Eternal Undying Chronicles

The evening sunset, its ethereal light filtering through the large windows, cast breathtaking, dying embers across the room. The air carried the faint scent of old parchment, magic, and a sweet feminine fragrance that could only belong to Malefica. The sun had finally sunk, plunging the world into darkness. Too bad it took Alicarde's mood with it.

"What the hell do you mean you can't use magic?" His tone was a mix of annoyance and skepticism.

"I can't use magic," Malefica stated, looking him directly in the eye.

"What kind of witch can't use magic? Doesn't that just make you a hot, ordinary person?" Alicarde's confusion was evident.

Malefica ignored the rude compliment. "I'm not exactly ordinary, and it's not like I can't use magic at all. Or did you conveniently forget our conversation on the night of the incident? I told you then I couldn't use my powers freely."

Alicarde recalled that night, though the details were hazy. He had been too out of it to pay attention, and his distrust of the witch hadn't helped.

"Yeah, I remember something about that. But you seem to be using magic just fine," he said, his skepticism unwavering.

"Yes, I can use magic, but only three spells a day and only within this city. Outside of it, I would be even weaker," Malefica admitted somberly, her strict, imperious demeanor not faltering.

"I made a deal with a useless witch. Great, just my luck," Alicarde muttered, rolling his eyes.

Malefica's eyes narrowed. "I am not useless. I can still teach you magic, which was part of our agreement."

Alicarde sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "Fine, be whatever. Can I ask how you got that way? I don't even see a grimoire."

"I have one, I assure you. Using it is... complicated. As for your question, I was cursed by a witch."

"A witch cursed by another witch? At this point, nothing surprises me anymore," Alicarde's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"We're not here to discuss my past. We have business to attend to," Malefica said sternly, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Business? With a witch who can barely use her own magic? That's rich," Alicarde shot back, crossing his arms.

Malefica's expression hardened. "If you're done with the sarcasm, we can proceed. Despite my limitations, I still possess knowledge and power that can help you."

Alicarde scoffed. "Knowledge and power? Sounds like a sales pitch. You better not be selling snake oil."

Malefica sighed, clearly losing patience. "Look, you need my help, and I need yours. Let's not pretend we have the luxury of bickering."

"Fine. Let's get on with it then. But I still don't get how a witch gets cursed by another witch. Isn't there some kind of witch code? You know, like honor among thieves?" Alicarde smirked, enjoying having cornered her.

"Not all witches follow the same rules, Alicarde. Some are more ruthless and cunning. Although, I was cursed more out of love than hate," Malefica said, her voice tinged with bitterness.

"How so?" Alicarde asked, genuinely curious now.

"That's my business. It has nothing to do with you," Malefica replied coldly.

"It becomes my business now that we have a pact. I need to know what I'm working with here," Alicarde retorted, unphased by her cold demeanor.

The night had fallen, and his nighttime persona was far more aggressive than his daytime self. He was determined to get answers, even if he had to force them out of her.

"I was cursed by a witch in a bid to protect me," Malefica said reluctantly.

"Fine, whatever. Your past doesn't exactly help me now," Alicarde shrugged, losing interest.

He didn't push further; her sob story wasn't his concern, and he doubted she would tell him the whole truth anyway.

"What's the grand plan? How do we take down Zagarath with your three spells a day?" Alicarde's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"We'll strategize. Use my knowledge of spells and your combat skills. It's not just about raw power; it's about tactics," Malefica responded firmly.

"Tactics, huh? Well, you'd better have some good ones up your sleeve, Professor. That wretch has allies everywhere," Alicarde said, leaning back with a skeptical look.

"I do. And you, Alicarde, need to focus on the mission, not on undermining our partnership," Malefica retorted, her patience wearing thin.

"Fine. Let's just hope your tactics are as good as you claim. Because if they aren't, we're both screwed, all things considered," Alicarde said, finally letting some seriousness creep into his voice.

Malefica nodded. "Agreed. Now, let's begin our preparations. Zagarath isn't going to wait for us."

With that, the two began to plan their strategy, each harboring their own doubts and hopes, bound by a pact that held their fates together in ways neither fully understood.

Alicarde settled into his chair, eyeing Malefica as she pulled out a large, rolled-up map. She spread it across the table, revealing a detailed layout of the city. Various points were marked with different symbols, indicating places of interest.

"We need to start with the key players in the government who are in league with Zagarath," Malefica began, pointing to several spots on the map. "These individuals have been turning a blind eye to his activities, or worse, actively supporting him."

Alicarde nodded, making mental notes. "Who exactly are we talking about?"

"Councilman Garrett is the main one. He's been bribed heavily," Malefica said, her finger tracing a path from City Hall to an upscale neighborhood.

"Then there's Police Chief Ray Richardson. He's been covering up Zagarath's activities, diverting investigations, and silencing witnesses. Among many others, I don't have all the details." She seemed irritated.

Alicarde raised an eyebrow. "What about the criminal groups? How do they fit in?"

Malefica's eyes darkened even more. "The Mafia has been involved in drug trafficking and illegal arms dealing, which Zagarath uses to fund his operations. The Triads are into human trafficking and have been providing him with a steady supply of victims for his rituals and food. They especially prefer pregnant women for their rituals, though the objective isn't clear yet."

Alicarde's face tightened as he felt a greater desire to end them. "And the street gangs?"

"They're mostly used as foot soldiers," Malefica explained. "They do the dirty work—assaults, kidnappings, intimidation. These are the ones I have found." She pushed a stack of documents to him.

