This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song , 2020

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Cover Design by Cover by Juan.

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Format: Avery S.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

BLURB

Prologue: Return To Face The Shadows

1.  Where There’s Darkness, Light Can Prevail

2.  Murder She Wrote And Forced Holiday

3.  Early Winter Break And Slow And Steady

4.  Letting Go And Advice

5.  Romantic Date And Blowing Flowers

6.  Bad Habits Die Hard

7.  Nightmares Of Warning

8.  Birthday Christmas Celebration

9.  Farewell Circumstances Of Loss

10.  Hopelessness To The Key Of Protection Part One

11.  Hopelessness To The Key Of Protection: Part Two

12.  Hopelessness To The Key Of Protection: Part Three

13.  Destiny Will Lead To Justice

14.  Trial Of Ultimate Retribution

15.  The Final Semester And Marked For Life

16.  Training To Be The Best And Ours

17.  Jealous Industry And Painting Blissfulness

18.  Rollercoaster Dream

19.  Pastel Dreams And Supportive Reality

20.  You, Me, And The Thrumming Dance Floor

21.  Day Of The Spring Festival

22.  Spring Festival Of Fulfillment

23.  Cheer For The Finale Of Accomplishments

24.  Unexpected Games Of Sacrifice

25.  Graduation Promise

Epilogue: Reunion And Invitation

COMING SOON- MAY 2021

SNEAK PEEK - WOLF AWAKENED

WOLF AWAKENED BLURB

Prologue: Forbidden Fruit

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing WITCHLING ACADEMY- SEMESTER EIGHT!

Thank you for following through the journey of Brianne and her Notorious men. This series has ignited many feelings over its creation, and its amazing to finally come to the finale. Thanks for sticking around.

Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.

Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals.

Without Him, I would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

BLURB

Murder? Threats? Court trials? Shocking revelations?

Turning twenty is more about chaos than celebration as my final semester at Witchling Academy kicks off with a bang.

Semester Eight will be the most intense one yet; with the cheer squad competition, the football league championships, kendo master matches, and the spring festival art competition, we’re going to be busy around the clock. And that doesn’t even include our ongoing battle against a mysterious threat that’s determined to destroy everything — and everyone — I love.

After our exam is infiltrated by a well-known nemesis, it’s finally clear who our enemies are in this battle against the darkness. I, Brianne Marie Harlow, am now in charge of the prime investigation to end the evil influence once and for all.

However, with Elisha’s trial looming and more secrets coming to light, I have to take a moment to decide what I really want out of this semester. Am I willing to live in constant fear? Or do I risk everything, including my life, attempting to take down an organization as big as the shadows?

Throw in the student council’s duty to keep everyone safe and an unexpected round of Witchling Games, and this could all push more than one person over the edge.

Semester Eight is about conquering the fear in our hearts to achieve fulfillment.

It’s time for us to fight all the way to the graduation stage.

PROLOGUE: RETURN TO FACE THE SHADOWS

~KAITO~

“Then let me ask you this, Kaito. What do you fear the most?”

The question of the year, one that lingered in my mind and haunted me throughout the days of immense training. My trial was here and now, hours before I’d return to the heart of Witchling Academy and face the challenges that were left behind - face the people I cherished once and for all.

Today was the last day for mistakes.

As I stared at Master ZenSu, I stretched out my fingers while my hands continued to remain at my sides. He stared at me with zero emotion as the world around us was at the peak of darkness.

It was still early in the morning, the weather chilled as the cold breeze passed us. No stars twinkled in the sky, and there was no hint of sunrise.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for, and Master ZenSu knew I’d find the answer I needed. When he looked into my eyes this time, they twinkled with understanding as he slowly nodded and lifted his hand up to summon a sword that morphed to life from the spiraling rush of wind.

The blade was decorated with various magic incantations, and they went from a brilliant red to a sheer black that oozed onto the blade until it was cloaked in darkness.

The tendrils of fear tried to creep in as the oozing darkness flowed down the sword like a summoned river and began to pool onto the very ground beneath his feet. He didn’t display an ounce of fear as the black sheet of magic pooled at his feet that rested in wooden plank sandals, clinging to his toes and moving along his feet, ankles, and calves.

The magic began to spread, its sluggish movement only adding to the intense suspense of the situation as I prepared myself for this final test.

This moment was my last shot, and all I could do was make it count, for the sake of my wellbeing - for the sake of the relationships awaiting my return.

The darkness grew faster as it began to morph into a dome around us, leaving me to prepare for the inevitable as it began to crawl along my body from my bare feet to my legs and onward.

My eyes took a glimpse at Master, and he was still holding the sword in its place, but his whole body was covered by the darkness. It was only a matter of time until mine was too, but I couldn’t afford to lose my grasp on my objective.

“You’re allowed to fail once, but the second time will lead you down a path of sacrifice. Take the time to realize what you want or give up trying.”

As the black ink of magic swarmed my face, I was prepared for the inevitable - the frigid chill, the roaming feeling of approaching doom, the constant reminders of all my failures, and the strongest emotion of all: immense regret.

All around me was darkness, and it almost felt as though I’d become a piece of stone that would never leave its very spot. Thoughts of guilt swarmed me as I was haunted by images of Brianne.

Those images seemed to come to light as her holographic image began to approach me. For a brief moment, I forgot all about my task and just admired her beauty.

The heavens must have taken all seven days to create such a shining woman of grace and attraction. It was beyond words how our Brianne had grown into this work of art that brought so much light and elation into my heart.

I expected the sight of her was on purpose, but I’d appreciate every second of her image as she smiled brightly with those magnificent white teeth, gorgeous orange-gold locks, and eyes that twinkled with intensity.

The woman I’ve fallen hard for.

She continued to smile as she approached me, and when she stood before me, I almost got lost in the idea that she could be real. The flickering image of her was so detailed, and as she leaned upward, I couldn’t help begin to close my eyes at the thought of kissing her.

For so long, I wished to kiss her wholeheartedly. To lay my lips upon her soft, tender surface and get lost in her addictive taste while her aroma reeled me further into her grace.

To get lost in all of her - to touch and feel her soft, perfect skin and to hear her moan my name. I wanted to make love to her, without a worry in my mind that would bring my doubts and insecurities to the surface.

I wished to give the impression that I truly had my shit together, even in my most vulnerable state. She’d earned that much. She deserved to see all of me and not halves or pieces because of my constant fears.

I had to give her my all because she was worth it.

Our love is worth it.

Her image was only an inch away from me as the tiny space between us suddenly grew. With a blink, she was far away once more, and there were those dark creatures with glowing eyes, their hands grabbing desperately to bring Brianne with them.

The way she looked at me with those fearful eyes tugged at every heartstring. It took every thread of logic in my mind to remind myself that she wasn’t the real Red. She was nothing but an illusion that wished to remind me of my failures.

To bring pain to my heart and encourage my endless walk of shame for my past mistakes.

The hardest part was watching her body be engulfed by the darkness - her eyes being the last to be flooded with the black shade. Her fear never withered away. To the very end, it only grew and grew as those orbs that were dancing with orange and gold begged for my assistance.

Begged for my mercy.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as she disappeared, and she was replaced with Finnick, who now stood before me.

There was his compassionate smile, his short pink strands. His eyes glimmered with lust as they lowered to my lips.

The temptation was just as hard for me to ignore; my cock pressing tightly against my black combat pants. How many times had I done everything to submerge my arousal for Finnick?

With Brianne, I could barely contain my desire for her, but my love for Finnick had been buried for so long, it seemed to become impossible to tame any longer. He understood me, acknowledged my hesitation and discomfort. He’d somehow surpassed me in growth and it felt like if I didn’t run fast enough, he’d leave me in the dust.

Brianne was my beacon of hope, while Finnick was my pillar of steel. Together, I’d have the stamina and support to achieve all I desired and more. That was why I had to get through this hurdle.

Dark needles pierced into Finnick at that very thought, and it was hard to stop myself from flinching as he slowly looked at the large needle that had gone through his chest specifically. He stared at it while black blood drooled down the side of his mouth, and he lifted his gaze for me to see the blackness of his eyes.

Needle after needle pierced him, until he was nothing but a doll filled with needles. With a burst, he was no more, just like the needles that had stolen his glowing essence.

I waited for the next trial ahead of me, but as I waited patiently, the silence continued to linger.

“Failure.” I looked to my left to see Mother and Father. Their disappointment hurt at one glance as they shook their heads in dismay.

“Failure.” To my right was Katsume and Professor Phoenix, the two of them looking so defeated as they stared at me.

“Failure!” To my back were Connor and Jax, the two of them staring at me with disgust while both their eyes were pitch black.

“Failure.” Before me was a samurai, one that was fully armored but carried two heads in his hands - one holding Brianne’s while the other held Finnick’s.

The sight impaled me as their eyes were wide and bled black, all while their smiles were wide and showed their black stained teeth as they repeated the same word in unison.

“Failure. Failure. Failure!” The chant grew louder as they came from all directions, leaving me in a bubble of hate as other memories of my failures rushed into my mind.

You’ll never be great. You’ll never be worthy.

Kaito always trains and yet he isn’t the strongest in the club.

How did Kaito even hook up with Brianne?

Or even Finnick? I heard they’re fucking.

Ya, right. He’s too weak. If you told me last year, I would have believed you.

I agree. He’s a weak man. All his peers are going to pass by him.

In this household, we don’t accept such things!

Your goal in this family is to bring us honor, Kaito.

No one is gonna love you if you can’t love yourself!

Kaito? He’ll never achieve using that blade Master ZenSu is saving for him.

Never. He’s a failure. Have you seen a failure win?

Just watch. He’ll lose everything. His role in the club, his girlfriend and boyfriend, everything. He already lost a position on the council. Just a matter of time.

Good. We don’t support failures.

Failures are losers.

Failures never succeed.

Failures deserve to die.

Die. Die. DIE!

I had to shut them all out, but without my ability to cover my ears, I was forced to listen to them all. The belittling words were my greatest downfall, along with the expectations of the world around me and the suffocating feeling that wished to drown me towards my doom.

This was the hardest part to face, and the longer their words echoed around me, the more difficult it was to differentiate the lies from the truth. They always meshed together into one commanding force, and it took every bit of me to try not to crumble.

I had to remember that I could face anything. That only I could make myself fall into the endless pit of failure. I was in the driver’s seat of my life, and only I would be able to drive the car upward towards the marvelous sky or go rushing off a cliff to my doom.

My head lowered to the floor as I noticed the tears that left my face, and I acknowledged the pain I harbored in my heart. All the negative emotions poured out of me - their intent to make me finally face each one as it coursed through me like a chemical reaction that spread with no remorse.

All I could do was endure it. Deal with each emotion, whether from the past or my current present. It was unbearable and only made me cry harder. I wondered if it would ever end while I fought hard to continue to exist in this world of black and icy temperatures.

I grew more numb by the second, and at one point I wondered if it was all worth it: the early four AM mornings, the waterfall meditation sessions, the countless training activities. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, and here I was, trying to determine if it was all worth it.

“Is it truly worth it?”

The voice seemed to pierce through the surround sound. It silenced everything as a presence was suddenly known to this realm of darkness.

My head lifted to acknowledge the presence, but I was flabbergasted by the sight of this individual. They stood a few feet from me, their back facing me while they lifted their head up as if they were seeing something that I couldn’t.

Regardless of our hollow surroundings, the bleak blackness that covered all around and the chilled atmosphere that invited our puffs of air to escape our nostrils and mouths, he stood there with a completely calm demeanor.

I took in his extremely long navy-blue hair that had hints of black and gold strands that twinkled like they were possessed with magic. A few strands were gathered at the back, held by a golden clip that had a specific symbol like an open book engraved in the golden surface.

His attire was traditional, reminding me of a Japanese shaman or warrior. It was blue silk cloth with golden patterns of koi fish. The fabric of the pants and outer coat was white with golden trimmings.

Strings of gold and blue wrapped around his waist, the beads at the end of those strings floating as they formed the bow at his back.

What caught my attention were the swords at his waist. One was black and almost blended with his surroundings except for the golden trimming of the sheath and handle of the weapon, while the other sword was white and held a powerful essence to it in this desolate world.

I blinked a few times before I realized he’d asked me a question, but I couldn’t grasp what he’d said.

“What?” It was all I could ask as I stood there frozen in my spot.

“Is it truly worth it?” he repeated. “To let yourself be stuck in this cycle of uncertainty?”

“No.” My response was swift because I knew in my heart that all of this second-guessing wasn’t doing anything beneficial in my life.

I had goals - dreams - achievements I wished to fulfill throughout my life that still had so much road for me to walk upon, and yet I’d wasted so much time just worrying about everything else.

Semester Seven had been filled with anxieties, worries, and fears as I tried to logically decipher ABCD in my life. I wanted to put together all the pieces of my expectations into a simple path - one that I could follow and walk upon without anyone messing it up.

I had forgotten that life didn’t run that way at all. I was literally setting myself up for failure. I was envisioning a world where everything would be achievable. A place where obstacles didn’t exist, and I could achieve success at the tip of my fingertips within any aspect of my life.

The problem with that mindset was that it only would lead me down a path of disappointment. It would lead me down a road that was filled with expectations that were disrupted by reality. My feelings, hopes, and dreams would be shattered before I could get a damn shot at them.

This was the problem I’d dealt with these last few months, and in return, it landed me here. It resulted in me wasting all this time second-guessing my worth and losing opportunities to be around those I loved. All the opportunities I could have spent with friends, classmates, family, and my dear loved ones. I pushed them all aside by training consistently like my life depended on it. My world revolved around the idea of being the perfect individual in all departments.

Being the perfect son, boyfriend, kendo fighter, and Witchling student.

At the end of the day, I strived to achieve all of those and ended up lacking in every single area. It literally took me seeing Brianne lost in the grasp of the dark void and the dead bodies of the individuals I’d blindly killed in hopes of saving my lover for it to finally all click in.

I knew the problem the entire time, and yet I wished to put the blame on anything else.

The reason I failed was that I’d set myself up for failure. I was the orchestrator, the conductor, and the determining factor to my own demolition, and unless I accepted that, I’d never be able to obtain what I truly wanted.

“Have you figured it out?”

“Ya,” I whispered and actually let my tears continue to run down my cheeks as I closed my eyes. “All of the time wasted on being perfect. On obtaining all these hopeful dreams and wishing to make memories after everything was said and done. I drove myself into a wall, again and again…all throughout this semester. I couldn’t let my mind wander to something other than my dreams to succeed, and in the end, time went by and I lost everything around me. I never allowed myself to make mistakes. Never gave myself breaks to live in the moment. I stopped taking moments to just be around those who loved me, and I lost out on accepting help when it was offered right to my face.”

I took a deep breath and allowed it to flow out of my nostrils.

“The darkness is scary. I’m frightened by it…and for the longest time, I couldn’t dare admit that to myself. I’m afraid of the darkness not because of its qualities, but because I’ve never been able to accept that I’m worthy of being able to balance the light and the dark,” I finally confessed. “There are good and bad times in this world for a reason. It’s not just to make us struggle and feel the agony that’s brought with pain and loss. We fall because we need to get up and rise. We struggle on the path of our dreams because, without such challenges, we’ll never admire just how much we want something. If success was as easy as picking an apple from a tree, we’d all be able to do it and life would be…boring. We wouldn’t appreciate how hard it was to reach that tallest point of the branch to grab the apple. Or the previous multiple efforts taken to grasp what our eyes envisioned would be in the palm of our hand. We’d never think about the steps it took to reach the tree or even the very first sight of that apple from afar that made us wish to taste its delicious sweetness.”

I opened my eyes as more tears fell down my cheeks, and I smiled at the black palette above me.

“You can’t appreciate the big things without the little things. I can’t reach everything I’m dreaming of without being grateful for the steps that got me there. There’ll be times where I’ll trip, fall, or start from the beginning, but it’ll only make reaching the top more satisfying. I forgot all of that in the process of being lost in my own expectations. I was blinded by that, and the fear of starting from square one. Of losing it all. Now my dream is further away than it originally was. I didn’t realize that my dream hasn’t moved away from me. It’s in the same spot. The same height and distance that it was when I started with bursts of stamina. What changed was my resilience, my determination to start again and achieve that same distance. I made it seem longer. Dragged it on like I had double the distance to achieve, and in the end, all of that made me an utter fool. I’ve lost sight of what I was so obsessed with and focused on the boiling emotions piling up within me because of how much I wanted everything to just go right.”

I finally allowed my tense shoulders to sink as the weight I’d been carrying on them began to fade away and leave me in a state of relief.

“Does that mean you still fear the darkness?”

I took my time to answer as I stared at his back before closing my eyes to allow myself to truly be surrounded by the hollow world.

“No,” I whispered. “The darkness is merely an element. It’s no different from light, fire, water, or any other magic. It’s the most misunderstood element in all areas of magic, and it’s only defined as evil because it forces us to face what we don’t want to deal with.”

It was the honest truth, and I could finally say it. “Darkness forces us to seek out all the ugliness we bury inside ourselves. To confront the demons that we run away from every chance we get while wallowing in those emotions we all hate to deal with: the anger, the sadness, the moments of defeat. Everyone loves to be happy, in love, and ecstatic for everything that’s supposed to come our way, but no one likes to shed tears, be frustrated or angry, or acknowledge that not everything is obtainable.”

I allowed myself to smile, feeling the hints of pride that finally peeked out of the flood of anger, sadness, and disappointment that I’d allowed to consume me for weeks on end. The threads of anxiety were being cut while the sheets of fear were being torn out of the book that held all my dreams.

With this revelation, I was finally allowing myself to be free. Allowing myself to seek the answers I’ve always dreamed of retrieving.

“I’m not afraid anymore, and if there comes a time when I am, I know I’ll have the support and knowledge within myself to get through it. I’ll experience all these emotions and more, and in return, I’ll be able to see the twinkling light that seeks my refuge. I’ll see the starry sky and eventually watch the sunrise that will reward me with a sight of victory.”

Opening my eyes slowly, they widened to double their size as I took in the miraculous sky full of stars, while the first set of rays of sunlight cut through the navy-blue surface.

I was speechless as the streams of light grew and spread, the sunrise beginning to roll in like time was on fast forward and I was witnessing something pre-recorded. As much as I wanted to think it was an illusion, I had no doubt in my mind that this was real. This was that spectacular light moment that I’d craved, and here I was, experiencing it.

“You’ve achieved your victory, Kaito.”

The man turned around to face me, and when his eyes met mine, I almost lost all feeling in my legs. He smiled at my reaction as I corrected my stance, my body trembling as flowing tears streamed down my wet cheeks.

The orange glow of the sun washed over him, just as the breeze suddenly passed us - carrying a perfect amount of warmth compared to the frigid chill from before.

His purple eyes sparkled with tiny bits of stars, reminding me of the milky way or a galaxy, while bits of silver and white surrounded his irises. He had pale skin, an oval-shaped face, and slightly flushed cheeks. The tranquility he carried in his expression was beyond words.

With one glance, you knew this man carried wisdom beyond words, but that’s not what shook me to my core. His smile showed his perfectly white teeth as he slowly nodded his head as though he could see my resolve.

“It’s always shocking to see your future self, isn’t it?”

All I could do was slightly bob my head, which made him chuckle as he turned around to look at the rising sun.

“Come stand next to me, Kaito,” he encouraged, and it was as though his encouragement had removed the shackles that had held me in place from the very beginning.

I walked steadily to stand on his left side, the two of us watching as the sun continued to rise into the sky as the evidence of night continued to make its fateful retreat.

“How is this possible?” I whispered the question.

“Well, when you let logic leave your space, you invite the streams of magic to enter your life and bring you some advice in the best way possible,” he replied and turned his head to look at me. “Impressed?”

“Bewildered,” I whispered. “You look too good to be me.”

That had him laughing before he shifted his stance to face my side. I turned to face him as he sighed and gave me a proud smile.

“Well, let’s just say that the future will bring you more challenges that you’ll have to overcome to get to this very point in time,” he admitted, but he didn’t seem the least discouraged by it. “Graduation is only the beginning for you, but you’ve overcome one of the hardest trials you’ll face. There will be minor ones and a few hiccups on your path ahead but let this interaction between us remind you that this,” he paused to gesture to himself, “is all possible.”

“Does that mean…” I wanted to ask but hesitated because I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the answer.

Instead, he snapped his fingers, and hovering above the palm of his right hand was a crystal necklace. It was a gem that seemed to be a mixture of sapphire and amethyst, the surface carrying sparkles of glitter. It was obvious that it held intense power within it.

He reached out for my hand, lifting my left hand up and lowering the jewel into the palm of my hand. The touch caused my magic to spiral through me, and for a nanosecond, I saw an image that made me smile in pure happiness.

There were just silhouettes around me, but one of my hands was being held by a woman with extremely long hair that blew in the wind, while the other was in the hand of a man who had shoulder-length hair.

There were no other colors that deciphered their appearance, but I knew without a doubt who those two individuals were as we seemed to walk towards a swirling portal of light.

With a blink, it was gone. The magic in my spheres faded away as I returned my attention to my older self, who nodded in approval.

“Does that give you the answer you’re looking for?”

“Yes,” I replied with a tender smile. “I…don’t know what to say.”

“Well,” he began as he closed my fingers over the gem, “you can simply accept this. I’m sure you know what this is, seeing as your friends have something similar.”

I slowly nodded as he let go of my hand and took a step back. He took in my appearance for a moment before he seemed pleased and turned around.

“I, the God of Wisdom, have blessed you with what has always been destined to be in your possession,” he declared as his words boomed around us. “With knowledge comes power, and know that with such a key element on your side, you can conquer any obstacle.”

He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to acknowledge me.

“Your friends need you. Brianne especially will need you. Do not fight with your sword. Fight with the light that swarms inside you. When the tip of death is at your neck, do not fear it. Accept what is being pushed into your corner, for it will end up being an unexpected victory.”

He turned away and began to walk towards a path that faded into the distance.

“K-Kaito!” I called out to my future self, and he paused in his walk. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” he said with a hint of amusement. “I am you, and you are me. Just as we carry an inner child within our souls, we also carry our higher self, who seeks nothing but to aid you on this path of awakening. Remember, Kaito. You’re destined to be a great being of hope one day. Until then, enjoy this journey of fulfillment until the day comes for you to aid those who have lost their way on this path called life.”

He began to walk away again, and the world around us faded away - until he was blue sparkling dust that floated upon the gust of warmth that passed by.

I held the stone within my hand, and I sensed the approaching threat that charged towards me as the world of pastel beauty began to fade entirely.

The gem glowed with power as streams of light gushed out of my grasp until I opened my hand up to let the magic do what it wished.

The clashing of metal drew me back to reality. My eyes locked onto Master ZenSu’s proud ones as I held my stance with the new sword that was in my possession. He pushed off the ground as he soared back to create distance between us, giving me the opportunity to see the glorious sun that was in the sky as bits of the night continued to fade at the horizon.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been within the dome of darkness, but it didn’t matter anymore, for I’d found what I’d been looking for.

As I stared down at the sword in my possession, my eyes began to water in this realm of truth. I allowed myself to feel the emotions that overtook me.

Master ZenSu walked towards me, and when he reached where I stood, he placed a hand on my shoulder and he patted it gently.

“What did you conquer, Witchling?” he whispered in question as my glassy eyes met his glimmering ones.

“Fear of failure,” I whispered as my tears fell. “That…and the fear of darkness.”

Master ZenSu’s smile widened further as he allowed his sword to fade. I did the same. I clung to the gem with all my strength as sobs began to escape me.

My happiness was impossible to describe in words, but it was like finally being free from a prison cell you’d been trapped in for years.

Master ZenSu moved to hug me, and I allowed myself to sob into his shoulder. This was the moment of weakness and vulnerability I needed, and what better way to do it than with someone who wished for nothing but my success?

I was free, victorious, and had gained a new role as the wielder of the God of Wisdom. I’d embrace this moment in time and admire the pure sanctuary this place has brought to me.

After this…my eyes will be back on the new prize: protecting those I love.

1

WHERE THERE’S DARKNESS, LIGHT CAN PREVAIL

~KAITO~

“THIS IS BRILLIANT! The best plan I’ve had! Your boyfriends are trapped in the little glass box and after they’ve watched your death, they’ll soon join you! I’ll kill all those you love, and anyone connected to you. That way, you won’t come to this world again. No more reincarnations. No more dealing with everything being stolen from me. That double tried to take you away from your fate. To be your best friend so he could shield you from me. But I fixed that. I meddled in his life until it all came crashing down and he was bitter. He didn’t know what I’d done. How badly I’d interfered. From the beginning of the semester, I paved the path to this very moment and now we’re here! Here!”

Walking into the wild scene of utter chaos was like opening the doors to an intense food fight that had no end in sight.

My eyes immediately landed on the sole individual who seemed to have everyone’s attention through the tense madness.

Brianne Marie Harlow.

My eyes widened at the sight, for it wasn’t something I expected to see. All those nightmares of piercing needles had to be a warning of the future, for that was exactly what disabled our Notorious Queen. Her body was filled with black needles as the darkness worked on consuming every bit of her.

I could see her fear as clear as day, the darkness already consuming her body and rising to her neck which made her nostrils flare in an attempt to compensate for the sudden lack of oxygen. Those orbs of thrilling magic that burned intensely with orange and gold immediately moved to the glass box - as if time were slipping away from her and she needed to see what was inside that box with transparent walls.

I couldn’t help following her gaze. My eyes took in the chaos happening within the boxed space. My comrades - my fated brothers - were fighting enemies of their own, but it was becoming obvious that they were beginning to lose their battle.

Jax was what caught my attention. His head was turned to watch the very woman of his past life as the darkness stole away every ounce of life within her.

Those orbs of fire widened, seconds before they bled to black and projected a level of destructive force that made me shiver. I returned my eyes to Brianne, noticing how her eyes were the last part of her body to be consumed by the darkness.

She used those few seconds of life to give the most pleading look, and I knew without a doubt what message she was trying to get to Jax - or in this case, Jaxsin.

She didn’t want him to lose control. To repeat the past that somehow gave them a chance of returning to this world to do their destined duties. She was so selfless, and maybe that was the exact reason Jaxsin lost it the first time.

The glass that did its part in keeping them trapped suddenly was shot with black that spread like wildfire until it began cracking from various places. It only took seconds before it shattered with such force it went flying everywhere. The heatwave that rushed out was close to lethal to a common human.

“It’s too late, boy!” Elijah screamed in glee. “Now, why don’t you fight the love of your life!”

Jaxsin emerged swiftly out of the rushing smoke from the explosive destruction, flames of red and orange dancing around him, his hair an eerie black that glowed menacingly.

He was seconds from Elijah as he created a sword in his grasp, but at the last second, it was countered by a thin golden one.

No one moved then. The others, who had previously been rushing to their feet, were frozen in place by the new scene unfolding before their eyes while Elijah’s hysterical laugh boomed all around.

“Yes, my puppet! Protect me!” he declared as he took a few jumps back to make more space between the two fighters: Jaxsin and Brianne.

It was like she was a living silhouette, her body cloaked in complete black that clung to her skin like a bodysuit. Her hair was black like Jaxsin’s but instead of having a molten red glow, it burned of orange and gold while her aura rushed around her in waves of amplified power.

Her sword was thin enough to be a rapier, but it held its weight with ease against Jaxsin’s sword, which he held with two hands.

One look at his face and I knew this battle wouldn’t end well. He wouldn’t dare be a victor in this battle of darkness versus darkness. The love he carried for this woman was enough to let him be the victim of circumstance and lose to the sharp point of her blade.

She pushed against him with the slightest movement, and it sent him flying so swiftly that I worried the impact would break his bones. Connor somehow managed to catch him, the two of them flying into debris. Finnick cursed as he had no choice but to rush to their aid.

“Yes, yes, yes! My dark beautiful puppet! Finish them while they’re down! Get rid of my nuisances!” Elijah cheered from afar as more rounds of manic laughter escaped him.

Brianne seemed to hesitate then, her body moving almost like a robot trying to calculate what their next move was. This was my chance to fix things, but with how furiously beautiful Brianne’s aura was, I worried even I wouldn’t have a chance.

Swallowing my fears, I decided to go with my gut for the first time in a long while. If death was my portion, so be it, but I knew that I wouldn’t perish by the hands of Brianne. No matter the darkness that stole her light, there was a confident flame within me that knew she’d never make the finishing move.

With one step, I moved like air, and it was enough to catch Brianne’s attention in time as she readied herself in defense to brace for my attack as I clashed my two swords against hers.

Her eyes were black, but emotionless. The were completely void, unlike the moments where Marianna would take her place and come out to taunt us in her malicious ways.

This was literally a sign that Brianne was struggling with this battle, and I needed to find her. To help her find the exit sign to the surface world again.

“Brianne,” I whispered to her to try and get her attention, but her expression still remained heartless as she fought hard against my blades.

We were at a standstill, but I knew we wouldn’t be for long as her aura began to grow in enormous amounts. With a deep breath to get rid of my nerves, I zoned my mind into battle mode, as if this were now a tournament and I was on the final fight.

We pushed away from each other, using the tactic to give us the momentum to start the next wave of attacks that happened like shockwaves of wind as we pushed off the ground and began to clash.

Our speeds were somehow equal - every slash either hitting flesh or metal. I could feel the cuts beginning to break through my combat attire and leaving marks upon my flesh, but I was doing the same to Brianne, in hopes the pain would somehow cut through the endless flow of darkness and retrieve her from the shadows.

The loud sounds that came from our clashing swords were nothing like the aftershocks of energy bouncing all around us, making more debris and shattering glass left and right. We’d be lucky if this training room survived the impact of this intense battle, but I couldn’t care less about this structure.

My goal was to save Brianne the only way I knew how.

We fought long and hard. Elijah had no choice but to watch, as did Jax, Finnick, and Connor. Our speed was so tremendously fast and dangerous, interfering would be like a death wish.

“Brianne,” I called her name again as I sought some sort of emotion within her, but it seemed like I was hitting a wall. I bit my lip before I got the upper hand to spin my body around to avoid her attack before connecting my foot into her ribs and sending her flying into a wall.

The crash was a little harder than my expectation, leaving me to curse before I debated whether to check if she was okay. Maybe the impact would knock her down, or even get her out of that dark shell.

Instead, I double cursed and lifted both swords to crisscross in time for the massive golden spark of electricity that surged at me with so much force I was literally sent flying across the room into the opposite wall.

I’d be lying if I said the impact didn’t hurt like a bitch. I wasn’t sure if I’d broken a damn bone or two, but I’d definitely be sore in the morning. I had to force myself to recover quickly, worried she’d go right in for the kill, but when I got up to assess my options, I noticed how Brianne’s body shook with so much charged power, I was worried it would kill her before it destroyed me.

I bit my lip hard, enough to taste blood, but I had to do it to help me think outside the box. I had to reach her somehow. She needed to see that light at the end of the tunnel. I knew I could get to her if I just found a key clue, and then it suddenly clicked.

When I moved with force, her heaving body grew rigid as she prepared for impact, but I stopped a second early. The action landed me right in front of her before I let go of my blades for a brief moment and pressed my hands upon her cheeks as she tried to ready her sword to stab into me.

Without a doubt in my mind, I allowed my magic to soar into my lips as I unlocked my gift and slammed my lips onto hers.

The world seemed to still entirely as the searching kiss pulsed with so much magic it almost felt like my lips were on fire. My lips may have been scorching hot, but Brianne’s were ice cold. The combination made the connection sizzle with streams of steam.

I didn’t care as I did what my gift was always able to do – retrieve what I wholeheartedly desired at the peak of the moment.

Brianne. My lovely Brianne. Our Notorious Queen. Red. You’re free now. Run to the light. Run to me. Come back to me. To us. Come back home.

It felt like the kiss was eons long, but it was only a few short seconds before I pushed back in time to avoid her sword.

But she spun her body around, moving swiftly as I landed on my feet. I mentally cursed as my body froze. Brianne’s blade reached my neck, the very tip touching my flesh.

I stared into her eyes at that very moment, the stillness of silence rushing through the room as my heart beat rapidly against my chest. My eyes caught onto the trickle of tears that began to pool in Brianne’s eyes as she stood there. The clear droplets escaped their lair and rolled down the black surface of her cheeks.

My eyes grew wider as the dark shell around her body began to crack, little by little, until pieces fell to the ground beneath us. The cuts and bruises across her skin were obvious as the scent of our blood and sweat drifted through the air.

Neither of us moved, like frozen statues in time, but I could see fragments of emotions begin to leak into those loving orbs of hers while she began to blink rapidly to clear her vision.

I could see her confusion. Questions surely flooded her mind as her eyes drifted to the very sword that was against my neck. I hadn’t realized my hands were already up in defense, my swords on the ground, which left me wide open to her final attack.

“KILL HIM!” Elijah commanded with a sense of desperation, but I knew it was over as Brianne’s eyes lowered to the ground to acknowledge my swords and the droplets of blood from our wounds.

She returned her gaze to me as she scrunched her face. The fact that she was lost told me she was truly back to her senses and the darkness couldn’t control her anymore. It made me smile at the idea of victory, and my eyes couldn’t help but soften at the sight of our woman.

Our Notorious Queen is back.

“Brianne. It’s okay. We’ll explain later. I just need you to lower the sword from my neck,” I assured her in a tender whisper. I didn’t want her panicking, especially with the current state we were both in and the chaotic mess all around us.

I could feel the pressure of the sword at my neck, the slight stinging and flow of something running down my flesh only confirming that I’d been cut just a little. Her eyes seemed to further widen then as her grasp loosened around the hilt of the sword, the weapon dropping to the ground.

The clatter seemed to fade away as she pushed from her spot and right into my arms. That was what triggered the relief as I hugged her tightly back and let go of the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Welcome back, Brianne. I missed you.” I truly meant every word. I’d missed Brianne so damn much, as I did Finnick and the others. This month had been by far the loneliest. Far more than the months when I felt alone within the pool of my anxious emotions.

Surely the difference was because I couldn’t be reminded of their love by their presences in comparison to when we were in class or the dorms. I’d had no choice but to acknowledge being on this journey like a lone wolf, but that path had ended here and now.

“Kaito!” she whispered in panic and moved back to look at me as though she couldn’t believe I was before her very eyes. “W-What did I do?! How…when…I don’t…I don’t remember what’s happening.”

“We’ll explain later. I promise,” I assured her as my body burned to do something totally out of character in a situation like this. “But first, I really need to do this.”

Her moment of shock was mere seconds before I slammed my lips against hers. I kissed her with raw desperation as the intense connection enlightened me from the inside out. She didn’t dare hesitate to kiss me back; the firm exchange made it hard to not moan at her delicious taste as we kept hugging tightly.

My hands wanted to enjoy feeling her, touching every section of her wounded body and making up for the marks I had no choice but to inflict on her, but for now, I had to remind myself that we were still on the battlefield, and someone had to pay for this.

Elijah has to face the consequences of his actions.

I forced myself to break our embrace. We struggled to catch our breaths, but my eyes looked behind her to meet the culprit of our troubles.

Brianne followed my gaze to lock onto Elijah as he glared at us for a hard five seconds before he grunted and raced to the door.

“Dammit,” I cursed, but Brianne moved out of my hold and took my hand.

“We have to go after him!”

“Brianne, you’re not-”

“He can’t get away!” She tugged at my hand and all I could do was follow her at full speed. I was shocked that she even had the endurance to continue this chase after what we’d dealt with, but I was inspired by her drive to catch this crook.

He deserved to pay for his crimes, and maybe then we’d be able to determine if what we discovered about him being a twin was valid.

“Brianne! Kaito!” Connor called out to us, but we were long gone as we swiftly raced through the halls to try and catch Elijah. He skidded to a stop before crashing into the student council room - forcing us to skid to a stop before we followed suit.

Entering the room only forced us to come to a dramatic stop as we were left frozen at the very sight. I felt the arrival of the others as their footsteps came to a stop, but their gasps emphasized what we were witnessing was indeed real - seconds before the fire alarm went off.

Brianne remained on my left side while Finnick moved to stand on my right side. Jax stepped up to stand next to Brianne while Connor was at the end of the line next to Jax.

No one spoke as we took in the sight, until Finnick finally whispered, “Fuck.”

We couldn’t do a single thing as we all fought to catch our breaths; our eyes were on the centerpiece of attention as it swung from side to side.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, sickly pale skin of her naked body that was lathered in bruises and cuts swayed above us. Blood dripped onto the desk beneath her hanging body, but what caught all of our attention were the words written along the walls.

“Semester Eight will be your last. Prepare for death, again, Bri and Jax.”

Those bold words in the dark red ink of the hanging victim held the warning threat. But it only confirmed what we knew.

The Shadow Kingdom did all of this…this is their payback.

The victim was Leia. The girl from Dubai who was being used by Connor’s dad in their grand drug organization.

“Bri! Jax! Finnick! Connor! Kaito!” The call of our names didn’t even encourage us to budge from our spots, and gasps of shock followed by curses echoed behind us.

“Professor Phoenix!” Mia and Miya screamed, and it wasn’t long before rushing sounds of heels approached until there were more gasps.

“Everyone out of this room! Now!” Starlight’s voice commanded, and only then was I able to tug my eyes away from the sight and look at the others.

Conner was already heading out the door, which made me frown. Finnick met my gaze and nodded before he raced after Connor. I couldn’t imagine the waves of emotions hitting him at this moment, but it had to be enough to make him sick.

I moved away from the door but realized Brianne and Jax hadn’t moved. I looked to Professor Phoenix, who met my worried gaze and looked at the two.

“Starlight,” Professor Phoenix whispered, and Starlight paused what seemed to be a phone call to look at her younger sister and Jax. She bit her lip before she nodded, and the two of them walked over to face them Bri and Jax.

Professor Phoenix placed her hand on Jax’s shoulder, her face still projecting a sense of calm as she whispered, “Jax?”

He didn’t respond immediately, but it didn’t take long before his head lifted to meet her gaze. “Ya?”

“We have to go,” she softly whispered. All Jax could do was slowly nod, and he slightly looked at Brianne as if he were worried to leave her behind.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be right behind you after she has an extra moment,” Professor Phoenix encouraged.

“Okay.” His answers were simple, as if he were just struggling to process what was happening. I took my cue from Professor Phoenix’s look to go help Jax, and soon, the two of us were exiting the room.

“Jax,” Mia and Miya whispered and looked nervously at one another. I had to find Jax a distraction, and it soon popped into my head. “Jax?” I caught his attention as he slowly looked my way. “I think Connor needs you. He’s vomiting in the washroom down the hall.”

I had no clue if that was literally happening in this very moment or in a future moment about to transpire, but it was enough to snap Jax out of his daze as he slowly nodded. “Can you wait to make sure Bri is okay?”

“Ya,” I assured him and patted his shoulders.

“Kay,” he replied and, almost like a zombie, began to walk to the men’s washroom down the hall. I looked over to see Aki, Ako, Kiyo, and Koyo. The four of them seemed to understand my immediate concern and headed down the hall after Jax.

I knew they wouldn’t confront him or anything, but they would at least ensure he got to the washroom and didn’t lose control. Peeling away my gaze from the hall, I caught onto Starlight’s words as she spoke to Brianne.

“Brianne,” she whispered for what seemed like the third time. There was no response, even though Starlight’s hands were firmly on Brianne’s shoulders.

I had a feeling she wasn’t ignoring her sister on purpose, but I also felt like there was a reason she wasn’t responding.

Starlight looked conflicted before she glanced at Professor Phoenix, who looked just as weary regarding the situation. I decided to interfere as I walked back into the room and attempted to avoid getting transfixed on the murder scene.

Professor Phoenix and Starlight looked even more worried by my arrival, but I remained confident as I walked around them, leaving no choice but for them to take a step back to give me space as I faced Brianne.

It was hard to explain the way Brianne’s eyes currently looked. It was truly like a void of color as her hazelnut eyes were back but simply lost in the wooden shade. I was taking a gamble with my thought process, but I reached out to press my hand gently on her cheek as I made sure my voice would be firm.

“Marianna.”

That got a hint of eye movement, enough to bring me some sort of relief before her eyes moved slightly to acknowledge my gaze.

“Is Brianne okay?”

Her response was slow but she moved her head just slightly before she glanced away as if she didn’t like me.

“Are you mad at me?” I inquired. She moved her gaze just slightly to acknowledge my question with a glare, which only brought me more relief. If she was angry at me, that was a lot better than her potentially going into shock.

“Sorry, Marianna,” I whispered. “I worried Brianne, didn’t I?”

Another hint of a nod before she frowned. “I want Jaxsin.”

Her speaking made me smile as I nodded in understanding. “He’s just checking on Connor. Do you mind if I talk to Brianne?”

“Hmph,” she replied and returned her gaze forward, which made me uneasy. The others looked just as worried as she didn’t say or do anything.

“Miss Oops is dead,” she pointed out the obvious, her voice completely emotionless.

“Ya,” I whispered, keeping my voice just as steady.

“Hmph.” She looked away as she swiftly turned around. “She didn’t deserve to die.”

I wasn’t sure what to say as she waltzed right out of the room and passed Mia and Miya like she didn’t know who they were. I immediately followed her, cueing the twins to aid Professor Phoenix and Starlight before catching up to Marianna.

She turned the corner and then pushed the door to the stairwell, which made me speed up enough to catch her hand as she tried to go down the stairs. She fell forward instead.

Tugging her back, she fell into me, causing me to lose balance and fall right back. I cushioned her fall before she scrambled out of my hold and rushed down the stairs.

“Marianna!” I was after her a second later, and soon she was rushing into the girl’s washroom. I followed right in and slammed the lock on before seeing our love rush into the stall and begin vomiting whatever they’d had for breakfast.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I struggled not to be taken aback by the sight that clung to my mind. I would deal with that later. But for now, Brianne and Marianna needed me.

Moving to stand behind her, I gathered her hair as she struggled to get it out of her face, gathering enough before she began vomiting again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she coughed and fought to breathe.

All I could do was begin to rub her back as I whispered words of calm. I assured her that we’d figure this out together. I wasn’t going to say that things were going to be okay, because they weren’t.

Someone was dead. Someone we knew who didn’t deserve the punishment they endured before their final moments of life and being hung in such a manner was dead. This was far too much for us to handle, and I was fine with admitting that.

She vomited until nothing came out, and with a groan, she slumped over to the side, which forced me to catch her before she hit her head on the wall of the stall.

“Brianne?” I shook her just slightly, and it took a minute before her eyes opened enough for her to acknowledge me as I scooped her up into my lap. “Bri?”

She blinked a few times before she closed her eyes and whimpered. That made my heart clench as I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her tightly.

“I’m here, Red,” I whispered. “We’ll get through this together.”

She broke down then, as did I, the two of us needing each other’s comfort as the sounds of approaching police sirens grew louder near the bathroom window.

We may have prevailed with the power of light, but darkness still remained. Regardless, I knew one thing.

No matter the dark times that are ahead, light will always prevail. We, the Notorious Five, will prevail.

2

MURDER SHE WROTE AND FORCED HOLIDAY

~BRIANNE~

I TURNED the page of the book I was reading, my eyes scanning the words at a robotic pace. Not too fast, not too slow. The perfect movement to take in the inked words of the shifter romance I was reading.

The cover had captured my interest. It was a romance among supernatural creatures. The girl lost her parents in some freak accident, landing her in the hospital with no memories of what happened that mysterious night. She’s forced to start over in a new town, but that place carries secrets of its own.

When I’d arrived home with my parents, I’d thought to read a few short sentences before showering and heading to bed. Instead, the plot sucked me in, but it was the main character that stole the show.

The mystery that surrounded her essence was so intriguing. The secrecy and the quietness she carried reminded me of myself. She was eighteen, entering university and simply trying to blend in while trying to forget the past, but there were aspects of her that hinted at a threatening force within her being, while she walked the new path with a sense of innocence.

It was like she was good on the outside but hid a monster on the inside. It was the first time I’d read something that took me in and wasn’t non-fiction, like magic spell books or tales of history.

The objective of the book was surrounded by the idea of surrendering. Allowing yourself to surrender to the desires, addictions, and darkness that haunts all of us, especially in times of utter despair.

The book was recommended by Mia and Miya. The two of them had gifted me the book to try out while I spent tonight at home. I’d have to text them once I finished to ask if there was more to the series, for it was the one thing keeping my mind from sinking into the brewing chaos that swarmed my head.

I requested to be discharged from the medical center early. I didn’t tell the others - a.k.a. my boyfriends. I had a hunch it would bite me in the ass later on, but I couldn’t spend another night there.

Being alone in the bed and four walls was too much for me, and when my parents arrived after receiving the news after returning from an abroad case, they immediately encouraged the discharge to be approved.

That was a first for my parents. They were always so worried about me and never wanted to go against the doctor’s orders, but I guess one look at my current state seemed to seal the deal.

It was the medical center’s fault, honestly. This wasn’t Witchling Medical Centre we got treatment from. This was a medical center run by the government that was connected to the facility Jax was forced to get examined at.

The moment I realized their connection, I was not down for anything. Not to forget the fact we were all separated into our own box rooms. My room didn’t even have a window, which was only making my condition a hell of a lot worse, and when I requested a change, it was denied.

Three times…until I broke their stone walls by ‘accident’. No regrets.

I wasn’t sure what was going on with the others aside from the fact that Jax was getting a facility check and Connor was going to make sure he stayed with him.

From Miya and Mia’s brief visit, I’d learned that Connor had passed out after vomiting and experiencing sensory overload. He hadn’t dealt with it for a long-ass time, but with the circumstances, it was just too much.

Jax was able to stay conscious until the ambulance ride. That was when he passed out and spiked a fever thanks to the after-effects of our battle - or maybe it was my fault. I’m not sure.

Finnick seemed to be the only one who didn’t pass out. Kaito and I ended up being found locked in the washroom, curled up against a wall. Finnick had found us and they had to call more ambulances to transport us to this hell hole.

Kaito seemed to be okay, but was dealing with exhaustion because he’d come from wherever he’d been training the last month right to school, and then we dealt with the after-exam madness.

I was grateful I hadn’t hurt him badly. The majority of the scratches we’d made upon each other during our exchange would heal just fine. Mia and Miya brought us special creams to put on the wounds after we took the bandages off to make sure the skin would heal well and not leave any scars.

It was appreciated, especially because I knew their Korean products were more expensive than the generic hospital stuff.

Witchling Academy was officially closed for a full-blown investigation. All remaining classes, exams, and activities were canceled, and anyone who lived in the dorms was forced to either stay at Megumi’s hotel temporarily in the common building they had for emergency stays or return home for an extended holiday break.

The news of Leia’s death spread through the school and was all over the gossip blogs. It seemed that she wasn’t loved by many at the school for her apparent cocky behavior, but the way she died hit everyone hard.

Witchling Star Agency, the FBI, and the CIA were all on the scene, and it was publicly confirmed that Leia had been kidnapped, beaten, raped, starved, and tortured before the final moment where she was hung purposely in the student council room to try and frame one of us.

If we hadn’t had our exam, we would have been screwed, but what was currently paining me was the shit-talk happening that said Leia deserved it. I don’t know why it made my blood literally boil. In a few instances, Marianna had to take control to somehow tame my emotions.

We both agreed that Leia did not deserve such an end. Compared to everyone who knew her by name, rumors, gossip, and her relations to Connor’s biological father, who was now also being investigated for possible involvement in Leia’s death, she was just a girl trying to figure out who she wanted to be in the world.

No one deserved to be beaten, tortured, starved, and sexually exploited. No one earned the reward of being hung in such a humiliating way.

It was the first time this week I could think about it and not rush to the washroom to vomit, and I was even more thankful I wasn’t into social blogs like others or I wouldn’t have the privilege to ignore the bullshit.

Starlight had to shut down some fishy activity going on online, where Mia and Miya found out some group was making fake accounts using my name and trying to add flame to the damn fire regarding this case.

They sent an official letter stating that Jax and I did not have social media accounts of any kind and only used our Witchling Academy blog accounts for official business.

It had to be some real crazy shit because it ticked off Starlight and even Katsume enough to do a separate investigation on who was doing it. That was soon passed on to Sebastian, and within a few hours the group of seniors were tracked by their IP addresses and immediately charged for fraudulent activity, stealing one’s identity, and cyberbullying. And one of them was further charged after finding some stuff on his hard drive that dealt with children.

I wasn’t sure what that revolved around, but Starlight brushed it away saying it would all be dealt with and I had nothing to worry about. I wondered if she was tired of assisting me in all these crazy mishaps that had been happening the last couple of years.

She didn’t show it, but I was beginning to feel guilty because of how much time and effort she had committed to my wellbeing and the safety of myself, my friends, and my boyfriends.

Apparently, once the holidays were done, Witchling Star Agency would officially be protecting the student council, with the inclusion of Connor, Finnick, and Kaito.

With everything we had going on for our final semester and the obvious threat left behind from someone who didn’t want us graduating, it was insisted upon by the magic council that we were protected during all hours of the school term.

I didn’t want to think about the money alone it would cost for such security that was usually reserved for celebrities, but it seemed as though my parents had issues with the request, which was something that had never happened during their careers.

To be fair, even I was shocked for them to cut things early with their cases and return so swiftly. It made me feel like a burden, honestly, but it was the first time I’d seen Dad so distraught at the idea of me being “alone”.

I was sure if it was their choice, we wouldn’t be entering our final semester period, but they didn’t bother trying to bring up the topic - no matter how tempting it was. Maybe it was the look in my eyes when they tried to bring the idea of school up in the hospital room or on our drive home.

That glare of conviction told them there was no way in hell I’d back out of this. I’d been through seven semesters at Witchling Academy and dealt with my share of magical mayhem with a dose of pure madness.

We’d dealt with loads of near-death experiences, and though this wasn’t a part of the school curriculum in the slightest, no way were we going to give up now.

Especially with that threat looming over our heads.

I secretly wanted to race towards that graduation stage, and nothing was going to stop me from achieving this milestone in my life. Something deep inside me told me that the Shadow Kingdom was going to do anything in their power to stop us from reaching the end.

That only confirmed that there was something waiting for me and Jax upon graduating. Who knew if we’d be given information that revealed more about our past or finally get to have a transparent conversation about what lay ahead of us after we graduated.

I knew that I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to be. I didn’t know what career path to take or what my true calling was. I could easily enter the detective field. I had a knack for it. But would I want to deal with the rules and regulations that came with the role?

Compared to Starlight, who bent all the rules in the damn first and second edition handbook - the second one adding an additional hundred rules because Starlight went above and beyond to break them when they didn’t exist - I wouldn’t be given the same privileges.

I also didn’t have the same perseverance as Starlight. Her passion was to protect Witchling and everyone who was a part of it by getting rid of the crime that lurked in the shadows. My resolve was nothing close to that level of commitment, and I was perfectly fine with acknowledging that.

There was the option of going back to school, but what would my focus be? Getting stronger? Learning more ancient spells and magic? I truly wasn’t sure, but I knew what I worried about the most was being separated from my boyfriends.

We were the Notorious Five, but I knew we all had different paths to walk upon to satisfy our desires. Was I ready to part from them so we could strive towards our dreams?

Not really.

Shaking my head, I decided to finish reading this chapter before I finally got out of bed and showered. I was wearing a crop top and shorts, the attire rather off for winter weather, but it made putting on and taking off the bandages far easier.

Plus, I’d been running a bit on the warmer side all day today, so I needed the extra cool air.

Fuwa and Elsa were still asleep within me. I’d decided I needed a few days’ break magic-wise, and neither of them had any complaints. I was curious as to where they went in the magical world when they weren’t summoned - whether they merely slept within me, or got to go on their own adventures without our knowledge.

Regardless, I knew they were safe, which was something I was grateful for.

The knock on the door seemed to grasp my attention as I read the last sentence of what I realized was the end of the book. The realization made me grit my teeth as I turned the last page to see the author page and the book series’ next release.

“Oops,” I whispered. “I wasn’t supposed to finish.”

Lifting my head, I noticed Mother at the door. She was leaning against the door frame, her tired eyes looking extra worried, which had me wondering if something was wrong.

“Hey, Mom,” I quietly greeted. “Is something wrong?”

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for over an hour,” she revealed, which made me gawk in surprise. “Your father came earlier and noticed you were into the book when he tried to get your attention, but it’s already eleven,” she revealed.

“Oh,” I replied. “I’m not sleepy.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Mother gave me a slight smile as she moved from the door frame and walked over to my bed. Sitting on the edge, she gave me a long look before she continued, “I’m not trying to say you have to go to bed, Brianne. You haven’t eaten anything today.”

Oops. Food. I forgot that’s a necessity.

“I forgot,” I admitted and lowered my gaze to the book. “This book really intrigued me. It’s kinda dark, but it’s about wolf shifters and northern lights and stuff. I didn’t think I’d get so absorbed by it, but I guess it proved my assumption wrong.”

I tried to smile as I returned my gaze to hers, but I wasn’t sure it reached my eyes. I was never good at acting like everything was okay when it wasn’t. A face like an open book never helped anyone.

Mother slowly nodded and looked at the book cover that literally reminded me of the northern lights because of the greens, blues, and purples. The girl in the middle was pretty badass to look at, being an intriguing misty shade of blue with nude lips and flawless skin.

What caught my attention the most was the two wolves on the cover that took a good chunk of space. They stood at her sides, almost protectively, yet I knew the secrets of their loyalty to the main character.

“I’m glad the next book comes out tomorrow, but I don’t really feel like lining up to get it or anything. I know I can grab it on my e-reader, but I don’t really feel like reading through a device,” I muttered while looking at the book yet again. “There’s something about having a book in your hands that makes reading a cherished moment in time.”

“I agree,” Mother admitted and reached out to lay her hand gently on top of mine. “Why don’t I grab it for you tomorrow?”

I blinked and gave her a confused look. “You’ll…go buy it for me? You don’t have to. I mean, you’re busy and have more important things to do, like help put murderers in jail and all that jazz,” I defended. “Besides, the trial is coming up, right? I’m sure you and Dad have to focus. You don’t need to be here, babysitting me.”

“Brianne.” Mother’s voice was tender yet carried a firmness to it. “We’re not babysitting you.”

“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your valuable time for me. I’m fine being alone.”

“I’d sacrifice everything in my world for you, Brianne,” Mother quietly confessed, her words forcing me to meet her sad eyes as she reached out to tap my cheek. “Being here for my child who’s dealing with something as traumatizing as what you and your boyfriends experienced is my duty as a parent. It’s not a burden or hindrance. Your dad feels the same way. That’s why we’ve taken a few days off.”

“W…What?” I couldn’t understand.

“I know we’ve always allowed you and Starlight to be rather independent. We always put our careers ahead when you were younger because we knew your sister would be around and you were such an independent child who was focused on learning at your own pace. However, we allowed that because we were confident you didn’t need us lingering around. Even when you were bullied or treated unfairly by your peers, you gave off a strong persona that told your father and me that you’d be okay. You could get through it.”

“And now?” I whispered.

Her sad smile widened as she reached out to stroke my head.

“Now that lovely wall of confidence has crumbled down and needs some time to repair. That’s why Daddy and I are going to be your temporary walls until they’re repaired and back up again.”

That made me smile as I closed my eyes, my head hanging low as I soon realized tears were running down my cheeks.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Brianne?”

“Why…are people so cruel?” I lifted my head then, allowing more tears to spill down my flushed cheeks as I looked for the threads of sympathy in her eyes that mimicked mine. “They…they said Leia deserved what happened to her. That’s not true. She didn’t deserve to be abused…tortured…raped. She was just a lost girl who had her own hopes and dreams. She was forced to do what those in power over her instructed her to do. It doesn’t mean she deserved that type of end. It’s not fair…. Where’s her justice? Why won’t people see what I see? Why won’t they look past the show she put on and see she was vulnerable like anyone else?”

Mother blinked back her own tears as she pulled my head forward so I could rest my forehead against her chest. I tried hard not to sob as I let the flooding thoughts out.

“Why did they do that to her, Mom? Why…why didn’t anyone help her? You’re telling me no one heard her screams? No one thought she deserved to live? No one saw whoever did this enter the council room? The halls were busy because of the exam….and you can’t just teleport in there. So no one…no one…dared to try to save her? What kind of world do we live in that it’s okay to ignore what’s right? What world do we live in that everyone can turn their head when someone’s in need because they’re afraid of getting involved? If even one person tried to stop what happened…or even reported strange activity, maybe Leia would be alive. Why…why…is this world so fucked up?”

I sobbed harder as Mother rubbed my back. More tears streamed down my face as I hiccupped and gripped the book for dear life.

“Now they’re mocking her on the blogs. Belittling her…like her life didn’t fucking matter. She breathed like us. Had hopes and dreams like us. She thought…she was going to Dubai and would get funds to aid her sister’s medication bills. Now…she’s gone. No one knows jack shit about her struggles. Or what she hid behind her ‘Oops, sorry’ banter. Fuck…even if she was on the wrong side…it doesn’t mean…doesn’t mean she deserved what they did to her. It’s not fair, Mom…it’s just…not…fair.”

I cried harder then, my emotions spilling out of me with no way of stopping them. I couldn’t help but be haunted by the image of her hanging body. To think of how bright and sassy her smile and personality were, only to now see her sickly pale body filled with wounds hanging there like she was truly nothing but a doll.

She didn’t deserve to be executed like a murderer. No one was given the judge’s gavel to tell the world she was guilty of that final punishment. Yet, on social media platforms where everyone hid behind keyboards and electronic screens, anyone could say what they wished and thought. Anyone could go and talk shit and belittle someone they knew nothing about.

I bet none of these people knew who Leia was. They didn’t know if that was even her true name. They had no clue that she was forced into a sex cult, or that she’d been a victim of whatever shit she’d dealt with prior to all of this. They knew nothing but acted like they knew everything.

That’s what drove a blade into my damn heart.

It hurt the most because I knew, without a doubt, that such ridicule could happen to anyone. This wouldn’t be the first or last instance where someone’s death was nothing but a laughing moment of ‘tough luck’ and ‘she deserved it’ because of ABCD.

She’s a slut. She had fake breasts. She was an immigrant. She was merely trying to get a paid position in the industry.

So many assumptions. So many lies. And no matter how hard I tried to ignore the bullying of Leia, I just couldn’t let it go. Making fun of a dead girl seemed to be the most pathetic thing to do, but it was unfolding before my eyes to the point that multiple people out there wanted to bring my and Jax’s name into the loop and frame us for the taunts and spreading lies.

What if I didn’t have parents in law? What if my sister wasn’t the top agent Witchling had ever seen? What if Jax’s family wasn’t at their level of success? Or better yet, what if Jax and I didn’t have good reputations?

We would be minding our own business, and someone would be okay with ruining our lives without us realizing it. All by faking a few profiles and beginning a keyboard war of lies.

Life is so unfair.

I felt a larger hand begin to stroke my head, and I knew from the creak of the bed on my right side that Dad was here. He didn’t ask questions as I continued to cry long and hard. He simply added to Mother’s words of support and comfort as they hugged me for as long as I needed.

I’d only seen them do this once, and it was when the news of Starlight’s fiancé and team’s deaths finally made its impact on her. If I was feeling this way over the death of someone I barely knew, I couldn’t imagine the feelings I’d experience if I lost someone I loved.

I cried until my tears ran dry, and when I quieted down, Dad knelt down and put a hand on my lap to get my attention.

“I want you to know that how you’re feeling is perfectly allowed. It’s not wrong to feel the way you do, nor is it wrong to be frustrated with what’s happening online,” he whispered. “What I can say is this: Leia will get justice. Just like we’ll fight long and hard to ensure you get justice during the trial,” he assured me.

Mother nodded and continued to rub my back. “The high court concluded that the trial will be delayed until New Year’s Eve. They wish to get it out of the way this year, but due to current circumstances, they’re willing to postpone if they must.”

I slowly nodded, feeling slightly relaxed at the idea of not doing the trial so soon. We may have an extra week added to our holiday break, but I knew I’d need every bit of time to recover from this.

“She didn’t deserve what happened to her,” Mother stated firmly. “Understand?”

I nodded. “Understood.”

Dad sighed and got up. “Why don’t you go take a calming bath? We’ll be downstairs tonight working on a few tasks, but if you’re hungry, say the word and we’ll fix something for you to eat.”

“Or if you feel like eating anything, we can go for a night ride and get something to eat at one of the twenty-four-hour joints,” Mother offered.

The idea of going out was appetizing, especially since it had been a long while since I’d gotten the opportunity to spend time with them.

“I wouldn’t mind going out later,” I whispered. “I miss you guys.”

“I know,” Dad whispered and leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead. “We miss you, too, Brianne.”

“And we’re here for you,” Mother reassured me.

I actually allowed myself to smile in gratefulness as I bobbed my head in understanding.

“Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.”

They gave me warm smiles before they each gave me a hug before heading downstairs.

I sat on my bed for a while, staring at the book before looking at the bandages along my arms and legs. A bath would definitely be a calming self-care moment, and with the hovering idea of going out to eat, I decided to gather my stuff and get the water ready.

I filled the bath with steaming hot water. I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it with my wounds, but I didn’t really care about the potential stinging pain I’d deal with. Maybe the pain would numb everything else.

The knock on the door caught my attention as I took a new set of summer pajamas - my pink Sailor Moon pajamas - in my grasp. I turned my head to see Kaito.

I stared at his image, almost thinking I was having a hallucination or something, but I lowered my eyes to the gorgeous bouquet of flowers in his grasp. It was an array of orange, pink, and yellow roses that were bundled together in a pink glass pot with yellow crescent moons.

Moving my gaze upward, my eyes locked with his as he seemed to take advantage of my observation to do the same. His eyes took me in while they softened in admiration.

“Knock, knock,” he whispered.

“Who’s there?” I quietly replied as I suddenly fought hard to not grow emotional from his sudden arrival.

“Your long-lost boyfriend,” he answered and lifted the flowers further. “With a bouquet of flowers in a Sailor Moon themed pot.”

That made me smile as I slowly walked over to the door. My parents had to have known he was coming for them to let him in at this hour and not let me know. I was sure after my breakdown that they would assume having company would help cheer me up, especially from one of my amazing boyfriends.

Adding the fact that I missed Kaito dearly, this seemed like one of those perfect moments where divine timing was here to save the day.

He wore a long-sleeve black turtle neck and black pants, while his hair was up in his usual ponytail. I was sure beneath the soft fabric were the white bandages covering his wounds that we couldn’t heal easily with magic.

How intriguingly limited magic could be when it came to healing a witch’s minor cuts and bruises versus life-threatening situations, where they could easily be reversed. The nurse did explain it was the amount of darkness used during the fight that made the healing process far slower, but it sure was a pain in the butt.

I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but I personally favored the pain at this moment. It reminded me of the obstacles I’d just faced with Kaito, and how he somehow saved me from doing something I surely would’ve regretted.

Placing my pajamas on the bed, I walked over to where he stood and accepted the flowers with a tiny smile. After taking a long inhale of the delightful fresh aroma of roses, I lifted the pot further up so I could appreciate the beauty of the themed vase.

“Sailor Moon themed,” I whispered. “How did you get this?”

“I have connections,” he suggested with a wink.

“So, Katsume,” I concluded, and he pouted his lips, which made my smile further spread across my lips.

“How’d you know?”

“She’s the only one who’d advise you to get me Sailor Moon themed flowers with a pot that gives off princess of the moon vibes,” I explained and walked over to my nightstand to place them right next to my lamp.

I’d figure out where to put them in the morning, but for now, I wanted them somewhere I could visibly see and admire them. With a bob of my head, I turned back to Kaito as he quietly stood there.

I tried to keep my smile on my lips as I looked around my room. “Sorry. My room is a little chaotic right now,” I admitted. “Didn’t think anyone would come over, you know?”

“I know,” he whispered as he closed the door behind him before walking over to where I stood. He carefully reached out to move a few strands out of my face, his hand brushing my cheek while he placed the few strands behind my ear.

He tried to move his hand away when the deed was done, but it remained just inches from my face as if he couldn’t figure out what he wished to do. I closed my eyes as I lifted my hand up to press his lightly against my cheek. The action seemingly calmed whatever nerves were brewing within him as his hesitation drifted away.

In moments, he was wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a warm embrace that made me want to melt into his secure arms and never leave. Kaito always had a way of easing someone when they had loads of concerns, but it was the first time of me enjoying the physical touch between us without the exchange of encouraging words.

I couldn’t help but lean back to look into his eyes, seconds before his knowledgeable orbs lowered to my lips. They kept looking up and down as his face inched closer to mine. When he knew I wasn’t going to push him away, those soft lips of his brushed along mine, another motion of hesitation before he kissed me firmly.

I allowed myself to relax as the tension in my shoulders began to fade while our lips moved at a slow yet passionate rhythm. I felt as though we both needed this brief moment. Just to fall into each other’s loving company while our minds drifted on a calming wavelength of pleasure and comfort.

“I missed you,” he confessed when he broke the kiss.

“Me, too,” I admitted and moved to hug him once more. There was no tension this time as we hugged tightly, and neither of us seemed to be bothered by how uncomfortable our embrace probably was due to our lingering wounds.

I physically desired this moment of touch. His presence pushed away the thoughts that were temporarily submerged thanks to the book I’d been reading.

When we pulled back, Kaito looked at the pajamas I placed on my bed.

“Heading to bed?”

“No,” I admitted. “I was going to take a bath.”

“Oh,” he replied, and I expected him to show some type of embarrassment as he normally did, but he remained in place with his hands on my hips. He stood there for a few extra seconds before he continued, “Do you want company?”

“As in you’re going to sit on the toilet company, or you’re joining in company?” I had to ask the rather blunt question that would have made me groan at my cluelessness, but when it came to Kaito, I couldn’t help but ask.

If it was Jax, Connor, or even Finnick, I knew what such words would lead to, but with everything that happened and being with Kaito, who normally didn’t show as much affection as the others, I couldn’t determine if he was moving us along the next step of our relationship.

“Joining you company,” he whispered in confidence as his eyes stared down into mine. “I could use a calming bath. A bonus would be having you in it.”

“There are pink bubbles,” I muttered as my cheeks began to blush at the rather girly bubble bath that awaited us thanks to me using the Sailor Moon bath bomb Mia and Miya had gotten me as a mini birthday gift.

Today felt like the perfect time to enjoy one, especially with how sore my body was and my mental and emotional state needing some peace and quiet.

“I’m fine with pink.” He winked. I nodded and moved from his hold to walk over to my dresser. Crouching down to open the bottom drawer, I retrieved a set of dark blue pajamas and walked back to the bed. “You can use these.”

Kaito arched an eyebrow at them and reached over to inspect them. “They’re exactly my size.”

“Since Jax stays over often when I come over here during the holidays, I figured I’d get a few sets of pajamas for each of you so when you showed up to stay for the night, you’d have clothes,” I confessed the tiny deed. “The hospital gave a bunch of hospital bandages, too. More than enough for both of us.”

“Do your wounds still hurt?”

“A little,” I admitted as he moved to stand behind me.

“Need help taking the bandages off?” The second half of his question was barely audible, but it made my insides flip as I bit my lip lightly and slowly nodded.

Neither of us moved for a solid moment, and I felt his finger trail along my shoulder before a soft kiss pressed to the right side of my shoulder. The action made me quiver, and I fought hard not to moan when he sucked the flesh very gently while his hands landed on my waist.

I was soon enveloped in his arms as he hugged me from behind, the two of us just standing there as if we had all the time in the world. This level of intimacy had to be a special gift of a sort, and it was hard to admit that I actually craved this without realizing it.

“Our bath is going to get cold,” I muttered after who knew how much time had passed.

“You’d warm it up for us though,” he whispered as a reminder. I’d forgotten we weren’t on magic restrictions this time around, which was definitely helpful in comparison to the past.

“Ya,” I replied and slowly turned my head to the side to see his expression that held a masked component to it. He was trying hard to hide his emotions, but I could feel his growing lust for me - those desires that were begging to be acknowledged and fed.

He was fighting it hard, but I noticed he was already inching closer while his eyes were beginning to close like mine - letting the magnetic pull of sexual tension pull us closer until our lips were pressed against one another’s.

These apprehensive kisses held a different sort of affection. Though they were slow, the movement of our lips was solid and filled with a burst of emotion. It was like we didn’t have a time limit over our heads; the night was still young and reserved just for us.

It was an experience that still held a newness to me; not because it was Kaito, but due to the perfect tranquil pace of it all. Little kisses, small sucks, and tiny bites tugged on my swollen lips.

No matter the amount of caution we took with each kiss, it still left us breathless until we had no choice but to break our long, intimate kisses.

We exchanged a look before I turned in his hold and we began to kiss again, a little faster than our previous kisses. His hands were moving, just like mine - roaming his extremely soft sweater before we broke the kiss to slip it off his head.

I admired the bandages that were wrapped around his arms and torso. I’d definitely done a number on him with all the mini slashes during the battle I had no memory of, but I didn’t allow myself to feel guilty. It was something completely out of my control, and I’d thankfully found the light at the right moment to spare life-changing damages.

My eyes drifted to his neck, and I noticed the tiny cut that didn’t need a bandage due to its tiny size. Tossing his sweater somewhere, I let my hands roam very gently along the white wrapped surface along his torso before leaning up on my tiptoes to kiss the spot.

The low vibration that hummed against his throat made me want to take it a step further by licking the spot slowly before I sucked it gently. Kaito moaned then, his hands moving further down my body to my ass as he squeezed it gently.

He had no idea how between my legs was growing hotter while that pulsating ache begged to be pleased. I didn’t want to rush anything, and yet it felt hard not to pick up the pace after such a sexy sound.

I pulled back as if to check if he was okay with what I was doing, and his eyes admired my expression before he dove right in to kiss me yet again. This kiss was hotter, and I was surprised when his tongue brushed along my lip while he squeezed my ass cheeks again.

The dual movement made me gasp just slightly, enough for his tongue to slide between my parted lips. His hands began to move, tugging on my shorts to slide them down the security of my hips, leaving the material no choice but to fall to my ankles.

I stepped out of them before my own impatient fingers moved to unbutton his pants, the sound of me undoing his zipper seeming loud as we continued our heated kiss.

With the break of this kiss, I lifted my hands up as he lifted my crop top over my head and up my arms. He took a moment to admire my simple baby pink bra and matching panties, before a slight smirk formed on his lips as he leaned down to press his lips upon the top of my left breast and then my right breast.

“You really love pink,” he muttered against my flesh, leaving tingles from his lips’ departure as he moved up my chest until he was sucking the nape of my neck. I moaned as he kissed deeply, all while inhaling and letting the air out slowly, which further tickled my sensitive neck.

“Kaito.” I thought my voice would be a whisper, but it was a breathy moan that seemed to excite him further. It was amazing having a sense of his emotions, seeing how he was delicately trying to keep this at a good pace even though I could feel how impatient he was.

We kissed long and hard before he finally released me. “Should we head to the bath?”

I slowly nodded and took the lead, not realizing my hand was already in his and tugging him along. When we entered the washroom, I walked to the bath to warm up it up with a hint of magic.

Thankfully, the bubbles of pink with hints of golden sparkles were still present, and the growing heat and steam only made the bath more inviting as I moved my hand from hovering over the bubbly surface to reach over and unclip my bra.

I could hear the slight inhale that almost sounded like a gasp from behind, but it didn’t stop me as I tossed the bra into the hamper on my right before I proceeded to slide my panties off.

It felt like I was giving him a perfect show, and I didn’t know where the confidence came from, but I felt like my moves were a little more sensual than just casually taking my clothes off. I took my time - slow and steady - and I think that just added to the mood as I lifted my arms up to gather my hair before summoning a hair tie in my grasp to bundle my orange strands until they were in a messy bun.

I could tell Kaito was behind me now, his presence rather obvious because of the oozing energy that leaked off of him, but I wasn’t expecting him to already be naked as he pressed himself against me while his hands moved to cup my breasts.

It would take everything in me to not try to have sex with this man tonight, and yet I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull it off. Even the idea of my parents being downstairs should have turned this desirable feeling of heat and tingling need off, but it only spiked it further at the idea of not being caught.

Wouldn’t my parents know there was a chance of us doing it? Did they even care? As long as it was consensual, and I wasn’t crying my eyes out, I was sure they couldn’t give two cents.

“Brianne.” The way my name left Kaito’s tongue sent my body into prickling overdrive. I could literally swear at how crazy my body was feeling with all of these sensations, heated tension and burning lust coursing through us.

