Chapter 16: Willow – Witch of the Stars!

The transition into Willow’s Dimension was seamless. One moment Jax stood at the edge of folded space, the next he stepped through the door he had torn open, and the world changed.

Willow’s Dimension was very special. The air was much cleaner than the outside, no doubt due to special mana formations. The environment was warm, and there was a scent of flowers and rain.

Above, the sky was a soft twilight, with slow-moving constellations, with an immense amount of stars littering the sky.

On the ground, crystal-clear water flowed everywhere through rivers, with elegant stone bridges arching across these rivers at regular intervals.

Waterfalls cascaded from floating terraces, pouring into luminous pools below, each pool ringed by carefully cultivated gardens filled with exotic plants Jax had never seen before.

Jax took a few steps forward, his boots making no sound against the pale marble pathways. His Mana Awareness instinctively mapped the dimension, and he felt it immediately, this entire space was engineered.

Every stream was positioned deliberately, everything forming an immense mana circulation formation that fed into the heart of the dimension.

’Quite impressive,’ He thought, knowing how difficult this would be after obtaining the Mana Engineering knowledge.

Jax walked around for a bit before finally spotting various Witches scattered throughout the space.

They were young women, all of them striking in different ways, dressed in flowing witch gowns of varying colors and styles. Some wore wide-brimmed hats adorned with sigils and charms, others had circlets or floating crystal halos instead.

Their staffs ranged from simple polished wood to elaborate constructs embedded with gemstones and layered enchantments.

They were all working, with some tending to gardens while others practicing various spells.

The moment they noticed him, everything stopped as they all recognized him, their new Demon King.

One by one, the witches turned fully toward him and bowed, with a mixture of genuine respect and fear. Some placed a hand over their hearts. Others rested their staffs against the ground as they inclined their heads.

“Welcome, Your Majesty,” one of them said softly, her voice carrying across the water.

Jax inclined his head in return, acknowledging them without dominance or pressure. His aura remained calm, contained, respectful of the space he’d entered.

“I’m here to speak with Willow,” he said simply.

A few of the witches exchanged glances, faint smiles tugging at their lips as they looked directly at Jax. Before any of them could respond, a voice echoed through the dimension.

“Oh? Looking for me already?”

It came from everywhere and nowhere at once, an unmistakably confident tone of voice.

Jax’s golden eyes narrowed slightly in intrigue as he heard that.

The voice continued, playful and teasing, “I was wondering how long it would take the new Demon King to come knocking. You didn’t even knock properly, you know. Very rude, very rude indeed, it seems you have little manners,”

The mana around him rippled faintly, as if the dimension itself were reacting to its mistress’s attention.

Jax smiled as he heard this, “Willow,” he said, projecting his voice calmly through the space. “I assume you’re watching.”

A soft laugh rang out, “Of course I am,” she replied, “And since you’ve already gone through the trouble of tearing a door into my home, I suppose I should make this interesting.”

The rivers shimmered slightly as she said that.

“Find me,” Willow said cheerfully. “If you can.”

Jax took a slow breath, his Mana Senses expanding, not forcefully, but intelligently, reading the dimension’s structure and flow.

A smile curved his lips.

“Alright,” he murmured to himself.

“Let’s play.”

With that, Jax continued to expand his Mana Senses, but immediately felt a distortion in his senses, like static across a crystal lens. He realized that the stars above with shifting ever so slightly whenever his perception brushed too close to a specific point to stop him from finding where Willow was.

He exhaled softly, amused rather than frustrated, realizing she wasn’t hiding behind walls or distance at all, but behind scale, using the night sky itself as a living interference array, to constantly lead him in false directions.

“Well played,” he murmured as he decided on a different angle of approach.

Willow’s laughter drifted faintly through the air, closer now, though still directionless, “Already praising me? I thought Demon Kings were supposed to be arrogant.”

