09/06/2026
EPISODE 9: THE NIGHT HER POWERS DIED
The witch stood frozen inside her house.
Another candle went out.
Then another.
The room that was once filled with strange energy suddenly felt empty.
Cold.
Silent.
Wrong.
Her breathing became faster.
For years, her powers had never failed her.
Never.
She had controlled the village.
Controlled fear.
Controlled lives.
But now something was happening that she could not understand.
She rushed to a wooden shelf filled with charms and sacred objects.
Normally, they glowed faintly whenever she touched them.
Tonight, nothing happened.
The charms felt ordinary.
Lifeless.
The witch’s hands trembled.
“No,” she whispered.
“This cannot be happening.”
Outside, the wind grew stronger.
The doors rattled.
The trees swayed.
Inside the cage, the young man looked toward the moon.
He felt different too.
The air seemed lighter.
Almost peaceful.
For the first time since his capture, he no longer felt surrounded by fear.
Back inside her house, the witch quickly grabbed a small carved staff.
It had always responded to her commands.
Always.
She raised it.
Closed her eyes.
And spoke powerful words.
Nothing happened.
The staff remained still.
The room remained silent.
The witch’s heart nearly stopped.
Her greatest fear had become reality.
Her powers were disappearing.
One by one.
Minute by minute.
She rushed outside.
The moonlight covered the compound.
She looked toward the cage.
The young man sat quietly, unaware of the storm inside her heart.
The witch narrowed her eyes.
Something about him suddenly seemed important.
Very important.
Yet she could not understand why.
She walked closer.
The young man looked up.
For the first time, she noticed something strange.
He was not afraid.
Tired?
Yes.
Hungry?
Yes.
But not afraid.
The witch stared at him carefully.
Then she noticed another shocking thing.
The invisible force that normally surrounded the cage…
Was gone.
Completely gone.
Her eyes widened.
A wave of panic rushed through her body.
She immediately stretched out her hand and spoke words that would usually tighten her magical control.
Nothing happened.
Not even a spark.
The young man slowly stood up.
The witch stepped backward.
Fear appeared in her eyes for the very first time.
“What’s happening to you?” the young man asked.
The witch did not answer.
Because she did not know.
She turned and hurried back toward her house.
Her mind raced.
There had to be a reason.
A cause.
A mistake.
Every power had rules.
Every curse had conditions.
Then suddenly…
A memory surfaced.
A memory she had not thought about in years.
Her face drained of color.
The old woman.
The dying woman from another village.
The woman who had given her power.
She remembered the final condition.
The final warning.
The one she had ignored for years.
The curse would end when a man truly in love refused freedom because of love.
And if she ever harmed that same man with her own hands…
Her power would vanish forever.
The witch froze.
Her entire body became cold.
Slowly, she turned toward the cage.
The young man.
The one she had captured.
The one she had punished.
The one who had refused to leave.
Her eyes widened in horror.
At that moment, everything finally made sense.
The escape.
His decision.
His silence.
His sacrifice.
The witch grabbed her head.
“No…”
She remembered touching him.
Dragging him.
Punishing him.
Using her own hands.
A painful scream escaped her lips.
She had done exactly what the prophecy warned against.
And now…
Everything was lost.
Without wasting another second, she ran toward the cage.
The young man watched her approach.
Confused.
Breathless.
Desperate.
For the first time since arriving in Alakika…
The witch was the one who looked afraid.
