Of Light and Dark.

"Daughters of the moon and sisters of the light, gather as the veil grows ever so thin. Our power awakens on this full moon night, come forth my sisters and join in our circle within."

Eliza lit the last candle, completing the circle that surrounded the small group. The flickering flames cast an eerie glow across the faces of the women - some young, some wrinkled with age, but all with a spark of something more in their eyes. Power crackled in the air as they joined hands.

"Thank you for coming, my sisters," Eliza said, her voice clear and strong. "The moon is full and bright, and our magic is at its peak. Shall we begin?"

Murmurs of assent rippled around the circle. Eliza nodded, satisfaction lining her face. "Then let us start with a blessing for our coven. May we always dwell in the light and walk in the old ways."

"Blessed be," the women responded in unison.

Eliza lifted her arms high, tilting her face to the moon. "I call upon our matriarch, Agnes, keeper of our wisdom. Lend us your vision, that we may see beyond the veil."

A cold wind stirred although they were indoors, carrying with it the scent of damp earth. The tang of sage and cedar hung heavy in the air as the witches sank deep into trance. Visions swirled before their mind's eyes - flashes of their past, glimpses of their future. Gasps and murmurs filled the circle once more as the women surfaced, blinking, from their journey.

Eliza gazed around at each of them in turn. "Sisters, share what you have seen so that we may gain understanding."

One by one the women spoke, describing the images and messages granted to them. Faces lit with awe and delight at the knowledge they had gained. Finally, Eliza turned to the youngest member, a shy girl of no more than fifteen winters named Anna.

"And you, my child? What wisdom did Agnes impart?"

Anna hesitated, dropping her gaze. "I'm not sure I saw anything clearly. Just flashes really, too quick to grasp."

Eliza tilted her head, studying the girl. After a moment she smiled gently. "Do not trouble yourself, Anna. The gift will unfold in time. You are still learning."

Anna flushed but nodded, relief evident on her face. The truth was she had seen something - a brief but vivid vision of Eliza herself, though decades older, standing over a prone figure. But it had vanished too quickly for Anna to make sense of it. She wasn't about to admit that now, not when Eliza and the others had placed such faith in her potential.

The rituals continued late into the night, filled with chanting that shook the walls and spells that made the air crackle with power. By the time the first hints of dawn lightened the sky, the witches were spent but satisfied. As they gathered their cloaks and snuffed out the candles, Eliza approached Anna once more.

"You did well tonight, my dear," she said, patting the girl's shoulder. "Your gifts grow stronger each gathering. Soon you will take your rightful place among us as a full sister of the coven."

Anna managed a shy smile. "Thank you, Eliza. I look forward to that day."

And she did, truly. This coven was the only real family she had ever known, the women raising her as one of their own after her parents had abandoned her as a babe. They had nurtured her gifts and initiated her into the old ways. She owed them everything.

And yet...that troubling vision lingered at the back of her mind. What had it meant? Surely it could not be real. Eliza was like a mother to her - she would never harm anyone, let alone one of their own. Tucking her doubts away, Anna hurried from the stone cottage and did not look back.

Many years passed...

Anna had grown into a skilled witch under Eliza's tutelage. The two had forged a close bond, Eliza grooming the young woman to one day lead the coven. But privately, Anna harbored misgivings. The coven's magics had taken a darker turn as of late, the witches focused more on power and control. Eliza led rituals meant to manipulate and subjugate, refusing to heed Anna's pleas for restraint.

"This is not the only way," Anna insisted late one night as the witches made preparations. "Magic should heal, not harm."

Eliza's eyes flashed. "You are naive, still a child in many ways. Our gifts set us above other mortals. Why should we not claim our rightful place to rule them?"

"Because that leads only to more suffering, more darkness," Anna said quietly. She knew she was risking Eliza's wrath but could stay silent no longer.

The older witch's face contorted in anger. For a moment Anna thought she might lash out with magic. But Eliza mastered herself, jaw tightening.

"Leave us," she bit out. "You are no sister of mine if you will not stand with this coven."

The words were a dagger in Anna's heart. But she stood tall, holding Eliza's furious gaze. "Then I will go. But know that I carry the true spirit of this coven with me still."

Ignoring the shocked murmurs of the others, Anna turned and strode from that dark place. She did not look back.

In the years that followed, Anna walked her own solitary path, using her gifts to heal and bless as she felt they were meant to do. The coven she left behind continued its quest for power and domination. But magic always bears a cost, and before long Eliza's ambition brought ruin upon them all. Disease, madness and mistrust corroded the coven from within until only Eliza remained, brooding and bent with age in the ruins of what she had built.

It was thus that Anna found her at the end - a once proud witch brought low by her own hunger for power. Pity stirred in Anna's heart at the sight. She knelt by Eliza's side in the dank cellar that had become her refuge.

"Let me help you," she implored. "It is not too late to make amends."

But Eliza's heart had turned to stone long ago. With the last of her strength, she cursed Anna before drawing her final bitter breath. Only, the words held no magic, only hatred.

Anna rose slowly, tears glimmering in her eyes. Her vision had come to pass, though not as she imagined. Grief welled up for the woman she had once considered a mother, now lost forever to the darkness.

"Your coven is no more," Anna whispered. "But I will keep your memory alive, until the day healing can begin anew."

She covered Eliza tenderly before climbing the crumbling steps. The past was gone. The future lay ahead. And wherever there was light, no matter how small, hope lingered. Anna stepped forward to meet it with her head held high.