Back in the tower, Lilith was standing next to Kyle, frozen from the shock of seeing Alicia’s condition. Seeing Alicia’s ashen hair and utterly weak state was a sight that’s very hard for her to accept. How? How did this happen to their powerful queen?

  Her lips trembled. She looked at Kyle with millions of questions in her eyes.

  "Zeres said that his existence made Queen Alicia like this," Kyle said in a soft voice, shocking Lilith once again.

  Lilith returned her gaze to Alicia and she fought the urge to cry. She had never seen Alicia this weak before. Even before Alicia became queen, Lilith and every young female witch look up to her. Because she was so strong and powerful, she was a badass witch and that was why once she became queen, even the old witches admitted that she was stronger than any witches they served before her.

  She never imagined this strong woman would be reduced to this state because she was strong even without the queen’s power. So how could she turn like this?

  Worried and unable to accept the truth before her, Lilith bent before her queen. Even if she now had the power of the queen, Lilith never once thought she’s now the queen. Because to her, there was no other queen but Alicia!

  Suddenly, Alicia’s eyes fluttered open.

  Alicia had been feeling like she was floating in the darkness. There was no thought, no feelings, just nothing. Until a strong presence pierced through the dizzying darkness she was in.

  "Lilith?" she uttered the moment she recognized the girl kneeling in front of her.

  When the girl nodded, Alicia found herself not knowing how to react. Seeing her bright silver hair and silver eyes froze her body for a long moment.

  But she recovered and she smiled at Lilith, stretching her arms to hug her. "I knew you’d be one day become the next queen Lilith. I’m sorry no one prepared you properly for this. I’m sure it must’ve been hard for you." she whispered as the two of them embraced each other.

  Before Alicia became queen, Lilith was the annoying little sister that kept tailing her wherever she goes. Alicia was strong back then, so many young witches look up to her. Lilith was one of them. The little red-haired girl was her die-hard fan, who somehow always managed to follow her everywhere no matter how she tried to evade her.

  Back then, Lilith called her big sister, and Alicia found herself liking the way she calls her, maybe because Alicia didn’t have any siblings. She began to like Lilith and eventually acted like her big sister. Though Alicia never spoiled her. Instead, Alicia taught her how to fight and become strong.

  When Alicia became queen, Lilith no longer called her big sister, and though they couldn’t spend much time together like before, Alicia’s treatment towards Lilith stayed the same. She remained the strict but kind big sister to Lilith.

  "No," Lilith cried, shaking her head. "No…… I’m not worthy. You’re our one and only queen, Queen Alicia. I’m not ready…… I don’t know what to do. You’re our queen……" she continued tearing up.

  Looking at her, Alicia understood what she was going through. Lilith was too young to be queen. Just like her, Alicia also became queen so suddenly because of the unprecedented death of the previous queen. Alicia knew how hard it was to for a new queen to prove herself worthy because it had been hard even for her. How much more to this young and very inexperienced young girl?

  The previous generations of witch queens had failed to unite the witches for many centuries.

  Alicia knew that the witches must unite now. The rogues must stop going astray because if not, someone evil would always arise to temp these rogues and create another chaos resulting in more deaths. Even before Alicia became queen, she had already thought of this, that if she was chosen to become queen, she would be the queen who would unite all the witches. This was her goal and a promise to herself. That in her reign, no witches will ever go rogue again.

  But before Alicia could even start working on her goal, she began to lose her power, and now, another queen was already here to replace her. She felt wretched. Her reign was now the shortest in history. She couldn’t even do anything yet, and she already lost everything.

  A small painful smile curved on her lips.

  When she stared at Lilith again, Alicia realized Lilith was the youngest ever who succeeded the queen’s power. Alicia could tell Lilith was overwhelmed from the power flowing her young and unprepared body. Lilith still needed help. She needed to become strong enough to contain her power, or else she’ll break.

  In the past, not all witch queens were righteous. There were queens who had become evil because of the queens’ power that was bestowed on them. Some of them also eventually abused their power and became greedy and hungry for more. Those previous queens’ misdeeds resulted in countless witches losing their hope and faith in their ruler.

  Some queens were unable to contain their power, and it resulted in them falling to madness. This was why the future queens were supposed to be the strongest. They must be prepared and strong enough.

  And Lilith wasn’t prepared. It was too sudden, too early for her. Though Alicia was certain she was a kind person, she knew Lilith’s strength was not enough to protect her from being overpowered by the power that she now possessed. She needed someone to help her and support her until she was strong enough to command her power. Because if not, her power will break her.

  ___

  *unedited