There were many of them. Alicarde read through them; some of these were from police records. Their crimes were heinous: drug trafficking, illegal arms dealing, human trafficking, rape, assault, homicide, kidnappings, and intimidation. Yet they walked as free men.

The data wasn't detailed enough, especially among the government officials. Some of these officials were superstitious enough to have contact with shady cults and magic cabals, seeking assistance for winning elections in exchange for human sacrifices.

Malefica's data had too many holes and speculation, with no accurate information on their actual locations—only places where they had been spotted at different times.

Alicarde memorized the names of some of them. "Alright, I can get the detailed info by hacking into the city's databank. With this." He showed her the flash drive Amena had given him.

Malefica nodded. "You can get most of the information from there, but the police have a separate database. You'll need to hack into that as well, and you'll have to sneak into the precinct to access it."

Alicarde frowned. "That would be fine, although I don't think I'm good at sneaking into places."

"You'll manage," Malefica replied confidently. "But promise me one thing—no civilian casualties."

"Can't make any promises on that," Alicarde said.

"Wasting innocent lives needlessly isn't a sign of strength it just means you're weak," Malefica said bluntly.

"What did you just say?" Alicarde's tone turned cold, his eyes glowing with a murderous violet hue. He despised being looked down on.

Malefica was unfazed by his cold look. "If you want to prove your strength, then show me that you aren't weak. Prove that to me, and make me eat my own words. No innocent lives, and I'd acknowledge your strength."

Alicarde calmed down, rolling his eyes. "Fine. I promise. No unnecessary casualties. But if it comes down to it—"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"No," Malefica interrupted firmly. "Not if it comes down to it. No civilian casualties, period. We're already walking a thin line here, Alicarde."

He sighed. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll be careful."

'Besides, I don't want to hurt people either, but I don't want to make a promise and fail... not again,' he thought to himself.

"Good," Malefica said, her tone softening slightly. "We can't afford to hurt them even more. They're already terrified enough. We need to work on finding the Strigoi nest and eradicating them, saving as many humans as possible."

Alicarde leaned back, crossing his arms. "So, what's our next move?"

"We start by gathering intel. Hack into the city's databank tonight. Tomorrow, we plan the infiltration of the police precinct."

Alicarde nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Yes," Malefica added, her eyes locking onto his. "Remember, Zagarath isn't just a physical threat. He's manipulative and cunning. Don't let your guard down, not for a second. We need information."

Enjoy new tales from empire

"Trust me," Alicarde said with a grim smile. "I won't."

Malefica adjusted her glasses. "Good, we don't know what he is planning."

Alicarde hesitated. He had a clue but wasn't sure if he should tell her. Malefica noticed his expression. "Do you have a clue?"

Alicarde could no longer hide it; their pact dictated he tell her. "I suspect he is preparing for the battle for the Nexus Fragments that will soon appear around the city."

Malefica nodded. "Yes, I am aware of that. However, I suspect there is another reason, one which I am not certain of."

"What other reason could there be?" Alicarde asked.

"The Strigoi eat meat, it doesn't need to be human. Over the course of a month and a half, they have consumed more than three thousand humans, some of whom have been transformed. This goes to show there is more amiss, they can't eat that much."

"Some of the people might still be captives," Alicarde spoke as if it were a matter of fact.

Malefica sighed. "That still isn't enough to explain the numbers. Three thousand is just an estimate. Where are they taking the humans they capture? I know the underworld sells some with esper potential to the government, and some are sold to cults for human sacrifices. But the numbers Zagarath is getting are too high for just food and creating minions."

The more Alicarde heard, the more disgusted he felt with the level of corruption. He knew the government wasn't exactly clean, but tonight made him lose faith in humanity—the humanity of these politicians, officials, and underworld scum.

"So you mean he is planning something big," Alicarde concluded.

"If we want to catch him, we have to do so at night. Strigoi can't stand the sun; they will only move when it goes down. For now, we need to break into the city databank. My familiar Wrath can help with his teleportation, but Wrath isn't exactly discreet."

Malefica considered this. "We'll need to be careful. If Wrath isn't discreet, we risk alerting Zagarath's allies."

Alicarde smirked. "Wrath might not be discreet, but he's efficient. We can use that to our advantage. A little chaos might give us the distraction we need."

"Chaos is risky," Malefica countered. "We need to strike a balance between creating a diversion and maintaining control over the situation."

Alicarde leaned forward. "So what do you suggest? We can't just waltz into the databank without raising alarms."

"We need a two-pronged approach," Malefica said thoughtfully. "While you hack into the city's databank, I'll work on creating a spell to cloak Wrath's presence. It won't make him invisible, but it will make him less noticeable. I'll have a mob outside to get attention."

"Fine," Alicarde agreed. "But once we have the information, we need to act fast. Zagarath won't wait for us to catch up."

"Agreed," Malefica replied. "And remember, no civilian casualties. We need to keep the collateral damage to a minimum."

Alicarde nodded. "I'll do my best. But if push comes to shove—"

"Don't," Malefica interrupted firmly. "We're trying to save this city, not destroy it."

"Alright," Alicarde sighed. "I get it. Let's just hope this works."

"It will," Malefica assured him. "We don't have any other choice."

As they finalized their plans, Alicarde couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much larger battle. But with Malefica by his side, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. They would find Zagarath, stop his plans, and protect the city—no matter the cost. His enemies would know fear, submission, or death...