved to look at Belle. For a moment Belle sat like a statue amidst the chaos that was taking place in the village. 

Could the witch see her? 

Preciosa then turned to look at the man whom she loved who was being beaten and in the process of being killed. 

Belle heard a crackling sound coming from behind her, near the bonfire that was lit up. The flames seemed to have increased. With furrowed eyes, she looked at it before the sparks started to splatter like raindrops out of the bonfire. She let go of the girl's head, standing up, Belle saw how the fire started to grow and move towards the house. Before she knew it, the houses that were made of dry grass, caught fire. 

The black witches noticing this turned around in shock, "Preciosa, stop this!" the man shouted at his daughter. Suddenly the girl had freed herself from the ropes that she had been tied earlier. She pushed herself up to stand on her feet. Blood continued to drip down from her head, "Stop the fire! Come to your senses!"

"No," she whispered. Her eyes looked hollow and empty. 

"This is madness! Are you going to hurt your own people!" The woman shouted before trying to move closer to Preciosa, "Listen here, dear, the demon has tried to brainwash your thoughts-"

"My own people hurt me," said Preciosa, her voice holding no emotion. Her eyes fell on Crane who laid on the ground motionless. Rage suddenly filled her eyes. More fire blazed and people who stood behind caught fire to scream in pain, "I will leave a curse that no one will ever know of," as she raised her hands, the wind started to blow more around them but the fire never extinguished, "Let the world be filled with lies about us and know only the darkness that you all carry in your hearts."

One of the witches shouted, "Do something before she does something stupid!" 

Another witch used a spell, taking the stake and throwing the stake in the direction of Preciosa to only be pierced by the same stake as it turned around to attack her back. Some of the witches started to run away, leaving the village. 

"You will nothing but walk the path of destruction. That is what you will be known for. The power of greed and pride you have, I take them away to curse you with nothing but darkness," saying this a light erupted from the ground in front of her, to move up in the sky.

"What's going on!? I am not able to use the spells!" 

"Nothing is happening!" said another witch, "The magic is gone!"

The light that had moved up, disappeared to bring in darkness. Preciosa's body swayed with the blood that she had lost. She then moved her outstretched hand to point towards Crane who was on the ground before she herself, fell in on the ground. More screams were heard, fire setting people ablaze who were in and around the village. 

There was nothing but chaos all around the place. The fire burned everything and anything--people and the houses until it was there was nothing but black ash.

Belle didn't get to witness more as black smoke started to engulf her, taking her back to the present, to the land of the dead.