Despairing Black

Saying that Salem was angry was an understatement, like saying the sun was hot. Her fortress was in ruins but not by Silva but by her own hands, as she vented after realizing how far he had thrown her plans out the window. Tyrian, is missing, likely dead, along with Cinder, whom the witch was grooming into a somewhat valuable piece. Her Grimm-ified Warriors were also probably taken by the new variable that showed up in front of her. After destroying another section of her fortress, the witch finally calmed down enough to organize her thoughts.

Salem went over her encounter with Silva from start to finish and analyzed his behavior objectively with a cold rationale. The witch saw that the snow leopard faunus was utterly unfazed by her reactions to his attempt to reason with her, whether from laughing in his face or trying to acquire the Relic he managed to get under everyone's noses. She was sure the Relic was authentic since she could detect the God of Light's touch on it, which was all the confirmation she needed; this confirmed a few things. One, Silva was in contact with the Spring Maiden. Two, he grabbed in a way that avoids all detection around the Vault containing the Relic.

Silva's full name drew Salem's attention, particularly his last name, Branwen. She entertained some thoughts that he might be related to the Branwen twins but discarded that line of thought as it was unlikely he had relations to them. The most important point of her meeting-slash-confrontation with him is that he had Magic that exceeded even hers in terms of quantity which shouldn't be possible... Unless his talk of the Brother Gods was a hint at the reason, he had Magic. He met the Brothers, and they gave him Magic.

It made sense to Salem, but it also didn't because the Gods had abandoned this world for the most and weren't likely to interact with it unless summoned by the four Relics. Yet the witch could not think of any other way for Silva to acquire Magic that could outclass and overpower her. The snow leopard faunus's argument against summoning the Brother Gods now had more weight in her mind than a simple possibility. Thinking about being cursed to walk this world forever while being completely and utterly alone sounded far worse than her current situation.

Salem felt despair at finding out all her plans would not work towards the release she so desired. She then felt pure unbridled rage at the gods for controlling her life and not allowing her to rest. The witch grief that she may never see her daughters again as she could only reunite with them through death. Salem, for the first time in a long time, cried without letting out a single sob as tears fell from her eyes as she reached her breaking point of having no hope. What so ever. Now more than ever, Salem wanted to die and no longer feel pain, but she couldn't because of her accursed immortality.

The witch lets out all of her emotions until her tears run dry and is left alone with her thoughts. Salem started to rebuild her fortress absentmindedly, as she needed something to do to get her mind off her situation. While she rebuilt the damage she caused in her fit of rage, a Seer appeared before her, and Leonardo Lionheart spoke to her through the other Seer at his end.

" Your highness, I have something to report."

" Speak."

Salem curtly said as she focused on rebuilding her fortress.

" Ozpin has found the Spring Maiden in Vale. It's Qrow's new family member, Silva Branwen."

The witch stopped rebuilding for a moment and considered this new information, and started to laugh, which terrified the headmaster of Haven academy. Salem knew that the Silva, her ex-husband assumed to be the Spring Maiden, and the one she recently confronted was likely the same person as there were no coincidences in this world. The witch felt better after laughing at her ex-lover's expense at his horrible misconception at thinking he found the Spring Maiden, and she informed her pawn.

" Silva Branwen is not the Spring Maiden, Leonardo, and I know this because I had recently just met him, but he does know the Spring Maiden personally since he had the Lamp in his hands or, I guess, paws in his case when he met me."

Leonardo paled at this information since that meant he lost the Relic without ever realizing it, and he knew that Salem did not suffer incompetence. He nervously asked his mistress.

" W-what now, y-your highness?"

The headmaster of Haven shook like a leaf in fear at what the witch may do to him as punishment for losing the Relic. Salem calmly told him as she went back to rebuilding her fortress.

" For now, we do nothing, Leonardo, as it isn't relevant right now."

Leonardo relaxed and said.

" Understood, your highness."

The witch's mind wandered as she was at a loss for what to do in the future, and unfortunately, she had nothing but time on her hands, an eternity at that.

***

It has been a few days since my confrontation with Salem, and aside from strapping down and sedating the Grimm-ified Silver-Eyed Warriors, things have been quiet. Restoring Summer and the other Silver-Eyed Warrior, whose name is Wulf Terra, whom I learned from the witch's memories, will be a challenge, to say the least. It is far easier to inflict Grimm-ification than reverse it because by the process's nature, it is invasive and corrosive. The two won't be whole again for a long while since even their vital organs underwent the procedure, and tampering with them without extreme caution will kill them.

Even with the entirety of Atlas's medical knowledge in my head and Transmutation, it is going to be a slow and careful step-by-step process to return the two to normal. My biggest concern right now is not Salem since I could roughly guess what is going through her mind currently but Ozpin since he thinks I am the f*cking Spring Maiden. When old James "Tindick" Ironwood hears about this, I can probably expect a visit from either him or possibly him through Winter to convince me to work for the "Greater Good," the great good, my hairy a*s.

I sighed in annoyance at this idiotic situation but put that aside for now, as I will cross that bridge when I get it. While it would be nice to see Winter again, I was also nervous because she never once tried to call or text me, and I was worried that kissing her might have messed things up between us. I might have to make the first move, especially since Winter Break is going to happen soon, and I want to invite her and the rest of the Schnee family, plus the girls and possibly Raven, to a beach party after I scope out more of Menagerie. Another thing on my to-do list is to check up on Salem and see how she is reacting right now, but that can wait a week or two as I know her well enough that she is processing everything.

So much to do but so little time.