The Devil's Cursed Witch

Ember raised her head to look at him. "What do you want me to do?"

He lowered his gaze to look at her, "I do not wish to influence your decision. It is entirely up to you. All I can say is, I am with you no matter what decision you take."

"I didn't know I had caused him harm." Her tone sad, her eyes showed the guilt.

"You saved him. No one knew what was going to happen."

"They said I could save him because I love him," the guilt in her eyes deepened, "You know that is not the case. I...."

"I know. You do not have to explain yourself," His one hand caressed her cheek, "I can feel any of your strong emotions throng the bond as well. Even if not for the bond, I would still know the truth."

"But I don't want him to die. At least not the way they say his soul would be underworld for eternity. I would be regretful always."

"I know. None of us wants him to die."

She hugged him back and mumbled, "I didn't know he was suffering. I want to meet Morpheus. Would it be too much if I ask you to take me there?"

"I was going to see him anyways. I will take you with me," he responded and both of them left for the Witch Clan's healing chambers.

As they reached the door, they saw Aureus standing helplessly outside, the sound of painful groans emanating from the room behind that door. Ember recognized the voice as Morpheus's. She hurried to the door and opened it, with Draven following close behind.

Her gaze was met with a shocking sight. On the bed, Morpheus's pale body was writhing in pain, curling and tossing. Evanthe was trying to aid him with her divine powers, but it was of little help.

Ember saw something more terrifying that others could not see. Shadows surrounded him, torturing him, sucking the life out of his soul, and trying to drag his soul away. She froze at the terrifying sight.

"D-Draven," she held his hand, "Do you see it?"

"I do," he responded and went inside the room. He stood by Evanthe's side and tried to channel his newly discovered divine power into Morpheus, which helped to a certain extent but not entirely.

"He will be fine in a while," Evanthe informed Draven, both continuing to channel their powers.

Cornelia saw Ember and approached her. "Go to him if you truly care for him."

Cornelia's words snapped Ember back to her senses. Cornelia was anything but polite at this moment.

"I don't know how to channel my divine powers. Tell me how to do it?" Ember asked earnestly, wiping away her tears.

"Just go to him and do nothing," Cornelia replied impatiently.

Ember went to Morpheus and sat next to him. She held his hand and mumbled in a weak voice, "Morph."

The moment she touched him, a faint glow emanated from her hand, and the shadows seemed to hesitate. Morpheus's groans softened slightly as if her presence brought him some relief. Ember closed her eyes, focusing on the connection she felt with him, hoping that her mere presence would provide some comfort.

Draven watched silently, his heart aching for both Ember and Morpheus. Evanthe felt relived, seemingly exhausted after exhausting her powers for long. The room was filled with a tense, desperate hope as they all fought to save Morpheus from his torment.

Aureus, could stare at his uncle with his teary eyes. He felt it was better if his uncle was died instead of being tormented like this.

"Morpheus," Ember called out, but there was no response.

"He is exhausted and won't wake up for a while," Evanthe told her gently.

"My presence seems to push those shadows away," Ember said, controlling her emotions. "I will stay by his side."

"You do not need to," Evanthe replied. "It happens once a day, and today's episode is over."

Ember nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and sorrow. She looked at Morpheus, his face now more peaceful, and then back at Draven, who gave her a reassuring nod. She knew she had a difficult decision to make, but for now, she was grateful for this moment of peace.

Draven returned to the palace with Ember. The atmosphere felt unusually calm, as if time had stilled itself. All the servants moved quietly, performing their tasks without making any noise. Even the little bird Ray was quiet inside her cage, as if understanding the gravity of the situation.

The tension of the next day's council meeting hung heavily over the entire kingdom as they awaited Ember's decision.

-----

In his nest, Agraleus, Morpheus's uncle, was restless, pacing back and forth.

His wife approached him. "You have been worrying for a month already, Agraleus. He is awake, and he is going to be fine. He defied death once; he will do it again."

Agraleus shook his head. "This time it is not that easy. Everything is in the hands of the King's mate. Given how possessive divine beasts can be, I doubt King Draven would agree to it. He seemed calm and unbiased in the council meeting, but after the meeting is over, he is a Dragon who would not let anyone have his mate, let alone share."

"His Majesty has always been thoughtful and wise. He would not be selfish in this matter," she tried to comfort him.

"Even if His Majesty stays unbiased, we cannot say the same about his mate. Lady Ember is young and deeply in love with her mate. Not being accustomed to the world of supernaturals, I doubt she can even understand the severity of the situation. She might choose to be selfish and not give importance to Morpheus's life." He held his wife's hand with his trembling one.

"I do not want Morpheus's soul to be sucked into the underworld. He doesn't deserve it." His eyes filled with tears.

She wiped his tears away. "I understand your worry. We can only pray for Lady Ember to make the right decision."

"If the situation arises, I will get on my knees and beg her to save Morpheus's life. In exchange, I would give my life away," he spoke with determination.

"Wait for tomorrow's council meeting. I believe everything will be fine. There will be a way where no one is hurt and the situation is resolved," she continued to comfort him.