"Hey handsome, drop the bozo...let's have some fun," a seductive voice called out, and a hot girl was tugging at Henry's shirt while trying to make herself heard over the booming music. Flustered, Henry stumbled over his words, pleasantly surprised by the beautiful, half-drunk girl standing so close to him. Her presence made it hard for him to think straight. Meanwhile, Bruce drifted in and out of consciousness, disoriented by the deafening music and the flashing club lights surrounding him.
Gloria stepped in, asserting herself, "Henry, let's go... I'm sorry, but we're busy Barbie." The girl, a blonde in a pink crop top, rolled her eyes and reluctantly let go of Henry's shirt, retreating from Gloria's stern gaze.
Confused and slightly excited by the wild scene of sexy girls around him, Henry asked, "So, my love tell me...whar are we doing here?" Gloria explained, "We're at the Flying Mermaid – we're here to meet someone. That person can save Bruce. Let's take him upstairs."
They navigated through the crowd of intoxicated people dancing passionately to the thumping electronic beats and Bruce woke up. He was weak but grateful to be conscious. Gloria reassured him with obvious worry and doubt, "Hey Bruce, hang on... You're going to be okay. Just hang on." With Bruce still on Henry's back, they hurried upstairs. Henry encouraged Bruce to stay with them and away from the light as they made their way upstairs.
Like a well-coordinated medieval Roman infantry unit, they stuck close together, resisting the various distractions that surrounded them. The air was filled with the scent of different smokes emanating from various rooms.
The journey towards Gloria's friend's room halted for a moment as they stumbled upon an open door revealing a shocking scene. Inside, a wild party was underway, with college students and young adults indulging in all sorts of excesses.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and drugs, and the room was filled with people engaged in a frenzy of sexual activity. Cocaine was scattered on the table, and the party animals faces showed the effects of their "highness". They were aliens and in a different galaxy at this point. It was a sight more intense than anything they had encountered downstairs.
The group ventured forward and as they navigated through the crowd, an unsuspecting couple locked in a passionate embrace bumped into Henry and Bruce. The man, clearly stoned, mistook Bruce for a woman due to his medium-length hair and made a stupid comment. Henry tried to respond angrily but struggled to find his words. The hopeless man was entranced by the beautiful girl whose breasts were pressed against his arm.
Gloria brushed off the encounter and told them to focus on their mission. "Hey, come on, ignore them. We're here for a reason," she said, trying to steer Henry's attention away from the distraction.
They finally reached their destination or so it seemed as they approached a door guarded by bouncers. Henry turned to Gloria, who was still cool and collected despite the chaos around them, waiting to see what she would do next. She calmly requested to see her friend and clearly emphasized the urgency of their situation. "Tell your boss that Gloria's here... Please, it's an emergency," Gloria spoke with a sense of authority in her voice.
"Do you have an appointment with her?" the first bouncer asked.
"I do," Gloria responded, but before she could finish her statement, the second bouncer recognized her. "She doesn't have to...this is Gloria... The boss's goddaughter. She'll have our heads on a plate if she finds out we're inconveniencing her," he quickly intervened, apologizing to Gloria and emphasizing his colleague's newness to the job.
With their entry secured, Gloria, Henry, and Bruce stepped into the neon-lit room. The room had a fascinating mix of both old and new elements. Beautiful abstract paintings and eerie sculptures decorated the walls, and the vintage furniture added character to it.
The room seemed to be caught between different eras. Classical music played on a vinyl record that occasionally scratched, giving it an old-world charm. Yet, modern technology, such as multiple screens connected to CCTV cameras and other gadgets, added a surreal vibe to the surroundings.
As the trio scanned the room, a beautiful lady emerged. She walked towards them with a seductive stride. Her extravagant hairstyle and a stunning red gown adorned with peacock feathers commanded attention as she got even closer. The woman recognized Gloria and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was concerned about her messy state.
"Gloria, my dear, is that you?" she exclaimed, turning to her assistant. "Esther, get Gloria something to eat and wear. She looks like a Hobo."
"Cerci, we don't have time for that now. Please, I need your help. My friend is dying...he got bitten by an alpha Lycan, but he has other complications too. Please, Cerci, help him. We don't have much time," Gloria pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Gloria dear...I can see you brought friends. Honestly, there's little I can do for you. By my calculations, he's far gone. He has less than an hour before it makes it 24 hours... I don't know any spells that can help him at this point," Madame Cerci replied, sorrow evident in her voice.
"Please, put him down...here, take a seat as well," she said to Henry. "Cerci, I know very little can be done now, but I have Eva's old spell book. There should be something in here that can help. I have neither the power nor the know-how to perform any of Eva's spells, at least not yet," Gloria said, handing the spell book to Cerci.
Bruce, witnessing Gloria's desperation and sorrow, held her hand and reassured her that he would be fine. "I'll be fine, Gloria. Hey, Henry, tell her...all I need is just food. How about you go make me your famous bacon and eggs...I'll be up in no time if you do that for me, I'm sure," Bruce said, though he coughed up blood and contorted in pain, showing the urgency of the situation.
