After sneaking successfully to Drewville College's gate, I heard a voice that made me take a sharp breath, thinking I'd been caught. "You're late, Rose."
I looked up to see my best friend, Lilith, standing before me. Her brown hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. "You said we'd leave by four prompt. Do you know what time it is now?" she asked, fuming.
I joined my hands in a pleading gesture. "I'm really sorry; I overslept." I didn't want to tell her about my recurring dream; I didn't want her to worry.
Lilith took a deep breath to calm herself. "We have no time for this. Come on, let's hurry; it's going to be daybreak soon." She began to chant.
Drewville College's gates were long and imposing, paired with equally formidable walls. Jumping over wasn't an option. After chanting for two minutes, the wall before us turned invisible. We passed through, and immediately the wall solidified.
We walked quickly into the city, our footsteps echoing through the stillness. Drewville College was named after the city it resided in.
We entered a dark clearing with sparse, tall trees. I raised my right hand, and a ball of light appeared on my palm. We walked for about five minutes when Lilith suddenly snapped her fingers, extinguishing the light. She pulled me behind a tree.
"That's our target," she whispered, pointing to a corner.
A man stood over a kneeling woman, his hand on her forehead, mouth wide open as he devoured her essence hungrily. Lilith and I exchanged a knowing glance; we had to act fast.
"He's Stage Two," Lilith whispered.
I flexed my fingers, ready to attack. But the man paused, his black eyes locking onto us.
"This is no Stage Two," I whispered, panic creeping in.
"I figured," Lilith replied flatly. "Still, we must finish on time; the sun will soon rise."
He was a stage four warlock. A little hard to beat but not impossible.
'Dynami kleftis' are of different stages. Stage one-five are the ones who have stolen about on- fifteen white witches powers, with his fair share of dark magic in their body. While stage six and above are the main deal. I have never seen or fought a stage six before.
With renewed determination, we attacked. Fifteen minutes later, the warlock lay defeated. I extracted the dark magic from him, restoring the witch's stolen essence.
Lilith couldn't contain herself; she gave the warlock a series of punches. I let her, knowing she needed the release.
I placed a spell on the warlock, erasing his memories of magic. He stumbled away, dazed.
The witch, Annabelle, opened her eyes weakly. "Please don't kill me," she begged, tears streaming down her face.
"We're not here to kill you, but to help," I reassured her, kneeling beside her. "We're like you."
Lilith helped Annabelle stand, her legs trembling. "Mum!" "Mummy!" Two young boys and a man rushed into view.
Annabelle knelt, embracing her children tightly. Her husband's eyes widened in relief and fear.
"Why didn't you inform us before going out? You know how Drewville is for us nowadays," he asked, anxiety etched on his face.
"I didn't leave; I was taken by a warlock," Annabelle explained.
The family's emotions shifted from relief to shock.
Lilith checked the time. "It's 5:45. It's going to be bright soon." We bid the family farewell and ran, our feet pounding the ground.
Back at the college gate, I chanted, making the wall invisible once more. We parted ways, Lilith's parting words echoing in my mind:
"Goddess help me keep to the witch's no-killing rule; I almost killed that bastard today."
I smiled, knowing Lilith's ferocity was a testament to her unwavering loyalty.