He began to massage my breasts while kissing my neck and along my shoulders. I could feel him against my ass, and it was hard not to grind myself against his length that felt hard.

This experience was so new to me, and yet I craved this. This step into the unknown of pleasure and seeing where it would take us.

I turned my head and we were kissing in seconds, the two of us occupying our mouths while he continued to fondle my breasts. We couldn’t help breaking the kiss when the steam of the bath seemed to be enough to make the washroom fill with mist.

“I think you forgot to stop the spell, Red,” Kaito revealed with a playful smirk that had me blinking for a few seconds before I realized I had.

“Oh fuck,” I cursed and then covered my mouth as if I wasn’t supposed to curse. That had him snickering before he pulled me into his arms, making it impossible for me to go stop the spell, which was making the water a boiling pit of bubbles.

He stared into my eyes and didn’t even bother to hide the hunger that was flashing through those orbs of his that looked at me with intense desire.

“When I fuck you, I want you to swear like that,” he revealed in a husky voice that was going to make my head spin if I didn’t remind myself to breathe. He noticed my unsteadiness, and held me even closer to him. I felt his rod right along my entrance.

God, he was hard, and he seemed to be a similar size to Finnick. I could only assume, of course, but I wondered if I could handle doing it standing here and now. He gave me a peck on my nose before he pulled back to admire my body.

The way his tongue glided along his bottom lip like I was something he was preparing to devour only turned me on further.

Or enough to make the bathwater squirt upward like a sprout.

The temperature suddenly dropped then, and before the scalding hot water touched our flesh, it was beautiful, fluffy snowflakes that made the bathroom into a steamy snowy moment.

We shared a look before we snickered and ended up laughing.

“I guess we should lower our hot energy or your washroom may become a hot spring oasis,” he reasoned.

“Or snowy mountain,” I added and lifted my hands up to try to catch the flakes. “Smooth move.”

“Thanks.” He winked. “Shall we undo those bandages?”

“Ya,” I quietly replied. “You first?”

“Whatever rocks your snowy boat, Red,” he teased and turned around so I could work on the torso bandages first. The break in our lustful, tense moment was what we needed to get these bandages off. It wasn’t hard, but it was something you needed to focus on.

It hurt my heart a bit to acknowledge the number of cuts I’d left on his perfect flesh, but at least they would heal and Kaito didn’t hate me for it.

When I finished his arms, he moved on to help me with mine. He ended up having to kneel down to get the bandages off my legs, which was beginning to get difficult with my legs so close together.

“Bri, widen your stance for a sec,” Kaito encouraged, but I tried to ignore him. He clearly noticed as he lifted up to see my flushed face. I immediately attempted to look anywhere but at him.

Then I shivered and fought hard not to flinch when he kissed my upper left thigh, which caught my attention. “Brianne.”

That only made my face burn redder before I groaned and lifted my hands up to hide my face. “Do I have to?”

“If I want to get these bandages off,” he reasoned. “I don’t have scissors and I’m not going downstairs naked to get them from the kitchen.”

That seemed a bit appetizing to imagine but knowing damn well my parents were in the kitchen, it was definitely a no-no.

“Why are you nervous?”

“I…” This felt so weird to answer and I knew I didn’t need to feel so embarrassed when I was experienced in all of this, but with Kaito, I still had a bit of shyness since we hadn’t really crossed that boundary yet. “Just that…you’ll see how much you’ve excited me if I spread my legs further.”

My ears could barely pick up on what I said because it was so damn quiet, like I’d confessed to killing someone.

“Brianne.” That husky voice was back, and its effects immediately had my attention. “Widen your legs for me please?”

One look into those hooded eyes made me do exactly what he said. He removed the remaining bandages extra slowly, and I swear the chill of the room made my pussy ache further.

I bit my lip when he kissed my other thigh and fought hard not to arch when he began to move his tongue upward along my inner leg. He took a long inhale, purposely making sure I heard him before he let it out slowly.

“Your arousal is killing me, Bri,” he whispered with a breathless voice. I expected him to move away, but he moved further up until his tongue was licking my entrance that was surely wet with my arousal.

I squeaked out a moan at the touch of his hot tongue, and it only grew more tempting when his tongue slid between my folds inside. He held my legs as he began to lick me up while his tongue thrust in and out of me.

All I could do was moan as I enjoyed every moment and sloppy noise that reached my ears as he enjoyed me like I was an ice cream sundae and he was missing a spoon.

“Kaito,” I breathed as he seemed to move his tongue faster, and I felt that beginning quiver of pleasure build stronger in the depths of my core, spiraling and growing as my body shivered at the approaching orgasm I knew would consume me.

He held me firmly as I moaned louder. My climax hit me unexpectedly and left me trembling as I came. He didn’t even stop as he licked me right up, to the point that I had to put my hands on his shoulders and beg him to stop.

He gave one last lick before releasing me at my plea. He leaned back just so I could admire his wet lips as he slowly licked off the creamy juices like it was the best milkshake he’d ever enjoyed.

“Delicious,” he whispered and finally rose up and slipped his arms around me. “We should get in before the water gets cold again.”

“I can’t possibly taste that good,” I muttered and already knew my face was beyond red, but his look seemed to twinkle with amusement before he suddenly kissed me fiercely.

My moan vibrated into his mouth as my tongue entangled with his as we seemed to fight for dominance. I couldn’t help but explore the sweet taste in his mouth that seemed so unique yet weird at the same time.

“Your taste is delightfully addicting,” he whispered against my lips as he broke the heated exchange. “Now let’s relax.”

I slowly nodded and we took our time getting into the bath. Kaito went in first before ushering me in to sit in his hold. I didn’t care about the water that spilled over onto the floor as we both soaked in the perfect temperature of the bath.

It was a blessing that the water wasn’t burning our wounds, which helped us relax further. We didn’t need to say much after that. Kaito would occasionally kiss my shoulder and neck, while his arms were around my waist underwater.

We were lost in our own thoughts and the simple enjoyment of being in one another’s company. My body needed the break to calm down after all of that. It was amazing to experience with Kaito, and I knew for sure it would help us get even more comfortable with one another.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered.

“I know,” I replied as I closed my eyes and further rested against him. “I love you, too.”

“Always?”

“Always,” I vowed.

The rest of the bath was spent in comforting silence, which continued as we dried off and wrapped each other’s wounds in new bandages.

When we finally wore our pajamas and slipped between the bedsheets and thick comforter, I couldn’t help feeling drained.

“Your parents said you didn’t eat today,” Kaito whispered. His hands were going through my hair, which was now down and splattered along my back. I was snuggled into his side with my head resting against his shoulder and left bicep.

“Ya,” I admitted. “We can just get a big breakfast or something,” I whispered. “I want to hang with them.”

“Don’t mind if I come?”

“Not at all,” I replied. “I want you there.”

“Okay,” he replied and yawned, just as I began to drift. “Brianne?”

I had the intention of replying, I really did, but this was the first time I was so damn comfortable in my own bed, and the warmth of Kaito’s body only made my mind further settle into a comforting realm of inner peace.

I felt his lips on my forehead, cheek, and top of my nose before he pulled me further into him.

“Sleep well, Notorious Queen,” he quietly encouraged. “Let’s tackle the world together.”

Maybe this forced time off is exactly what I need to survive through the shadow moments.

3

EARLY WINTER BREAK AND SLOW AND STEADY

~FINNICK~

“FINNICK? HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER?”

I paused in unpacking my stuff as Katsume arrived at the door of the large room Kaito and I were going to share for this unexpected holiday stay.

“I think he went with Brianne, Jax, and Connor to get some stuff we forgot at the dorms. They’re doing another sweep of all the dorms for next semester, so they decided to go make sure we had our necessities over here,” I explained as Katsume leaned against the door frame and sighed.

“Ugh. I swear he’s avoiding me on purpose. Wait till I get Mom and Dad to spam call his phone. Then he’ll see,” she vowed with vengeance.

I nervously smiled as I pointed to the bedside. “Uh. Kaito left his phone to charge.”

She blinked and slowly looked over to the very spot I was pointing at, and I could see the intense annoyance bubble in her expression as she clearly began devising a Plan B.

“Ugh. He’s lucky I have a date with Starlight or I swear to the damn gods, he’d be dealing with these very hands!” she declared with passion.

“Do you want me to pass on the message?” I offered, hoping it would potentially save Kaito from being destroyed by his older sister’s wrath.

“Ah. It’s nothing vastly important. Our parents just want him to call to make sure he’s okay,” she admitted. “He hasn’t come back home yet so I guess they’re worried about everything going on.”

“Right,” I whispered and bowed my head slightly. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” she inquired with an arched eyebrow.

“Kaito didn’t want me to be alone yesterday,” I admitted. “The day before he spent with Brianne while we remained at the dorms, but since they announced they were doing a full investigation, he offered to stay with me since Jax is staying with Connor at his mom’s hotel. I could have gone along, but I guess…” I trailed off to try to find a legitimate excuse for my absence.

“Didn’t want to be a third wheel?” she concluded and I gave her a sheepish grin. “Ya. Brianne spent yesterday at Mia’s and Miya’s place. It’s been a while since she’s gotten to hang with them and I didn’t want to interfere with that. Kaito was going to visit home before we accepted this trip deal to Switzerland, but I guess he knew I’d be a bit lonely.”

I shrugged just slightly but didn’t hide the sadness in my eyes as I was reminded that I was alone in this world. With Christmas approaching, those haunting memories were beginning to creep in. Years had gone by since my mom’s passing, and it was officially a year since my dad’s murder.

The mere thought made my throat feel tight, but I tried to think of better things. At least they were at peace and not in any sort of pain, together in a place of paradise where no one could hurt them for the sake of getting to me.

It didn’t exempt me from feeling lonely, but that was what made Kaito’s offer to stay behind yesterday to keep me company more touching.

Katsume stared at me for a long moment before she slowly nodded and closed her eyes. “I’ll let my parents know he had business to take care of and will visit after the new year,” she determined and opened her eyes to acknowledge my shocked expression.

She winked before moving off the door frame and noticing the one large bed.

“So,” she began as a sly smirk formed on her soft pink lips. “Sharing a bed?”

That made me blush before I grumbled, “None of the rooms have two beds.”

She laughed then and patted her chest. “That was technically my bad,” she admitted. “I said three-bedroom but didn’t specify how many beds in each room, so they probably assumed it was for three people and opted for the king-size beds.”

“It’s fine,” I admitted. “It’s not like we needed all those beds.”

“Of course not.” She grinned and watched my cheeks begin to blush. “Maybe y’all will finally stick to one bed. More than enough room.”

“One bed?” I questioned. “For five people? We wouldn’t…” I trailed off as her eyes glimmered with mischief. I groaned and ruffled my hair. “Never mind!”

“Mwahaha. I’m going to make it a new mission to try to get you five locked in a bedroom. Then the real shenanigans will begin!”

“I can’t believe you,” I whined. “No wonder Kaito tries to avoid ya.”

“Kaito knows if it was my choice, he would have been cuddling in between you and Brianne ages ago.”

That had me coughing on my own saliva and trying not to die.

“Awww. You guys are still so youthful,” Katsume sang. “Maybe you guys will get all freaky in an orgy by the end of the school year.”

“O-Orgy?!” I gasped, which had her laughing while I coughed.

“Oh, this is going to be fun! I’m going to egg on Brianne without her realizing it!”

“Don’t,” I groaned and noticed the vibration in my pocket. I pulled my phone out and quickly picked up at the sight of my agent’s name.

“Hello?”

“Finnick! How’s everything going?”

“Good, sir. I’m just in Switzerland right now on a trip with my friends,” I replied.

“Friends,” Katsume quietly sang as I gave her a look.

“That sounds lovely. You deserve it. I heard about the crazy murder investigation going on at Witchling. Such a tragedy for sure. A break would do all you students some justice. Did you guys need help covering the expenses? I’d be happy to contribute if it ensures you’re well-rested?”

“Thank you for the generous offer, sir. It was covered by the school. You know my girlfriend is a part of the council.”

“Yes, yes! Brianne Harlow. Gifted woman. You should paint more pictures of her. She simply catches attention. Has to be something to do with that fierceness in her eyes,” he complimented. “I simply called to make sure you were okay and confirm you still wanted to be a part of the festival in the spring. Even with the incident, the art council has concluded the festival will remain on Witchling property, seeing as it’s a big enough space. We’re hoping to get special security involved at the event to ensure everything is peaceful, but we’ve been asked to confirm with all potential artists.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll still be participating in the festival,” I assured him. “Thank you for checking in. I may need assistance with some painting materials upon the new year. I have a pretty solid idea for what I want to do, but I’m going to need a big studio space or warehouse to complete it, as well as transportation to bring the masterpiece to the festival.”

He laughed with joy as he replied, “Anything you need, Finnick my boy. You say the word and you shall have it,” he assured me. He quieted down and continued, “I know things have been rough, Finnick, but please don’t hesitate to rely on me if you need any assistance. You’re also always welcome back to Dubai to visit and if you’re ever lonely, say the word and I’ll fly over. I know we met randomly, but I couldn’t be more thankful for your aid in protecting my granddaughter and would happily take you under my wing if you need anything of the sort.”

“Your words are greatly appreciated,” I admitted while I tried not to get teary-eyed. It amazed me how we could meet certain individuals in our lives at the most random times and have it to lead to such supportive connections. “Thank you for supporting me in all things, sir.”

“Anytime, Finnick. Let me not hold you up! You have to get all lovey with that beautiful queen of yours.” That made me blush as he laughed again. “Have an amazing holiday, Finnick. Make sure to update me in the new year on what you need! The moment February hits, things are going to sell out in prep for the festival.”

“Yes, I’ll inform you as soon as I get back after the holidays,” I assured him.

“Bye!”

“Bye,” I replied, and he hung up first.

“You have an idea for that spring art festival?” Katsume inquired.

“Yes,” I replied and slipped my phone back into my pocket. “I’m just having a bit of a problem with it.”

“You haven’t started yet, though?”

“I have the draft sketched out, but it’s getting it on the canvas properly that may be an issue,” I confessed. “It’s a work of art that will shift based on the flowing stream of magic around us. It’s something never really done before, so I’m not sure how I’ll trigger the shifts. I was going to use the weather as an influence, but that’s tricky because if it rains, the image would be just sad, or if it’s sunny, the image would be just happy.”

“The piece is going to be able to move?” Katsume looked intrigued. “Not as in the structure, but the image itself?”

“Sort of,” I replied and moved to sit on the end of the bed while resting my hands back. “I can see it in my mind and I know what scenarios I’ll draw, but I need the magic to be able to influence a constant flow of variation that tells a story almost. It would be triggered the moment it’s revealed at the competition and then it would display the flow of events upon the canvas at least once through before the crowd would be able to influence which image remains.” She seemed deep in thought at the idea and I sighed. “Complicated, right?”

“You need to have a point of connection on both ends to make it be influenced by one’s magic or emotions,” she offered. “So the canvas can be the main projector. You just need a source of energy to run through the projector to make it play what you’re hoping for. If you’re able to get someone who’s into engineering or is a carpenter, you could make your piece into a 3D structure and have a generator that can convert the magic of one’s emotions to shift the art in the way you want. How big is this thing gonna be?”

“Big to the point that I’ll need a rather tall ladder or to suspend myself with wind for a hot hour or two.”

“Hmm. Definitely ladder. The wind will dry the paint or watercolor too quickly and ruin the texture,” she concluded.

“You have a sense of art?” I inquired out of curiosity.

“My mother was an artist long before she got into the business and then aided Father with the dojo. She specializes in calligraphy and is one of the most popular artists who create new generation artwork with Japanese characters because her strokes are so flawless,” Katsume revealed. “Kaito doesn’t tell anyone but he’s really good at it. I’m obviously better since my mom allowed me to work on my art more versus Kaito, who had to spend more time training and doing ‘manly’ stuff. You know how our culture is. It’s only now that things are shifting.”

“Ya,” I quietly replied. “Kaito’s working on that slowly.”

“Kaito will find his groove soon enough. At least he knows his family loves him regardless of whether he dates you, Brianne, or both,” she hummed in delight and spun around. “I’ll talk to Sebastian.”

“Why do you need to talk to Sebastian and why does your tone tell me that talking means some sort of bribery?”

“Well, because it does require me bribing him with a lovely threesome and getting Starlight drunk on soju, but the more important part is he’s a magic engineer and is nifty with a hammer. He could give you a hand since out of the three, he’s the fastest in getting through his case workload.”

“Why is he the fastest?” I pondered.

“He doesn’t like bullshit.” Katsume shrugged. “Whatever poor soul gets him as the designated agent to bring them in, they might as well purchase their grave plot and hide in a body bag for shits and giggles.”

I gawked at her as she looked over her shoulder. “Sebastian doesn’t have partners for a reason, but somehow he tolerates me and loves Starlight, so…we’re exempt from his normal killing impatience.”

She looked away. “I’ll set that up for you so you two can meet after the new year and get measurements over with, so we can order the supplies early. If you struggle getting anything, just let me know. My mother still has plenty of connections in the art industry, so we can grab whatever you need or can’t find if the pressure is on.”

“Thank you, Katsume,” I whispered, feeling a bit astonished by her sudden aid.

“No problem. I might as well help my brother’s future husband,” she sang, and I was coughing on air the next second, which had her laughing. “Bye, Finnick!”

With that, she was gone, and I was left to shake my head and sigh.

Pulling my phone out, I glanced at the home screen image of me, Brianne, and Kaito at the beach in Dubai. My eyes drifted between the two of them, before locking on Bri’s lovely eyes.

“You do have fierce eyes, Red,” I whispered to myself.

Hopefully, I can capture that burning intensity with the stroke of my paintbrush.

~JAX~

MY EYES WERE FOCUSED on the road though every so often, they drifted down to the woman sleeping on my shoulder. I stopped at the red light, a bit thankful for the major intersection because of the long wait times when it came to pedestrian crossings.

My fingers continued to run through Brianne’s long orange locks, and with this moment’s grace, I was able to admire the trickles of golden tinsel locks that only made her hair more magical.

Elsa and Luna were curled up in her lap, with Fuwa sleeping in his little fuzzy ball form on top of Luna. I didn’t think she cared now that she seemed to be close to the two familiars. I secretly felt like Luna had adopted Elsa like she was her child, and Fuwa was just lumped into the equation.

I smirked at the thought, which was a little bit of a relief. It had been hard to express emotion, let alone feel a hint of calmness after the madness we’d endured and the recovery process that followed.

Leaning over, I pressed a kiss to Brianne’s forehead. She stirred just slightly before sinking deeper into her unconscious state. Those parted lips quirked up just slightly as if she truly sensed my hint of affection in her dreams.

I was just grateful she wasn’t having nightmares and was slowly adapting to what occurred from the exam to this new investigation, as well as the news of the trial being postponed to the end of the year.

The light turned green, forcing me to return my focus to the road before me as I turned onto the express lane and picked up the speed. The city was far as hell from our place, and that was one of the reasons why I volunteered to go grab us a car.

My eyes looked at the side mirror as the roaring sound of a motorcycle caught my attention and made me grin further. Leaning back enough to see his approaching image, I took in Connor’s approach as he sped up on the exclusive Harley that roared with power as he continued to ramp up his speed.

It didn’t take long for him to pass us, and I let him, seeing as I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up without waking Brianne. I knew he’d be able to hear my thoughts, so I sent him the thought.

Brianne’s sleeping so I ain’t racing you. You can still be a show-off, though.

He lifted his hand up to give me the middle finger before he sped right off, which had me mentally chuckling back at him. I was sure the thrill of being able to drive a classic, enhanced version of the branded bike in a country full of serene sights was a blessing to him.

He probably needed a break since last night he had a nightmare that surged us awake. I figured the surge of emotions that thrashed his senses was still doing a number on his mental health.

Could I even blame him?

I was still struggling - maybe we all were - with what we’d witnessed. I wouldn’t expect the school to sponsor an all-expenses-paid exclusive trip for us to recover in Switzerland.

Out of all the places in the world to go and see, I had to admit, this was a gorgeous choice. We’d been given the option to rent any car or motorbike, and I didn’t delay in choosing one of the fancier sports cars in the collection. It was a bloody red with a matte finish. I was coming to realize I had a thing for good speedy cars. I felt, over these past few months, I was leaning towards being one of those typical bad boys.

Of course, I didn’t have the tattoos to show for it aside from my magical ones, but I’d casually mentioned wanting one to Connor, who offered to take me to his mother’s tattoo artist, who was really well known.

He’d actually asked about it while we were at the hotel yesterday, which was before we realized we’d be traveling at night to the outstanding, luxurious, modern home on the mountains in the heart of Switzerland.

I wondered if Brianne would be down with getting one. We were thinking of the five of us getting matching tattoos, especially with our final semester approaching. Something that would emphasize her reign as queen over us.

The idea was something that kept simmering in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more I wished to get it done with before we were caught up in the chaotic madness that was waiting for us next semester.

With the looming threat over our heads, I knew that things weren’t going to go as smoothly as we may have hoped for our final semester at Witchling Academy, but my goal and inner hope was we’d be able to prepare ourselves with this mental break.

We really needed this, especially with the added insults of the shit being written on blogs and online platforms. I never thought I’d ever encourage it, but with my permission, the Witchling blogs, website, and social media platform were officially locked out for the next three weeks.

I couldn’t care less if they bashed me for approving the holiday pause, nor did I care if they went on another platform to shit-talk and make fake rumors, but the moment a group of seniors made fake accounts of me, Brianne, and the rest of the council with the intention of starting major shit, I lost all calm in this department.

I definitely made sure that everyone knew that very group was arrested and that another group of hired professionals were about to raid through the forums, blogs, and groups that said anything vile and penalize anyone who spoke shit, like saying Leia deserved what happened to her.

If this was me from a few semesters ago, I would have ignored it as always, but Kaito called me to tell me how hard it hit Brianne after she’d found out about it. She’d broken down to her parents, which they noted had never happened with their Brianne, and it just ticked me off further.

As if Jaxsin wasn’t going to do shit before I had a chance.

These individuals had to realize there were consequences for what you said out there in the open, and that was the reason why the websites and blogs were on complete shutdown. While they bitched and complained about lacking any updates and such over an obvious holiday break, others would be shitting their pants, hoping they weren’t caught in the ultimate crossfire.

I didn’t care if half the damn student body got warnings, deduction in points, held back, or even expelled. I was merely proving that everything had a consequence when you don’t have good intentions.

Why else would they say Karma is a bitch?

The way you think lately is dark as fuck. Good.

My eyes rolled at Jaxsin’s commentary, but I didn’t bother entertaining him as I kept driving along the never-ending road. I had a strong hunch that Connor would get back first, and I figured he’d work out since this place had the perfect gym.

I tried not to imagine his muscled body dripping with sweat as he lifted weights in repetitions. That only made me wonder how Brianne would look with her plump ass in short-shorts and a sports bra that accented her luscious breasts.

Biting my lip, I shifted myself just slightly in the seat to distract myself from the tightness in my pants. It was hard not to get horny at the vivid imagining of my girlfriend and boyfriend. It still felt weird acknowledging Brianne and Connor in that sense, but it felt damn good to be comfortable with our relationship.

I was going to take advantage of this vacation with us being together. We had more than enough alcohol at the house, and Connor and I decided we wanted to try a certain something we’d gotten at the dealership.

It was odd in a sense because we were just renting, but I guess the news of who we were and our affiliation to Witchling Academy gave some sort of “high class” vibe.

My plans were going to brew into fruition once we arrived back. I’m sure Connor would be down for the ride. All that remained was if Brianne was down for the break.

Bikini. Check. Beers. Check. Human lighter, aka me. Definitely check.

I smirked as Brianne stirred again and muttered, “Jax. Don’t…steal my…Sailor Moon underwear.”

That made me smirk as I glanced down at her once more. I swear the Universe knew how much I adored this woman. Our love for one another had to be strong as hell for us to be reincarnated and somehow be tracked by people from the past who fought hard to tear us apart.

A whole organization was after us, which was pretty fucked up, but then again, it only proved a valid point. That our existence was for far more than just a simple purpose or impact on the world.

The burning flame of our souls would have a big impact on the world one day, and I wanted to make sure we fulfilled what we were meant to achieve this time around.

Before we ascend onto the path of demigods.

For now, we had to focus on one thing at a time. Concentrate on what was ahead and attempt to recover before the final assault of challenges awaiting our arrival come Semester Eight.

I took a deep breath and let it out when that bit of anxiety tried to peek out its nasty head. I didn’t have time to deal with those emotions. Not yet, anyway.

Vanquish those who dare hurt our salvation. No one will take our queen from our grasp.

Why I felt like smirking was beyond me as the brewing darkness of Jaxsin only pushed my confidence up. The exam had definitely pushed me to an edge I almost fell off of, but witnessing Leia’s end cut a chord in me.

No more bullshit.

The Shadow Kingdom wasn’t going to steal our salvation from us. They were an enemy that was about to feel the true wrath of our onslaught. We may be running out of time, but we would come out victorious at the end of this race.

Tightening my grip on Brianne’s shoulder, I took one last glimpse at her, Luna, Elsa, and Fuwa. I then looked forward to see Connor’s bike not too far ahead, which only confirmed my validation as I acknowledged the people I loved.

Slow and steady wins the race.

4

LETTING GO AND ADVICE

~BRIANNE~

“ELSA.” My hands landed on my hips as I noticed the adorable kitten coming into the room with something in her mouth. “What’s in your mouth?”

She paused at my question as if caught red-handed - giving me enough time to acknowledge what exactly she’d snatched.

“Elsa! Give Jax’s favorite boxers back!”

She was gone in a flash as she raced around the large room before proceeding to hide under the bed. She knew damn well I wouldn’t be attempting to get her under there.

“Elsa,” I groaned and shook my head. “What’s with familiars having an obsession with underwear? Is this a universal thing? It has to be a universal problem. I should ask Alice. That reminds me. I hope her Christmas present comes on time. Damn shipping delays.”

Reaching for my phone, I decided to message the group chat with Miya and Mia about familiars and kidnapping underwear addictions before texting Alice to check in and see if she’d be at Witchling until the end of the year.

I knew she was going to return to her universe soon, especially with the semester over. I was disappointed that we never got to do a full-on hangout day, but I was sure a time would come when we’d be able to do all those exciting things and more.

We were currently nestled up in a spectacular modern home in Switzerland, courtesy of Witchling Academy. I didn’t think it would be possible to go on a vacation this holiday season, but I guess with drastic stress back home, the school worried about our mental health.

With Professor Phoenix and the approval of most of the magic council, we were paid for a vacation that would give a secure break from the mayhem happening at Witchling currently. I was sure a few people were jealous that we were being given special treatment, especially since we were given the opportunity to choose anyone else to come with us.

Jax and I obviously decided for Connor, Kaito, and Finnick to come along, while Mia and Miya requested for Aki, Ako, Kiyo, and Koyo to come with. By default, Starlight, Katsume, and Sebastian were our designated chaperones for the trip, and another team was assigned strictly for security.

Together, we’d gotten the exquisite private plane experience before being able to stay at this three-bedroom oasis in the mountains. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to go around and see what was included in this place, but I knew from our arrival that there was a steamy fireplace since Kaito and Finnick were playing cards while sitting on the white carpet and enjoying some beer.

Needless to say, I was sure we all needed a getaway, and it ensured anyone else who decided to threaten us or create lies online would back off now that the whole site had been shut down and was under investigation.

Jax had given me the full details of the situation during the remaining bit of the drive back from the Witchling rental car dealership that was in the main city. We decided that transportation would be important, especially since I didn’t want us teleporting everywhere.

We may not have been completely drained of magic like previous occasions where such instances plagued us for a short period of time, but with the anticipation of threats that would come our way with Semester Eight, I wanted to reserve my magic for other things.

Jax had picked up a sports car that could at least fit four of us, while Connor got a motorcycle as our second vehicle, which was totally like him.

I was sure he missed riding his, and though it was winter here, the streets were so clean and safe due to some road mandate that designated certain witches to assess the roads in rotation to proof them from ice, hail, or heavy snowfall. The last bit had something to do with the cement of the road heating swiftly during the snowy blizzards, and by the time the snow reached a certain height from its descent, it evaporated.

I thought that tidbit was rather cool, especially when such heat only applied to snow and carried no effect on the cars that drove on the road.

The benefits of magic.

With the news of the social media shut down, I’d been worried about the backlash it would cause, but I guess Jax has reached his limit of tolerance. Out of all our semesters, this was probably going to be the strictest he had to be, and honestly, I felt like he had to for the sake of the students’ safety.

I wondered if a number of them thought this was some type of game or joke. That the investigations and news outlets were merely hyping up the incident and all the cyberbullying.

It still amazed me that people were out there who were okay with believing narratives without any provided proof while ignoring the truth that was being splattered on reputable sources that could be trusted.

All I could guess was that I was reaching that age where I was finally seeing the true colors of our vivid reality. I was impressed that I hadn’t even focused on these realms of the world.

I never worried about the negative news that was reported on the daily, or the impact people’s words could have on a whole group of individuals. In a way, it was slightly frightening to see the world in a darker scope, and deep down I sometimes wished I could change the lens so all I saw was a blurred vision.

No matter how much I wished such sight to be narrowed back to how I was when I first entered Witchling Academy, I knew it was impossible. At the end of the day, my growth and experiences had opened my eyes for the better.

There was a difference in living in a world in naiveté versus facing the truth of the world with 20/20 vision. At least one of the sides would help you adapt faster to the swift changes that followed once you were out of the protective hands schools like Witchling had to offer.

The moment we graduated, we wouldn’t have that safety net to seek when shit hit the fan. Sure, we may have our workplaces or agencies that we held commitments with, but would they go above and beyond to conduct investigations or prove your innocence? Would they respect your need for a mental break and contribute to the cost towards a destination that could promote healing, or push you onto the sidewalk with no job, legal fees, and a broken reputation?

All of these experiences were only encouraging me to figure out what my next step would be after graduation. I needed a plan A, B, C, and maybe even D, just in case I wasn’t blessed with a shit-ton of invites and offers to some of the top employment agencies that would probably give me any job I wholeheartedly desired.

I personally wished time could rush forward so all these anxious worries about the future would fade and we’d arrive at our final destination.

Graduation day…

Shaking my head out of my overflowing thoughts, I grabbed the bikini I’d laid out on the bed and headed to the bathroom.

When we arrived back, Jax told me to change into a bikini and come meet him downstairs in twenty minutes. Why twenty minutes? I had no clue.

I was hoping Connor would have some sort of idea what Jax was plotting, but he’d reached here first and told Jax he was going to work out when he arrived. Regardless if we were on vacation, he had to maintain his muscle mass and overall build with the championships coming up.

We’d all have to get into a workout routine, but this week I was aiming just to reset myself in all avenues - physically, emotionally, mentally. Maybe even spiritually.

I felt like I had to reconnect to myself and get through my tangled emotions while healing the trauma inflicted by that exam.

Changing into a black bikini, I admired my image in the mirror as I ran my hands through my hair with one hand while the other was on my hip.

Looking at myself only confirmed that something had changed. Aside from my slight weight loss due to the lack of eating I’d been doing lately, there was some sort of shift.

The woman who looked back at me carried a solidified attitude to herself. Not one that brought a negative vibe like ‘don’t approach me’ but one that reminded me of Starlight when she had that approachable, loving look she gave to her peers and those she loved, and that look of badassery that told the world that if you messed with her, you would be a victim of an unhappy ending.

So maybe it was a ‘Do Not Approach’ look.

The cuts on my body were healing, and thanks to the creams I’d been applying after my showers and baths, I was positive there would be no scarring. I did admire my incantations for a bit as I suddenly craved to mark my flesh with something.

Surely, I had to be going through a phase or something. Kind of like how teenagers went through the preppy phase or gothic phase. I hadn’t endured either of them, but maybe I was a late bloomer?

Regardless, I had this itch to do something. To pierce my flesh with some sort of mark that would emphasize what my men and I had survived thus far while acknowledging the remaining road we had to cross to reach our ultimate goal.

I lifted my hands to lift my long strands, realizing that even with their slight curl, the length of these silky orange-gold strands had surpassed my waist.

Thing was, I didn’t feel like cutting it, but I wondered if the guys would think I was trying to mimic Usagi from Sailor Moon or something.

Meeting my eyes that reflected in the mirror, I took in their original hazelnut appearance, before they began to shift into mystical orbs of rich oranges and gold. I could even see strands of pink in my irises, which intrigued me, before I pulled back my magic.

Staring at this new, raw image of myself only confirmed my growth over the years, and I wondered if it would only grow.

After fixing the harness bikini top and lowering the straps of my bottoms just slightly to emphasize my hips and six-pack, I walked out of the washroom to see Fuwa in his godly form sitting on the bed with Elsa on his lap.

She still had Jax’s underwear in her possession, but she clearly didn’t care about it with Fuwa stroking her little body that kept switching between pink and gold while her tiny strands glimmered a warm gold.

“Fuwa,” I greeted.

He opened his eyes to look my way before scanning me from head to toe. “Should I even ask what model agency you joined?”

“None,” I huffed with a slight smile. “What’s up? You wouldn’t be in godly form if you didn’t have something important to say.”

“Accurate,” he admitted. “Well, first. I was just checking if you’re okay.”

I stared at him for a long moment before walking over to the bed and sitting next to him. He casually wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gently tapped the side of my head like it was his brotherly way of comforting me.

“You probably know the honest truth, but I’m not sure if I’m okay,” I admitted. “Just taking a moment at a time and trying to get lost in the positives of our current situation. Is your news going to throw that over the ship of instability?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “Just that Professor Phoenix wanted me to inform you that they’ve caught a mafia group that confessed to being the culprits of Leia’s predicament.”

I turned my head slowly to look at him as he stared forward. His eyes were full of seriousness, and it almost left me wondering if he was avoiding my gaze solely because he wouldn’t be able to hide his thunderous anger.

“Three of them confirmed Ricardo’s involvement and orders. He most likely found a way to give out orders in jail but the evidence is showing an added bonus.”

“What’s that?”

“Her sister aided with the kidnapping.”

That was something I wouldn’t have even guessed, and Fuwa took the moment to look my way and nod. “The FBI is still investigating, but there’s more than enough concrete evidence that proves her participation, including her encouraging Leia to enter a warehouse, which we believe is where this group knocked her out and proceeded with their plans.”

“I thought her sister was sick,” I whispered and looked forward as I tried to ignore my riled emotions.

“Sick as in mental. Bipolar disorder, PTSD, and a shit ton of other stuff that essentially makes her a walking psycho rather than a prostitute,” he seethed. “Sad that she was being threatened because she wanted to help her sister. Little did she know her sister wanted her out of the picture because she wanted Ricardo’s attention only on her.”

I didn’t say anything as I took a moment to acknowledge this new information. Wherever Leia was, I wondered how she’d even fathom the truth. If she could even see what the ultimate source of her demise was.

All I could do was mentally pray she was in a place of peace.

“What’s going to be the punishment, then?” I finally asked.

“Not sure. Ricardo may get the death penalty. He has enough crimes on his list. But I think they’re trying to locate every associated gang member, so they can ensure there’s no backlash with his death.”

“Intriguing,” I replied as he slowly picked Elsa up and flicked the ball of underwear to the bed, which made me smirk. He rose up and turned to face me.

“Other than that, the professionals are handling things. I simply wanted to keep you informed.”

“Thanks, Fuwa.”

He bobbed his head. “Have fun.”

“You’re not aiming to interfere?” I inquired out of curiosity.

“Nah,” he replied and turned around. “I figure you all deserve a bit of quality time.”

Rising up from my spot, I moved to give him a hug from behind. It had to be unexpected to him because he stiffened just a bit, but then relaxed.

“W-Why are you hugging me?”

“I wish I could remember the life I lived in the realms above to be blessed with a protective brother like you.”

There was a moment of silence between us before he sighed and whispered, “You will one day. Until then, get used to your protective familiar brother.”

“And Elsa’s uncle,” I concluded.

“Ugh. Sure,” he huffed. “Only because I’m in-”

“Yes, yes. Cause you’re all godly and mighty. Go away,” I concluded and released him.

“Rude,” he whined but sounded pleased before he turned around and reached out to pat my head. “Let go a little,” he encouraged softly. Then he was gone before I could even question the hidden motive.

“Fuwa is such a caring familiar brother,” I whispered with a tiny smile.

Guess I’ll take his advice.

5

ROMANTIC DATE AND BLOWING FLOWERS

“What is this?” I inquired as my lips curled up as I admired the romantic setup in one section of the backyard. The spot was like a sectioned off patio with a huge hot tub.

That was only the icing on the cake because the entire fenced space was decked out with hanging lights that were each lit with tiny candles, the flames adding to the cozy aesthetic. Red and black roses were set out in various places to add to the mood.

There was a table covered with various wines and beers, and soft music played from the mini speaker on the other table that had various finger foods.

Even with it being early winter, the entire spot seemed to be heated, from the black wooden surface beneath my feet to the way the heat distributed itself from the hanging candles.

Adding the immaculate sunset that washed over the vast snow-covered mountains, this view was a dream come true. I was tempted to take a picture because it was just beyond words.

Jax stood next to the hot tub in just his swimming trunks. His hair was left down, just how he liked it, but I was caught up in the slight change in his overall demeanor.

Had we all gone through a metamorphosis of some sort, or was my body just yearning for some sort of change and was playing games? I couldn’t be sure, but the way Jax stood there with those dancing orbs of golden fire made me want to wrap him up in my arms and make love to him.

How do you describe your beyond sexy boyfriend who looks like he’d take you on a date without your parent’s permission and bring you home whenever he felt like?

Whatever term that best described that lump of confidence was what Jax was displaying. He looked like the ultimate bad boy that was going to seduce me out of this bikini with just a smile.

Goodness…I wouldn’t mind that at all.

“This is me trying to be creative so my girlfriend and I can enjoy the miraculous sunset while soaking in warm water with some finger foods and beer,” Jax offered and gave me that perfect seductive grin that already had my stomach doing cartwheels and my core tightening up in pure need.

May the gods help me resist the goodness of this man or we won’t even last five minutes in the tub before I’m naked and writhing beneath him. Oh goodness, I can’t believe I just thought that!

Delicious.

I was so tempted to question what Marianna even meant by that, but I decided to distract myself by walking to where Jax was waiting for me.

“This is amazing, Jax,” I practically purred as I reached where he stood. He immediately lifted his arms in an open gesture, and the two of us hugged tightly before he kissed my temple.

“Up for some relaxation?”

“Definitely,” I whispered. “I miss you.”

“I’ve been by your side the majority of the time,” he teased but kissed me before I could say more. I moaned into his mouth as I pressed myself against him. My worries, anxieties, and hidden fears were beginning to fade away.

Jax always had that effect on me. His flaming heat did its duty to hug me in its burning protection and push away the threat of my own insecurities. I loved how our relationship was so natural now.

Not much thinking or second-guessing, it was just going with the flow and giving my body exactly what it wanted.

“Hungry?” he inquired as he wrapped those large hands of his around me and tugged me over to the finger foods table.

“I have to admit, I’m really hungry,” I confessed. “Guess I should try eating more.”

“You have lost a bit of weight,” Jax admitted as he picked up a slice of marble cheese and offered it to me. I was going to take it from his grasp, but he moved it to my very lips with that intense look of admiration in his hooded eyes.

I decided to continue going with the flow, my mouth inching closer to take a large bite of the cheese and enjoy the rich dairy flavor goodness.

He watched every move of my mouth as I chewed, and oddly enough, I relished his attention. I ate slowly as if to entice him further and when I swallowed, it was as though the food was taking its damn time going down my throat.

He observed it all before his arm glided along my waist and brought me closer to him, our lips barely brushing. “Want another?”

“Ya,” I replied with a breathy voice. He reached for another, only this time he put half in his mouth and leaned in until I met him halfway. The two of us kissed first before we took our bitten shares of cheese.

When we finished, we kissed again, and after a few more rotations of eating-then-kissing moments, we grabbed some beers to start drinking.

Something caught my attention as the scent of pasta and freshly made bread wafted over to me. It was only questionable because we didn’t have any neighbors on the vast private property.

“Someone’s cooking,” I mumbled. I currently sat on Jax’s lap on the bench that easily had enough space for me to sit next to my lover.

“Hmm.” Jax took a moment to sniff the air. “Pasta…and bread?”

“Ya.” I grinned. “I want some.”

“Do you now?” he inquired with a questioning look. “What do I get if I grant your wish?”

“Me under your sheets?” I offered, which caused his eyes to darken further as his face inched closer to mine.

“That wasn’t a questionable circumstance tonight.” His voice was so deep now that I almost forgot to properly think - or breathe - but I recovered just as quickly while maintaining the romantic tension between us.

“Did you forget there are only three bedrooms?”

“I didn’t,” he responded. “I just know you won’t be spending much time in your bed.”

“Oh?” I feigned innocence for once, which gave me an empowered feeling as I was right in his personal space while our lips brushed. “So you assumed.”

“There are no assumptions when I know you’re going to be snuggled up in my arms.”

He said it so casually that I actually laughed. “Smooth talker.”

“I’m getting good at it, right?” he teased with a playful grin that helped calm the waves of desire thrumming between us. If we didn’t take it easy, chances were we wouldn’t reach the bed to do other things.

Why does that excite me even more?

“So, are you two going to be doing physical activity first?”

We turned our heads to see Connor with a platter that held three plates of food. “Or are we eating? I made too much food, and the lovers are asleep in the living room and I don’t want to wake them.”

“Connor,” Jax greeted. “So you were the one cooking.”

“Lovers?” It took me a second to figure it out. “Ah. Finnick and Kaito? They fell asleep?”

“Yup,” Connor answered my question first before answering Jax’s comment, “I was starving after that ride. Was thinking of ordering out but noticed the special marinara sauce in that gift package we got from the dealership and figured we try it with the French bread from the bakery our host got for us.”

“We haven’t had your cooking in a hot minute,” I voiced as he walked over to us. I slid off Jax’s lap, and he purposely leaned in to give me a swift kiss before he was up and putting his beer on the side of the bench to grab the nearby wooden table.

“I know,” Connor replied. “We’ve been too busy as of late, haven’t we?”

I bobbed my head in reply before standing up as he arrived. Jax was at the circular table in moments before Connor set the plates down.

“Hope you don’t mind me interrupting the romantic date,” he tossed to Jax, who shrugged.

“The more the merrier,” he concluded, which made me smirk while Connor reached out to ruffle his long strands. “Ugh, stop.”

Connor chuckled before he wrapped an arm around Jax’s neck and brought him right in to kiss him firmly.

That had me blushing while I immediately admired the moment - and all it was doing to my body.

When Connor released him, Jax casually pushed him over. “Next time you complain, I’ll kiss you longer, dummy,” Connor tossed out while wearing a cocky smirk.

“I’m totally down with hearing any other complaints in Connor’s presence,” I vouched, which made Connor laugh as he made his way right over to me. He didn’t even delay in wrapping me in those built arms of his and giving me a smothering kiss that started with me giggling then moaning into his mouth.

“Hey, beautiful,” he grunted between kisses. “Looking extra steamy in that bikini.”

“Steamy, huh,” I teased. “That’s a new way of complimenting a woman.”

“Indeed it is,” he agreed. “The best way to warn a lady that she’s so hot, her clothes should move aside.”

“Ah,” I went along with his taunt before leaning in to mutter, “I’m sure you only say that to me though, correct?”

“Only you, Queen,” he confirmed with a charming smile. I’d never boldly flirted like this before, but damn, that empowering sensation was back, and I couldn’t feel more alive in this moment with me bouncing between them.

Connor then flinched while arching his back. The two of us looked at the culprit, which was Jax, who held an ice-cold beer in his hand. “Stop flirting with our queen. I got first dibs on this date.”

“So possessive.” Connor dramatically sighed. “That’s the leader for you.”

Jax pouted his lips, though his cheeks were still red as hell as he offered the beer to Connor, who gladly accepted it.

Pulling a wooden chair to the table, Jax gestured for me to sit.

“Ladies first,” he encouraged.

“Thanks,” I replied and took a seat before he went back to grab chairs for him and Connor.

After a moment’s grace, we dived right into the food, and I’d never eaten so fast. I couldn’t recall the last time I ate pasta, but the sauce was addicting with a calming effect that intrigued me.

It was kind of like drinking but without the tipsy, drunk state of mind. I was finished before both of them, leaving Connor in a chuckling fit before he went and grabbed seconds for all of us.

The pasta in combination with the toasted French bread with butter was simply tremendous, and Jax had to force me to try and not steal his bread.

“Sweetheart, you’re going to get a stomach ache if you eat so much.”

“It’s worth it for this bread,” I concluded, but decided to take a break and sip on the margaritas Connor made us.

“Guess that means you guys love it?” Connor concluded as he relaxed against his seat, his plate wiped clean. Even the sauce was gone, and I swear I hadn’t seen him lick the damn plate.

“How did you clean your plate like that?!” I countered, which made his eyes sparkle in pure amusement.

“It’s all about the tongue, baby,” he replied.

“Well, fuck. Why can’t you do that down under?” The words left me before I even fathomed my thought process, which left Jax and Connor grinning so widely, I was a blushing mess in a matter of five solid seconds.

“I didn’t say that! It was…uh…Marianna! Yes! It was her!”

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

How do you even know that?

Past. Present. Same rhymes over the centuries.

“Sure it was,” Jax replied and we watched his eyes go pure black before he leaned further back in his chair to admire me.

“Hello, sexy. I’ll gladly lick you until you’re begging for me to stop.”

I gave Jaxsin a look before I moved my gaze to Connor.

“Connor! I choose you!” I pointed to him and then back to Jaxsin, who seemed unbothered. “Use your special attack! Kissing bomb!”

“You aren’t actually serious now.” Connor was on the verge of losing it as he snickered.

“I’m serious!” I huffed in frustration, feeling embarrassed. “I’m your queen! You’re supposed to do what I say!”

“Ya, Connor. Lick her up and leave nothing behind,” Jaxsin hummed in delight. Connor sighed and got up, which made Jaxsin frown as he stilled in his leaning motion. “Come near me and I’ll destroy you.”

“Ya, ya,” Connor replied and with a flick of his wrist, Jaxsin was falling right back into his chair. “OW! Fucker!”

Now I lost it as I pointed at Jaxsin and laughed. “OH! Secret move! Flick your ass down!”

Jaxsin sat up and glared at me while Connor was laughing at his facial expression.

“I really pissed you off, huh?” Connor concluded.

Jaxsin didn’t say anything as he sat there sulking like someone came and rampaged through his birthday party.

With a mischievous smirk, I walked over to where he was sitting and lowered onto his lap. His eyes went from furious to wide with surprise. I was sure my eyes bled to black as I pressed my breasts right against his chest while wrapping my arms around his neck.

“If you’re going to sit there like a coward and sulk, you should get right into proving who can lick me right up,” I purred with Marianna’s energy riding through me.

His face went so red, I giggled seductively and literally licked the side of his face while grinding my lower half against his groin. He groaned before tsking at me in annoyance.

“Leave me alone.” Then he was gone as Jax was left to blink and take in my position. “Hmm. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing.”

Connor chuckled before I was lifted right off of Jax. “C’mon, Marianna. Only Jaxsin can handle you on the regular.”

My lips pouted as I slowly looked up at the culprit of ruining my persuasive move. “One day I’ll ruin your sexy time moment.”

“Please don’t,” Connor pleaded. “I have to still prove my skills.”

“Hmph. Dummy,” was my response before Marianna fully retreated with a solid blink. “What was in that sauce?”

Connor seemed taken aback by the swift switch. Jax pointed out, “She switches flawlessly. I haven’t determined if that’s a blessing or a curse.”

“Clearly,” Connor replied he helped me onto my feet before offering a hand to help Jax up. “As for the sauce, I put some flowers in there.”

“Flowers?” I asked in pure confusion.

“You put the stuff we got from the dealership in there?” Jax gasped as he looked both intrigued and shocked. “How?”

“Just grind it up and sprinkle it like parsley,” he answered like it was no big deal.

“Where did you even learn that?” Jax questioned.

“You think I didn’t do anything in high school?” Connor countered.

“Well, ya. You never acted stoned.”

“I didn’t do that shit at school.” Connor rolled his eyes.

“Flowers? Stoned?” Now I was just lost in this conversation.

They both looked at me before exchanging an intriguing look.

“Bri? Wanna try something new?”

“Do I get to keep my clothes?” I automatically asked, which had them both smiling like goofballs.

“Yes, Red. You can keep your bikini, for now.” Jax winked and reached for my hand and tugged me to the hot tub. “Relax in here. We’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” I replied, and he gave me a quick kiss. He headed in first before Connor passed me a glass of wine.

“Relaxing is always better with wine,” he reminded.

“Couldn’t agree more,” I replied and expected his tender kiss.

He moved to my ear and added, “Don’t worry, Brianne. I’ll make sure to use my tongue exceptionally when we have some time alone.”

With a tug of my earlobe, he walked away and left me fanning myself with my free hand before I thought to myself.

Yes, Daddy.

He turned back for a brief second and the look of seduction that crossed his expression was making my whole body yearn for him.

When have we been this risky?

Older. Wiser. Riskier.

Clearly. Which reminds me. Why does Jaxsin get so frazzled by your company?

Dominance enticing. Dislikes my teasing.

Why do I have a strong feeling you enjoy teasing him?

I do.

The whole ideology around it further amused me the more I thought about it. Sinking deeper into the hot tub, I allowed myself to relax and sip some of the wine before Jax and Connor were back with a box.

They got their drinks from the table before getting into the hot tub. When we were settled along the edge of one side of the tub, I looked over to Jax, who was next to me, and Connor at the far end, who held the box.

“Show the goods!” I demanded.

“Why do you make it seem like you know what’s in here?” Jax accused.

“I don’t,” I huffed impatiently. “What? Are we doing drugs or something?”

“Uh,” the two of them replied, which made me pout.

“It’s not necessarily a drug,” Jax tried to reason.

“Technically it is,” Connor argued.

I just glared at the two of them before muttering, “If my sister sees it, are we getting arrested?”

“No?” they both replied but sounded completely unsure.

“Uh-huh,” I concluded.

Illegal stuff. Rebellion. Fun.

“Great. Marianna says we’re being rebellious and is enjoying the idea.”

“We’re not.” Connor sighed. “Here in Switzerland, they call it flowers. They use it for a bunch of stuff medical-wise, but it has many effects, including calming properties. That’s what I mixed into the marinara sauce.”

“That’s why we’re so relaxed?” I concluded. “Then it’s awesome!”

“With control,” Jax reasoned. “It’s hard to get at Witchling.”

“Why?” I inquired as he opened the box up to reveal the rolled-up bundles that reminded me of cigarettes. “Looks like a cigarette. Just a bit bigger.”

“Its effects are rather addicting,” Connor elaborated. “It’s like being on cloud nine whenever you smoke it.”

“Plus, anything that’s in the ‘smoke’ category seems to be a big no-no at Witchling Academy.”

I was going to say something, but I held my tongue. Connor noticed.

“What were you going to say?” he inquired, which got Jax’s attention.

“Well, it’s a bit uh…savage in nature,” I admitted, using one of those terms Mia and Miya enjoyed from some song. I swear whenever I chilled with them for even a day, they ended up being bad influences.

“Say it,” Jax encouraged.

“Only if you won’t take my flower roll away,” I whined.

“Flower roll!” Connor chuckled. “Yup. We’re calling it that.”

“Brianne,” Jax pressed, and I groaned before Marianna butted right in.

“Doesn’t that include you? Smoke likes to follow you,” I declared with a sassy tone to my voice. That had Jax staring blankly at me while Connor gawked and slowly reached over for the box.

“I’m just going to take this and exit the hot tub before it gets too hot,” he declared and literally scurried out before the water literally went scalding hot.

“See?” I dramatically emphasized as I lifted my hand up to gesture to the steam brewing around us. “Smoke’s always following you around.”

“Bitch,” he scoffed, and I laughed because I knew it was Jaxsin, even with the absence of black in his eyes. “So you’re learning how to flawlessly switch too, huh? Jealous of my skills?”

“You’re annoying,” he grumbled. “Shut up.”

I moved right against his side. “Make me?”

The look he gave me would cause static malfunctions if we didn’t rein in our magic that seemed to spike up at the sudden challenge.

“Hmm. If you guys are going to take this heated argument to the bedroom, I’d happily enjoy watching,” Connor offered. “Though I’m keeping the flowers.”

That snapped Marianna out of it as I gasped and looked over to him. “Hey! I didn’t even get to blow the flowers!”

Connor was trying hard not to show his delight before he arched an eyebrow. I was going to ask him what, but my chin was grabbed, and I was forced to look back at Jaxsin, his eyes back to their hollow blackness.

“Get back here,” he growled in a deep, commanding voice that made me gawk in pure innocence and encouraged Marianna to step right back in for round two.

“I don’t take orders from-”

He tugged me forward, his lips smothering mine in a desperate kiss that was beyond sizzling. The water was literally boiling without the jets. Instead of submitting, I fought against his lips, trying to steal control, which only led to a biting kiss match.

We were tugged apart then and literally lifted out of the tub like gravity had stopped working.

“Can you two chill?” We snapped out of our dominance match to glare at Connor, only to notice how dark his eyes were, while one of his eyes practically twitched. “I can’t stand your emotional chaos of attraction anymore. Take a break or I’m throwing you into the frozen pool.”

Jaxsin merely stared at Connor, his eyes assessing this new influence, but I smiled almost maliciously. “Oop. Someone like us. Who might you be, sexy teddy bear? Mr. Jealous?”

The way Jaxsin looked over at me had Marianna running away in glee and left me in a state of bewilderment. “I really want to figure out what’s going on.”

Returning my eyes to Connor, I added, “Connor? Is that you?”

“Connor’s taking a chill pill.”

“Then who are you?” Jaxsin demanded. Connor frowned before tossing Jax back in the hot tub, which left him spluttering while Connor literally put me on his shoulder.

“Uh? Mr. Darkness Teddy Bear. Where are you kidnapping me to?”

“To the icy pool so I can keep the smoke summoner behind.”

“Hey! She was my woman before you, imposter!”

“Whatever,” he brushed off Jaxsin’s comment. I frowned and wiggled my legs, which forced Connor to pause from his attempt to walk away before I slipped from his hold and moved to face him with a serious look.

“Seriously,” I voiced with a stern tone before placing my hands on his cheeks. “Are you like Marianna and Jaxsin?”

“What’s it to you, cutie? Gonna keep making me hard and jealous?”

“I mean, I could,” I voiced, just because I didn’t like his tone. “Or you can just say you’re turned on and want to join in?”

That silenced him as Jaxsin muttered, “And yet I have communication problems. Fucking cunt.”

“What did you say?” I gave him a warning look, which was more than enough to make him cringe and actually mutter an apology. “Sorry.”

“You’re forgiven,” I concluded before something came to my mind.

“Wait.” I turned my full attention onto Connor. “Zephyr?”

All I got was a stare, which was more than enough of an answer. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

His eyes began to shift back to those normal onyx spheres, the shift almost making his eyes look greyish silver.

“What…just happened?” Connor inquired.

“Too hot,” Jax groaned, which brought our attention to him as he pulled himself out of the tub. “Fuck. This back and forth business is dangerous.”

“The pool option kind of seems tempting now,” I admitted as Jax reached us. “As long as it stops me from being dizzy.”

That got Connor out of his daze, his arm reaching out to secure an arm around Jax’s waist. “We’re not even drunk yet and you’re pushing yourself into getting a fever.”

“It’s Bri’s fault,” he huffed in response to the scolding.

“I was minding my own business, wanting to blow some flowers,” I stated innocently but moved to Jax’s side to lift his arm to rest along my shoulders. “I’ll help!”

“The culprit of our downstairs struggles,” Connor concluded.

“Downstairs?” I tried to think of what he meant, but it wasn’t clicking in.

“To the pool,” Jax encouraged sluggishly.

“Oh, shit. Jax. Don’t pass out!” I shrieked before we promptly moved to the pool.

“Looks like this romantic date went south,” Connor concluded.

“At least it was fun,” I voiced as we finally reached the pool and slowly began to enter it. We took our time so we could adapt quickly, and soon Jax was sighing in relief.

“I thought I was going to die,” he concluded.

“Now you’re just being dramatic,” I reasoned but kissed his cheek. “Sorry. I got too carried away.”

His already red cheeks seemed to blush a little more before he mumbled, “Sorry Jaxsin keeps insulting you. It’s immature of him.”

“Don’t worry. That’s just how he is. Marianna will put him in his place next time.”

Jaxsin didn’t respond immediately, but he replied, “I’m stopping him from trying to revolt.”

“Good,” I concluded but glanced over at Connor.

He tensed up and tried to avoid my gaze. “Do we have to talk about it now?”

“No,” I calmly replied. “As long as we plan on talking about it at some point in time.”

“I promise to talk about it,” he assured us.

Jax and I shared a look before we smiled. “Then let’s get back to our date! Bring out the flowers!”

“Why do I have a feeling we’re going to sleep well tonight?” Jax pondered.

Connor chuckled and got out of the pool. “Let me go see if Finnick and Kaito wanna join. There’s enough for each of us.”

“You don’t want us to come?” I inquired.

“Nah. Chill out for a bit. I’ll also make sure the hot tub is still functioning.”

“Oops,” Jax and I quietly stated. “I’ll pay for its repairs if it’s broken,” Jax spoke up.

“Don’t worry. If it’s broken, I can call my mom. She probably knows someone who can fix it.”

“Thanks, Connor,” I called out to him as he grabbed a fresh towel from the bench near the door to dry off before he waved back and headed indoors.

“That was frisky,” Jax admitted.

“Far south from your plans, huh?”

“Very south,” he admitted but maneuvered himself so we were facing each other. “Sorry,” he apologized again.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Since the whole incident…I’ve felt different than usual.” His expression was filled with uncertainty. “I’m trying not to think about it and just embrace the changes as they come, but I really don’t like how triggered I get.”

“Were you jealous earlier?”

“A little…not of Connor.”

“Zephyr? Well, I think that’s him. Or I guess we’ll just call him that since that’s Connor’s birth name.”

“Ya,” he responded with a sigh. “Just a little. It made Jaxsin all mad and shit.”

“Tell him to come out for a second.”

“He’s grounded,” Jax stated, but it only took five seconds before he was overridden by Jaxsin. He kept quiet as those black eyes locked on mine. Then he very gently brushed my cheek with his hand. “Sorry, Brianne.”

“You know I don’t take your insults seriously,” I voiced. “That’s just you releasing Jax’s frustration, right?”

He seemed shocked by my observation. It was something I’d noticed ages ago, but never truly mentioned. His reaction only confirmed my findings.

With a smile, Marianna took over and we inched forward till our lips softly pressed on his. His eyes began to close, just like mine. The shared kiss was the perfect balance of compassion and tenderness.

“I like you for you,” I voiced. “You’re sexy when you’re jealous.”

With a wink, she ran away and Jaxsin was gone as well.

“I didn’t expect that,” Jax concluded.

“Me neither,” I admitted. “Does that mean they’re getting along?”

“Could be,” Jax suggested. “Looks like we’ll find out slowly.”

We ended up giggling before sinking deeper into the shallow end of the pool. “This feels kinda nice. Cold waters in winter.”

“That’s because we’re pretty warm-blooded right now.”

“Magic always makes things extra wonderful,” I concluded.

“The life of a Witchling.”

“Jax?”

“Yes, Bri?”

“I love you no matter what. You know that, right?” He looked at me with those loving eyes, and I could see the vulnerability in them as he sought my orbs for the truth. “No matter the changes,” I whispered.

“Even if I’m not the same as when you first met me?”

“None of us are the same as we were our first semester, Jax,” I reminded. “We’ve all grown and evolved with all the experiences we endured. My love has only grown, and it’s just going to get stronger whether you like it or not.”

That rewarded me with the biggest smile as he hooked me into his arms and kissed my forehead before giving me a long kiss on my lips.

“I’m thankful I found you again.”

“Me, too.”

I couldn’t be more thankful to be surrounded by nothing but love.

6

BAD HABITS DIE HARD

~KAITO~

The scent of mint and pine teased my nostrils, the combination beyond soothing as I continued to drift in my dream. I was trying to push myself to get out of my half-asleep state, but I was comfortable beyond measure as oozing warmth drifted on my front side while I felt cozy and embraced by warmth from behind.

I’d missed sleeping indoors. My training for the last month had been exhausting during the day, and the nights were spent in a simple cot outside to aid in enhancing my senses.

Having Master ZenSu there as support was probably the best help I’d accepted. Previously, I worried about his company, simply because I didn’t want him to feel the need to babysit me or anything, but the one quality I always admired about Master ZenSu was that he didn’t treat us like students outside of general lessons.

He’d respect one like a comrade preparing for a grand battle, which was what made this month a lot easier in comparison to being alone.

Finnick and I hoped to take the car tomorrow to explore the city. We originally were going to head out with Jax, Connor, and Brianne, but Finnick was feeling a bit under the weather, so I figured we’d rest a day.

I wasn’t sure if it was the shift of altitude, or because these mountain tops that were covered with snow reminded him of last year.

We really hadn’t been given the opportunity to think this trip through, especially since we learned about our paid trip hours before we had to head onto the plane. It was a surprise none of us would refuse, but now that we were settled and Finnick was trying to get some inspiration outdoors, I soon realized he didn’t look too well when he came back in complaining about a headache.

With the thought of not missing out on my promise that we’d go into town tomorrow like a little date, Finnick eased down enough to allow himself to rest. I could use the added few hours before bed just to relax and wind down.

The last few days were intriguing but were helping me get back into some sort of routine that didn’t have me getting up at four in the morning and dealing with rushing cold water from the waterfalls during my sunrise meditations.

It would still take me some time to get used to hot water. I hadn’t even realized it would take me some time to adjust to the switch until my bath with Brianne. I hadn’t shared my discomfort since my body was far more distracted by the beauty in our grasp, but the next day of me trying to shower after morning training wasn’t so pleasant.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I was having wet dreams about that moment with Brianne. I could still taste her sweetness on my tongue and hear her moan while struggling to not lose it.

When she came, I enjoyed every bit of satisfaction it brought me. I felt…alive, which was odd to describe. It wasn’t like hugging, kissing, or holding Bri’s hands didn’t give me that level of fulfillment, but there was just something completely sensational about tasting a woman’s juices as they caved and writhed from your tongue.

I never in a million years thought I’d be bold enough to do it. I wasn’t the type to watch X-rated movies and such, but there were a few that I’d stumbled upon during those nights when I simply needed something to get me out of the mood whenever Bri turned me on that emphasized how pleasing it was to a woman to be ‘eaten up’ by her man.

I don’t think the guys knew I’d watched much stuff. I knew for sure they most likely did, even Finnick, who didn’t project himself as the typical male to watch those things since he’d rather paint or sleep. But for me? It was maybe three times a year before my feelings for Brianne began to grow while I allowed myself to start falling for Finnick.

Last semester seemed to be the most taunting because I couldn’t help but grow hard at the sight of Brianne in bikinis or anything, really. I was a bit grateful we didn’t study as often as we used to, for I was positive I wouldn’t have the same resistance as before.

I’d want to hold her, touch her, feel her, tease her…lick, suck, bite, kiss…fuck.

My hormones were going on overload like they just woke up from hibernation from my teenage years and decided this was the semester to really screw my mind with nothing but lustful desires for my girlfriend and boyfriend.

Adding my growing emotions and desires for Finnick, I wasn’t sure how long I’d last before I couldn’t resist anymore.

Why am I even resisting?

It left me wondering as I thought of the gemstone around my neck. I hadn’t shared with the others about the God of Wisdom, hoping to do so later today or this week. It amazed me that I was worthy of carrying such a piece of power, and I wondered what it all meant.

So far, Jax, Finnick, and I had stones. I wasn’t so sure with Brianne because that prism crystal Finnick had witnessed during the confrontation with her on the mountain had faded away.

None of us had seen it with her, so it very well could have been temporary, but who knew. As for Connor, he hadn’t shown any hints of such a thing. He was far more honest on most occasions and would tell us if something popped up, like the gemstone, but I couldn’t blame him due to the fiasco with his dad and the emotional overload he dealt with a few days ago.

Maybe if I brought it up, we’d speak about it.

Until then, the goal was to relax and prepare for what was to come. There would be times for physical training, but this break was surely there to help us emotionally and mentally recover.

We deserve the break. No one can say otherwise.

A yawn left me as I finally decided to open my eyes. The dancing hues of the flames in the fireplace proved to be the culprit of the flowing warmth coming my way.

It was becoming tempting to fall back asleep once more as I stared at the flames and took in the scattered game cards we’d been using to appease our slight impatience in waiting for the others.

Feeling the stiffness on the right side I’d been sleeping on, I decided to turn over and stretch before attempting to get off the floor. I surely had to be tired to have fallen asleep on the fluffy rug.

Turning over, I immediately froze as Finnick’s face was mere centimeters from mine. I hadn’t even taken into consideration the heat coming from behind me, and this was my surprise - or reward.

I should have sat up or maybe inched back to give his sleeping figure space, but all I could do was stare at his peaceful expression as he breathed slowly in and out. He looked in such a state of tranquility while the soft glow of the flames from the fireplace only made him look more immaculate in my line of vision.

I appreciated the way his pink strands had hints of teal and white that I hadn’t really noticed. It was mere fragments, but it left my imagination soaring at the idea of Finnick having two-toned strands.

His hair was growing far faster than I think we all realized, and I could already recall the past when he cut it super short before revealing that his mother was dead from cancer. Even reminiscing about the heavy past Finnick had dealt with throughout our years at Witchling only proved how damn strong he was.

Everyone always underestimated him, and even we sometimes did without realizing it. He didn’t just have potential. He could be a force in vast areas if he was determined. Last semester I barely had to help him with anything, only one or two questions here and there when I came home late from practice.

I was sure he would have asked Brianne, if anything, seeing how close they had gotten last semester, but he’d really grown beyond the limitations placed on him, even with the heartaches that wished to silence his strive towards graduation.

While I continued to get lost in my thoughts, I reached out to gently move a few strands from his face. I hadn’t been this close to Finnick’s face to see how smooth his skin was.

Or how soft his lips are.

I had to bite my own as if it were an automatic response of control, my desire to suddenly kiss him growing by the minute.

Compared to before, I was going to beat myself up for my hesitation. I was trying to slowly adapt to this, to slowly be okay with the idea of kissing Finnick when I wished.

I’d give myself props for making progress with Brianne. Maybe that engraved fear of being seen was still trying to lift its ugly head in our blossoming relationship, but I’d continued to fight it.

It may take twenty-one days to create a habit, but I’d make sure to break it with continuous effort. I’d trained myself enough now in so many other areas.

I can certainly train myself in this, as well.

Taking a nervous gulp, I was about to close the distance between us before Finnick stirred. “Too hot,” he muttered and literally pushed me away before turning on the other side as if we were on a bed.

I frowned at the unconscious move as I watched him pout his lips before his eyes further squeezed and slowly opened. It took a minute of blinking and the furrow of his brows for him to turn his eyes to the side to acknowledge me.

“Hmm?” A few more blinks and a yawn had him looking clearly at me now. “Kaito? Why you frowning like someone broke your heart?”

“You broke my heart,” I grumbled and sat up.

“Did I?” Finnick questioned as he sat up and stretched his arms. “Well, shit. I better start looking for the pieces and glue it back together before Brianne hears about it.”

He had a valid point, but I felt a bit disappointed in my delay. Deciding to discard it, I noticed how dark it was outside. “I’m sure the others are back by now.”

“Probably,” Finnick replied. “But maybe they’re having some alone time or something. Jax did mention something about wanting to treat Red.”

“He always wants to treat Brianne,” I countered, cracking my neck before attempting to get the knot out of my shoulder.

“He’s madly in love with her,” Finnick casually replied as he went on his knees and began to shuffle over to me. “Besides, they were married in their last lives so I guess that connection of reincarnation runs deep.”

“Probably,” I replied. “It’s nice to see him so in love.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Finnick admitted before placing his hands on my shoulders.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you a massage? Don’t your shoulders hurt?”

“Well…kind of.”

“Then?”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Not anymore,” Finnick declared with pride. “That nap was good, but it’s too hot now,” he confessed and began massaging my shoulders. I had to stop the vibrating noise that was threatened to bounce against the inner walls of my throat.

I hadn’t realized just how badly my shoulders needed a massage. Normally Master ZenSu encouraged us to go regularly due to the stiffness, knots, aches, and pains we’d get from training so vigorously, but damn. This was doing some major justice on my tight muscles.

“Damn, Kaito. When was the last time you got a massage?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Well, that’s bad.” Finnick laughed. “Guess that means a long-ass time.”

“Pretty much.” I sighed. “Training didn’t really give me an opportunity to do so.”

“You really should try and get one done before we return to school. Next semester is going to be hectic,” he suggested with emphasis on what was to come.

“I know,” I answered and allowed myself to further relax. “Though you’re doing pretty good.”

Finnick quietly chuckled as he carried on with the massage, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment to just enjoy the movement of his strong fingers and palms working on my flesh. It was extra effective seeing as I was wearing a tank top while he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

I regretted not waking up earlier so I could have admired his body more like I had observed the details of his face.

You snooze, you lose.

“My mom used to say if I decided Witchling wasn’t my thing or the arts didn’t intrigue me, that I should become a magic masseuse.”

“Magic masseuse?”

“Ya,” he quietly responded. “Think of it like a massage therapist that specializes in focusing on the key points in your body that are lacking in magic or have too much magic. It’s their job to not only massage any physical ailments and remove the knots and nicks, but we have to analyze and deal with the imbalance of magic that sometimes packs up in certain parts of your body. For some people, it’s common in their shoulders, especially guys. For girls, it’s more in their wrists, hands, and legs.”

This was literally my first time hearing about it, and I was completely intrigued.

“That’s amazing,” I praised.

“Yup! I spent one summer when I was really young watching one. I think my mom was good friends with him or something and he’d babysit me when my older brother couldn’t. This was obviously before we all met. He’d teach me bits and pieces of his practice and why it was important,” Finnick explained.

He paused in his massage to take a few breaths before his voice was a bit deeper. “Begin to take deep breaths. I’ll show you an example.”

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind regarding the idea, so I followed his instructions as I began to take deep inhales and exhales. I knew breathing techniques helped ensure our magic flowed in the right pathways, so it made logical sense.

I continued to breathe at a steady pace while Finnick returned to massaging my shoulders. I didn’t feel the difference at first, but I sensed his hands were getting warmer with the squeeze and press movement.

“Now I’m going to push away the excess magic along your shoulders,” Finnick warned. “It’s all kind of gathered in one spot that’s near your neck. That’s why you’re normally stiff there, even with little activity.”

“Hmm? Rea-oh fuck.” I was cut off as I cursed and actually groaned at the sudden move of his hands as they began to work right into my shoulders. I could literally feel the movement of energy that began to ooze down the nape of my neck before further spreading along my shoulders, chest, and upper back.

The sensation was both exhilarating and gave off a prickling wave of pleasure that I totally didn’t expect, leaving me to fight more moans that threatened to leave my parted lips. It was getting harder to breathe steadily, but the more Finnick worked, the less tension remained.

“Just relax,” he encouraged, and I swear his voice was hoarse or at least deep enough to make my body react like I hadn’t heard his thick, sleepy voice before.

His head was close to my neck, the hot puffs of breath further teasing the sensitive, hot surface and adding to my pleasurable discomfort. I seriously had to thank the damn gods I decided to wear loose black shorts rather than my usual tight pants.

The extra material was going to hide my boner that was only growing fiercer against my boxers.

I was practically panting when he finished two minutes later, and he slowly blew a stream of cool air around the massaged spots to tame the furious heat.

“All done,” Finnick heaved. “Fuck. I forgot how exhausting that was.”

“That…was really good,” I muttered, trying not to turn around so he wouldn’t see my heated expression. I seriously needed some moments to calm down.

“Glad I’ve still got it.” Finnick chuckled though he was still out of breath. “It’s hella exhausting though.” He slowly rose up and I quickly followed. “I’m gonna go take a quick shower.”

“Here. Let me at least help?” I offered.

“I can walk,” he voiced, but I just didn’t like the way his skin was growing paler by the second.

“It’ll be faster. The least I can do,” I pressed and purposely moved to his side to rest his hand over my shoulders.

