A week in the Time Chamber (Part 3)
The air crackled with latent magic, thick tendrils of mist curling around ancient trees. Circe, her robes tattered and stained with blood, staggered through the dense underbrush. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She could hear that damn bitch approach. Resting for a few seconds, she placed her hand on a tree, only to slip. "The cut hasn't stopped bleeding yet," she muttered to herself.
A sound in the bushes sent Circe into a mini panic, whispering to herself, "Keep moving, keep moving. She can't be far behind."
Suddenly, a burst of energy sent Circe sprawling to the ground, blood oozing from a gash on her forehead and the stab wound deteriorating by the second. Quickly pushing herself up, panic clawing at her, she scanned the shadows for any sign of her pursuer.
Enchantress's voice suddenly pierced the air with laughter, almost as if it came from every angle. "There's nowhere left to run, Circe. Your time is at an end."
Circe's eyes widened in terror as Enchantress materialized from the darkness, her form wreathed in pulsing energy. She was practically overflowing with power.
"How... how did you become so powerful?" Circe asked. Enchantress was powerful, but they were always close to the same level. She could sense something was off with her; that energy was definitely divine.
Enchantress smirked. "I made a deal with a god," she said, wiping her forehead. Chasing after Circe was still somewhat tiresome, apparently.
Circe's blood ran cold as Enchantress stepped closer, her eyes burning with unholy green light.
"A god? But... but that's impossible. Who would willingly work with you?" Circe asked sarcastically through her pain.
Enchantress grinned. 'Oh, Circe, I will leave here alive and you won't,' thought Enchantress.
"Nothing is impossible for those with the will to seize it. I killed him, Circe. I took his power for my own," Enchantress revealed. "Remember that little plan you wanted to enact before you found out that the god of creation was already dead? That was, what, three thousand years ago? I took the liberty of doing it the moment I found out a new destroyer god was around," Enchantress explained.
Circe's mind raced, pieces of ancient lore falling into place like shards of a shattered mirror before she settled on the final realization.
"You idiot, you fell hook, line, and sinker for my bait. I knew a new set of Balance Keepers would eventually come." Circe revealed.
Chuckling slightly at Enchantress—this action was odd, considering she was just running for her life, but Enchantress humored her—ignoring the progressively warmer heat she felt.
"You fool. A god of creation cannot exist without a destroyer god. If you really ended the line of another set of Balance Keepers, you've doomed yourself. There's a reason why I knew of these things. Back then, we weren't friends, but we worked together from time to time. I really hated you, but I knew you were strong, so I needed to find a way to kill you so that I would reign supreme as one of the only primordial witches," Circe revealed, choking on her blood for a second before composing herself.
"I saw firsthand what happens to those who destroy balance. After my master killed the Supreme Kai of Destroyer Perpetua, both destroyer and creator ceased to exist,"
Enchantress fired a magic blast at Circe, injuring her more, irritated that Circe wasn't in fear but trying to spin some story to her. She was still going to die.
"Isn't your worthless master dead? If they succeeded and still died, well, it's no wonder why you're about to die here too. Useless. Both of you," Enchantress wiped her forehead again.
Circe chuckled faintly. "You've been feeling a hotness, haven't you? My master couldn't understand it either, but I was there when it happened before, and I suppose I will be here when it happens again," she propped herself against a tree as anger grew in Enchantress's eyes.
Suddenly, Enchantress's eyes widened in realization, a flicker of fear dancing across her features as she started sweating profusely, as if she had been running a marathon.
"No... it can't be. What is this?" She questioned, confused, before turning her attention to Circe, who was watching her. Summoning her magic in anger, she grabbed hold of Circe's magic and started forcibly draining it from her.
Before Enchantress could suck her completely dry, a blinding flash of light filled the clearing. Circe barely had enough strength to open her eyes, yet she still managed to do so. Immediately, the silhouette of a figure stepped forward, clad in shimmering armor that seemed to shift and ripple like liquid.
His attire, adorned with the symbol of a guardian, exuded regality, and his very presence resonated with cosmic authority—the Monitor.
Suddenly, a voice like distant thunder spoke. "Enchantress. You have violated the laws of creation. You will answer for your crimes."
Enchantress snarled, her power crackled around her like a tempest as she shot a wave of dark green magic at the Monitor.
"Resistance is futile," Mar Novu explained as he stepped forward. Enchantress felt true fear as she stared down The Monitor; his gaze burned, his aura burned the air around him. Not to mention, her power disappeared the moment it approached the cosmic entity.
Enchantress growled. "You cannot stop me, whatever you are! I am beyond your reach. I have my power, Circe's power, and the power of a god of creation! You should be nothing to me!" She roared, but the Monitor said nothing as he approached her.
In a chilling tone, he replied, "There are few beyond my reach, and you, Enchantress, are not one of them. I am Mar Novu, The Monitor." Suddenly, she erupted in power.
With a gesture, The Monitor unleashed a wave of energy that sent Enchantress hurtling backward, screaming in rage and agony as she slammed into a tree.
Circe watched in awe as The Monitor turned to her, his gaze like twin suns burning into her soul, the same gaze he used to burn his overwhelming power into her memory.
"You have survived yet again, Circe. But know this: there are consequences for meddling with the forces of creation. Should you attempt any offense like your previous master and Enchantress, you shall answer to me, just as all those before them have," The Monitor warned.
Circe nodded and avoided eye contact the moment she had the strength to avert her gaze, her heart heavy with the weight of her nerves. Enchantress felt like a summer breeze in comparison.
"I understand. I haven't forgotten since your last warning," she replied, feeling the need to get out of the way so she could heal.
With a final nod, The Monitor turned to look at Enchantress, who had blood running from her mouth. The simple attack gravely injured her.
"Alright, you're strong," Enchantress relented. She was no match for this Monitor, whoever or whatever he was. Turning her gaze to Circe before smirking, she added, "This should be easier now that I have most of your magical capacity." Enchantress explained as she thought, 'It worked on an Angel so it should definitely work on this guy.' She summoned forth her mystical powers with a few whispered incantations. With a swift motion, she conjured a spatial crack, its swirling vortex a gateway to another realm, and vanished from sight in a shimmering display of magical prowess.
The Monitor felt the disturbance and immediately charged in to stop her, his power attempting to forcibly close the spatial crack. But to his surprise, he was blasted back with incredible force.