Jax chuckled as he now began observing the environment Willow wasn’t manipulating. The Stars would lie, but the land wouldn’t

He knelt briefly, pressing two fingers against the pathway, not injecting mana, merely listening, feeling how the great circulation array converged inward,

His smile widened as he rose and began walking again. As he did this, Willow’s voice grew clearer, closer, now openly amused. “You’re cheating,” she accused lightly. “I never said you could read the floor.”

“You never said I couldn’t,” Jax replied calmly.

The garden ahead opened gradually, flowers parting around a circular clearing where mana pooled gently instead of rushing, where the stars overhead dimmed just a fraction, as if conceding defeat.

Standing there, Jax could see Willow, an absolutely beautiful woman with vivid green eyes and long green hair cascading freely down her back. She wore a green witch grown embroidered with silver lines.

“I was hoping it would take you longer,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” she said, snapping her fingers lightly as an elegant table and two chairs manifested beside the fountain, porcelain tea set already steaming softly.

“As expected of a Demon King, cmon, let’s have some tea,” Willow said, and Jax sat himself across from her.

He watched as the Witch settled into her chair, one leg crossing over the other as the tea poured itself using magic, steam curling between them, and for a moment she simply watched Jax over the rim of her cup, openly, unapologetically, her green eyes lingering on his face.

“I won’t lie to you,” she said smiling, “when Lilith told me a Demon King would arrive who could solve my greatest problem, I thought she was teasing me, or lying,”

She laughed lightly, then sighed, her gaze sharpening with sincerity. “But now that I’ve seen you…” Her eyes traced him once more, slow and appreciative as she licked her lips, “You’re perfect. Far more than I expected.”

Jax raised an eyebrow slightly as he heard that, “That’s flattering,” he replied, lifting his cup and taking a sip of the very delicious tea, “But you’re skipping the important part. What problem?” He asked.

Willow leaned back, fingers tapping idly against the porcelain, “I suppose,” she said quietly, “that means it’s time you knew who we really are.” Her eyes softened, and when she spoke again, her voice carried the weight of centuries.

“I am Willow, the First Witch. The Witch of the Stars, and long before this dimension, I was actually a human.”

Jax’s eyebrow slightly twitched as he hears that, but he remained quiet and allowed Willow to tell her own story.

The Witch looked up at the sky as she spoke, memories reflected in the constellations, “I was actually a Princess. From a kingdom so old its name has been erased by time. I was sold into an arranged marriage for politics, the usual reasons men trade daughters for power.”

Her jaw tightened briefly. “On the night it was meant to be finalized, I learned what kind of man my future husband truly was.” She paused, then continued without detail.

“Lilith appeared before me then. Not as a demon to be feared like the propaganda had stated, but as my savior. She offered me power, enough to carve my own place in the world. The price was simple and absolute. I would become the first Witch. I would recruit others. And I would belong, in part, to her.”

Jax listened in silence, golden eyes steady as Willow turned back to him.

“Every Witch you saw here,” she continued, “was once someone else. Human, Elf, Beastkin, Demon, it doesn’t matter. Women who were desperate, cornered, wronged, or simply unwilling to accept the lives forced upon them. They entered contracts with Lilith for power.”

Her fingers curled slightly, “The price is the same for all of us. We are forever infertile. And we are cursed with love.” She met his gaze directly now. “We cannot feel pleasure. Not with men. Not with women. Not even alone. Desire exists, emotion exists, but fulfillment does not… unless Lilith herself allows it.”

The air grew still as the words settled.

“It was Lilith’s way of ensuring independence,” Willow said softly. “We would never be bound by children or exploited through affection. But centuries later, it has become our greatest wound.” She smiled faintly, self-aware, “We are powerful, respected, feared even. And yet… lonely.” She took a sip of her tea, then added, almost lightly,

“That is the problem she believes you can solve.” Willow studied him once more, admiration returning to her eyes, curiosity burning bright. “So Demon King…if you want my and our unconditional help, you’ll have to prove you can please us…All Of Us!”

As Willow said that, Jax suddenly noticed Dozens of Witches appearing all around him, and all of them slowly began to remove their clothes.

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