"Mirabel, you can't do this," Elliot pleaded, his voice barely audible above the roar of the ocean. "You're literally going to invade the house of the most powerful family of witches! They'll tear you apart!"
Mirabel turned, her expression softening slightly as she looked at Elliot. "I have to, Elliot. It's the only way."
"The only way?" Elliot scoffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "There has to be another option! We can call for help, we can-"
"There isn't, Elliot. Trust me on this," Mirabel interrupted, her voice firm. "This is something I have to do alone."
"Then, if I can't talk you out of it, I'm coming with you," Elliot declared, his eyes filled with unwavering loyalty.
Mirabel shook her head, a sad smile gracing her lips. "No, Elliot. I need you to stay behind." She paused, her gaze hardening. "I need someone behind the computer. Someone to monitor the situation, to provide backup if things go wrong. Someone who can pull me out if I get in too deep."
As she spoke, she opened a battered briefcase, revealing a treasure trove of high-tech communication equipment. Cables snaked out from the case, connecting to various devices with blinking lights and cryptic displays. She carefully adjusted a headset with a built-in microphone, checking the connection.
"This is all calibrated and ready to go," she said, placing the briefcase on a nearby crate. She then pulled out another, identical set of equipment, and held it out to Elliot. "Take this. I'll be able to communicate with you, but you need to stay focused, okay?"
Elliot reluctantly took the equipment, his expression a mixture of concern and acceptance. He knew Mirabel well enough to know that her mind was made up.
Mirabel stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Elliot in a tight hug. "Wish me luck," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Then, with a deep breath, she turned towards a strange contraption – a rectangular box with intricate symbols etched into its surface. This was the "Jumper," a device capable of transporting individuals across time.
She deftly typed a series of coordinates into a keypad on the Jumper, her fingers flying across the keys with practiced ease. The device hummed to life, the symbols glowing with an eerie light.
Finally, she pressed a large, glass button labeled "JUMP."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a blinding light enveloped Mirabel, consuming her in a vortex of shimmering energy. The air crackled with static electricity, and the scent of ozone filled the air.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over. The light vanished, leaving only empty space where Mirabel had stood.
She had jumped. She was gone.
Elliot stood alone on the platform, clutching the communication equipment, his heart pounding in his chest. The silence was deafening, broken only by the crashing of waves against the shore.
He knew that Mirabel was brave, resourceful, and incredibly determined. But he also knew the danger she was walking into.
Meanwhile, miles and centuries away, Mirabel materialized in a burst of energy, disoriented but unharmed. She found herself standing in the middle of a cobblestone street, the air thick with the smell of coal smoke and horse manure. Gas lamps flickered, casting long, eerie shadows across the buildings. The people around her were dressed in clothing that belonged to a bygone era – bustled dresses, top hats, and long coats.
She had arrived. It was 1858.
The mission had begun.
———
As Mirabel materialized, she quickly activated the device implanted in her neck, a discreet chip-like interface. Two taps, and the world around her shimmered for a fleeting moment. Her clothing shifted, adapting to the fashions of 1858 Nigeria – a simple, respectable dress appropriate for a newcomer to the compound. Her skin tone subtly darkened, and her features subtly softened to blend in with the local population. The technology was seamless, allowing her to pass as a native of this time and place.
Steeling herself, she walked towards the entrance of the compound. The sounds of life and activity washed over her – the chatter of voices, the clatter of tools, the cries of children. But as she stepped through the gate, a scene of brutal injustice unfolded before her eyes, cutting through the relative normalcy like a jagged shard of glass.
A young maid was on her knees, her face contorted in terror as she pleaded for forgiveness. Her voice, choked with sobs, was barely audible above the din. But the figure towering over her remained unmoved.
A woman, radiating an aura of cold authority and cruel beauty, regarded the maid with an expression of utter contempt. A slow, evil smirk spread across her face, and her eyes, a piercing shade of green, began to glow with an unnatural light.
The maid's screams became a piercing shriek as she was suddenly enveloped in flames, her body writhing in agony.
Mirabel didn't need to be told twice. This was Ese.
Her heart pounded in her chest, fear mingling with a burning sense of righteous anger. She had to maintain her composure, to blend in and gather information, but the sight of such blatant cruelty was difficult to stomach.
Ese's gaze, sharp and calculating, snapped towards Mirabel. The burning maid was forgotten as her eyes assessed Mirabel, taking in her every detail. It was like being dissected by a scalpel of pure malevolence.
"Come here," Ese commanded, her voice smooth as silk but laced with a barely concealed threat. She looked at Mirabel as if she were a puzzle, a curious object to be examined and potentially broken.
Mirabel hesitated for a moment, then forced herself to move forward. She had to play the part, to earn Ese's trust.
Ese held out her hand, tilting Mirabel's chin up so she could get a better look. Her touch was cold and unnervingly gentle. "You look interesting," she said, her green eyes glinting with an unsettling intensity. "What's your name?"
Panic flared within Mirabel. She needed a name, a believable identity, and she needed it now. Her mind raced, grasping for anything, anything at all.
"Adunni," she blurted out, the name escaping her lips before she could fully process it.
The moment the word left her mouth, she regretted it. Why that name? What has she done?
Ese raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Adunni ," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Are you one of the new slaves from Lagos?"
Mirabel just shook her head, praying that her fear wasn't visible on her face.
