"Secret!" The old woman smiled wickedly. "And tell me your decision now! Do you want me to turn you into a frog or lizard?" she asked wickedly.

"I prefer to be turn into an old woman!" Mende answered immediately. She feared that the evil witch will turn her into a frog or lizard if it takes her a long time to decide. She won't be able to live a normal life if the witch will turn her into an animal. She was sure she will never survive in the wild if she will become a small animal.

The old woman smiled broadly. She envied the youth and beauty of the stupid girl. It would be nice to turn her into an old woman just like her. "Wise decision, little girl!" she smiled in amusement.

She immediately waved her hand all over Mende's body, activating the curse. Her mouth moves rapidly, chanting a powerful black spell. Her chanting took almost five minutes. Slowly... Mende was turning into an old woman, sporting wrinkled hands and sagging skin. She looks like a 70 years old woman now. Her transformation was complete!

Mende can already see the changes in her skin, as she stared in horror at her wrinkled skin, which used to be flawless a while ago, her heart sank. She gasped in pain and despair after witnessing her shocking transformation.

Satisfied with the result of her creation, the old woman smiled in amusement. "I'm done with you! Do you want to see your face?" she asked, her evil laughter rang in the air.

Mende shook her head. What is the use of seeing her face when she knows just by looking at her sagging skin that she was already turned into an old woman? She looked at the old witch angrily. "How long the curse will stay in my body?" she asked.

The wicked woman erupted into peals of laughter. "You're such a stupid girl! What kind of question is that?" she sneered at her. "Did you compare yourself to sleeping beauty that once the handsome prince appear and kissed her lips the curse will vanish and she will finally open her eyes after a long time and live happily with her prince charming? Is that what you mean?"

Mende's tears shimmered in her eyes. "I don't want to live with this curse!" she said vehemently.

The wicked witch guffawed. "Then go kill yourself!" she said evilly.

Mende bit her lip in anger and frustration. "Please, undo this curse now!" she finally swallowed her pride and begged the old woman to reverse the curse. She's getting hopeless and desperate. She getting scared to live an old woman's life. She's still young.

The old witch noticed the desperation on the girl's face and the fresh tears flowing on her face. "Alright, I'm not really heartless contrary to what you already think about me. I actually pity your depressing condition. You're such a pretty girl before and now you're already an old woman just like me. Horrible isn't it? Let me think of a solution for you..."

Suddenly, Mende feels hopeful.

"If you want me to undo the curse, bring your friend Evelyn back to my place! And don't come back and plan to take revenge in your current state unless you brought your friend with you. I won't be merciful next time!" the old woman warned her. She throws the girl a death glare and waved her hand at her.

The witch vanished from the house a moment later.

Mende was surprised that the old woman restored her power!

She needs to go back to the cave before her sister finds out that she's gone! Ebony might head to the abandoned manor and demand to see her. Those terrifying Naga people might harm her sister!

No, she can't allow her sister to go through the same fate as her!

She quickly teleported back to the stream.

A few moments later, she appeared in the stream. She walked towards the shade of the tree to retrieve the jar and filled it with drinking water in the stream.

"Sister, where are you!?" Ebony's voice rang in the air.

Mende took a deep breath and answered, "I'm here!" she replied.

Ebony rushed to her side, eyes widened in surprise after seeing an old woman in the stream instead of her sister. "W-who are you?" she asked.

Fresh tears fell from Mende's eyes. Even her sister failed to recognize her. She's an old woman now, even her voice is no longer recognizable.

"Grandma, did you see a girl around here?" Ebony asked. She noticed that the old woman's eyes were flooded with tears. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Did I say something that offended you?" she asked in a worried tone.

Mende put the jar down on the ground and began crying uncontrollably, her body was trembling along with her heart-wrenching sobbing. "Sister, it's me, Menedelia!"

"W-WHAAAAAAAAT!?" Ebony's eyes widened in shock and surprise. She only noticed that her sister and the old woman wore the same clothes! And the jar, it's their jar that her sister brought with her when she walked towards the stream a few hours ago.

Oh, no! Ebony's face paled. She had a hard time breathing. It finally dawned on her that her sister went to the manor, that is why it took her a long time to return to the cave. "Sister, did you went to the abandoned manor? Answer me!" she shouted at her hardheaded sister that is now an old woman, tears fell from her eyes.

Menedelia nodded her head. "Yes. I went there to find, Grandma! But that old woman disguised as Grandma and tricked me. I thought it's Grandma that I was trying to save, it turns out, I was saving an impostor....then...then she allowed me to chose what I want to be... a frog, a lizard and old woman. I chose to become an old woman. She cursed me and turned me into what I am now based on my choice. Then she told me that she will undo the curse if I can bring Evelyn to her..."

Ebony groaned in dismay. She lowered her guard down and gave the antidote to her sister, restoring her power. She made a terrible mistake in trusting her! It turned out that Menedelia was just bidding her time and waited for that perfect opportunity to gain her trust again, and she succeeded! She was deeply upset and annoyed that her sister went to that dangerous place without her permission! She's mad at her sister right now. She feels guilty, she failed her grandmother!

She glared at her sister. "That's what I told you about! But you never listen to me! You are so stubborn and so strong willed that you think you can defeat the enemy so easily? Now look at you! If you only listened to my warnings, this won't happen to you. Grandma sacrificed her life to save your friend and now because of your stupid decision, you're now a cursed old woman! When are you going to stop? When you're dead! Okay fine... go back there and have yourself killed! I don't care anymore!" she said furiously and left her sobbing sister in the stream.

Mende's tears never stop streaming down her face, just like the water in the stream, it goes on and on and on.

Why does she keep making mistakes after mistakes? Why?

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" she lamented furiously. Shouting the same question over and over again at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoing all over the place, disturbing the birds resting on top of the branches of the trees.

"Why it's happening to me! I don't deserve this! I'm just trying to save my grandmother! What's wrong with my good intention? Why I'm being punished severely?" she screamed at the top of her lungs to flush out the pain and regrets in her heart.

She continues sobbing under the shade of the tree. She's tormented inside, she felt like her heart will explode in sadness and misery.

A few hours later...

Mende's tears finally subsided. She went to the stream and splashed water on her face, washing away the stain of tears from her face. Done, she picked up the jar and head back to the cave.

When she arrived there... Ebony was already cooking their meals in the pot inside the cave.

Mende put the jar in the corner and went to her sister's side. "I'm so sorry..." she said in a low voice.

Ebony released a deep sigh but didn't reply.

"You need help?" Mende offered.

Ebony shook her head.

Mende noticed that her sister was still wearing a scowl on her face. She's still angry. She should leave Ebony alone so that her anger will dissipate faster. "I'm going out to gather firewood," she said and walked away going in the direction of the entrance of the cave.

Outside...

She walked to the wooded area and began picking up dry twigs and gathered them in the center of the clearing.

She was thinking of the old woman's words... if she can bring Evelyn to the abandoned manor she will undo the curse.

But even if she will bring her friend to the manor, Rigor will never set Evelyn free.

She can never betray Evelyn. Besides, even if she will bring her friend to the manor there is no guarantee that the old woman will undo the curse and set her free. Worst, they may also keep her as a prisoner in the manor or they will kill her.

Sad to say, there's no guarantee at all!

Why would she risk her life again and made another mistake?

Nah, she will take her time. One day when she gained more power and becomes stronger, she will return to that manor and burn the whole place down including its inhabitants!