A few weeks later, Opal sat at the kitchen table when Derek Sr. turned on the news. The anchor spoke in solemn tones:
"Local healer and beloved member of the community, Serena Rose, has been missing for weeks. Today, authorities have officially declared her presumed dead."
Opal's throat went dry.
Derek Sr. turned to her. "You ever meet her?"
She forced a neutral expression. "No."
"Hmm." He frowned. "I could've sworn I saw her around with that guy... what was his name?"
Opal's stomach twisted. "Who?"
"That guy you used to date—Caesar," he said casually. "They were always around town with their kid."
Opal's breath caught.
"Kid?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yeah," Derek said, grabbing a drink from the fridge. "They have a four-year-old son. He's not much younger than James. I'd see them around sometimes, just... having fun, being a family."
Opal shot up from her seat, barely making it to the bathroom before she vomited.
A child.
She had left a child without a mother.
She gripped the edges of the sink, her reflection in the mirror looking like a stranger. Guilt clawed at her insides, but she couldn't say it. She couldn't let it show.
"Mommy?"
She turned to see James standing in the doorway, his tiny face filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Opal forced a smile, wiping her mouth. "Yes, baby. Mommy just ate something bad."
Derek Sr. walked in behind him, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You sure?"
"Yeah," she whispered.
But she wasn't.
She had won.
But she had also lost.
The town held a funeral for the witch.
Opal stood in the back, watching as Caesar delivered a heartfelt speech. His voice was raw with emotion as he spoke about the love he had for her, about how their son cried for his mother every night.
Then, his voice changed.
Hard. Cold.
"I have invited friends to town. Private investigators."
"We will find whoever did this. And they will pay."
His eyes locked onto Opal's.
And in that moment, she knew.
He knew.
And this wasn't over.