"William," I whispered, my voice trembling. His eyes were hard and cold like steel as he smiled a cruel smirk. I backed away in fear, but he stepped closer to me with an intimidating intensity. It felt as if the air had been thickened and darkened by his presence and evil intentions.Fear and dread filled my gut like a dark void as I forced the words out of my quivering lips. "What do you want?" My voice cracked, revealing the panic coursing through me. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead and neck, merging with an overwhelming terror that threatened to consume me.William's sinister smile revealed his razor-sharp fangs, ready to pierce my skin at any moment. Every fibre in my body trembled in fear while my throat closed off, so tight that even air refused to pass through. Inching backwards felt futile, and I steeled myself for the worst, bracing every muscle for what was about to come next.William's eyes were like burning coals, and his jaw was set with determination as he lunged towards Emma. His hands seemed to move at the speed of light as they seized her by the back of the head, his grip freshly oiled and mercilessly tight. A sickening crack filled the air, followed by a chorus of anguished screams as Emma's body fell motionlessly to the ground.A guttural scream erupted from the depths of my soul, piercing the silence of the room. Panic consumed me, my heart pounding against my ribs like a frantic caged bird. Tears blurred my vision, transforming the familiar surroundings into a distorted and nightmarish haze. I fumbled for the switch of the bedside lamp, desperately needing the light to reassure myself that it was all just a haunting dream. My trembling fingers finally found the button, flooding the room with a soft, reassuring glow.Taking in my surroundings with laboured breaths, I slowly let reality seep in. I was safe. I was in my room. Yet, the lingering fear lingered in my bones, its tendrils refusing to release their grip. Every shadow seemed to whisper a sinister secret, and my racing heart echoed the trauma of the nightmare that had shaken me to my core.A deep, shaky breath left my lips, and I felt the tiniest bit of relief as my racing mind began to slow. But the lingering fear from my dream still clung to me like an icy cloak. What if it wasn't just a dream? Could something truly have happened to my friends? A chill raced down my spine, and dread weighed heavily in my chest.I had to find out for sure. I pushed away the fear that threatened to overtake me and jumped out of bed. I quickly dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a white shirt and forced myself to focus on lacing up my sneakers rather than letting the anxiety overtake me. With shaking hands, I finished getting ready and rushed out the door.Standing at the centre of my room, I thought to inform Stanley at first. But the thought of him not letting me go meet my friends stopped me. If I were to inform him, his worry for my safety would undoubtedly cloud his judgment. He would insist on sending someone else to check on them and stop me from seeing them with my own eyes. I would come back and explain it to him.Closing my eyes, I summoned my powers."Dea Pro Mihi, Audite Meus Dico... Patepacio Prodigium Pro Nos Totus!"I closed my eyes and began to chant the words of the teleporting spell. The air around me started to howl like a gale, and the world around me seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. Within seconds, I was standing in front of my college.It was almost time for the last class. My heart was racing as I stood in the shadows of a nearby tree, debating whether to go inside or not. I didn't want to draw any attention to myself, so I stayed hidden and waited anxiously. My mind was filled with worries and fears that my worst nightmare would come true.When the bell rang, indicating the end of classes, I looked towards the doorway and spotted my friends coming out, everyone talking excitedly. My chest swelled with happiness for them, and an urge to meet them came over me. But before I could take a step towards them, an unfamiliar feeling of dread seized my heart, tightening its grip painfully on my chest. I stumbled back in shock, struggling to catch my breath.My heart sank when I noticed their eyes devoid of emotion, fixated on something hidden within the forest behind the college. Without warning, they began to move, their footsteps quickening into a hurried pace, then a frantic run. Panic surged within my veins, urging me to intervene, but my voice betrayed me, locking me in silence. I chased after them, sprinting far into the dense forest in a desperate attempt to stop them.I tried to call out their names, but nothing came out, as if some invisible force was controlling me, which angered me the most. I caught up to them near a perilous cliff, my voice returning to me in a desperate cry. I called out their names. "Emma, Lucy, turn around! Look at me!" I screamed, my voice trembling with both fear and urgency.Their eyes started to blink and scan their surroundings before they turned to face me; the confusion was etched upon their faces when they saw me and rushed towards me."Kristen, what's happening?" Emma asked. Did you come back for good?" Lucy asked, her voice tinged with concern. Jacob enveloped me in a tight hug, his worry palpable.Suddenly, a guttural growl resonated through the air, causing Jecob to instinctively draw back. My grip tightened around his hand instinctively as I scanned the surroundings, my heart pounding in my chest. William appeared