“Hmm. This feels counterproductive,” he admitted as we made our way up the stairs towards our shared room. “I gave you a massage to relieve your shoulders and here you are carrying half of my weight on the same shoulders.”

I laughed and gave him a smile before lowering him to the bed to sit for a moment.

“Maybe, but at least I’m feeling so much better. I really didn’t think of my body being so tense.”

“Definitely.” Finnick bobbed his head. “I’ll work on it. Maybe it’ll come in handy in the future.” He reached for his phone and checked the screen. A slight frown formed on his lips, which caught my attention.

“What?”

“Guess we gotta share the shower if you want to take one,” he announced. “Host texted us that the hot water may be down so we should use what’s generated in the pump.”

“Let’s check,” I offered before taking off my tank top and tossing it over into the hamper on my side of the room. “It’s probably enough for both of us.”

We entered the washroom and closed the door enough to leave a crack. I took a moment to admire the black on marble theme while Finnick got distracted by the multiple settings on the dashboard. “Hey, this is cool. You can make the room steamy on purpose.”

He didn’t even wait for me to comment before pressing the button, and within a solid ten seconds, the room was steamy like he’d just finished a hot shower.

“Why is that a function?”

“Don’t know.” Finnick laughed. “Hey, maybe you wanna be like that guy in the ancient classic Titanic and splatter Red on the glass walls,” he offered and looked over at me as the mere thought flashed through my mind and made my cock twitch.

Fuck. That would be a nice image to masturbate to.

“Hmm. I don’t get this. I don’t think there’s a lot left,” Finnick concluded.

“Let me see,” I replied and walked into the large shower that was completely covered thanks to the thick mist.

Checking the panel with him, I reached for the button to turn on the light on the display to give us better visibility, but just like that, the hot beads of water drenched us in seconds, leaving Finnick to begin laughing while I just stood there in disappointment.

“Why do I want to blame you for this?”

“Because it’s fun,” Finnick chuckled and began to sing. “Guess we’re sharing a shower together. Better strip,” he encouraged as he literally tugged on his boxers and shorts at once before opening the shower door to toss them in the second hamper.

“Ugh. I’ll just wait outside.”

“You’re already wet,” Finnick concluded. “Or should I say hard?”

The look I gave him had the poor pink-haired man lifting his hands up in defeat. “Don’t kill me, but don’t think I’m not seeing the truth,” he acknowledged and lowered his gaze to my obvious boner that was practically asking for attention now that my soaked shorts were stuck to my flesh.

With a groan, I slid the damn drenched clothing off and tossed them into the hamper. Finnick closed the door and muttered, “Besides. If we run out of hot water, it ain’t a big deal. We could use some cooling off.”

I met his heated gaze and there was that magnetic pull that made me want to kiss him again. That was when I heard my name being called.

“Kaito? Finnick?”

We both froze before I looked around as if there were any other place to hide. Finnick had me plastered against the tiled wall and positioned himself in front of me, our cocks touching before he pressed further as if to make sure I wouldn’t be seen.

My cock twitched again, and I swore the blood rushed to the head of my cock as I lowered my gaze enough to see Finnick’s thickness.

Fuck. I can’t get horny now.

“Connor?” Finnick pondered loudly, and the door further cracked open.

“Hey, Finnick. Where’s Kaito?”

“Uh. Probably training in the gym or something,” Finnick replied over the sound of the shower. “Why?”

“We’re blowing flowers,” he replied. “Get Kaito when you’re done, will you? I’m gonna check on the hot tub. I think Jaxsin broke it after getting into a heated moment with Marianna.”

“Oh. Alright! I’ll come help when I’m done.”

“Sure,” Connor tossed. “After you get Kaito.”

“For sure,” he replied. “I guess save some flowers for us?”

“One for each of us.” Connor chuckled. “Kay. See ya downstairs.”

“Cool. Thanks!”

We waited for the door to shut, with an added minute after before we let go of our held breaths.

“Man, that was close,” Finnick concluded as the stream of water was all over him.

“Why did we hide?” I asked, though my own voice sounded a bit astonished.

Finnick began to chuckle before he lifted my chin up enough to brush his lips against mine then gave me a delicate kiss.

“Bad habits die hard, right?” he said with a smug grin as he added a wink.

I stared at him as his words sank in before I shook my head but smiled widely.

“They do, but I guess we gotta work harder in breaking them,” I concluded and with that, kissed him deeply as the beads of water thrummed against us.

Bad habits can go to hell cause it’s time to break through these barriers once and for all.

7

NIGHTMARES OF WARNING

~CONNOR~

“You think you can run away from me, boy?”

I’m drenched in sweat, my inhales and exhales fast and uneven as I look all around me. The darkness is thick, so opaque that I’m desperate to find an escape to the light. My palms are sweaty and shaking violently, and I lift them up to watch the vivid purple-silver glow around them as the world around me begins to crack like glass.

I brace for the shattering effect as the booming laughter of my father echoes all around.

“I’ll have the last laugh, you waste of space. You dare to escape me. Dare to disgrace all I built. You’ll see soon. You’ll see the power I carry in the palms of my hands, and you won’t be able to use those godly powers to reverse anything!”

The world around me broke in that moment, and all I could do was fall as the floor beneath me faded away. My screams for aid were silenced by the desolation around me until I crashed onto a balcony.

I scrambled to my feet to find a way out, and suddenly there was a beam of light. My eyes widened as they saw the immaculate glow of white, the illumination falling upon the woman standing there.

Beautiful strands of orange with multiple gold and white highlights on the head of a woman of power, who wore a far too familiar uniform, like mine. It only took me a second to recognize her as she slowly turned around as if she’d now noticed my presence, and one look gave me a sense of hope as her flowing emotions of admiration and love crushed through my overflowing anxieties.

“Brianne,” I whispered into the darkness, my voice barely piercing through. I’m sure she couldn’t hear me from the distance, but her smile was everything as those white teeth and glimmering magic eyes softened.

The sharp sound that followed made my heart stop in its tracks as a stray bullet went right through her head. Drops of blood flew slowly with the bullet that went cleanly through as the sparkling light in her magical eyes shifted to a dull void, their glowing magic fading away. Those spheres returned to a dull brown as her knees buckled.

She fell forward and I couldn’t even run, as it seemed like I was shackled by something. I screamed and reached out to try and save her, but she crashed into the ground as blood began to pool beneath.

The laughter grew louder as I fought hard to get to Brianne. She was fading away. I knew from the way the striking emotions of pain and sadness began to drift into a sense of absolute desolation that time was running out. All I needed to do was get to her.

My hands fought to reach her, to feel her body in my grasp so I could save her.

She didn’t deserve an end like this. This man didn’t know her. Didn’t see the pure kindness and joy she carried in her heart and soul. I loved her. She was my world and kept me and the others together no matter what comes to try to tear us apart.

If I lost her, it wouldn’t be the end. Only the beginning of utter chaos.

The balcony began to crack. The stone platform that should have been solid was crumbling like an earthquake had arrived and rocked everything to its core.

Watching the balcony begin to crumble was enough to make me scream as my hands burned with magic - just as Brianne’s body began to fall to a dark doom.

“Brianne!” I screamed with all my might, and then I watched everything begin to move in reverse. The crumbled stones that were so far below paused in their descent, just like Bri’s body that looked lifeless from this distance. Everything began to go right back to how it was until Brianne was standing like I’d seen her with the light overhead.

She smiled before her body turned around, and I moved backward as her whole image faded away before I was lifted upward to where I’d begun.

I looked at my hands once more, just as the loud voice declared the same words.

“You think you can run away from me, boy?”

My senses faded everything else out as I observed my hands and watched the bright symbols and particularly clock symbols that had the clock turning swiftly.

“W-What?”

“Time is of the essence, Zephyr.”

My eyes lifted to see the little boy - his short silver hair and onyx eyes a reflection of mine. He wore a black outfit and a cape upon his shoulders.

“You…” I whispered at the striking image of me.

This…is me as a child. How is this possible?

“Time is ticking. Be wary. Only you remain, Connor. Find what is destined to be yours before it’s too late,” he declared with confidence. “Or else you’ll lose your Goddess of Time.”

He outstretched his hands then, sending me flying back.

MY BODY SURGED into a sitting position, my rushing breath and the beads of sweat running down my face the first recognition I needed to confirm I was awake. My eyes quickly scanned the dark room, and I stilled at the two other individuals snuggled up in the king-size bed.

Immediately staring at Brianne, I looked to see her peaceful face as she was still fast asleep. Her front side faced me as she slept on her right side, while Jax’s arm was hooked around her as he was pressed right against her back while a good chunk of his face was covered in Brianne’s orange locks.

At least I could see enough to confirm he was breathing away, his slow inhales and exhales proving that he, too, was alive and deep in slumber.

Lifting my hands, I observed their rapid trembling before running my hands through my wet locks. I was still dripping in sweat, my chest rising and falling swiftly enough that I needed to do something to calm down.

I should shower.

After making sure I got out of the bed slowly enough to not disturb the others, I grabbed a new pair of boxers and headed to the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, I took a moment to look in the mirror to see just how panicked I looked. My eyes were wild with fear and threads of panic, and I was still struggling to keep my breathing even.

Shaking my head and swallowing the lump in my throat, I returned my eyes to my hands, inspecting them for the symbols that were etched into my skin. No matter how long I stared, nothing changed.

“Fuck. That was a crazy nightmare.”

I took a long inhale then let it out as I decided to test if the shower was working. Before our blowing flowers session, Sebastian had arrived to check on us before Finnick asked if he was good at fixing stuff.

He apparently was nifty with tools, and after five seconds of examining the hot tub, he determined what had to be fixed. Within a total of ten minutes, it was fixed and he mentioned that the hot water should be working again.

Turning the knob, the stream of water pushed out of the tiny holes of the showerhead, the water the perfect temperature between hot and cold. I needed to just get rid of the sweat on my body first before enjoying the hot beads of rejuvenation such showers delivered to me.

I pondered what could have triggered the nightmare this morning. My dad was potentially going to get the death penalty, and if he didn’t, he’d spend the rest of his life in prison. No way would he get close to Brianne - as if I’d dare let him.

My hands curled into fists at the mere thought, and I placed them against the marble wall before me as I let the stream of water hit me. I’d have to figure out what that was all about.

If it happens again, I’ll ask Professor Phoenix. Surely, she’d be able to give me some sort of advice.

I wouldn’t tell the others about it. There was no need to worry them over a nightmare I’d had once. Opening my eyes, I went back to washing up before I finished and dried myself off. Slipping into my boxers and ruffling my hair with the towel, I stretched and quietly left the washroom.

Emerging from the steamy oasis into the cool room gave me a refreshing feeling as I walked over to the little wine cart and quietly poured myself a drink. Since Dubai, I was beginning to get into whisky. Maybe because I enjoyed the fact that you drank less but got the same easing effect alcohol brought.

I wasn’t going to get addicted or anything. It was just to keep my worries at bay during this vacation. Heading to the balcony, I enjoyed the chilled breeze and finest fresh air, all while the mountain sight with the mist further out on the horizon made this entire scene seem like an advertisement for this country.

That was one of the joys of travel. You got to see the best in the world and it was an experience, versus something you merely witnessed on a screen. I tried not to be anxious when I walked on the solid surface, reminding myself that what I’d experienced was nothing but a dream.

You’re awake now, Connor. That was nothing but a dream.

Taking a few sips of the alcoholic beverage, I got lost in the view, to the point that I didn’t sense Jax until he was leaning his back against the balcony ledge.

“The fact you didn’t sense me early tells me you’re not okay,” Jax pointed out.

I gave him a slight grin as I lifted my drink as though we were about to cheers.

“Got one?”

Jax smirked and lifted his hand up to show his glass of whisky. “Balcony talks are only nice with alcohol.”

That made me chuckle as he turned and stared at the view with me. We were quiet for a long while, just enjoying our drinks while being lost in our thoughts.

“What are you afraid of?”

I noticed the slight change in his tone, feeling the emotional flow of control, confidence, and hints of uncertainty. With a slight glance, I noticed those black eyes that were staring at me like I was the most boring person in the universe, but I also had a hunch he was just tired.

“Stop stalling and tell me. My ass is tired and I wanna go back to dreaming of Marianna.”

“As if I were stopping you,” I muttered, but returned my attention forward as I decided to answer his question. “I had a dumb nightmare, that’s all.”

“About?”

“Telling you isn’t going to change the fact it’s insignificant.”

“Valid. But if you’re wasting my damn time, you better spill the fucking deets.”

“You swear a lot.”

“Fuck you, too,” Jaxsin huffed. “Now spill.”

“It felt like I was running from something. I was out of breath, sweaty, trying not to suffocate. My father’s voice was booming above, basically taunting me that this wasn’t over. I then fell, like the floor had caved in, just like the rest of the dark world. When I landed on some surface, it was a balcony like this. Brianne was in the distance, with a spotlight on her. She turned around to look at me, and suddenly a bullet went through her head.”

I paused as I tried not to get consumed by the sudden spike of anger and worry that leaked off of Jaxsin in waves. My pause must have made him realize what his emotions were doing because he quickly reeled them in while feigning innocence as he drank a gulp of the whisky.

“Continue,” he urged.

“She fell to the floor while the world was crumbling again. I screamed and tried to reach her, but something was holding me back. Like chains. Suddenly my hands began to glow as the floor caved once more and Brianne began to fall to her doom. Then everything began to go in reverse until I was back at the beginning.”

I held off sharing about the boy who looked like my child self. I felt like that was too personal to share, even if I didn’t quite understand the kid’s relevance.

Jaxsin took another sip of his drink. “No way in hell is that an insignificant dream.”

“Something like that wouldn’t come true.”

“Dreams never exactly play out what is going to morph into reality. Dreams warn you of what is approaching. They’re a sign from the Universe, your spiritual guides, or the powers you’ve yet to unlock.”

I gave him my full attention as his desolate eyes locked onto mine.

“Your father isn’t going down without the last laugh,” Jaxsin revealed, which made goosebumps form along my arms at the reminder of my father’s own words from the dream.

“I’ll have the last laugh, you waste of space. You dare to escape me. Dare to disgrace all I built. You’ll see soon. You’ll see the power I carry in the palms of my hands, and you won’t be able to use those godly powers to reverse anything!”

“We may be protected here, but we don’t know what the future holds. Don’t take such warnings lightly. Acknowledge them, and prepare for what’s to come,” he concluded. “Or else you’ll only be filled with regret.”

With a final sip of his drink, the darkness fled his eyes as specks of gold and hints of red and orange took its place. Jax blinked a few times before frowning.

“Why can’t I remember what you two were just talking about?”

“Huh?” I commented. “You weren’t…uh…present?”

“One minute I was in control and the next minute I’m returning back. It’s not like my usual switches where I’m kind of like in the back seat and still witnessing everything around me.”

“So you don’t have a clue what I explained?”

“Nope,” he groaned and shook his head. “Why do I feel like he did that on purpose? What a dick.”

“I can repeat it?”

“Nah.” Jax lightly shook his head and gave me a small smile. “I’m sure Jaxsin did his share. No need to repeat stuff.”

I stared at him as he finished his drink and reached out to pat my shoulder. “What I will say is that we’re here for you no matter what. Remember that.”

“I know.” I grinned before a thought came into my mind. “With Jaxsin…did you always feel his presence? You know…like, how did you truly identify him?”

“I knew for a long time. I can’t really dictate a time, honestly. It was more obvious during the lab shit I used to do. That’s why things got so aggressive with therapy.”

He glanced at the sky for a moment while he continued, “Honestly, I think if I’d accepted that part of me earlier, I would have had a stronger transition with Jaxsin.”

“Stronger transition?”

“With Jaxsin, I thought to myself that something was horribly wrong with me. That these experiments and magic investigations conducted on me were alternating me with this being of darkness and would steal everything from me. My control, hopes…dreams. I don’t know. I had no one to really interpret what his essence was within me, and that it wasn’t an evil thing. It really took Brianne’s acceptance to ease the boiling anger I’d packed inside myself for years. I did everything not to show it. Worked my hardest to distract myself from even thinking about that spectrum. But all it did was force me to pile up the anger I had at everything. My sister’s death, dating Elisha, the lab tests and observations that made me feel trapped in a shell, all while I had to project the opposite,” he revealed. “To the world, Jax was the perfect student, loved president, the attractive force of flames, and from a well-off family. Jax Morgan could do no wrong. I guess that was just another added pressure that made me feel like I was trapped. Even with you guys around, I guess I didn’t feel like I had a right to complain about it, but our experiences at Witchling and just falling in love with Brianne changed all of that. Once I accepted that Jaxsin was a part of me, it allowed me to be free.”

He moved his attention back to me and smiled.

“I think we all have a dark side to ourselves. A side that wishes to be free from the hindrances and burdens we carry on our shoulders and help us obtain the desires we really wish for. Jaxsin may have a few mishaps like his swearing problem, but the more I think about the past, it’s probably because I’d swear in my mind a lot when I was frustrated, but never let it out because I wanted to maintain that perfect image. I can see why he swears and does certain things, like rush people, and quickly dismisses stuff as well,” he revealed.

“Is it because you’d always put everyone ahead of yourself, which always took time out of your own needs?”

“Bingo,” he replied. “I put the world ahead of me so I’d always have a good image in everyone’s eyes: peers, students, teachers. Anyone who needed help and came to me, I would give my all to help solve the problem. That just led down a tiring path where I never really had time for myself, so I guess Jaxsin’s way of rebelling is getting to the point and dismissing anything he feels is unnecessary.”

“I get it,” I whispered. “I think he’s a good outlet.”

“Probably,” he replied and chuckled. “Plus, I like seeing Marianna come out and tease him. He gets flustered and doesn’t know how to keep to his usual hating.”

“Can you blame him? Brianne has that affect on us all the time.”

“True,” Jax agreed. “Sleepy yet?”

“Ya,” I admitted, and a yawn escaped me. “That flower shit knocked us out.”

“That’s why we gotta make sure we don’t do that often.”

“As if we can. It’s banned from Witchling.”

“Sadly.” I shook my head. “Though they can’t stop you from going abroad to get some.”

“Especially when we graduate,” Jax added.

“We have a lot of things to experience, don’t we?”

“We do,” Jax replied. “I think after graduation we should go on a long vacation to a place that’s just for us. Sure, have some nice room service and restaurants around, but the perfect trip to just disjoint from the world.”

“Trees, wilderness, nature’s grand views. Just us with no stress, and no one knowing about where we are. It would be nice.”

“Guess that’s a goal after graduation,” Jax concluded.

“Ya,” I agreed. “And a date with your ass.”

That made Jax blush before he rolled his eyes. “What’s stopping you now? Cold balls?”

I gave him a venomous look that had him chuckling. “Didn’t think I’d question you, huh?”

“You’re becoming a bold motherfucker,” I muttered.

“Blame Jaxsin,” he replied. “He’s rubbing off on me. Just the edges though.”

He outstretched his hand toward me. “Let’s get back to bed. Bri’s gonna get chilly.”

“Right,” I replied and placed my hand in his. He turned away and tugged me forward, just as I noticed the glow on my hand that made me arch an eyebrow. “Jax, wait.”

“Hmm?”

With a blink, I was looking at him at the door as he offered me his hand.

“Let’s get back to bed. Bri’s gonna get chilly.”

I stood there in confusion, to the point that Jax frowned and walked back over to me. “Connor?” He waved his hand in my face. “Did the alcohol make you zone out?”

“No…it’s just that you said that already.”

“Said what?”

“Let’s get back to bed. Bri’s gonna get chilly.”

“No, I didn’t.” Jax was giving me the typical ‘what are you smoking’ look. “Please don’t tell me the flower roll is now doing its work on you, cause if so, that’s a slow-ass response time.”

“What did you say before saying we should go to bed?”

“Blame Jaxsin. He’s rubbing off on me. Just the edges though,” he repeated.

I bit my lip and looked to my hand that held the glass of remaining whisky.

What the fuck was that all about? Am I hallucinating or something?

Jax’s hand touched mine as he took the whisky from my grasp and downed it before I could attempt to call him out for it.

“My gut is telling me you don’t need it.” He winked and reached for my hand. “Bed. Now.” He tugged on my hand and pulled me along until we were next to the bed. He pushed me to sit on my side before he walked over to the washroom to rinse the cups in the sink. Placing them back on the cart to dry on the golden towel, he stretched his arms up, giving me the perfect view of his muscular frame.

I had to swallow as if my throat were extremely dry while I mentally reminded myself to breathe. Maybe it was just the flowers and alcohol, but Jax was becoming eye candy - even for me.

He returned to the other side of the bed before we both noticed Brianne turn onto her left side while trying to pat for the blanket.

“Cold,” she muttered in her sleep.

Jax gave me a smug smirk. “Told you,” he replied and slid right beneath the sheets to kiss her forehead and lift the blanket to cover her properly. “Sorry, Queen. We’re here.”

She seemed to smile at the comment as that peaceful expression returned with the slow rhythm of her inhales and exhales.

Jax looked at me. “Bedtime?”

“Ya. I think I could use some much-needed sleep,” I concluded and snuggled up so my arm was now around Brianne. I kissed her neck as her back pressed right against my chest. I loved spooning her because she was so much smaller than me and yet it felt like she fit perfectly in my hold.

Jax nodded as a yawn escaped him, and he reached out to turn the dimmed lights off. Settling into the sheets, I allowed my eyes to begin to close as the comforting warmth around us grew.

“Thanks, Jax,” I whispered as my mind drifted away. “And Jaxsin.”

“No problem,” Jax mumbled. “Let the warmth chase the nightmares away.”

Ya. Chase them away.

8

BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

~BRIANNE~

“AND THEN SHE SMACKED THE BITCH!”

I completely lost it, as did Mia and Miya, the three of us laughing so hard we had to place our wine glasses on the table to clutch our stomachs and try not to fall off the couch.

“Alright. It’s official. You HAVE to come back just to tell us more stories of all the bitches you’ve hunted during your school adventures,” Mia concluded.

“School adventures? That’s a damn murder mystery extravaganza!” Miya emphasized as she struggled not to laugh anymore.

Alice, Mia, Miya, and I had spent the majority of the day hanging out because today was the last day before Alice returned to her universe.

We were both upset that time had breezed by and we didn’t get to enjoy all we’d wished to accomplish when we found out we were sisters. Maybe the Universe had something better in mind for the future, but I guess we were all grateful that Professor Phoenix was willing to teleport her over with one of her boyfriends, Westley, to spend the final bit of Christmas at the party we’d planned to do before finding out we’d be in another country.

We weren’t going to let that detour our plans. We had the perfect large space to throw a grand party, and with a trip to the city, we got all the decorations, food, and champagne needed to throw a thrilling party everyone could enjoy.

The guys were finishing up with the food while talking with Westley. It was nice to see all of them getting along like we’d all been friends for years upon years.

Professor Phoenix, Ms. Electra, and Sebastian were on sight, the three of them quietly relaxing in the second lounge spot that was mere steps from where we were hollering. They seemed to be in their own conversation and never pestered us.

It felt nice to be gathered like this. To be surrounded by loving friends and loved ones that wanted to spend such sacred moments with you. These cherished moments reminded me of how I entered Witchling Academy with just Elijah as a friend.

I wasn’t the girl to be invited to parties, get-togethers, or even Christmas events. Amazing how opposite my life was now, being known by various people who were willing to spend this holiday in my company. Being loved by four amazing men while being supported by friends, professors, a sister, and her loved ones was perfect.

All this reminiscing had to be because of the approaching final semester, and though I was nervous about what was to come, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I wanted to face what was next down this path called life, and it would all depend on how this semester went.

“We should give you your present now, Alice!” Mia and Miya declared. “You have to leave during dinner, right?”

“Yes.” Alice bobbed her head. “Ms. CloverSpell said we’d have to get back at a certain time because they close the universal borders or something.”

“Universal borders,” I pondered.

“Ya. It’s some complicated shit.” Alice shook her head. “But once we graduate, Ms. CloverSpell said we may have the privilege to access them. Not all the time, obviously, but she’ll request a pass for our team. As long as we’re approved by her, we can plan our next visit! I can bring my friends along, too!”

“We’ll totally have to plan it so we’re all on vacation or something,” Mia encouraged.

“Totally! It may be difficult since we all don’t know where we’re going to be after graduation, but we can try!” Miya added.

“Do you guys know what you’re doing after you graduate?” Alice inquired. “I personally have no clue.”

“We’re not sure,” Mia and Miya said in unison before Mia continued, “We’ve been getting offers in the fashion and skincare businesses.”

“Really?” Alice and I said in unison as we stared at them with wide eyes.

They blushed, and Miya nervously laughed. “Ya. Mia’s been asked by Vogue Universal to be both a model and a fashion creator. That doesn’t account for the other deals outside of the industry that want her assistance magically.”

“Hey. Don’t forget that Etude House, which is one of the biggest makeup brands in Korea, is literally begging you to be a model with them and start a skincare brand! They’ve been asking all semester.”

The two of us were gawking at the news, which had them both sighing.

“We didn’t want to mention anything since you’ve all been busy,” they revealed.

“When do you have to make a decision?” Alice asked.

“And does that mean you guys are going back to Korea?” I pondered.

“We have until graduation,” Mia answered.

“As for whether we’ll go back to Korea, it depends. The process of creating the plans and stuff can be done over video calls, but it would make things a lot easier if we were back in Korea,” Miya explained.

“What about your boyfriends?” Alice inquired.

“Whatever we decide, they’re down for,” Mia said with a slight smile. “Surprisingly, they have offers at Witchling and over in Korea. Aki and Kiyo are really good in physical combat in various areas so they’ve been offered some amazing professor contracts.”

“As for Ako and Koyo, they can do anything from modeling, fashion, to tech stuff, so the opportunities are kind of endless,” Miya continued. “None of us are desperate for money so it’s not like we need to decide right away, and most offers assured us we could have an extension to our decision if we want the summer off. So it’s really just about figuring out what we want.”

I glanced over at Alice, who seemed to replicate the same expression I was sure was on my face.

“I’m not sure what I want to do,” Alice admitted. “A lot of chaos has happened where we are. The senseless loss of life and stuff. This semester, though, taught me that I’m tired of being pushed over.”

“People don’t take you seriously?” I inquired.

Alice laughed. “It’s kind of like a fifty-fifty gamble. We get so many new students that only those who remain have really grown to respect me. Every semester there’s someone grinding my gears, and we’ve dealt with a lot of other stuff from our evil organization. Sometimes I lose my confidence, while other times, it’s right there in people’s faces. That’s why I’m kind of happy I had the semester here.”

“Why?” we asked in unison.

Alice smiled and looked over at me. “See, when I look at myself in the mirror, I always assume that someone like me could never reach a level of success that would have everyone in the school acknowledge me. However, this semester I got to watch Brianne do some amazing things. I know you guys haven’t seen me around much since I was doing my own thing and investigating with my men, but with my investigation, I had to listen to the buzz happening around the school and everyone talked about Bri like she was a god.”

“S-Seriously?” I asked in complete shock.

“Literally,” Alice emphasized. “You’re like the holy grail of the student body, particularly among the girls. It was always hushed talk that happened in the library, changing rooms, and halls when you weren’t around, you know?”

“It doesn’t seem that way online,” I muttered. I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but that was a legitimate fact with social media.

“I avoid the internet and stuff on purpose,” Alice confessed. “You’d be surprised by the number of trolls and individuals who aren’t even attending your school who will hop on a computer or their phone to bring you down. I get it, though. They’re the same jealous individuals who hear all the good things being said about you and wish it was them.”

She gave me a wide grin as she lifted her arms up to spread them out.

“Many people adore you, Brianne. The cheer team can’t stop talking about how you’re someone they really look up to. That with you, Mia, and Miya, they’ve worked overtime to get good grades and increase their endurance. A lot of them said they never really thought they would remain in the cheer squad with their previous coach a while back, but you changed all of that for them. Mind you, that’s just from the cheer squad,” she elaborated. “Then there’s the student body that looks up to you. They said it’s thanks to you that they believe they can participate in certain sports and activities. It’s the first time they’re seeing a woman in a high position on the council. You know it’s always the guys that are on the council and if a girl is lucky to get on, it’s always the secretary position since that’s the common stereotype for us.”

“That’s true,” Mia and Miya agreed, followed by Mia, “We’ve been talking to other schools because of the coming competitions and stuff, and they’re always shocked speechless when we admit that our vice president is a woman and that there’s three of us on the council. All of them are in secretary positions, with a few only being involved in the meetings to aid the guys because a council member is ill or busy.”

“I never really thought of it in that way,” I confessed. “I guess it is the first year and a half we’ve had three girls on the council.”

“Most of the students mentioned that if it wasn’t because Jax has been president for so long, they’re pretty certain you would have taken his place,” Alice revealed. “They told me this was the best council they’ve ever had at the school, and even teachers back that statement up. They all agreed that if anyone else was in the position with all the craziness that has happened in recent events, they would have never gotten the school up and running as smoothly as you guys did, let alone changed the whole curriculum for the students’ benefit.”

We nodded in understanding as Alice lowered her hands and gave us a thumbs up.

“Regardless, I learned throughout this semester that I can achieve my goal. That I’ll be able to be like Brianne and gain the respect of my own peers and the students of Blazing Academy. It may be a tad late seeing as I’m about to enter my last semester as well, but regardless, I’ll end this school term being acknowledged for my gifts.”

“Better late than never,” Mia and Miya encouraged. “We support you!”

I gave Alice a proud smile before I got up and walked over to the massive tree we’d decorated last night. Finding her present, I picked up the box and walked back to present her with a massive gift.

“W-What’s this?”

“Your gift, silly,” I replied. “Well, I guess it’s going to be sort of a birthday/Christmas gift since we never really got to celebrate.”

“My birthday’s in September though,” Alice genuinely replied.

“That was a lie!” Mia and Miya concluded.

“Why is that, actually?” I pondered. “Mine is in November.”

“To be honest, I think my mom did that to protect me,” Alice replied. “Also, Ms. CloverSpell mentioned something about time shifts if you teleport incorrectly. It may have happened with my mom or whoever brought me to my universe, but I guess when you think about it, I’m a November baby.”

“I don’t think it really matters.” I shrugged and inched the gift closer to her. “You’re alive, I’m alive, we’re all alive, so let’s just celebrate that and Christmas.”

“Yes.” Alice laughed before accepting the gift. “Thank you!”

She began to open it, and she gasped at the number of items in it. She began to pull them all out, the various items making her eyes grow wide as she took everything in.

“No way these are all for me?” she questioned and looked at us hesitantly. “We…don’t have these where we are. They all look expensive! Skincare stuff. Jewelry. O.M.G. This was expensive, wasn’t it?!” She paused to lift the cross-body bag up. “This is one of those high brand bags!”

“Yes, it is.” I laughed at her shock. “We quickly went shopping the day before our trip to make sure you got a bunch of stuff you may not be able to get in your universe. Connor’s mom has a hotel that hosts various individuals from different universes, so we asked her to let us know what your universe didn’t have so we could get you something so unique that no one else could get it.”

Her mouth was hanging open as she looked at all the stuff and noticed the gold box with a pink ribbon. Lowering the bag, she reached for it before she tugged at the silk ribbon and opened the box.

“This…this is a charm bracelet?”

I smirked as she looked up at me, and I revealed mine I’d been hiding with magic. It morphed into view, the golden chain carrying various charms that twinkled in the light.

“I figured that as sisters, we should have something we could share. Plus, it’s a good way to remind ourselves that no matter the distance, there’s someone in another world who remembers your worth.”

Alice’s eyes watered as I gave her an appreciative grin. “You’ve helped us a few times Alice, and I just want you to know that you’re really powerful and an amazing role model. You may not see it, but you’re someone I look up to and I can’t wait till we can actually hangout as well so we can enjoy a good time of celebration.”

“Plus, you’re loyal,” Mia acknowledged. “You didn’t need to aid Brianne, or anyone for that matter, when you arrived here, and yet you did. You always asked Professor Phoenix if we were okay and if we needed assistance.”

“You wanted us to still be able to do our own thing yet were willing to stop your own conquest to ensure we and our student body were safe. That selfless act deserves recognition. And you’re an amazing friend and deserve to be treated with a few gifts from our hearts,” Miya concluded.

“So Happy Birthday Christmas, Alice,” I cheered.

“Happy Birthday Christmas, Alice!”

“You guys…” she whispered as tears streamed down her face. The lights dimmed then, and my smile widened before I looked at the door as the golden flames of candles caught our attention.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Alice. Happy birthday to you.” All the guys emerged from their hiding spots, Westley holding a large cake. The flames illuminated his face as his eyes were directly on Alice, who was completely shocked as they reached where we were crowded on the couch.

“We couldn’t celebrate your birthday the way we wanted to this year, so we figured a Christmas Birthday celebration was in order,” Westley revealed with an appreciative smile. “Happy Birthday Christmas, my love.”

“You sneaky peacock,” she muttered with tears streaming down her face. “Thank you. Thank you, everyone!”

We all clapped and cheered before the festivities began. We’d finished eating cake and catching up with the others when Professor Phoenix made a melodic whistling sound that got our attention.

“Dinner’s ready.”

“Wait, what?” All of us looked at her from head to toe, completely shocked to see her wearing an apron with her hair up in a ponytail.

Ms. Electra’s laughter came from behind her before she wrapped her arms around Professor Phoenix and hugged her. “You’ve been blessed this Christmas holiday to enjoy the fine cooking masterpieces of my sweet love, Auror- AH!”

Professor Phoenix elbowed her away before she summoned a spatula and literally hit her head with it. We all stared in shock as Sebastian came over to stand on Professor Phoenix’s left side.

“That’s what you get for taking a bite of the Mac and Cheese,” Sebastian concluded.

“I thought she wouldn’t know!” Ms. Electra argued. “Aurora! Spare me.”

“You realize my sense of smell is strong, right?” Professor Phoenix huffed. “What did I say about eating before we all say grace?”

“You’re a dark god! You don’t say grace!”

“The holidays are an exception,” she reasoned.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve hea-AH!” Ms. Electra ran to avoid the flying spatula before she swiftly made a U-turn and hid behind Sebastian.

“Seby! Save me!”

“What have I said about calling me that?” Sebastian groaned.

“Yes, yes. You like when Starlight calls you that in your foreplay adventures, but aside from that, my lover is going to kill me!”

“Foreplay adventures?” I pondered, and Mia and Miya giggled.

“Time for a new lesson in the realms of sex!”

“No,” all nine men declared while Alice began to laugh.

“Why are all of you guys blushing?”

“We’re not!” the guys argued, and all four of us girls looked over to observe their flushed expressions.

“Oh, this is going to be another period moment, isn’t it?” Mia concluded.

“Period moment?” Alice asked.

“Oh ya. Guys always get uncomfortable at the period discussion,” Miya concluded.

“It’s been tested,” I voiced and gestured to the guys as they cringed. “Let’s observe Exhibit A.”

“That’s hilarious!” Alice laughed.

“Witchlings,” Sebastian called out to get our attention. “Dinner. Now.”

“Ugh, you make it seem like you’re their dad,” Ms. Electra groaned.

“And you have a better idea?” Sebastian countered coldly.

“Of course,” she replied and looked at us. “Whoever’s last to the table is losing fifty points from their final grad-”

We abandoned everything and rushed to the table. Everyone but Alice sat at the massive marble table that was filled with various plates of food.

Alice blinked in shock before she looked at our professors and pouted. “Do I count, and if I do, can we try again?”

We began to laugh at Alice’s innocent expression while Ms. Electra walked over to pat Alice’s shoulder. “Hmm. Since we’re good friends with Ms. CloverSpell and because it’s your Birthday Christmas celebration, I’ll let you off the hook,” she said with a wink.

“Yes!” she cheered and skipped over to the dinner table to sit next to Westley. “Food!”

We all prepared to eat before Professor Phoenix, Sebastian, and Ms. Electra took their seats at the end of the table. After being served a glass of wine each, Professor Phoenix rose up.

“Let’s take a moment to be thankful that we’re together this holiday season and are graced with food, shelter, and the gift of life.”

We all took a moment of silence before she raised her glass up.

“Cheers to an amazing Christmas.”

“Cheers!” We lifted our glasses and clinked them together with those around us. With special thanks to all three of our amazing chaperones for the home-cooked food, we dug into the amazing meal.

I looked at Alice, who was across from me, her eyes taking in the laughter and slight chaos all around before she met my gaze.

“Thank you,” she mouthed and showed me her wrist with her new bracelet.

This was a Birthday Christmas celebration I’d never forget.

9

FAREWELL CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS

~FINNICK~

“DONE,” I whispered as I took in the final product of my sketch. I analyzed it carefully. My lips couldn’t help but curl as I could finally acknowledge that everything was in place.

This was the perfect image I’d been struggling to get on paper throughout this holiday, but with the sudden strike of inspiration after our final lunch at this place, the ideas rushed in, and thus, my afternoon was gone.

I can’t believe I finished it.

Lifting my eyes up, I took in the wash of pastel pinks and oranges that took over the sky and oozed into our bedroom. All our stuff was packed and magically teleported back home thanks to Professor Phoenix.

She went back with Ms. Electra with all our luggage, deciding to take the method that cost more magic due to the approaching snowstorm. We were alerted of the shift of weather last night by our host, so instead of staying here for a few more days, we opted to leave earlier for the sake of avoiding it.

I was thankful for the decision because I think we were all still traumatized from last winter’s fiasco and the end result of it.

Distracting myself helped me not think about the past with the first signs of snowfall early in the afternoon. That was why I began to draw as the ideas flowed into my mind and onto the blank pages of my sketchbook.

With it all complete, I could begin the entire process of my idea for the festival after the new year. Combating my fear with creativity just put me ahead of my game plans and would give me some time to chill with Red when we got back.

This trip was definitely needed for all of us, but I’d purposely been spending time in my own world so Kaito could have some time with Brianne.

I had a strong hunch they hadn’t done it since Kaito is more apprehensive when it comes to affection, but I had a feeling he’d eventually get through it.

If he’d known of my inner intentions, I was sure he would have been shocked with my patience and overall growth. I always used to be worried about whether I was doing things right or slacking in our group dynamic, and here I was holding back so the others got time with Red.

It definitely proved that I’d matured drastically in the last couple of semesters. The spikes of change in my life may have forced me to grow up, but it all was a good thing. Those experiences were still difficult to remember, and, in the flesh, they were cruel in many ways, but as I continued to heal at my own pace, those moments in time were what molded me to be the man I was now.

No matter the good or bad, there’s always a moment to be grateful for.

With a final look at the image, I smirked and closed the thick sketchbook before I quietly muttered a spell that made the very book disappear from my grasp. That sketchbook was what Brianne had given me this Christmas, and there was no way I was going to get it ruined on the trip back.

Professor Phoenix advised that we’d either fly with the private jet if the skies were clear enough or if they weren’t, we’d spend whatever time was needed at one of the hotels near the airport, which was farther north from where we were.

Switzerland rarely got snowstorms or major blizzards, but once every five years, they got a mammoth of a storm that would brew enough snow to even cover their magic streets that should have melted it at a swift pace.

Apparently, the magic of the roads was going to be turned off this year because last time this happened, it caused a huge flood that ended up turning into a huge block of ice that took a town’s worth of fire users to melt, as well as air users, who worked on making the water evaporate.

It was best to take the safest route and to be honest, I couldn’t wait to be back at Witchling. At least that was an environment I was familiar with versus this grand land of mountains, mist, snow, and tranquility.

I shouldn’t have felt nervous, but I was because we all knew that returning home would bring us closer to Brianne’s trial. She hadn’t had much time to even think about who would represent her, let alone gather testimonies against Elisha.

That would probably be the easiest aspect of the trial because more than enough students would testify in Brianne’s defense while professors like Professor Phoenix were well aware of the issues and tension that grew since Elisha lost her role on the cheer squad.

I simply wanted to be there for Brianne. Be her backbone through that nerve-wracking day and help her forget about it when everything was wrapped up. We certainly weren’t going to be entering the new year with that baggage.

Time to leave all of that behind and start fresh.

Stretching my arms, I looked over my shoulder to stare at Kaito, who was sleeping on his side of the bed. He was dressed in a turtle neck and black pants - completely ready for us to leave. He’d come in to check on me when I decided to spend our wait time in our room and ended up taking a nap.

I’d felt the movement of the bed at four in the morning today, which told me Kaito was going to do some meditation or some sort of training he’d adopted during his month break. I knew Connor was working out because of the football championship approaching.

Even Brianne and Jax had been doing workouts together. Jax may not have had any competitions to deal with, but I felt as though it was his way of supporting Brianne with her goal of remaining fit for her cheerleader training.

Since Mia and Miya left early with their boyfriends so they could take a quick trip to Korea and visit family for the new year, that left us to do our usual thing. I was sure Jax was living it up with the quality time, especially with his darker side, Jaxsin.

That side of himself always intrigued me the most, leaving me to wonder if that voice that sometimes slipped in my mind was an entity itself or a power that aided me when I needed it.

My hand reached up to grasp the crystal that hung on the necklace around my neck. No matter if it was day or night, I always had it on and kept it hidden with a bit of magic. Its glittering essence was a reminder that I had a lot to do to get stronger on this path of growth, but at least my family would be watching me from the kingdom of peace.

Paradise. I’ll see you guys there one day. When I finish my duty.

Rising up to stretch, I walked around the bed to Kaito’s side and took a brief moment to admire him. I was sure it would have sounded stalkerish if I voiced how amazing Kaito looked when he was deeply lost in the realms of sleep, but indeed he looked like a model posing for the perfect shot.

Pulling my phone out from my pocket, I aimed the camera at the perfect angle - not too straight but at an artistic angle that really complemented the way Kaito lay on the bed with one hand behind his back while the other laid comfortably on his chest.

I took a few colored images, but when I changed the filter to the black and white candid mode, the scene shifted to a more professional moment of time. It was beyond perfect, and I lowered the camera to appreciate the simple shot.

My fingertips were tingling again, and ideas were running through my mind that made me smirk.

I need to get a candid photo of Brianne. I wish I could get one when she’s in a fierce battle or something. Maybe during the Witchling Games, I’ll grab my shot.

With a satisfied smile, I walked to the edge of the bed once more, staring down at Kaito as I had to sadly wake him up from slumber.

“Kaito?” I kept my voice low to not startle him. “Kaito?”

My repeated calls didn’t seem to get through to him, which intrigued me since Kaito didn’t normally sleep so deeply nowadays because of all the training he’d done.

“Kaito?” I repeated a third time as I leaned right over him, my face inches from his. When he still didn’t move, I just watched his breaths, that were slow and even. My eyes took in the fine details of his brows, soft skin, slight long nose, and smooth lips.

It was like he’d purposely kept them moisturized all the time, and the longer I stared, the more I wished to claim them. To kiss him long and hard and wake him up with that intense affection.

Then what’s stopping you? You’re not here to be a coward.

There was that voice again, the one that I’d yet to figure out a name for. Nor had I really acknowledged what exactly this essence was.

His comment didn’t distract as it should have. In fact, it pushed me to do what I wanted. Without a delay, I inched the remaining centimeters until my lips were locked against Kaito’s in a tender kiss.

Not too fast to freak him out, but not too slow either. It was just that simple balanced connection of movement that I hoped would tug Kaito out from the depths of his dreams and lead him right here to me.

Right into my possessive arms.

The way he groaned against my lips made my cock begin to harden as I further leaned over until my hands were at the sides of his pillow, my fingernails digging into the sheets in an attempt to remind myself that this was going to be brief.

If I didn’t remind myself, I’d get far too lost in this emotional gamble of love and lust, and I couldn’t allow myself to be the victim at the end of the stick of brief rejection. Though Kaito wouldn’t break up with me for something like this, I had to tread carefully because he was still adapting to this new side of the relationship.

What I didn’t expect was for those sleepy eyes to barely open to acknowledge me, seconds before they closed and Kaito’s lips pushed against mine in a competitive manner.

That had an even bigger effect on me as I couldn’t dare let him overpower me. I don’t know why I was noticing these little things now, but I was beginning to enjoy the dominating empowerment I gained from being on top.

To be hovering over someone while they would be forced to writhe beneath me at the brink of their climax did things to me. I hadn’t thought it would make precum gather at the tip of my length, but with my brief sexual moments with Brianne, I’d given myself a safe place to explore those avenues without Brianne noticing.

I wasn’t near pro-level like some would have ranked their game in heated relationship and bedroom activities, but I was willing to learn, explore, and discover what would further please the one accepting my heated affection.

“Finnick,” Kaito groaned against my lips when he broke the kiss to take in a breath. I didn’t feel like letting up, so I sealed his lips once more while his hand moved to press on my chest.

I expected him to push me away to give him room, but his hands dug into my knitted sweater and tugged me even closer. It was my turn to groan as I let myself go for a brief moment.

To ride the waves of various sensations that were all triggered by this man beneath me. My mind wanted to go wild with various scenarios as to how this one could lead to something more, but I tamed my thoughts with reigns of control as I broke the kiss to give us a brief few seconds of clarity.

I opened my eyes as he did his. Those sleepy yet darkened eyes of purple stared at me in lust. The desperate urge to get back to kissing was beginning to creep its annoying head into my mind - or it could have been how my cock was twitching in my boxers - but I noticed the sudden shift in Kaito’s eyes as they almost morphed into a void of dark purple. He seemed completely lost for a few seconds.

“Kaito,” I whispered when he seemed to be back and blinking out of his brief confusion.

“Brianne wants to see the sunset with you,” he announced, which actually threw me off because I expected some dooming news of some sort.

“She does?” I inquired with an intrigued look as I moved from hovering over him to sit on my knees while Kaito slowly sat up and yawned.

“She’s on the balcony. Looks like she’s waiting for the sunset and thinking about you.”

“Me out of all of us, huh?” I tossed back. “My sweet Red loves me so much.”

Kaito rolled his eyes as his cheeks began to turn red. “She’s not the only one who loves you a lot, idiot.”

The way he muttered it made me want to be a cocky ass back to him, but I thought a better way to bully him would be by doing the unexpected.

After I slid off the bed, I quickly leaned right in to kiss him strongly with a punch of heated passion that had his whole body growing solid with rigid energy before I released him and headed to the door.

“I know she’s not,” I voiced as I looked over my shoulder to see his completely red face. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be extra romantic and bring her some hot chocolate.” With a wink, I muttered, “Let’s watch the sunset next time.”

The sunset with my shy lover.

“YES, Starlight. We’re leaving in no more than half an hour. Our stuff is already with Professor Phoenix. Ya, ya. Everyone’s ready. Jax and Connor are relaxing in the living room with some beer and I think Finnick and Kaito are napping. We’re all dressed and all. You’re being too paranoid.”

I leaned against the side of the door frame, my hands wrapped around the two mugs of hot chocolate as I stared at Brianne’s back. She was wearing the perfect navy blue knitted sweater and orange jeans that were skin-tight.

I was surprised she was comfortable from how they looked, but the gift was from Alice, who explained that the pants were supposed to look like jeans but they were jeggings, a replica of jeans.

Something complicated or whatever.

Her hair was left down and in the perfect set of curls. I enjoyed Brianne’s hair in any style, but this curling look was something unique because we barely saw her with the extravagant style. It honestly gave her a more mature look, complementing her flawless skin, slightly red lips, and hazelnut eyes.

Even though I couldn’t see her face at my current angle, it didn’t matter. I knew without a doubt that Brianne was the definition of perfection in my books.

She was leaning on the wooden edge of the outdoor balcony on this side of the luxury complex, viewing the scene of the sunset one last time while talking with her older sister. I swear she’d already called in the morning to confirm we were ready to go.

From last year’s experience, I guess she was just worried about the announcement of the snowstorm. It was being talked about in the news since it was completely unpredicted and baffled most of the weather analysts.

“Yup. Sebastian said he’s going to teleport us there instead of us driving. Only the motorbike is left anyway. I never got to ride it though, boo. Hey. I’m allowed to drive a bike, you know. Uh-huh. Says the woman who goes killing criminals while standing on a bike because she has better aim with two hands on the grip.”

She giggled, the soft sound making me grin before she lifted her head up to the sky.

“Ya. Don’t worry, seriously. We’re fine. Finnick’s fine as well. I haven’t spent much time with him though. Uh ya. I’m trying to leave him be so he can work his magic on Kaito. Admit it! I’m the perfect matchmaker. Ugh. Shut up! Don’t you have a date with Katsume since we’ve borrowed your man? Why are you yelling? Just get married already. Alright, alright, I’m minding my own business watching the sunset.” She giggled again and let out a quiet sigh. “I hope you know I appreciate you and your team. Thanks for being a protective sister. Love you, too. See ya soon, sis.”

She hung up the phone and slid it into her pocket. She stretched her arms up, and I admired her figure as her sweater moved up to show the curves of her waist.

Taking the opportunity to approach, I was at her side and offering the cup of hot chocolate when she lowered her arms and turned her head to meet my smiling gaze.

“Finnick!” The way her entire face blossomed at my arrival had me grinning like a damn fool.

“Hey, Red,” I greeted and gave her a wink. “Looking extra hot today.”

“Oh please.” She giggled and then noticed the cup of hot chocolate. “Holy crap! How did you know I wanted hot chocolate?! Are you psychic or something?”

“Sadly no, but I do have a certain psychic boyfriend,” I admitted as she took the mug and gave me a knowledgeable smirk.

“Shouldn’t you have taken advantage of your alone time?” she offered as we turned to face the grand view before us.

“As in enjoying a saucy moment with Kaito?” I concluded. “You’re getting bolder in the enabler department, Red.”

She actually blushed at my compliment before taking a sip of her drink. “Well, school is going to be busy and all, and I’m sure I’ll get more time to spend with you than either of us will with Kaito. I didn’t want to be selfish and hog anyone the entire trip.”

I slipped my free arm around her waist, bringing her to stand right into my hold before I moved to kiss her lightly on the lips. She stilled at the touch of my lips before returning my kiss with a deeper one; the two of us got lost in the brief moment of satisfying affection.

“You’re our girlfriend, Brianne. There’s nothing selfish about wanting to spend time with any of us,” I reminded. “Also, you gave me plenty of time with Kaito, and I’m grateful for it.”

“Have you guys…um…” She trailed off as her cheeks began to turn red. Our faces were still centimeters apart as I gave her the perfect sly grin.

“Why? Did you wanna see?” I whispered and closed in until my lips were brushing hers. “Or join?”

“I-I-I wouldn’t interfere!” she stuttered, and I was left laughing at her embarrassment before giving her a quick smooch on the top of her nose and moving away to give her some space to recover from my teasing.

“You can interfere any day, Red,” I assured her.

She pouted and focused on her hot chocolate while I chuckled and moved in to press a kiss to her temple. “Does it taste good?”

“Very good,” she replied and looked up at me with a sweet grin. “I’m sad we’re going back to reality.”

“Me too,” I whispered. “But the sooner we deal with what’s before us, the quicker we’ll reach freedom from it.”

“True,” she replied.

Staring at the last bits of the sunset, I pondered what the final semester would lead to. There were so many decisions that would need to be made, and I’d yet to understand what I wanted in the end.

I had all the ambition and ideas of what I wished to achieve in this world, but was there a sole career path for me to follow and hit all those avenues? Not to mention what would happen to our relationship with Brianne.

Would we be separated as we all walked our own paths? What would destiny have in store for us, and would that somehow align us together as it did when we all arrived at Witchling Academy?

My eyes drifted to Brianne as the slightly cool breeze went by while the first bits of snow began to fall upon us. How serene this moment was. Brianne’s hair drifted upward with the flow of the wind while her eyes twinkled thanks to the remaining streams of sunlight.

My heart was beginning to beat swiftly against my chest as I realized just how much this woman right here had changed my life. I’d felt so lost in life when we started Witchling Academy, and somehow, she’d intertwined herself into our lives and brought us a sense of direction.

With that genuine smile, smart brain, driving motivation, and the determination to work on herself, she somehow singlehandedly helped all of us in her own unique way, and here we were now - a semester away from graduating.

I loved this woman more than I could comprehend, and I couldn’t wait until we figured shit out so I knew how to take this further.

To do something memorable that we could cherish in times of anxious wonder.

My lips parted to say something when I paused and noticed the movement of something orange. It was difficult to figure out if it was a bug or just the way the sunlight was hitting her, but it moved from her temple to the center of her head, just as I heard racing footsteps from inside.

“BRIANNE!” Kaito’s scream made us flinch, but it didn’t stop me from pushing Brianne forward as a piercing noise cut through the peaceful silence.

When something went through my chest, the pain was the last thing on my mind as energy surged right to my eyes until it felt like my whole world had gone into night vision. They darted as I quickly caught myself from falling forward. I lifted my hands up as my bow and arrow formed in my grasp.

The sudden difference in my bow would have been something I’d have questioned in the past, but the oozing darkness that wrapped around the weapon was nothing like the way the whirlwind of wind gathered protectively around Brianne and whoever was behind us as my eyes locked onto the culprit of the potential assassination.

The moment my orbs locked on the culprit, they tried to pull the trigger of their rifle a second time, but his bewilderment was followed with him trying again and again until his whole gun disintegrated into dust.

Did I do that? Does it even matter?

Death will be his portion for attempting to hurt our treasure.

I couldn’t agree more as I set my arrow in position while ignoring the way my vision was becoming blurrier. It felt like the world was moving to one side. I wouldn’t fall until I knew this person in black was rid from this world, and with that vivid determination, I pulled back on the end of the arrow as I took aim - not like I needed much time to have a clean shot.

The man’s eyes widened as he tried to run away, but he only hit a wall of wind that kept him captive in my hold. By the time he tried to turn around to glare at me, I’d already let go of the arrow. The piercing black attack grew in strength with every nanosecond as it soared towards its target.

The agonizing sound of pain echoed around us as the arrow pierced right through the man’s chest. It didn’t just embed itself in him; it created a massive hole that allowed one to see right through to the other side.

His wide eyes locked on mine. They already began to lose color and flickers of life as he realized what I’d accomplished. My gift came into play as I gave him my victorious smile.

“Enjoy the pits of hell, fucker.”

He slowly fell back as the last threads of life left his facial expression, and I took that moment to pull back on the immense power that I’d conjured just to kill the single enemy. The retreat only made the world spin quickly, but that was when I caught onto the trickling auras of other approaching forces.

Fuck. We’re about to get ambushed.

My legs had no more strength to support me as the pain I’d avoided feeling came with a vengeance. Without realizing it, I was already on the ground; my back was against the wooden surface of the balcony and warm liquid pooled around me.

People were calling me, surely someone was frantically calling me, but my sense of hearing felt like I was sinking in a world of water. The magic that made my vision completely black began to fade like my ability to feel. As the specks of the sky returned, I saw Brianne’s frantic expression, her eyes filled with shock and fear.

I wondered if I ever told her how much I hated that expression on her immaculate face. Fear never looked good on anyone, to be honest, but when it came to Red, the sight made my heart clench in anger.

This moment was no different, even with the slow acknowledgment that I was dying. I had to be dying if I was losing all this sensation in my body. There was that cold numbness creeping in while the shock of everything was still sinking.

There was no way to make my calculative senses go any faster - in fact, I was sure they had slowed a lot thanks to the wound in my chest. I couldn’t determine if I’d been shot with a bullet or something else, because I couldn’t comprehend being disabled so quickly.

I need to tell them there are more coming.

My eyes desperately looked up into Brianne’s, and though I couldn’t hear what I fought hard to say, the realization of my words made her eyes widen before she turned her head to assess the urgency of this situation.

She gritted her teeth then, and my eyes began to grow heavier while I watched the way her aura danced with immense strength. It was growing bigger while the colors of vibrant golds, oranges, and pinks were suddenly tainted as black surged through her aura.

My poor innocent flower.

I hated this moment. I was completely vulnerable while my friends were in danger of being consumed by chaos. None of this should be happening. Our lives shouldn’t always be threatened by this kingdom who dared to control our realities.

What words could possibly describe my frustration? What sentences could be structured for the Universe to listen to our constant pleas for peace? Why, whenever we got a moment’s grace, did something happen to ruin it all?

If we were going to be given challenges left and right, why not make it consistent rather than this up and down nonsense?

That was how my life was. It had always been a constant play on my emotions. One step forward on the path of happiness, two steps back with constant challenges surrounded by death, heartache, and sadness.

Whenever I was happy, something came to fuck it up, and the acknowledgment of that made me want to give up. To throw in the towel and just be done with this.

I’m so fucking tired. When will this end? I want peace. I want to be able to love my girlfriend and boyfriend and be surrounded by my friends without the hidden anxiety that someone will come and ruin it all. Why is that so hard, Universe?

Brianne’s eyes locked onto mine then, as tears escaped those spheres of glowing orange that began to shift to black. I pondered if she heard my thoughtful plea, and regardless of whether she had or hadn’t, it didn’t fucking matter.

Nothing matters anymore.

She quickly shook her head before her hands seemed to move down to hold something. Those tears of her fell, and I wondered what it would feel like for them to drop upon my flesh. I could imagine it, just as I could imagine a world without me.

Would she shed tears like this above my grave? Would she sob uncontrollably like I had when I lost my brother, Mom, and Dad? Did all of this happen because I’d recently pondered the idea of returning to the land of paradise to be with my family? Was…my duty already over? To protect Brianne and just…fade away?

She tried to speak to me. Heck, maybe she was shaking me. I couldn’t tell anymore. I was simply transfixed on her and nothing else, the image beginning to engrave into my mind as creeping dark spots began to appear at the corners of this rectangle frame.

I’m dying…

I could accept that now as Brianne called out to me and shook her head yet again. At some point, I felt like she knew I couldn’t hear her anymore because her eyes further widened before a glimpse of understanding flickered into the hollows of her eyes that were now completely black.

“Finnick!” Her voice boomed in my head then, but my eyes were growing heavier while more block spots fought hard to destroy the beauty in this image. No matter the hopelessness in Brianne’s expression and the circumstances we now faced, this sight was one I craved to draw.

If only I could feel my fingers, they would be twitching in excitement to grab a pencil and sketch it all out: to get the lines right, the streams of wetness along her flushed cheeks carrying a soft tenderness while emphasizing the sadness they projected, to color the hollow darkness in her eyes and yet add hints of color to acknowledge the color that was now swallowed by the brink of desolation, and to show just how deadly her aura now was as it burned in defiance.

How our treasure could set lose a power far stronger than anything.

Stronger than Jax. Stronger than the professors at Witchling. Maybe even stronger than the woman who helped at the bridge years ago.

If only she could be here now to lend a hand. If only anyone was here to save us from this constant cycle of death and rebirth.

My death would kill a part of Brianne. I knew it with every blood cell running through my body. She’d be broken to pieces…just like I once was. I feared that no one would be able to put those pieces back together.

It wouldn’t matter if they glued them back. There would be a single piece missing that would leave a black hole behind - a reminder of the flickering flame of life I’d contributed to her own burning soul.

The thought made me feel horrible because though I wished for peace, I didn’t want this. There was a difference between satisfying my role in this world and gaining peace at the brink of death with my family awaiting my return, and having reached the halfway point and being forced to fail.

Being pushed into a ditch and left to sink all by yourself.

Fear crept in then as the black sheet continued to steal my vision until I had only Brianne’s face left to look at while the rest of the world faded away. It almost was like we’d been wrapped around the blackness on purpose, but what would I know when my vision was clearly failing me.

I wanted to at least kiss Brianne one more time, to feel the warmth of those parted lips that trembled. My heart was shattering with every second that followed, as even her voice that fought hard to cut through to my thoughts once more seemed far away.

Her anger was like a blade that was ready to go into war against a nation, and yet she leaned right down and kissed me.

This was the sole moment I needed to not feel so alone. The single touch in this cruel universe seemed to give me the tiniest hint of feeling, allowing me to feel the burning heat of those lips.

I closed my eyes then as I felt the single set of tears leave me like the rest of the sensations in my body - my lips being the last. The warmth was fading as well, but I wasn’t afraid this time, because that intense heat helped tame the fear.

Darkness was never something to fear. I’d understood that for a long time. It wasn’t more dangerous than the element of light or any other energy force running through this world.

What made darkness scary was the sense of loneliness that always followed its footsteps, the sense of walking down the next darkened path by yourself with no guidance or comfort.

That was exactly how I felt now as I faded away - sinking into a world I was foreign to. When I imagined death knocking on my door, I only assumed I’d be greeted by my family. That they would be waiting for me before a massive golden gate and encouraging me to take the last steps towards the light.

My expectations were no more than dreams because as my consciousness began to trickle away, all I could grasp was the frigid cold of the world.

There was no one here. No warmth of light or pastel colors to greet my vision. No world of utopia to nestle me as I embarked on the next journey of my soul’s essence.

It was just me and the darkness, and for once in my existence, I was okay with that conclusion. The fear went away, like the rest of my hopes and dreams. All that was left was that image of Brianne, and that was what I put my attention on until that too was stolen from me.

Just me, my memory, and the world of oblivion.

10

HOPELESSNESS TO THE KEY OF PROTECTION PART ONE

~KAITO~

NO…

Why hadn’t I seen it earlier? Why did it all unfold when I was so far away?

These were just specks of the thoughtful regrets that plagued my mind as I darted forward to catch Finnick as he fell back. The intense tornado of magic that prevented any of us from going near him until the deed of destroying our cloaked enemy was complete had finally granted us freedom, but I knew right away that it wasn’t enough to pause the inevitable.

“Finnick!” Brianne’s scream seemed to make time tick into motion as she rushed to us. I caught him and quickly lowered him onto the ground.

“Fuck,” Connor cursed in pain, and I was sure his senses were being assaulted with the shift of emotions thrumming around us like a whirlpool.

Brianne swiftly took my place as I moved to quickly assess how I could help. A few seconds’ scan already told me something was wrong. Something worse than that fact Finnick was bleeding far faster than normal.

“Something’s accelerating the damage,” I announced, which got everyone’s attention.

“Finnick, hang on,” Brianne encouraged, but the look in Finnick’s eyes as he struggled to breathe made my whole body tremble with fear.

“What do you mean?” Jax was next to me as he clapped his hands to ignite a golden flame that was charged with healing elements. He immediately directed it to gently move along Finnick’s body, as if forming a protective veil.

It had been a long time since I’d witnessed him using his healing flames, and I could immediately tell the strain of its summoning on Jax’s face as his brow was furrowed in complete concentration.

I wasn’t able to reply as his eyes projected his brief confusion before they swarmed with a looming danger. “It’s not working.”

“What do you mean it’s not working?” Connor breathed as he struggled to even stand. I think his ability to sense emotion was still intense from the day we arrived at the council office after our exam, and this wasn’t helping it heal at all.

I was surprised he was even conscious at this point.

“I’m healing as fast as I can,” Jax grunted, “but it’s like something is undoing what I’m attempting to do.”

“Shit,” I cursed as I recalled something Katsume had talked about long ago during dinner.

“WHAT DO you mean it was an odd case?” I inquired as I used my chopsticks to give myself another serving of kimchi.

“The victim of the bullet almost died in a mere minute.”

“Hmm?” Father seemed intrigued by the conversation as Mother arched an eyebrow at my older sister. “Didn’t you say the victim was an extremely fast healer?”

“Ya,” I voiced. “Like the classic Wolverine with his crazy regeneration abilities.”

Katsume bobbed her head as she paused in eating her rice.

“You’re correct. And that’s why he’s normally bait when it comes to side missions and stuff, but in this case, it was like our criminals were purposely targeting him.”

“Purposely,” Father repeated the single word. “Experimentation?” It seemed to easily make sense to him while Mother and I looked to Katsume for more information.

“I think that’s exactly what it was. The bullet held some sort of component that triggers some sort of liquid that spreads like wildfire in the blood system. Even if it was a mere fragment from the bullet, it was attacking this guy’s body like an aggressive disease,” she deciphered as her expression grew serious. “His body literally dropped to the floor and suddenly he was gasping like he’d been down for minutes fighting against death.”

“So…did he die?” I inquired with a worried look.

“Temporarily,” Katsume voiced. “Starlight had to do some crazy shit to revive him. Everything was happening so fast, I couldn’t even really decipher everything, but it looks like we’re going to have to investigate this because if a bullet like that can be made in mass production, basically anyone who gets hit with that stuff will perish. It’s the first of its kind, and I assured our boss we wouldn’t speak about it outside of our families, but we think it’s extremely time-consuming to make so only rich organizations could possibly afford to get their hands on something like that.”

“It could be the mafia,” Father suggested.

“You don’t think it’s the Shadow Kingdom, Dad?” I inquired. “I mean, I know this has nothing to do with Witchling and the issues we’ve dealt with, but they’re a huge organization, right? Surely they would be a problem in the realms of crime and such.”

“Normally your assumption would be correct, son,” Father admitted and looked to Katsume. “However, this shadow organization likes to do things messy. Their actions are normally done to leave a trail that associates with them but with not enough evidence to be caught, correct?”

“Essentially,” Katsume agreed. “Is that why you think it’s the mafia and not just a band of psychos?”

“Mafia groups only focus on two main things: drugs and weapons. Drugs are the common thing, but it’s been getting more difficult seeing as Witchling Star has been really cracking down on things like that, correct?”

“Yes.” Katsume nodded.

“No one is focusing on the weapons market. In a world of magic, that’s the least of your worries, but what if there’s a weapon made to swiftly take down magic users in general? It’s been a worry of many magic users over the years but has been avoided because it’s not a current pressing issue. It’s only when incidents like these occur that we stop and think of all the possible sources. In this case, just like Kaito mentioned, the culprit would be assumed to be the Shadow Kingdom or those working in collaboration, but in reality, we’re ignoring the ‘small guys’ that can become a big threat if nothing is done about it, which is why I’m pretty confident the mafia would be involved. They have the perfect bait to reel people in.”

“Which is?” I asked with a clueless wonder.

“Drugs,” Katsume answered. “When it comes to dark organizations of any kind, one thing is certain: there’s always an exchange. You give me this, I’ll give you that. You give us one year’s worth of cocaine, and we’ll distribute the materials and weaponry needed for whatever experiment you’re brewing. Regardless of such business terms, the mafia is secretive and most often a family business that only informs those of the same blood hierarchy. If this scenario is no different than such assumptions, the leader or Boss wouldn’t say what their plans are unless they’re of the same blood or family line.”

“Makes sense,” I quietly replied.

Katsume sighed as she picked her bowl back up. “I’m sure we’ll have to investigate it sooner or later. Sebastian has been doing some investigations here and there, but it’s really hard to get leads. Either way, I’m sure something of its nature will show up soon. When it happens, then we’ll be able to have enough ground to push Boss to fund us to investigate further.”

“Being an investigator sounds draining,” I concluded.

Katsume laughed. “It is, but it’s thrilling and keeps me occupied when my brother is at school being a badass.”

THE MEMORY MADE everything suddenly make sense and I quickly cursed.

“The bullet! It’s something in the bullet that spreads so quickly it’s almost impossible to regenerate! My sister talked about it once and said Starlight did something to stop it!”

“Brianne. Call Starlight!” Connor encouraged, but her eyes were focused on Finnick as she answered, “They won’t make it in time! Finnick? Can you hear me?”

We all looked at Finnick to see he was fading far too fast. The color in his eyes was dimming swiftly and the blood that pooled beneath him and Brianne’s knees was growing when it hadn’t been two minutes since he was shot.

Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Brianne’s eyes suddenly widened before she turned her head just as Jax cursed and stopped the flowing healing magic to create a shield before us.

Bullets hit the protective surface, but it surely wouldn’t last long with how many were shooting at the magically created wall.

“Reinforcements?” I hissed and summoned my sword into my possession. In seconds, my sword was split into three, and I attached them quickly to my back and waist.

The men were all in black, and though there were a few tall pine trees, it wasn’t enough to give them complete cover from what I was plotting in my mind.

“Jax! Switch places!” Connor encouraged, but I could already see the strain in his face.

“Connor,” I voiced and stopped him from moving. “You can’t handle it!”

“I can!” he voiced.

“These bullets aren’t normal!”

“That doesn’t matter! Finnick is about to die if we don’t do something!” he stressed as if he didn’t feel my own spike of worry for the man I loved.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked him directly in his eyes, while Jax continued to hold off the constant rounds of bullets and Brianne continued to encourage Finnick to keep fighting death’s calling.

“Connor. You won’t be able to hold off these pricks for enough time for us to get help.” I didn’t realize how quiet my voice had dimmed, almost as if it were supposed to be some sort of secret between us, but Connor wasn’t going to have any of it.

“I can protect you guys! When have I ever struggled?! We shouldn’t be having this conversation now! Finnick’s life is on a thin thread and we’re debating my skills?!”

He had a point, which made me look over to our opponents. I guaranteed there were at least ten. If I worked swiftly, I could take them out in one solid move. I just needed to make sure everyone here was protected.

Why am I hesitating?

Something wasn’t sitting well with me, but this wasn’t the time for me to doubt, let alone stall getting help for Finnick.

“Fine! Take over. I’ll get rid of them swiftly,” I voiced.

Connor merely nodded, though he didn’t seem pleased with the delay or my voiced doubts. I couldn’t waste time on that anymore.

Centering my magic into my blade, I felt the presence of power within me as it grew in great lengths, but a voice whispered in my head.

A mistake that will reveal one’s weakness and will ignite the hourglass of time and space. A silver lining awaits.

What?

I couldn’t figure out what any of that meant as I prepared for my swift attack while my worried eyes checked on Finnick. His eyes were closed, which made me realize we were truly out of time as Brianne kept begging him to hold on.

The way her aura of brilliant colors suddenly shifted to black had mine and Jax’s attention as Connor took over on the shield and Jax moved closer to Finnick and Brianne.

Jax concentrated swiftly as his eyes briefly closed, and suddenly they opened, flooded with black ink while power coursed through them.

Finnick was taking his last set of breaths, each one struggling to come out while the length between them grew. I watched as Brianne’s tearful eyes were at the peak of darkness, seconds before she leaned down to kiss Finnick like it was truly their last time.

Tears prickled into existence in the pits of my eyes as I looked to Jaxsin, who bit his lip. He clapped his hands like he did before, but the flames that ignited weren’t of healing gold but oozing black with hints of red. I couldn’t understand what he was doing as he began to wrap Finnick like he was some sort of mummy.

From the way Brianne looked at him, I got the impression that she was figuring out something we’d not yet grasped.

“What are you doing?” she ended up questioning as she struggled to rise up on her shaky feet. From the deepness of her voice and absence of gold, orange, and brown from those glassy spheres, I knew without a doubt Marianna was here.

“I’m temporarily pausing his decline by using the darkness within him. Professor Phoenix taught it to me two days ago when I asked about a way to be of value on the battlefield. It can only work with Jax in complete submission to my power. I have a plan but I need you to reverse his decline process by using your dark energy, Marianna.”

They shared an intense look before he whispered, “You’re capable of anything, my love. You can change this.”

She swallowed before she blinked her last set of tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Her attention was diverted to Jaxsin as we awaited any further instructions he had before executing this improvised solution, but then her attention moved to the barrier.

I couldn’t help following her gaze as we noticed the large crack that made my heart stop.

“Conno-” His name didn’t finish leaving my lips before the magical wall shattered into mini pieces.

Everything moved so swiftly. Marianna moved like a bolt of electricity to standing on the wooden ledge of the balcony before outstretching her arms and conjuring a protective sheet to hold off the onslaught of bullets that seemed to double.

I was already in motion as I heard Jaxsin cursing and calling out to Connor as if he’d lost consciousness. My movements were purely out of instinct as I blurred with surging energy, my eyes on my first target.

My hands moved on their own as I entered a state of survival mode, my training from the last month, the moves, endurance, and heightened ability, surging into motion.

The cries of agony were what motivated me to keep going, my blades moving in a blur as I jolted to enemy after enemy. The bullets were surely coming my way, and I hissed when I felt the pain of them cutting through my flesh, but my friends were all at risk and I wouldn’t dare let them suffer the ultimate fate of death.

As I sliced through what I was sure was the last individual, I looked over my shoulder when I sensed racing movement.

There was one man left and he was racing towards the house with two guns in his possession.

“MARIANNA! JAXSIN!” I screamed as I tried to catch the culprit. Even with my swift speed, I was mere seconds short as Marianna turned around to see the man in question raise his gun in her direction.

“Dammit!” I could hear Jaxsin’s curse as he stopped aiding Finnick to jump onto the ledge in an attempt to tug Marianna out of the way, but the shooter merely shifted his stance at the risk of losing his balance. His fingers pulled the trigger three solid times.

