Woven in Shadows (agatha x rio)

Down The Witches Road

Chapter twenty-one: Down The Witches Road

The air felt different the moment they landed. Heavy. Cold. Wrong. Agatha stumbled forward, her hand still clutching Rio's wrist like a lifeline. Nessa, wide-eyed, clung to her mother's other arm, her breath coming in shaky gasps.

"Where the hell are we?" Rio's sharp voice sliced through the silence, the faint edge of panic buried under her usual sarcasm. She yanked her wrist free, spinning around to take in their surroundings.

They stood on what looked like an endless road of shimmering black stone, its surface rippling faintly as though alive. The sky above was an endless abyss, stars scattered like shattered glass, pulsing with an eerie blue light. Shadows darted in the distance, too quick and shapeless to identify, but their presence was unmistakable.

"This... isn't right," Agatha murmured, her voice trembling just enough to betray her fear.

Rio turned on her, her frustration boiling over. "You think? Out of all the realms, you pick this one? The Witch's Road, Agatha? Really?"

Agatha's jaw tightened, but she didn't look at Rio. Instead, her gaze darted around the surreal landscape, searching for anything familiar. "I didn't pick it, Rio. I panicked. We were being ambushed—"

"And your brilliant plan was to throw us into a realm known for swallowing witches whole?" Rio's sarcasm was biting, but there was a flicker of fear in her eyes.

Nessa's voice was small but steady. "What is this place?"

Agatha knelt beside her, smoothing her hair in a futile attempt to comfort her. "It's... complicated. The Witch's Road isn't like other realms. It's more like... a crossroads between them. Witches have used it to travel, but it's dangerous. The Road has a mind of its own."

Nessa swallowed hard, her gaze flickering to the shifting shadows. "Are we safe here?"

Rio let out a short, humorless laugh. "Safe? Oh, sweetheart, nothing about this place is safe. It's a giant trap disguised as a shortcut. One wrong step, and you're gone forever."

"Enough," Agatha snapped, standing to face Rio. Her tone was sharp, but her eyes betrayed her guilt. "I know I screwed up, alright? But standing here arguing isn't going to get us home."

Rio crossed her arms, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. "You're right. So how do we get back, oh wise one? Because last I checked, the Witch's Road doesn't come with a map."

Agatha's mouth opened, but no words came out. For the first time, she looked genuinely lost.

The silence stretched between them until Nessa spoke again, her voice hesitant. "What if... we can't get back?"

Both women turned to her, the weight of her words sinking in.

"We will," Agatha said firmly, though the doubt in her voice was hard to miss.

"Sure," Rio muttered, stepping away to examine the Road. She crouched, running her fingers over the rippling surface. It felt cold and alive, like the heartbeat of something ancient. She straightened, brushing her hands on her pants. "If we can't retrace the spell, we'll have to find another way out. There's always a way out."

"How do you know?" Agatha asked, her voice softer now, almost hopeful.

Rio glanced at her, her smirk returning but lacking its usual confidence. "Because if there isn't, we're screwed, and I'm not ready for you to die yet, darling."

Agatha sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This isn't helping."

"Neither is standing here," Rio shot back, already walking down the Road. "Come on. If the Road wants us to find something, it'll show us. That's how it works, right?"