The Universe Beyond Ours

Chapter 15 (Part 3)

Harris, Philip, and Meredith returned home immediately and conversed with Chloe, Presley, and Felix.

"What could be in Denis' mind to make him come with Lyvie!? This situation we're in right now is absurd!" Meredith pondered aloud, her voice straining.

"We don't know! We have no idea!" Chloe replied with a shrug.

"...All we know is that this is a bad thing," Philip mused. "We need to get Denis back. Otherwise, history will repeat itself and make itself a hundred times worse."

"...This is bad..." Meredith sighed, her eyes locked on her shoes. "...Really bad," she murmured, her voice trembling. Looking at the others with fierce determination etched upon her face, she said, "...Alright, no more waiting. We should resume our trek towards the coven. This time, we have two goals: to reclaim the totems... and Denis himself."

"Okay, let's go," Philip urged.

"Can we come??" Chloe asked eagerly.

"No, you and Felix will stay," Meredith replied sternly.

"I'll supervise your siblings," Presley offered.

Chloe groaned in protest.

"Alright, let's move on, everybody," Philip asserted, his arms crossed.

Meanwhile, inside the coven, Denis stood before the warlock.

"Have you met my accomplice, Lyvie?" the warlock introduced Denis to Lyvie, pointing a palm towards her.

Denis glanced at Lyvie. "Mhm," he nodded. "So... tell me. What're my benefits in joining this coven of yours?"

     The warlock turns around and faces Denis, approaching him. He then snaps his fingers, and a blue fire ignites next to Denis. Denis looks at the fire that seems to project moving images of him, grinning blissfully as if he owns the globe.

"You will get whatever you want," the warlock explained sinisterly. "The world, both in this universe and yours, will hear your name and everything you say."

"So, if I join, I get my gains?" Denis inquired.

"Mhm..." the warlock nodded in affirmation.

"...If I join... you have to promise you won't hurt my friends... alright?" Denis asserted.

The warlock smirked, but behind his curled lips was his hesitation to agree. "Hm..."

"Do we have a deal or not, you mysterious crap?" Denis questioned, trying to intimidate the warlock.

"Hm," the warlock grinned in pleasure as he heard Denis' disrespectful words.

"Oh," Denis stammered, his eyes widening.

What a mistake Denis had made. Would he be killed for saying that? Who knows?

"...You're 'one' of us now," the warlock proclaimed with a deep voice, raising his arms.

     Denis experiences a profound shift, a sensation akin to stepping through a portal into an alternate reality where the familiar gives way to the unknown, marking the inception of a transformative chapter in his existence. A surge of electricity crackles beneath his skin, just like otherworldly energy coursing through his veins, infusing him with a potent essence tinged with a hint of malevolence. In this charged state, a newfound sense of empowerment blossoms within him. As this arcane energy thrums within him, Denis is enveloped in a cloak of exhilaration, with a primal pleasure that ignites flames of intensity within the recesses of his being.

     The heat of this newfound power dances in Denis' core, casting shadows of anticipation and uncertainty across the canvas of his consciousness. Is this the prophesied dawn of a fresh beginning, a rebirth that heralds the demise of the old self, paving the way for untold possibilities and unforeseen consequences? Amidst this enigmatic transformation, Lyvie grasps Denis' shoulder and begins pulling him towards a corridor with her. Her expression, a mask of stoicism, betrays little of the mysteries that lie ahead, her unwavering gaze a sign of the path yet to unfold. With a resolute demeanour, she leads Denis forward like a silent companion amidst the whirlwind of change and potential that swirls around them.

"Where are we going?" Denis asked, raising a brow as he walked alongside Lyvie.

"To my favourite part, whenever there's a newbie in this coven," Lyvie replied with a foreboding smirk.