Those sounds were nothing like seeing the bullets shoot both of them at the same time - the impact sending both of them back as blood burst outward from their new wounds.

“NO!” I screamed and had the extra push to get to the man as he fell to the ground and tried to turn over. My sword sank into his neck, but not before he pulled the trigger one last time, the double bullet piercing me through the chest.

I gasped but didn’t stop in further sinking my sword into his neck until he was gurgling. With one side movement, his neck was half-open, blood splattering everywhere as his body trembled beneath me.

Abandoning the sword, I got up on shaky feet as I forced myself to run the remaining distance to the deck. With a push off the ground, my hand managed to grab the ledge of the rail, and with all my strength, I pulled myself up and over the wooden wall to fall onto the ground.

I fell next to Finnick and swiftly was on my hands and knees, only to take in the scene.

Brianne and Jax were on their backs, their hands in each other’s grasps as the last bit of their raging auras seemed to go off like a flame being snuffed.

My eyes drifted to Finnick as I noticed his chest was still while his eyes remained closed. I concentrated long and hard to try and hear their heartbeats, but I could only grasp two rapidly beating drums.

“Finnick,” I whispered. “B-Brianne. Jax!” I called to them like it would help, and I struggled to rise up. The move made me hiss as I clenched my wounds temporarily as Connor’s devastated gaze looked up to me when I pulled my hands back to see them cloaked with my own blood.

I knew without a doubt my end was nearing, and yet I couldn’t worry about myself. My eyes lifted to meet Connor’s, which were overflowing with tears, and I fought the urge to vomit as metallic liquid began to pool in my mouth until it began to seep down the sides of my mouth.

“D-Don’t.” I coughed as more blood escaped me. “Don’t…blame…yourself.”

I knew Connor. We all knew Connor. As much as anyone would try to put the blame on his inabilities in this prime moment, I couldn’t. We had bad days…all of us.

Even if those bad days lead to the consequence of death.

I pulled the last remaining sword that was at my back, leaving him confused as I held it in my grasp. There was one thing left I had to do, and it would happen at any moment.

That flicker of energy made me turn right there and then as I summoned another blade into my free hand. My magic surged into both hands as I conducted the final move that would at least ensure Connor survived and Finnick’s, Brianne’s, and Jax’s bodies were spared.

The move with my right hand aided in summoning a swift whirlwind that sent my team to the side, and as I completed the rapid spin movement, I paused, facing the forest as I watched the approaching blast heading our way.

I raised my sword like it was a javelin, and with the last bit of magic, the blade multiplied into twenty-four that I sent out with a battle cry.

“DIE!” I screamed as I shot the weapons - my eyes locking onto the final executioner.

Elijah.

“KAITO!” Connor screamed, but it was far too late as I slowly looked back to the man in question, who watched in horror as the world slowed. He knew my time was up, but I gave him a tiny smile as tears streamed down my face while blood began to drip down my nose.

“See ya, bro,” I whispered before my body was pushed back entirely.

There was no voice left in me as I went flying backward - my body soaring through the air as stabbing ripples of heat crashed through my body. It shattered my bones and broke the flow of my magic as I crashed into the glass doors.

The impact shattered them, but I couldn’t even feel the sharp fragments of glass get stuck in my body. It felt like I was already floating as my body crashed to the ground.

“KAITO!!!” The scream that hit the chilled air was already far away. My head fell to the side and my opened eyes twitched as pain consumed me.

My consciousness would fade in mere seconds, yet it felt like an eternity as I saw the hints of moonlight that began to wash over the destroyed area. My eyes inched further to the side, catching onto the bodies of my friends.

The move had pushed them to one side of the balcony that was protected from the blast, and that image somehow brought me the peace I needed.

Out of all the damn failures in my life, I’d done something right. Even at the brink of hopelessness, I didn’t cower but fought my hardest till the very end.

I wasn’t a hero. That was obvious. Out of the Notorious Five, all that would be left was one, but at least there would be someone to live our legacy. Someone to tell everyone what great people we were and who knew each of our hopes and dreams.

Who knows if this would shatter Connor entirely, but I prayed it wouldn’t. That he’d find the path of light in this current realm of darkness and grief.

My eyes began to struggle to remain open, but a flicker of light caught my attention. It was like a door had opened up, or maybe a portal itself, but a person stood in my line of vision - their silver boots with teal designs catching my attention.

They moved from my sight then, and I wondered if I’d imagined it, but my focus was now on the moon.

Something touched me, or it felt that way, but all sensation was leaving me as my vision finally took the plunge. As the darkness began to take me, a soft voice whispered from afar. “A blade can be used to move mountains if the swordsman has every intention of moving them. I guess you took my words seriously.” There was a brief pause as I fought to remain in this body that felt as though it was slipping from my grasp.

“Rest, swordsmen. Unite with the ones that love you the most. Time will determine your fate.”

Her words ignited a tiny light in the distance, and it grew and grew as the silhouettes of three others stood in waiting. I recognized each of them, their auras seeming to burn with colors that reminded me of my important ones.

Brianne. Finnick. Jax.

The teal green silhouette reached outward, and even though their hand was of darkness, I wasn’t afraid. I’d be okay. I knew it in the depths of my soul, and I even hoped Connor would know I was in good hands.

I left my body then as I soared closer and closer until my hand landed in his. There was no facial expression or anything, but it didn’t matter, for we were all the same, bodies of energy in the world of black oasis.

I was pulled into a hug, and I could feel the burning warmth. This wasn’t the end I wanted for them, but it was an ending I’d be forced to accept.

I wasn’t a hero…but I saved our only hope of salvation.

11

HOPELESSNESS TO THE KEY OF PROTECTION: PART TWO

~CONNOR~

A SENSE of numbness fell upon the world – the silence lingering as the last flicker of hope faded into the darkness.

I’d gone from struggling to focus because of all the bouncing emotions that assaulted my senses to nothing but my own wasteland of devastation.

It seemed unreal - all of this had to be a mistake - but here I stood as flakes of embers and wooden ashes fell from the sky with the flakes of snow. The ground beneath me was flooded with debris: woodchips, glass shards, and blood.

My head slowly turned to my left to the three bodies that lay there. Even with my blurry vision thanks to my brewing tears, I still couldn’t process that my friends…my lovers…my everything had just slipped from my grasp because of one mistake.

I took a step forward, but then I crumbled onto my hands and knees. The shards and wood piercing my flesh like prickling needles, but the pain was nothing like what was consuming my heart.

My eyes drifted to my right, towards my friends’ bodies. The mere sight made my lips tremble and it felt like bile was coming up my throat. Before I knew it, I was vomiting and fighting the weight of dread on my shoulders.

I knew I had to do something - anything - to change this. No way could we have made it this far for us to fail. It couldn’t even be true that the Universe would allow us to reach this point and, due to my unexpected mistake, lead us to a drastic end.

My mind couldn’t comprehend any of it, and yet, my heart knew. My soul knew my failure had killed those I loved.

I need to get help.

There had to be someone coming - anyone who could have overheard the commotion and sought to provide aid on our behalf. I wanted to believe that there was some sort of hope in this heartbreaking tragedy, but the longer I fought to move, the fuller the bucket of anguish became.

That’s when the manic chuckling began. The creepy, chill-inducing sound of mockery reached my ears and forced me to acknowledge the presence of the last enemy.

I fell to my knees a second time, my legs quaking in weakness at the mere idea of me trying to get up a third time. I had no choice but to acknowledge the man that approached, and my sorrowful eyes landed on Elijah as he landed on the single spot on the platform that wasn’t blown to shambles.

He was only steps away from me, and yet he stood there with a taunting grin of pride. The sinister hate that boiled within this man’s eyes was nothing like the Elijah from Year One.

There was not a hint of remorse in his eyes, which were filled with nothing but evil menace. The intense emotions that flooded out of him were a mixture of glee, elation, and the emotional component that made the perfect cocktail for revenge.

This sensation was nowhere new. It felt old in nature - ancient - as if he’d held this desire to destroy for centuries instead of a few semesters. I noticed the tattoos on his neck and the backs of his hands, which shook with impatience as he stared at me. The marks were a certain symbol that reminded me of a commitment to a cult of some kind.

This was the Elijah that had been the epitome of our troubles. This was the evil twin we’d still yet to completely prove existed.

This was the man who’d killed my friends.

He raised his hands up as if he were presenting something to a crowd.

“Surprise,” he whispered with a cynical tone of happiness. “Did you enjoy your gift from Papa Dearest?”

That made my blood turn cold as my eyes widened at his comment. He merely laughed at my reaction and then sighed dramatically.

“Did you really think your dad would allow himself to be on death row and let you continue life as is?” He laughed at me like he’d told the best joke of the century. “Stupid. Pathetic. Wow. You really don’t know how the mafia works, and you’re of his blood.”

He shook his head and sighed yet again. “You think because you’re at a school for magic users and future demigods that your father’s past would never affect you? So sad that Witchling Academy doesn’t prepare you for the dark reality of this world. You all thought you were immortal? Invincible? That you’d always be saved? Hah! That’s not how life works!”

He gestured around at the chaos. “Can’t you see? Or are you blind? Look at what you’ve done.”

I bit my lip hard enough to bleed, but it was nothing to me. The pain was insignificant because the burden of my lack of abilities to protect those I love was the biggest stab in my heart.

“You see, I wasn’t going to interfere,” he admitted. “I was merely admiring the view from the depths of the forest, waiting to see what would come out of this. I knew your sword friend would have killed those gunners easily, not to mention what Brianne or Jax would do, but my opportunity came when you urged to take over with the protective barrier. You wanted to prove your presence and contribute to this battle that didn’t need your aid to be successful. Had you just stayed back, things would have gone completely different. Bri would have surely figured out a way to save your other friend, and you’d all be alive.”

I looked at him like he was joking, only for him to give me a sad smile.

“Do you believe I’d interfere when it’s five against one? I’m too much of a coward for that, but you made it so easy. Shatter the protective barrier and boom. Bri and Jax shot. That swordsman, Kaito, was it, having to take the burden of killing those elite assassins and come save your ass. I knew you’d be an easy target with all these emotions taking over your mind. See, if you were really smart, you would have gotten that shit checked out rather than dismissing your struggles like a wimp.” He clapped his hands then. “Now look at the consequences! Your team, your true, beloved friends, are dead!”

He spun around, appearing before me in a flash, and I felt the cold metal of a gun to my forehead. “Sadly, it’s time for me to finish things off.”

This couldn’t be the end. I had to fight back, but my eyes merely lifted to see the delight in Elijah’s orbs.

“You could have changed all of this, Connor. You carry a gift like the one the Shadow Kingdom is so fucking desperate to have, and yet you let your friends die.”

My eyes further widened and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“Did you know your father has such an ability? To reverse shit and correct it? He told me when ordering me to finish you and the team off since he worried you’d use it. Instead, you allowed such a gift to go to waste. You had the ability to change all of this, like flipping an hourglass to give you a new reset, but this is your end.”

He tsked and let out a long sigh. “Ironic, but what can I do? I’m a bad guy and I need you all dead for the sake of gaining my heart’s desire, the ultimate throne of Witchling Academy. It won’t take me long now that you’re all out of the way: the school, your peers, the professors. They’re all on a clock and it’s ticking towards their approaching doom.”

He took the safety off the gun as he gave me a final look.

“Farewell, Connor Giovani. Or should I say Zephyr?” His finger inched to pull the trigger. “Next time you come to the world, you’ll acknowledge where you lack instead of being a fucking superhero.”

I braced for the bullet that would end it all, my tears falling as I shut my eyes. I wouldn’t give this man the satisfaction of being the last image I saw before death. He wasn’t worthy of such a role.

My last moments would be spent remembering Brianne’s appreciative smile, Jax’s confident grin, Kaito’s calm expression, and Finnick’s contagious laughter. This ending would only lead to a new beginning elsewhere, and I could only pray we all met again.

Please Universe…let me be with my loved ones on the other side.

My hands burned then, which seemed to give me that peaceful comfort that my final prayer would be answered. I waited patiently, wishing Elijah would stop delaying this and pull the trigger, but nothing seemed to happen.

Deciding to open my eyes, I was surprised by the sight of two arrivals: Sebastian, who stood behind Elijah with a gun pressed against the back of his head, and a tall woman wearing a dark purple combat suit, accented by her silver boots with turquoise-teal highlights.

The woman was the one who got my attention. I took in her long silver locks that were layered with turquoise, gold, and white strands. They were styled down, and she wore a cape that sat upon her shoulders. Her arms were crossed.

She held a golden wand in her grasp, and the red tattoo with a magic circle in the middle glowed slightly on her chest, just above her cleavage. Her lips were ruby red, and her turquoise spheres were watching me with intrigued interest.

“You’re…” I whispered but held my words as I looked at Elijah, who remained frozen in place. I soon realized that everything was completely frozen. No wind, no sound, just a void of complete stillness.

“Silver Spell Solange,” she answered as if to dismiss my obvious shock before she turned her attention to Sebastian. “You’re late.”

“My tardiness was due to the barbaric mass of assassins at the gate of the territory,” he grumbled. “Though I deduced you’d come along.”

“And why is that?”

“The child with the rainbow hair told me.”

They stared blankly at one another before there was a poof right next to me that had made me flinch.

“Mommy!”

I was left dumbfounded as I stared at the girl who’d poofed into existence holding Fuwa and Elsa.

What…is going on here?

The little girl was wearing a navy blue dress with a navy blue jacket with hints of purple. Her hair was silver with multiple colorful highlights that indeed made it seem like she had a rainbow happening in her hair.

Her arrival made glitter rain around us before she looked over to me as Elsa looked my way. “MewMew!”

“Mommy? Are we late?”

Sebastian and I looked at Silver, who sighed and walked over to the girl and knelt down. The way her expression went from serious to motherly left me speechless.

“Nothing is late in the realms of time and magic, Star,” she greeted before giving her a scolding look. “Why did you decide to follow Mommy to work?”

She cringed and gave a nervous smile before trying to hide Fuwa and Elsa.

“Um…see…Daddy said I could follow you!”

“As in Dimitri or someone else?” she inquired.

“Hmmm. All the above!” she reasoned. “Daddy was taking me on a walk with the others when Daisy came and said she sent you to help someone and I wanted to help, so Daddy said I could with the others’ support, but then I poofed and found them!” She raised her hands up like Fuwa and Elsa were her prizes.

“Some evil people were trying to hurt them so I zapped them!”

Silver arched an eyebrow at the girl, who I could only presume was her child. It intrigued me just a little bit, even in this intense situation, simply because this woman looked so young to have a child at that age.

“It would make sense if those assassin goons wanted to get rid of Elsa and Fuwa. They most likely made a summoning trap so if they tried to come to warn Brianne and the others of danger, they would be summoned to the trap instead.”

“Ya!” Star cheered. “That thingy! It was a ball of black and scary looking. I didn’t like it or the people in black. So I zapped them all and saved Elsa and Fuwa. Now we’re friends!”

“MewMew,” Elsa replied, but she was looking around. “MewMew?”

Star lowered them before she hugged them. “Don’t be sad, Elsa! Mommy just said we’re not too late!”

Star lifted her gaze to Silver. “Mommy, Elsa and Fuwa are scared their Mistress is gone.” The way she pouted her lips made Silver sigh as she reached out to stroke Star’s head before she glanced at the two familiars in her possession.

“The darkness of your world did something that was strictly forbidden. Those traps aren’t allowed to be used in these realms, which means your enemy is becoming desperate.”

She rose up then before her eyes landed on me. I stared at her in disbelief as she merely snapped her fingers, and the world around us turned into a silver room with spinning golden magic circles that shifted to turquoise in a back-and-forth cycle.

“You carry the power of time within you and yet you watched your friends suffer the ultimate price,” she acknowledged. “Why?”

“Power of time?” I whispered and instinctively lifted my hands up to stare at the backs of them.

“Seeing as you instinctively stared at your hands, that tells me you have somewhat of an idea of what you possess and yet you aren’t willing to acknowledge it yet.” She paused as if she were thinking of something. “I guess I can’t be too hard on you due to the sensory overload you were experiencing.”

“Wait.” I lifted my gaze to her. “You saw everything? You were there?”

“I was around,” she concluded as Star began to skip around her like she couldn’t care less about the conversation.

“T-Then why didn’t you help us?” I questioned in disbelief. “Brianne. Jax. Kaito. Finnick. None of them would have died if you stepped in.”

“Do you not understand that my role has nothing to do with you or what occurs upon the lands of this universe?” Her voice was stern while those turquoise orbs grew icy. “A leader does not sweep in to be a savior for their team members unless the damage will result in an irreversible ending. In this case, my involvement merely revolves around Brianne.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as she continued. “The only reason why I’m interfering is because of the connection and role I play in this ultimate plan of uniting the five chosen ones. As the eldest and leader, I act upon instinct when it’s brought to my attention that one of the four chosen is on death row.”

She crossed her arms then as her cape began to float like the vast strands of her hair as magic coursed through her body and raised her aura significantly. I truly hadn’t experienced such an immense force of power before.

“Why would I interfere when this should have not lead to the ending it did?” she inquired. “You knew what you were experiencing could potentially cut through your control and disrupt the protective wall you were practically begging Kaito to allow you to uphold. All because you believe within your heart that your role in the group dynamic is to protect them.”

The reminder made my heart clench as I avoided her gaze, which made her sigh in pure judgment.

“If I didn’t work in the field of teaching others like you, I’d walk away from this and let you carry the consequences you created with your inability to acknowledge your weakness.”

“I thought I could hold it,” I tried to argue. She snapped her fingers again, which caught my attention as the four bodies of my friends hovered at each directional plane: Brianne on the north side, Jax on the south, Finnick on the east, and Kaito on the west.

There was no other choice but to look around - to recognize what my stubbornness had caused.

“Your misguided feelings of frustration instead of clarity like your comrade, Kaito, cost the lives of all of them,” she stressed as she tilted her head to the side. “If I could predict your personality based on your appearance, I’d say you’re the calm and collected one. Harboring the ability to sense the world’s emotions means you have to carry a great amount of patience and perseverance to mingle in society with no issues.”

She uncrossed her arms while her eyes continued to analyze me like an open book.

“Intriguing how the last time we met, you carried a sense of control and commitment, and you didn’t let fear get to your senses, even when your girlfriend was in grave danger. You were better than the swordsman, and yet I’ve returned to see a complete shift,” she revealed. “So let me ask you while the clock continues to tick. What is making you go back when you’re mere steps away from triumph?”

I looked into her eyes that were blank of emotion, but I knew what she was trying to do. She was like a professor hoping their student not only realized their current flaws but also how easy it could be to change them.

I lowered my head as I stared at the floor - struggling to reveal the truth of my worries - the truth to my lingering fears that somehow came into reality.

The silence continued, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever gather the courage to say what needed to be said. When big, colorful eyes locked onto my mine, I blinked and realized that Star was crouching down to look up at me. Elsa and Fuwa were now sitting on her shoulders as she continued to stare up at me.

“Are you afraid?” she whispered as if it were between us. I blinked and looked into her innocent eyes, remembering the younger me who would put on a mask to prevent the world from seeing my true struggles.

“You know,” she began with a big smile, “it’s okay to be scared sometimes. When I’m scared, I go to Mommy and tell her what frightened me. She then tells me why it’s not scary. If it is scary, I get to zap it!” She put her hand out to the side and shook it like she was holding a wand and sending out bolts of lightning.

Her innocent explanation made me smile as tears began to burn my eyes. Her grin grew, showing her white teeth as she reached out to pat my head.

“It’s okay to be scared. As long as it doesn’t stop you from protecting what you love,” she whispered. “Familiars don’t show it, but we get scared, too.”

She’s a familiar? I guess she’s like Fuwa, who can take on a form.

“We have to fight really scary monsters! Some are big while some are small, but with the support of our Master or Mistress, we can do big things!” She spread her arms out. “So, don’t be afraid! You have my support, and Elsa’s, and Fuwa’s, and Mommy’s!” She looked at Sebastian. “And the scary guy’s!”

I couldn’t help but take a hint of a glance at Sebastian as his eye twitched, and my gaze moved to Silver, who carried a pride-filled expression.

Returning my attention to Star, I slowly nodded and decided to say what I’d been keeping back all this while.

“At the end of our semester exam, something bad happened. Someone we’d met during our vacation dealt with a fate that surely wasn’t one they deserved. All the emotions thrumming around me was just too much to bear, and I broke down…” I paused to take a nervous breath. “Everyone thought that it was because of my gift that I struggled with the whole ordeal, but none of them saw what I saw.”

“What did you see?” Silver inquired.

“I didn’t see the victim hanging there. Originally I did…but the image changed. Instead of the victim, it was Brianne.”

They didn’t seem to mind my moment as the revelation sank in. “I knew that in my reality, she was standing there with the others, standing in the same room as me. But the view before me had her hanging there. Since then, I realized that if it wasn’t for the exam, my father’s hired goons would have done everything in their power to try and take Brianne away from me, and maybe they had the same intentions for Jax. Even with the distractions of this vacation, the image lingered in my head like a reminder of what was approaching, and I didn’t know how to fix it. How would I be able to prevent it all?”

Lifting my hands, I looked at them in wonder as my tears fell. “I had a conversation with Jaxsin one night after a nightmare. I watched the scenario that occurred today. It wasn’t everything, but I saw Brianne being shot. I couldn’t fathom telling the others because it was just a nightmare. I’m not like Kaito, who can predict the future…but I also feared the idea of it becoming reality. That I wouldn’t be there to protect Brianne, Jax, Finnick, and Kaito. When Jax was going to head back into our room, he was back before me as if I’d rewound time. It scared me…and though I knew I could ask Professor Phoenix, I decided it wasn’t important enough to ask so soon.”

I pressed my hands to my face and sighed into them, the muffled sound making it hard to not breakdown in defeat. “I thought if I took over the protective wall, I’d be able to ensure Brianne’s safety. To stop what I saw in my nightmare because it was in my hands. I’ve always been confident in my abilities when it came to barriers and such. Anything in the realms of protection, everyone knew I’d be able to carry the weight of it all. However…for the first time, Kaito questioned it, and that upset me. It was so stupid because Kaito normally never warns me unless it’s out of his own fear, but today was the day he held his weight and knew exactly what was going on. He could see something was happening. That I was struggling with multiple things but didn’t want to succumb to such realizations. It hurt my damn pride!”

I shook my head and let hands fall to my lap as tears streamed down my face.

“We’re entering our final semester and I’ve never felt so lost. So defeated. So damn confused. The moment Kaito questioned my capabilities, I felt as if everything had gone backward. As we progressed through the year, Kaito and everyone else around me were going up on the hill of triumph, while I felt like I was going down in a spiraling spin. My dad’s appearance is what really rocked everything, not because I was scared of him, but because I was afraid of what he’d be able to do with all those connections. The nightmares just made such fears worsen, and the moment when the pressure was on, my body simply couldn’t handle it.”

I looked at my friends as their bodies floated in their designated places, and sobs left me as I realized their ends. Each of them were tragic, painful, and preventable, if it wasn’t for my lack of belief in myself.

“It didn’t even flicker in my mind that I carried that ability I’d used when talking to Jax. I just wanted to protect what I cherish the most with what I’ve always been comfortable using. There was no need to go outside the box. Or to pull some other strings to make it work. I simply wanted to do what I knew would get me the results I needed, even if I lacked…and, well, this is the end result.”

I tried to wipe my eyes as tears continued to flood from them, but it was no use. I was sobbing not because of my obvious failure, but because of the ultimate truth.

My friends are gone. The people I’ve grown up with, the woman I’ve fallen in love with, the man who’s been willing to open his filled heart for more, and the destiny we all could have walked upon are all gone because of my error of judgment.

They’d graced me with this opportunity to survive, and I knew I wouldn’t be a coward and try to end it early so I could avoid the pain in my heart.

A hand landed on my shoulder, and I simply expected it to be Star, but when I opened my eyes, I saw that it was Sebastian. He knelt down on one knee, his expression as serious as always, but there was slight tenderness to it.

A speck of understanding in the hollows of seriousness.

“The Universe throws curveballs at you, not to torture you, but to make you wiser,” he whispered. “It takes strength to acknowledge your flaws, but more importantly, it takes a man with the skills of a demigod to reverse the harm that’s been done.”

My eyes widened at his comment and they grew further when he lifted his free hand to show the true markings all along the back of his hand.

“Those…” I trailed off as he slowly nodded before he rose up to his full height and offered his glowing hand to me. I hesitated in accepting it, the lingering hopelessness beginning to creep in, but I shook my head and took a deep breath.

I need to do this.

Placing my hand in his, I watched as it began to glow as well, while I was aided in standing up. I watched in shock as the purple glow began to burn with hints of black, and when I looked to Sebastian, he assessed my hand accordingly before he nodded.

“You have a choice, Connor. You can use your ability now and reverse the time you’ve lost to have another shot at saving your friends, or I can reverse time for you, but it will have consequences.”

“Both sound as if they have consequences,” I admitted quietly, and he actually smirked slightly while Silver looked at me with a quirky smile.

“You’d be a good spy,” she hummed playfully.

“Mommy! We can kidnap him!”

“No, Star,” Silver dryly stated. “He doesn’t have the credits to be a spy.”

“Boo,” Star huffed, which actually made me smile as I returned my gaze to Sebastian.

“If I use my ability, will that disable me?” I inquired.

“Yes.” He nodded. “If you use your ability at this moment to reverse all of this, you’ll end up being useless in the fight you just endured and the same result may transpire,” he warned. “However, if you allow me to do it, you and your team will have to owe something in return at the end of the semester.”

It was a difficult decision, but it was obvious which one I had to choose to give us a chance at surviving the attack from those universal assassins.

“If I take the second option, what happens to you.” I paused to look at Silver. “And you.” Finally, I lowered my eyes to Star, who was waiting to be acknowledged by me.

“And ME!” she declared happily.

“Yes,” I affirmed. “And you.”

Star giggled and moved to hug Silver. “We go home!”

Silver bobbed her head. “If Sebastian goes along with the agreement, then yes. We have no reason to remain here.”

“And I’ll be out of commission, but will ensure the altered time will get rid of the group of reinforcements that were sent to arrive before Elijah’s intrusion,” Sebastian said.

“What about Elijah?” The question made my blood boil. I wished I hadn’t faced him like a coward.

I knew he was the “evil twin” from our current hypothesis, but seeing how he’d easily gotten the upper hand of the situation to ruin us only contributed to the brewing rage.

Silver decided to answer. “Based on your actions, everything may shift entirely,” she reasoned. “This Elijah person took advantage of the situation. It would be suicide for him to try and challenge you all. If you’re able to protect yourselves and get rid of the assassins without exerting all your energy, it would be a hard gamble for him to try and take the four of you on.”

“Four?” I questioned. “What about Finnick?”

“I can’t determine what exact moment my ability will stop at. I’ll reverse it to what the Universe thinks is right. If that lands you before Finnick was shot or after, it’s based on fate,” Sebastian deciphered.

“That bullet that hit Finnick,” I voiced. “It may still kill him if I land in the moment where he was shot.”

“Trust in what the Universe has set for you,” Silver instructed as Star yawned and began to rub her eyes.

“Mommy? I’m sleepy.”

Silver smirked as she crouched down to lift Star up so she could rest her head on Silver’s shoulder. Silver returned her attention to me as she continued, “Remember that what happened was forbidden in the realms of the Universes. That’s exactly why we can bend the rules by interfering. However, just because time is about to be reversed, that doesn’t mean what occurred is officially unwritten.”

“What…does that mean?” I whispered.

Sebastian bobbed his head slightly as his eyes locked on mine. “Chances are, you and your friends are all going to remember what occurred. How they died and potentially the feelings associated with their times of death. None of those aspects are controlled by this gifted ability. Its purpose is to reverse events that have transpired unjustly.”

“Unjustly…” I whispered. “So it works when it’s clear what has occurred is against the realms of justice?”

“It works the strongest in those scenarios,” Sebastian elaborated. “Similar to when one’s magic doubles, if not triples, when a loved one is in danger.”

“With you and the others having your memories, it will become clear to your enemy that you avoided death by the grace of the Universe and those with the ability to manipulate time and space.”

“What happens then? Isn’t that going to make us more of a target?” I questioned.

“Yes and no,” Silver merely shrugged. “Yes, they may make you a target and continue to pester you during your last semester, but I have a strong doubt they would make such risky moves right when such events have transpired. If your Shadow Kingdom is anything like the one we deal with, it’s a constant gamble, where playing tag can lead to a long, strenuous wait in between, before one makes the move to try and combat the other.”

“There’s one thing you have to understand, Connor,” Sebastian pointed out. “The Shadow Kingdom projects the philosophy that they’re on a timeline,” he voiced. “In reality, they’re not. They’re willing to lurk in the shadows for weeks, months, or years just to find the right moment to strike when you’re completely unguarded. It’s a tactic that’s annoying when you don’t have patience, but it’s a method that has aided them to grow over the centuries. This is exactly why it’s not a simple task to take them down. It’s a process of layers that start from the bottom and make their way up.”

“Not to forget that this isn’t just one unit of evil. They’re all connected from different universes. Just like how I have some sort of connection to Brianne with the prophecy,” Silver revealed. “You’ll come to realize, once you’ve graduated and taken the next step on your path of magical fulfillment, that every soul upon this world has a higher purpose, and your growth will direct you to where your purpose lies in this map of destiny. Finding that path will be the hardest struggle to achieve, but it will invite you to a new world of possibilities that don’t just fall into the categories of magic and power. The role of the Shadow Kingdom across the universes is one thing: to stop those who have a grand purpose to serve in this world that won’t favor them. Just like we have seers, they also have their own who can predict the future.”

It made sense, and yet it felt like a tangled mesh of wisdom far greater than my years. I wondered if this woman had lived before, like Brianne and Jax. It could be a part of the prophecy that connected her with Brianne, but who knew.

I noticed that her body was beginning to glow, and she frowned as the circling magic circles in each direction were beginning to crack.

“Time is up,” she announced as she snapped her free fingers. My friends’ bodies lowered to the ground. They were lying upon their backs, but I watched as Brianne’s body began to glow a soft orange with hints of gold.

I checked on Finnick. He was beginning to glow a soft teal with hints of gold and purple, like the northern lights. Jax was a burning red with hints of orange and gold, and finally, Kaito was a soothing purple with hues of blue and gold.

Their magic oozed outward, like pools of blood, but it was a magical liquid that reminded me of melted silver. It spread around them until it formed a magic circle that burned with growing intensity.

As the golden magic circles began to spin, Silver’s attention landed on me for what felt like it would be the last time.

Fuwa and Elsa moved from Star’s shoulders that were beginning to grow more and more transparent to sit upon Sebastian’s shoulders.

“I’ll give you one more slice of advice,” she declared as her body began to fade further. “You will be tested again. I don’t say this to scare you, but to give you a warning I’m sure you wish you’d gotten before all of this. There won’t be any second chances. You’ll have to face not only your fears but also the final obstacle you need to confront within yourself. Do this, and you’ll find the sense of empowerment you’ve been searching for.”

I bowed my head as I whispered, “Thank you.”

“You now understand why some situations don’t need the interference of another,” she whispered with a relieved grin. “Stern teaching always comes with valuable lessons.”

She winked, then acknowledged Sebastian with a slight nod.

“Until our paths cross again. Farewell.”

With her final words, she was gone with Star. The golden magic circles began to spin rapidly as they grew with magical force that surged in energy.

“Decide, Connor.” Sebastian got straight to the point, and I rose up on my feet to prepare myself.

“Promise me one thing,” I whispered. His questioning gaze prompted me to continue. “Whatever payment we must return when the time is right…can you promise it won’t tear us apart?”

I allowed my vulnerable emotions to seep into my onyx eyes as I stared into those spheres that began to soften just slightly.

“I promise that your payment will not tear you from your loved ones,” he vowed without hesitation.

It made the decision easier as I smiled and nodded my head.

“Then my decision is to accept your aid in reversing time to what the Universe wishes for me. Whatever happens…I’m grateful for the chance to retry.”

He gave a solid nod. His hands blazed with power as he lifted them like he held a gun to my head.

“Let the hourglass reverse and deliver what Connor Giovani desires with the promised payment that will be made upon the end of Semester Eight.”

Light flooded my vision. The sound of the pulled trigger led to a pushing force sending me off my feet and spiraling into the past.

12

HOPELESSNESS TO THE KEY OF PROTECTION: PART THREE

~BRIANNE~

“RED?”

I stared speechlessly at the sight before me, unsure as to whether it was an illusion or distant memory. The flood of pastel colors that made the mountains mesmerizing continued to spread along the vast land, just as tiny snowflakes began to fall upon us in anticipation.

My body was calm and yet my mind ran on overdrive as scenes and sensations began to trickle through me, leaving me trembling seconds later.

What…happened?

I struggled to turn my gaze away, a sense of fright running through me as I rotated my gaze over my shoulder. My wide eyes met Finnick’s large ones, which were immersed in the same level of frightening despair as mine.

“Finnick.” My voice quivered before I acknowledged the mugs in his hand.

“Brianne? Brianne, hello?” Starlight’s voice was coming out of the speaker of my phone, but I debated what was happening and if what I felt occurred mere minutes ago was about to repeat itself a second time.

My instincts kicked in as I lifted the phone to my ear. “Starlight.”

“What the…. Why is your voice shaking?” she questioned with seriousness.

“Send help now,” I voiced sternly. “We’re about to be ambushed.”

“What?” Starlight seemed even more confused, but I was already hanging up the phone as I slipped it into my pocket. I turned to Finnick. He seemed to understand my shift in mood. He walked over to me and lowered the steaming hot mugs of chocolate onto the ledge.

For a brief moment, we stood there, staring into each other’s eyes as though we had to ensure this was real. I couldn’t fight the urge growing inside me, so I reached out to brush his cheek, seconds before I tugged him down to kiss him firmly.

He hugged me for what seemed like only a few seconds, but in this intense moment of uncertainty, all that mattered was to be able to enjoy the elation and relief his embrace delivered to my soul.

My sweet Finnick.

“All of that…wasn’t a dream, was it?”

We broke the kiss at the same time, the two of us leaning back to acknowledge the truth.

“Prepare for the craziness,” I whispered, before smiling like we were about to get into a conversation. “Can you get some mini marshmallows?”

He searched my eyes for a second before his voice flowed into my mind.

“I’ll get the others. We won’t perish like that. Never again.” His vow held a sense of heaviness to it, but it was justifiable. It would be foolish to ignore what we surely wished was a dream.

“Sure.” He smiled back at me before placing a kiss on my forehead. We exchanged another smile of appreciation, but we knew what was being plotted within the depths of our minds.

He began to turn away, his calculated steps only confirming we were on the same page when I was sure he wanted to run for dear life to alert the others. At this point, we were being watched, and any wrong move could destroy this second opportunity in our midst.

Reaching for one of the mugs, I looked at the chocolate brown liquid before lifting it to my lips while my eyes slowly lifted to give off the impression that I was admiring the view and not scanning the forest for the first of many culprits.

How easy it was to locate the very person who’d pulled the trigger effortlessly - the manipulated bullet that was set out for me, only to pierce Finnick before the shooter met his own fate.

I felt a tad stupid for not noticing it, but it was difficult with his aura completely shut off and the black attire that made him flawlessly blend with the shadows of his hiding spot.

The way my blood boiled was already making my magic begin to creep to my fingertips, which triggered the steamy liquid to begin to boil like it was on top of a stove on high.

A hand fell upon my shoulder, and I forced myself not to flinch as my head lifted to acknowledge Finnick. One look into his eyes told me something was off, and I allowed my slight confusion to flicker in my gaze while his grin showed his dazzling white teeth. His eyes were now a sparkling gold.

“I found the marshmallows,” he announced, and his voice was even deeper than normal.

Fuwa?

His smile merely widened as his eyes twinkled at my internal acknowledgment.

“Help is on the way. The others are ready to go into full battle mode. I just need to play my part.”

My brain was quickly picturing the potential plan he had molded in the mere thirty seconds it took to return with the bag of mini marshmallows in his disguise.

You’ll get hurt if that bullet hits you, Fuwa.

“Trust me, sis.” The confidence in his voice aided in chasing away the veins of fear that were yearning to capture me. “Nothing is getting past me. When you anger a god, there are consequences.”

His words seemed to trigger more snowfall, and clouds began closing in at a swift pace. He acted as if nothing was shifting in the weather as he prepared my drink with marshmallows and did the same with his.

Lifting his mug up, he waited for a toast.

“Cheers?”

I worried about keeping my eyes away from the forest, but staring at those gold spheres told me this chance was going to be a successful one. There was no need to experience fear when you’re prepared to face the obstacles being written before you.

“Cheers,” I whispered as I lifted my cup to clink his.

The mere sound seemed to kindle Kaito’s voice. “BRIANNE!”

I couldn’t stop myself from turning my head back, but I was already being protectively wrapped as Fuwa’s disguise shifted entirely and his tall god form was out, ready to shine brilliantly in this moment of evasiveness.

I expected him to lift me out of the way or protect us with some sort of barrier, but I watched in pure shock as he lifted his other hand to catch the very bullet between his fingertips.

The way he smirked with a sinister glare that was locked on the assassin would send anyone running through the hills in desperation, but it made me giddy with the growing need to get revenge.

Marianna’s presence seemed more dominant in the back of my mind as Fuwa let go of me. I was behind him in less than a second, my fingers wrapping around the base of my wand as my magic was on a rollercoaster ride to charge it with thrumming magic.

The sky cracked with thunder as the snowflakes began to shift into hail blocks, but it wasn’t going to stop any of us from acting upon our desire for vengeance.

Before I could make a move, Finnick landed upon the ledge right before us. The risky move made my heart skip a few beats, and I was about to voice my discomfort with him attacking head-on, but his bow had already materialized in his grasp while the arrow of striking death was being pulled back.

Heavy dark magic flowed around him as the winds picked up marvellously. It was a sight that captivated me for a few seconds as his pink strands fluttered upward before he spoke.

“ARROWCANDA DE LA VU!”

The spell was far different from what we’d previously experienced, and I could see why as the single arrow left its captive hold and began soaring through the air in a perfect arch.

The arrow then multiplied from two to ten, and with three blinks there were surely fifty, all of which met their targets. The assassin who shot the bullet screamed in agony as the arrow did exactly what it had the previous time. The hole in this stranger’s chest cued his shocked expression. He acknowledged his obvious defeat and approaching death by lowering his gaze to the gaping hole.

His scream wasn’t the only one echoing through the forest, as bodies fell to the snowy ground while hail continued to assault us. The balls of ice didn’t bother me, for I realized that nothing was hitting me.

It was then that I noticed Connor was behind me while a massive umbrella that held a slightly transparent exterior hovered above us. Turning around, I realized Kaito and Jax were already present and fully geared up - Jax’s hair floating with firepower while Kaito had his swords strapped and ready.

Connor stood boldly. Even though I was sure the coursing emotional energy happening around us must have been crippling in this intense moment, he didn’t falter. Not even in the slightest.

I acknowledged each of them with a mere look, and they nodded slightly in return before I turned back to see Finnick push off the ledge in time as the first round of bullets from the remaining assassins went off.

Fuwa clapped his hands and spread them out with his arms in a wide spread, and we watched in amazement as talismans of black with golden incantations and red strings at the top spread along like a solid line before a wall of gold shot upward while another line of black shot downward.

The symbols burned with magic that pulsated enough energetic force that the bullets didn’t even reach the wall before they disintegrated into ash. No matter how many bullets were shot from the rifles in the distance, nothing was penetrating through or getting close to us.

“They have reinforcements,” Kaito declared, and I glanced back to see his eyes were in that void gaze of glowing purples and hints of silver. “Fifty in total.”

“Find Elijah,” Connor encouraged. “He’s going to try to run away if the odds aren’t in his favor. We’re not letting him do that without some kind of confrontation.”

Kaito nodded just slightly, clearly lost in doing what Connor voiced. I met his stern eyes and I could see the anger in them. Connor was normally the calm one in the heart of battle, but right here and now, he was blazing with a rage that made me want to quiver in place.

Though internally, I was loving every bit of this shift in attitude.

“I can deal with them,” Jax declared and looked at Connor. “You got me?”

The way Connor looked at Jax held a deeper meaning within the intense stare. I reached out to wrap my fingers around Connor’s hand, and the two of us glanced down to our joined hands.

I did it to hide the way his hand was shaking while the other was glowing with magic as it continued to form the protective umbrella above us.

“Connor,” I whispered, and he met my eyes before I continued. “Thank you for the second chance.”

He seemed shocked by my words, and I felt a little shocked at them myself because I had no idea if Connor was the culprit of this rejuvenated circumstance. His eyes were watering in seconds, but he blinked back his tears as he bobbed his head and swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Let’s survive,” he whispered with affirmation before specifically looking at Jax. “I have your back.”

“You always do,” Jax said with a sly smirk before his eyes bled to black and Jaxsin was in complete control. “Now it’s time to have yours,” he vowed and with a push off the ground, he hovered in the air and began to rise further as a gust of wind began to swirl beneath his feet.

I realized Finnick was the culprit as he aided in Jaxsin’s ascension, all while Jaxsin’s hands began to conjure spinning magic circles that I’d never witnessed before. They were a mixture of gold, red, and black, and they grew bigger and bigger as flames in the same shades burst out of his body and spun rapidly around him.

The streams of bullets rose higher up in an attempt to take Jaxsin out, but Fuwa’s barrier was firmly rooted in place. With a clap of his hands, the magic circles that were hovering over Jaxsin’s hands disappeared like shattered glass, but the gasps from the forest caught my attention as we realized the magic circles now targeted the remaining individuals in the forest.

My sense of hearing heightened so I could hear their muttered curses and words of panic, but I moved my head back and forth as I realized what Jaxsin had just done.

He made them into targets.

Target. Capture. Destroy.

Kaito stepped up as he pulled out two swords while his third remained strapped to his back. “Ready, Finnick?” he asked as his aura began to grow and grow.

“Ladies first,” Finnick teased. Kaito actually looked over to give him a glare. Finnick merely chuckled as he prepared his bow. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”

“I can’t believe you two are flirting right now,” Fuwa whined. “Stop bantering and go show off like y’all want just to impress my sis,” he huffed.

The two of them blushed and took a swift look at me.

“Keep impressing,” I encouraged with a smirk and a wink, leaving them both blushing before they moved back to focus on our unfolding reality.

Kaito pushed off the ledge and moved so swiftly, it was like he was a cheetah running to destroy his prey. He began to attack the targeted individuals, his rapid slashes making their mark on the assassins.

Whenever one tried to turn their gun on Kaito, they were impaled with arrows from Finnick. The hail balls were beginning to fall with great intensity, but I soon realized Kaito was being covered by the same umbrella effect covering us.

One look at Connor confirmed he was doing his part, and I knew we’d have a far better chance at surviving this one. There was one gunner left with a spinning target, but instead of Kaito or Finnick striking him, they both retreated.

I was about to voice my confusion, but the target on the man suddenly turned into a golden rope, wrapping around him tightly enough that he had no choice but to drop his gun.

“Dammit!” he cursed loudly as he tried to wiggle out of the trap, but his body was tugged forward and he was dragged through the snow towards us. It was a bumpy ride as the golf-ball-sized hail continued to work its magic on raining down and hitting his face.

We all seemed to realize Jaxsin was the culprit of the burning rope and by the time our captured enemy was pulled onto the wooden platform, he was knocked right out with bruises all over his flesh.

“Oops?” Jaxsin muttered, but he was smiling like a proud little boy as he slowly returned to the ground. The flames around him extinguished on their own and he let go of the rope to walk over to me. “My bad.” He winked and slyly laid an arm over my shoulders. “Now praise me.”

I rolled my eyes at his demand, but it was kind of amusing, so I leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Good work, Jaxsin.”

He pouted his lips as if he wasn’t expecting me to actually do it.

“Hmph,” he said in pure disappointment. “Whatever.”

Just like that, he was gone and Jax shook his head. “I don’t get what he was expecting from you.”

I grinned before looking around. We all seemed to have regrouped.

“Do you think it’s over?” I inquired.

They exchanged looks hesitantly, but I’d said my words on purpose.

Elsa, I need you. Stand by.

I felt the furry movement in the sleeve of my sweater, just as Fuwa lowered his hands.

“We should get goin-” His words were cut off as the ground beneath us began to shake. One worried look only confirmed what we all were thinking.

“Earthquake,” I whispered and looked to Finnick. “Finnick! Lift this area up!” I then looked at Connor. “Connor! Protect with the barrier so that no one can penetrate through it!” Next was Jax. “Jax! I need you to keep a hold of that guy.” I pointed to the unconscious assassin. “It’ll make it far easier to prove in court that the mafia is involved.”

Finally, I looked at Kaito. “You’re with me, swordsman,” I declared with a smile.

Everyone got into gear and I looked to Fuwa.

“Make sure you don’t die a second time?” he said before I could order him around. I gave him an appreciative smile as he tried to hide his guilt.

“You were stopped from reaching us, weren’t you?” His attempt to keep a blank face failed miserably, which only made me smile further as I reached out to pat his shoulder. “Thank you.”

He slowly nodded in acceptance as Finnick’s gathered winds began to lift all of us up. With a glance to Kaito, we both nodded in understanding before we raced right off the floating platform before it would get too high for us to jump off of.

“Wait, what? Brianne?! Kaito?!” Connor called out, but we were already in action as we landed on the ground, only to dodge the large mass of electric power that jolted right into the house from behind.

The ground shook harder then, which made it almost impossible to keep one’s balance, but I was already moving as was Kaito. His swords were out in preparation to attack while my eyes were on the very last individual Jaxsin’s target had caught in the crossfire.

Elijah.

The clashing of swords caught my attention as Kaito was the one to find Elijah first. “You should have stayed dead,” Elijah growled. “You looked way better that way!”

“Fuck you!” Kaito cursed and got the upper hand due to Elijah’s lack in swordplay as he moved quickly enough to slash at Elijah’s chest before he got his third sword out and shot it at him.

Elijah evaded the attack, but the earthquake made him fall forward. He cursed and shifted his stance in time as Kaito glided past him, one of his swords slicing at Elijah’s arm.

He hissed again, but he was up and charging another blast far bigger than the first in Kaito’s direction.

“Fuwa.” I whispered his name so that Elijah wouldn’t hear my command. “Get Kaito onto the platform.”

“What about you?” The hesitation in his voice was obvious, but his body appeared right behind Kaito. He hooked his arms under his armpits and was back on the floating wooden platform above the modern, exquisite house that was on the verge of collapse.

I’ll be fine. I’m with Elsa.

“Coward!” Elijah declared before noticing my lingering presence. Elsa poofed her head out of the end of my sleeve, her head just at the inner palm of my hand.

“MewMew!” she cheered in preparation, knowing well I was about to need her aid.

Elijah and I stared at one another, even as it felt like the world was coming to an end with the cracking ground beneath us and the hail that seemed to lessen, only to be triggered by the booming of the sky with thunder and lightning.

“Be prepared to die, Brianne,” he declared. “You’re coming to the dark side whether you like it or not!”

“Can’t choose what side I want when I’m dead, Elijah,” I voiced as anger began to course through me. I was angry at a lot of things - the disruption of what should have been the perfect holiday vacation, the idea that the Shadow Kingdom continued to disrupt our lives, and the experience of death that I was sure would imprint a sense of despair when all the adrenaline was gone.

Something had to be proven today. A spectacular show of dominance to make the Shadow Kingdom rethink that they can allow us to be tormented whenever they feel like it.

They want a taste of darkness? I’ll show them what it’s like to feel the wrath of my hidden misery.

Our bait will be a prime example.

Elijah pushed off the ground as it cracked and began to plunge downward - the start of a cascade of crumbling rock.

“There’s no room for the weak!” he growled as a sword of ice formed in his possession, seconds before it flashed into mine. His eyes widened at the pink sword, its charge of gold and orange sparks growing stronger by the second.

Marianna pushed her power within me, the conjunction of her dangerous strength and my pulsating magic of fury beginning to thrum around us. Elijah’s eyes widened as the ground beneath us crumbled, and the two of us began to fall to what surely was a sinking hole of death.

Lifting my sword, I sent a slash of charged energy downward, and like a flip of a coin, we landed upon a solid black platform while the ground around the circular plane continued to collapse.

Elijah scrambled up and didn’t hesitate to race towards me, but with one step I was behind him, my charged body coming into existence before I slashed at his back. He hissed in agony, spinning around to impale me with his weapon, but he was far too slow as I moved not once, but twice - leaving cuts on both sides of his arms.

He cursed and tried to predict my movements, but it was a game of cat and mouse because I was a charged force of electricity - to the point that it felt like I didn’t have a body but was a pure source of energy.

The slashes upon Elijah’s flesh tripled, leaving him a victim of tormented screams as his body became dummy practice for my sword, which was Elsa in weapon form.

Each piercing slice began to do its job, leaving dark ice in its wake, and within a mere minute, he was like a statue attempting to move while his head looked around to see the damage I’d done to his body.

“What the fuck did you do to me?!”

I finally came to a stop, my body trembling with buzzing energy that thrummed through my veins. My eyes throbbed with magic as the world around me was like night vision.

My eyes were centered on Elijah as I watched the way his aura struggled to fight the chill of darkness that was attempting to rush into his veins.

“You’re the voice of the Shadow Kingdom, right? Then fighting darkness with darkness should be easy, don’t you think?” I inquired as I walked towards him until we stood face to face.

“You fucking cunt bitch! I can get out of this! Then I’ll murder you in cold blood!”

“I’d love to see you try,” I practically growled as I got right into his face, which made him freeze. “How dare you?” Marianna’s words flooded out without my control as the world around us crackled with gravitational energy that almost made it seem like the world had come to a dramatic stop.

Elijah couldn’t do anything but glare as my lips curled and Marianna decided to say what was racing through our head.

“You could have remained as a shadow, one that had nothing to do with my life, and yet you have the audacity to try every avenue to cloak my hands with the blood of those I love for the petty sake of owning a kingdom that was never yours? You dare to try and fuck over my life so that you’ll be a ruler of a place you know nothing about in this world as you did in the last?! Witchling Academy was born and created with our spilled blood, and thanks to you, it was burned down like the rest of the world in the past.”

I took over then as I noticed my golden eyes that reflected off his eyes.

“We got this opportunity to start over, to live a life with a clean slate of opportunity, and you decide to fuck it all up and hide behind your twin?”

His eyes widened at the last bit of my statement, leaving me in the perfect mood to laugh.

“Tick tock, Elijah the Second. I’m going to figure out how that brain of yours works, and then we’ll play a fun game of tag,” I hummed before leaning in closer to whisper in his ear. “And I vow with the blood within my veins and the nightmares that are surely going to disrupt my damn sleep that I’m going to make your life a living hell until the final showdown where your blood is upon my sword and you quiver at the hands of Death himself,” I vowed.

Pulling back, I avoided his attempt to spit on me and gave him a mocking smile as I got to my real point.

“You don’t realize the true consequences of the forces you work with, so we’ve given you a gift. If you’re so valuable to the kingdom you’ve devoted yourself to, see if they can stop the chill of the darkness plagued upon you from reaching your beating heart.”

His eyes widened before they burned with menace, but I was done talking as the rest of the world seemed to be left in shambles.

As I turned around to leave him to plunge into the sinking hole beneath us, he spoke before I could cancel the platform we stood upon.

“If I die, so will the other Elijah, and then you can carry the fucking guilt of it all.”

I paused in my movement just to acknowledge the information that had been fed to me.

“You think I care?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I met his eyes with my emotionless ones.

“I once had a crush on Elijah. I wanted him to be the man at my side, the one to comfort me at night, and the one I even thought I would spend my adult years with. Heck, I even thought we’d date, get married, and have kids, but guess what? The jealousy that coursed through him when I met the Notorious Four is the same jealousy pulsating through you now at not being the sole ruler of a kingdom you’ve idolized since your past life.”

My senses were tingling, and I could hear Connor trying to call me, but I had to say this. He needed to understand what stakes of survival were on the line here.

“Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to stop your approaching doom. From this moment onward, you’re running on borrowed time. Do whatever you want, but know that the curse I’ve placed upon you has an expiration date, and the Shadow Kingdom can’t save you. No one can. No one, except for me. So suck it up, face the fate I’ve bestowed upon you and find a way to apologize, and maybe I’ll spare your life.”

He laughed as I looked away.

“You have some nerve! How are you going to get back to your weak group of fuckers when I’ve destroyed everything around here?! You love to talk all confidence now, Brianne, but I know it’s all a fucking front. You and that bitch, Marianna. You think you got the better of me because I’m temporarily frozen? Hah! The joke is on you.”

Fuwa, think my mimic gift will be able to do something?

“If it’s what you’re thinking, then yes, it can, but it’ll tire you out.”

Fair enough.

I focused on calming my inhales and exhales as Elijah’s words began to fade away like the rest of the world. I was doing something based on instinct versus confirming my assumptions with my men, but the idea flowing in my mind seemed almost magical beyond imagination, and I wanted to achieve it.

To manifest it into fruition and prove just how dangerous I am.

The moment this year ended, the Shadow Kingdom would know that they weren’t messing with entry-level Witchlings starting out. We’d suffered and endured the wrongs of their selfish actions, and now they were about to reap what they inflicted upon us.

The trials, wounds, and scars would be evidence of their evil intentions that lead to the miraculous consequences of revenge.

Closing my eyes, I felt the spinning sensation of my Spell Traveling gift, only this time it was different. The sensation invited a sense of swirling heat that pushed out of my body and began to move like an expanding whirlpool around my environment.

The shift of energy went counter-clockwise, moving faster and faster, while the energy that seemed hollow and dead began to rejuvenate and burn with life. It got stronger and stronger while my body grew so hot, it was like I was on fire.

I let myself burn as I lifted my hands up, allowing the heat to race out of me and be free to celebrate the rekindled life around us.

When there was barely anything left within me, I shot my hands down like I was discarding the wasted energy, the action giving me the privilege to finally breathe as I fought hard to catch my breath.

Beads of sweat cascaded down my face like I’d done hours of training to reach this moment in time, while my body ached with the mere movement of breathing.

“I-I-Impossible.” Elijah’s gasp gave me the motivation to open my eyes, and I was just as moved by the breathtaking scenery. The world around us that had crumbled into bitter desolation had been put back together. The world had gone back to the tranquil moment of the sunset, only it was night time and the sky was littered with twinkling stars.

Everything from the ground to the very house that was on the brink of destruction was all in one piece, which confirmed my instincts as I looked to my hands to see the way they glowed brilliantly with markings of blue.

“Damn you.”

I struggled to turn and look at Elijah, noticing how his body began to fade in a dark mist like someone was summoning him away.

“I’ll get you back for this humiliation. I’m not afraid of you, Marianna, or anyone,” he declared. “I’ll keep to my promise that was written on that wall. Your blood will be on my hands.”

Those were his last words as he completely disappeared, leaving me standing there. My shoulders moved up and down to accommodate my desperation for air. My weary eyes landed on the wooden balcony, and there were my Notorious men and Fuwa.

His body was already beginning to fade away, but the way his wide smile made those golden eyes of his twinkle made me witness the spike of pride and admiration he had for me.

“MewMew!” I struggled to look down to Elsa, who was now in the palm of my right hand. Her body curled up as she let out a yawn and nestled against my flesh seconds before she, too, began to fade away.

Thank you…Elsa and Fuwa.

Their assistance had been much appreciated, but more I also felt I was closer to unlocking the next step of utilizing my familiars - especially Elsa.

Connor was the first to snap out of shock and even from the distance, I could see his gaze was on my glowing hands that began to dim from the power.

I watched them return to normal, their trembling surface only confirming how intense this whole ordeal was. We’d died, somehow gotten the chance to live once again, took out a group of assassins sent to kill us, and were able to pick enough of a fight with Elijah to send a warning to the Shadow Kingdom.

If I had the energy, I would rejoice at our glamorous victory, or maybe even cry because of the relief that overwhelmed me at the conclusion that I and my lovers were all alive.

We all made it through this unexpected challenge, and we were going to enter the new year together. I was speechless at the thought that made me smile while the tears I hadn’t realized were pooling in my eyes fell.

My knees buckled then, my body falling to the snowy floor. I let myself fall forward, not caring anymore about the cold, fluffy surface that calmed my burning flesh. It seemed to cushion my fall while affirming that this place was safe.

No earthquake would destroy the serenity it brought us during our trip, and maybe one day we’d return to look back at what we’d survived.

“Brianne!”

My men were calling me. It sounded far, far away, but it made me slightly smile as I felt a warmth of light wash over me. It felt like my head laid upon a soft lap and someone gently stroked my hair.

It was like Mother Nature was thanking me, and the continued strokes made it so much easier to begin to drift into the safe arms of the darkness.

A tender voice whispered to me like a melodic song, and it only made my sleepy smile further spread upon my lips as my last set of tears fell down my flushed cheeks.

“You’ve done superbly well, my child. I promise you shall be rewarded when the time is right. Now, rest.”

That’s exactly what I did.

13

DESTINY WILL LEAD TO JUSTICE

“Now, Jaxsin. What the hell did locking everyone out of the hospital room achieve?”

“Hmph. I don’t fucking care.”

The deep, dismissive voice that rumbled against my ear made me smirk as I woke up to my sister’s irked voice.

“You realize this is a shared room, right?”

“The other fucker is in a coma. I heard the nurses bickering,” he grumbled. “Call themselves professionals when they’re talking shit. If I was in a coma and heard half the gossip they talked about, I’d wake up from the dead and fuck shit up.”

“You realize they’re not dead, right?”

“Coma. Dead. Same shit.”

“How does my sister have the patience to tolerate you?” Starlight asked hopelessly, and I could imagine her shaking her head in shame.

“She loves my bad ass, so fuck y-Ow!”

“Who taught you to swear so much anyway?” Starlight cut him off and surely slapped the top of his head in the process.

There was a long silence that made Starlight sigh. “For goodness’ sake, stop scowling like that. If you want to plan my murder, go ahead. My sister will break up with you.”

“We’re married, so there.”

“Um, excuse me? Where’s the ring, huh? Plus, you’re too young to be married.”

“She’s twenty.”

“Whatever!

“You probably don’t want her getting married before you.”

“Tsk,” Starlight tsked, and I heard her fading footsteps. “You get thirty minutes, and leave the coma patient alone! The nurses said you kept throwing popcorn over the curtain.”

“I was throwing popcorn because Elsa wanted popcorn.”

“MewMew?” I felt the little paws of my familiar begin to climb up my arm.

“Elsa may want popcorn but that has nothing to do with it! You can just feed her instead of throwing it over the privacy curtain and across the room. No one is cleaning up rainbow popcorn.”

“It’s sugar popcorn,” Jaxsin coldly corrected. “Your girlfriend was the one who brought it, anyway.”

“Ugh. Shut up!”

“No.”

“I’m leaving,” Starlight concluded. “Twenty-nine minutes!”

“It’s still thirty,” he voiced. There was a moment’s silence before he added, “The timer starts when you vacate the room.”

“Patience, Starlight. Patience for the sake of my damn sanity,” Starlight clearly told herself before the door was opened and then closed shut.

“MewMew!” Elsa declared and I felt her nudge at my face before she was purring happily.

“Are you awake or pretending to sleep longer because you’re comfortable?” he huffed, which actually made me giggle.

“Both,” I mumbled sleepily as I snuggled into his chest. “Where’s Jax?”

“What about ‘how are you’?”

“Hmm…that, too.”

“You never acknowledge me first,” he complained, his muttering so low, I almost missed it. Forcing myself to lift my heavy head, my heavy lids pried open to blink out the blurry vision and reveal Jaxsin’s scolding expression.

“Hi, Jaxsin,” I greeted. “What made you so cranky today?”

He stared at me for a solid thirty seconds before he glanced away while a pout formed on his lips. “I’ve wanted to see you the last three days but the stupid doctors were being all cautious and shit. As if I don’t know what’s best for our woman,” he whined. “One snuggle with you and boom. Your vitals were back to normal, but no. I’m a selfish prick who just wants to be with the woman I love. Fucking old people.”

“So you were worried about me,” I concluded with a tender smile. “Thank you, Jaxsin. I appreciate your concern.”

He looked back at me to see my appreciative expression, and he further frowned. “Can I see Marianna for a second?”

“Hmm? That’s new.”

“Never-”

Marianna came right to the forefront and my lips curled into a marvelous smile that made Jaxsin begin to blush immediately.

“Hello, sexy. Miss me?”

“No.”

“You sure?” I purred as Elsa hopped off my shoulder so I could reach up to stroke Jaxsin’s cheek with my hand. He grew rigid at the touch as I moved my hand down his cheek to his chin and placed my thumb on his bottom lip.

“Ugh, fine. I missed you. I don’t wanna see you anymore.”

“You didn’t wake me up to say that second part, now did you?” I inquired seductively as I purposely inched closer to his face.

His whole face was red at this point, and he struggled to keep his eyes locked on me, which only brought me more satisfaction.

Our lips were only inches apart, and I took the opportunity to acknowledge one thing he said. “So, we’re married, huh?”

“You don’t think so?”

“I don’t have a ring.”

“You don’t need a silly ring.”

“Oh really?” I countered. “Fine. I’m leav-”

He muttered a curse and tugged me just slightly - enough for our lips to meet as he kissed me long and hard. Our eyes were still boring into one another’s while our lips moved and pressed firmly in the soothing kiss.

I don’t know why it ignited a mix of emotions, feelings of relief, hope, and acceptance fluttering through my core as we deepened the kiss while our eyes came to a close. The strongest emotion was this nostalgia of the past that molded us into the dark shadows we were now.

The past was still haunting us in this spectrum of life, and yet I was grateful to discover and accept the best of both worlds. There was this lingering thought that always made me realize that without Jaxsin, Jax would still move forward, just like without this dark side of myself, I’d be who I was before the grand discovery.

It was something that should have been easily acceptable in my mind, but with the months of accepting these dark parts of ourselves and how that acceptance morphed us into stronger, mature, and determined individuals, it felt like none of us could see our worlds without the other.

The darkness and the light. The past and the present. Our futures would mold together into one, and that combined force was what the Shadow Kingdom feared the most. There would always be the aspects of power, magic, and knowledge, but when you accepted the frail darkness within yourself, you grew in all aspects, and that growth was the hardest to tamper with.

You could kick, shove, shoot, and bury its awakening, but the pain would only be the fuel it needed to prosper, to be accepted, and to help one realize that they were worthy of all aspects of themselves.

We broke the kiss to press our foreheads together, the two of us still with our eyes closed as we simply took deep breaths.

“Death was scary,” I finally voiced, knowing we needed to confront it here and now.

“Dying with you was better than dying without you,” Jaxsin whispered as I opened my eyes to see his sad ones. It was the first time in what felt like forever that he didn’t wear a mask of anger.

That he allowed his true emotions to rise to the surface and be seen.

“I never want us to experience that again,” I voiced.

He nodded and inched closer to place a gentle kiss on the top of my nose. “Just a semester left. Then…we’ll have a moment to live before we start whatever is ahead of us.”

“You think so?” I questioned with a slight smirk. “What if we’re all separated?”

“Where you go, I go.”

“What if I want to go to school again?

“Then we go to school.”

“What about if I want to travel?”

“Then we travel.”

I huffed and gave him a look.

“What?”

“You can’t follow me everywhere.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not how life works,” I muttered.

“Really?” He surprised me with a slight grin as he brushed his lips along mine. “We met during a time of despair. Unwanted. Despised by our lovers. Left to be nothing but trash on the side of the road. We were brought together on a mission to implement change, and it was during the time we spent together that we began to blossom.”

I met his eyes as he continued to recall the circumstances of our last life. “Our love wasn’t out of pity or hate. We weren’t jealous of each other’s success, and we strived to do all the things we feared doing alone. You were my other half, and even in the toughest times that made my heart quiver in fear, I knew I’d be okay with you by my side. No matter what obstacles came our way.”

He cupped my cheek with his hand and pressed another kiss to my parted lips. “If you want to see the realms of this world, I’ll be right next to you. If you want to study more to discover what you want to achieve in this world, then I’ll be there to hold your books and gain knowledge with you. Nothing will tear us apart, Marianna. Even death couldn’t.”

I stared into his eyes and saw the truth and confidence within the spheres of black. His words were more valuable than he realized because I was hearing it from him, this side that never liked to express his emotions or thoughts.

“Then…together no matter what?” I sought his confirmation as if it meant the world to me.

“Together no matter what,” he vowed and even offered me his pinky.

“No one pinky swears anymore,” I dryly stated.

He blinked and gave me his graceful scowl. “I still do, so fuck it.”

“Can’t fuck a pinky.” I winked, which made him growl in annoyance and left me quietly giggling before I lifted my pinky and wrapped it around his.

“Pinky swear. You’re stuck with me.”

“Not a problem with me,” he concluded, though he looked tired. “Jax is about to wake up.”

“Meaning you just want to nap,” I concluded.

“Hmph.”

I kissed him one last time, leaving him a bit surprised with the amount of affection I was giving him.

“Don’t get used to the love,” I prompted. “Next time I’m teasing your ass.”

“Bit…” he began but huffed. “Whatever.”

“Aww, you’re getting better,” I purred and gave him a quick smooch. “Love you, Jaxsin.”

He paused in his departure as his eyes met mine once more - as if seeking confirmation that my words weren’t simply said to tease him. He blushed just slightly as he whispered, “I’ll always love you, Marianna.”

He was gone then, just as Marianna pulled back to give me full control again. It took Jax a solid minute to be present before he yawned.

He then realized I was awake as he stared at me for five long seconds before his eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’re awake.”

“Hello, sleepyhead,” I greeted.

“MewMew!” Elsa was back and attempting to squeeze between our faces.

“Ah.” I moved back to avoid Elsa’s tail as she moved onto Jax’s head and curled up to sit on his head like some sort of cushion. Jax’s displeased pout was far too cute to ignore as I began to laugh.

“Aww. You look so annoyed yet cute.”

“Luna used to do this,” he whined. “She’d be up there for hours.”

“Welp. You’re stuck now,” I concluded.

“Boo,” he complained. “Luna.”

“Meow.”

I looked over to see Luna hop onto the hospital bed. She stretched and looked up to where Elsa was sitting. “Meow?”

Elsa lifted her head up to see Luna, and just like that, she was down and chasing Luna off the bed to play around.

That made us smile before I rested my head on Jax’s chest once more.

“Are you feeling okay?” Jax genuinely asked with a pinch of worry in that sleepy, deep voice of his.

“Ya,” I replied. “Just want a moment to listen to your heartbeat.”

He didn’t say anything against it as his fingers began to run through my hair at a slow pace, promoting my need to just relax for a solid moment.

What an odd way to end our vacation, but I guess we should have been grateful to be alive and not what was previously destined for us.

“How did we survive all of that?” I finally asked.

Jax continued to stroke through my hair as he answered, “Connor explained that he’d somehow unlocked one of his demigod gifts.”

“His demigod gifts,” I repeated.

“That’s what Professor Phoenix concluded. It’s just like how you jolt in and out of existence.”

“Which is still a cool superpower,” I concluded.

“Sure,” he stated with an uplift in his voice before getting back to explaining. “Connor has the ability to reverse time. He said he experienced it when he and I were talking one night on the balcony. I sensed something was off when he mentioned I repeated what I’d said, but I assumed since he had a nightmare that he just needed some solid sleep.”

“So does that mean he was the one to reverse the whole dead situation?”

“Actually, no,” he admitted. “He said Sebastian was involved. He also met the same woman who saved us during the bridge incident.”

“Wait. Do you mean the one with silver hair that helped? The one from another universe?”

“Yes,” Jax replied. “Connor explained that her familiar, who was in the form of a little girl was the one to save Elsa and Fuwa from some sort of trap. It summoned them when they tried to warn you of the danger, with the intention of destroying them. The familiar was called Star and said Elsa and Fuwa were her friends. The woman, Silver, came to assist, but Sebastian decided to help with the exchange of a promise of some sort.”

“A promise?”

“I guess an agreement,” Jax tried to elaborate. “Connor didn’t really go into much detail of what that agreement was. To be honest, I don’t think he knows. He just said that it would happen after we graduated.”

“Well, I guess it’s surely better than being dead,” I stated and lifted my head to rest my chin on his chest. He looked down at me as I wondered about what happened.

“The evil Elijah said that if we kill him, the other Elijah will die as well.”

Jax was quiet for a bit before he replied, “It bothers you.”

“It shouldn’t, right?” I offered. “I mean…he’s the past. We can’t really save him.”

“But,” he pressed.

“But is it fair for him to be judged and executed now that we know there’s two of them?” I whispered. “Just like Elisha. It would be cruel for us to persecute her without acknowledging the crimes of her twin, who may be the culprit of everything. Obviously, none of them are innocent, and who knows how much control the Shadow Kingdom may have had on certain decisions, but I guess…it worries me that we could punish someone who may be truly a victim.”

“Which may be the Elijah who was once your best friend,” he concluded.

“Maybe. I understood his jealousy but never really could wrap my mind around the idea of him wishing to harm me. Who knows if the evil Elijah just manipulated his mind to benefit his arrival into all of this. It’s even more confusing because I can’t understand which Elijah was the one at the exam where he crumbled with the mountain.”

“Could he have been swapped last minute?”

“Maybe? Or manipulated?” I suggested.

Jax closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. “We have too many missing pieces of this puzzle.”

“Where are we, anyway?” I decided to ask, needing a moment to not think of the list of things we were struggling to figure out.

“We’re at some Switzerland hospital for mages. It’s really tiny and in the mountains to ensure privacy. Professor Phoenix, Starlight, and Katsume had arrived with reinforcements when you passed out and we were brought here via teleportation. We’ve been here for about two days? They were worried that they would have to cancel the trial.”

“When is it?”

“Tomorrow.”

That made me cringe as nervous spikes of worry went through me.

“I’m frightened by it…but I don’t want to delay it as well,” I confessed. “I want it to be over with once and for all. No more worrying about this aspect of the past. I want justice to be served, and I secretly want the truth to come out. All of it.”

“You want the truth of Elisha to come out as well,” he concluded.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” I whispered. “Envy. Anger. Jealousy. Emotions trigger reactions that don’t represent the best of us. Who knows if everything she did was her evil twin or her, and it doesn’t dismiss what she did when dating you, but with the truth, we’ll know who the real culprit is, or if it’s both of them.”

Jax bobbed his head before he whispered, “Your growth always inspires me to do better.”

“Just like your support makes tackling life a lot easier,” I praised.

We shared a wide smile as we leaned in to kiss.

“FUFUFUFU!”

Our lips crashed into fuzzy hair, which made us both grunt in displeasure before seeing Fuwa’s fuzzy body floating there.

“Well, well, well. Look who’s back,” Jax dryly declared, and I realized it was Jaxsin.

“Fufu!” Fuwa moved and crashed into Jaxsin’s face.

“Ugh. Leave me alone,” Jaxsin groaned, and I smirked at the fact he’d come back from apparently sleeping.

While he dealt with Fuwa, I glanced around the room and noticed the bandage on my arm, which confirmed I must have been on an IV drip at some point.

“I need to pee,” I announced, which made Fuwa pause in bothering Jaxsin as he pointed past the curtain. “In the corner. Don’t walk too fast though. Your sister said the meds they used to keep you stable make people dizzy.”

“Okay,” I replied and took my time getting out of bed. Walking at a rather slow pace, I noticed the popcorn right next to the curtain.

Elsa was at my feet with the acknowledgment of the colorful piece of food, and as soon as she noticed, she dived right at it. All I could do was shake my head.

“Elsa,” I whispered. “Come back here.”

“MewMew!” she replied but didn’t return to my feet. I moved the curtain just slightly, noticing Elsa was hugging and nibbling the popcorn in her paws’ grasp.

Reaching out to lift her up, I ended up having to crouch down just to avoid the chance of falling over. Rising up, my eyes landed on the person in the bed, and I froze.

“Brianne?” Jax’s voice called out to me.

No way…

“Jax?” I whispered, and he was at my side in a nanosecond, but he too stilled at the sight before his wide eyes met mine.

“Elijah?!” he gasped as I slowly nodded. The two of us returned to the sight before us: Elijah with an oxygen mask in the large hospital bed. He was hooked up to various machines, but what surprised me was the picture on the side of the bed which had me and him taking a selfie with our hands up in the typical bunny ear sign.

“How did he get here?” I asked.