a few meters away from me, his gaze dripping with anger. A shiver crawled up my spine as he spoke, his voice a low, menacing growl. "Do not touch what is mine."Panic overwhelmed me once again as he neared me. "Run, now!" I said looking at Jacob Emma and Lucy, however, they clung to my arm with an eerie strength, their touch feeling different. It took me a moment to realize that they were not my friends, but witches disguised as them. I struggled against their hold, desperately attempting to break free, but my efforts were in vain. Emma wore an unsettling smile, while Lucy's conflicted expression showed sadness before it changed to void. Jacob positioned himself as a barrier, preventing my escape. This was a trap."Is my brother treating you well?" William's voice dripped with sarcasm as he approached, his presence filling the space around us. I couldn't help but scoff, an act of defiance that seemed to harden his features even further. His icy words sliced through the air, freezing me in place. "Did you bid farewell to your beloved before sneaking out? Because you're never going to see him again.""I guess trying to get a hold of me took a toll on you," I said, a trace of anger lingering in my voice. "You look terrible." The taunt caused his jaw to clench, anger simmering beneath the surface."Take her." He ordered the witch beside me.My throat tightened as I slowly spoke his name, "William," the sound of it bouncing off the walls that felt like they had been soaked in despair. The room was cloaked in shadow, only a faint light coming through the curtains. His eyes were glassy and distant as he turned to me. I steeled myself and tried to find the strength to reach out to him. I could see the brokenness inside; all he needed was for someone to tell him the truth. I whispered words of love and understanding, pleading with him to open up and letting him know he wasn't alone.As his eyes locked with mine, his anger seemed to vanish and be replaced by longing. His pupils changed to an emerald hue that left me feeling captivated. A gentle smile played across my lips as I was reminded of how attracted I had once been to him. He moved closer until our foreheads were touching, and I could feel his strained breath against my skin. In a raspy voice, he uttered my name, sending a flurry of emotions through me that made me relive the time we shared before everything had changed. The world around us stopped, and I felt like we were in that moment for eternity.I shouldn't be feeling this way, but when I looked at him, all I saw was a helpless guy who was trapped in the revenge plan of an evil father. I can see that Edmond is trying to change him into a monster. The person who looked like Lucy shifted from one toe to another and released her hold on mine. I lifted my hand and placed it on his cheek. truly feeling concerned for him. I took a deep breath and looked at him.As I stared into his cold, emotionless eyes, a part of me still held onto the belief that I could reach him. A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered all the times we had talked and laughed together. The depth of his hatred had grown since then, but beneath it all, I knew there was a hurt and vulnerable soul who was only being manipulated by an evil plan devised by his father. I had to hold on to the hope that if I could just find the right words, the darkness that loomed over his heart would be dispelled."This is not who you are, William. And you know that I don't belong to you. Stanley is my soul mate, and I love him; taking me forcefully will not change that." I said, and within a second, his expression changed, and he pushed me, which made me stumble a few steps and fall on my back."Don't say that," William said, his tone cold. "No, you belong with me, and I am taking you. You will learn to love me; you were always mine, and no one can change that. Stanley cannot possibly love you more than I do. I can make you happy. I will take you back with me no matter what even if I have to force you.""No. He did not claim you yet." William's voice rumbled with possessiveness, his words dripping with a twisted kind of love. "You are mine. Can't you see how much I love you? And there is no way I would let that bastard, have you? You are mine." He growled and lifted me by pulling my arm forcefully. "William, let me go," I said, trying to get away from him. His eyes changed to a shade of red, and he looked pissed off. "I do not wish to hurt you; come back with me quietly." It seemed that reason and logic held no sway over his desire to possess me and keep me away from the one I truly loved. I sighed. The witch, who looked like Jacob, chanted a spell, and a portal opened in front of me to the vampire land. I willed my air power and pushed all of them with mild force, but they flew several feet away and fell on their asses, which made me chuckle. I kind of looked funny."How dare you?" He roared and lunged at me. With one flick of my finger, I made him stop in his tracks, as did the others who tried to break free. "Do you think I am still that innocent human whom you abducted?" I asked, looking at William.William hissed with his fangs out. I smiled. I pushed him towards the portal with much force, which made him fly inside within seconds. I looked at the witches, who looked ready to fight me instead of Lucy. She had a look of admiration in her eyes, and she was not struggling to get away from my hold. I ignored her, pulled the other two towards me, and held their throats."Do you think you can take me back?" I asked and eased the