SLAVE TO THE DEVIL HIMSELF (BLEED FOR ME WITCH)

CHAPTER ONE. Fire crept along the rooftops, slow at first, then hungry in range. Velvela stood in the middle of it, heat pressing against her skin as if she truly existed there. Houses burned one after another, flames folding inward as walls collapsed. Smoke blurred the air, thick with panic and cries that cut sharply through the night. The community was under attack. Mothers ran with children clutched tightly to their chests, hair loose, faces streaked with ash and terror. One woman stumbled, and before she could rise, wolves lunged forward. Their teeth flashed. Flesh tore. A child screamed once, then the sound vanished. Velvela’s chest tightened painfully. Nearby, a small group of women stood in a circle, hands tightly linked. Their eyes were shut, lips moving in unison as they whispered an enchantment. The air around them trembled faintly, like a fragile shield forming. It wasn’t enough. The wolves crashed into them without hesitation. The circle broke. Hands were torn apart. The chanting shattered into screams as bodies were dragged into the dirt, blood darkening the ground beneath them. There was no mercy in the attack. No pause. Only destruction spreading like fire itself. Then Velvela saw her. A pregnant woman stumbled near the edge of the burning settlement. Her white hair clung to her face, streaked with sweat and blood. Her torn gown hung loosely from her frame as she pressed one hand against her swollen belly and the other against a wall, trying to stay upright. She was trying to hide. “Please,” Velvela whispered, rushing forward. “Hide…please.” Her voice passed through the air, unheard. The woman suddenly froze. He was behind her. The man moved calmly through the ruins, untouched by chaos. Wolves parted at his presence. His expression was cold, distant, as though this moment had been decided long ago. The woman fell to her knees. “Please…” she whispered, tears spilling freely now. Velvela screamed, reaching out, but her hands met nothing. She was invisible. Powerless. The man stopped before the woman. “I would give anything,” he said quietly, “to kill you a thousand times.” The woman squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. “Witch,” he continued. “Die. And if you are reborn… I will have the pleasure to kill you again.” The blade drove forward. For a heartbeat, the woman was silent. Then her eyes flew open, wide with horror, pure white. “Afifi Adimano..Obise Adipa! She screamed an enchantment, words ancient and sharp, filled with pain and rage. The air cracked violently…. “AHHHHHH!” Velvela jolted awake. She sat upright in bed, breath uneven, heart racing wildly in her chest. It felt too real. This was the dream she had been having ever since she turned eighteen. Velvela let out a slow sigh, rubbing her face. No matter how many times it came, she could never understand it. The fire. The wolves. The woman. Why did she keep dreaming of strange creatures and wars that felt older than time? She chuckled softly to herself. “I really watch too much nonsense.” Her bedroom door suddenly slammed open. “Hey, Mom. Good morning,” Velvela greeted lazily. Her mother stepped in, arms crossed. “Still in bed? Get your lazy ass up. Don’t you have class?” “Ahh, not today,” Velvela groaned, falling flat on the mattress again. “I barely slept a wink last night.” Her mother sighed and sat beside her, gently patting her hair. “You had the dream again?” she asked quietly. “Yeah,” Velvela muttered. “And don’t say it’s because of those dramas. That won’t stop me from watching them.” She bit her lip. “I hate having dreams like a child. They’re always so terrifying… and real.” “It’s okay,” her mother said softly. “You’ll grow past it.” “And when will that be?” Velvela huffed. “I’ll be turning twenty in three days” “Stop whining,” her mother interrupted. “Crystal is waiting downstairs. Get up.” “Mum! You should have told me earlier,” Velvela complained, scrambling off the bed. “Now she has to keep waiting. So annoying.” She rushed into the bathroom, pulling off her nightwear as she went. After her quick routine, Velvela stepped back into her room, now empty. Her mother must have gone to prepare breakfast. She slipped into baggy trousers and a hoodie, then paused before the mirror. Her fair skin glowed softly, untouched by sleep. Her eyes were brown, just like always. But her hair… Velvela frowned. White. It had turned that way the day she turned eighteen. Her mother said it was hereditary, but Velvela knew it wasn’t normal. Dye never lasted more than an hour before fading away completely. “Funny,” she whispered. She pulled her hoodie up, hiding it as she always did, then grabbed her headphones. One day, she dreamed of becoming a pop star. “Perfect,” she muttered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder before stepping into the sitting room. “Her fate has begun,” her mother whispered to Crystal. They stopped immediately when they noticed Velvela. “Okay… what are you guys discussing?” Velvela asked, hands on her hips. “Is that how you greet your best friend?” Crystal laughed. “You’re trying to steal my mum from me,” Velvela scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Always whispering together.” “Enough,” her mother chuckled. “Eat breakfast.” “Not today, Mum. We’re late,” Velvela said, already heading for the door with Crystal. Her mother suddenly grabbed her wrist. “No matter what happens,” she said, eyes soft as tears slipped free, “remember I love you. Stay strong. You are a born ruler.” Velvela blinked. “Mum… is everything okay? Why are you acting like I’m going to war? It’s just school.” Her mother laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, baby. Don’t mind me. Go ahead.” As Velvela turned away, her mother whispered under her breath. “Fate will begin today.” “Mum?” Velvela paused. “Did you say something?” Her mother only smiled. “See you later,” Velvela said, though her eyes caught Crystal bowing slightly to her mother before following her outside. They were strange. Always had been. Velvela stepped into the morning light, unaware that the dream was not a dream at all. Fate had begun.