“Who knows…but holy crap. This…may help the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“Professor Phoenix and Ms. Electra are going to be at the trial as magic council judges. They know about our repeated past, but we still have to prove that Elisha is a twin. Since evil Elisha is connected to evil Elijah with all the recent activity they’ve been doing with the support of the Shadow Kingdom, what if we proved that it’s almost impossible for Elisha and Elijah to do what their counterparts have been doing due to Elisha’s disability and Elijah being in a coma?”

“Well…that would make sense, but wouldn’t I need a lawyer who would be able to gather all that information in basically less than twenty-four hours? I don’t even know who’s representing me. It can’t be my sister because of conflict of interest and it can’t be a lawyer associated with my parent’s firm.”

A light bulb went on in Jax’s head as his eyes lit up and he rewarded me with a sly grin.

“Who did you contact when you had issues with Officer Waters? You never mentioned the details, but you and Kaito dealt with someone, right?”

“Lisette Cross,” I remembered and looked at him. “She’s not a real lawyer though. She doesn’t even live in our universe.”

“Ya, but she was able to get all that dirt on Officer Waters to shut him up, right?”

“Ya…when did I tell you that?”

“When you were half-drunk a few days ago. You talked about how badass this Cross lawyer was and that we all should have seen Officer Water’s face during the whole confrontation,” he revealed. “Then you did a twirl and passed out on the couch.”

I gritted my teeth in pure disgust before I muttered, “Note to self. Don’t drink too much.”

“You still looked fabulous,” he praised and turned his attention back to Elijah. “This could change everything, Brianne.”

“Maybe…but do you think Elijah will come out of the coma?”

“Only time will tell, right?” he offered and wrapped an arm around me to give me a side hug. “Go pee. We have to tell the others and see if your lawyer-not-a-lawyer from another universe can help us.”

I nodded and was going to leave, but I stalled for a few more seconds at the thought of Elijah dying at the same time as his evil counterpart.

Would I be truly okay with that final conclusion?

Jax reached for my hand at that thought, and very gently, he squeezed it while our eyes met.

“Let’s dig up the truth of all of this. Then, we’ll determine if we can help the real Elijah. The one who was once your best friend, okay?”

“Okay,” I quietly replied as I squeezed his hand back. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Just because friendships end and people drift apart, that doesn’t mean you wish the worst for them. Time makes us change, and no matter the past, everyone’s soul is worthy enough to burn until the Universe decides it’s time to be blown out. So until then, all we can do is support from afar and hope for the best outcome.”

“Yeah,” I agreed as he lifted our joined hands and pressed his lips to the back of mine.

“We’ll figure this out,” he vowed.

“Together,” I replied, the word sealing our vow.

It’s time to end this year with the truth.

14

TRIAL OF ULTIMATE RETRIBUTION

“What if she tries to make it seem that I’m the bitch in the situation?”

Connor watched me nervously pace through the room, my heels being the obvious noisemaker with their continuous clicks and clacks across the tiled black floor.

We were waiting to be summoned by the judges, which surprisingly included my parents. I expected this trial would consist of one judge, a jury, a few family members from both sides, and Elisha and I with the support of our designated lawyers.

Apparently, trials went a little differently when it came to magic users, especially due to the complexity of this case. Due to the circumstances that led to my almost fatal injury - from falling off the bridge with Finnick to being deliberately hit by Elisha’s car - magic centered around many of these scenarios.

Magic users had to go through a trial with a total of four judges. Due to both my parents being chosen to participate in this trial, it was determined by the four of them to invite one more judge to the table to ensure things remained professional because of my association with my parents.

I wasn’t sure why they were chosen when it was a potential conflict of interest, but judges were chosen by a magic method versus a simple decision of choosing at random. My parents mentioned they underwent the magic decider three times, and they were both chosen in all cases.

Maybe they needed to be present for this. Deep down, I was glad they would be because I didn’t know what the hell would happen this evening.

It was only hours before the new year and we all wanted to get this done, so the nervous tension in the mere building was intense. Adding our recent discovery yesterday, we went from revealing that Elijah was the one in a coma next to us to hopping on a jet back to Witchling while all the “adults” were hustling to gather information for the trial.

They expected me to change the date, or simply postpone it to after the final semester was over, but I felt down in my gut that those actions would carry far more consequences than benefits.

It’s time to address this now because we won’t have time for all of that next year.

“Bri?”

I turned around and walked right into Connor’s chest. “Oomph.” He put his hands on my shoulders, which made sure I didn’t lose my balance in these heels. Lifting my head up to look at his calm expression, I couldn’t help groaning.

“Teddy, I need a hug.”

Those large arms of his wrapped around me and I allowed myself to enjoy the comfort of his warmth for just a few seconds.

“Brianne, things are going to work out.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t, but I could always reverse it and we could try again?”

“Ugh, please don’t,” I huffed and placed my chin on his chest so he had no choice but to look down as I pouted my lips while giving him a judgmental look.

“Didn’t Professor Phoenix warn you that you can’t use that gift often?”

“Ya.” He didn’t seem pleased with the news. “How am I going to be strong like Sebastian, who only got a measly cold from reversing time, if I can’t train my gift?”

“Well, it’s a demigod gift. Maybe once we graduate, we can see what we can take to help us grow in those areas?” I offered. “I hope so, anyway. I really don’t want to keep zapping into places.”

“You do that when you’re nervous or killing people.”

“Well, isn’t that lovely,” I concluded with an eye roll. “When’s the last time we kissed?”

“On the jet when we totally made out in the washroom you sneaked into.”

“I needed to pee.”

“So did I, but you don’t see me butting into your peeing time.” He laughed but kissed me. “Man. We need an off-the-grid vacation.”

“An off-the-grid vacation?”

“No one knows where we are. We can do what we want. Basically immunity to go around the world and just live life like we’re not always being chased down by an evil organization that wants to get rid of us over a kingdom or, I guess, a school, that was never theirs to begin with.”

“Right?” I shook my head but kissed him again. “You, me, Jax, Finnick, and Kaito. That would be kind of fun. Go on tours. Try different restaurants and see the sights. Just a year of being a typical individual traveling the world and living like tomorrow won’t bring another round of chaotic fuckery.”

“Fuckery?”

“Jaxsin’s been rubbing off on me.”

“He’s never said fuckery.”

“You don’t know that.” I winked and moved away from him to twirl around his muscled body. “Your workouts have been paying off, I see,” I changed the subject.

His look told me he knew what I was doing, but he went along with it.

“Apparently, seeing as I needed a new suit.”

He tugged at his blue tie that looked far too tight. He wore a white shirt, a blue coat to match his dark indigo pants, and black shoes. His hair was gelled back and really gave him business CEO vibes.

“You look like a CEO with a lot of money,” I concluded as I moved back to face him.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing,” he noted as his arms moved to wrap around my waist and bring me against him. “Do you like it?”

I didn’t realize I was biting my lip until his onyx orbs lowered to my very lips.

“What do you think?” I inquired quietly.

“You really like seeing me in a suit.”

“Affirmative,” I concluded as we inched closer until we were kissing tenderly. Not only did I love his attire, but I also enjoyed the fact we seemed to match in style with my fitted navy blue white collar dress. Adding the black pantyhose, dark blue heels with red at the bottom, and my hair up in the perfect bun, I fit the perfect image of professionalism with style.

Adding the last touches of pearl earrings and necklace, I felt like I’d gone back a few decades in style but in the realms of court, especially in magic court, the more sophisticated you looked, the better for your case.

It gave the impression that you really took this seriously, rather then wearing whatever and hauling yourself to the courtroom.

His hands moved down to cup my ass cheeks as the kiss deepened. It always felt like eons before I got a moment of affection with my men. It could have been how our lives seemed to go through waves of ups and downs - days where we’d all be together and could show affection at any time of day to the days we were far too stressed with what was approaching or the craziness attacking us head-on.

Ever since Jaxsin and Marianna had talked about a year break at the hospital, that’s all I could dream about. A year off to explore. To be around my Notorious men as we explored the world like ordinary people.

No fear of being hunted. No thought of our plans being interrupted.

To love. To be loved. To explore our emotions and this dynamic between all five of us.

He broke the kiss but didn’t end it until his teeth tugged lightly at my bottom lip before giving me one last solid kiss that made all those shivering tingles creep along my skin.

“You’re kissing me to distract me, aren’t you?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” he offered with the biggest smirk before he hugged me tightly. “Man, Brianne. I can’t wait for this to be over.”

“As in the year?” I offered. “Cause that’s pretty much done, my love.”

He chuckled and had no choice but to lean back to see my cheeky smile.

“Smartass.”

“You love my ass. Apparently, it’s nice to grab. That’s what you guys determined during beer pong, right?”

“Note to self. Don’t drink and play games when we think you’re asleep.”

“Another smart move.” I laughed and moved to hug him tightly. “I agree. I can’t wait for this final semester to be over with.”

“It’s a little funny cause it hasn’t started,” he said with a chuckle.

“I know, and we have a shit ton of stuff to do next semester, too.”

“We’ll get through it,” he assured me.

“I have no doubt about that,” I admitted. “My worry is what’s at stake.”

“Our peace, wellbeing, and a solid moment of time where I can actually have my way with you beneath the sheets?” he offered.

“My Teddy Bear is getting bold with his desires,” I hummed. “Though nothing is stopping you from having me in your sheets.”

“Aside from Jaxsin being an ass?”

“You like his ass, too.” I winked and noticed the slight tinge of red that swarmed his cheeks. “Sooooo, when you two going to do more than kissing?”

“I don’t want to be asked that by you,” he whined, clearly embarrassed by the change of subject. “You’re too innocent to know about that.”

“My innocence was lost ages ago,” I voiced. “Especially with the twins in my life.”

“They’ve tainted you.”

“For my own good,” I voiced. “And you guys’. Or we’d never get to this point where we could make out in public and I wouldn’t be squirming at the idea of being caught.”

The way he smirked made me regret my words as he scooped me up and walked to the small bathroom in the corner of the room.

“What are you doing?” I asked as he plopped me down on the small rectangular countertop before closing and locking the wooden door.

“Well,” he began as he took the moment to look at me, “I wanted to see how you’d look sitting on the washroom countertop.”

“That’s something Finnick would say for the sake of getting a picture of me for inspiration.” I voiced the obvious.

“You’re not wrong,” he admitted as he loosened his tie further before he slipped the coat jacket onto the golden knob of the door and began rolling up his sleeves. “But I have something better in mind, and I don’t think I’ll last until that trial to do it.”

“We have, what? Five minutes before one of the others come to get us?”

“Yup,” he whispered as he began to unbuckle his belt. “It’s enough time.”

“To do what?” I asked and crossed my arms over my chest, though I wasn’t going to deny how damn hot Connor looked in this dominant, possessive movement he was pulling.

Hot is an understatement.

“Well, I’m certainly not here to pee,” he teased with a wink as he pulled his cock right out. My eyes’ size only doubled as I took in his hard length that was practically throbbing, the tip of it already covered in a thin layer of what I recalled was precum.

“Y-You’re that turned on right now?” I questioned in horror as I looked at him with my stunned, gawking expression. He was more amused at the fact my cheeks began to flush; not in embarrassment but the reality that this sight was making this whole room feel hot.

He closed in on me until his hand hooked the back of my head. He kissed me long and hard. “The moment you came waltzing into this damn courthouse with that tight dress on your hot body, I got hard as a rock. I can’t sit through the trial thinking straight if I don’t have you right now.” He practically growled the words in pure impatience before claiming my lips while his free hand began to further roll down my pantyhose.

I couldn’t help but moan at his touch and efforts, all while between my legs was growing sizzling hot and thrumming at the idea of being filled by his length.

The idea of doing this in the washroom in a courthouse was both thrilling and scary all at the same while. I was frightened of being caught in the act and yet didn’t want to dare stop this sizzling moment.

Even with us approaching our last semester and having already done it with Connor, I felt like we hadn’t had the time of day to really get into another passionate moment with one another, but here it was, and I couldn’t let my logical mind prevent me from having what I wanted.

Which is Connor and his cock.

I felt him at the edge of my entrance, the head of his length testing my wetness, which was obvious. “Do you realize how much I’ve needed us?” he whispered as if he’d been longing for months.

“What stops you?” I whispered before a long moan left me as he inched himself slowly into me. We both needed a moment to just enjoy the pleasurable fullness this brought us.

“Life. Stress. Fear,” he muttered against my lips as he kissed me tenderly. “Every damn doubt in my mind.”

“Then what changed?” I whispered as I opened my eyes to stare into his hooded ones.

“Watching you die…” he stated as he struggled not to get emotional. “Watching those I care about perish before me. It not only made me realize what a fool I was for thinking we’d have all the time in the world to do risky things like this, but it also made me accept that we may never be given tomorrow, and I’m tired of masturbating in the shower when my girlfriend is right here.”

He began to move right there and then, his thrusts going nice and deep because of the position I was in. His height was just perfect for this as his cock slid perfectly in and out and I purposely spread my legs further so he could go in further.

“My sweet girlfriend who brought my friends together. Our Notorious Queen who fights hard for all those around her. My love with a heart of gold, so precious and pure that I wish I could shelter it from this tainted world. My woman. My best friend. My savior who accepts me at my best and worst.”

He moved faster then, and I couldn’t quiet down my moans as the pleasure and intensity of each thrust trickled through me.

“Connor,” I quietly moaned as my eyes pierced his. It was like we were in a trance of intensity, the two of us lost in enjoying the growing waves of pleasure with every thrust.

“The way you moan my name, the way your peaceful sleeping face makes me feel so damn whole, how you’ve helped me acknowledge how much I care for Jax and realize I’m nothing like my jerk of a dad.”

He claimed my lips in urgency, all while he gripped my hips and began to fuck me even faster. I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing his thrusts to be short and deep, and moaned at how good that felt.

“Connor,” I moaned his name into his mouth, all while my arms held his shoulders in an attempt to fight the urge to run through his perfect strands.

“Brianne,” he groaned and pumped faster, the two of us attempting to control how loud our breathy moans were, but it was even more tricky to do so when the ride of ecstasy was on the brink of exploding.

“Connor. Connor. So…close…. More. More. Please, more.” I was begging for the release I knew was creeping up far quicker than I expected.

“Cum with me, Brianne,” Connor ordered in a desperate plea, seconds before he began to grow stiff before he sank his cock so deep, it sent me spiraling into that pit of euphoria.

His lips muffled my scream of pleasure as he kissed me hard while muffling his own grunts of pleasure. We were breathless as we broke the kiss and needed a moment of recovery. His cock shot the last bit of his release while my pussy continued to quiver around his length, like the rest of my body.

He held me close as he allowed my head to rest on his shoulder, the two of us just focusing on catching our breaths. It was then that I heard the creak of the door opening up from outside. The two of us froze as we held our breaths.

“Brianne, Connor?” It sounded like my sister, which had my eyes growing wide as I slowly leaned back to meet Connor’s wide eyes before we heard Kaito’s voice.

“They went to the washroom,” Kaito declared.

“There’s a washroom right there,” Starlight acknowledged.

The knob rattled a bit before Kaito replied, “Locked. They probably didn’t realize Brianne would be in this room. Remember they changed it when we got here cause the other room’s toilet began to flood?”

“Ugh, ya,” Starlight groaned. “Geez. I told the lady at the front desk to ensure the door was open. I’ll look for them. We’re on recess anyways and still have fifteen minutes before the rest of us join the courtroom, so can you get the others?”

“Sure,” Kaito replied. “Is my sister around?”

“Yup. She’s doing a final briefing with the lawyer Brianne called. I think she just arrived but needs one more piece of evidence. I better help her out. If you find Brianne and Connor first, let me know.”

“Alright,” Kaito assured her before the door closed.

There was a moment of silence before Connor pulled his cock out slow enough that I wouldn’t moan too loudly. We quickly cleaned up before he flushed the toilet, washed his hands, fixed his attire, and made sure my dress was back to perfection before unlocking and opening the door to see Kaito quietly standing there while petting Elsa.

He looked up to the sight of both of us before a sly smile formed on his face.

“You owe me,” he specifically said to Connor, who rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, fine,” he replied. “As long as it doesn’t get me banned from being around Brianne.”

“Sure, sure,” Kaito confirmed before walking over to my left side to give me a greeting kiss. “Hey, Brianne.”

“Hey, Kaito.” I gave him a relieved smile. “Thanks for the cover-up.”

“I got you,” he assured me with a wink between us. “You two ready?”

“Yes,” we replied as I walked to where Elsa was and scooped her up. “Ready, Elsa?”

“MewMew!” she cheered at my question before the three of us smiled and bobbed our heads in internal agreement.

A trial of a lifetime is about to commence. The only worry is who is going to win in their game of love and war.

“ELISHA WATERS, do you swear under magical oath to speak the truth and nothing but the truth?”

“Yes,” she replied, emotionless glare locked on me as I sat in my designated area. Lisette hadn’t arrived back yet from finding one last piece of information she needed to to close this case, which was why Sebastian of all the people was sitting next to me and acting as my second lawyer.

How do these agents have so many qualifications?

I really hoped to one day find out the mystery regarding that, but for now, I had to tune back in to this court hearing and pray it went in my favor.

Officer Waters, as well as a group of individuals I’d never seen in my life, was on the left side of the room, while myself, my Notorious men, Katsume, and Starlight were sitting behind my sectored space as support and witnesses.

Professor Phoenix, Ms. Electra, and two others I didn’t recognize sat in the top seats that hovered on the right side of the room, similar to opera high-rise seating, while the designated jury was sitting below, their attention fully on the scene unraveling before them.

They were magically integrated with the seats they sat upon, ensuring that they would judge the case in fairness and not be manipulated by any outside forces.

It made me realize how much more effort was put into these magical court sessions in comparison to the regular ones that they did for humans. It was almost as though they wanted to make sure a being with magic didn’t get away with whatever crime they committed, versus humans, where things slipped through the cracks all the time.

My hands were on my lap in an attempt to keep them from trembling. Thanks to the little quick fling I’d had with Connor, I was far more relaxed than I expected, but as this session began to tick on, the nerves were beginning to settle into my hands and I hoped they remained in their place or I’d be buzzing all over by accident.

I felt something walk on my hands and sit there, leaving me no choice but to look down to see Luna, which was completely unexpected. She merely looked up at me with wise orbs that gave me a bit of relief, as if she knew I needed her company.

Elsa and Fuwa were tucked in their realms of sleep, which I did on purpose because I didn’t want my nervous energy stressing them out. This trial would either deliver the justice we deserved or show how rigged the system was.

The fifth judge, whose name was Alexis, bobbed her head before looking between her judge colleagues. I couldn’t help looking at my parents, noticing their extreme seriousness as their eyes were on Elisha.

The pressure was definitely on, and I could tell even with Elisha’s emotionless expression that she could feel the intense wrath of the stares.

“Alright. Let us begin,” Alexis announced as she snapped her fingers, which created magic barriers along all the walls.

“Ms. Waters. There is a heavy amount of evidence regarding the night of the Witchling Games at the end cycle of Semester Four, where you deliberately lied about being raped by Finnick Rosedale and informed senior members, who went on to beat Mr. Rosedale up in the locker rooms, which forced him to teleport out of the situation in self-defence. During that same time period, you sent Elijah Hamilton to that bridge with the intention of pushing Finnick off of it. Instead of those events transpiring, Brianne Marie Harlow arrived at the scene of the bridge, after being notified that Mr. Rosedale was missing. The reports noted that Mr. Rosedale had past instances of suicidal tendencies, and thus Ms. Harlow teleported to the bridge she was aware he visited to calm himself, only to see him falling due to his confrontation with Mr. Hamilton. When this fall occurred, thankfully both survived. However, it was reported by Mr. Rosedale, Jax Morgan, Kaito Mogami, and Connor Giovani, essentially the student council at Witchling Academy at the time, that a car was present at the scene, which was turned on and sped towards Mr. Rosedale and Ms. Harlow. In an attempt to save Mr. Rosedale, Ms. Harlow moved him out of the way but had no other magic to get herself out of the path of the car, which led to a direct hit. Upon arrival, multiple investigators concluded that you were the one in the vehicle. Is that true?”

“No, your honor,” she declared with pride. The jury was already gasping, especially with the photos of the incident in their possession.

I kept a straight face, like my parents and the other judges, but I could hear Jax muttering and Connor telling him to relax. It had to be Jaxsin, but I tried not to focus on that.

“Then please feel free to explain to all of us how you somehow managed to be in that car that night?”

“Elijah set me up!” she concluded with a shrug. “My statement still stands. Finnick raped me and I told the seniors I knew about it in pure distress. He was taking advantage of the Witchling Games and the distractions of Brianne’s participation in the games to his advantage. I then told Elijah and he’s the one who told me to be in the car. He said he’d talk with Finnick. I knew nothing about Finnick’s suicidal tendencies, nor did I know anything about Brianne coming to save him. Elijah was taking forever to come back and I felt drained from the ordeal. The car was cold so I started the engine to heat the car up but passed out. My father informed me that my foot pressed on the gas pedal, but I recall nothing. Since then, I’ve been ridiculed, bullied, and sought out by Brianne and her boyfriends. I’ve had to use magic to aid in coping with my disability and due to this case looming over my head, I’ve been unable to claim my benefits! I’m the true victim in all of this and I demand justice.”

“I swear I wanna punch this bitch so bad.” Finnick’s voice drifted into my mind, and I could literally feel every pinch of anger in his voice. I was sure it was taking the others all their restraint to not say anything, and even I was being tested because my blood was literally boiling at her obvious lies.

“So you’re insisting that Mr. Hamilton is the true culprit in this matter, that not only did he deceive you by encouraging you into the car, but set you up by using magic to push Finnick off the bridge and reporting you as the main criminal in this case.”

“Yes! He lied about everything to frame me. Isn’t it obvious? He’s a jealous ex-friend of Brianne’s and he wanted revenge! He’s putting the blame on me because we dated for a short period of time, but he was an abusive manipulator and was spreading rumors about me throughout the school. He wanted payback after dating me didn’t make Brianne the least bit jealous and that’s why I’m even in this predicament that’s ruined my entire school year and has left me with a disability. He is attempting to ruin my golden future which my father, Officer Waters, has worked so hard to maintain for me. It’s unfair!”

Alexis nodded as the other judges wrote notes. I swallowed the lump in my throat and side-glanced to Sebastian, who seemed completely calm. He noticed my gaze then leaned in to whisper,“One minute.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but I merely gave a small nod before turning back to Alexis as she turned a page in her massive bound document.

“Alright. Before I invite Ms. Harlow’s representative to ask a few questions, there has been recent evidence stating that you, Elisha Waters, are a twin. Is that true?”

Elisha laughed before she shook her head. “Me? A twin? Sorry, but no. There’s only one me. You can’t replicate my beauty, brains, and talent. Has anyone seen two crippled Elishas on campus? Have you checked the videos and recordings? No. Even if anyone tried to fabricate such lies, they’d be using illusion magic to try to set me up. I’m getting tired of this foul play, and if you’d let my father, who’s the top chief of the police force, do his job, this would have been solved eons ago instead of two years later.”

Alexis nodded her head again before she looked our way.

“Alright then. Sebastian, will you be representing Miss Brianne Marie Harlow?”

“Actually, Your Honor, Ms. Harlow’s main representative has arrived and is outside the door if you’d allow her entry,” Sebastian announced as he stood up. Everyone seemed a little surprised by the sudden switch, and even Elisha frowned before speaking up.

“She’s not allowed to do that.”

“By Code 856 of the Mage Court, the defendant is allowed two lawyers. One primary and a substitute if for whatever reason the primary does not show up. This has been a stated law in the books for centuries, Ms. Waters. I’d assume your father would know something about this, even if he specializes in the human department of criminal justice.”

I couldn’t help but look over to Mr. Waters, like many others did, noticing his flushed expression while he tried to hide his surge of anger. Chances were, he didn’t think Elisha would need a second lawyer, though her rep was just sitting there taking notes like this was just a class of some sort.

“I’m more than happy to allow her entry. Please vacate the position so I can grant her access.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” he replied and looked over to me with a slight smile. “Good luck, Ms. Harlow.”

“Thanks, Sebastian,” I mumbled quietly, completely surprised that he’d predicted that. The moment he moved to sit between Katsume and Starlight, the doors opened and we all turned our attention to see Lisette in another perfect magenta suit.

I gawked as we took in the expensive two-piece with white stripes, which matched her white heels, tie, and the ribbon that tied her hair into the perfect bun. She wore pink frames that made her look more intelligent, and she carried a pink umbrella that she twirled once to close.

Ceil was at her side, holding a thick binder with various sticky notes peeking out. His attire was his usual black and his hair was styled back to complete the professional look.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the court. I apologize for my tardiness. I wanted to make sure my ducks were all in a row, and universal travel is such a pain,” she whined and began to walk into the room with confidence.

Ceil followed as the doors closed behind them. Once Lisette reached the end of the hall, she bowed her head to Alexis and the rest of the judges.

“Fellow judges. Thank you for accepting my arrival. It will be justified, during my briefing.”

“Very well, Lisette Cross. Please settle into your position. Does your assistant need to be present with you?”

“Oh yes,” she emphasized. “You don’t have this type of magic in this universe, but he’s my shadow. Think of him like a twin of myself,” she suggested while her eyes looked over to Elisha. “He won’t say a word. Just needs to give me the documents I need when I request them.”

“Very well,” Alexis replied.

“Your Honor! What is this other universe nonsense?” Mr. Waters spoke up.

Everyone turned to see his fuming face before he pointed at Lisette. “This woman right here has tormented me to keep silent about the mistreatment my daughter has received for months! I’ve even gotten death threats!”

Lisette pouted her lips as she seemed to think about it. “Your Honor, how would that be possible when this isn’t my universe?” she genuinely asked while blinking her eyes. “I already sent my information to you and your colleagues mere hours ago and the proof is there that I’m a universal lawyer hired by Ms. Harlow herself due to the complex circumstances of this trial. Was that not approved by you?”

“It was approved by all five of us due to the complexity of the case,” she announced to everyone. “Since the Harlow family has major roots in the court system, it was agreed that a universal lawyer that doesn’t reside in Witchling would be a better choice than the previously chosen lawyer.”

“We weren’t informed of this!” Mr. Waters argued and rose up to pat the lawyer’s shoulder. “Stop doodling and defend my daughter!”

“Hmm? It’s not our turn to speak. Why would I interrupt?” he inquired. “You stated you needed me to sit in as your backup lawyer since the first one may be late. You didn’t say I was going to be the main rep, so what do you want me to do?” His words only made the poor man’s face grow redder, and he only shrugged. “What Her Honor is stating is correct. Plus, I did give you the updated list of attendees, which included this lawyer’s name, and you tossed the paper and said you didn’t give a shit. So, not my problem.”

“Why would you reveal that, you idiot?!”

“We’re in court, buddy. All under oath. Even if we’re not sitting at that fancy spot over there, it applies, and I’m not here to carry some ungrateful family’s sins, thanks.”

“You damn ass-”

“Order!” Alexis slammed her black gavel before her eyes landed on Mr. Waters. “I’ll warn you once, Officer Waters. Stay in line or the next time I slam this gavel, you’ll be silenced for the rest of the trial.”

He gritted his teeth while slowly sitting back down, while Lisette came over to get situated.

“Thank you, Brianne, for having enough hope in me to represent you on this case.” She winked and fixed her glasses to sit higher up on her nose. “Jade says hi.”

I blinked before a smile formed on my lips. “You told her you were coming here?”

“Mhmm. We’re dealing with another universal issue on our end, but she has the quads and Calvin, so I wasn’t too worried about leaving them behind. I just gotta be out of here two hours before midnight, or Jade won’t cuddle with me, so let’s get to the point and win this, shall we?”

“S-Sure,” I voiced before quietly asking. “Quads? Calvin, and wait. You and Jade are dating?”

“Minor details,” she assured me. “One day I’m sure we’ll have a girl day and talk it out.”

With a smile in my direction, she took a deep breath before letting it out and snapping her fingers. Ceil was at her side as he opened the book to the exact page she needed, which contained a black folder.

“Thank you, Ceil.”

“You’re very welcome, Your Majesty.”

She opened the file and began to walk to a podium that stood in the perfect direction to face the jury, Elisha, and the judges, while I got a side glimpse of her face and body.

“My name is Lisette Cross. I’ll be representing Brianne Marie Harlow. Again, I apologize for my tardiness, but I’ve been able to gather the proper resources for my client.” She bowed respectfully three times - once to the judges, another to the jury, and a slight bow in Elisha’s direction.

The way Elisha’s eyes darkened in pure envy was making me less nervous.

“If you could, Your Honor, give me a brief recap of what I just missed.”

Alexis did exactly that while one of the guards got a copy of the magically written notes of this session thus far. I was impressed by how swiftly everything was recorded onto paper and audio editions. That was definitely a positive aspect of this trial.

Elisha can run in circles, but she won’t be able to deny the truth for long.

“Perfect. Thank you for the privilege of catching up,” Lisette expressed her gratitude before her intimidating fierce eyes landed on Elisha. We all could feel the sudden shift in the room, the intensity of her gaze, and the way Lisette stood with commanding power as if she were the ultimate crucifer in this grand room.

“I’m not going to waste my defendant’s or your time, Elisha Waters. So I’m going to acknowledge everything at once, and you can simply tell me your verdict,” she began. “However, I’d like you to demonstrate something for me. Please use your magic to come and stand before this podium.”

Murmurs began to rush through the courtroom, and I didn’t blame anyone for the curious whispers because it was an intriguing request.

“Ugh, fine.” She closed her eyes briefly before she rose up and took her time walking to the podium.

She was wearing a white dress and black tights with her hair down. She looked more like she was going to some sort of gathering than dealing with a court case. The dress was sparkly and expensive-looking, but the neckline was far too low for professionalism while squeezing her breasts like they needed to be plump.

I stared at her legs specifically as she complained, “Happy?”

“Sure,” Lisette replied. “You may return to your seat.”

I could hear Elisha’s exaggerated sigh, but my eyes were still glued to her legs as she walked back to her spot. It finally clicked in as if I’d completely forgotten the prime point of this trial.

Wait a minute. She didn’t use any magic to walk. There wasn’t even an aura. Not only that, Elisha was already in her spot when we arrived in the courtroom. Why is that? Not to mention the fact that there’s no wheelchair around for if she loses her strength.

I’d been so stressed that I hadn’t taken into consideration who exactly this Elisha was: the one who we were monitoring in the mental institution or the evil one.

Oh no. We fucked up. She’s the evil one hands down. She doesn’t need magic for her legs. She isn’t disabled like the current Elisha. How are we even going to prove this?!

My eyes locked on Lisette as she waited for Elisha to sit back down, and though her lips remained in a straight line, I caught onto the side glance she gave as her eyes momentarily met mine.

Somehow the mere acknowledgment brought immediate ease.

She knows what she’s doing.

“Thank you for the demonstration,” Lisette thanked before she seemed focused on her papers for a few moments. “Did you know that you have to be injured at the L2 ligament in your spine or lower to be able to send magic signals to your lower half?”

She asked it so casually, and yet no one was able to answer. When the silence continued, she carried along as if she hadn’t asked a question.

“It’s an intriguing finding, really. I’m sure magic and medicine aren’t as vital in this universe, and it’s almost impossible to try such measures without the risk of permanent paralysis, but I’m one-hundred percent certain that anyone damaged from the L1 ligament upward would find extreme difficulties in being able to walk.” Her head moved in Elisha’s direction. “Don’t you think, Elisha?”

“H-How am I supposed to do know that terminology? What do I look like? A doctor?! My predicament is all thanks to your defendant, who made me disabled! Yet, now you’re trying to focus this trial on medical science?”

“Ah, well, you see, medical science is pretty important when it comes to your disability,” she emphasized and moved away from the podium. She began walking towards the jury.

“You can simply look this up, but magic has its limits when it comes to the nervous system. No matter the limitless possibilities magic delivers to the palm of an individual’s hands, without a properly working nervous system, they’re nothing but a puppet that needs strings to take each step and move each arm. The only way someone can use magic to aid them with the lower half of their body is to ensure the nerve endings down there are active enough to do so. If damaged, one has to go through a vigorous healing process either with magical machinery that carries a ton of healing flame or magic in general, or you’d have to be in a coma long enough to be worked on by multiple mages to repair the nerve endings. It’s a lot faster when you’re unconscious though. It’s the very reason some may be forced into a coma to make sure their body not only recovers from their injuries through magical injections with IV drips but also ensures the nervous system is able to rejuvenate itself with the aid of the flowing magic entering the body.”

Coma and rejuvenation. Does that have something to do with Elijah currently being in a coma? Did he injure himself from the collapse that left multiple injuries, so they put him in a coma to aid his recovery?

“We didn’t come here to be lectured,” Officer Waters huffed.

“I agree with you,” Lisette declared with a smile as she spun to look over to Officer Waters. “So if you continue interrupting, I’ll ensure you have a fine exit out of here.”

The way she said the second half sent chills through me as her voice dipped to a deadly low. No one else even dared to speak as Officer Waters once again kept his mouth shut.

With another spin, she was back to her smiling self as she faced the jury.

“Please refer to the fifty-fifth page of your document.”

After the shuffling of their packages, the jury began to mutter, while the judges exchanged looks and began to whisper amongst themselves.

Lisette waited until the room quieted before she continued.

“As you can see, on the official health documents, it was stated that Elisha was injured at the L1. I’m sure that’s not a big deal. One off shouldn’t show such a difference, but as many of you may have noticed, Elisha used no magic during her demonstration.”

That led to a few gasps while Elisha’s eyes widened. Before she could interrupt, Lisette continued. “I’m sure a few of you may state that she simply could have hidden her aura to ensure no one witnessed her use of magic and give her the privilege to be amongst us in society rather than letting her disability control her livelihood. I totally agree with such, however, that isn’t the case here. In order to use magic to walk, the legs not only give off immense heat from the shift in thrumming energy rushing through the bloodstream and nervous system to aid in muscular awakening but in ninety-five percent of cases, the individuals gain incantations upon their flesh that are hot enough to burn through pantyhose.”

She pulled out her phone then and with the press of a few buttons displayed a screen that showed the current temperature.

“As you can see, the temperature is currently seventy-eight. This is the normal temperature in this courtroom for all cases unless…” She paused and flicked her fingers, a flame bursting to life with enough heat that the temperature rose on the monitor in seconds. “Magic that heightens or decreases the temperature is activated.”

With another snap of her fingers, the flame was extinguished, and she slipped her phone back into her pocket while moving to return to the podium. “The few steps Elisha took to get from the stand to the podium would have either burned through her stockings or increased the temperature even by one degree. Also, not enough time has passed for the temperature to easily drop back down to the standard. Due to the tension in the room, the mere exhibition of heat would have contributed to a further increase in temperature.”

She looked back at Elisha before she really began deciphering everything.

“This brings me to a number of issues with Elisha’s sworn revelation. Elijah Hamilton’s phone had a number of encrypted text messages, that surprisingly were deleted, but he apparently had a second phone that had a backup of every conversation he’s had since entering Witchling Academy.”

Elisha’s eyes widened while Lisette moved from the podium to begin pacing while explaining her findings.

“After an intense investigation with the help of Witchling Star and my own associated agency, Tracker Hive, we’ve not only discovered that Elijah Hamilton is actually innocent, but it’s been revealed that he’s a twin.”

Another round of shocked gasps filled the room while my heart was hammering against my chest in anticipation of what was about to be revealed.

The truth.

“If you turn further into your files, you’ll see the core evidence of both birth certificates. The older Elijah is currently the one wanted for a number of crimes he’s recently committed in alliance with the well-known shadow organization that aids in a number of underground criminal activity. The younger Elijah, or second twin, is currently in a coma at a private medical hospital. I won’t disclose the name or location of this place, but you can see in your files the official picture taken this morning by yours truly. The injuries of this Elijah confirm that he’s been in a coma for some time. And, after further investigation, I discovered an Elisha Waters at the same location.”

The jury looked puzzled as Alexis decided to speak up. “Elaborate on your last comment, Ms. Cross.”

“Gladly,” she replied and looked over to Elisha. “You see, I had to take a swift trip back to the private institution because there were records of a woman by the name of Elisha Waters admitted to the psychiatric ward. It wasn’t my responsibility to investigate such a peculiar discovery, but with the trial only two hours away, it didn’t make much sense to me. Surely, one Elisha couldn’t be in two different places, right?”

She looked over to Alexis before she clapped her hands. Ceil promptly moved to stand next to her, his arm extended with the sheet of paper she needed as he bowed to her service.

“Thank you, Ceil,” she praised and flicked the photograph in the air until it multiplied and moved to slide before the jury and each of the judges.

“The photo I present to you is Elisha Waters, two hours ago, in bed, with various scars and tattoos upon her legs which aren’t only from the injuries she sustained from the car crash that injured Brianne, but also from years of abuse from her so-called twin and father.”

“This is just bullshit!” Elisha screamed. “I don’t have a twin!”

“So you’re stating under oath that you don’t have a younger twin who you’ve been manipulating throughout your entire life with your gift? And that isn’t the reason why your mother ‘abandoned’ your family? It wasn’t because of your sister or your father, but because you instilled the reality that your father cheated and encouraged her to leave.”

“I never did such a thing!” she exclaimed as her whole body shook with anger.

I couldn’t help but glance at Officer Waters, who looked absolutely shocked, almost as if the spell upon him was broken.

“Alright. I figured this may happen.” Lisette sighed. “Your Honor, do you mind inviting my guest in? I’m sure they’re tired of waiting outside.”

Alexis and the other judges arched an eyebrow, but Alexis nodded and immediately one of her guards rushed to the doors to open them up.

All attention moved down the aisle as the doors opened and revealed Elisha in a wheelchair. Now the whole room was pin-drop silent. Not because of confirmation that Elisha was a twin, but because of the woman who helped stroll her in.

She was tall, slender, and absolutely stunning. She looked like a runway model with her long black hair in the perfect curls. Her icy blue eyes, slightly pale skin, and oval face only complemented her beauty, but the similarities between her and Elisha were more than enough for anyone to put one and two together.

No way. Elisha’s mom!

They stopped right before the row of judges. All of them as shocked as the rest of the courtroom as the security guard closed the door to seal off the room with magic.

“Your Honor, judges, and jury, I’d like to introduce to you Elisha Waters’s twin. Due to recent changes that have occurred in the medical center, the Elisha sitting before you has changed her name to Eliza Rose, her surname matching her biological mother, Evelyn Rose. I shall refer to her name as announced to ease the confusion.”

It wasn’t hard to tell the twins apart - Eliza actually was in a wheelchair, but also she also had multiple light blue strands in her hair.

“T-That’s a damn fake!” Elisha declared and slammed her hands on the desk. “This is all just some sort of set up! I want a new-” she tried to continue but her voice went out, which left her in bewilderment as she tapped her throat.

I sensed the stream of magic and followed it to where Professor Phoenix, Ms. Electra, and their other council colleagues sat. I expected the silence spell to be conducted by Professor Phoenix, but Ms. Electra rose up, her expression almost deadly in intensity.

“We’ve had more than enough of these interruptions.” Her voice thrummed with command as her darkened eyes landed on Elisha. “Sit.”

She was forced to sit back down before she looked to Eliza and Ms. Rose.

“Carry on.”

“Thank you,” Lisette thanked before turning her attention to the mother-daughter duo. “I bet the most important question and shock of this revelation is Ms. Rose’s arrival. Ms. Rose actually works in my universe and has been assisting our agency, Tracker Hive, just recently. I knew she was familiar from a picture I noticed on Officer Waters’s desk after I warned him on my client’s behalf for a different issue, but when I was called, she just so happened to be present,” Lisette revealed as she walked over to them.

“Not only did Elisha send Ms. Rose away, but she was also encouraged to do so by another adult. How do I know this? Well, I did some digging and realized that Officer Waters’s home has always been equipped with surveillance cameras due to his position in the force. With some extensive snooping, I was able to find the very clip of the twin’s bedroom when Elisha and her mom got into an argument and she ‘ordered’ her mother away. She used a special word, one that can only be used by someone from that universe, and, well, the simple spell pushed Ms. Rose into that universe with barely any memories of who she was.”

I was gawking at the news as Ms. Rose nodded. “When I arrived in a different universe, I was thankfully found by a good Samaritan. I had no recollection of memories other than my name and a few minor details. It took years of therapy and some trials with new technology in that universe for me to finally remember my past, or at least enough to know the world I was in wasn’t mine, and that I had a husband and children elsewhere. However, I already had commitments and didn’t know how I’d get back to this world. That’s when I met Lisette and her team before recent events led me here. She brought me to meet Eliza and I remembered the exact details of the entire incident.”

Lisette nodded. “Adding to that new information, which I’ll gladly share for final review during recess, I was able to record and document every detail regarding the incident and how Elisha has been using Eliza as a scapegoat. Obviously, with Mr. Waters in charge of the investigation, some details were purposely left out of the primary report. Some of it includes traces of black and very light blue strands of hair in the car, which was a rented vehicle. If you further look into Eliza’s history, she regularly dyes her hair, which is stated on her health examinations. It is explained that she has to do it almost monthly to hide her blue strands that are normally mistaken for grey hairs and associated with stress. A mere review of those records would have proven that there were not one but two individuals in that car. Chances are Elisha teleported out of the car, seconds before it hit Brianne that night, and there’s a huge chance Eliza was used once again for Elisha’s shenanigans, which resulted in her injury.”

Lisette sighed and looked around the room before she paid attention to Elisha, who was silently fuming.

“You’ve been the ultimate mastermind in separating your family. You wrapped your father around your finger and integrated your hatred for your twin sister into him on a regular basis so that he’d abuse Eliza constantly and to force her to do your bidding for the sake of avoiding multiple variations of punishment. You were the one who had relations with Mr. Morgan back in your early teen years, but once again put the blame on your twin while spreading rumors throughout the school to ruin his reputation. You had every intention of doing the same during Witchling Academy, but it began to be difficult for you to switch in and out with Eliza because Professor Phoenix noticed the differences between you. However, she kept quiet to see how things would unfold, and little by little the discrepancies continued to come to the surface. We wanted to bring all this up to the surface at this trial, which was originally supposed to occur before Semester Five, but you insisted it should be delayed so you could focus on your mental health. However, you screwed up when that fake physician was distributing a drug behind the administration’s back.”

Lisette’s smile grew as she crossed her arms.

“You got addicted to it, while Eliza rejected taking it. Instead, she saved the doses you told her to take and not only proved to be drug-free, but gave us the drug to follow the connection between you, the shadow organization, and surprisingly, the recently murdered Witchling student who was found hanging in the student council office.”

My heart stopped then as the intensity in the room spiked tremendously. Lisette lowered her arms before her expression grew so dangerously cold, I shivered at the mere side glance of it.

“It was a little intriguing to see that you were absent for your exam that was supposed to be the same time as Brianne’s due to a reported panic attack you had at home, which Officer Waters called to report,” she revealed. “What was even more intriguing was the fact that you were on campus and dragged a very suspicious black bag from a car with three other associates, one of them looking very similar to Elijah Hamilton.”

With a snap of her fingers, a projection screen formed on the left side of the room, prompting all of us to look at the very video of Elisha quickly getting out of the back of a car with three others.

The two taller males were extremely hard to identify because of their black-on-black attire and hooded heads, but Elijah was obvious from the mere way he walked with his hood down to reveal his silky, messy strands.

He looked agitated just by his body posture alone as he seemed to order the others and Elisha to hurry up and take the large bag that clearly resembled a body bag from the car and into the back private entrance of the school building student council members and staff go through.

“This is the recent footage that the Witchling Star Agency and the Secretary and Treasurer of Witchling Academy were able to retrieve from the ‘broken’ camera located in this lot. I’m sure none of you decided to look into it since it’s been labeled down for months in the records. Little did any of you know that it was fixed by the twins in the student council the same day one of the mafia leaders was arrested on the property.”

Lisette clapped her hands and smiled.

“So to wrap this all up, not only were you involved and a direct participant in the killing of Leia, you aided in setting up Elijah’s intrusion in Brianne’s exam, were the culprit of the lies spread about Mr. Rosedale regarding being raped, set up Elijah at the scene of the bridge, were in the car with Eliza seconds before teleporting out of it, set Eliza up, manipulated your father, Officer Waters, to do your bidding while being the instigator of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse to Eliza, the culprit of your mother’s disappearance, and you lied during this entire court hearing under oath,” she summarized. “I’m probably missing a few other major points, but again, I have the official folder with all your crimes with attached evidence for all the judges to review as well as the jury and magic council,” she concluded. “Is that enough?”

Elisha growled and jumped up onto her chair as she pulled out a pen and pressed the top part of it. I wasn’t going to react until I noticed the blinking part of it. She ran right off the platform as she threw the pen past Lisette, who quickly spun and summoned her umbrella, which swiftly turned into a scythe.

“MewMew!” Elsa came out of nowhere. Her sound was followed with a bounce off my head and suddenly she was catching the pen in her mouth.

“ELSA!” I shrieked and was up and jumping to catch her before she hit the ground. The sudden spike in my heartrate sent me jolting through a spinning sensation, until I crashed into someone, which made us both grunt as well as fall to the ground.

“What the fuck?” four deep voices declared before I scrambled off the person and looked over to see that Elsa was on the shoulder of someone and the pen was bouncing along the grass.

“BOMB! It’s a bomb!” I announced and pointed to the pen to get everyone’s attention. “Get rid of it!”

“Shadow Jade!” the voice beneath me commanded, and the girl Elsa was perched on giggled before she summoned a large black scythe and hit the pen like it was a golf ball.

“KILL.KILL-” she began to sing as the pen went soaring across the sky before it suddenly exploded, cutting her off as we all watched in shock. “BOOM!” she cheered and put her hands up in pride. “Jade Mommy! We win! KILL!”

She looked back at us with pride, while Elsa happily joined in the cheering,

“MewMew!!!”

“Hmm.” Shadow Jade looked at my kitten before petting her head gently. “Pretty kitty! Not kill!” she declared.

“Mawe?”

I lowered my gaze to see the two cats from the library as they walked over to Shadow Jade to acknowledge Elsa, who purred happily before noticing them. Her big eyes blinked before she hopped right down and began happily running around the two cats that were still analyzing her.

We all seemed to be captivated by the sight before all eyes went on me. That’s when I noticed the four identical men standing to my left in school uniforms.

“Um…” I stared at them with a nervous smile before I slightly waved my hand. “Hello.”

“Look what you did, Zackery,” the one on the far right announced with a sigh as he crossed his bulky arms. “You had to go summoning a damn person from the sky.”

“I didn’t do shit, Zeus! You’re always blaming me for every mishap in this universe,” Zackery complained.

“Well, ya,” the one next to Zackery stated as he pulled out a pair of glasses and began cleaning the glass. “Can you blame him? You’ve started summoning the most random shit lately.”

“Zion! You’re supposed to be on my side. We’re twins.”

“In terms of magic qualities, yes, but clearly the creative gods saved me from your stupidity,” Zion concluded.

“Stupidity and uselessness,” the third guy between Zeus and Zion declared with a seductive smile. “Thankfully I’m a balance of everything.”

“Balance my foot!” Zackery barked. “You’re a manipulative fucker who masturbates all the damn time!”

“So you’re jealous of my amazing stamina and continuous sexual activity,” he concluded. “Don’t blame you. I’d be jealous of myself, too.”

“Zeke,” Zion and Zeus groaned. “We have company.”

“What?” He shrugged and looked over to me. “We like to talk about sex, masturbation, and other rated R stuff in public. You good?”

“S-Sure?” I concluded.

“See?” Zeke concluded. “She’s chill.”

“That’s not how you introduce yourself to a girl who came from the fucking sky!” Zackery exclaimed. “With a cute orange cat!”

“Uh, she’s pink,” Zion pointed out.

“What? No. She’s orange!” Zackery argued.

“Nah, she’s pink,” Zeke voiced.

“Are you two blind?” Zeus questioned. “She’s orange.”

“What?” Zion and Zeke questioned. “She’s fucking pink!”

“No! She’s orange!” Zackery and Zeus argued.

Within seconds, they were going at it, while Elsa was happily playing with the two cats. Shadow Jade began skipping around happily singing a song that went along the lines of “Kill. Kill. KILL!”

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon, but I guess your universe had other plans.”

I finally acknowledged the woman I’d fallen upon, my head turning to face her - noticing our faces were inches apart. She gave me a confident smirk as her black orbs danced in amusement.

“Jade!” I greeted and then covered my mouth for being too loud. “Sorry. Uh…hi, again. Yes, this was totally unexpected, and I have no idea how I got here.”

“You fell from the sky,” she acknowledged. “Calvin did say something was off suddenly.”

“Who’s Calvin?” I asked. “Lisette said his name before the trial started.”

“Me.”

The voice came from above me, and I looked up to see the frowning ginger who totally gave off intimating vibes. I tried to fight off the urge to cringe before I pouted my lips and then pointed at him.

“Why are you being all intimidating to a stranger?”

“What?”

“You’re hovering like that, as if you’re going to start stuff. I’m an innocent bystander!”

“Who fell from the sky, on top of our girlfriend, with orange hair, odd eyes, and an aura that’s a little too threatening for my liking,” he dryly voiced. “Now who the fuck are you? Answer or I’ll pull my gun out and shoot your brain-” He paused before he looked to the sky. “Oh for fuck’s sak-” He took three steps back but couldn’t avoid the collision. Someone crashed right on top of him, and the two of them crashed into the ground.

“And I OOP-” the four quads announced while Jade squealed. “Visitor! Kill!”

She moved to start skipping around the two as the suited person sat up to brush their suit. “Jeez. I’m not doing that again. Go find our Notorious Queen, they said. I’m their only hope, they said. I swear, I’m beating Connor up.”

“Kaito!” I said in glee as he turned his head to look in my direction. His annoyed face morphed into relief. He then looked down at the guy he’d fallen on. “Who are you?”

“Fuck off,” Calvin growled and tossed Kaito right off of him.

“Sorry,” Jade apologized. “Calvin’s a bit cranky today.”

“Every day,” the quads announced.

Kaito sat up to look in their direction. “Holy crap. Quadruplets? That’s a first. We have a bunch of twins where we are,” he voiced.

Zackery chuckled. “Trust us. We have a twin problem here as well,” he concluded.

“KILL!” Shadow Jade was behind Kaito a second later, making him flinch before he looked at her and then at Jade, who I was still sitting on.

“Um…” He pouted his lips before looking at me. “Brianne. We have to get back.”

“How exactly do we do that?” I asked. “As if dropping into another universe by accident is totally a common thing.”

“Lisette said I can use my gift to concentrate on where she is and we’ll be back in the court room,” Kaito announced as he got up. Shadow Jade was still inspecting him. She reached out to tug at his ponytail.

“Long hair? Girl?”

“No,” Kaito replied. “I’m a boy.”

“But long hair. Kill!”

“Um. Don’t kill me because I have long hair.”

“Girl. Kill!”

“I’m a boy. Please don’t kill me.”

“Why?”

“Because?”

“Hmmm.” Shadow Jade stared at him before a unicorn plushie appeared in her grasp. “PLUSHIE!” She presented it to his face, and he blinked for a moment as if recovering from this crazy interaction.

“Are you trying to give that to me?” he inquired.

Shadow Jade nodded. “Come back and be Jade and Shadow Jade’s friend!” she announced and pointed to me. “With pretty girl!”

“I’m pretty?” I inquired.

“Definitely pretty,” the four quads concluded with a nod.

I looked over to Jade as if worried she’d be upset by the compliment, but she just stared at me. “What?” she finally asked.

“Aren’t you upset by their compliment?”

“Why? You are pretty. Why would I be upset?”

“That’s like the normal response of girls?”

She shrugged. “Apparently I’m the odd ball in that philosophy,” she replied with a proud smirk. “Just the way I like it.”

I grinned and bobbed my head. “Welcome to the club.”

“Fan club of oddballs. Cool,” she agreed as I got up and offered my hand.

“Just in case you don’t remember, I’m Brianne Marie Harlow.”

“I remember.” She smirked as she accepted my hand. I helped her up. “Jade Masters or Jade Storm.”

“Jade Storm is cooler,” I complimented. “No offense to whichever is your surname.”

“Storm’s my agent last name,” she assured me. “No offense taken.”

“KILL!” We both flinched as Shadow Jade appeared right in between us, which broke our handshake.

“And this is Shadow Jade.”

“Hello, Shadow Jade,” I greeted.

“You guys better go back,” Jade prompted. “If you have exploding pens with you, something tells me you guys were in the middle of something important.”

“Ya.” I gave a nervous smile before I looked around them as the quads and Calvin moved to stand behind Jade and Shadow Jade while Kaito was at my side.

He slipped his hand in mine as Elsa did a final run around the white and black cats before returning to my shoulder.

“MewMew!”

“Mawe!”

“Minx says bye,” Jade translated.

“So does Elsa,” I acknowledged. “Sorry for the abrupt intrusion and departure, but let’s actually hangout some time!”

“Certainly,” Jade declared. “See ya, Brianne and her boyfriend.”

Kaito began to blush as he squeezed my hand. “Kaito,” he simply introduced. “Thanks for your help.”

We were already beginning to fade as the spinning sensation of warping began.

“Bye-bye. Kill!”

“I can’t believe that just happened.”

“Admit it! That was cool as fuck.”

“Jade, you have some cool universal friends now. Aren’t you happy?”

“Sure, sure,” she replied. “She reminds me of Alice.”

Their voices faded away as we completely vanished and began to materialize in the courtroom, but the familiar name Jade mentioned caught my attention.

Alice. Like my sister Alice? Does she know her, too?

“Brianne. Kaito!” Various voices announced as we fully emerged in the courtroom.

Jax, Connor, and Finnick were at my side in seconds while Lisette giggled. “I’m going to assume you met my girlfriend and team,” she concluded as her eyes landed on the unicorn plushie Kaito ended up bringing along.

“I guess so,” Kaito replied and waved the little blue unicorn. “Bomb safely destroyed.”

“Excellent.” Starlight sighed in relief as she, Katsume, and Sebastian arrived on our right side. “Can we declare this case over?”

“Where’s Elisha?” I asked as I looked around, realizing she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Neither were Eliza, her mother, Officer Waters, or the members of the magic council.

“Arrested and dragged out of the room,” Katsume announced.

“The council stepped in and prevented her from killing herself right here in the courtroom. Her family was taken to put in their testimonies and work shit out,” Starlight elaborated. “Pretty big deal to find out your daughter is the reason your whole family was torn apart. We’ll have to do another investigation into how deeply rooted Elisha’s control is on Officer Waters because he’s already in big trouble with multiple infractions of fraud, tampering with evidence, lying, and so forth. Man, I need some coffee.”

“I brought hazelnut creamer,” Katsume said with pride.

“I’ll need an espresso with the way things are going,” Sebastian concluded.

“Don’t bother working.” We all turned our attention to Alexis as she rose up with the other judges. “We will handle the loose ends. Feel free to attend to your New Year’s celebrations.”

She slammed her gavel three times. “This trial is officially over. Brianne Marie Harlow is not guilty of any offenses issued in her name. You are all dismissed.”

“Wow,” Finnick whispered. “So we just won this and still have enough time to party before the new year?”

We all seemed to look at his astonished face before it clicked in.

“Brianne! You won!” Lisette cheered, and it took a solid three seconds before we were all cheering and sighing in relief.

Hugs were shared, laughter was spread, and before we all knew it, we were teleported back to Switzerland thanks to the aid of Lisette, before she left to return to Jade’s side.

I was raising my glass and admiring the view as Finnick came and placed an arm over my shoulders. “Ready for the countdown in two minutes?” he questioned before downing his beer and setting it on the ledge.

“Totally ready.” I beamed at his arrival as I finished my glass of wine and placed it on the ledge to give him my full attention.

“Why do I have a sneaking suspicion you’re here on purpose?”

“Well, I am.” He laughed as we looked down from the balcony to see all my loved ones dancing and chatting as music continued to boom through our quickly made party area as the countdown began on the large projection screen.

“Connor’s distracting Jax for me and Kaito’s backup so I can have this moment,” he announced.

“He’s going to kill you,” I voiced with a wide smile as I looked into his twinkling eyes. “Probably, but I’d claim your lips first for New Year’s, and that’s an achievement I’d be proud to die for.”

“That’s horrible.” I giggled and moved to wrap my arms around his neck as the last twenty seconds arrived.

“Are you happy?” he quietly whispered.

“Ya,” I replied. “One part is officially over.”

“And left in the past,” he mumbled as he inched closer while the last ten seconds of the countdown grabbed everyone’s attention. “This new year is going to be where we prove everyone wrong,” he vowed.

“Yes,” I replied at the last five seconds. “Happy New Year, Finnick.”

He sealed my lips exactly at the struck of twelve as his voice answered in my mind. “Happy New Year, Red, and many more with you in our loving arms.”

I smiled against his lips before he deepened the kiss. Fireworks boomed through the sky and sealed our vow.

Semester Eight, here we come.

15

THE FINAL SEMESTER AND MARKED FOR LIFE

“All done,” I voiced softly as I fixed the blanket and looked around to make sure everything was in place. A yawn escaped me as I stretched my arms out.

I’d barely slept thanks to my anticipation for today: the beginning of our last semester at Witchling Academy. I was trying not to think about it, and yet the idea of this being the final time walking on the school campus tugged at my heartstrings.

Thinking about the years made me realize there was still so much left to explore at Witchling, but this semester wasn’t going to give us the opportunity to walk down memory lane and explore until we held those diplomas in our grasps.

At least we’d be alumni and be given the privilege to walk through these halls after graduation, but it would be different than when you’re a student versus a graduated Witchling.

What would we even call ourselves once we graduated? I’d be twenty-one this year so we’d no longer be called Witchlings. The whole idea of what would occur after graduation just made me push the thoughts away.

I had to keep reminding myself that this was the beginning of the end - a cycle finally coming full circle that would lead us down a new path. Certainly, that path would incorporate the prophecy in some aspect, and it excited me a little because our paths were beginning to intertwine far more often than expected.

Even though I couldn’t get Jade’s number yet again, I at least could contact Lisette if anything. She’d been the main hero of the trial and the reason why Elisha was now in a special jail that was impossible to escape from while the total tally of criminal offenses was reviewed, discussed, and finalized.

At this rate, though, there was a big chance she’d get the death penalty, but the worry about the connection she had with Eliza lingered. I’d voiced my concern about it after the holidays, and Professor Phoenix assured us she’d look into it.

Eliza was finally free from her evil twin’s clutches and apparently would finish up the last semester as well. Her previous deeds - controlled by Elisha - were removed from her records and after a few tests, she was approved to head into the final semester with the rest of us.

The news of her twin not only spread like wildfire across Witchling, but it also hit big news stations because of her father’s involvement. The determination of what his consequences would be was a lot harder to figure out due to the roots of manipulation integrated by Elisha.

Starlight concluded that Elisha knew how much he loved their mother and without her in the picture, he’d been easy to manipulate and morph into her superior puppet, which was exactly what happened.

We’d find out the verdict in a little while, but at least the problem with Elisha was solved. Eliza had personally come to each of us and thanked us for revealing the truth. She never thought she’d escape the whirlwind of lies and deceit, and she had simply accepted she’d die in her twin’s stead. She’d given a special apology to myself and Jax, and even wrote a letter of apology to his family for all the trouble caused in the past.

I knew without a doubt that gave Jax a lot of closure he hadn’t realized he needed. It made him realize that he was never at fault for the breakup and definitely was a good boyfriend, but Elisha destroyed it all out of jealousy when she realized Eliza was beginning to actually fall for Jax.

Everything that happened over the holiday break was a real eye-opener for me. I realized how there were always two sides to the story and if you weren’t seeing the right angle of both scenarios, you’d potentially hurt or crucify someone without realizing the truth behind their story.

Or the lies they hid in the shadows.

Another yawn escaped me as I rubbed at my eyes. I was a little thankful I hadn’t done any makeup yet. I was hoping I could get in a power nap, seeing as I’d woken up even earlier to workout.

I felt a little out of shape, and though we had two weeks until cheer practice would resume, I really couldn’t slack anymore. Our competition was coming up, as were the rest of the festivities.

At this rate, I’d be pretty lucky to sleep in the same bed as one of the guys. Even though Jax was the only one who didn’t have a competition approaching, he had to set things up for the next council that would be chosen before finishing any loose ends we had in production in terms of the uniforms, school policies, and security measures we’d been implementing since I became vice president and the twins took their roles on the council.

The idea of being so busy that we’d barely see each other was really beginning to make me anxious, yet I still felt extremely hyped for the busy schedule.

Our classes were going to be just as fast paced, centering on magic practices, and we had a few special classes that not every student would get the privilege to take.

That was what intrigued me the most in the schedule outline, and I was even more thankful that the Notorious Five’s schedules matched.

At least being together during the classes would give some closure to what was coming as we got lost in afterschool activities.

The knock on the door tugged me out of my thoughts and moment of gratefulness. I turned my head to the door to see Professor Phoenix.

She was leaning against the door, wearing what could very well be a nightgown beneath the opened black coat resting on her shoulders. It didn’t even look like a woman’s coat, which left me wondering if it was one of her partners’ and if she’d just woken up herself.

“All done?” she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

“Yes,” I voiced and nodded swiftly. “I’m sorry for making you lack in sleep.”

She shook her head as she walked into the room. The door quietly closed on its own as her heels lightly clicked against the tiled floor. She stood next to me in mere seconds before a yawn escaped her, which triggered my own.

“It’s so early,” she lightly complained.

I was going to apologize but she added, “I haven’t slept yet so no need to apologize. Well, barely slept, if a ten-minute power nap counts.”

“Was going to take one myself,” I admitted. “I really appreciate you doing this for me, Professor Phoenix.”

“Aurora,” she corrected. “You’re old enough and a respected individual in the magic society, Brianne. No need for the professionalism outside of school grounds,” she reminded with a smirk.

“I keep forgetting,” I admitted.

“Bad habits die hard,” she teased. “Since coming here, you’ve created a far better dynamic than you may realize.”

“Huh?” I looked to her in question as her smile spread further along her red lips.

“The nurses gave me the report today that his condition has improved vastly, and it started when you began the visits after New Year’s.”

“No way,” I quietly gasped before looking at the bed to see Elijah lying peacefully in his coma state.

Since the discovery of his whereabouts and the understanding that the nurses were gossiping and not really talking to Elijah, I made an effort to visit super early in the mornings.

To be honest, I hadn’t told any of the guys, not out of fear they would try to stop me, but because I’d originally assumed it would be a one-time thing.

When I arrived the first time, I simply disliked his overall look. They weren’t keeping up his usual clean appearance, from the outgrown hairs of his mustache and facial hair to not turning him properly, let alone bathing him correctly.

His skin was dry, his hair growing out and messed up thanks to the bed hair, and I just couldn’t stand someone who used to be my best friend being in a state of obvious neglect.

Maybe it was the picture on his stand of us that pushed me to cave and assist, or I was just too damn kind, but it felt like the least I could do.

His mom couldn’t know he was here until we knew the other Elijah’s whereabouts, which Starlight and her team were trying to investigate, just like everything else they were dealing with. So he was basically abandoned here.

As much as I also wanted to be upset with the nurses, this neglect had been happening only recently due to the rise of injuries arriving at this private sector. It may have not been enough of an excuse, but I couldn’t be hard on them.

They were at least ensuring he was alive, which was what truly mattered.

The hardest part was bathing him, but after doing it a few times and using my magic to aid in the switching of positions, I’d gotten the hang of it.

“They stated they tried responsive therapy and he was able to move some of his fingers,” Aurora revealed. “Obviously there’s a long way to go, and I’m slightly hoping he doesn’t awaken until we have Elijah in our possession.”

“Evil Elijah,” I nicknamed as I looked at good Elijah. “He’ll sense he’s out of his coma if he wakes too early,” I concluded.

“Yes,” she agreed. “And we can’t have someone guarding him on a daily basis.”

“Is it safe for me to continue coming here?”

“It’s fine,” she assured me. “I always cloak our energy. As this semester progresses, I’ll help you elevate your Spell Traveler capabilities, so you’ll be able to travel here on your own and not drain yourself too much.”

“Really?” I beamed at her words as she bobbed her head.

“Might as well. You’ll need it for the future.”

“I’m not sure what I want to do, though,” I shyly admitted as I nervously ran my hand through my messy hair. “I’m not sure I want to go to school immediately after.”

“You don’t have to,” Aurora noted.

“Yes, but I’ve started getting career letters,” I confessed and looked up at her calm expression.

“How many?”

“Fifty-four,” I began. “Today.”

She arched an eyebrow at me before questioning further, “How many have you gotten since the new year?”

“Five hundred and eighty-one.”

She literally was speechless as she stared at me for a long moment. “I’ll get that dealt with,” she muttered and seemed deep in thought for thirty seconds. “It won’t distract you when school starts.”

“Are we not supposed to get invites?”

“You are, but they normally don’t send them out so early, as in right at New Year’s. If they’re sending you invites, it means they’re desperate to have you and know the competition is going to be fierce,” she explained. “Anything resonate with you?”

“That’s the thing,” I began. “Nothing did. There was no tug of excitement going through them. It was a bit dreadful.” I put my head down in shame as I looked to my feet. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful because I’m sure there are seniors begging to receive any sort of offer during this semester, but…I’m not sure where I stand. Do I want to learn more? Yes. Do I wish to go back to school? I’m not one-hundred percent sure because where would I go? Witchling Academy is one of the best prestigious schools, and it’s not like we have a university, so I doubt I’ll find a place to appease my desire to learn more.”

I lifted my hands to stare into my palms. “Then there’s the fact I really need a break. Just some time to truly explore the world and just live. As much as I think about it, the only problem is we’re always being chased, or our holidays are ruined by something from our past. I guess I want an uninterrupted vacation where I can just get lost in discovering new things again. Not just about the world, but about myself as well. Jax said he’d be down for whatever. I’m not sure about the others, but I also don’t want to hold them back either.”

Lowering my hands, I simply shrugged. “It’s just a lot to think about, I guess, and with what we endured during the holidays, I’m still having nightmares and such. At least these visits give me a moment to focus on someone else and easing their suffering.”

“You won’t have the answers now, but I’m sure you’ll know what you want by the end of the semester,” Aurora assured me. “And if not, there’s no rush.”

“What about the invites?”

“Invitations only expire if you’re someone they simply want as a fill-in, meaning there are extra positions that would fit the invited individual. If a company or place of employment is anxious enough to invite you at the beginning of the new year, there is no expiration date. You can travel and decide when you return. With your extremely popular reputation, you won’t have trouble, and neither will your boyfriends. Hopefully, that will give you some peace of mind.”

It really did, especially with the idea that there was no expiration date for the invites. It would take days to go through all those envelopes, before narrowing it down, and with school just starting, I’d surely get more.

Including international invites.

“Did you dye Elijah’s hair?” she inquired randomly.

“Ah, no,” I replied. “His hair has been growing out to a silver lately. I ended up trimming it short because it was too tangled and just not salvageable. The silver roots were coming out. I just made sure everything was pretty even and styled in a way that’s easier to maintain when I’m not around and the nurses do a quick comb through.”

“At least it will aid in identifying him and his twin.”

“Ya,” I whispered.

We stood there in silence for a few minutes before I finally smiled and walked over to Elijah’s side and picked up his hand.

“Hey, Elijah. It’s Brianne. I’m here with Aurora. That’s Professor Phoenix’s first name, by the way. It’s about four in the morning and we have classes today, so I have to go and have a power nap. It sucks that you can’t come with me, but I’ll take notes for you, almost like old times. I’ll continue to visit when I can, and we’ll talk later. Promise. Keep getting better. I’m proud of you for fighting through this. You’ll wake up, and if you want, we can go for ice cream. Don’t have to, obviously, but just as a congrats at succeeding. Anyway, I’m rambling since I’m tired. We’re leaving. Keep resting. Dream good dreams and leave your bro to us. We’ll get you justice. See ya.”

I squeezed his hand and lifted it to press against my forehead. I would have kissed the back of his hand back in the day, but I decided to limit my affection for my own sake.

After lowering his hand and patting his shoulder, I made sure the picture on the desk was still there and then looked to Professor Phoenix.

“Alright. I’m ready to go.”

She nodded while carrying a prideful smile. “You’re one of the best students I’ve ever had,” she praised. “Your kindness will repay you, Brianne.”

“Thanks, Aurora.” I smiled brightly, even with my tiredness.

Walking to the door, I turned the dimmed lights off and took a final look at Elijah as Aurora left the room.

“See ya, Elijah. Wish me luck.”

One day, all of this will be behind us. Nothing but a distant memory.

“FIVE-MINUTE BREAK UNTIL THE NEXT EXERCISE,” Professor Phoenix announced.

I paused the doodle I was drawing as everyone in the class began to chatter. Jax was still sleeping on my shoulder while Connor was spinning his pen between the tips of his fingers.

“That substitute was boring as hell,” Connor concluded.

“At least Professor Phoenix is back,” I reminded.

“Hmm. She did look exhausted in morning class sessions. I guess she needed a break or something,” Connor concluded.

I was trying not to feel bad about borrowing Aurora’s time to visit Elijah, but it was hard when she needed a sub for our afternoon class to give her some downtime. It could have also been because of how busy today was, being the first day back in class.

We wouldn’t be allowed to enter the student council room until this afternoon after classes were over, so we’d used the staff room to keep our belongings and headed to our first set of classes.

Everyone was hyped, like any other first day of class, but we’d been attempting to keep on the down-low in terms of our interaction until we had an official update on instilling policy changes and security updates.

Obviously, we were in charge of all of that, so we’d have to stay long after school ended to get those documents done and sent to the head council immediately so that by the end of the week, things could run smoothly.

I don’t think any of us liked the idea of being “behind” but there was nothing we could do about it.

“Is Jax still asleep?”

“Ya,” I replied and moved my left hand to gently stroke his head. “Jax? It’s break time.”

“No,” he mumbled the single word before he was right back to sleep like he couldn’t care less that we were in class. I smirked as Finnick and Kaito walked over to our row with their books.

“Was Jax sleeping the entire lecture?” Kaito questioned and reached out to lightly karate chop the top of his head. “Wake up, Jax. Set a good example.”

That didn’t even make him stir and Finnick laughed.

“Nice try, but we all know he ain’t waking up unless Brianne tells him to or the school’s on fire.”

Connor reached out to knock on the wooden surface of our row desk. “Please don’t jinx us this semester,” Connor pleaded. “But you have a valid point.”

“When do your afterschool sessions start?” I inquired.

“Kendo is next week,” Kaito answered. “Master ZenSu is organizing a few training sessions with other kendo clubs to help us. We may do some of our training off campus since we’re using various magic techniques to test it all out.”

“We have a team meeting this week, but we’re not starting until two weeks from now with the cheer squad,” Connor admitted. “The boys did say they want to party this weekend.”

“Oh, can the cheer squad come?” I inquired.

“Sure,” he replied and moved his arm to rest on my shoulders while ruffling Jax’s hair. “And wake the fuck up, Jax. We’re discussing stuff.”

“No,” he grumbled again and snuggled closer to me “Five minutes.”

“The break is gonna be done in three, silly,” I teased. “If we go to this party, I’ll give you first dibs for dancing on the dance floor.”

He opened his eyes then to lift his head slightly as he stared at me with those sleepy eyes. “Promise?”

“Promise,” I winked.

“Fine.”

“Wow,” the others stated.

Kaito looked over to Finnick. “Do you have to start doing your project for the festival?”

“Ya. I’m waiting on the final materials and paints, so I have loads of spare time. I got my idea sketched out so it’s just concentrating on doing it once everything arrives.”

Jax yawned and began rubbing his eyes.

“And I have a shit-ton of work to do on council stuff.”

“I can help you out,” Finnick reasoned. “Aside from studying, I won’t be doing anything else. I know Red and the twins are going to be doing more cheer practice sessions, so if you need backup throughout the semester, don’t hesitate to ask. I just need the final week before the festival to be focused on my stuff,” he admitted.

“I’d appreciate it,” Jax said with a sleepy smile. “That lecture was boring.”

“We said that,” Connor voiced with a smirk. “At least Professor Phoenix is about to start the last segment.”

Two students before us got up and headed to the door, their bags in tow. I noticed quite a few were actually leaving, which made me frown as the others noticed me staring at the door.

“Why are they leaving when class isn’t done?” Finnick pondered.