hold on their throat, and they fell to the floor. "Shift," I said, and within a second, they changed into their original form. They were girls who were the same age as me. The girl who looked like Lucy also shifted to her original form and smiled at me before bowing her head like she was submitting to me. Her expression confused me, which I chose to ignore for a while. I shifted my focus to the one next to me.They stood up on their feet and summoned their powers, which bound my hands and legs with an invisible rope."The one who looked like Emma laughed." "I guess we do have the power to take you back. Do not underestimate us." She said it proudly. I looked at them and gave a wicked smile before breaking free from the spell easily. They took a step back and held their hands before combining their powers and sending them my way. I was a bit impressed with their determination. They called upon my core element, fire, and before it could touch me, I willed it and controlled it in my hands. "I can play this game all day, but I must get back home," I said with an attitude and pushed their powers back to them in full force, which made them elevate in the air and forced them inside the portal. There was only one left. I looked up at the girl, and she held her hand in surrender and walked towards me.I frowned. "I heard a lot about you, and it is my pleasure to meet you in person." She said, smiling.I looked at her cautiously. "What game are you trying to play?" I asked."I had to follow orders, but it was never my intention to fight you. I was summoned to the castle along with a few others from my village to capture you. I had no choice." She said and looked down at her feet. My gaze softened at her honesty. Maybe all the witches are not on the king's side. I thought.I was taken aback when I saw the witch, with her striking silver hair, emerge from the portal and shoot an arrow. Reacting instinctively, I pushed the girl to the floor to protect her. The witch, undeterred, unleashed a barrage of arrows in my direction, fueling my anger. I clenched my hands into fists, channelling my fury with my powers, and willed a blast of air that surged from my palms. However, to my surprise, the woman seemed unfazed, effortlessly stopping the arrows in mid-air.At that moment, my eyes changed colour, reflecting the intensity of my rage. The girl managed to rise to her feet but trembled with fear as she stared at the witch. "Sofia, what are you doing? Capture her!" the witch commanded, urging the girl to choose a side. Sofia hesitated, torn between loyalties, as the white-haired witch lunged at me, launching a counter-attack against my powers.Caught off guard, I stumbled backwards, struggling to regain my footing. Confusion and disbelief filled my mind as I muttered, "What the hell?""Do you think you are superior to all of us?" She asked and grinned. "We had to go through hell because of you. Either you come with us unharmed or I wouldn't hesitate to take your dead body back." She said it threateningly."I dare you to try." I braced myself and stood up on my feet. It was clear that I couldn't underestimate the witch's powers; I had to be prepared for anything. In a desperate plea, I called upon Hephaestus, the god of fire, to grant me control over the element of destruction. With those words spoken, the witch summoned fire, shaping it into a form reminiscent of flowing lava. It was a mesmerizing sight, but I couldn't let it distract me any longer—I needed to strike back.Unlike before, I didn't have to rely on spells anymore. I simply had to visualize the powers I wanted to use and their intended effects, and my abilities would follow suit. With the flames inching closer to me, I summoned my water element and commanded it to extinguish the fire. Instead of drawing from my internal powers, luck was on my side, as there happened to be a river nearby in the forest. Miraculously, the water surged forth from behind me, forming a powerful wave that rushed towards the flames like a tsunami. Astonishingly, the water didn't touch or soak me—it was truly magical.As the water quenched the fire, the witch attempted to summon another element. Exhaustion washed over me, as harnessing the power of nature itself took its toll. My feet nearly gave way, but I couldn't afford to show any sign of weakness. Determined, I thought to myself, "I must press on." To my surprise, Sophia, the girl who had witnessed everything, came to my side and offered her support, taking hold of my arm."Mary is just too powerful, you cannot win her at this rate, you must get back to the witch land. I will try to hold her off until you are safe, trust me." She said and chanted, "Le hum ta elya ota de la bay, so moto it be." A giant ball of fire formed in her hand, and she hid it behind my water magic and sent it towards the witch as a surprise attack. This girl met me just a few minutes back and is ready to sacrifice her life for me. The thought brought warmth to my heart. She was so selfless. The witch fell to the floor at the sudden attack. She stood on her feet furiously. "How dare you betray me?" She said looking at Sophia, who was trying to help me stay on my feet. "Die." She said this and sent a blast of energy towards us. I had to save her. The only thought that came to mind and without hesitation, I shielded her with my body, and just in the nick of time, I managed to pull her back to the magic land with me.We landed in the garden outside my chamber, gasping for breath. We had managed to escape the clutches of the white-haired witch for now.