Born To Die Part Two - The Charm Of A Conflict

Biserka's Emporium

Kristoffer knocks at the door of the shop. It's on a side street, very hidden from anyone from the AMI finding it. He didn't tell Eudora where he was going in case she couldn't keep her mouth shut. The door opens slowly. A stunning woman pokes her head around the door. She has long silver-blonde hair, impossibly pale sapphire bug eyes, and skin so white it seems almost transparent. She smiles, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. She opens the door fully. She is eerily tall, probably over seven feet tall, and she wears what seems like a ripped bridal dress. It looks stunning, with long off-shoulder sleeves and a floor-length mermaid skirt, adorned with pearls, silver jewellery, and diamonds along the hem. She looks both young and old.

'Lovely to see you, Mr. Piercebridge. I am Biserka,' Biserka's voice is soft, deep, and soothing, with a slight Russian accent. She somehow already knows his name. He hadn't even messaged her. He feels taken aback by the identification, 'Please do come in. I have been waiting for you.'

'How do you know my name?' Kristoffer asks, mildly freaked out by her knowledge.

'I know many things, child,' She tilts her head to the side, hiding her hands behind her back. Her smiles stretches just a bit too far to be normal, 'Now please come in.'

She ushers him inside before shutting the door. Kristoffer's eyes can barely keep up with the sights inside the room. The freezing weather of the day is utterly shut out by the fireplace cracking with warmth and pasion. The windows are covered by purple and orange silk scarves, illuminating the room with a pleasant colour. A crystal ball sits on a rounded table with clawed marble legs draped with a velvet tablecloth, swirling purple, blue, black, and white inside. Around the table are two puffy purple chairs. The ceiling isn't solid, more like a night sky littered with stars. Bookshelves cover the walls, full of books on spells, sorcery, and witchcraft. There are a few white cats in the small space, mewling and climbing carefully on cat trees. There is a book on the desk next to the crystal ball, with an emerald-coloured cover that shines in the lights of scented candles around the room. There is a little kitchen corner, with just a small counter, a few cupboards and a kettle.

'Please make yourself comfortable,' Biserka grins, flashing her sharp teeth yet again, 'The cats all look the same, but you can call them Sugar, Vanilla, Penne and Pearl. I don't even know which one's which and which belongs to which witch!'

Kristoffer giggles at her joke, and sits down on one of the velvet chairs. The table suddenly begins to run away. Kristoffer recoils into his chair to avoid being trampled by it.

'Depresesco,' She seems utterly unfazed by the table running away from its space. It freezes in place, and irritably plods back to its original placement, 'I do apologise for Amalfrida, she has a penchant for running off.'

'It's fine,' Kristoffer watches as she purses her lips and makes a kissing sound towards one of the cats. It climbs onto her shoulders and settles, purring gently. Kristoffer decides to stop staring at the cat after realising he probably looks stupid, all infected with love seeing the little puffball, 'So, I assume you already know why I'm here.'

'Not quite yet,' Biserka sighs, placing herself elegantly in her chair. Kristoffer notices is she doesn't walk, and rather she floats like an undead being, 'The reason I knew you were coming is because I asked the crystal ball. It's vague at times. It acts up. It only told me that somebody was coming along to see me.'

'Oh, okay,' Kristoffer mutters, turning bright red. His nerves are promptly replaced for confusion as he sees Biserka grab the book off the table. She flips through the pages, looking for something.

'Ah, here it is,' She exclaims, placing the book down. She holds her hands in a claw over the glass orb, muttering something in a foreign language. They stare intently at the ball, and things begin morph into things that have never been. His biggest fears. It starts by forming into parents.