“It’s not mandatory to stay, remember?” Kaito reminded. “A lot of students remained last semester because attendance counts for points the following semester. Since we’re graduating soon, those points don’t matter now.”

“Makes sense.” Connor shrugged as he began playing with my hair. “But stupid all at the same time. What’s one hour going to do? We’ve been here the whole day anyway. Next thing you know there’s a test.”

“The administration does it on purpose,” Jax revealed. “Kaito. Finnick. Go grab your stuff and come sit here then.”

“Right,” they said in unison before they walked back to the lower row to grab their stuff and moved to the newly empty spots. We’d come right on time for this lecture after lunch so we didn’t get the luxury of sitting in one row.

Once they were back and situated, he continued, “When I went to check on my mom earlier this morning, she was saying they do the whole attendance thing on purpose.”

“Seriously?” I stated. “Why? I mean, there’s no consequence.”

“There is.” Jax looked a little amused by the ordeal as he ended up moving his arm to wrap around me while resting it on Connor’s arm, which was still around me. “Every point lost from attendance takes away one invite given to you from a potential employer.”

We all looked at him in shock. “Do students know that?”

“Nope.” His voice was purposely low so the conversation would remain within our circle, but it wasn’t like anyone was paying attention to us as they kept to their conversations. “So if someone had five invites, and skipped five classes with no valid reasoning, they’ll lose all five invites. Obviously, after a few weeks, you’re not going to remember when you missed or skipped a class, so there’s no way of getting out of the punishment.”

“Wow,” I commented. “Harsh.”

“Not really,” Kaito admitted. “Katsume was telling me that employers are really strict on attendance, especially in the realms of magic users.”

“Makes sense,” Finnick commented and looked at me. “If your sister just didn’t show up for work or randomly left through the day with no excuse but being bored, it would impact not only her team but the entire department, depending on the case she’s working on.”

“It obviously depends on whatever career they’re invited to, but no matter where you work, good attendance is pretty mandatory,” Connor added.

“My mom said it’s their way of implementing that whatever actions we do have consequences, even if you can’t see or know about them. Leaving early or skipping work can cause someone to lose their job, company, or, worst-case scenario, life. Especially in the realms of magic and such. You guys all noticed there are about only fifty present students still here and it’s probably because they have an afterschool commitment or something.”

“Pretty much.” I acknowledged what I was sure we all noticed. Even with the hype, a lot of the seniors were missing.

“At least we’re not squeezed into classrooms like sardines,” Finnick suggested. “I’m surprised we have this many seniors.”

“Actually, that’s because some transferred over for their final semester,” I voiced and got their attention. “My parents were talking about it when I went to my place this morning to grab some stuff. Over the holidays, two major schools were vandalized to the point that they’re having to do some major touches to the entire school property.”

“Holy crap, seriously?” Finnick questioned. “Please don’t tell me these students are going to be competing later in the semester?”

“Not sure,” I admitted and rested my head on Connor’s shoulder while my hand was in Jax’s. “Professor Phoenix mentioned it.”

“When?” Kaito inquired.

“Uh-”

“Alright, class,” Professor Phoenix interrupted us as we all turned our attention to the front to notice her and three other professors. “We’re about to do a special activity.”

That quieted the room as everyone focused on the three additional professors. We didn’t recognize them at all, but they each wore the Witchling professor attire and held an object in their hands.

The male next to Professor Phoenix held a cool spell book, one that had amazing symbols which intrigued my interest. The female with red hair next to him held a powerful-looking staff with a floating ruby that thrummed with magic. The last male at the end held a shield with a detailed incantation engraved into the metal.

Professor Phoenix was holding a simple black rose, which gave off delicate energy in conjunction with her black dress and long silver locks. I always liked how she never wore the uniform unless it was exam day, and even then, it was just the cloak on her shoulders and her witch hat. I wondered if she had if it would make a difference with how drawn I was to the simplistic touch.

“The activity is simple. Take a moment to view each item within our grasps. Once you’ve spent enough time on that, began to make a line in the aisle of whichever professor you wish to follow. Once this is complete, the professor will be taking you to a different room, so please gather your belongings.”

I exchanged a look with the others as a commotion boomed through the room; people seemed to rush to gather their stuff and go to where they wished to line up, like some sort of race.

Four pairs of eyes landed on me, and I blinked before acknowledging my boyfriends’ gazes. “What?”

“Chances are we’re going to be drawn to the same thing, so we might as well wait for you to make a choice,” Kaito concluded.

“Or you guys will just follow me wherever I go,” I concluded.

“That too,” Finnick admitted with a wink. “But let’s pretend we all have the same choice.”

I reached for my book and opened it to a blank page. “Draw what you’re drawn too. Just a simple shape of it.” We all quickly sketched what we were drawn to - Finnick being last to finish.

Kaito muttered, “Finnick. We didn’t ask you to sketch the damn Mona Lisa.”

“That’s Professor Phoenix,” he whined, which made the rest of us snicker as we shook our heads. I decided to review all five drawings and true enough, we were all drawn to the same thing.

“Wow. You guys were right.”

“See?” Finnick gave me a playful grin. “We believe in our Red.”

“Ya, ya,” I brushed away with a wide grin. “Let’s get moving. We’re almost the last ones.”

By the time we gathered our stuff and fell in line, we were the last group of individuals to confirm their choice.

And the only one in the rose aisle.

Professor Phoenix was clearly struggling to hide her amusement as the professors began to encourage their groups to follow them. Once the three lines were gone, only our group was left. Professor Phoenix moved to close the door and then spun around to face us.

“I had a strong suspicion this would be the end result,” she admitted with a proud grin.

“Hopefully that’s good?” Kaito offered.

“And if it’s not, we’ll just blame Brianne,” Finnick concluded as he hugged me from behind.

“What? You can’t blame me!” I whined and looked up to give him a pout.

“Probably not. You’re all cute when you pout like that,” he acknowledged and gave me a quick kiss.

“Finnick,” I groaned. “We’re still in class.”

“He’s just happy because we’re not blaming him as usual,” Connor voiced.

“We’ll blame him anyways if this goes south,” Jax stated with a shrug.

“Ugh. You guys always bully me,” Finnick whined.

“Sure, sure,” Kaito stated as he moved to stand next to us on my left side and patted Finnick’s shoulder. “Though we normally have a reason for disturbing your peace.”

“Like all the times it was your fault when things went to hell,” Connor acknowledged as he moved to stand on my right side. Jax moved a little closer to examine the black rose.

“Isn’t this a rare type of rose?”

“Hmm?” We all seemed to be intrigued by his statement before I recalled long ago when he’d given me roses.

“Wait a minute. Aren’t those the roses that shift into a rainbow?”

The way Professor Phoenix smirked had all of us beaming in excitement as she slowly nodded her head.

“The point of this lesson is to teach you all a very valuable lesson about appearances,” she began, as if she’d started the lesson. She raised her hand up as if putting it up in display for the world to see, as Jax returned to stand by Connor’s side.

“With this being your final semester, you all are going to confront situations where on the outside, something will be extremely inviting. A shiny weapon of power, a book that has the perfect powerful emblem on its cover, or a shield that will guarantee protection.”

She lowered the rose as she continued. “Not everything that glitters is gold. Just because a weapon oozes power, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry consequences to the individual who wishes to become its owner. Just because a book has an emblem that projects immense wisdom, that doesn’t discard the fact that the pages may be completely blank inside. A shield that guarantees protection by appearance may be made of flimsy aluminum that crumbles at the slightest tension.”

She brought the rose close to her lips as she whispered, “A rose doesn’t give off its strengths. It doesn’t need to glow brightly with magic, project itself as superior with symbols or incantations, and it’s not something that’s there to protect. Yet it’s something that allows one to see the beauty in this vast world. Its petals hide nectar and other resources that aid in the circle of life in nature, and it carries the potential of being a symbol of hope in one’s life.”

She blew on the rose then, and it lit up like fire, the petals of black shedding into rainbow ones that glittered marvellously.

“So again, not everything that glitters is gold,” she reminded as she lowered the rose to present it to me. “But when you find a hidden gem by following your instincts, you deserve to be rewarded.”

I accepted the offered rose as a smile widened across my face. The rose was still as mesmerizing as I remembered, and it glowed with so much power and golden grace that it made my heart melt in happiness.

“I had a strong feeling you guys would be the only ones to pick up on the true gem in this test,” she began and turned around. “Follow me.”

With a snap of her fingers, a pink portal opened up before her. She walked right into the spinning vortex. We exchanged looks before Connor stepped right up to go first - followed by Jax. I went next, knowing my protective men wouldn’t let me go last.

Finnick was behind me, and Kaito was the last to arrive out of the portal. The five of us looked around the neon glowing lights of the dark store that was booming with rock music.

Professor Phoenix was in a different set of clothes - a shorter black dress that glimmered even in the dim light while her hair was now curled and tied up in a ponytail.

Her heels were now red to match her striking red lipstick and she had various markings along her arms that we never noticed before - like ever.

I was sure I wasn’t the only one gawking at her new appearance as she rang the bell on the counter before turning around to face us as a tall bulky mass of a man came out from the back.

He was huge - Gigantic? Ginormous? - and full of tattoos. He wore a black tank top, almost purposely to show off his guns of muscle, and black jeans with chains hanging from the side.

His short silver locks were sleek and brushed back to make sure they didn’t get in his way, and he had a strap around his waist of various tools.

“Now, Aurora. You never told me you were making my shop a field trip getaway for your students,” he grumbled in haste while giving us a long stare down.

“I told you ages ago,” she replied with a shrug. “While you were drunk and talking about how no one comes to your shop because you’re scary-looking. So suck it.”

He blushed before moving his glare to her. “You promised you’d come back on the regular! I’m going to go out of business without any support here.”

She purposely moved her dress up enough to show her leg, and we quietly gawked when it practically lit up with various glowing tattoos.

“Sweetie, I’m running out of space here,” she reasoned. “You can’t hate me.”

“Ugh. Fine.” He seemed to understand the truth of the matter before he looked at each of us. He suddenly pointed at me. “Isn’t she a tad young?”

“I’m twenty,” I spoke up while giving him a dissatisfied look.

“You have to be twenty-one to be here, little girl,” he commented with a mocking tone that pissed me off. “I don’t give magic tattoos to children.”

Connor was going to say something, judging from the stiffness in his body, but Jax quietly held him back while I stared at the man for a long minute.

“You’re giving me a tattoo,” I affirmed.

He laughed and took a step forward until he was literally towering over me like a menacing villain. “Listen, redhead. Unless you can lift me up from the damn ground, there’s no way you’d survive the pain of a magic tattoo. Your aura is practically non-exist-”

The string that represented my last nerve snapped right there and then, and I was positive from the way his eyes widened that my eyes were ink-black - just like the intense magic that wrapped around his huge body and not only lifted him up but slammed him against the ceiling.

He cursed and easily tried to combat it, but I only made my energy grow and grow, not realizing it was aiding in my own levitation abilities until I was in his shocked face.

“I’m a gifted Witchling in Aurora’s class. I’m twenty because I was able to advance in school. Age doesn’t define one’s power. My hair is orange, not red. I’ve gotten magic tattoos and I know they hurt like a bitch, so don’t lecture me, boy.” I emphasized the last word as my body was fully charged to do some major damage.

“Rubin,” Professor Phoenix practically sang. “I suggest you admit defeat before she destroys your whole shop. The wardrobe of special shit is shaking.”

His eyes widened even further at the announcement before he grunted.

“Fine, fine! I apologize! I’ll give you a tattoo! Whatever you and your friends want.”

“They’re my boyfriends,” I corrected as Marianna pulled back while I began to descend back to the floor. All my magic cut off then, and he began falling before Finnick snapped his fingers and caught him with a gust of wind.

Rubin looked over to him as he landed on the black floor.

“If you fell from that height, you’d probably cause an earthquake, and we don’t really have time for that,” Finnick reasoned with a taunting smirk as he moved to put an arm around me. His eyes darkened then as his smile spread further.

“And the next time you insult our Notorious Queen, we surely won’t stand by and watch.”

“So much for children,” Professor Phoenix said in pure amusement before she walked over to Rubin and patted him on his shoulder. “I’ll cover the cost and give triple the pay due to it being off hours. What do you say?”

He moved his fuming eyes over to Professor Phoenix, who sweetly smiled at him. I wondered if their relationship was far more than “friends” but regardless of their connection, he sighed and grumbled, “Fine! Only if you stay after.”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “I’m done with my class today.”

He bobbed his head slightly before he glanced over at us. “Decide what you guys want. Can’t be too big either. I have an appointment in a bit,” he declared and turned around. “If you’re new to what this is, I’m one of the top magic tattoo artists for demigods. I’m booked years out, so be thankful to be getting my services. Try and determine a tattoo that is unique and has deeply rooted meaning to you all. The more connected it is, the stronger its power.”

He looked over his shoulder for his final statement. “If you’re all getting the same tattoo, remember magic tattoos that are exactly the same will bond you all together. Not only does it heighten your senses, but it also allows the mental connections between you all to thicken in times of stress and uncertainty so that communication can be encouraged without the use of one’s mouth. Only close teams do matching tattoos because it’s permanent. You can never remove them if y’all drift apart, so think wisely.”

When none of us had a word of objection, he looked away. “You have ten minutes. Aurora? Can you come and sign the legal document bullshit? I don’t have time to read all the warning, you-may-die nonsense.”

“Sure,” Professor Phoenix replied with a sweet smile and then looked at our questioning looks. “Not everyone can handle magic tattoos. Therefore, there’s always a waiver to sign just in case they die. Small details.”

“Right,” I replied. “Alright. We’ll get to thinking.”

She gave us a pleased look and followed Rubin into the back that had an office in the far corner.

Once again, all eyes were on me, which I expected this time. I grinned in a bit of excitement. “We’re getting tattoos!”

They all grinned before we seemed to chuckle at my delight at the realization our reward was magic tattoos from one of the best artists in the industry.

Best for demigods. Wow. This feels like more than an honor.

“Bri,” Connor moved to hug me from behind, before whispering in my ear. “That was hot as hell.”

“Really?” I turned my head slightly to see his smile that made my body tingle.

“Very hot,” he emphasized and kissed my cheek. “I’m getting used to you switching back and forth.”

“I agree,” Kaito replied. “Do we all carry some sort of dark part of ourselves?” he pondered.

“I’ve been wondering about that,” Finnick replied as his eyes looked around at the various artworks on the wall. “Sometimes I sense a dark essence within me, but I’m not sure yet if it has its own identity.”

“I haven’t sensed anything yet,” Connor admitted as he held me a little tighter.

“I think you’re the only one left to claim a jewel,” Finnick acknowledged.

“Brianne doesn’t have one,” Kaito pointed out.

Finnick pointed to his chest. “I’m not sure about it, but I think she does. Back when I got mine, she had some sort of jewel, almost like a prism crystal.”

“So like Sailor Moon,” Jax concluded.

My smile grew at the comparison, which made Kaito chuckle. “Someone’s happy about that.”

“Sailor Moon is goals. If I get to have a shiny crystal that saves the world, I’ll accept it with open arms,” I stated with pride.

“I guess we’ll find out when we need to,” Jax suggested. “We’re entering territory we haven’t really ventured into other than to protect ourselves. I’m sure once we graduate, we’ll get the answers we’ve been patiently waiting for.”

He looked to Connor and reached out to pat his shoulder. “And I’m sure the time will come when your crystal will show up as well.”

“I know,” Connor replied. “Thanks for the reassurance.”

“What tattoo should we get?” Kaito brought up the prime purpose of us standing here. “It’s permanent so it better be nice.”

“Don’t let Finnick choose or we’ll be here for the rest of the day,” Connor acknowledged.

“Hey. That’s not true,” he whined but thought about it. “Okay, maybe more than a few hours. So let’s make Red choose.”

“I can cho-” Connor began and Jax interrupted.

“No. The last time you chose a tattoo, it was some ugly turtle on its back.”

“That was when we were like six,” Connor huffed.

“Yes, but it was pretty damn ugly,” Kaito noted. “Finnick hated it.”

“You said you liked it!” Connor pointed at Finnick, who shrugged.

“I didn’t wanna hurt your feelings, but it was damn ugly. I think I cried about it or something, so my brother used magic to make the colors different, like some pastel thing, and gave me ice cream as a bonus. Good times.”

“You guys are assholes,” Connor complained but was smiling from ear to ear. “Brianne. You have something in mind?”

It wasn’t hard to answer, but I gave it a moment anyway as I recalled the rose that had granted us this rare opportunity.

“Why don’t we get a black rose that will shift into multiple colored petals when we use magic?” I suggested as the image seemed to blossom in my mind with ease. “A black rose that’s at the peak of blooming…encased by a crown…and maybe Notorious Five to seal it all together?”

I summoned my wand not a second later as I moved it to draw in the air with a sparkling golden thread of magic. The quick air design came together until the sketch was floating within our circle.

The others admired it like I did, and Jax pointed to the NOTORIOUS lettering at the top part of the drawing. “That should remain black, even when the magic awakens its power,” he suggested and lowered his pointed finger to the FIVE at the bottom of the image. “While the bottom can transition to different colors, like a rainbow.”

“‘Notorious’ reminds us that no matter life’s circumstances, we carry darkness within ourselves,” Kaito whispered as he stared at it.

“While the bottom emphasizes that no matter how dark life can be, there’s always a chance to see a glimmering rainbow of hope,” Finnick carried on.

“Especially when surrounded with friends,” Connor concluded.

We seemed to be in agreement just as Rubin and Professor Phoenix returned.

“Everyone ready?” she inquired as the magic image began to wither away.

“Yes,” we replied as we laid our eyes on Rubin, who was wearing a black apron, gloves, and a face shield.

“Did y’all make sure you have wills?”

That left us silent before he smirked and chuckled like he’d told some sort of amazing joke. “You guys take things so seriously. Lighten up a little. At least I know you’re not some average group of psychos.”

He walked over to his work station as the lights went on at his movement before he gathered and laid out his tools. Moving the black chair, he gestured to it as his eyes landed on me.

“Ladies first.”

I walked over to the chair with confidence. I sat down and looked at Rubin as he began to wrap my arms with leather belts that reminded me of restraints.

“Why do I need restraints?”

He was laughing again before he shook his head. “These,” he began as he tightened the first strap, “are to make sure you don’t destroy my entire shop and half the town with your burst of magic.”

That made me frown, and I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

Before he could finish strapping the second leather belt, there was Elsa sitting on my arm and looking up at Rubin with those big eyes of hers.

“MewMew!”

He just stared at her for a long moment before his eyes looked at me with pure judgment. “My familiar has her own free will,” I justified. “I didn’t summon her. She decided to come to assist me.”

“Right,” he replied. “I’m sure you’ve dealt with far more painful stuff than a needle drilling into your flesh.”

“Probably,” I admitted while I further relaxed into the chair. “You seem like a big softy though.”

“Don’t go telling people that,” he huffed as he walked over to the other side to get the straps all worked out. “I have a reputation to uphold and don’t need a smart gir-”

“Woman,” I corrected.

“Woman,” he accented the syllables. “You guys are going to be a pain in the future. I can feel it.”

That made Professor Phoenix laugh as she was standing across from us against the wall.

“You’re only jinxing yourself, Rubin.”

“Hmph.” His straightforward reply followed with him finishing the last set of straps before taking a good look at me.

“Decide where you want it?”

I lifted my arm up to show him my left wrist. “Pulse point.”

The way he stared at me was as if he didn’t understand what I’d just said. He looked over his shoulder at Professor Phoenix. “Did you train her to be your mini-me or something?”

“Nope,” she replied with an added shrug. “Brianne is just Brianne. Smart, unique, and knows what she wants.”

I didn’t get what the big deal was, but it had to be an inside joke since he shrugged and approached me once more. “You can put the barrier up.”

“I don’t think she’ll surpass the restraints,” Professor Phoenix suggested.

“That’s what I said with you and look what happened?” he barked in annoyance. “My ass had to move down here.”

“At least I helped you find a place.” She didn’t even seem ashamed of it as she smirked and snapped her fingers. Walls of pink went up, but they had a transparent quality to the energy which still allowed me to see my men as they sat outside of the protective wall.

“MewMew!” Elsa hopped onto my shoulder and rubbed my cheek with her furry one before she waited for Rubin to stand next to the chair with the tool in his hand. It was beginning to charge with energy, and I was becoming more aware of just how radiantly strong this man was.

He looked at Elsa before gently patting her little head with one of his fingers. She purred before she poofed out of existence.

“Where’d she go?”

“She can’t stay if I want to circulate your magic properly,” he reasoned. “Which leads me to ask you a final question.”

“Shoot,” I encouraged. “But don’t you need to know what to draw?”

“I saw what you wanted. Got the exact image that will satisfy what you desire, but it’s not like I need to see it. That part is in the job description.”

Wow. He predicts what tattoo someone wants just like that.

“Out of all the places on your body, why the pulse point? Specifically, your left hand.”

I wasn’t sure how to answer, but I decided to just share my truthful answer.

“When I make decisions, I go by my instinct, but this one makes sense because our pulse point is another sign of life. It’s a spot we can see at multiple angles, regardless of if we’re writing, reading, doing any chore, or summoning magic. It’s in a spot that represents life, but also is at one of the strongest points where magic gathers. You wouldn’t know this unless you read ancient books from the early mage years. All royals always used their left hands because it was deemed special in comparison to the right. They emphasized that because the majority of individuals used their right hand, it was created by the gods to be a weaker side of the body because it’s always engaging in activities before the art of magic. Energy and all forms of creative endeavors excel further with the usage of the left palm. By getting a magic incantation on your left hand, you increase the strength of magic that will gather in wait to be used. It won’t hurt the individual either because the left side is used to gathering and storing extra energy. Finally, it’s said that the left wrist was the source of an ancient star in mythology that gods would use as a symbol of magical strength. It’s why our magic circles have stars which represent limitless light.”

I took a breath and let it out before I stared at my wrist. “That’s the logical reasoning, but to simply put it, a star has five points. Without even one point, the star is automatically incomplete,” I began and smiled. “The four men you see there complete me. They were the Notorious Four that everyone ranked on a scale I never thought to balance. Yet, I somehow managed to not only be friends with them but fall in love. They accepted me, flaws and all, and watched me grow. They never belittled me or made me feel unworthy of their attention, affection, and devotion. They made me feel like I was the missing link to their star, and I guess I want to seal the deal with this tattoo.”

Lifting my head, I looked into his eyes that danced with an intriguing shade of silver.

“Some may worry that we’ll drift apart the moment we graduate and that life will force us to drift, but no matter the future, this tattoo will ensure that distance won’t destroy this bond we’ve created in almost four years. The Notorious Four accepted me to be their queen, and now we’re five beings who are destined to do great things one day. So I want the world to know it. When they witness our magic, they’ll be reminded that we’re a unit, and nothing will break us apart.”

“You talk so boldly,” he whispered and muttered, “No wonder why Aurora is fond of you.”

He reached into the bottom part of his equipment table where there was a hidden fridge. He pulled out some vials that held a prism-like liquid and two vials of pitch-black.

“I’ll grant your request, then,” he stated with a slight grin as he acknowledged me with his eyes. “You’ve answered well. In return, I’ll deliver more than you bargained for.”

He disinfected the area before he did a quick sketch in what seemed like a minute flat. My jaw dropped at the image as I took in all the details I’d visualized but even better.

“Wow…” I whispered as he prepared the tattoo gun that would infuse my skin with the magic and ink.

“Wait till it’s finished,” he assured me. “Ready?”

I lifted my gaze to my men, and they all stared back at me with supportive gazes that made me smile proudly. My loves, my support system, my rocks in the thrill of a storm. From this moment onward, we’d be marked with the reminder of how far we’d come, and even the realms of death would never destroy the sheer force of this connection I admired in the depths of my heart.

“Ready.”

From this moment on, we’re marked for life.

16

TRAINING TO BE THE BEST AND OURS

~BRIANNE~

“TEN MORE REPS, BRI.”

“Easy…for…you…to…oh fuck this,” I groaned and collapsed onto the matted floor. “This is abuse!”

I lifted my head to give my muscled teddy bear a glare of defiance as he finished the last set of shoulder press reps he was doing with a set of fifty-pound weights. He was just wearing his black short tights - the rest of his body glimmering with sweat as beads of water ran down his chiseled chest, muscled legs, and hot face.

I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that Connor was getting hotter every damn day. Even though his practice didn’t start until next week, he’d been putting in the work all this week, doing two-hour workouts in the mornings before our classes - an hour and a half on weight training and the rest being swift cardio and a few magic exercises.

He was becoming known as the wall of protection for our group because that was basically what he looked like when grouped with us. Jax was definitely putting on some muscle with him normally working out with Connor to “keep him company” or whatever, but his frame would pretty much remain in a slim build in comparison to Connor, who could very well become the next Rubin in a few years.

I’d asked Connor if I could join him for one of his workout sessions this week since cheer practice would be starting next week and I had to be in peak shape to train the others. I could have trained with Mia and Miya, but they were being trained by someone from Korea in the mornings to help them with their individual strengths.

That’s why it only seemed logical to hop in with training with Connor, especially today when Jax had some council work to do. He went early with Kaito, who was having some private lessons with Master ZenSu.

As for Finnick, he was still sleeping after staying up to work on some side paintings. I loved seeing him so dedicated to fulfilling the vision he had in his mind. It must be chaotic in his mind, trying to piece all the images and inspirations together like a ripped-up map.

I’m sure it was stressful to sort creativity with having to study as well, but he was doing an amazing job balancing it all.

School thus far wasn’t difficult. We’d taken a few days off because of the tattoos. Not only were they an ultimate pain in the ass to get them, but we were all tired as hell and could barely use magic for the rest of the week.

The other groups that chose their aisles hadn’t gotten that great of rewards. Those who choose the book literally got a blank book, those who picked the staff with a floating ruby got a rock, and those who got a shield at least got vouchers to a newly opened gym on the other side of campus.

A lot of them were asking what we’d gotten since our absence was rather obvious, but I think many were beginning to put one and two together as the school blogs began circulating the newly seen tattoos on each of our wrists.

I swear we had some hidden paparazzi or something because the pictures circulating on social media were at the perfect angles that made us look like some sort of celebrities. My picture had been the first, taken during a track session I had with Miya and Mia a few days ago when I was lifting my hair up to tie it.

I wasn’t wearing anything special either - a white crop top and black sweatpants. It was still winter obviously, but I hated training in long sleeves, so it seemed only logical to wear a crop top so I wouldn’t drench my shirt, but I guess it was attractive as hell with the image emphasizing my six-pack, apparent flawless face even though I was dripping with sweat, and the new visible NOTORIOUS FIVE tattoo resting on my left pulse point.

I’d yet to open the emails I’d been receiving from modeling companies who apparently wanted me to model for the approaching Witchling Games campaign. I mentioned it to Aurora so she could look into it to make sure it was legit, and sure enough it was, and she thought it was a pretty good opportunity for me and the school.

I’d have to bring it up to the guys to see if they would be down with it, even though it didn’t mean I needed their permission to do it. I respected each of them, and when it came to certain things, I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.

The only thing I haven’t shared yet is about Elijah.

Regardless of everything, it was becoming clearer to everyone that I was in a solid relationship with Jax, Connor, Finnick, and Kaito, and people were really beginning to dig it. Some students were even making fanfiction and stories about us in a parallel universe where we’re a part of different organizations and somehow come together to take control of Witchling Manor, which was the “dark” code name for the city in the story that would be similar to busy high-end Dubai.

I was just glad everything was beginning to fall in place, even though I still carried an underlying fear of what the future had to bring to us.

“You definitely don’t know what abuse is all about, Red,” Connor teased as he lowered his weights and walked over to me.

“My arms feel like jelly, I’m sweaty as hell and smell like leftover socks, and I know you’re going to tell me to do another fifty push-ups for fun!” I complained. “So yes. This is abuse.”

He crouched down before me, and heavenly witchling, this man was going to make my poor heart stop with how it went from rapid to marathon drumming against my chest.

“Well, I was going to let you do twenty-five more push-ups for giving up when I didn’t give you permission to,” he began as he admired the horror that washed upon my face. He reached over to tap my ass, making me squeak while his grin spread and his eyes darkened. “Or, we can opt into you lying on my lap so I can give you ten ass smacks.”

I gawked at him as my whole face went red.

“You can choose.” He winked and rose up. “I’m gonna clean up. You going to start those push-ups?”

“I’d rather have my ass tapped to oblivion than do one more damn push up.” The words left me before I slapped my hand over my mouth while Connor actually looked at me with shock.

MARIANNA!

Say what you want and be rewarded.

“T-T-That wasn’t me!! It was Marianna!” I complained before I was on my hands and toes and going right into push-ups. “Ignore me! I’m just doing my duty and AH!”

My body was lifted a second later before I was literally hanging over Connor’s shoulder.

“Where are we going?!!”

He didn’t say anything as we entered the private changing room. We were in one of the shower stalls a second later. He lowered me before the shower was on and drenching us in cold water.

I tried to shriek at the frigid stream of punishment, but desire to scold the living hell out of Connor went downhill as he hooked his arm around my waist, pulled me against him, and kissed me like he was desperate for my lips.

The door of the changing room opened then, and a voice called out into the room.

“Yo, Connor. You showering?” It was one of the guys from the football team.

Connor broke the kiss and answered, “Ya. Just started. Need something?”

“Ah. Finish up! Coach said there’s a photographer for the Witchling Games that wants to get you to model for the team.”

I looked up to see Connor’s frown as he looked at me. “Is it mandatory?”

“Not really, but it’ll be a hell of a good opportunity. Plus, your girlfriend’s being considered. Didn’t you see how hot she looked in that photo trending on social media? You should totally get on that photoshoot before someone else gets to be all boo’d up with her in the group shots. I think they’re gonna try and get you, Finnick, Jax, and Kaito on board. They’re talking with Master ZenSu now, actually,” he explained. “Want me to vouch for you before they give it to someone else?”

“If Brianne’s joining, then yes,” he declared with a deep voice, his eyes still locked with mine. “I’ll be a bit though.”

“No rush! I’ll let them know you’re wrapping up your workout and need to shower!”

“Cool. Thanks.”

“No problem, man. I got your back. See you in a bit!” He was gone as the door closed shut. The sound of the lock suddenly flicking seemed to echo through to my ears as the stream of cold water felt like sizzling heat while my gaze continued to peer into Connor’s eyes.

“You accepted a photo contract?”

“Not yet,” I answered calmly. “Aurora’s working on the details. I haven’t agreed yet. I wanted to ask you guys first.”

He didn’t seem very pleased with the news, but he shrugged. “You don’t need to ask us permission.”

“I know, but you don’t look happy about it either.” I voiced my obvious observation.

We stared at one another for what felt like forever, the sound of the stream drowning out my rapid heartrate. I couldn’t keep the silence as the intense energy palpating between us grew stronger.

“Why did you bring me to the shower out of all the places?”

“Someone was coming.”

“And we needed to hide because?”

“I didn’t want anyone seeing you.”

“Why? I’m not naked,” I huffed and gave him an eye roll. My dismissive manner seemed to annoy him further as he pressed me against the tile wall, which left him being drenched by the stream of water while his hooded eyes slowly took in my dripping wet body.

There was literally no way around him, his body blocking the exit as his hand pressed against the tiles at the side of my head.

“You don’t realize, do you?”

“Realize what?” I muttered as my eyes lowered to his lips while my brain was acknowledging how tempting they looked.

“How you’re the talk of the school?”

“I know that already,” I voiced and bit my bottom lip.

“Stop doing that,” he grumbled.

“What?” My eyes lifted up to meet his once more.

“That.”

“Connor,” I whispered, my voice a little too soft-spoken as if I were out of breath. “You’re gonna have to elaborate with m-”

He gave up whatever game he was trying to play and smashed his lips against mine. My body felt like it was coming to life from the fierce movement of his hot lips. The intense charge of sexual energy thrummed through us as his hand began to tug my ponytail out of my wet locks that fell like a drenched mop.

I didn’t see why he did that until his hands began to move through them like a comb, all while his body pressed me further against the tiled wall. His knee was between my legs, which made me moan as my shorts pressed against my entrance.

The way I moaned was like a musical gasp and he took every advantage as his tongue slipped into my mouth and began to explore as his hands moved down my body. He impressed me when he somehow managed to unhook the sports bra with one strap, leaving me mentally proud of myself for choosing this branded bra rather than the standard ones that were a struggle to take off.

He tossed the black bra elsewhere. My girls were now free to be fondled by him.

“Arms up,” he ordered with that seductively deep voice of his that made me want to do whatever he asked me to. My arms were up and crossed at my wrists, and he placed his right hand over them, but not too high on my wrists that he couldn’t clearly see the tattoo that shimmered slightly.

He kissed me again before he decided to tell me what he was thinking as his left hand began to massage my right breast.

“It drives me fucking mad when all those horny assholes fantasize about you when you’re ours,” he practically growled against my lips. “Masturbating with your picture as their screensavers and talking shit in the locker rooms to tick me off. Now they’re all down with this new tattoo on your wrist because it only confirms that you’re ours.”

He moved his head away from my lips as he moved to kiss the very spot that was still sensitive. I shivered as lips brushed along it and his tongue licked it slowly before he moved down my arms. Suddenly, he was kissing me possessively.

“They dream about you when you’re in our bed at night,” he muttered. “They wish to hear you moan when we get to listen to those perfect sounds escape your addicting lips.”

His free hand left my breast to move down my stomach before slipping into my tights. I moaned when his large hand cupped my entrance, and he moaned and kissed my neck before sinking his teeth slightly into my flesh while he began to move his hand along my folds to further arouse me.

“If only they could hear the way you moan just for us,” he stated as a finger slipped right into my hot pussy, leaving me to moan in relief from the desperate, pounding ache he’d been triggering all damn morning with his hot grunts and attractive body that had been taunting me all workout long.

“Feel the way your pussy hugs our fingers,” he continued and began to move his finger in and out while his thumb would occasionally tease the bud of my clit. He captured my lips once more, the kiss more heated - desperate even - to leave me breathless while his finger moved faster.

He waited for me to be wet to slip in another finger, and I moaned loudly as he broke the kiss to fully focus on my aroused expression while his fingers worked their magic.

“If they could see the lust and hunger in those beautiful orbs of yours,” he whispered as he admired me and fucked me even faster. I bit my lip and braced for what surely would be an orgasm as my pussy quivered around his thrusting fingers.

“Let me hear you, Brianne,” he ordered as he moved close to kiss my neck just as his fingers sank deeply enough to trigger my orgasm as I came. My moan was loud and echoed around the room, but I knew it wasn’t enough for Connor as he slipped his fingers out and tugged my shorts down.

“They don’t get to see this glistening pussy,” he vouched as he further spread my legs after lifting each foot up to remove the shorts from my ankles. He began kissing the inner sides of my legs, leaving me to quiver as I kept my arms up at his previous request.

He looked up as he reached between my legs, enjoying the way my chest moved up and down, my breathless exhales, and how my eyes practically begged him to do what he was thinking.

I’d never been so turned on like this. So desperate to be teased, let alone pampered by his tongue. It was an exhilarating feeling that made my body tingle with want, and he knew that only he could do that for me. Not one of his football colleagues.

Just those who are a part of our bond. Only the Notorious can touch, kiss, lick, and fuck me.

“Connor,” I practically moaned. “Please?”

The way his eyes lit up at my request only rewarded me as he dived right in and began to enjoy the taste of my juices as he licked me up. It always amazed me how I could experience something as simple as this and yet be so turned on like it was my first time ever.

My legs were shaking by the time he was finished, and I bit my lip hard in an attempt to control my approaching climax.

He got up and turned the knob of the water to a higher temperature. Steam already began to drift upward, while he was kissing me deeply once more. My arms were killing me and he must have realized cause he tugged them so I could rest them on his shoulders, which allowed me to hook them around his neck while my fingers played with his wet strands.

We made out for much longer than I expected, and I purposely pressed myself against his groin, feeling how hard he was.

“Can we do it here?” I quietly pleaded as we fought to catch our breaths.

“What if someone interrupts?” he whispered almost in a mocking way as he leaned back to look into my eyes. I finally noticed the pitch blackness in them, but it didn’t strike a nerve of fear within me.

“Let them,” I dared as if I wouldn’t care about the consequences. A part of me actually wouldn’t; the idea of someone listening in on our lovemaking suddenly made me even hotter from the inside out.

The devilish smirk on his lips made me swallow the lump in my throat as he moved his arms from my waist and took a step back to let the water drench him while he slipped out of the tights.

He remained there on purpose as I took him all in, and goodness, it was like watching a sculpted masterpiece in the heart of a rainstorm. There was something about seeing your man naked in a public place like the changing room shower that made you think of the craziest things - while heightening your arousal even further.

“If I had to take a nude shoot, would you let me?” he inquired amusingly. The mere thought made me frown as he moved in closer. “All your girly classmates checking me out and fantasizing about me. If the offer was there, would you let me do it?”

I could feel the rise of jealousy within me, but I met his challenge by confidentially meeting him the remaining way until we were centimeters apart.

“I’d let you do it,” I whispered. “If that’s what you wanted.”

“But would you really want that?”

There was a lingering silence between us as my eyes trailed down his body before I returned my gaze to his lips. Reaching for his hand, I lifted it up so I could view his tattoo before pressing my lips softly against it.

He moaned quietly, and I wondered if he felt the shivering crawl of desire that seemed to ignite at the simple touch. That kiss moved to me kissing up his arm until I was sucking his neck long and hard and biting the flesh until I was sure it would leave a hickey.

I did it again and again, and he stood there enduring it all as he hissed in pain and pleasure from my bites and sucks. I moved down his body until I was on my knees, and before I could control myself, I was teasing his hard thickness while my tongue licked away the precum on his cock.

It twitched in my hold and I purposely paused with my lips on the tip, my eyes looking up as if I were asking for permission. Those pitch-black eyes were admiring the view, but he soon realized I didn’t have the patience for his verbal permission as I took him in nice and slow while our eyes were still locked.

His eyes fluttered as he took in a sharp breath, which made it hard to not smile as I moved back up his cock at a snail’s pace. I moved along it again, sucking it deeply as I went. It was the perfect antagonizingly slow pace, and it didn’t take long before those long fingers of his were tangling through my hair and stilling my head so he could change the course of my pleasurable teasing.

I remained still as he began to thrust his cock in and out of my mouth. This was by the far the most daring thing I’d done in my life, and yet I couldn’t feel more valued, loved, and excited for the inevitable ending to this game I was playing.

I’d give him the answer to his question shortly, but I wanted to prove a valid point. His pants grew more rapid as he increased his pace, and I enjoyed every bit of it while my own fingers seemed to move down between my legs on their own and began to tease my throbbing pussy.

It felt like we were possessed by this sexual tension that had been growing between us since our vacation, and it had to come out here and now, no matter if we had our own agendas to attend to.

“Brianne,” he grunted my name as he began to really speed up, his grunts and moans bouncing off the hollow walls like he was singing at the top of his lungs. With a few last thrusts, he let out a long grunt and cursed as he released his hot cum into my mouth.

He was panting hard, his eyes rolled back as he allowed himself to enjoy this moment of ecstatic elation. He pulled right out and opened his eyes to check on me, just as I let him see my open mouth before I swallowed it all.

I could see the way his eyes danced at my display, and I knew I’d probably awakened some sort of beast that was fighting hard to remain in its quiet nest.

Licking my lips, I rose up and pulled him down for a tongue-worthy kiss that had him groaning into my mouth. He broke the kiss to catch his breath, but I made sure to press my lips lightly on his before muttering the final answer to his previous question.

“If I had my way, no one would ever get to enjoy my muscled rock of a boyfriend, but if it was going to happen, I’d simply let you go just like this. With my hickeys all over your body, with your cock hard thanks to this mouth, and with your lips cloaked with your release after making out with the woman who sucked you dry.”

Tugging at his bottom lip, I kissed him firmly one last time before leaning back to give him a pleased grin. I was sure my own eyes matched his.

“So feel free to do whatever you want, but they’ll all know that you are mine, just like how I’m shared by you and the others.”

He seemed pleased with my words as his eyes began to return to their onyx with slight silver hue.

“Satisfied?”

“No,” he muttered with a smile before his hands were under my ass and lifting me up. I had no choice but to tighten my hold around his neck as he pressed me against the wall. His cock was inside me a second later. “We haven’t finished what we started.”

Just like that, he was fucking me as we made out. He gripped my ass tightly while keeping me suspended as he moved from the wall to really pump himself into me. It was fast, hard, and deep. The action turned me on so swiftly, I was screaming his name seconds later.

“CONNOR!” I cried out as my orgasm hit me like a tsunami as waves of pleasure followed its lead. My climax didn’t stop him as he kept going, and going, and all I could do was brace for what felt like yet another shockwave of pleasure on the horizon.

His grunts grew as his heavy panting was drowning out the sound of the shower, and with one final thrust, he came just as I did, the two of us moaning in ecstasy.

I had to hold onto him for dear life as my body was overcome with shocks of pleasure while his cock continued to fill me up. He held me firmly with one hand as the other pressed against the wall behind me, his shoulders moving up and down as he fought hard to catch his breath, just like I did.

I couldn’t figure out how long either of us had been in that position, but the sound of the door unlocking caught our attention.

“Connor?”

Connor’s body stiffened just slightly before he replied, “Ya, Coach?”

“You’re still in here?”

“I’m showering,” he voiced like it wasn’t a big deal. “Do you need me for that photographer inquiry?”

“Nope. Kaito already passed the message saying you’d do it with the rest of them. I was coming to close the gym, but noticed your bag was still there with a pink one that has some yellow crescent moons on it.”

I began to blush while Connor’s lips quirked into a smile.

“Brianne got called to do something. I’m waiting for her to get back. You can leave the keys if you need to go. I can close the gym up.”

“You sure? I have a board meeting, but don’t you have class?”

“Late start today,” he acknowledged. “I’ll clean up and close it up before any of the other students try to use this part.”

“Thanks, Connor. Excellent work with keeping up with your training. All the hard work will pay off,” he assured him.

“I know,” he replied as he looked at me and gently kissed me. “It’s definitely showing its benefits.”

Coach laughed. “I’m leaving the keys here. I’ll lock the doors with magic, so just make sure you give Brianne a heads up so she doesn’t struggle to get her belongings before class.”

“I’ll be done by then, Coach. Don’t worry.”

“Alright. I’m off.”

“Bye,” Connor stated. He didn’t wait for the door to close before we were quietly kissing.

“That was the most daring, exceptionally thrilling experience I’ve ever had in my entire existence,” I voiced.

He chuckled quietly before he finally pulled out of me and helped keep me standing when my shaky legs decided to not cooperate.

“I wasn’t thinking when I did that, but it got out my frustration,” he admitted. “Sorry. I was a bit rough on you.”

“Were you jealous all this while?” I inquired as I hugged him. We moved into the stream of hot water, the warmth aiding in calming us from our highs.

“Ya,” he confessed. “It annoys me how turned on these guys get when they see you down the halls or on the field. I’m normally able to tune it all out, but I’ve been aiming to work on my gift better, and it’s just been riling me up in the worst way.”

“Can you sense when they’re uh…”

“Turned on by you?” he completed.

“Ya,” I replied.

“More than that, Red,” he muttered and held me against him. “Maybe this mark just heightened my ability to the next level or whatever, but I can see vivid images of their desires. The way they picture you beneath them. Wanting your mouth on their lengths, and for you to be theirs. I almost snapped the other day when we were in a meeting and one guy was pretty much fantasizing about you the whole time.”

“Is that why you’ve decided to do two workouts lately?”

“Working out helps me zone everything out. It just flutters away and gives me the peace I need, but you look so fucking hot when you’re working hard and it just turned me on while reminding me about those horny guys, and, well…I couldn’t use my brain anymore and didn’t want another person getting a sexy view of you to jack off with today.”

“Your possessiveness is kind of hot though,” I admitted before leaning back to give him a sweet kiss. “Whenever you feel that way, I want you to tell me.”

“What if telling you means I want to do more than just talking?” he offered quietly as our lips seemed to gravitate closer.

“Then, you do what your body wants,” I whispered. “Even if it means finding a quiet place to let that tension out.”

“You realize you’re giving me permission to do this again, right?”

“I know,” I teased with a loving smile. “Does that mean Jax is joining next time?”

He began to blush to the point that his whole face turned red, which made me laugh.

“You get so embarrassed when it comes to Jax. Why?”

He looked away while pouting his lips. “I’m not sure if I can handle both of you.”

“What?” I questioned as I tried not to snicker. “Aren’t I the one who is supposed to say that?”

“Yes,” he muttered and returned his gaze to me. “But you and Jax together seem like a dangerous combination of sexual destruction and our dorm bed probably can’t handle that.”

I was laughing like a lunatic now as I tried to picture it, which only made me laugh harder.

“I’m sorry, but the fact you’re thinking this through logically is the funniest shit I’ve ever seen! Especially when I’m the one who always tries to figure things out.”

“Ugh, stop teasing me,” he huffed in annoyance before he began tickling me.

“Hehe! No! I’m innocent.” I laughed and tried to get away from him. He hooked an arm around me so my back now pressed against his chest and he kissed the nape of my neck.

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Uh, ya?” I giggled and turned my head to enjoy his lips that descended upon mine.

“I mean that I love you like this,” he whispered. “The Brianne who isn’t scared to explore or ask for what you want. It makes me want to explore more with you without being afraid of pushing you away.”

“You’d never push me away, Connor,” I reminded him.

“Even when I’m a jealous prick?”

“Jaxsin is normally a jealous prick, and you don’t see me throwing him under the bus,” I suggested. “Even when he sometimes does need a slap or two.”

“That’s true,” he admitted. “I think we’re all easy going in comparison to him.”

I laughed. “Essentially.”

“Should we clean up?” he pondered, but I could feel him between my legs.

“Why are you still hard?”

“Because when you laugh, it turns me on?”

“Everything seems to turn you on,” I voiced in glee.

“The struggle of being a guy with a dick,” he concluded as if this were the end of a tragic tale, which had me snorting and triggered a wave of laughter between both of us.

“I fucking love you,” he stated with pride as he kissed my cheek.

“I love you more,” I replied. “Now are we fucking again or washing up? Because we have class soon and I need to go help Jax with council stuff.”

“Decisions,” he hummed, but he was already guiding his cock into me once more.

I was trying not to laugh while I shivered at the slow, filling movement.

“We go again,” he quietly whispered in my ear. “Let the walls be our audience.”

We definitely put on a show.

17

JEALOUS INDUSTRY AND PAINTING BLISSFULNESS

~BRIANNE~

“CLASS DISMISSED! Make sure you read sections A, F, and J in regard to magic fields and vortexes,” Professor Phoenix declared as she placed the chalk down from the final written part of her lecture.

I finished writing the last bit of my notes when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I acknowledged the girl standing in front of my desk with a card in her hand.

“Um…hello, Ms. Harlow. Sorry for disturbing you, but um…I was wondering…by any chance…can I get an autograph?”

“Sure?” I tried not to shrug as she squealed and handed me the card that had the newest images from the photoshoot we’d done for the Witchling Games. With the games being three months away, the school was promoting hard and it was clearly working.

This morning, the official round of posters, advertising cards, and special invites to the Witchling Games were officially sent out. This year’s games was one of the most hyped in years.

Miya and Mia had explained after researching it that every few years they made the games like a competitive Olympic event. It was normally determined by the magic council during a year they deemed to have enough exceptional seniors to hype it up.

Clearly, this year was going to be that year because the moment it was announced, it broke the official website with so many views and so much traffic that they had to shut it down and get a second company to assist with increasing the volume the website could handle.

Which broke shortly after.

I didn’t think of it as a big deal when we were taking the photos. We all talked about it the evening we signed the contracts with Professor Phoenix, Master ZenSu, and Conner’s coach. I had no clue what his name was since everyone simply called him Coach, but he seemed excited for us and volunteered to drive us the day of the shoot.

I emphasized that all shoots would at least have the guys’ presence on the sidelines, and they made sure the crew knew I wouldn’t be taking anything too “sexy”. I didn’t think it mattered much seeing as anything with you in a sports bra and shorts could be deemed “sexy”, and with some drenched strands and the perfect pose to display all the perfect lines in the right lighting, you had a seller in the realms of sex appeal.

I wasn’t the only one grabbing the attention of half - if not seventy-five percent - of our city’s attention. The guys were each photographed alone in various prompts.

Jax’s photoshoot had him shirtless in what had to be the hall entrance to a stadium with flickers of light accenting his muscled chest, magic tattoos, and solid abs as his hair was left down in its slightly flaming glory. One eye was burning with various warm tone colors while the other was black, which left me wondering if it was an added aesthetic, or if Jaxsin had made a slight appearance during the shoot.

Connor’s shoot had him in the center of a gym, glistening in sweat as he “prepared” for the games. I personally felt they just did that on purpose to grab interest, but I certainly requested a few copies of that for saving. They’d requested for him to dye his hair a specific ice silver with bits of lavender purple that gave me sort of lightning vibes. I personally loved it, and that was why he decided to keep it for a while.

Kaito’s photoshoot was centered around a room full of cheering fans, and he was in traditional fighting attire that showed a good chunk of his muscled chest. He wore a sash of white that went along his chest diagonally and was tucked into the loose black pants that reminded me of Japanese fighting attire that Kaito occasionally wore. He had two of his blades in his hands while the third one was positioned so the hilt of the sword was in his mouth, like that classic anime people were still fond of.

It clearly sent the ratings of the anime back up, with the bonus love of men with long hair trending on multiple platforms thanks to the way they styled Kaito’s hair that was blowing in the wind in the photograph.

Finnick’s shoot was not only the most creative in my opinion but really made everyone realize how damn hot my normally conservative boyfriend was. I was honestly curious if he’d be willing to go shirtless for the shoot, but to our surprise, he was more than happy to play with the trend and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. It was an aerial shot that had him almost doing a cartwheel in the air, but he had his bow and arrow out and ready to shoot at the opponents below. He’d used his wind magic as a prop, which made his hair and clothes fit the aesthetic perfectly while the threads of teal from his magic that spun around him only finished the look entirely.

Once the shoot was done, I literally couldn’t help but be proud of my boyfriends, because I felt like this was something way out of our comfort zones and yet we killed the shoot. The crew was talking about it nonstop, and with us being the first shoot for our school district, I had a strong hunch the other schools that were coming in for their shoots for the games were going to get an earful about how amazing our session was and raise the bar.

Miya and Mia were rewarding me with floor-to-ceiling posters of our images, even though I had no clue where we were going to put them, but I wasn’t going to say no to seeing my four sexy boyfriends on my walls.

Regardless of the madness this photo shoot was about to conjure up in terms of our popularity, it was a good distraction as we began to prepare for the competitions.

Reaching for one of my thicker markers, I accepted the poster and signed it. “Here you go,” I said with a smile before I rose up to gather my stuff.

“Thank you, Ms. Harlow.” She had to be one of the juniors who just sneaked into the class to get my signature. I could see a group waiting outside as if they wished to be as bold as the girl, who seemed rather shy at first glance, but I purposely gathered my stuff and headed over to Professor Phoenix, who was awaiting my approach.

“Ready for today’s session?” she inquired.

“Yes,” I answered with a slight smile. “Though we may have issues going out.”

She actually laughed, which caught the remaining students’ attention since Professor Phoenix wasn’t the type to express her emotions during class.

“We don’t need to go that route,” she assured me as we waited for the remaining students to leave. The last student waved goodbye as she closed the door at Professor Phoenix’s request and told her if anyone asked, we were having a meeting.

“Well, how does it feel to be famous?” she inquired as I sat down on one of the front row desks.

“I’m not sure how to feel yet, but it may become a hindrance,” I admitted.

“Yes and no,” she admitted. “Yes, because you’re going to have a lot of people asking for your autograph, and no because there’ll be a lot of attention on you, which means our hidden enemy has to be careful not to step on an explosive.”

“You have a valid point,” I admitted and sighed. “I haven’t told the others about me visiting Elijah yet.”

“That’s surprising,” she acknowledged. “Why? Are you worried they’ll object to the idea?”

“I’m not sure?” I honestly had no clue why I was finding it difficult to share. “It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong.”

“You’re afraid it’ll affect the current dynamic in your relationship,” she guessed, which seemed to make me slowly nod with a nervous expression.

“I mean, it’s not like I still have feelings for Elijah or anything, and I’m not doing it out of pity either. I just hate seeing him that way and since starting, we’ve seen some progress.”

“Major progress, actually,” she acknowledged. “His brain activity is up today.”

“Really?” I grinned at the news as my heart leaped with joy. She nodded and looked at me with relief in her pink eyes. “They sent the report this morning, but I knew you would have been a little tired from practice yesterday.”

“Ya. Cheer practice has been vigorous, so by the time I get home and get things rolling, it’s pretty late.”

“How many hours of sleep have you been getting?”

“Three?” I tried to smile. “I know, it’s bad.”

“Bad with the competition coming up,” she acknowledged. “Why don’t we move to visiting him during these sessions?” she suggested.

“But isn’t this back and forth tiring?” I admitted. “I’m still not good with the whole Spell Traveling to another country thing yet.”

“I remember,” she said with a mischievous smile. “I’d like to visit Canada during the summer and not in the middle of a raging blizzard.”

That’s what I get for failing my attempt to get us to Switzerland.

“My bad.” I cringed at the memory while she quietly laughed.

“It’s fine, Brianne. I know this is important to you. Which reminds me, they’ve officially approved of a warrant for Elijah’s evil twin.”

“Wait, seriously?” I gasped. “Also, isn’t that a bit worrisome since their names are the same?”

“Actually, evil Elijah’s name is Eliyahu Hamilton on his birth certificate. The one we discovered was a tampered copy, so we requested for Witchling Star’s assistance to track the real one.”

“Elijah and Eliyahu. It’s sad because Elijah always mentioned how he wished he had a sibling. Maybe it had a deeper-rooted meaning to it.”

“A brother who wasn’t there to sabotage him.”

“I don’t get how no one noticed, though. Like not one member of the hospital staff noticed they were twins? I’m sure they maybe spelled their mother to not remember, and Elijah’s dad kind of sucks to begin with, but still.”

“His dad is actually in custody,” she revealed. “Not sure about the charges, but your sister and her team are working hard to crack down on this.”

“Why do I feel there’s something huge brewing beneath the surface and we’re being distracted by all these events on purpose?” I muttered mostly to myself.

“That could be it,” she agreed with a shrug as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Or they’re simply waiting for the right moment to throw out their wild card.”

“Which is?”

“Not sure,” she confessed. “I’d originally assumed it would be Elisha or Eliyahu, but Elisha’s in solitary confinement and Eliyahu is still off the grid.”

“We have no other enemies aside from the usual shadow people and kingdom.”

“I agree,” she admitted. “We could simply be over-analyzing things as well. You never know.”

“It’s giving me a headache,” I whined.

“Let’s go check on Elijah and you can head home early.”

“What about the lesson?”

“I can teach you that another day. Your magic energy is a tad lower than I’d personally like to teach you something as powerful as what I want to share.”

“Ah, is it?” I hadn’t realized my low magic levels, but I guess the lack of sleep was catching up to me. “I better pace myself better.”

“It’s honestly expected,” she reassured me. “This is your final semester and not only are you training for multiple competitions, but you’re also balancing outside school activities like the photoshoots, student council duties, and your own priorities. It’s a stressful time for everyone, but the week of the art festival will be a week off of classes and extra-curricular activities, so use that time to rest.”

“I certainly will,” I voiced before there was a knock on the door. We both stared at it for a long moment before I took a peek at Professor Phoenix’s expression that went from happy to expressionless.

“Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Miss Electra in the company of a tall slender man and girl with blonde hair with green streaks. I couldn’t help taking her appearance in because she was an example of the ideal Barbie.

From the neon pink dress that was far too short for a walk through the school to the neon green heels she wore that really clashed, adding the foreign school blazer resting on her shoulders, she seriously looked like someone coming home from the club who had borrowed a blazer from someone because she was cold.

“Sorry to interrupt, Professor Phoenix,” Miss Electra stated with a bit of a cold bark to her tone of voice. “Professor Dickson and his cheer squad leader are here to sign the final documents for the competition. They’ve informed me that they have other appointments to attend to and thus, their urgency to be seen.”

I glanced over to Professor Phoenix, noticing the intense vibes I was getting from her as her aura sparked almost competitively with the new arrival.

“I don’t like being interrupted,” she voiced. “I’ve sent five requests for your attendance and signature. If you seem to not respect my time, I don’t understand why I should respect yours when you decided to arrive unannounced on our property when I’m having an important one-on-one lesson with one of our elite students.”

“Elite student?” the girl commented as she looked me up and down. “She’s just the poster girl everyone’s yapping about. Nothing strong about a showgirl.”

“For a girl dressed like she’s about to hit the club and missed the fashion department, you sure like to speak tough,” I muttered casually. “Did you just borrow that blazer from someone so you wouldn’t have to do the walk of shame through our prestigious Witchling Academy halls?”

She was going to say something, but I approached her head-on until I was right in front of her. “My name is Brianne Harlow. I’m Vice President of Witchling Academy, one of the top students in academic standing and magic alchemy, and the leader of the cheer squad you’re most likely going to be competing against.”

She flinched and took a step back, which only confirmed that Marianna’s energy was thrumming through me - not like I couldn’t feel it.

“Don’t come onto our property and try to belittle me like we’re on the same level,” I declared with a low voice before my eyes lifted to meet the man who was observing me with a blank expression. “As a professor, you should teach your students to be respectful when on other’s territory. Would be a shame if they instigated a fight and got hurt.”

I’m sure he wanted to say something back to me, but he nodded. “Our apologies. Delphina didn’t recognize you.”

“You don’t need to recognize someone to show respect.”

The voice came from the door, and we turned to see a girl and a taller woman at the door. I almost did a double-take, because the girl had fabulous bright red hair like me and was my exact same height. She reminded me of Alice with the way her face carried a cold, predatory expression, and yet the softness of her pale white skin and the shocking brightness of her red lips gave her a snow-white glam that accented her immense beauty.

She wore a midnight blue uniform with gold accents and stars as the print while her blazer emphasized the golden stars and constellations.

Her hair was left down in bountiful curls and I noticed the bunny on her shoulder, a tiny bow tie of red along his black furry body. He even had red eyes, which were both scary and adorable.

She walked into the room until she stood specifically next to the girl, her attention completely on this girl who seemed surprised by the new appearance.

“And who the hell are you?”

“Alicia Midnight,” she replied and pointed to her bunny. “And this is Roxas.”

“I don’t care about your bun-” she began and then shrieked as the very bunny in question began nibbling on her hair like it was the most delicious lettuce in all the land. “Stop chewing on my hair!”

She tugged at it, but he chomped on it so she couldn’t pull it out. I watched in pure amazement as she literally tugged her hair as though she’d entered a tug of war, and the adorable black bunny was winning.

“MewMew!” Elsa poofed into existence and fell onto the girl’s head, which led to everyone looking at her before she shook her body that went from pink to orange. She took a sniff of the girl’s hair and wiggled her nose.

“Uh oh,” Alicia declared, and I wasn’t sure why she said it until Elsa sneezed.

And blew a wave of fire into the girl’s hair.

“AH!” The shrill scream made the bunny jump and release the girl’s hair, which caused her to fall right back like her invisible robe had been snapped in two. Elsa hopped off the girl’s head before she’d even fallen to the floor and landed on Alica’s head. “MewMew!”

She stood there with pride like she’d done a good deed for the nation, while the girl was fighting to put her hair out. Alicia finally acknowledged me with a gaze before her black orbs widened as colors that were radiant like a flame began to dance in her irises.

“Hold on. Alice?” she questioned and pouted. “You don’t go to this school.”

“You know Alice?” I inquired. “Alice Blaze?”

“Um, ya,” she replied. “Which is you, right? Cause if it’s not, that’s gonna be a bit scary, cause you guys are pretty identical, though her skin is a tad darker than yours, and she has about three more centimeters of hips,” she acknowledged.

“Um…” I looked at my hips as if trying to figure out how she did that.

“Sorry, I’m a little weird and like to acknowledge silly stuff,” she concluded. “So you’re definitely not Alice or you would have known that.”

“I’m Brianne Harlow,” I re-introduced. “And Alice is actually uh…well, we’re related.”

“Seriously?” she gasped. “That means there’s almost a ninety-nine percent chance that we’ll get along.” Her whole expression blossomed in excitement as she reached out to shake my hand. “So nice to meet you!”

“Likewise,” I replied as I shook her hand. The two of us had completely forgotten about the girl who was still screaming. The shrill sound caught our attention as we realized the flame wasn’t out.

“Huh?” we said in unison before I looked to Professor Phoenix while Alicia looked over to her professor. “Why isn’t the fire out?”

No one seemed to speak due to our dual question, which freaked me out for a few seconds. Why are we synced?

“Your familiar used a special flame. No one else can put it out,” the woman at the door announced.

Professor Phoenix bobbed her head. “Brianne. You have to put it out.”

“Oh,” I replied as everyone looked at me as we stood there in lingering silence.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?!!!” the girl screamed.

“Well, I don’t know. I’m just a showgirl,” I voiced innocently, and Alicia gawked at me before she covered her mouth to hold back her snickering.

“So you’re unexpectedly savage.”

“I was probably a villain in my past life,” I suggested with a shrug. “Who knows.”

“Nah. You look kind of too nice to be. Besides, that’s better than being tied to a stick for a ritual and being burned to death.”

I gawked at her in horror. “That’s horrible!”

“I know.” She sighed dramatically.

“Way worse than being killed by an arrow.”

“Agreed, though arrows hurt just as well.”

“True.”

“WILL SOMEONE HELP ME! AHH!!”

“Oh,” we acknowledged the girl who probably didn’t have hair left at this point. I cringed at the idea of having to go to court over this, so I sighed and snapped my fingers.

She was drenched in water a second later as she spluttered like a flopping fish.

“There you go,” I declared as though I’d saved the day. “Professor Phoenix, should I leave you to do your business?”

“Sure,” she calmly replied, her eyes still on the girl. “I’ll handle this. This may take longer than need be, so why don’t we meet later? I’ll call you in the evening.”

“Alright,” I replied and looked at Alicia. “Are we going to be in the cheer competition together?” I inquired as Elsa hopped off her head onto mine.

“Ah, I don’t cheer.” She laughed. “I’m here for the art festival registry. We were looking for who to talk to regarding registering and a tall boy with pinkish green hair told us to come here from the art room.”

“Finnick,” I replied.

“Who?” she asked.

“The guy who gave you instructions. Did he have a tattoo on his wrist?”

“Yup,” she replied. “It was pretty.”

I showed her mine. “That’s my boyfriend.”

“Awww, really?! Too bad I’m leaving after this! We could have gone on a double date or something to talk,” she voiced.

“Your boyfriend’s here?”

She smirked and pointed to the bunny before leaning in. “He’s the bunny. Shhhh,” she whispered.

I gawked and looked at the bunny as he began to nibble on the air.

“Deadly,” I concluded.

I should try changing Finnick into a bunny.

You like to think of amusing things.

Thanks. I think?

Turning to give Professor Phoenix a respectful bow of my head, I looked to the girl whose hair was now short as ever, almost as if she went to get a pixie cut.

She looked up at me, her eyes specifically on Elsa.

“You’re going to pay for this!” she shrieked.

“I’d be happy to pay for any hair treatment you need, though I guess you should be grateful the fire didn’t burn to your scalp.”

“You did this on purpose!”

“How? We have multiple witnesses who saw my innocent kitten of a familiar sneeze. Feel free to take it to court if you wish.”

“Wouldn’t she automatically lose?” Alicia commented before I turned to head to the door. “Familiars are known to sneeze when they’re uncomfortable or around individuals with odd spikes in their aura. She could have sneezed for that reason, and if the familiar doesn’t have a habit of doing such, it’ll be deemed an accident.”

She lowered her gaze to the girl. “If you’d simply asked from the get-go, you wouldn’t look like an elf hooker on a budget.”

“Alicia.” Her professor sighed.

“Oops. Was I not supposed to say what I was thinking with that one?” she genuinely asked, and I pulled out my phone.

“Alright. We need to be friends.”

“That would be epic!” she replied.

Professor Dickson cleared his throat. “Can you do such exchanges outside, so we can deal with the disturbance your familiar made?” he huffed in impatience.

“Right,” Alicia and I said in unison before Elsa hissed.

“It’s okay, Elsa.” I had to take her off my head before she tried to pounce on the grumpy man. He gave me a look, but it didn’t disturb me in the slightest. “Let’s go.” I prompted Alicia to come outside with me.

After a quick exchange of numbers, we shared a look of happiness.

“Funny how we randomly met! My card reading said I’d meet someone.”

“Card reading?” I inquired and stared at her bunny. “And he’s seriously your boyfriend?”

She smirked and looked around to make sure no one was in the hall. “I’ll show you if you close your eyes for a moment. He doesn’t come with clothes.”

We both giggled at her hushed whisper before I placed my hands over my face. “Show me your magic trick.”

I felt the shift in magic in the air, and then there was a long sigh.

“Alicia,” the voice whined. “Why do you like showing me off?”

“Because you’re my boyfriend?” she answered. “A very naked one, though.”

He grunted and there was another wave of magic. “Your friend can move her hands already. I want to get this over with so we can go home. I’m hungry.”

I moved my hands to see the tall man. He had to be 6′4″ and he immediately reminded me of Jax because of his bright red hair. Adding the pale skin, red eyes, and black attire, he really reminded me of Jax, or like an alternate of Jaxsin.

“You look like my boyfriend,” I voiced.

“Really?! Roxas! You have a twin!”

“No,” he dryly declared. “I’m only going to guess your boyfriend is the guy on the poster with the flaming hair.”

“Yes,” I replied. “To be fair, all four main guys in the posters around the school are my boyfriends.”

Alicia was gawking while Roxas stood there, speechlessly.

“Weird, huh?” I casually shrugged. “I’m sure it’s not often you see a girl with multiple boyfrie-”

“I have six!” she said with pride, which had me speechless as I blinked at her declaration.

“She’s actually serious,” Roxas added. “I’m just the boyfriend she travels with because I can change into a bunny and the others can’t.”

“Oh, c’mon. You make it sound like you hate traveling with me. Look! We’re making friends!”

“Hmph,” he replied. “Whatever.”

She beamed and looked at the door. “I shouldn’t take too long, but here, Brianne.” Pulling out a card from the inside pocket of her blazer, she offered it to me. “You can have this!”

“What’s this?”

“It’s one of the tarot cards I pulled out when I was doing a reading on myself yesterday,” she voiced. “I was nervous about coming over to this school for the art competition, but this card said I’d meet someone who’d let my nerves fade away, which is exactly what you did.”

I accepted the card and stared at it. The word UNITY was at the bottom with five colorful flames that were in various colors. The card itself was pink with a holographic golden orange shade.

“This card is super beautiful though. Won’t it shorten your deck?” I asked.

“I’m sure you’ll give it back to me in the future,” she assured me. “You have my number! We have to go back to our home after this, and I may be pretty busy due to the art festival, but I’ll be free all summer long! Maybe we can do a girl hang out with Alice!”

The thought made me smile as I thought of Jade. “I have another friend, too, who probably would come along.”

“A girl vacation! We can bring all our boyfriends!”

“Too many men,” Roxas huffed.

“Oh please. You’re just going to get your pride hurt because those guys are all muscled hunks while you always lose muscle whenever you nibble on grass.”

“Maybe if you stopped feeding me grass, I wouldn’t lose muscle.”

“You’re a bunny. I can’t feed you carrots. You’re gonna get fat.”

“Better than nasty hair,” he grumbled. “I’m hungry.”

“Here.” I snapped my fingers and summoned a voucher. I printed and signed my name on it before giving it to Roxas. “This will give you access to the school cafeteria and restaurants. I don’t go often since I’m pretty busy, so I have a ton of vouchers. This will get you anything for the day, so go ahead and eat after you’re done. It doesn’t expire, and it can be used during the festival. It just has a limit during that event.”

“That’s so nice!” Alicia cheered. “An exchange. We’re very thankful, Brianne.”

“I’m thankful for meeting you guys. Let’s keep in touch.”

“Totally,” Alicia agreed. “Nice meeting you.”

“Pleasure meeting you, and thanks,” Roxas expressed his gratitude.

“See you.” I waved as they did, before turning around to head to the art room. Lifting the card to stare at it, I admired the artwork.

“She reads tarot cards and her uniform has stars. Why do I feel as though she’s super important?”

Slipping the card into the safety of my blazer pocket, I continued to walk down the hall as I lifted my hand to pat Elsa’s head. “Good job, Elsa. That girl was a bitch.”

“MewMew!” she replied happily as she purred along the way.

Unity. Maybe that card will somehow bring us together one day?

18

ROLLERCOASTER DREAM

~FINNICK~

THAT’S FINNICK ROSEDALE?

Girl, can you believe it? He’s been on the trending page for weeks!

You’d never think he has a body like that!

A man who is perfectly fit, does well in school, and paints like a god!

Ugh, we fucked up! Why didn’t we try to date him?

Bitch. You were calling him a boring archer for the longest time.

Can you believe he used to be bullied too?

Or that that Elisha bitch was running her mouth and said he raped her.

Did you hear that it wasn’t even her? It was her twin sis. Totally crazy.

Imagine if they hadn’t investigated and threw Finnick in jail.

Well, we wouldn’t be having such eye candy on our walls.

Brianne is so damn lucky. Four fucking hot guys with futures.

Right. She’s hot as fuck, powerful like a damn god, and is probably guaranteed a job after graduation.

Don’t forget she’s rich. Didn’t you hear the rumor that she paid off the trip they went on when one of the organizers tried to bribe them?

That’s insane. She’s a trooper. After the dead girl in the council room, I wasn’t sure if they would be okay.

Ya, man. That shit was insane. It’s inspiring to see them still thriving.

CLOSING THE LOCKER DOOR, I took a deep breath to zone out the world around me. I was getting a headache from the commotion over the photoshoot we did. Weeks had passed since the announcement and yet people were still buzzing over it.

In a way, I couldn’t blame them. Many were acknowledging that this was going to be the last time we participated in such a huge event.

It kind of amazed me that everyone was really recognizing our growth over the years. I’d definitely changed in comparison to the first semester, when I used my joking, playful banter to hide my real emotions and anxieties.

Nowadays, there was no need to hide it. If I didn’t feel like smiling, I didn’t. There was no desire to force a smile on my face or try to please the world around me while my own heart ached on the inside.

Whenever I thought about it, I debated if this was some sort of emo stage, but maybe I was at the stage of my life where I was fine with accepting reality.

Accepting that every day won’t be butterflies and rainbows and that it’s okay. Life was never made to be a perfect reflection of happiness.

“What are you thinking about?”

I pulled out of my thoughts to turn my head to see Kaito in his kendo attire, leaning against the locker next to mine, his arms crossed over his chest. I hadn’t even sensed him, which only confirmed that I needed to go chill for a bit. I’d been working hard to balance my studies, creative endeavors, training, and helping Jax on the side.

Poor guy had so much on his plate and yet he was handling it like a boss. I guess we were all so caught up with everything that even eating dinner together became too strenuous to keep up. We all understood that this would be a short term thing, but it was stressing us out.

“It’s too noisy in the hall,” I replied with a slight smile as I met his intrigued gaze. “Practice?”

“Sadly,” he replied and sighed. “Master ZenSu wants me to take a week off, but the festival is almost here anyway, so I don’t see the need to.”

“You have to be careful not to burn out, Kaito,” I scolded with a hint of worry. I didn’t want him getting an injury before his tournament. He put in far too many hours, hard work, and dedication for this final moment to be wasted by pushing himself too hard.

“I’m fine,” he assured me. “I’ll take tomorrow off. Were you going back to the dorms or going to help Jax?”

“Connor’s helping Jax today,” I revealed and leaned in closer to whisper, “Connor’s surprising him with a little date.”

He arched an eyebrow at the mention of ‘date’, and I wondered if we’d go somewhere once we had time to basically live. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t beginning to feel a tad lonely from the decreased amount of affection, but it felt selfish of me to complain when we had so much going on.

We were doing our best to eat properly and get a few short hours of sleep at night. Brianne was barely getting sleep, from my observation. Two to three hours. She’d go to bed super late after doing yoga and showering, and then she’d be up and leaving for her run.

