The forest was dark that night. Despite the full moon, clouds obscured most of the light, a slight drizzle of rain lazily soaking the earth. It was the perfect night for something to go wrong.

Quiet humming flowed, just under the sound of the rain. The cauldron bubbled slowly, the smoke wafting slowly, hardly making it past the trees before a brisk breeze dispersed it. The dark liquid was stirred with a wooden spoon, though no hand touched it. Sybil was too busy looking over her ingredients to stir it herself, though her eyes flicked to it now and then to ensure it was going well. And, it was. Soon, it would be finished.

A stick snapped, and her humming ceased. A thin smile formed on her lips. They were early, she mused. That was alright. She was almost ready anyways.

“Don’t be afraid,” she spoke, voice almost coming from behind them instead. Her eyes lifted, intense as they caught onto her visitor immediately. Her next word was almost a spell in itself, hard to deny. “Approach.”