Ese's smirk widened, revealing a hint of cruelty. "No matter," she said. "You are my new personal maid, Adunni. So follow me. And don't disappoint me, or you'll end up just like my last maid." She gestured dismissively towards the still-smoldering remains outside, then let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the compound.
Mirabel swallowed hard, her fear intensifying. She had to play along, to survive in this dangerous environment, but she couldn't forget the purpose of her mission. She would find what happened to Eamon and why he was captured, to unravel the mysteries of her past, and to prevent the events that had led to so much suffering. But for now, she had to follow, to observe, and to wait for her opportunity.
As Ese turned and walked away, Mirabel took one last, furtive glance at the burning figure, a grim reminder of the stakes and the darkness she had just stepped into. The weight of her mission settled heavily on her shoulders, but she knew that she couldn't falter. Too much was at stake.
Taking a deep breath, she followed
As Ese led Mirabel into her chambers, the ground began to tremble. The entire building shuddered, furniture rattled, and the delicate glass ornaments that adorned the shelves chimed precariously. Ese, however, remained completely unfazed, her expression betraying nothing but mild amusement.
Mirabel, caught off guard, instinctively looked towards the window. What she saw defied belief. Looming over the compound, blotting out the sky, was a colossal leg. A giant leg, bare footed its massive size sending tremors through the earth with every step.
Ese glanced at Mirabel, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she observed the shock and fear on her face. "Never seen a giant before, Adunni?" she asked, her voice laced with amusement.
She leaned back against a richly embroidered cushion, adopting a nonchalant air. "Giants are one of the most misunderstood creatures, you know. People usually think they're ferocious because of their size, but they're actually very calm and prefer to mind their own business."
Ese chuckled dryly, a hint of malice creeping into her tone. "Unless, of course, you provoke them. Then they'll crush you with just their feet, and you'll be nothing but a stain on the ground but you needn't worry this one works for us and he's calm well unless you provoke him."
As Mirabel struggled to process the sheer impossibility of what she was witnessing – giants, magic, enslavement – she heard the unmistakable sound of a horse neighing and galloping towards the compound.
Ese rolled her eyes, a look of weary annoyance crossing her face. "Why does he always survive?" she muttered under her breath. "Why does he keep coming back?"
She turned her attention back to Mirabel, her green eyes gleaming with a strange intensity. "Oh, I'll let you in on a little family secret, Adunni," she said casually, as if discussing the weather. "I know you've probably heard the stories – that our family tree only has females. Well," she paused, a sly smile spreading across her lips, "it was only a matter of time before nature cursed us with him… Eseosa…or, as he likes to call himself, Christopher."
The words hit Mirabel like a physical blow, sending her reeling. Christopher? Here? Eseosa?But that… that couldn't be. There had to be some mistake. I mean she always knew something was off about Christopher but an immortal wizard is something she would had never guessed.
She slowly walked towards the window and she saw, it was him, it was truly him not a grown version of him like with Eamon but this was actually Christopher.
Ese dismissed Mirabel with a flick of her wrist, as if she were shooing away a bothersome fly. "Enough," she said, her tone dismissive. "Leave. I've had enough of you for today."
Mirabel, still reeling from the revelations, turned and walked slowly away, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. How could Christopher, the seemingly carefree and always smiling Christopher, be an immortal wizard? And how could he possibly be connected to a family as powerful and twisted as this? A family of witches, no less, headed by the ruthless Ese.
She barely registered her surroundings as she stumbled through the compound, the weight of her mission pressing down on her. Everything she thought she knew, everything she believed, was being shattered into a million pieces. What had seemed like a straightforward task – infiltrate, investigate, extract – now felt like an impossible undertaking, fraught with danger and uncertainty.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a familiar tremor, a low rumble that shook the ground beneath her feet. The giant legs. She had almost forgotten about the colossal creature looming over the compound.
She couldn't help but stare, her mind struggling to comprehend the sheer scale of the giant and the audacity of Ese's family in enslaving such a being. How was it possible to control something so powerful, so immense? What kind of magic did they wield that could subdue a creature of that magnitude?
"Don't stare at them too long," a gentle, calm voice said from behind her. "They get insecure."
Mirabel turned, startled, and saw Ehogsa behind her. Her face was kind, her eyes filled with a gentle understanding. She exuded an aura of quiet strength, a sense of inner peace that seemed out of place in this oppressive environment.
"It's obviously your first time around the giants," the woman continued, a warm smile gracing her lips. "If not, you'd know that."
Mirabel managed a weak smile in response. "Yeah," she said, feeling a flicker of gratitude for the woman's presence. "It kind of is."
Ehogsa chuckled, a soft, melodic sound. "So, you're the new maid from Lagos that everyone's been talking about," she said. "The one who found favor in the sight of Ese. That you didn't actually do any gruesome tasks before you became a hand and personal maid... That's lucky, you know. Very, very lucky. She's never taken interest in anyone that quickly".
She paused, her eyes meeting Mirabel's with a look of knowing sympathy. "Well... I'll pray for you to last longer than the previous maid." Then, with a mirthless laugh, Ehogsa turned and walked away, leaving Mirabel standing alone once more.
Ehogsa's words, seemingly innocuous, sent a shiver of fear down Mirabel's spine. Pray to last longer than the previous maid? What did that mean? And what exactly was in store for her now that she had caught Ese's attention? The smile vanished, replaced by a palpable anxiety. Her heart beating faster and heavier.
The initial goal might have been to finish the mission and stop what was coming, but now, it was to survive. The smile was taken over by paranoia and her stomach started to ache. This was getting scarier than she thought.