A part of me felt like she was doing something else that was beginning to take up her time, and yet I didn’t want to intrude either. I trusted Brianne, just like the others, and I felt like when she was ready to share something, she would. Maybe she could be hiding it due to the same reason I wasn’t expressing my desire for some intimacy.

We all needed to focus this semester, and there was no need for distractions. It was just hard to keep telling yourself that.

“Where are they going?” Kaito asked, but his eyes began to glow slightly before he looked confused and also intrigued. “Never mind.”

“Now you have to tell me.”

“It’s…um…” He began to blush while his face scrunched. It wasn’t a disgusted look, but more like he was attempting to figure out the right way to express what he saw. “A club?” he suggested.

“Why did that take you so long to state?” I inquired.

“I think it’s a gay club,” Kaito quietly admitted.

Alright. I get his reaction.

“That’s bold of Connor,” I voiced. I knew he was going to take him out for a break but never would have thought of a gay club. Since our Dubai trip, I wondered if Connor was okay with being affectionate in public with Jax.

It was easy when Brianne was around. She awakened a part of us that just blossomed without a second thought. When we were independently on our own, things got…flustered. Even with just us standing at the lockers, I could feel the pulsating pressure of those watching us.

The judgment, whispers, gossip, and potential pictures would scatter through the internet to be ridiculed and mocked.

“I agree, but maybe he sensed Jax’s emotions?” Kaito offered. “You know Jax hides his stress really well.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “With Brianne being so busy as well, he’s probably not getting his usual motivational boost either.”

“She hasn’t been sleeping,” Kaito acknowledged.

“I noticed,” I replied and turned to lean my back against my locker. The hall was quieter now, and it seemed as though everyone was moving away, so we could see if anyone was lingering for no apparent reason. “I have a feeling she’s doing something that she’s worried to share with us.”

“She’s been taking care of Elijah,” Kaito casually announced.

It was such a relaxed response that it simply didn’t process in my brain as I looked over to him. “What?”

“She’s been taking care of Elijah,” he repeated. “Obviously not the evil one. The one in a coma.”

“How…that’s not possible,” I voiced. “Is she literally teleporting back and forth?” I felt like that wasn’t the primary problem here, and yet I was more concerned about Brianne’s health. She was strong magically, and I didn’t doubt her capabilities, but this semester had already been a little vigorous with all the spells we had to learn before the training and extracurricular activities.

“I think Professor Phoenix is helping her. Kind of like training. Brianne can teleport to places around the world in her sleep, but that’s because she’s in a resting state. It’s far harder when she’s straining herself and is low on energy. You noticed she was a bit drained today,” Kaito explained.

“Ya. Not to forget Professor Phoenix has been taking a lot of the afternoon off for admin stuff so we’ve had that substitute,” I acknowledged. “At least it’s not that boring one.”

“You’re not surprised about the Elijah thing?”

“No,” I confessed. “I honestly kind of expected Brianne to want to do something when we found out he’s been in a coma since the incident.”

“I feel Brianne’s afraid of sharing that she’s helping him,” Kaito revealed. “Not necessarily scared, but I guess it’s hard to read.”

“Maybe she thinks we’ll be jealous or upset with her? I guess in other situations, a guy could be,” I countered.

“Could be. Most insecure boyfriends would have a problem, but I feel we’ve passed that stage,” Kaito admitted. “Let’s be realistic. She did have a major crush on him, and before that, they were best friends. It’s easy to hate someone when you know they’ve been involved in many things that were aimed to hurt you, but now that we know the truth, it’s difficult to keep that mindset.”

“His evil brother really fucked up his life,” I whispered as I remembered my brother. “A brother is supposed to be there for you through thick and thin. You don’t always need to get along, but it’s nice to know you have someone to rely on when life gets dark. Siblings should have your back. It’s sad that from day one, it seemed Elijah was simply set up for failure.”

“He was the perfect scapegoat,” Kaito suggested. “I bet the Shadow Kingdom thought the good Elijah would simply disappear.”

“But if what was stated about them having some sort of connection like Elisha and Eliza is true, then he has no choice but to exist. One can’t survive without the other.”

“A cruel life of being one’s shadow and taking the blame for someone else’s deeds.” Kaito sighed. “We need to figure out a way to end evil Elijah.”

“He needs to come out of hiding first.” I leaned my head back against the metal surface and closed my eyes. “It’s only a matter of time, though. Whatever Brianne did has a time limit and I don’t think even the high and mighty Shadow Kingdom can heal him.”

“He’ll show up sooner or later,” Kaito replied. “The only question is when?”

“One of the many mysteries,” I muttered. “Man, my head hurts.”

The first warning bell went off, alerting everyone that the next set of classes and activities were starting. The halls were buzzing swiftly once more, but I ignored it just to take a moment to relax.

I felt a hand press lightly on my forehead. Opening my eyes, I noticed how close Kaito’s face was to mine as he concentrated. “You’re a little warm but I don’t think you’re getting a fever,” he voiced. “Are you going to paint?”

“Ya,” I replied while trying not to fall into the desire to move closer like a moth to a flame. “It’ll help me decompress a bit.”

My eyes moved temporarily from his intense gaze to his lips, and the way my cock twitched made me clench my hands to remind myself to stay still. The hall was still busy with students leaving and heading to their classes and activities.

It wasn’t like we had anything to hide. We were dating in our group and I was sure people already accepted the underlying fact that our relationship was unique in its own way. I kept telling myself that, and it was easy to convince myself when it was just us or our group, yet here I was struggling to make the first move.

Where did all my confidence go?

It had to be something I worked on, but my lips tingled with craving as the intensity between us grew. Closing my eyes, I took a deep inhale through my nose and let it out slowly.

“You should get going, Kaito,” I encouraged. I didn’t want him being late for his training.

When he didn’t answer, I opened my eyes, only for them to widen at the soft, yet solid, kiss. My body froze and it almost felt like the world had stilled as well. My senses were focused on the man before me - my Kaito, who I’d come to cherish over the years.

I never thought he’d have the courage to kiss me in public. It had to be a mistake or a dream playing out in my head, and yet I couldn’t help but be so damn happy. The sensation of his lips as they moved against mine made me want to take the lead and devour his tender pace.

I barely dared to breathe, thinking one inhale would steal this moment from me, but it was inevitable as he deepened the kiss while he moved to press his hand against the locker as if I’d escape from his addicting lips.

It was amazing how a simple kiss could push away those whispering thoughts and fear of what others would think of us. In this connected world of swirling emotions, it was just us enjoying the simplistic whirlwind of passion between us.

His other hand moved to rest on my hip, the touch making a shiver run down my spine as pleasure and warmth rushed down to my cock that was growing harder by the second. He broke the kiss for only a second, his tongue gliding along my bottom lip before sliding right in while he tilted my head further back to get even more access.

My hands couldn’t take not touching him in the slightest - not pulling him into my grasp so he’d never escape - so I resorted to placing my hands at his robe’s tare, moving him even closer to me as he increased the depth of our sizzling kiss.

I seriously couldn’t fathom the idea that we were making out in the middle of the hall without a care in the world, but I had a strong hunch that Kaito couldn’t stop - and neither could I.

I didn’t want this to end, even though I knew it would, because we wouldn’t be able to take this further. My hips were desperately wanting to grind against his. My cock was twitching to be in his mouth. All of this was making me feel like I was on a delirious high between happiness and pleasure, and I hadn’t even come yet.

If a kiss can make me into a clueless fool, what’s going to happen when we further this connection?

“Kaito,” a guy called out from my right side. I thought I’d freeze up, but I remained relaxed as Kaito broke the kiss briefly to look over his shoulder. I decided to cautiously check who was calling him, and noticed it was one his kendo mates. “I know you’re being all lovely dovey with your boyfriend and all, but we’re going to be late and my arms are already dying from this morning’s training.”

To say I wasn’t shocked would be an understatement. I was fucking baffled at the fact they were casually acknowledging that I was Kaito’s boyfriend.

Did he tell them the details of our relationship without our group? Wait, no. Everyone knows we’re dating but like…everyone’s being so accepting of it.

I took the chance to quickly scan the hall and literally everyone was minding their own business. Only a few individuals were looking our way at my observation, but they weren’t mocking or anything. A few smiles and thumbs up in encouragement made my cheeks blush while Kaito replied, “Fine, fine. I’ll be there. I gotta walk Finnick to art class. Two minutes.”

“Cool. We’ll wait for you in front of the entrance,” he declared as the others began to wave and depart. “See ya, Finnick.”

“Bye,” I replied as Kaito slid an arm over my shoulders and prompted us to begin moving. “I have about five minutes,” he muttered as we continued to walk to the art hall.

“You know I don’t have class, right?” I voiced as if to remind him. I was sure he knew our schedule by now, seeing as none of us had classes today. Brianne had some training sessions with Professor Phoenix that she didn’t want to miss, and the others had their own agendas today.

“I’m aware,” he replied as we turned the corner and were soon in front of the last classroom at the very end of the hall in the right corner. He opened the door for me, and I was relieved that this room was empty. No one really used the classrooms down this hall, but I made sure to book it either way since I didn’t like unnecessary interruptions when I was painting.

Lowering my bag to the floor of the front desk, I turned to bid Kaito farewell, just as he hooked an arm around my waist and brought me right against him as his lips claimed mine in impatience.

My moan was muffled as his lips fought against mine in haste. I clung to him in urgency before he had me pressed against the desk. My arms moved to rest on his shoulder as he laid me right down on the desk. He hovered above me, our lips still competing for dominance of this intense rodeo, while my hands traveled through his hair until I tugged the ribbon that held it together.

It came undone like a falling curtain, concealing the way we kissed with sizzling passion. He moaned as he pressed his groin against mine, and the two of us began humping one another, which was turning me on in so many ways.

We kissed, breathed rapidly, and allowed our hands to travel where they wanted to. I felt his free hand travel to my pants, and the sound of him unbuckling my belt and lowering the zipper made me both excited and nervous.

“You’re going to be late,” I tried to remind him as he broke the kiss to give me a second to breathe. He actually smiled, his eyes full of vibrant purple as they danced with hints of lavender and silver.

“I still have three minutes,” he whispered and lowered his face even closer as his lips brushed my swollen ones. “Now you get to decide, Finnick. Get a hand job by me or masturbate in this room by yourself.”

If that deep voice wasn’t the deal breaker, it was the way his eyes of hooded lust appreciated me that sealed the deal as I threw away every strand of logic. I brought him down for another fierce kiss.

He lightly chuckled against my lips before he moaned at the way I moved my hips up to prompt him to do what I was positive he’d predicted.

“Impatient,” he muttered, but we were back to making out while his hand slipped into my boxers to retrieve my cock. The way I shivered at the feel of his hand wrapping around my length made it hard not to just cum already.

He broke the kiss we were sharing to move his lips down my neck, leaving kisses across my feverish flesh as his tongue licked the designated spot before he swiftly sucked it then moved further down to the next spot.

His wrapped fingers began to glide up and down my hardened length, leaving me to moan in relief as he began to work his magic. It felt like I hadn’t had a hand job before, and though I obviously had with Brianne, it felt so different - from how his hand held a roughness to it to how his movements were rugged in a good way.

The added chill of his hand emphasized the warmth of my cock as he began to move faster. I knew my restraint wasn’t going to last any longer as my panting exhales grew, while he moved even faster like he fully sensed my closeness.

“Kaito,” I grunted as my body grew rigid. I bit my teeth to muffle my long moan that ended up escaping my lips when Kaito sucked on my neck swiftly before sinking his teeth just slightly into my flesh, which shot me right into my release.

“Fuck,” I cursed as cum shot out and down my cock and onto his hand. I had to catch my breath, feeling fucking amazing as I rode every damn second of my ecstatic high.

Kaito moved from the nape of my neck to give me one more solid kiss before he released me. “We need to do that again,” he voiced, his face completely red as if he now realized what we’d done. “And I’m so going to be late.”

“Oops,” I voiced and lightly chuckled. “Told you.”

“I’ll figure a way out of it.” He smiled in return before we shared a simple staring moment while we caught our breaths.

“We should do that more often,” I quietly confessed as if I didn’t want the world to hear.

Didn’t want the Universe to listen and acknowledge just how much I need these little moments of relief.

“I agree,” he replied. “I gotta go wash up. I’m leaving,” he announced, but moved in to kiss me. “You know if you’re lonely, you can say so, right?”

His words made the vulnerability I’d fought hard to hide seep into my expression. He sighed and pressed his forehead against mine. “I know you’re busy with the festival, but you know my bed is always there for you when you’re lonely, silly.”

“What if Brianne’s in it?” I joked.

“And that should stop you because?”

My cheeks grew red at his counter response. He rewarded me with a smile as he plopped a final kiss on my nose. “Regardless who’s in my bed, you’re welcome there,” he replied and added, “Correction. Whoever is in our Notorious group, that is.”

With a wink, he was headed out the door and closing it behind him, and I was left to stare at my length that was still out of my pants, noticing the way it twitched at my obvious observation.

“Why do I feel as though our relationship is going to skyrocket after graduation?”

All I can do is prepare for the rollercoaster I dream will come faster.

19

PASTEL DREAMS AND SUPPORTIVE REALITY

~BRIANNE~

“MEWMEW!” Elsa stopped at the door before she turned back to look at me with a happy expression on her furry face. Her tail was moving happily before she stretched and sat down to begin grooming her little paws.

“Good work, Elsa,” I praised my familiar as I came to a stop before her. Crouching down, I stroked her head and body before scooping her up. “You can go to sleep now.”

“MewMew!” she replied happily before rubbing my face with her head. With a hop from my hand to my shoulder, she cozied up against my neck before her body faded away.

My smile continued to grace my lips as I stared at my shoulder where Elsa was moments ago. I was still thinking over what she’d just done to that girl minutes earlier. I didn’t even know her name, which wasn’t my fault, seeing as she never introduced herself.

There had to be a reason for Elsa’s random “sneeze”, but I could also be overanalyzing things and being paranoid. I’d talk to Miya and Mia about it later tonight. A simple text and they would either know who this chick was or find out in a good ten minutes with their curious duo minds.

Deciding to knock lightly on the door, I opened it up slightly to see if Finnick was inside or if the place was empty. It was easy to find my attractive artist - his body was right in the center of the room that was clearly organized to accommodate big art classes.

The desks weren’t in rows but were spread out around the room like a large circle and the walls had stacks of chairs. The center was reserved to be the true “eye-catcher” of the circular space, as a platform stood in the middle. That was where Finnick was sitting on a stool with various paints out and a blank canvas staring back at him.

I quietly entered and closed the door just as silently as possible, my focus returning to the middle of the room as I admired Finnick’s back.

Seeing as he hadn’t responded to my arrival yet, I could only assume he was in his own world of creation - his mind wandering through the realms of artistic inspiration. I didn’t want to interrupt his focus, so I quietly walked to the larger desk that would assumingly be the professor’s spot, due to the large rectanglular desk.

Hoisting myself to sit, I watched him stare at the blank canvas while the quiet thrumming hum of music tickled my ears. That would now be the reason why he didn’t hear my entrance, but I knew Finnick was more observant when he was alone.

He wouldn’t let just anyone walk into his space, which left me confident in his silent acknowledgment that my presence didn’t threaten him in the slightest.

Deciding to remain silent, I watched him as he seemed to take a few inhales as he leaned his head back, his eyes closed while he continued to breathe at a balanced pace.

It felt like some sort of exercise - one that I began to mimic because it piqued my curiosity. I followed his paced inhales and exhales, my shoulders moving up and down while I left my eyes closed to experience the full moment for myself.

I couldn’t help wondering about the possibilities of what Finnick would potentially draw. It wasn’t like we had anything to do here afterward, so we could literally spend as much time here as he needed to make some progress.

Adding the fact that I’d have to wait for Professor Phoenix, there was definitely time to spare. Obviously, this wasn’t the piece he was working on for the festival, but it could have been a part of some grand scheme of sorts.

Sometimes I wondered what went through his imaginative brain. What array of colors processed while his mind filtered a plethora of images, inspirations, and memories?

I tried to even imagine him painting with colors of teal and pink. How he’d make the colors flow across the canvas so flawlessly while hiding an image that would form near the very end of completion.

Pastel skies and white fluffy clouds, detailed shadows that emphasized the vast sunset hidden in the grand horizon, it felt like I was floating in the very scene. That I was witnessing the tranquility the view had to offer me while acknowledging the wild dream that made my imagination drift further.

Arms wrapped around me as my back pressed against another person’s body, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the vivid feeling of comfort those secure arms delivered in this wondrous moment.

Leaning my head back, I looked up to see Finnick as he lowered his head to peer down at me. He looked so different. More mature, even. Maybe he was older with his hair now long like it had been back when we met, only it surpassed his shoulders and blew in the wind.

He looked so much like his parents, his eyes twinkling like his mother’s always did with immense compassion, while his facial structure was like his dad’s. There was something different about Finnick, but it felt like for the better. As though he’d allowed the wings he thought burdened him to spread wide and allow him the freedom he deserved to see this wanderlust escape.

“You’re missing out on the view,” I whispered to remind him, and it merely made him smile with pride as his white teeth glimmered from the last rays of sunlight that washed over us.

“The best view in these lands is right in my arms, Red.” His words made my heart swell, even if they seemed to echo in my mind instead of reaching my ears. The way I smiled made his grin grow further, and he leaned down until our lips pressed in a simple yet emotionally calming kiss.

With a smile against his lips, I broke the kiss to enjoy the view once more as he rested his chin on top of my head.

“Is this a dream?” I pondered.

“Could be,” he replied. “No matter, though. It’s nice. You seem tired though.”

“Ya…” I whispered. “Finnick?”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve been wanting to help Elijah.”

“Mhmm,” he prompted.

“Do you think you and the others would be mad?”

“You know my answer here may be different in the real world, Red.”

“I know.”

He held me tighter as he moved his head to whisper in my ear. “No one would be upset, Brianne. You know that’s not what’s stopping you.”

“Then…what’s stopping me?”

He chuckled and kissed my cheek before he rested his chin on my head once more.

“You have to answer that, Notorious Queen. And when you do, we’ll be there to lift you up.” His words didn’t make sense to me, and yet they delivered some sort of peace of mind.

“Thanks, Finnick,” I whispered. “Even if this may be a dream. I’m grateful.”

“Who knows,” he replied quietly. “Dreams can always become reality.”

He was right, and yet I wasn’t sure as it seemed like my eyes were heavy all of sudden. I closed them momentarily as I enjoyed the warmth his embrace gave me - the sound of a paced beat soothing me further.

I remained still for a while as if trying to prolong this blissful serenity. The soft up and down movements of what I rested my head on were far more comfortable than a pillow. Something was stroking my head, almost like fingers were running through my hair.

The movement was encouraging me to drift off to sleep once more, but I decided I should wake up and see if I’d fallen asleep in class or something.

Opening my eyes slowly, I noticed the beginning rays of sunset that streamed into the room. My eyes lingered on the opened collar around the chest I’d been sleeping on while a soft, natural scent of pine tickled my nostrils.

“Finnick?” I questioned with my hoarse voice. It was still thick with sleep, which only confirmed what I’d experienced was a dream. I wasn’t as disappointed as I expected, as if I’d been given a chance to sort out the emotions dwelling within me.

The stroking paused as I felt lips press lightly on my lips. My tired eyes closed once again at the soft touch, and I pressed against his soft lips that tasted like cherries for some odd reason.

“Cherries,” I muttered when he broke the kiss to look down at me as I looked up just slightly with my sleepy eyes.

“I put on cherry chapstick earlier,” he revealed. “Good evening, Red. Have a nice nap?”

“Nap,” I repeated the single word as I blinked my heavy eyelids to try and get them to work. “I fell asleep?”

“You did,” he admitted and leaned back so he could point at the desk. “Over there though.”

“Oh.” It was all coming back to me now that my brain was beginning to wake up. I’d come to check on Finnick after the new girl, Alicia, said he directed her to Professor Phoenix’s classroom. I’d sat down to watch him work his magic but ended up falling asleep.

Lifting my head from his chest, I began to rub my eyes before I yawned.

“Still sleepy?” he inquired.

“Ya,” I replied. “I have to see Professor Phoenix later, though. We didn’t get to do our session because of some interruptions.”

“You mean the new girl who looked like Alice in the star uniform?”

“Ya, but she wasn’t the interruption,” I replied. “Her name is Alicia.”

“Hmm. Extremely similar, huh,” he replied while working his fingers through my hair to make sure it didn’t get into my face. “Brianne. Alice. Alicia. All redheads.”

“Orange with-”

“Gold highlights,” he finished with a wide grin. “Do you want to sleep more, or do you want to do something else while we wait for Professor Phoenix to contact you?”

“Something else,” I mumbled and turned my head only to freeze in place. My jaw dropped at the finished portrait reflecting back at me - the stunning usage of teal, pink, and whites, with hints of glittering orange and gold coming together to bring the exact beauty I’d seen in my dream.

“How?” I questioned with a hushed voice as if I didn’t want the rest of the world to hear my simple question. “My dream…”

“Your dream?” Finnick inquired as I returned my stunned eyes to his confused ones. “You dreamed about my picture?”

I slowly bobbed my head. “In my dream, we were floating in the sky. It was just like that, as if the sun was in its final moment of setting and the sky was a perfect blend of pink, orange, gold, and even teal. It was like a utopian paradise.”

“Hmm.” He looked deep in thought as he tried to think about it. “I only got the idea when I noticed you were sleeping at the desk. I decided it would be better if you slept in my lap since I didn’t want you hurting your neck. Once you were settled in my arms, the idea kind of just flooded into my mind. I actually just finished not too long ago. Just need to spray it with something to give it a glossy finish, but it’s done.”

“Is this going to be used at the festival?” I inquired, though I didn’t want him to use it. For some odd reason, it felt like something that was meant for just us.

“Nah,” he replied, and I noticed he was staring down at me with an appreciative expression. “You don’t want it to be seen by anyone else, huh?”

“I…” My words felt stuck in my throat as I stared into his eyes. “It’s important…to me. I think? It just feels like something between us and the idea of it being seen by strangers feels…invasive. I don’t know. Probably sounds silly.”

“It’s not silly,” he replied. “I kind of feel the same way.”

“You do?”

“At first, I was going to use it for the festival, but with every brushstroke that continued to aid in its completion, my heart would get anxious at the idea of the world seeing this piece of work. Not because it’s not good or at the level of excellence I’d need for a competition, but because it has a special place in my heart that I’d yet to really acknowledge. Guess I now know why.”

“But…aren’t you mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“You wasted time that could have gone into your festival piece.”

“Painting is my outlet, Brianne. It’s never a waste of time,” he reassured me as he moved a strand from my face to behind my ear, his hand then lightly pressing against my cheek. “Just like spending time with you is never a waste of my time.”

He kissed me before I could even debate, and the longer we shared such passion, the easier it was to let the worries go. “I’ve missed you,” I muttered against his lips before kissing him softly.

“I always miss you,” he replied in amusement before turning his head just slightly and locking me in a lingering kiss that made me further relax. I wondered if that dream was supposed to give us a moment together in the realms of freedom.

Dreams always tugged us away from the threads of reality to either show us the future or allow us some space from the webs of anxiety, fear, worry, and stress life brought sometimes. I wished that place I’d seen in my dream was real. That it could be a true place of pastel utopia in the glorious skies of fluffy clouds and warmth of the sunset’s rays.

Dreams can be reality.

Marianna’s comment intrigued me, but suddenly it felt like we were falling, which made us abruptly break the kiss before Finnick had an arm tightly around my waist.

“LEVITOSA!” Gusts of wind wrapped around us, keeping us levitated until we seemed to magically float. I quickly glanced around to see what happened, and I took in the vast view of the sky that surrounded us. Fluffy clouds passed by as my dream literally became reality.

“Wow,” I gasped as Finnick loosened his hold around me before taking my hand while we continued to stay afloat.

I looked at him as his hair illuminated in a perfect greenish-blue. His pink strands were lighter – going from a darker pink to a brilliant baby pink shade that simply matched the sky around us. It almost felt like we’d entered a different world, and yet we felt right at home.

He turned his gaze in my direction, taking me in as if it were the first time he’d seen me before. My hair was levitating, just like his, and I could only guess that the magic he was using to keep us in the air was the culprit.

I took the brave move to look below and was amazed at the clear blue waters. With how high up we were, I was sure it would take a solid minute or two to reach the sparkling surface. Surely a drop that far wouldn’t be survivable, which was making my heart beat like a drumming band against my chest.

Yet, I wouldn’t deny the thrilling amazement I was currently experiencing; seeing my vision truly come together like we’d gone into the future or something.

“Was this what you saw?” Finnick quietly asked.

“Ya,” I replied in astonishment. “This…was it. Only you had long hair.”

“Hmm.” He looked around. “Guess you Spell Traveled us here. It’s nice to see it’s real.”

“I wish I knew where here was,” I admitted.

“Does it matter?” Finnick inquired with a smirk as he squeezed my hand. “It’s our secret oasis. It doesn’t need a name.”

He moved to face me, and I looked up to him while my arms moved to wrap around his waist. “What’s really bothering you?” he whispered. “Bothering you enough to need to find some sort of salvation?”

This was the opportunity to share my buried anxieties over the matter, and yet I struggled like a lump was stuck in my throat. I wanted to say it, to at least let one of my men know what I was doing, yet my mind revolted against it.

“I…um…”

Why is this so hard? Why can’t I just say it like I do with Aurora? I love my men. They support me in every obstacle in my life. Why can’t I just face this? I’m not doing anything wrong, right?

Finnick’s thumb brushed my cheek, the action tugging me out of my thoughts that were scrambling through my brain like wild butterflies fluttering through a thick forest. It took the movement of this thumb for me to realize I was crying, and he only widened his loving smile before he stabilized my head as he leaned down to kiss me.

The kiss wasn’t like the other passionate ones. It was firm, like the feelings of emotional support that wrapped around me like a protective glove. Those sensations invited my heightened senses to acknowledge the flood of supportive energy flooding out of him.

There was not an inch of judgment or disgust even with my obvious conflicted struggle to accept his desire to help me. Though it revealed the anxiety building up regarding the matter, it also made me feel horrible for being unable to tell him what was choking me up.

“Red.” his voice drifted into my mind while he maintained our lingering kiss. “Don’t be afraid or sad. When you’re ready to share, you know I’m always open to listening to you.”

Why…why are you so damn kind?

He chuckled in my mind before he broke the kiss to look down at me.

“Brianne,” he whispered. “Being kind is merely an objective. I think you sometimes forget I love you.”

That made me blush while more tears ran down my wet cheeks.

“But…I shouldn’t be struggling…to tell you.” I was about to become a sobbing mess as I struggled to hold the tears back.

He lifted me further up with his levitating magic, so I had to look down at him while my arms rested on his shoulders.

“Red,” he whispered. “If you’re struggling to answer, it simply means that what you want to share is very important, and you’re simply waiting for the right timing. There’s nothing wrong with that, and I don’t want you feeling pressured either.”

“So…you don’t hate me for it?”

“I’d never hate you, Brianne,” he whispered. “The others wouldn’t ever hate you either. We trust you, Bri. When you’re ready to share something, we’re ready to listen and support you.”

He leaned up to kiss my chin as his eyes glimmered with hope.

“Like I said. When you’re ready to share, we’ll be right here to listen,” he assured me. “Just don’t push yourself too hard. Okay?”

I slowly nodded as my sobs left me. I sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged me tightly, the two of us floating in the silent haven. He let me cry, sob away my struggles I’d been quietly hiding from them.

He had a point. I had every intention of sharing with them when it felt right, but it wasn’t the right time for some odd reason. I just had to figure out why.

What am I so afraid of?

We remained there for a long time, and I worried Finnick would exhaust his magic completely. “Finnick? We can go now.”

“Nah,” he whispered as he continued to hold me. “Let’s stay here for a little longer. The sun will set soon.”

I smiled as I hugged him a little tighter, my eyes focused on the sight beyond. I noticed something in the distance. My eyes narrowed in an attempt to clear out the blurriness, so I could decipher what was floating far away.

It looked to be a couple. They were holding hands while large wings of white that shifted to black perched out of their backs.

I couldn’t really see the male figure, but the woman’s figure was as clear as day - as if she wanted me to see her immaculate beauty. She had a familiarity to her frame, slim with a bit of curve at her hips. The long silky strands of her hair were silver with hints of turquoise and gold.

She wore a high-low dress that showed intriguing incantations along her legs while the white silky fabric at the back fluttered in the wind. What caught my attention was the intriguing tattoo that sat right above her cleavage on her chest. The red circle had some sort of intricate design in the middle, but I was just too far to try and make out the details.

When my eyes locked with hers, I saw the dancing emotion of amusement that flickered in those turquoise orbs. Hints of golden magic flickered through them as they held a hidden speck of wisdom and understanding.

Her lightly pink glossed lips curled up as she slowly nodded to me, and the simple gesture seemed to ignite a wave of calm within me. Could it be she was trying to tell me that everything would be okay?

I wasn’t sure, but at the same time, it didn’t matter. I now felt like everything would be okay. Everything would make sense in time, and somehow this woman in the distance played a role in this grand plan that would unfold in divine timing.

Finnick pulled back then to look up at me.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Better,” I whispered. His pleased smile made me replicate it with my own before he released me and turned to look in the direction I’d been staring at.

“The view is just stunning. Makes me wish we were angels and could fly through the sky all the time,” he said with a chuckle.

I smirked at his words as I reached out to hold his hand.

“Who said we can’t fly through the sky?”

He looked my way as the wind around us picked up at my mental command, as my magic spiked at the unconscious desire to have some fun.

“Wanna fly a bit before we go home?” I suggested.

“Yes,” he agreed and squeezed my hand. “Let’s explore the skies together.”

We soared forward with our magic, the two of us laughing and enjoying the warm breeze, fluffy clouds, and tranquil paradise all around us. Throughout the flight, I never saw the woman and her companion, but her image was embedded in my mind.

“Thank you,” I quietly whispered into the air, hoping the woman would hear it.

The woman with silver hair who’s delivered me a sense of calm before we enter the final storm ahead.

20

YOU, ME, AND THE THRUMMING DANCE FLOOR

~JAX~

“WHY DO I have a strong feeling this ain’t a normal club?” I casually voiced over the music before taking another swig of my beer while attempting not to admire Connor’s attractive self.

I swear, all the alcohol I’d consumed in the last two hours was either making me horny as hell, or I was just obsessed with Connor’s current attire.

He didn’t wear color often, but today of all days he was wearing my favorite: a red silk shirt that was only buttoned halfway, the other half left open to show off his chiseled chest.

His silver hair was still vibrant as ever, but he’d magically added red highlights to match his current look. Adding the black pants, dress shoes, and exquisite branded belt his mother had given him for Christmas from some high-end store called Hermes, Connor was literally trying to be every woman’s snack tonight.

What was intriguing was my main observation that there were no women around to try and flirt with either of us. I wasn’t too sketchy about the luxurious matte black place when we’d arrived on Connor’s motorcycle and the valet driver came to take his keys and complimented us on our matching outfits.

We’d honestly done it by accident. My red dress shirt had a black rose vein design along the back that matched the black fitted pants I wore with red roses on the front pockets, and I wore black shoes.

In comparison to Connor, I wore a black tie with my outfit, though I’d loosened it a bit after the third beer. My hair was left down because I wasn’t going to keep it up when drinking. It would only give me a headache.

When Connor asked to go to some club, I wasn’t going to deny the invitation. I’d been craving an evening off with how busy this semester has been. My original goal was to balance the workload of school, training, and council stuff accordingly while giving myself a day off once a week, but it seemed like an impossible quest to do when the weeks were counting down before graduation.

From approving policies to assisting the council and headmaster with graduation plans, there was never a dull moment of peace from the moment I woke up. If it wasn’t for the morning workouts I’d been doing with Connor and a few moments in the evening to try to spend time and catch up with the others, I’d probably have lost my nerve.

I knew I’d have to force myself to take a break or I’d become a short fuse of frustration, but I worried one break would make me fall behind. Today was one of those rare gems because Connor somehow managed to get a few of the football team members to help out with the tasks I needed to get done by the evening.

How he managed to do that without me noticing really did blow my mind, but then again, with how busy I’d been, I surely could have completely missed any of the signs.

The club was not only for rich people, it was clearly for men because I hadn’t seen a woman in sight. The waiters were men, the bartender was a muscled dude with a good sense of humor, and even the music had been a variation of male artists.

It felt different - in a good way - but I guess my mind was playing catch-up in acknowledging what was becoming pretty obvious.

“If it’s taking you this long to figure it out, you definitely need another drink,” Connor chuckled as he signaled the bartender. “Can we get one more Heineken and I’ll have the same special?”

He placed money on top of the sleek black marble surface. The bartender winked in thanks as he took what had to a hundred-dollar bill.

“I thought you said it was an open bar?” I inquired.

“It is,” he replied as he continued working on finishing his drink. “But when you tip well, they give you a few bonus perks in your drinks, like some magic shit that makes it so you’re not hungover in the morning.”

“What a miracle.” I chuckled and shook my head. “I don’t see how that earned one hundred bucks.”

“Who knows. Maybe it’ll give me the balls to dance with you,” he casually stated with a shrug.

“And what’s stopping you? Your cock shrivel whenever you think about grinding up with me on that open dance floor?” I inquired with a smirk.

Yup. The alcohol was going to make me into a flirting asshole.

I thought he’d get mad, but he chuckled. “You know your honesty level goes up a few notches when you’re tipsy.”

“I’m not close to tipsy,” I voiced.

“True,” he began. “You already surpassed it and are now within the realms of drunk mayhem. But then you get all sexy possessive, so I don’t mind.”

“Possessive? Who said I was possessive?”

“Don’t need to say anything,” he acknowledged. “There are signs that prove you don’t like the attention I’ve been getting.”

“Elaborate, Sherlock Giovani,” I encouraged as I downed my drink just as the bartender came with another bottled beer and whatever special concoction he’d made for Connor.

“Well,” he began as I took my beer, and noticed the paper beneath Connor’s drink. I tried to hide my frown as he took his drink and noticed the folded white sheet. Connor reached for it before tossing it into the ashtray that was resting to my right. The group of guys talking next to me were far too focused on their intense discussion about the stock market and bets being put towards the approaching Witchling Games to notice.

It took me a moment to realize the very paper was already a tower of ashes, and I looked back to Connor as he merely gave me the biggest smug smile while I rolled my eyes.

“What?”

“Well, that for example.”

“What as an example?”

“The paper.”

“The paper you didn’t even open and discarded into the ashtray.”

“Yes,” he replied. “The folded paper with that guy’s number on it that you destroyed with a spark of a flame.”

“You have no proof,” I voiced and reached for my beer.

“Maybe, but the fact you’re defensive only means you’re being rather suspicious,” he acknowledged. “Or the fact that your hair is glowing ever so slightly, and the candles over there have been burning like they’re the flames of a fireplace to the point the staff had to assign someone to keep watch over them. And I can sense when your arousal for me goes up and down.”

I merely stared at him as he took a gulp of his drink and gave me a wink. “So are you going to take me up on that offer to dance or are you going to be a jealous prick until I take your ass home?”

“Sometimes you’re a bit dangerous,” I muttered and chugged down my beer.

“Sometimes?” His whole expression showed his amusement as he slid off the stool. “I think you’re underestimating me.”

“Nah,” I muttered as I placed the empty bottle down and slid off the stool to follow his lead. I may have been a bit too drunk, but no way was I going to miss this chance of dancing with Connor. “I know how dangerous you can be if you’re in the right environment, and this place seems pretty damn right.”

We made it to the dance floor, the music popping, a Latin hip-hop remix that made the beat work perfectly if you wanted to simply move your hips and not think.

Dancing was where I could be in the spotlight, let all my thoughts retreat into a chest and throw away the key until the last beat of the song. The less I thought, the better I could dance and vibe on the bumping energies around me.

I was sure Connor knew that and that was why he brought us here. A place where no one cared if we were the poster reps for the Witchling Games or wondered what we were aiming to do after graduation.

Connor took his place behind me, his hands already on my hips that were moving while his body pressed against me. I was trying not to acknowledge how surreal this felt. Whenever we’d previously danced, it was always with someone. Whether it was Brianne who danced in between us, or with Finnick and Kaito when we’d dance at parties.

This literally was our first time that it was just us, and my elation from that realization was only pumping loads of blood down to my erect cock that was pressing against my tight pants.

I was going to regret wearing these. I knew it down in my gut that I would, but for now, all I could do was dance to the beat and enjoy Connor’s closeness. He wasn’t wrong with his observation. I was being a jealous prick because I seriously didn’t like the way people looked at him like he wasn’t next to me.

He was my date for the night - my boyfriend for the evening, and yet people had the nerve to check him out like he wasn’t mine. I seriously was going to just blame the alcohol for my slight impatience, but it also could have been because I missed spending more time with Connor and the others.

Jaxsin had been nagging me for days now because we’d barely spent time with Brianne. I knew she was busy, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting an odd vibe that she was hiding something. I’d brought it up with Connor the other day when we were working out, but neither of us was super worried about it.

Brianne wasn’t one to keep secrets unless she deemed it important to not share at a certain time. We all trusted her, and her attention was solely on us, which was obvious, but fuck, I missed her.

Missed holding her in my arms, kissing her whenever I could. Feeling her warmth and making her cry out my name beneath the sheets.

Because of our schedules from after-school activities to the further training, we’d all been going the moment we returned to the dorms. We barely had enough time to sleep. It was getting to me for sure, but none of us were going to get six to eight hours of sleep this semester.

Everything that was important to us was wrapping up, and we had to make this semester count. There were no shortcuts, mishaps, or interruptions this semester. We were going to conquer every competition, obstacle, and final exam with the Witchling Games as a sweet bonus to the ultimate finale: the graduation stage.

This was why I wanted this moment to be focused on me and Connor. We weren’t going to have another opportunity to do so until we held our diplomas.

As the music continued to boom around us, we moved in perfect synchronicity. The world around us grew hot, which was expected when all of us were moving our bodies to the hype sounds of the dance playlist. Adding the alcohol that already increased one’s temperature, we were sweating with ease.

It didn’t matter at this point. Nothing honestly mattered. I was with Connor and that’s all I cared about.

The music finally went to a slow song, and we moved to a smaller bar across the dance floor to get some glasses of water.

“I need to piss,” Connor voiced. “I’ll be back quick.”

“Okay,” I replied and drank more water to calm my parched mouth. I requested another glass as I decided to lean back against a pole right next to where I stood, my eyes looking through the crowd in absent wonder.

It felt good to shake it out for a hot minute, but standing here alone also made me feel like I didn’t belong. Sure, I had money like these people did. My family was loaded, and I certainly could afford to attend this club whenever I wanted, and yet I somehow felt a tad below them.

Maybe it was a feeling that was quietly shimmering since we discovered how rich Connor’s family was. Megumi, his mother, was loaded, from the successful hotel that was once a run-down wasteland and the number of investments and other successful businesses she’d launched to grow the wealth under her name.

With Connor rekindling his relationship with his mother and the takedown of his father’s mafia madness, he was literally set financially. I knew money didn’t matter between us, and yet it felt like it did here and now among these peeps that didn’t give off the typical business vibes.

Sure, they all wore suits from luxurious brands, but their auras felt more tainted in comparison to ours. They did business in a way that didn’t allow for failures, and probably carried big pockets - some of them probably bottomless pits.

It was such a random thought in my mind, and yet it seemed to dampen the mood as I continued to wait patiently. It led to me thinking if Connor would stick around in the future. If he’d be getting offers to join the business world.

He was good with reading people thanks to his gift, which in the areas of business could make bank because he’d know how to gamble the proper cards with any deal. Adding his family background - particularly his mother who was really good in the business side of things, he could easily walk in her footsteps and travel the world while earning all he needed to support such a lifestyle.

I hadn’t decided what I wanted to do. Not because I didn’t have my own ambitions, but because, like Brianne, I couldn’t determine if I was ready for a career. There was so much to learn and see, and we honestly hadn’t been able to do that. Our vacations were always interrupted or disturbed, or something would occur beforehand that made it difficult to just live.

If we dedicated ourselves to our careers after graduation, who knows. Maybe we’d drift apart, and though I knew I may have Brianne around, I was scared of losing Connor and the others. For us to drift away until we were just acquaintances and nothing more.

Lifting my hand, I stared at the tattoo on my wrist. None of us had tested out the power this tattoo could deliver to us, but the sight seemed to aid in taming the whirlwind of negative thoughts.

“Notorious Five,” a deep voice read. I blinked and looked up at the man who was holding a glass of water in offering to me. With a frown, I acknowledged him from head to toe.

He was tall with red hair that shifted to black and held a bit of orange and gold highlights. His hair reminded me of flames that shifted into black ash, which blended perfectly with his caramel skin and molten lava eyes that were filled with wisdom.

He was in a sharp red suit with a black tie and he definitely looked rich at first glance. With him staring at my cup, he decided to enlighten me with his reasoning for the generous offer.

“The bartender was calling you, but you were lost in your thoughts,” he revealed. I bobbed my head slightly before accepting the drink. It went from cold to boiling hot to the point that it was bubbling.

The man watched me with interest. “Let me guess,” he began. “Making sure I didn’t drug it?”

“Well, that would be logical wouldn’t it?” I offered back. “As much as I’d love to believe this world is a pure place, it’s pretty opposite.”

“Well, that’s the way of life,” he voiced as the water in my glass stopped boiling. My choice was smart at the time, but now that I was staring at the hot clear liquid, I was second-guessing my choice.

The man chuckled and reached out to hold the glass while it was still in my grasp. I watched as the steam vanished before the water dropped in temperature so swiftly, it almost turned into a block of ice. The surface level already had a light layer of fragile ice.

“There. Should be cold enough for you,” he revealed. “With your eyes on it, we both can come to the clear conclusion I didn’t drug your drink.”

“Accurate,” I quietly muttered as he let go. “How did you do that when your aura gives total flame vibes?”

He could have easily lied or answered like any other person with an “its magic, duh” response, but his lips perked up at one side as he seemed pleased with my interest.

“It’s hard to respond when your world consists mostly of mages, huh?” he offered with a bit of mischief as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Fire and ice run through my veins. I coexist with both, just like your dominant energy is of fire, but I sense that very flame has an array of possibilities to be something else, doesn’t it?”

“You’re not wrong,” I muttered in a bit of irritation at his correct observation. “But I could probably handle the truth.”

“That I’m a dragon king from another universe here with my girlfriend to do some business deals while looking for a Zephyr?” he offered.

I blinked a few times before answering what was easiest to reply to, “You’re looking for Connor?”

“And who is Connor?”

“My boyfriend,” I replied. He seems intrigued as he slowly bobbed his head in understanding. “Intriguing, though I doubt that’s the Zephyr we’re looking for,” he admitted. “Though another Zephyr is lingering around here with his girlfriend, and of course our Zephyr.”

“Your…Zephyr?”

Okay, maybe I was seriously drunk and not comprehending much of this conversation because I could have sworn this guy was trying to emphasize there were currently three Zephyrs here.

“Sorry, I’m probably confusing you,” he apologized. “You have immense strength, like a man who could rule a nation. I figured I’d let you know that.”

“Me?” I whispered as I took in the compliment. “I don’t feel like someone who could rule a nation.”

“No one ‘feels’ like they’re ready to rule anything,” he commented with a smile as he admired me. “Even kings carry uncertainty in how they can rule a kingdom. They just hide it well.”

“What if this king is intimidated by the future?” I tossed the question to him because I had nothing to lose asking it. “This king is going to have to make a decision soon. Whether to take some time off from ruling to live next to his queen without fear of retribution, or to simply suck it up and continue to rule because it’s his responsibility. Which choice would be best for the kingdom?”

“Well, it’s a pretty obvious answer, don’t you think?” he suggested. “As a king, I have a duty to take care of my people.”

I nodded my head as I looked at my glass. “That’s true.”

“However,” he continued, which threw me off because I thought he was done, “if I’m completely out of fuel, how would I rule?”

“Well, you’d just rest and get back to it, wouldn’t you?” I suggested.

“I could,” he agreed with a shrug. “But what happens when a few days after, I’m on the verge of collapsing? Or better yet, when I’m so tired of my role that I begin to make irrational decisions? Better yet, what if by ruling in unhappiness, I’m left becoming a bitter king who hates that his very kingdom is holding him back from a time of freedom? Then what?”

“That’s…” I trailed off because he had a point.

I watched him grin as he noticed I got what he was trying to imply. “My queen is a very powerful leader,” he whispered as he turned to lean against the structured black pole with me. “A lot of people rely on her. Students. Professors. Many up-there people, which can be intimidating when some of them are rich royals or individuals from another universe, for example.”

He looked to the crowd as he continued. “Not to forget her other relationships with those who are also dear to me. She has to balance it all without the ability to see the future. It’s intimidating and at times scary, even for her, but she knows when she’s on the brink of breaking that she needs to stop and think about herself. If she needs a break, she makes those around her know she needs that break. If she can’t handle the piles of tasks set out for her, she acknowledges it and gets the help she needs so she doesn’t burn out. Life will always be filled with challenges, but it doesn’t mean you deserve to drill yourself into the ground because you have responsibilities.”

Turning his attention back to me, he smiled while his molten eyes twinkled in glee. “You look like a hard worker. One who will try to please everyone around him but not realize that your own tank is running empty. You wish to change the world for the better. Make policies that will benefit the minority and ensure that when you step down from your duty, that the next to take your stead won’t have to struggle like you did. You’re the type to hate unfinished business, and if you could take all the hate of this world, I’m sure you would. That’s a vibe of a leader, ruler, or ultimately, a king.”

He took a breath as his eyes lowered to my neck. “You also carry the flame of a warrior. One who would lift their sword in declaration of war if anything happened to those you cherish.” His observation made me nervous, especially when he looked at my neck. My necklace was on but I’d kept it hidden unconsciously with a spell since I got it. Only when I was around the others did I leave it on display.

“Needless to say, if you don’t give yourself the time to enjoy this world, you’ll morph into the very type of person you want to avoid. One who is angry at the world for stealing away your opportunity to enjoy the vast world before you,” he revealed. “So if you’re on a path where you have to decide whether to take a break for yourself or continue down a path of endless responsibilities and deeds, I suggest you take the time off you need so you can have the motivation to return to your duties.”

“You should be an advisor,” I mumbled.

He laughed. “Let’s say I’ve gone through a lot of times of doubt in my decisions, but I have an amazing queen and group of friends who stand by me.”

“Reminds me of our queen,” I whispered as I looked at the tattoo on my wrist once more.

“Ryuu?”

I lifted my head at the call just as the man turned his head in the direction of the voice. The woman who called him was standing afar with a few other men in tow. The six other men were in suits while the single woman wore a stunning black dress that hugged her frame.

Her silver hair was dazzling, even with there being barely any light aside from the flashing dance ones. There were strands of turquoise that made her long strands have a magic quality to them, but her striking blue eyes were filled with confidence and a spark of affection that could easily draw a room in.

A few looked their way and seemed to whisper that they were some sort of elite royal group. The mention of royalty brought back the statement where he said he was a royal king.

“Looks like my queen is summoning me,” he announced and outstretched his hand. “Pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise,” I whispered and shook his hand. “Um…my name is Jax.”

“Ryuunosuke,” he introduced. “Hopefully our paths will align one day. You can introduce me to your girlfriend and boyfriend.”

I blushed while he winked and walked off toward the woman. I watched him reach her and the group. The guys greeted him with pats and punches while the woman gave him a short kiss. Laying an arm along her shoulders, he brought the woman close and probably exchanged greetings before he pointed my way.

The woman looked over to where I stood once more, and I noticed the way she smiled as if I’d done an extremely good deed. She gave a slight wave in my direction, which made me straighten my back before I bowed my head slightly in respect. If she was royalty just like him, I didn’t want to be disrespectful.

Her dazzling grin showed her white teeth before their group moved like one solid unit. The tension in the room seemed to calm a little, which made me realize that maybe everyone was a bit taken aback by a woman being present.

Why would they be here in a gay club?

“Sorry I took so long.” Connor’s apology made me turn my head to see him approaching. “I met a guy with a really intense aura asking were this different club was. He was with his girlfriend, who honestly looked like Bri but paler. Think they said they were meeting someone named Westley or something. He gave them directions but forgot to tell them to walk into the bar with neon pink lights instead of neon red.”

“The struggle,” I voiced. “You got their names?”

“Not the girl, but I think the guy was Roxas or something. Reminds me of that classic game Kingdom Hearts. His girlfriend was cute though.”

“Brianne would kick your balls if she heard you say that,” I voiced.

“Probably, though there’s a good chance Marianna would entice her to seduce me into remembering that my cock only reacts to her.”

“That’s exactly what would happen,” I concluded with a laugh. “Wanna go?”

“Probably. A few people in the hall were saying it’s about to rain.”

“Spring always likes to invite rainstorms,” I voiced as I downed the chilled drink and placed it over on the bar. I walked back to Connor’s side, and he reached for my hand before guiding us through the crowd to the back exit.

It felt good to be out of the hot, crowded space. The musky air only confirmed that it was going to rain. We didn’t even reach Connor’s bike before it began to sprinkle.

“Shouldn’t we opt out of driving back and find a hotel or something?” I offered.

“Is that your way of trying to hook up?” he teased as we reached his bike. I rolled my eyes and moved to block his path from sitting on the leather seat.

“No,” I huffed while trying to ignore how hot my cheeks felt even with the sprinkling cold droplets of rain. “You drank with me. You can’t drive us home. Can’t let you go drive recklessly.”

“You’re silly,” he complained as he took a step forward, which had him right in my space.

“I’m being responsible. Not going to let what’s important to me get hurt senselessly,” I complained before realizing what I said as he arched an eyebrow my way.

“Repeat that?” he requested. “I couldn’t hear you over the rain.”

“Liar,” I huffed. “I’m not repeating shi-”

His hand hooked around the back of my neck, seconds before he smothered his lips against mine while pressing me firmly against his bike. The rain took that moment to pour at full strength - drenching us in mere seconds.

As much as I wanted to care about the freezing rain, my body felt like it was on fire as I deepened the kiss with Connor while my hands clung to his shirt to force him to stay right against me.

I moaned into his mouth when he tilted his head to the side to take this heated kiss up a notch as his tongue slipped into my mouth and dominated my walls with its explorative nature. We kissed long and hard as if we had all the time in the world to stand in the rain and just make out.

This sensation was insane - like I was a lit firecracker ready to soar through the sky and explode for the world to see me shine. Kissing Connor like this in public blew my mind, and though part of me feared it, the rest was in a state of enlightenment because I truly wanted everyone to see he was mine, too. When we were with Brianne, it was easy to portray that sense of commanding confidence that our relationship was still unique in our world that was only now even attempting to accept such relationships, but I lacked the confidence when it was just us because I feared being looked down upon next to Connor.

He didn’t see how amazing he was. His core essence screamed power, from his physique to the aura that burned around him. In the public eye, he knew what he wanted in comparison to the private moments where he seemed to question it. We were opposite in those areas, but this moment would change it.

This will change everything.

He groaned into my mouth before he broke the kiss to bring me even closer against him. - those swollen lips of his lowering to my neck and leaving kisses in every exposed place. He tugged on my tie to loosen it further, moving down my neck and along my shoulder while he ground against my groin.

I leaned further back, and he only followed. I knew I wouldn’t get away from him until he was satisfied.

Or so I thought.

His bike tipped over from our weight, and before either of us knew it, we were falling right over the bike and onto the grass, which sent us in a rolling spree as we tumbled down the hill until we landed at the bottom ditch.

“Fuck,” I cursed and was thankful Connor had managed to hold onto me the entire time, or my head would have hit the rock that was right next to my head that was protected by his grasp.

“Oops?” Connor suggested with a grunt. “I’m not sure whether to be worried about us or the bike.”

I tried not to snicker as I looked up to see the bike had thankfully not toppled over like we just experienced.

“I told you parking near a hill wasn’t a good idea,” I reminded but began to laugh because this was so fucking stupid yet the perfect setting for complete mayhem.

“Why are you laughing?” he questioned, yet he was fighting hard not to burst into laughter himself.

“This is like some romance movie shit gone wrong,” I wheezed while clinging to my stomach as I laughed harder.

“The Notebook for gays,” Connor emphasized and we completely lost it as we fell back and laughed long and hard. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d laughed like this, but it felt so good.

We laughed until we probably sounded as though we were on our last specks of oxygen, and I patted my chest to prompt my damn body to breathe.

“Fuck, we’ve never…laughed like that before,” Connor acknowledged as he slowly sat down to wipe away his tears like it even mattered with the rain pounding upon us.

“Agreed,” I replied as I sighed in relief. “I needed this.”

“I know,” he replied and reached out to move my splattered hair from my face. He pressed his hand against my cheek before he closed the distance to give me a comforting kiss. “I’d never put what’s precious to me in harm’s way.”

I stared into his eyes. “I did that once and got a second chance to experience this. I won’t make a stupid mistake like that ever again.”

Placing my hand on top of his, I gave him an impressive smirk.

“You’re the most attractive when you’re confident like this,” I complimented.

“And you’re a jealousy prick who now realizes my eyes will always be on you and Bri,” he acknowledged and moved his hand to ruffle my wet locks. “Remember that, idiot. No status, money, or material is going to replace the love I have for you and Brianne. Got it?”

“No matter what?” I quietly offered.

“No matter what,” he affirmed.

He let go of me to rise up and offered his hand to me. I placed mine in his, and he helped me up as the rain began to lessen to a sprinkle once more.

“Now it knows how to rain lightly,” he grumbled. “Rude.”

“The Universe is going to come back with vengeance if you speak to her like that,” I joked. “Karma’s a bitch.”

“So is green-stained clothes,” he voiced as he looked at our drenched, dirty clothes. “Brianne’s going to kill us.”

“She’s on laundry duty this week, isn’t she?”

“Ya,” Connor replied and cringed. “I’ll switch with her.”

“You could say green-stained attire is the latest fashion trend?” I offered as we began to move up the hill.

“I could, but knowing our curious Red, she’s going to ask Mia and Miya about it and they’ll proceed to tell her the history of the rise and fall of the grass-stained trend that happened a few years ago and she’ll know we’re lying.”

“I can’t actually believe that was a trend.”

“That failed miserably because no one wants to pay thousands of dollars on purposely stained jeans.”

“The irony,” I concluded as we reached the top of the hill. Connor let go of my hand to lift the bike back up, and after inspecting to make sure there were no dents, he started it up before getting my helmet out. “Home or hotel?” he offered.

I blushed as I accepted the helmet and decided to answer truthfully. “Home, simply because we have an early morning tomorrow,” I began and quietly continued, “And if we did a hotel thing…I’d want it to be you, me, and Brianne.”

“The three of us, huh?” Connor was clearly intrigued. “Think we can plan something before the final games?”

“Probably. You could ask your mom to hook us up with something. I want a place that will give her a bit of peace of mind.”

“You’ve noticed she’s been pretty drained, huh?” Connor mumbled.

“Ya,” I replied. “She’s going to burn right out if she’s not careful.”

“Let’s see how things go. Maybe we can do something after the festival. A spa day of sorts. Would give her some rejuvenation.”

“That would be perfect. We could make it a trip. I wouldn’t want to leave Finnick and Kaito, though.” I disliked leaving them out of things.

“We’ll hook them up with something,” Connor stated, and I could see his eyes lighting up as though he was planning some sort of master plan.

“You’re planning something evil.”

“I’m planning something that may get them laid.”

“You realize Kaito hasn’t done it with Bri yet, right?”

“I know.” Connor shrugged as he put his helmet on. He lifted the face shield to speak. “His time will come. I don’t think he’s worried.”

I nodded and got on the bike before putting my own helmet on.

“You ready to go home?” Connor asked as he started the engine.

“Ya,” I replied and hooked my arms around his waist. “Connor?”

“You’re welcome,” he tossed back.

“I wasn’t going to thank you.”

“Liar.”

“Ugh. I love you, and stop being an ass.”

“From the guy who slapped my ass by accident after his third beer.”

“It was an accid-”

“I love you, too, Jax. That love even includes Jaxsin in the equation,” he interrupted. “Tell him thanks for giving us this moment.”

He lowered his face shield as he ramped up the engine, and I secured my helmet and lowered my own face shield before securing my hands on his hips until I sensed our approach to the freeway.

We began to move, and as we got onto the main road, all I could do was replay everything that happened tonight.

Jaxsin? Thanks for being chill tonight.

Tranquility leads to prosperity. Kings can’t rule without intermission.

I closed my eyes and eventually rested my head on Connor’s back, my arms moving around his waist, knowing I’d most likely doze off. Jaxsin was right, and so was that man, Ryuu.

Who knew what universe he was from, but the image of him, the woman, and the group around her was something I’d instill in the back of my mind. I wanted us to stand like that around Brianne one day. To be her pillars of strength as we let those of power quiver at our company.

We may have a long way to go, but we’d make it happen.

Tonight was just me, Connor, and the thrumming dance floor.

21

DAY OF THE SPRING FESTIVAL

~BRIANNE~

I YAWNED and rubbed at my eyes, my body fighting the urge to fall asleep standing.

“I’m probably going to need a nap,” I muttered to myself as I finished combing through Elijah’s hair. “There we go. All done.”

With a sigh, I began to clean up before putting everything in the top drawer of the table stand. My eyes landed on the picture of us, and I couldn’t help reaching for it to look at the details.

The picture was taken almost four years ago. It amazed me how different we looked now. I looked so young and innocent, but the joy was obvious in my expression as my eyes twinkled with life.

Elijah looked the happiest here. His bright eyes shone with plenty of hopes and dreams. I could remember those nights clearly where we’d stay up and think about what we wanted to achieve.

We wanted to help people. To find those who didn’t feel accepted and help them transition to a world that would love them. We had no clue what careers did that, but at the time, it didn’t matter.

Funny how time changes everything.

“Do you remember when we wanted to change the world, Elijah?” I whispered as I put the picture back down and moved to face the side of the bed. I reached for his hand to hold it. His hand was a little cold in comparison to my warm one.

“We’d stay up all night talking about how we were going to be like heroes and help those who were shy like me break out of their shells and enjoy the world around them. You wanted to find those like you, who liked a balance between socializing and alone time. Even though we were both lonely at times, we vowed to find others and make them join our group so we’d all be together. Ah, good times.”

Another yawn left me, and I sighed. “I’ve been really tired lately, Elijah. I think I’m pushing myself too hard. Professor Phoenix was busy today so I tried to teleport myself here. Well, Spell Travel,” I corrected myself and sighed again. “I did it…and I should be happy, but I’m so tired. I kind of don’t know how I’m getting back home. Maybe I’ll take a nap or something and then go back. I can’t miss today since it’s the festival and Finnick’s in the competition for a really big prize. I don’t think he cares about winning, but the exposure could help him get his artwork out to the world.”

Holding his hand a little tighter, I closed my eyes. “You know…I wish you had a new start with the guys. I’ve been thinking about…like if we could rewind but know about the whole twin thing. Maybe it would explain your frustrations, impatience, and anger. I think about when I started hanging out with the Notorious Four, and with what I know now, I guess it makes sense why you were so upset.”

Opening my eyes just slightly, I stared at his sleeping figure. “Did you feel rejected? Lonelier? That your last speck of light was leaving you?”

I knew the reply would be silence, which made me smile in irony at all of this. If Elijah could hear me, I bet he’d be mocking me or something for all this sacrificed time. I mean, why was I still doing this? Why did I still care?

“I still haven’t told the guys I’ve been taking care of you since we found out you were here. I think I’m embarrassed by it. Not by you…I’m embarrassed of myself? My feelings? Whatever this is…I don’t know. I can’t figure it out…and whenever I try to, I just want to break down and cry. I don’t want you thinking I’m taking care of you out of pity. Far from it. I just…care?”

Letting go of his hand, I made sure the blanket was tucked properly and bobbed my head in approval.

“I doubt it matters,” I muttered under my breath. “Anyways. The nurses said you’re improving very well. Maybe you’ll wake up in a few weeks. I was talking to Aurora…er, Professor Phoenix, and she said if your name was cleared and such, you’d only have one year left at Witchling. Sucks that we won’t be there, but if you ever struggle, I’m sure you can ask me. I guess if you want to.”

I paused and rubbed at my irritated eyes that were beginning to water.

“I’ve yet to determine what I want to do after graduation. Will we even keep in contact? This could be all in vain…but was I ever doing this for praise? Nah.”

Why…am I doing this?

“I should go…” I concluded and closed my eyes. “Need to get…to the…” I trailed off as my body leaned back.

Hands gripped my shoulders, but I couldn’t keep trying to tug my eyes open. I attempted to speak but a tired moan escaped my lips instead.

It felt like I was falling at a slow rate, and then I was simply floating with an occasional sway.

“I should kill you,” a deep voice declared.

It was eons away.

Always interfering.

No one understands what I’m attempting to do.

No one gets my perspective.

I’ve accepted that I’m a mere pawn in this catastrophic game of chess, and we’re meant to be used, abused, and left for dead.

Puppets don’t feel.

Puppets can’t win.

Puppets can’t be saved.

There’s never a happy ending for a puppet…like me.

The echoing voice held so much despair, and I wished to help them solve whatever was causing such sadness, but my mind drifted away until darkness held me captive.

~JAX~

“HEY, have you seen Brianne this morning? No. I checked her room already and asked Miya and Mia and they haven’t seen her. I don’t think so. Professor Phoenix is off until the festival so she isn’t with her. Hmm. Don’t worry about it, I’ll look for her. Don’t tell Finnick. He’s nervous as it is with the competition today. Ya. I’ll call you back when I find her. Thanks, Connor.”

I took a worried inhale as I looked around her room, my magic begging to be used. The knock on the door startled me, and I looked over to see Kaito leaning against the door frame with a deep frown on his face.

“Still no clue?” he inquired, and I saw no need to hide the obvious from him.

“No,” I replied and slipped my phone into my pocket. “She didn’t sleep last night. Well, barely. She got up to do some training but it’s eight o’clock and she still isn’t back. Professor Phoenix isn’t working today.”

“I know where she is,” Kaito voiced calmly, which only made my speculation grow. “But there are two problems. One being I don’t know how you’re going to react and two, I can’t see past that.”

“You can just send me there,” I encouraged and turned to face him. “As for what I’m not going to like, I already know.”

“Know what?” He was testing me on purpose, but this had to stop today for the sake of Brianne’s sanity.

“She’s been taking care of Elijah,” I voiced the obvious.

“And how does that make you feel?”

“Am I supposed to feel something?” I countered and sighed out of obvious frustration. “Kaito. You’re wasting time.”

“I need to know if Jaxsin is going to lose his shit on Brianne for helping Elijah.”

“Why would he?”

“Because he’s a jealous prick and Elijah isn’t in our crew.”

“Brianne doesn’t like Elijah,” I grumbled.

“And you’re probably the blindest of them all,” Kaito muttered back at me, which left us in a moment of silence.

I huffed and ran my hands through my hair. “I’m not blind, Kaito.”

“And neither are any of us,” Kaito replied. “We’ve known about where Brianne’s been going, but why haven’t any of us said anything?”

“Connor and I talked about it,” I admitted.

“Just like Finnick and I,” he confessed. “Yet, we’ve stalled this long because?”

“We can’t control Brianne’s feelings, Kaito,” I voiced and sighed. “That’s why I’m not going to lose my shit on her.”

“I can’t guarantee that unless I see it.”

“Why are you pestering…” I trailed off as if the thought clicked. I groaned and pinched my nose. “You saw something.”

“Sadly.”

I decided to try and calm down, my anxiety regarding Brianne worrying me a lot more than the idea of her potentially still having feelings for Elijah.

“I’m delaying simply because I know Brianne’s safe,” Kaito voiced. “But I need to confront this now because Brianne’s health depends on it. Physically and mentally.”

I slipped my hands in my pockets, debating on how we’d confront this, but just like that, I was out of control as my lips lifted up in a sinister smile while my head lifted up to acknowledge Kaito, whose eyes narrowed at my entrance.

“If you have something to say to me, just say it, Kaito.” My voice was deeper now that Jaxsin had taken the wheel. He uncrossed his arms as he stared at our friend, and I could feel a bit of his annoyance as well as the brewing anger and impatience boiling in the pit of our stomach.

“You can’t get mad at Brianne or Marianna in regards to Elijah.”

“Hmmm, doesn’t that depend?” I inquired. “I don’t deserve to carry feelings?”

“You can’t blame her for having a kind heart.”

“A kind heart that caused her to die in my arms with our unborn child,” I muttered and narrowed my eyes at him. “And now she’s taking care of the very man who shot the arrow.”

“Elijah isn’t the same. Sure, they’re reincarnated, and one is obviously evil, but the good Elijah is innocent and you know-”

I was in front of him before he realized it, but his sword was at my neck.

“You know what annoys me the most about everyone?” I whispered. “That everyone assumes I’m an idiot fool with anger issues.”

“Jaxsin,” Kaito muttered.

“I’m gone.” He pulled right out and I was back in control, my eyes blinking a few times before I groaned at the pounding headache he left behind.

“Jaxsin, really? Just have to give me a headache,” I grumbled and looked wearily at Kaito. “Can I not get my neck sliced today?”

Kaito pouted his lips before lowering his sword. “He went to sleep.”

“Basically,” I replied. “Kaito, you know I wouldn’t hurt Brianne.”

He slowly nodded. “I know. It’s just what I saw I didn’t like.”

“Did we get in a fight or something?”

“Sort of,” he replied. “I think that’s what the Shadow Kingdom wants.”

“They know where Elijah’s located?”

“No.” Kaito shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“What’s bothering you, Kaito? This is the first time you’re bringing this up.”

Kaito walked into the room and moved to sit on the edge of Bri’s bed. I closed the door and turned to give him my full attention.

“I think we’re missing a huge piece of this puzzle and may have fucked up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember at the trial they said something about Elijah’s birth certificate? That there were two, which confirmed that one twin was being used by the Shadow Kingdom and the other was completely innocent?”

“Yes.”

“I think that’s inaccurate.”

“As in there’s only one?” I inquired. “Did you see something from the future?”

“Yes, but it was in my dream,” he answered my second question and ran his hands through his hair while he seemed deep in thought. “In my dream, it was like we were having a final showdown. The good Elijah was there as well as the evil one that Brianne had tainted during our last confrontation.”

“Yes,” I encouraged. “Did they duke it out or something?”

“No.” Kaito shook his head. “A girl I’ve never seen before announced some sort of code, and it triggered a huge explosion that seemed to wipe out everything. Nothing could prevent it, and when the light dimmed, everyone was gone.”

“A bomb,” I whispered.

“No. Some sort of spell or trigger…but-” He paused to bite his lip.

“You can tell me, Kaito,” I whispered.

He met my eyes that were filled with understanding and slightly nodded.

“Only the girl remained in the dream, but then she began to change. Her skin, her hair, everything about her body, like she was a shapeshifter. Then, there was Elijah, standing there. The one who was tainted, but it seemed impossible because the one that was tainted was with good Elijah before the explosion.”

“Have you told anyone about this?”

He shook his head. “Finnick’s woken me up a few times this week since that’s the only dream I’ve had.”

“How many times have you seen that specific dream?”

“Seven times.”

My eyes widened as my stomach sank at the idea.

Fuck. This isn’t an unavoidable thing.

“You need to tell Professor Phoenix and Witchling Star, Kaito. You have seer powers. If you’re having a dream consistently, it could be huge.”

“But there can’t be three Elijahs.”

“Why not?” I inquired, which left him a little stumped. “Twins were a lot more common back in the day, and if Elijah’s parents couldn’t even keep track of one, imagine if they took two?”

“Jax. That would be literally a zero-point-five percent chance.”

“It’s still a chance,” I offered. “Until Elijah wakes up and tells us what he knows, we may never figure things out until it’s too late.”

“If that’s true…how the hell are we going to know who’s who?”

“Brianne,” I answered. “He was her best friend. She’d know.”

“What I worry about is if you want her to know,” Kaito muttered.

Instead of getting offended by his comment, I took a deep inhale and let it out. “Why do I feel like you’re gaslighting me on purpose?”

“I overheard Sebastian and Katsume talking the other day when I went by my house to grab one of my training swords since I broke mine,” he began. “They’re worried about the past repeating itself and that the Shadow Kingdom is going to attempt to trigger you by doing the same thing that killed Bri the first time around.”

I didn’t say a word, and Kaito studied me closely to see what my reaction would be. “So the Shadow Kingdom is aiming to keep their end of the bargain, like the bloody message left on the wall,” I calmly concluded.

“They think they may use Elijah as the target to get Brianne where they want her, and killing her would trigger Jaxsin and kill everyone.”

“Well, I guess it’s a slightly smart plan.”

“Jax.”

“I’m not going to fall for it,” I huffed. “Did I lose my shit when Brianne was consumed by darkness and you had to save her during the exam?”

“No, bu-”

“Kaito,” I cut him off. “I need you to have more faith in me.”

He gave me a conflicted look. “I want to, Jax, but it’s hard when I’m seeing other things.”

“The future can be altered with a snap of one’s fingers. Just because you see something, that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone,” I muttered. “Can you take me to Brianne, please?”

He stared at me for a long moment before he sighed. “Fine. Call me when you find her. I’m sending you based on coordinates. I’m not sure exactly where she is.”

“Fine,” I replied and prepared myself to be teleported by his gift.

He rose up from the bed and closed his eyes. Power surged through his aura down to his arms to the palms of his hands.

Before I knew it, I was in another room - one that was extremely familiar.

“Elijah’s room?” I whispered.

“What took you so long?”

I turned my head to see Fuwa jumping on the pillow of the bed, but my attention moved to Brianne, who was sound asleep. My heart that I hadn’t realized was beating so quickly slowed down as relief flooded me.

She was curled up in the bed, hugging the blanket, while Elsa was curled up next to her face. I couldn’t help ignoring Fuwa for a moment to walk to the side of the bed and reach out to gently stroke Brianne’s cheek.

Her pouting lips pressed together in discomfort for a few seconds before she seemed to further relax, as if recognizing my touch.

“Jax…” she muttered in her sleep as a slight smile formed on her lips which then fell to that peaceful gap as she fell right back into slumber.

Allowing myself to sigh, I turned my attention to little Fuwa. “How did Brianne get here and in terms of taking long, Kaito was interrogating me.”

Fuwa pouted his small lips before he floated into the air to move past me. Turning around, I now faced god Fuwa as he crossed his arms and sighed.

“Why was he interrogating you?” he asked with a seriousness that told me something was up.

“Kaito said he’s been having a consistent dream where we’re all in some final battle that deals with good and evil Elijah,” I began. “However, a girl comes from nowhere and triggers a vast explosion that kills everyone. When the light dims, only the girl remains, but she shapeshifts into someone who looks like Elijah.”

Fuwa didn’t seem to like the news but he bobbed his head in understanding. “So why does that involve you?”

“He said his sister and Sebastian believe the Shadow Kingdom is going to do something to trigger me to either get in an argument with Brianne, which could set me off, or they’ll aim to target Brianne and kill her to trigger me to destroy the world.”

“So to make history repeat itself,” Fuwa concluded. “We knew that ages ago. Why would that be prominent now?”

“He said he saw me getting into an argument with Brianne. Well, Jaxsin getting into an argument with Brianne.”

“And where do you stand with this?”

“If you want my honest opinion, I absolutely hate it and it makes my blood boil that my friends can’t trust me to keep my cool when I’ve proven myself again and again,” I confessed and looked to the floor as Jaxsin’s energy thrummed through me. “Why is it fair that because of the sins I’ve committed in the past, I should continue to be judged like I did those deeds in this future?”

Fuwa didn’t answer as I lifted my head so he could see my black eyes.

“This is why I sometimes hate this damn world. No matter all the good you do, one mistake will haunt you for the rest of your life,” I complained and looked to Brianne. “Brianne gets me. Marianna even gets me. They know what I’ve done and they’ve seen the reasoning behind it. They know why I’m so aggressive and understand my bits of jealousy. It’s not something I can control but knowing she’s there to support me when I struggle helps. It upsets me that such conversations are happening behind my back and not to my face. It makes me want to lash out, but I’d never do it against the woman I love.”

“Kaito’s probably anxious because of what he keeps seeing,” Fuwa suggested. “It doesn’t make his lack of trust in you valid but proves he wants to be as cautions as possible because you aren’t going to be given a second shot like you were during the holidays.”

“I get that,” I voiced. “Yet, it still doesn’t erase the fact that he had to assess me before sending me here. He knew where Brianne was.”

