On that Saturday afternoon, when my wife and daughter went to a bookstore for a book presentation, I drove to Barcelos.

The diary entry spoke of several disappearances next to a village in the outskirts of that city, involving a sea eye on the Neiva River near a rock known as the "Penedo da Moira." Supposedly, on certain nights, women came out of the water and dragged any man they found into the sea eye, never to be seen again. After all I had witnessed, I had no difficulty in believing in moiras, but as they weren't mentioned in any other part of the diary, I assumed that they were witches.

I arrived at the site in the early afternoon. There were several small ponds where people used to swim in the summer; however, being a cold winter day, there was no one around. I searched immediately for the supposed sea eye. I investigated all the rocks in the area, looking for the "Penedo da Moira" that would tell me which one was the right pond. It took me a while, but I finally found a rock on top of which there was a small hole filled with water, the so-called "Moira's Footprint." It was partly within one of the ponds, clearly indicating me that that was the one I was looking for.

Years ago, during a vacation in Greece, I took a diving course to be able to visit some underwater ruins. I had even bought the complete equipment, hoping to use it later to investigate other similar places (which unfortunately never happened). That day, I took it with me and, next to the car, I put it on.

Carefully, I entered the pond, and as soon as the water reached my waist, I dived. The water was clear, so, even in the deeper parts, I could clearly see the bottom. This was made of pebbles and some sand. Unfortunately, after a long search, I found no sign of the sea eye. The pool's bottom seemed well defined. However, a small depression at its deepest point caught my attention. It seemed out of place because there was no clear current that could originate it, and it was almost four meters below the surface, so it was doubtful it could have been created by swimmers.

I approached it. I took aside a few pebbles and waved away the sand. Once it settled, I found one of the strangest things I'd ever seen. Under the depression, there was only darkness, a darkness that not even the light of my diving flashlight could penetrate. It could only be the sea eye.

Slowly, I dipped my hand in that darkness. To my surprise, it disappeared, but I could move it down there. After a few moments, I realized that there was a tunnel there.

Suddenly, I felt the water moving around me, at first slowly, but accelerating rapidly. I realized then that it was a vortex centered on the dark spot I had just discovered. Instinctively, I tried to fight it; however, seeing that it was stronger than me, I just let it take me. After all, I was there to find out what was on the other side.

I confess that it wasn't my smartest decision. Shortly after entering the tunnel, I hit my head and lost consciousness.

When I came to, I was in a dark place, but out of the water. I was hurting all over, and I didn't need to see to know that I had several injuries. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken.

I swept the floor with my hands in search of my diving torch, however, when I found it, I discovered that it was completely destroyed. Luckily, my smaller flashlight, that was always with me and that I had put in my shorts' pocket, underneath the wetsuit, still worked.

Once I turned on the light, I confirmed my suspicions. The wetsuit was torn in few places, and I was bleeding from several cuts. Then, I directed the light to the darkness around me. The first thing I found was a small circular pond beside me, certainly the exit of the sea eye. Immediately after, I spotted walls. Made of huge granite blocks, they stood behind and in front of me, until they disappeared into the darkness. They were so high that my small flashlight could not reach the ceiling.

With nothing else I could do, I got up and started to explore the place. I had walked only a few steps when I found what I feared most, but had already expected: a human skeleton. It certainly belonged to someone like me, who got there through the sea eye but couldn't get out.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm me down, and forced myself to continue moving forward. More and more skeletons appeared, some wrapped in clothes and wearing jewelry so old that must have been there since the Middle Ages and even the hillfort era. I tried to cheer myself with the thought that I might be able to find something that my predecessors didn't. After all, among the piles of bones and rags, there wasn't a single flashlight.

Occasionally, I came across statues and bas-reliefs engraved on the walls representing what I could only describe as demons. They had sharp horns and snouts, long teeth, fins and some even had wings. Their representations varied widely in size, but if that was their true scale or only artistic license, I had no way of knowing.

Finally, I spotted a faint light in the distance. I approached carefully, not knowing what to expect, but a few meters further on, I realized that it was the end of the long structure where I was.

For a moment, I felt relieved, thinking that I had found the exit. However, I soon discovered that it wasn't the case. The structure was, in fact, open in that direction. However, instead of a way out, there stood the ocean itself.

I approached and discovered that an invisible barrier, certainly magical in origin, prevented the Atlantic waters from entering. And me from leaving. Not that it made much of a difference. Even if I could cross the barrier, I could hardly reach the surface alive. From there, I could see the surface, more than a hundred meters above. Moreover, the likelihood of being found and saved in the ocean when no one was looking for me was minimal.

In desperation, I hit the invisible barrier with my fists and then let myself slide to the floor. For long minutes, I stayed there, resigned to die. Then I remembered my family and decided to go see what was on the other end of the building. I didn't have much hope, but there could be a way out around there.

I was about to get up when I heard a knock in the invisible barrier. I looked up, and amidst a passing shoal, I saw a young woman in her twenties. She didn't wear any diving equipment, just a pair of jeans and a blouse that seemed not to affect her buoyancy.

I backed off two steps, not knowing what to expect. Soon after, the woman crossed the magical barrier and came into the building. To my surprise, her clothes looked completely dry.

"Don't be afraid," she said. "I came to get you out."

"Who are you? Are you one of the Witches of the Night?"

Her face contorted in pain when she heard that name.

"No," she replied.

"But do you know them? Do you know where I can find them?"

"I don't know where they are, but I know them, yes. Unfortunately."

The sadness in her voice made me curious, but I didn't dare ask. Fortunately, she realized all that and continued:

"My mother and the other Sea Witches died because of them. They came to us for help to destroy a community of sea creatures, a few kilometers off Castelo do Neiva, promising us magic items and other rewards. But once we did what they asked, they attacked us. I only survived because my mother insisted I stay behind. The others are all dead."

With my curiosity satisfied, my thoughts returned to the place I was in, to how I would get out, and especially to the bones I had found. That woman might not be one of the Witches of the Night, but it seemed that her intentions weren't exactly benevolent.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"An old temple built by my ancestors, nobody knows exactly when. For centuries, we used the sea eye and illusions to bring human sacrifices here. It was believed that they helped draw the Devil's and its demons attention and facilitated the casting of spells and curses. My grandmother put an end to it. The disappearances were attracting too much attention. Now, tell me, what is your interest in the Witches of the Night?"

I told her all about my search and the "accidents" that started it.

"If you want to stop them, you can count on my help. Come, I'll get you out of here."

I approached. She grabbed me and pulled me through the invisible barrier to the ocean. After a moment of panic, I realized I could breathe underwater.

Through a propulsion method beyond my ken, probably of magical origin, we quickly reached a beach. As soon as I looked up, I saw the towers of Ofir. We were in Esposende.

"Keep looking for the Witches of the Night. If you need help, call me." The witch told me her phone number, which I repeated in my mind until I memorized it.

Then she returned to the sea and soon disappeared beneath the waves. 

I had found another witch enemy of the Witches of the Night. However, at the time, I had more pressing matters to think about. I was alone and more than fifteen kilometers from my car. How would I explain the situation to my wife without revealing the dangerous and frightening parallel world that I had discovered? And my wounds?

I was thinking about all this as I left the beach and stepped into the nearby town.