He was in severe pain, his body reacting strangely. Cerci was right, Bruce's fate would be determined in less than an hour. "Please, Cerci, do something... if we leave him like this, he's gonna die," Gloria pleaded with Cerci, and Henry tried to calm her down.
"Reversi!" Cerci exclaimed, having a eureka moment.
"Eva, you smart, annoying witch... We can use Reversi... it's a healing spell that reverses your body to the last time it was healthy. It does have its limitations, which is why it's not used regularly. For instance, a person who never had a leg from birth can't benefit from Reversi the same way a person whose leg was cut can... Bruce wasn't always like this, so we can reverse the effects of the bite by literally turning back time in his body... I do need your help, though... there's something else going on in his body that I'm afraid of. We'll do the spell together, but please don't lose focus," Cerci explained to Gloria.
"Hey handsome, please move the chairs. We need space for the spell," she spoke to Henry while magically transforming her attire into her magical robe. She instructed her personal assistant, Esther, to bring important herbs and roots for the spell and told Henry to stand back. "Gloria, I warn you again, whatever happens, finish the spell. It's for his own good. Don't be distracted... The time is nearly upon us. Let us begin," Cerci instructed Gloria.
A huge magical circle appeared around Bruce with chains also apprehending him. They began the ritual, and Cerci instructed Gloria to repeat after her and told everyone to close their eyes. As they did, the room was engulfed in a dark, heavy feeling, and they could feel the physical effects of the spell all around them as both Cerci and Gloria chanted,
"By the moon's gentle light,
I cast this spell tonight,
with healing power,
I will mend and make things right.
From head to toe,
the ailments fade,
the body's strength restored,
negative effects be gone,
replaced with health adored."
Gloria paused halfway through the spell when she heard Bruce screaming in pain and anguish. She opened her eyes and saw Bruce's body peel, break, and contort, only to heal back again in a painful cycle. Her legs were noodle-like and limp, her eyes hollow with terror, and she quickly closed her eyes, completing the spell with Cerci.
"With herbs and charms,
I work this weave, a touch of magic's grace,
banishing all pain and woes,
leaving only a smiling face.
So mote it be, the spell is cast,
the healing energy shall flow,
reversing every ailment,
restoring wellness in a radiant glow,"
Cerci, alongside Gloria, finished the spell and instructed everyone to open their eyes.
Gloria was hesitant to open her eyes, fearing what she might see after witnessing the horrific sight during the ritual. She had basically seen Bruce get maimed, tortured, and broken over and over again. She couldn't bear to see it again. "Gloria, I said you can open your eyes now... he should be fine now... he's unconscious but he should be up in the morning..."
Cerci spoke to Gloria in an assuring manner. Gloria trusted her words and slowly opened her eyes to see Bruce unharmed and not in pain. She was relieved but worried if what she did by opening her eyes and stalling a bit with the spell would affect Bruce in a negative way.
As Henry placed Bruce on the couch, Gloria sat close to him, resting his head on her lap, gently caressing his hair, and hoping for the best. "Hey, you okay? You seemed pretty shaken up there... I wouldn't want my future queen to be unhappy," Henry joked, trying to draw a smile out of Gloria.
She had been sad and worried, and he had been too, but he wasn't worried about himself. He was really worried about Bruce and her. He was successful as she responded with a faint but appreciative smile. "He'll be fine... he's tough," Henry continued. Gloria nodded, feeling relieved that Bruce was out of danger, at least for now.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the events unfolding with Bruce, a little girl just regained consciousness. As she woke up slowly, in a queen-sized bed decorated with fluffy, colorful, and comfortable sheets, she admired the beauty of the room. But something felt off - someone was missing.
She couldn't hear her dad's frustrated voice while playing video games across the room, nor his funny and annoying laughter when he won. The aroma of the already made dinner downstairs was absent, and she was surprised not to have helped her clumsy dad prepare it.
Realizing she was somewhere else, she heard faint noises and sounds from outside the window. Curiosity led her to the window, where the noises became louder and clearer. To her shock, she found herself approximately 7 to 10 stories high in a castle.
Strange beings were moving around, doing construction work, while an armed unit patrolled the area. Where was her dad, she wondered, and where was she? Suddenly, the door behind her opened, and a female figure with a cloak covering most of her head, face, and body approached her with a creepy tone, saying, "The Dark Lord wants to see you, Miss April."
Fearful and confused, she refused and struggled as they made their way to the door. In a moment of desperation, she pushed the female outside, causing her cloak to fall and revealing a horrifying, scaly face.
The obviously inhuman female quickly covered her face and looked at the little girl with anger in her eyes, asking if she had seen it. Overwhelmed by the strange situation and her fear, the little girl was frozen in place. Countless questions raced through her mind- where was her dad, what was happening, and most importantly, where was she?