“He knew because I told him,” Fuwa revealed. “Obviously not through speech.”

“How did you do that?” I inquired.

“Simply sent a wave of energy with the thought of Kaito in mind,” Fuwa revealed. “It’s not hard for a god.”

“You…” Jaxsin pulled back to give me control, and for the first time, I didn’t have to blink out of the haze. “You did that on purpose?”

“Seers are predictors that use energy forces that pulse through the air to communicate. It definitely helps when you’re trying to predict something like a global pandemic or natural disaster, but dangerous if the seer can’t tell the difference between a naturally sent message and one manipulated by another.”

“Are you suggesting?” I began but he nodded to confirm my suspicions.

“Katsume was talking to Sebastian about you specifically because she saw similar to what Kaito may have told you, but there were survivors,” he whispered. “You being one of them.”

“And Brianne?” My voice was barely audible as I stared Fuwa dead in the eyes. His silence already answered my question, and I bobbed my head in understanding. “I lost it.”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Kaito said there may be three Elijahs,” I voiced. “Did Katsume see the same?”

“I’m unsure,” he replied. “I didn’t remain for the whole conversation.” Nodding once again, he quietly commented, “Now the problem is whose vision is correct.”

“How do you know this and how did Brianne get here?”

“I know about this because I was listening in at Aurora’s request. Apparently, I’m useful in these conversations and I don’t like stalking Brianne when she wants to be left alone,” he revealed. “As for how my little sister slash Mistress got here, I’m just as clueless as you are. I left the conversation to come to check on Bri because she felt off.”

“Off?”

“Off as in passed the fuck out,” he summed up.

We both looked at her as she slept away; our discussion had not even made her stir.

“Then who brought her here?” I questioned even though I knew I wasn’t going to get an answer.

“The biggest mystery of the year,” he muttered and looked around. “Whose place is this?”

“Elijah’s,” I responded. He looked at me with interest before I added, “Before Brianne cut ties with Elijah, she accidentally Spell Traveled us here. Elijah didn’t want to attend the party with us around and I guess the thought brought her here or something.”

“She didn’t bring herself here,” he mumbled as he looked back to Bri. “She doesn’t have enough energy for that.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t Professor Phoenix?”

“Aurora has a fever. That’s why she’s taking the majority of the day off until the festival thanks to Ms. Electra’s strict orders.”

She’s sick. That’s rare.

“She never gets sick.”

“Your body will be forced to get sick when you’re traveling from two polar opposite countries every day,” he voiced. “Just because Aurora’s a dark god, that doesn’t mean she’s invincible. We all have limits to our power supply and have to recharge. Thankfully the festival is going so smoothly and is well protected, so none of us are worried about that,” Fuwa summarized.

“Brianne can’t do this anymore,” I muttered.

“And do you think you’ll be able to stop her?” Fuwa offered back. “Cause at this point, I have a strong feeling only you could be able to convince her to either rest or ask for help.”

“She’s going to hurt herself if she keeps doing this.”

“She’s frightened to tell you and the others,” Fuwa muttered.

“That she’s taking care of Elijah,” I concluded. “We already speculated that.”

“You and I both know that’s not what she’s frightened about.”

I sighed and decided to just say it. “She still loves him, right?”

“Love is a bit of a strong word,” Fuwa grumbled but didn’t deny the obvious truth.

“Love, like, crush, still has butterflies at the thought she potentially still cares about Elijah and the tempting possibility he may still care for her, type of love, correct?”

Fuwa moved to lean against the wall before crossing his arms.

“Why did you move over there?” I questioned.

“It’s getting too hot,” he replied and gestured to where I stood. “All up in there.”

“Ugh,” I grunted and tried to calm myself down. “It just pisses me off.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not one of us.” I went straight to the point. “He’ll never be close to us, or a part of our Notorious crew. He’s hurt Brianne’s heart and she had to learn how to live with the guilt and harsh words he threw at her out of his own frustration. She had to learn to let go, to live, and to love and be free of the past. And now all this truth is coming out and only making her realize she may have fallen out of love with the wrong person.”

I had to state this properly or I’d be interpreted wrong.

“I’m not saying that what happened to good Elijah is fair. In fact, if I was in his shoes and I woke up from a coma and looked back at losing the one girl I was best friends with and had a crush on but didn’t have the balls to say shit because my fucked-up twin brother or triplet or whatever number of clones he has screwed everything up in my love life and formidable future, then ya. I’d be more than a little pissed, but it’s just…”

“You’re afraid she won’t have enough love to give you with him in the equation?”

“No,” I whispered and rubbed my hands along my face. “Brianne has too much fucking love. That’s the problem, Fuwa.”

I lowered my arms to look directly into his eyes. “Her heart never lacks! It’s like love just pours out of it and when she starts falling for someone, I know she can fight as much as she wants, but in reality, she won’t be able to let go. You see it, don’t you? She wakes up at four in the morning after falling asleep at two, gets up, trains, and then goes to make sure he’s comfortable, groomed, and getting enough nutrition. No matter the fact she can barely keep up with school and cheer practice right now and is basically driving herself into exhaustion, just because she knows that Elijah not only has nobody who dares do the same for him but because she knows she wouldn’t dare let anyone she loved experience such a horrendous way of living.”

Taking a breath, I let it out nice and slow. “I heard those nurses. The mockery, the gossip. Like fuck, if I was in a coma and had to listen to all of that crap, I’d pray for someone to pull the damn plug. I knew from the look in Brianne’s eyes when she saw Elijah in that bed that she wouldn’t abandon him. Even if that was the evil Elijah, nothing would have changed. She would make sure he was taken care of because that’s our Red. Our Notorious Queen with an ever-loving heart that pours and pours until she has none for herself, and that’s what scares me. You know why?”

He seemed to swallow - his Adam’s apple moving up and down.

“Because a moment will come when she’ll have to choose between herself and one of us, and I know without a doubt in my mind that the woman I love will once again wedge herself between a strike of an arrow and one of the men she cares dearly about,” I revealed the ultimate truth. “And it scares me because I know without a doubt that Elijah may be included in that equation because out of all the fucked-up shit we’ve dealt with in almost four years, I’m sure he’s experienced ten times worse with not even one person to lean on.”

We stood there in silence and I noticed then that Fuwa’s legs were disappearing. He bit his lip but looked up at me. “Where do you wanna go? It’s not safe to stay here.”

“My place,” I suggested. “Would be easier to get to the festival.”

He nodded, and I swiftly moved to slowly scoop Brianne up from the bed. Elsa was still snuggled in her spot. Fuwa was next to me, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. The world around us shifted swiftly until we were right in my room.

I looked to Fuwa as his disappearing speed increased. Facing me, he got to the point. “Tell Brianne you guys know.” He wasn’t saying that lightly. “All of this is giving her anxiety and if we’re not careful, it’s going to trigger something. Whether that be her passing out at the wrong place and time like today or triggering her temper or frustration, which isn’t good timing, period.”

He took a step back though half his body was already gone.

“Fuwa,” I whispered. “Why did you tell me all of this?”

“Again, out of the four of you, Brianne won’t argue with you,” he revealed. “And to be truthfully honest, deep down, you may be the only one who really understands Elijah.”

“Why is that?” I tried to dismiss him, but his smile caught my attention as he was on the verge of disappearing entirely.

“Deep down you know what it’s like to be a shadow.”

Just like that, he was gone with a blink, leaving me in the middle of my room with Brianne still in my arms.

When the emotions you’ve kept buried are ignored, you merely wish for them to be heard by those you love the most.

22

SPRING FESTIVAL OF FULFILLMENT

~BRIANNE~

HMM. So sleepy. When did I fall asleep? What year is it? Wait…that’s a stupid question.

Festival. Sleepyhead.

Festival…

The mere reminder suddenly clicked in as I tried to recall when I’d decided to take a nap. I could recall going to see Elijah, feeling super tired, and blank.

Oh fucking hell!

My eyes snapped open before I tried to move off my pillow and get out of my bed, only to be stopped as an arm hooked around my waist, keeping me captive.

“Why is my pillow kidnapping me!” I huffed and turned my attention below before I froze. Talk about deja vu.

Here I was, my hands pressed to the sides of my boyfriend, reincarnated husband, and Witchling Academy’s president for the last four years, Jax Morgan. This was beyond ironic because we were in his room, just like that moment in time when I fell through his ceiling and on top of his bed that fateful day.

My eyes admired his golden spheres, just like I had back then, as I acknowledged how uniquely mesmerizing they were; they sucked in every ounce of my attention.

It took me a solid moment before I could acknowledge his other features; from those long, flaming ombre locks that I’d come to adore over the years, to his perfect facial structure that had changed a bit to fit his maturity.

His soft lips were still as inviting as ever, and his defined chest had expanded thanks to all the weight training he’d been doing.

I bit my lip as I admired him slowly, as though we suddenly had all the time in the world. It was funny how a simple position from the past could rekindle that first set of emotions and reactions that fluttered through me.

The only difference now was that instead of embarrassment flooding my cheeks in the form of blushing heat, my body thrummed with lust and admiration, as if I hadn’t seen Jax in ages.

When I met his eyes once more, I wondered if he experienced anything close to the same. I knew I’d have to break the spell, just like I had back then, but as I began to count backward within my mind, I didn’t stand a chance at reaching that magic number one, because he lifted his head up and pressed those exquisite lips firmly on mine.

My original plan to escape went flying out the door as my body reacted like a lit flame, my lips pressing against his impatiently while his hands immediately moved along my body, making me realize I was just in my lingerie.

I couldn’t remember how I got into Jax’s room back at his family’s house, but I’d have to put those questions aside as I got lost in everything else that resonated with how suddenly turned on I was.

He deepened the kiss and pulled me back against him before rolling us over so he was now on top of me. I already had my hands running down his back while he worked on getting his cock out of his boxers.

Without much delay, he was sliding into me. The action was a little slower to aid in arousing me even further. He stayed still as we continued to make out while I adjusted to his length, and before long he was moving at the perfect pace, the two of us already prepared for this wild ride.

“Jax,” I moaned against his lips as he began to move faster.

“Brianne,” he groaned my name as he pinned me to the bed before he leaned in and moved his hands along my body until they were on the sides of my hips. He gripped me firmly, his fingernails beginning to dig into my flesh while he watched with those hungry eyes.

My breasts bounced with every thrust as he began to pick up the pace, the two of us moaning and panting without a care in the world. This wasn’t back in Semester One when his parents were home and were seconds from interrupting us.

It was only us, and the heat between our scorching hot bodies as we made love.

“Faster, Jax,” I begged, and he delivered as he increased his pace further while shifting his position so he fucked me even deeper than before.

We kissed impatiently, our hands roaming across our flesh in haste. I’d missed our intimacy, feeling his burning flesh against mine, having my naked body embraced by his while enjoying the quiet moments of just talking in the midst of the darkness with my hands trailing down his chiseled chest while his long fingers ran through my hair.

We were in the same dorm, and our relationship was as strong as ever, and yet it felt like we were eons away and this was our one shot to rekindle the torch of our love.

“Brianne. Bri! Fuck, yes,” Jax grunted as his body began to stiffen, and I knew he was just as close as I was.

“Yes. Deep…like that! A bit more. So…close!” I gripped the sheets beneath me as my back arched just as he made one final thrust and sank his cock into me as deeply as he could. I cried out in ecstasy just as he groaned loudly, the two of us completely still as he filled me up with his shots of release.

We remained like that for what felt like a minute before he pulled out and collapsed next to me. I knew for sure I was forgetting something, but my brain needed a moment to recuperate from that sexual whirlwind.

I should have been exhausted from that sudden decision for fast sex, but I felt energized, as if I’d just drank a shot of espresso with a pinch of boosting magic.

Jax reached out to brush my hair out of my face, and I looked at him for a hard minute before he leaned in to close the distance and kiss me. Soft, tender lips mushed lightly against mine.

“Hey,” he quietly breathed against my lips.

“Hey,” I replied, and opened my eyes to stare into his.

How could a few weeks go by and make it seem as though we’ve drifted so far apart?

Swallowing the lump in my throat that I hadn’t realized had surfaced, I slowly moved into his arms, until he was hugging me tightly and pressing a kiss against the top of my head.

“Brianne,” Jax whispered, and I knew we’d have to talk about how I’d gotten here. Seeing as I couldn’t remember a damn thing, I could only think of one scenario - I passed out at the hospital and the nurses probably called whoever they could reach.

Guess I have no choice but to confess like some sort of criminal.

“I’ve been taking care of Elijah since the beginning of the new year,” I voiced before I went on a rambling spree. “I was going to tell you and the others first when I found out he wasn’t being taken care of properly since his mom has no clue and he doesn’t have any other close friends, but then I’d always get frightened that you guys would say no, even though I know you guys wouldn’t say no, but it was a nagging worry of mine that left me suffocating at the idea of telling you guys, so Aurora said I could keep it a secret for now until I felt comfortable telling you. But the weeks went on and on, and everything just got so busy that I simply rebelled against the idea even though deep within my heart I knew you wouldn’t cast me away or break up with me or something stupid and irrational.”

I had to take a second inhale-exhale before carrying right back on.

“The nurses say he’s getting better and that his senses are coming back and his nerves are repairing in his lower legs, so I was hoping he’d wake up and then my duty would be over, but then I’ve been pushing myself to try and teleport on my own because Aurora’s been getting ill and exhausted on my behalf and I didn’t feel like it was fair to her when she was helping me, so I’ve been trying my best, but I barely sleep because I’m worried about this semester going downhill or you guys breaking up with me because I’m helping Elijah, or some crazy catastrophe happening and destroying everything I love and cherish!”

I just let the words out as they flooded out of my brain like a broken dam.

“I was really tired today and wasn’t going to spend too long at the hospital so I could come back home and take a nap before the festival, but I got so tired and didn’t know how I was going to get back and my eyes just failed me, then my body, and now I feel like a complete fool because it’s all coming out now and you’re probably going to hate me for confessing after we just had sex, and I probably missed Finnick’s festival and he’s going to be so upset and hate me after working so damn hard for months, and now I just feel fucking horrible and wish I could teleport elsewhere so I can hide until the world ends.”

I finally allowed myself to catch my breath as Jax listened to everything I had to say.

“Spell Travel,” he corrected first, which was so unexpected, I had to lean back to really look up at him. “If it was the other way around, you’d certainly correct me.”

“You’re not wrong,” I mumbled as tears began to form in my eyes. “But you’re supposed to be mad.”

“Why?”

“Because…well…everything I said!”

“Brianne.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “We knew you were taking care of Elijah.”

That had me staring at him as if he just said someone died. Seeing as I was frozen by the news, he kept going.

“We all speculated and knew you’d tell us when you were ready,” he confessed. “You’ve wanted to share but something stopped you, right?”

All I could do was nod, and he gave me a tender smile as he closed his eyes for a moment. “Can I guess why?”

He opened his eyes again, and they held a seriousness to them. One eye was his usual golden beauty with tiny hints of red and orange, while the other was completely black. It reminded me of the poster, leaving me to wonder if Jax and Jaxsin were present.

This was the chance I was waiting for, and I expected to feel that crippling anxiety begin to roll its ugly head to disable me from saying what I’d been denying for what felt like eons.

All I could do was nod again as I waited for him to guess some random answer so I could finally say the truth.

“You still care for Elijah.”

“You see I…” The words I’d planned to counter whatever reasoning he gave suddenly stalled as my wide eyes stared into his. I waited for his reaction at my prolonged shock - waited for Jaxsin to be in full control and remind me that I was their Notorious Queen and no one else’s.

I waited and waited until the silence was suffocating all on its own.

“You…why…how…?” I couldn’t fathom words.

“You closed that chapter with Elijah a long time ago,” he whispered. “However, it opened when you found out the potential truth that Elijah was a mere pawn in all of this and was essentially set up to fail, just like Eliza was set up by her sister Elisha her entire life.”

He encouraged us to sit up, and I did, while using the blanket to cover myself to try and hide the slight shakiness in my body. It wasn’t like I was afraid of Jax or Jaxsin’s response, but maybe I was afraid of losing everything we’d built these last few years.

“I…” No words could replicate what he’d just acknowledged without me even hinting at it. “Why…why aren’t you angry?”

“When the idea crossed my mind, I was,” he acknowledged. “However, what would it solve?”

He reached out to brush away my tears that spilled down my cheeks.

“I love you. Connor, Finnick, and Kaito love you. We’re practically bound by these tattoos, even though we haven’t officially activated them yet, and, well, we know you carry a heart that’s so full of love. Before you met us, Elijah was your rock. Your bestie who was there for you when you were bullied, outcasted, and ridiculed for your talents and gifts. He was the first guy you fell in love with, and though it may have been just a crush, it doesn’t get rid of the past and the fact that he was important to you.”

He smiled slightly. “In the beginning, it’s not like I disliked Elijah. None of the guys hated him. He wasn’t competing with us. The problem was the reality that he was dragging you along like you weren’t a queen to be loved, cherished, pampered, and idolized for all the amazing qualities you carried. His bitterness and jealousy were beginning to show, and instead of being a man and admitting he had a crush on you and didn’t want to lose you, he pushed you further away and hurt you. That’s why I began to despise him. Because he hurt the woman I was coming to fall in love with.”

“Jax,” I whispered.

“When we discovered the potential that Elijah has been a puppet in all of this, it made me realize what a victim he could potentially be. That the only joy in life he had was the friendship and moments he shared with you. Those weren’t tampered with by the plans of the Shadow Kingdom. Maybe it was done on purpose so you’d never realize how close the true enemy was. We won’t know until Elijah wakes up, but if he’s truly innocent and has been left in the shadows to only come out to be hurt and be stripped of all he once cared about…then I can’t judge him for what he didn’t mean to do.”

He sighed as if he’d been struggling to get all of that off his chest.

“Most people misunderstand Jaxsin. They never grasp that he’s not the same reincarnated person from our past life. It annoys me to be judged for stuff in the past that I can’t clearly remember doing, and it hurts far more than anyone really realizes. Kaito, Finnick, your sister, and her team, they don’t see things the way you see them. They don’t get that Jaxsin is working on himself and trying to change and tame the fire I’d engraved in him. It’s hard…and annoying when the world ignores all the progress we’ve made in the shadows. Being ignored hurts, and I’m sure Elijah has had to deal with that his whole life while knowing whatever he cherished the most would eventually slip from his grasp. No one would defend him. They would remind him of the past, of his old self, and insist that the past will repeat itself. Basically, prove that nothing can be changed. When I think in that manner, it makes me realize how similar Elijah’s and my circumstances could potentially be.”

Running his outstretched hand along my cheek to run through my hair, he gazed into my eyes once more. “If you want to open that chapter, none of us will stop you, Brianne, but what we can’t let you do is hurt yourself over it. When Fuwa found you, you were in Elijah’s bedroom. He doesn’t know how you got there and he’s positive you didn’t Spell Travel there either.”

“So…I did pass out.” I bit my lip in worry while Jax nodded.

“You’ve been out all morning and afternoon.”

“That means we did miss the festival.” My shoulders sank as I tried not to shed more tears. Finnick’s going to be so upset.

“You didn’t miss anything,” Jax revealed. “It’s only four. The art portion starts in an hour because there was a delay in delivering one of the competitive pieces.”

“Meaning…we can still go?” I asked with wide eyes filled with hope.

“As long as you’re feeling up for it,” he assured me.

“Jax,” I whispered and tried to blink back my tears. “So…you’re okay if I keep checking on Elijah?”

“I’m perfectly fine with it as long as you’re safe, Brianne,” he stressed with a serious gaze. “After this festival, you’re getting a week off. No excuses. You need to catch up on much-needed sleep, and if you want to visit Elijah, you’ll do so with one of us to make sure you’re protected. Not because we want to keep an eye on you. We don’t know who got you out of Switzerland and back here, but we can make sure we’re together. We can find a better way to teleport back and forth then draining Professor Phoenix. We can also alternate in checking on Elijah so you’re not too strained with your cheer practices.”

“And when he wakes up?”

“We’ll figure out the truth. If he’s truly innocent and has feelings for you, then I won’t object to you wanting to try again, but he’s going to have to start from fucking scratch to be close to us, or you, as a matter of fact, and if he dares to scratch your heart with his stubborn stupidity, he’s out.”

“So…just to make sure,” I began, “you’re not disgusted that I may still like him.”

“No,” he replied firmly. “Love is love. It comes and goes. Sometimes the worst enemies become lovers. In our past lives, things were different, but maybe this time around, you’re getting the side of Elijah that had fallen in love with you before things went to hell with greed and power.”

He moved to scoot me closer to him, his arms wrapping around me. “Now, stop shaking.”

“I was so nervous you’d hate me.”

“I’d never hate you, Brianne. Can’t hate our one and only queen,” he whispered. “Let all that nervousness and worry out but promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t hold your feelings back from us again,” he whispered. “We rely on you whenever we’re worried about things in life. You have to remember that you can rely on us if you need anything as well. You shouldn’t have to keep it in. We’re your boyfriends. You can vent to us and know we’ll never judge you. Understand?”

I nodded my head before moving to hug him from the side. His arms wrapped around me before he kissed my neck, shoulder, and temple.

“Let’s get ready. We’re going to have to take a magic taxi back if we want to get to the festival on time.”

“Yes!” I exclaimed, remembering once again that we hadn’t missed the spring festival. Pausing in my movement, I turned my head to wrap my arms around Jax’s neck and kiss him long and hard.

He accepted every bit of my affection as he kissed me right back.

“Thank you, Jax. You don’t understand how much relief that brings me.”

“Always, Red,” he replied with a wide grin. “Let’s go shower.”

“The way you say it makes it seem like we’re doing more than just showering,” I mumbled casually before it seemed to click. “Oh.”

That had him laughing before he kissed me. “C’mon, Queen. We have a festival to attend.”

He got off the bed first and offered his hand to me, and I placed mine in his without hesitation.

“To think this all started with me falling through your bedroom ceiling,” I quietly stated. He squeezed my hand as we headed to the door.

“And now you’re stuck with me,” he concluded.

“Just the way I like it.” I giggled. “I love you, Jax.”

“As I’ve always loved you,” he replied as we shared a look.

After this entire semester, I finally feel like I’m not suffocating. I’m finally free.

“ONTO OUR FINAL competitor for the evening.”

Kaito’s arm was around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder. Connor and Jax were standing at my sides while we stood in the front row of the large stage that was surrounded with flowers.

The sun took the opportunity to begin its descent, the sky of rich blue beginning to be swarmed with orange and pink.

All of us were glammed up; Jax, Connor, and Kaito were wearing suits while I wore a white dress that shifted into a pink cherry blossom design with teal sparkles. I’d somehow managed to curl my hair in time, deciding not to use magic to aid with my transformation since I didn’t want to exhaust myself further.

My talk with Jax had alleviated so many worries from my mind, and I was sure Kaito and Connor had noticed since I not only projected a refreshed appearance, but I also decided to tell them about Elijah and that I’d been helping take care of him.

Jax was right. The others all knew about it, even Finnick. I’d still tell him specifically once the festival was over, but their immediate support and desire to assist so I wouldn’t burn out - or pass out again - left me speechless when we took a moment to discuss it.

I don’t know how I got so wrapped up in the idea that they would reject my desire to help someone who couldn’t help themselves. Maybe because Elijah was considered our enemy. Though, with recent discoveries, he was either being used or intertwined in a crazy web of deceit, suffering, and forced silence.

The plan after the festival was what Jax suggested. From now on, one of them would come with me to visit Elijah and we’d figure out a way to make it less magically draining on Professor Phoenix.

I was sure if we brought it up to my sister, she’d have a more logical way, seeing as they had to teleport to various parts of the world when crimes went international. Surely she’d know how to get us from Witchling to Switzerland to make sure Elijah was safe and cared for.

I’d explained that Professor Phoenix stated that the evil Elijah’s name was Eliyahu Hamilton on his birth certificate, and Kaito had explained a recent number of dreams he’d been having of some sort of confrontation that would reveal a “third” Elijah.

The mere possibility of him being a triplet would be mind-blowing, to say the least, but at the same time, with all the twin encounters around us and even our recent dive into another universe to meet a set of quads, anything was honestly possible.

The Shadow Kingdom was a pain in the ass because they did things that were outside of the box. Who would have guessed Elisha was a twin, and yet we had to decipher all of that madness that revealed how far back the Shadow Kingdom has had their hands intertwined in their lives.

The clock was ticking and I believed we all knew the time was coming for some sort of final confrontation. With the lingering plague I’d put on Eliyahu, he was bound to show up sooner or later.

For now, I’d simply focus on the present. My attention returned to the stage as a man in a white suit headed onto the stage.

“Like the other competition pieces, only a drop of magic is allowed to be used to trigger the artwork’s revelation. This final piece actually requires a volunteer. One particularly wearing white. It’s a bonus if they have orange hair,” he paused to look at the cue card in his grasp, “with golden highlights.”

If that ain’t specific.

Everyone’s eyes immediately went to me, a few of my fellow classmates cheering as Kaito let go of me before kissing my cheek. “Have fun, Red,” he cheered.

I rolled my eyes but held an excited grin as I raised my hand up before heading to the stage. “I’ll volunteer,” I confirmed when I reached the man, who seemed stunningly pleased with my appearance.

“Excellent,” he replied. All you have to do is stand in the circle right there.”

“Okay,” I replied and happily walked over to the specified circle in white.

The man waited until I was settled before he carried on.

“This piece is named Sky High. It started as a piece created by another artist who unfortunately passed away more than a year ago. The artist will leave the description of this piece to be read after it is revealed. Interpret it as you wish and enjoy this creative masterpiece.”

He bowed as everyone clapped, and within a few extra seconds, the crowd calmed to a peaceful silence as the lights around dimmed.

The female announcer came with the dropper - the trinket of golden magic used to reveal all the previous creations. She reached out to drop the single raindrop into the circle, right at my feet, and moved swiftly as the circle began to glow.

I watched as the white-lined circle begin to fill with various colors until it almost appeared like a palette. A sheet of white paper fell from the sky, its body beginning to turn into ash but leaving glowing words in its wake, which made a few viewers gasp in awe.

“Follow the sky-high,” I whispered the words, and my body began to float as a ballad song with music box tones began to play around us. No one said a word as I continued to remain afloat. The world around the vast space began to change as images began to flicker into existence all around the circular space.

Like memories.

“Dad! Why do we all go to the sky?” A little boy’s voice came from my left, and there was a floating piece of paper with a little boy with green hair. Like the previous piece of paper, it turned into ash, but the glittering specks left behind created an outlined image of the very little boy as his glowing body raced around me as he awaited his father’s reply.

“Well, the sky is where peace is.” The deep voice from the past immediately reminded me of Finnick’s father. The sound hit a few individuals in the crowd as they put their hands on their chests at the reminder of his existence.

“Then why can’t we just go there, like an astronaut!” The little boy jumped while putting his hands up high, tiny pieces of sticky note paper gliding through the air and fading into fireworks that shot further into the sky and burst into colorful confetti.

“Because the sky is so high that even mages can never reach the final golden gates.”

“Then how do we get there, Dad?”

“Well, you have to live a good life and eventually say goodbye to be at peace.”

The little boy came to a stop next to me and grabbed my dress as he looked up in my direction. I couldn’t help but look down to meet his hopeful eyes - the image reminding me of Finnick but as a child with so many hopes and dreams.

“Would Mommy come with me?” the boy asked while he stared up at me.

“Well, she may be there before you. So will I, but that means we’ll be able to greet you when you arrive.”

The boy frowned just a little as he reached out with his other hand with the hopes I’d press mine against his. I did the deed, even if it was just a magic trick, but it triggered a spark of ripped papers that changed into raining cherry blossom petals that rained down upon us.

“I’d miss Mom,” the boy declared. “And you, Dad.”

“Whenever you miss us, think of all those you currently love in real-time and spoil them with cherry blossoms.”

“Cherry blossoms!” The boy took a step back and clapped his hands again. More cherry blossoms rained down upon me. The action made me tear up as the little boy ran around the circle.

“I’m going to draw a load of cherry blossoms for everyone.”

“You can,” the man encouraged. “But remember that not everyone will accept them.”

The words seemed to echo as the scene around us began to change - the little boy beginning to fly around me while he grew older until it seemed like he was a teen. He danced around me like we were now in ballet, and before long the silhouette creation had my hands, and we spun within the circle that seemed to light all around us with sparks of orange and gold.

A painting of red and black appeared to our left as we began to slow in the spinning movement. The attention moved to the very piece of work as it hung in the air like it was hanging on a solid wall.

The piece of work was a simple black rose, but its petals were tipped with blood. The teen began to walk towards it until he reached out to touch it. The spark made the painting seem to come to life, the rose becoming an array of roses that multiplied as he spun in happiness before he gestured at the roses to flow to the crowd.

Everyone seemed to have a rose in their possession, and I was shocked because it appeared so real. The boy was then before me as he bowed with a bouquet of the black roses, leaving me no choice but to accept them as a smile formed on my face.

“Thank you,” I whispered, and it seemed to trigger the next shift in the story because the boy danced and grew even older until he held a glowing umbrella.

More floating canvases appeared around us, displaying the images of people in coats and hats, and holding umbrellas. The boy began to walk around the squared walls that carried these various pieces; the mere breeze that passed lit them up and brought them to life.

I was beginning to understand what Finnick had done - a chain reaction or domino effect that made one drop of magic spread through all his creations from the single source.

“I’m going to be a good man!” the older teen declared as his umbrella shifted to teal and lit up. “I’ll spread kindness and happiness everywhere I go, and I’ll give love to everyone I know.

The roses in our possessions began to glow to a vivid red until they were now red roses and not black. Everyone seemed to be amazed, trying to figure out how all of this was happening. If he’d used outside magic the alarm would have gone off to prove it, but it remained silent while the story continued around us.

The boy tried to walk happily through the crowd, but as he got further through they seemed to cluster to try and slow him down. He tried and tried, but they squished him like he was in a can of sardines, and the colliding pressure of their umbrellas against his made his escape his grasp before it flew upward with the gust of wind.

“My love!” he cried out as he tried to reach for it, but it was long gone as its light fluttered off. I swallowed the lump in my throat as the boy was pushed and shoved by everyone until he was left on the spot before me. We began to descend back to the stage.

I’d landed right in the center of the circle, and the boy wiped away his tears before he slowly got up.

“It’s okay! I have more love to give!” The image clapped his hands and an older, taller figure appeared next to him. They began to play around like they were fake fighting - a common activity between brothers, as a large landscape image appeared to my right.

Everyone’s gaze followed as the boy and his older brother walked to the very image. The boy touched the canvas and it came to life as it showed an acrylic painting of a convenience store that turned into a glowing masterpiece of serene colors.

“Let’s go share our love! We’ll receive love in return!” he declared as he reached for the glowing door, but we watched as shots of arrows came right out and into the older silhouette. The boy gasped, as did many in the crowd, who were so engrossed in the story.

We watched as the boy reached out to the crowd, and the roses he’d delivered began to float his way until he had a bunch. He laid them upon his brother to try and soak up the black flow of liquid from his glowing green body.

No matter how many roses fell upon him, the older male raised his hand up to the sky - and was gone the next second as the red roses dipped in black all turned to black once more, littering the stage with their broken petals.

“Why?” The teen rose up as he stared at the petals. “I gave all my love. Why didn’t it heal my brother?”

I blinked back my tears at the vulnerability in the audible voice. The music box melody in the background only made me more emotional. I surely wasn’t alone as many in the crowd fought hard against their tears as the silhouette teen walked over to where I stood and reached to hold my dress once more.

My dress began to glow, and I watched a silhouette of white poof onto the other side - a woman with short, pink, glowing hair. Her silhouette body danced and moved the outlined dress with her steps.

The teen beamed as he moved to dance with the woman, and we watched them spin across the stage until an image appeared behind me - another white canvas. The teen reached for the art piece, and it revealed a detailed drawing of rain clouds.

It began to rain then. All of us watched as the droplets that fell from the sky glowed a vivid blue. When they touched our bodies, they did nothing to us, but as the teen attempted to create an umbrella, the white silhouette’s light began to flicker.

With a drop to the floor, the silhouette began to fade, and the teen dropped to his knees. Again, he reached to the crowd and the red roses came to his aid. Some people even threw theirs to get them to the stage faster, but once again, as the rose petals fell upon the dying woman, they turned to black and were left behind as the image faded.

The teen was left again to hang his head low.

“My love…once again, couldn’t save them.”

Rising up once more the defeated teen stood before me then, and I couldn’t help but reach out to pat the outlined head. “It’s…okay,” I whispered.

The lights around us centered behind me, and I turned to see the large canvas on display. Like the recent other canvases, it was blank to all of us. I returned my eyes to the teen, and he floated into the air and spun around me. He was now an adult, and his silhouette glowing figure looked as if he wore a suit with his hair now tied back in a short ponytail.

Returning to stand next to me, the man reached for my dress once more, and the touch lit up the white palette beneath my feet. He crouched down to touch it and a large brush lit up in his grasp.

He seemed to be happy, like the bad times had passed, as he raced to the grand piece of work. With the movement of his brush, he began to reveal a man at the same height as him - his energy of pink and teal.

The new man gave off a fatherly vibe, and I prepared my heart for what I knew was approaching as the man began to skip around the older figure as he pointed to the canvas.

Passing the brush to the older man, he stood back to watch the older glowing silhouette begin to tap the brush to the blank canvas.

We watched in amazement as a corner of the canvas began to light up in the same neon energy that had unraveled this captivating story. The sight of the neon shades projecting so vividly on the canvas like they glowed in the dark was what was really growing to be the buzz as the last bits of sunlight in the sky vanished at that moment.

The colors and shades that blended together continued to spread from the bottom left corner, but then the older man looked to his left, and with a toss of his brush, he tried to run in the opposite direction as if he were trying to avoid something.

The brush seemed to be pulled back to its wielder like a magnet - and it pierced through the man who crumbled to the ground.

Yet again, the younger man rushed to his loved one’s aid, his hand reaching out to the crowd for support, but it didn’t matter that those who held roses already threw them in the air in an attempt to get them to their destination faster.

The older silhouette was flickering with his last speck of light, but unlike with the others, he reached out to pat the man’s head like I’d done. The red roses turned to black before they hit the ground, and the man was left there in his sorrow as his head hung low.

We watched in complete silence as he rose up and looked to the large piece of work that was only 1/10th done. He shook his head as he began to walk away from it before he stood on my left side.

He reached out to the crowd as if roses would come to him like the other times, but nothing reached his grasp. He moved to my left side and did the same deed.

Not a single rose came to his grasp, and all eyes fell on me as I held the bouquet of flowers. I was going to offer them to him as he looked back to the large canvas, but he began to stomp his foot and tug at his outlined hair.

He ruffled it in frustration and walked around me as he tossed the suit coat to reveal his outlined arms and the marks that glowed in red. Tears began to spill at the chaotic behavior of the magical image as the man spun and clung to his hair while neon blue droplets ran down his face.

He kicked at the black petals, and the action ignited a gust to lift them up as he moved vigorously across the stage until he was in front of me and the center of attention from the crowd as he lifted his hands up.

The wind carried all the black petals into the air, but they remained their onyx color of lifelessness as they began to fall at an extremely slow pace.

In defeat, the man’s hands fell as his head looked to the floor.

“To love, again and again, only to have to submit in defeat to the ultimate enemy called life,” the voice whispered. “The sky looked inviting. The hues of darkness somehow led to a world of peace. That’s all anyone wants. Peace.”

The man looked to the crowd as we all seemed to realize he was at the edge of the stage. He reached to take a step forward, the petals that fell still in their places in the air like the world had frozen.

I don’t know why I did what I did, but I reached out to grab the silhouette’s hand, and everyone seemed to do the same as they reached forward like roses would float through the sky to give him the love he desperately deserved.

My hand went through the silhouette as he leaned forward, and all I could do was throw the bouquet of the last remaining flowers as I fell to my knees.

The bundle of flowers soared as the silhouette fell off the edge. They hit the image in the back, which made him and the flowers burst into black petals.

The silence lingered as we just watched the petals begin to fall again. The silhouette of the man was now gone. I was left alone on the stage, my tears dropping down to the circle spot beneath me.

No one dared to speak. Some people had their hands on their mouths to muffle their sobs, while others cried proudly as they stared at the stage before them.

The wind picked up and a single red petal fluttered right in front of me. I sniffed and tried to wipe away my tears, before reaching for the single red petal that somehow sparked a drop of hope.

“As a being of this world, we are created to love. To be attracted to the signs of love, to absorb the actions of love, and to wish to deliver love to those lacking it,” the voice narrated as the soft beam of light landed upon me.

“Many experience throughout their lifetime the emotional burden love brings. They give and give until the world has the petals of their love and they have nothing to give to themselves. They allow their lives to revolve around the expectations of family, friends, and the negative expectations of others. They’re bullied to think the single rose of love we all share within ourselves is different instead of being the same. We all wish for love. To be hopeful and make our permanent home. A land of peace. Yet life hits us when we least expect it, and sometimes no matter how much love is thrown in your direction it falls into a funnel that makes the world dark.”

My eyes widened when the petal in my grasp began to glow until it was an orange petal with hints of gold. I rose up while holding it in my finger’s grasp, the move catching everyone’s attention as they noticed what I held.

“But through the peak of darkness, there’s a single beam of light waiting at the end of the tunnel,” the voice declared as I turned around to look at the unfinished piece. I was immediately drawn to it, and without hesitation, I walked towards the canvas as the spotlight followed my every step.

“Many believe that the little actions of love we share don’t reach the hearts of those in great despair. That our words don’t reach those in deep slumber, and that the eyes of a dying person can’t see the sorrowful expressions upon our faces, seconds before they rise upward towards the sky.”

The voice paused as I stopped before the canvas, and I stared at the petal one last time.

“No matter how small our spark of love is, its touch can change someone’s lifetime.”

With those words that echoed around us, I lightly placed the petal to the canvas and watched it begin to spread black along the surface like a burning sheet of paper. I took a few steps back as the heat escalated, and the wind picked up, which lifted the black petals into the sky to lift higher and higher.

By the time I came to a stop, it was because I bumped into a firm surface. Hands gently rested upon my shoulders and prompted me to look up to see the loving pair of ocean eyes that twinkled at me.

They were glassy as they bored into mine, and the narrator’s voice escaped his very lips. “The touch of a petal that’s filled with love cuts through the crisp surface of burned expectations. When we’re tired of being left as ash, that force of hope in the shape of love cuts through the spiraling force within ourselves and allows our true sense of purpose to blossom to the surface,” he revealed. “When that happens, everything begins to rise high: our hopes, dreams, and the good memories that were overshadowed by the bad ones. The weight of such burdens are cast away, and we’re finally able to rise high into our purpose in life until we, too, are ready to fly high into the sky and receive everlasting peace.”

He paused as a single tear escaped to drop onto my left cheek.

“When the world is filled with darkness, allow yourself to feel the pain, the sorrow, the agony, and the anger those emotions deliver, but don’t let it blind you from the true force of nature that seeks to bring peace to you. Don’t allow it to hide the love that’s right in front of you. Let the petal of the rose soak up your tears, and then see its ultimate beauty as you set it free to be one with nature once more.”

He smiled then as he whispered, “You never know what a single petal of love can unlock.”

His attention moved forward, and I lowered my head to see the spectacular painted image. I was completely stunned as I took in the massive image of me smiling. The background was the same as the pastel sunset we’d experienced with the fluffy clouds, and I stood there with my hand out and a red rose in the palm of my hand.

The painted whole wasn’t what really took my breath away, but the smaller images that began to surface the longer you looked at it. Memories through the years began to project outward into the air for the world to see while the black petals that had been lifted rained down in a mesmerizing transition of color.

The music box sound was at its most dramatic part of the entire orchestrated piece, adding the emotional emphasis needed as we admired the various memories and painted images that were projected out like holographic screens.

The years we shared from the moment we first met, the summers and sleepovers we shared, and the challenges throughout the years. Images of Finnick’s brother smiling, his mother with a dress in her hand as she seemed to twirl in glee, his father laughing proudly with a paintbrush in his hand. So many memories that he’d kept in the archives of his mind to paint, and together they created a smiling image of me.

He moved to walk to direct me to face the crowd again. My feet were in the middle of the circle once more as Finnick now faced the audience in his white suit and tied hair.

“Presenting the finished concept to my father’s ultimate masterpiece. A single image of thousands of painted memories. Each image was painted with threads that can be magically conducted to project out like a holographic image. All it needs is a single drop of magic to let the entire story unfold with the aid of the Universe to tell the story,” he revealed as the pastel-colored rose petals fell upon us.

“Through the last four years at Witchling Academy, I’ve grown into a man who at one point believed that disappearing was my only option. No matter all the love I was receiving, I was losing all those I cherished and didn’t see the peace that thrums through this grand world because life was being hard on me. However…” He paused to reach for my hand. His fingers wrapped around mine as he slowly smiled.

“One bright light with orange and golden locks somehow cut through those thoughts again and again. Thanks to her, I was able to see the love I still had left to give to the world, whether it was physical love to my friends and the man I’d been afraid to confess to, or the love I could display upon a single canvas as I poured out my emotions with every stroke of my paintbrush.”

Squeezing my hand, he smiled. “This piece was originally supposed to represent my mother, who was the apple of my father’s eye. I decided to integrate it with my own life, and share it with you all. Look within yourselves to see how much love you have within to give to those important to you, as well as yourself. The sky may have a limit, but love can’t be bound to this world. Love can reach the highest parts of the sky, and that love will reach those that have already flown to the palace of peace in wait for us to share love in this world until our duty is up.”

With a bob of his head, he bowed his head.

“This is my entry, Sky High. Thank you for following the journey.”

The crowd went wild with cheers, and I finally looked over to the judges to see they were all shedding tears as they rose to clap. It was like having a standing ovation as everyone throughout the festival stopped to cheer and clap.

Seeing a vast group of people being moved by Finnick’s creation made my heart overflow with happiness as I looked at him with immense pride. He turned his head to look my way, and he whispered, “I did it, Red.”

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I hugged him. It made the crowd cheer louder as he hugged me back tightly. I could feel his emotions - the spiraling sadness and happiness that twirled like a ballad dance.

The raw presentation showed the world what he’d endured these last few years and here he stood, in the spotlight for everyone to see his striking success.

It took a long time for the crowd to finally calm as the main judge requested the microphone. The man was tall with short blond hair with purple highlights. He dressed exquisitely and gave off a foreigner vibe as he blinked away the fresh tears that threatened to fall.

“As one who traveled a long way to be a part of this festive competition, I’ve never been so moved as I have tonight. Art is such a privilege, and with the right tools and strains of magic, it can create a reality one may never expect. To be able to experience an ounce of the pain you’ve endured through such innovative creations is a blessing, and I think we’ve all learned a valuable lesson about the purpose of art. It’s to express what a person sees and imagines within their mind and implement it in your own life.” He looked to his fellow judges as if to get their confirmation.

Glancing back at us, he smiled widely. “I, Mr. Zoticus, am humbly proud to announce the winner of the Witchling Universal Arts Competition: Finnick Rosedale.”

Fireworks went off as we all cheered in victory. Finnick smiled before he began to cry. I crushed him in a hug before Jax, Connor, and Kaito were on stage and smothering him in all directions as we enjoyed the group hug.

Confetti of various colors rained down on us as we cheered, laughed, and cried.

Mr. Zoticus came up to the stage with a dazzling trophy while a group of individuals came out with a massive check.

“Congratulations, Mr. Rosedale. You are the official grand prize winner of one million dollars and a universal scholarship to travel the world. All expenses will be paid. All you have to do is share your creations with us.”

“Thank you,” Finnick replied as he fought not to sob.

“Whenever you’re ready to teach down the line, Mr. Rosedale, I’ll happily aid you on the professional journey,” Mr. Zoticus stated with pride.

“I’m honored. Thank you so much.”

“Picture! Picture.”

We were going to move out of the way, but Finnick shook his head. “Come over here and be in the picture. You guys are my roses. You can’t just leave now.”

We exchanged smiles before we lined up for the official photo.

“Three! Two! One!”

“Cheese!”

With love, anyone can fly high into the limitless sky.

23

CHEER FOR THE FINALE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

~KAITO~

“NINETY-SEVEN. NINETY-EIGHT. NINETY-NINE,” I counted before doing the last sword exercise for the morning. I was dripping with sweat, my shoulders moving up and down as I fought to catch my breath.

As much as I wanted to do a few more exercises before the sunrise, I knew I’d be pushing myself and potentially interfering with my energy levels.

Taking a few deep inhales and exhales, I bowed traditionally as if my opponent were before me and slid my sword back into the safety of its sheath. Staring at my bandaged hands, I smirked at the empowerment I felt regarding my growth.

Our kendo competition was supposed to be four weeks ago, but due to the hype of the games and the number of individuals coming from around the world for that and the kendo tournament, it was determined that everything would be on the same day.

The kendo tournament would be first, followed by the cheer competition, which would lead into the football game, intermission, and then the Witchling Games in the evening.

Our main concern was being wiped out from the day of activities, but it was agreed upon that we’d all receive healing boosts to give us an equal chance in the games.

I felt like I should have been nervous. This was the day we’d been waiting for.

The final showdown that would determine our grades and lead us to the graduation stage.

After a few stretches, I was back in our dorm and entering my room. My eyes immediately gravitated over to the bed and acknowledged the gorgeous woman curled up in my sheets.

I bit my lip in an attempt to not immediately be turned on by Brianne’s sleeping figure. When she’d knocked on my door late last night, I assumed it was just to check on me.

In the end, we began to simply talk about our worries until she literally dozed off mid-conversation. I don’t think Brianne would ever understand how adorably precious she was.

No matter her growth, there was this spark in her that simply made you want to accept every aspect of her, whether it was the innocence she’d carried at the beginning of her attendance here or the confident grace she projected without even trying.

I always got compliments and statements regarding how lucky I was to be dating Brianne Marie Harlow. The woman that every organization had their eyes on, the only woman in history to get the most invitations at Witchling Academy. She was one of the top students with perfect grades thus far, and officially ranked first and best Vice President the school had ever experienced.

That was a fraction of the number of awards Brianne was nominated for, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she graduated with enough award money to sponsor a few exclusive trips around the world.

In fact, with how popular she was, I bet airlines would beg her to take free trips around the world just for promotion purposes.

From the shy, gifted sixteen-year-old who barely had friends because she was the know-it-all to now. Here she was in my bed, the twenty-year-old Queen of Witchling Academy with immaculate model looks, brains to get her into any school, and the magic capability to get her a spot on the magic council. She was known by so many people, it was hard for her to not be recognized.

She’d garnered all this fame and fortune not by changing who she was, but by growing into the individual she wished to blossom into. Regardless of the outside strain to be someone she wasn’t, her perseverance was what allowed her to reach this point in time and was the very reason we were together.

Lifting my hand up, I looked at my wrist to admire the tattoo on my flesh. I was so proud to carry such a mark on my wrist - an image that the world seemed to know was a confirmation that I was connected to my team with the very same tattoos.

The simple reward for trusting in Brianne to make the right decision was what helped symbolize the friendship we shared that morphed into strong, loving bonds.

I noticed how Brianne stirred and mumbled something I couldn’t decipher before she kicked the blanket off her and rolled onto her back. I remained still, wondering if she was going to wake up, but she remained still as her lips parted and then she was quietly breathing the morning away.

This was my moment to let the breath I was holding out while I admired her hot body that was in nothing but lingerie. She’d taken off her shirt at some point in time - clearly after I’d fallen asleep.

There she lay in the perfect blue lingerie set, probably one that Finnick had created for her now that he’d been asked to create a summer lingerie launch for a new signature brand company that would be launched with his name.

What better way to test out his creations, and goodness, did it fit her body exceptionally well. Her perky breasts sat nicely in the bra that had a white bow with a rhinestone in the middle, and the matching panties were designed with rhinestones along the waistband.

The longer I stared, the harder my cock got. Deep down I felt like an idiot for spending so much time training and making absolutely no time for deepening our relationship in the realms of sex.

I knew our relationship didn’t depend on intense intimacy. It never had, which I personally appreciated a few semesters ago because I didn’t feel pressured to be like everyone else. But now that I stood here in the quiet darkness of my room with my eyes on our goddess girlfriend, I kind of regretted not taking our love one step forward.

Shaking my head to try and calm my body down, I went straight to the washroom and took a cold shower first to try and tame my arousal.

After switching the water to hot, I allowed my body a moment to replenish as the warmth soothed my aching muscles. A few minutes went by and I finally washed up. It wasn’t until I was finished and reaching for a towel that I realized there wasn’t one.

What happened to the towel?

I stared at the empty rail that usually had one towel and immediately was pulled into a vision of Connor coming to take the towel while talking to Brianne, who was sitting on my bed.

He moved to walk over to her and gave her a passionate kiss before heading out with the towels while Brianne stretched and lay back down on my bed.

I was able to check the clock before the vision faded away. The ticking surface read two in the morning.

“Really, Connor? You’re going to do laundry at two in the fucking morning,” I cursed to myself as I shook my head. “Unbelievable.”

Stepping onto the rug, I used a spell of wind to dry myself off and looked at the mirror to see my naked frame. All this working out had really helped my figure. I don’t know why I was now noticing my results as if I never looked in the mirror before, but seeing as I always was in some sort of rush in and out of the shower, this was a rare opportunity.

I walked to the door just as it opened. Sleepy Brianne stood there with a towel in her grasp. I literally froze because she looked so fucking sexy. Her bed hair was all ruffled up and yet it complemented her attractiveness.

With her standing, I could admire every curve and line of muscle along her body. Brianne was definitely at peak fitness appearance because she screamed fit body from her six-pack to the muscles in her arms that weren’t super harsh.

Some of her magic incantations were showing on her arms and legs, but it didn’t seem to bother her - not like it had ever bothered any of us. She normally used magic to cover them like most mages, but the sight was refreshing.

Or I was just horny and needed some sort of distraction.

She was obviously checking me out; her cheeks grew red while her gaze specifically lingered on my cock. The mere sight of her attention made me grow hard in seconds, which made me bite my lip in an attempt to stop myself from wanting to sweep her off her feet and fuck her senseless.

I couldn’t even process why I hadn’t done that already, but the longer I stood in place with the woman I love before me, the harder it got to think logically anymore.

There’s nothing logical with sex. I want her so fucking bad.

“Connor came earlier to do laundry for us so we’d have clean towels to use after our morning training,” Brianne revealed. “He forgot to take them out of the dryer.”

“Oh,” I replied as my eyes admired her breasts as I wished I could undress her this instant to get a better look at their perkiness. “Thanks…”

“Up here, Kaito.”

I lifted my gaze to see her smile at catching me in the obvious act of enjoying the view. “My bad,” I apologized as I closed the distance between us and reached for the towel. As I took it from her grasp, she smirked and turned around, giving me a chance to check out her ass.

“It’s still so early,” she began as she stretched her arms up.

That had me biting my lip as my eyes trailed down her body once more. There was no doubt in my mind. I either took this opportunity to my advantage or I’d regret not sliding my cock into the woman I’d been dreaming of fucking for months.

“Kaito?” She looked over her shoulder to check on me, but I was already there as I’d tossed the towel onto the rail in hopes it stayed there while my arm hooked around Brianne’s waist. I went right into kissing her.

The move was unexpected, and her body pressed against mine while my cock was already between her legs and my free hand was around her throat so she couldn’t move her head away.

I knew she wouldn’t, and yet the move was so controllingly possessive, I had to loosen how tightly I held her while we made out. Before long, I had her in my arms. Her legs were wrapped around my waist as we kissed sloppily.

My heart was thrumming against my chest, and my brain was attempting to think what would be next as my legs began to move to the bed. Did people even think when they had sex?

It doesn’t fucking matter.

I was done with overthinking and ruining my chances with the woman I’d come to love over the semesters. She was my girlfriend. There was no need to be chickening out whenever the possibility of sex came into the picture.

I want her so bad. So fucking bad.

Laying her down onto my bed, I leaned over to kiss her impatiently while my hands moved along the body I’d been lusting over for weeks. If it wasn’t for my overthinking brain and anxiety, I could have had plenty of times to take this woman and enjoy every moan and pulsation of her pussy around my cock by now.

I wondered if Connor sensed my pinch of enviousness when he underhandedly fucked Brianne in the court washroom? How I wished to be as brave as him to confront my needs in public and enjoy every damn second of it.

He’d done it so flawlessly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d done it a lot more this semester, but today wasn’t going to be the day I lost out or was filled with regret.

Today I’m showing the world how far I’ve come, and that starts with our Brianne.

Breaking the kiss, I leaned back to admire her beneath me. I seriously couldn’t believe how beautiful Brianne was, and now in the dimly lit room with a bit of moonlight shining through the window and onto her, I could only get lost in her attractiveness.

She sat up slightly and hooked an arm around my neck so we could kiss, and I moaned into her mouth while my hands were unclipping her bra. We remained still for a moment as the simple unclicking sound seemed to be louder than either one of us expected. But instead of breaking the lustful spell thrumming around us, it heightened our need for one another.

I tossed her bra somewhere, my lips already back on hers while I pressed her to the bed once more. My hands roamed down her body to the waistband of her underwear, and she lifted her hips to help me slide the slim piece of silky fabric from her plump ass and down her legs.

I was already struggling to pace this all out. I wanted to take things slow and admire every bit of her, but I knew there was no circuit of patience left in me. My cock was hard, thick, and urging me to fill her already.

“Brianne,” I muttered against her flesh as I kissed her neck and tried to calm myself. “Fuck…I just want to fuck you now.”

“Then?” she inquired with a hint of amusement in her breathy voice. “What’s stopping you?”

“My brain that likes to overthink every single step,” I quietly confessed. “I want to admire your body like a damn goddess, but I can’t wait anymore. So damn tired of waiting. Regretting. Feeling angry that I’ve been a snail in this race. I’m still struggling to just let go and enjoy the ride.”

She leaned back into the pillow just so she could stare into my eyes.

“You don’t need to think, Kaito,” she whispered and hooked her arms around my neck before she somehow turned us over. Lying on my back, I admired her on top of me before I shivered at the touch of her hand as it reached to wrap around my length.

“Today’s the day that you toss thinking strategies aside for one moment and let your body have what it wants,” she coached, and my eyes widened as she raised her hips up and began to tease her entrance with the head of my cock.

I could cum just at the sight - as if the tip of my rod wasn’t dripping with precum already. I’d never been so fucking turned on until this moment, and it only went up the scale as I watched her slowly descend onto my length until she was all the way on.

My moan was as loud as hers as the two of us remained still for a mere second just to enjoy the feeling this unity delivered to our sensations. Her boldness somehow flicked a switch inside me, and one solid look into her lust-filled eyes had me sitting up swiftly to slam my lips against hers.

Those soft lips of hers tamed the burning tingling of mine as my hands moved down to her ass. Leaning back down so we were lying down again, I took the opportunity to start this ride as I lifted her enough so I could begin thrusting myself inside her.

She moaned into my mouth, completely not expecting my move. I shot my tongue into her mouth to explore the inside of her walls before kissing her sloppily. I swear the room had spiked a few notches in temperature, or maybe it was because of the sudden closeness of my release, but our steamy bodies worked for what they wanted as she moaned and met my thrusts halfway with her bouncing movement that had her breasts bouncing enticingly.

“Fuck.” I drew in a sharp breath before stilling her hips for a moment so I could cum. I didn’t think I’d finish so soon, and yet, I still was hungry for more. She caught her breath as I filled her up with my cum, but the break was short-lived as I turned us over so she was now beneath me.

Her shocked expression left me wondering if she was shocked by the fact my cock was still deep inside her, or that I wasn’t ending this so soon.

“You think I’m gonna let you go when you haven’t cum yet?”

My question had her whole face red in seconds before she stuttered, “W-Well…I didn’t think you’d still be hard.” Her confession actually made me smile, but I was sure it was a seductive smirk because her pussy throbbed around my cock while she bit her bottom lip.

“I may be apprehensive, Brianne,” I began as I moved my hands to grip her hips. “But I’d never leave you unsatisfied.” It was a vow I meant, which was why I went right into moving.

Now that I was in control, I could feel how addicting this possessive power was. To watch the woman I love looking back at me with so much lust while her expression practically begged for me to move faster.

Her swollen lips, her flushed cheeks, her neck that was bruised by my mouth and teeth, and those bouncing breasts that were following the beat of every thrust was a heavenly sight. It wasn’t long before we both gleamed with a sheet of sweat, our naked bodies still moving at the pace of lustful wonder.

I knew Brianne was close from the way her breaths were rapidly uneven and her pussy wrapped around me like a tight glove. It was my cue to move faster, and she moaned my name again and again. It felt like my cock had gotten even bigger.

“Kaito. Kaito!” She was begging me to keep going. To move faster as my rod pumped into her deeply. I ended up kissing her harshly; her moans and pants muffled against my lips as I pinned her hands to the sides of her head and began to drill into her.

“Ah. Ah! Yes. Deeper. Deeper. Faster, Kaito!” she panted and moaned while her legs hooked around my waist once more to force me to remain deeply in her while thrusting swiftly.

It didn’t matter to me. It felt so fucking good and I was far closer to my own release than I even expected. We were going to cum together, and that shook me up even further as I drove into her like a malfunctioning hammer.

“Brianne. Cum for me. Cum together. Right now!” I grunted those words before I shifted my angle just slightly as I sank as deeply as I could.

“KAITO!” she screamed my name and I came with her. This sense of euphoria was unreal, and I was left frozen as I rode every shot until our combined juices felt like they were leaking out.

Her legs loosened from around me, and I took the moment to pull out before collapsing next to her so we could gasp for air. We were drenched in sweat, which only made me chuckle breathlessly because I’d have no choice but to shower again.

“Fuck…that was good,” she breathed, and I couldn’t help but look over to see her slightly smiling face as her body still shook from the ecstasy high. “I think you need to shower again.”

Now I really was laughing. “You think, huh?”

She giggled and turned her head. “Totally. Don’t wanna smell like sex.”

“Wouldn’t that be something,” I commented before lowering my gaze to her lips. Reaching out to press my hand on her cheek, I forced my exhausted body to move and kiss this amazing woman.

“I’m sorry it’s taken this long to acknowledge this,” I whispered against her lips. She needed to know it wasn’t her who took things slow, but me. My apprehensiveness stopped us from enjoying each other, and I didn’t want her holding it against herself.

“No need to apologize, dummy,” she teased and smiled against my lips. “You know I’d never rush you. Besides, after today, we’ll have all the time to enjoy ourselves.”

“Ya,” I quietly replied. “All the time in the world.”

Our shared look was followed with a wistful kiss, and I knew we’d end up in the shower together. Out of all the training and preparation I’d done for today’s competition, this was the moment I needed to remind my buzzing mind what we were fighting for.

Fighting to be free to enjoy life to the fullest.

24

UNEXPECTED GAMES OF SACRIFICE

~BRIANNE~

“YOU DID IT, KAITO!” I cheered and threw my arms around him as he walked into the room of cheering peers.

“I’m tired as hell, Brianne,” he confessed as he hugged me tightly back, his body drenched in sweat after the thrilling battle we’d just witnessed.

Kaito had gone up against ten fighters from across the world and flawlessly beat them all. This was out of the top hundred total individuals that came for the competition to represent their schools and countries.

Pulling back, he gave me a wide grin that reached his sparkling eyes before he kissed me right there and then. People cheered and clapped while shutters went off to clearly capture the moment.

“You need to go get ready, silly,” he voiced. “You have to cheer your booty off.”

“You mean shake my booty while cheering like a screaming hyena,” I concluded with a wink. “I’ll continue our winning streak.”

“I know you will.” He winked at me and the look in his eyes told me he saw something that only backed up his words.

“Red? Your ass is supposed to be changing.” I looked over my shoulder to see Finnick was right behind me. He surprisingly kissed me while I still remained in Kaito’s arms. Now the room was echoing with cheers and camera shutter noises, but I ignored the sound to reply to Finnick.

“From the guy who’s squeezing it,” I acknowledged, which had him grinning before he looked at Kaito.

“Congrats, Kaito. All that training was worth it. You annihilated them.”

“Your cheering was distracting,” Kaito huffed, to which Finnick rolled his eyes.

“Shut up! You internally loved it. Connor told-” He was cut off as Kaito used his free hand to tug on Finnick’s tie and bring him right into a kiss.

I swear the world froze at the sudden move and I was gawking before grinning like a crazed school girl. Kaito broke the kiss with a slight bottom lip tug, and I swear if I wasn’t smothered between them, I wouldn’t even believe it.

“Yes. I loved your horribly pitched cheers. Now release Bri so she can go change. And you gotta get your stuff from the locker room.”

“Oh ya.” He began to blush at the hidden message before he looked my way. “Better get going, Red. I’ll cheer for ya.”

“You better.” I winked and moved out of their sandwich hold to give them a saucy look. “Have fun.” They both blushed at my comment as I winked and spun around. The crowd seemed to snap out of their daze before things got chaotic with people begging for pictures and to pose with them.

Entering the hall, I easily made my way towards the changing rooms for the football team and cheer squad. We were moved to a private section so that we wouldn’t be bombarded with students who knew where the usual lockers were.

My eyes caught onto Elsa, sitting at the very corner. That intrigued me because I hadn’t even sensed she’d been roaming around. Her tail was slowly moving from side to side, and she didn’t move her attention when I reached where she was.

“El-” I was going to say her name but the commotion in the hall caught my attention.

“What are you? Her bodyguard? She’s the leader of the cheer squad. If I want to speak with her, I have every right to, instead of being blocked by her overprotective boyfriend.”

Leaning over to see what was going on, I noticed Jax was standing in front of the girl’s locker room with his arms crossed and a bored expression plastered upon his face.

“You’re just going to ignore me?” The short blonde haired girl caught my attention, and I mentally groaned as Elsa finally lifted her head up to acknowledge me.

“MewMew!”

Fire time!

I blinked at the sudden little girl voice in my head that translated what was stated.

“What the? Elsa? Did you just say fire time?”

“MewMewMew!” She was already gone from her spot and charging toward the girl as the translation seemed to flood in my mind. “Evil. Burn now!”

I couldn’t even stop my familiar as she raced to tackle her target. Jax seemed to notice, his eyes first noticing me at the end of the hall before he sighed and pushed the girl to the side as Elsa jumped to send out a stream of fire his way.

“Shit!” I cursed but Jax’s eyes bled to black and the flames moved around him until they were a spinning tornado around his body and began to extinguish seconds later. I took the opportunity to run to where he stood before grabbing Elsa before she could charge at the girl on the floor.

Elsa?! Why did you do that?”

Elsa blinked before she looked up at me. “MewMew!”

Run away!

With a poof she was gone, which left me and Jaxsin staring at one another before looking over to the girl on the floor.

“Look who the cat dragged in,” she huffed. “Literally.”

I decided to ignore her as I looked back at Jaxsin. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be in the crowd.”

Jaxsin didn’t say anything as he took a step forward and put his hands on my hips. Without missing a beat, we were kissing in greeting before he gave me a soft pucker on my lips. “Figured I’d see you and Connor off.”

“Is Connor the only one left in the locker room?”

“Ya. The rest are chilling in the waiting sector.”

“Okay.” I gave him a sweet smile before I turned my head to the girl, who was just staring at us. “Did you need something?”

“Yes! Why else would I be sitting here? And you!” She paused to point at Jaxsin. “You pushed me!”

“Saved you from being burned to a crisp, but if you want to ignore that, then you don’t need to waste my quality time,” he huffed and suddenly had me in his arms and tugged me right into the locker room.

“Jax-” I couldn’t finish as he slammed the door shut, turned the lock, and moved to set me on the nearest bench.

Connor was closing his locker as he stared at us in confusion.

“Hello to you too?” he greeted. “What are you two doing here?”

“Well, I was going to change, but that was interrupted with Elsa trying to kill this cheerleader chick.”

“She has bad vibes,” Jaxsin announced as he pulled out his phone. “Familiars don’t attack random people with inextinguishable fire.”

“That’s not the first time,” I announced, which caught their attention. “She’s done it before. When she and her professor came to register for the competition. I don’t know her name or which school she’s a part of.”

“We’ll find out shortly anyway,” Connor concluded. “Let’s go out together. Brianne, you need to change.”

“Right,” I replied, and we moved to the door. Connor unlocked it and went out first before Jax and I, but the hall was completely empty.

“She’s gone,” I muttered.

“As if that ain’t suspicious at all,” Connor muttered as Jax made a call.

“Professor Phoenix. Ya, something is up. Can you look into a short blond chick who’s on one of the cheer squads? She tried to confront Brianne, but Elsa came out of nowhere and tried to ignite her on fire. Ya. Alright. Brianne just needs to change, and we’ll be there.”

“I’ll be quick,” I assured them before I reached the door.

“DON’T OPEN IT!”

We all looked to the left - and my eyes were as wide as saucers as I took in not one, but two Elijahs at the end of the hall. My hands were already on the door, and suddenly I felt the spike of magic coming from the other side.

“Brianne!” Jax and Connor screamed, but all I could do was brace myself as the power shot outward.

Something grabbed me as our bodies soared back - and suddenly everything was muffled as I could hear screams and alarms going off far, far away.

My consciousness was suddenly fading fast, but I felt Marianna’s presence.

I’ll handle the storm.

~CONNOR~

MY ARMS HOOKED around Brianne while my magic rushed to wrap around the entire area like a dome. The last-minute shock of the two identical twins at the end of the hall was then overridden by the blast that shook the entire building as we crashed through walls.

I groaned at the heavy impact that felt like it was coming from all around, but the world finally stilled as screams and alarms went off from far away.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I forced my eyes to open. My pounding headache was nothing in comparison to the shrill screams in the distance that made me realize we had to be under attack. I immediately looked for Jax, who was next to me. He groaned and slowly put his hand to his temple.

“Well fuck,” he cursed. “Brianne.”

“She’s okay,” I voiced and looked down at Brianne, who was unconscious but breathing.

If I’d been even a second late, the impact would have surely killed her. I couldn’t grasp what that blast was, but it was more than just a bomb.

“Fuck. We need to get help,” Jax groaned as he slowly sat up. “Ugh…my head.” He seriously looked in pain, which made me frown before I reached out for his chin. Moving his face in my direction, I noticed the wound on his left temple that had blood dripping down the side of his face.

“You’ll be okay,” I voiced.

“Gotta be if we’re going to get Bri out of here.”

“How the hell are we getting out of…well, rubble?” I questioned as I tried to see what was outside of the protective barrier I kept around us. I couldn’t afford to let go of it, just in case were in the middle of a pile of rubble.

I noticed a stream of light coming from above us, before the very barrier of mine began to freeze.

“What the fuck?” I questioned and quickly pulled Brianne into my lap before tugging Jax closer to me. He followed my gaze and frowned as the bubble was literally freezing up until we were in a thick ball of ice.

“Someone’s helping us.”

I looked back to Jax to see his eyes were black and his energy was completely different.

“Did Jax pass out?”

“That blast wasn’t normal,” he countered. “It’s like it was made to bring the darkness out.”

“Bring the darkness out?” I questioned, but we were suddenly shaken out of whatever spot we were in as the ball of ice began to levitate to the right.

We braced for impact as we floated into a space of flickering light. All we could do was huddle closer and prepare to attack as something began to hammer through the ice until it shattered.

Jaxsin was in front of me with his fist of black flames an inch from another palm that was protecting Elijah’s face.

I gawked at the sight as I took in the two Elijahs. One of them had vivid silver locks with multiple colored highlights that glowed softly, while the other had dark blue hair with silver highlights. Their dark blue eyes were identical, like everything else but their hair.

The darker-haired Elijah was protecting the silver-haired one, but just seeing both of them in one spot was a simple mind fuck.

“Elijah?” I questioned, and their eyes moved over to acknowledge me before lowering to Brianne.

They simultaneously frowned, before the dark-haired Elijah spoke. “We’re not enemies right now,” he muttered before he looked my way. “We need to wake Brianne now.”

“Why?” Jaxsin questioned as his flame seemed to get stronger.

“If she doesn’t wake up, she’ll self-destruct,” the second Elijah said coldly, which caught our attention. Jaxsin stared at them for a long moment before he pulled back his fist and took a step back to give them space.

“What do you mean self-destruct? And why would we trust either of you?”

Jaxsin had good reason to question them, but I could sense their nervous energy while picking up on their concern for Brianne.

“Jaxsin.” I was able to get his attention. “I think they’re telling the truth.”

“Can we explain later? It’s already working,” the dark-haired Elijah announced and pointed to Brianne’s legs. Our eyes widened at the sight of Brianne’s legs. Symbols that resembled black cobras were beginning to spread across her flesh like a fast-forward plague.

“Fuck,” I cursed, and the twins were suddenly on each side of her legs.

“Can you stop the spread in time, Elijah?” the dark-haired one inquired.

“For Brianne, I will. But if you fucking take credit, I’m kicking your ass,” he snapped. “I hate you.”

“You’ve said that your whole life,” he barked while his hands began to glow a plum purple. The spread of the black energy stopped right there as he inhaled deeply and slowly let it out.

He kept doing it while Elijah hovered his hands over Brianne’s legs. The dark energy began to ooze upward. Their hands were shaking as the energy continued to rise up. Brianne’s legs looked more normal as the last bits of dark force floated out of her skin and into the air.

We watched in horror as the energy quickly swirled in the air and morphed into a large cobra, its hollow black eyes locking onto Jax before it snapped forward.

“Eliyahu!” Elijah ordered, and Eliyahu caught the snake before it could strike Jaxsin, who didn’t seem fazed by the experience.

The snake fought his hold while his tail began to freeze. The ice spread quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough as the cobra slithered through Eliyahu’s grasp in an attempt to bite him.

I tried to lift my hand up to stop it, but we all watched a tip of a wand go right through its head. The shrill hiss was silenced by the ice that crept in to finish the freezing process.

We all looked down to see Brianne’s black eyes and frowned as she was the clear culprit of the stabbing wand.

“Oops?” There was no hint of sorrow in her emotionless voice. “Took me a little longer to wake up.”

Elijah grabbed the ice snake and threw it in the air, and before Eliyahu could do anything, the snake burst into flames and was nothing but ash a second later. Now we all looked at Jaxsin as he shrugged. “What? Can’t do anything with a frozen snake.”

None of us said anything before we worked on standing up. I helped Marianna, only for her legs to give out.

“Shit!” she cursed and leaned against me as I held her. “What happened to my legs?”

“It’s a lingering effect,” Eliyahu announced. “It’ll go on and off until you can be seen.” She stared at him for a long minute before looking at Elijah. Soon she was frowning, which made me question her silence.

“Marianna?”

“Neither of you is the one I plagued,” she declared, which got Jaxsin’s attention as he moved to hook an arm around her waist and put her other arm along his shoulders.

“That’s what I was wondering,” Jaxsin muttered and looked at Elijah. “You’re the one in a coma.”

“Not anymore,” Elijah huffed but gave Marianna a look. “I know Brianne’s asleep, but thanks for taking care of me.”

Marianna didn’t say anything while Eliyahu grumbled. “So when my ass took care of you for two damn years while doing my job, it meant nothing to you.”

“Can we argue about that after we save shit?” Elijah questioned. “We’re already running out of time to begin with.”

“We ain’t running to save anyone if we don’t know what’s going on,” I prompted. The two of them rolled their eyes and got to the point.

“The Shadow Kingdom set today up. This isn’t the day of the event.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned. “It was announced weeks ago.”

“It was falsely implied,” Elijah corrected as his eyes darkened. “Anyone on the official attendance list of the games thought today was the event. Anyone who wasn’t invited or had a correlation to the events knows that today is a testing day.”

“That makes no sense,” Jaxsin acknowledged. “The kendo tournament was moved to today to accommodate everyone, and what testing?”

“The tournament was moved to the day the universal portal was the thinnest. The Shadow Kingdom hired a bunch of succubi and a dark mage to manipulate the administration into squishing all the remaining competitions into one day,” Eliyahu revealed. “Nothing is going to make sense right now.”

“Suc-what?” I questioned what he’d said the Shadow Kingdom hired.

“Later,” they said in unison before Elijah added, “The blast was set out to either take control of Brianne’s dark side or kill her, which is what we prevented.”

“Well, killing failed,” Marianna pointed out.

“But you guys said she’d self-destruct,” Jaxsin reminded.

“The side effect of the blast,” Eliyahu announced. “That’s why we need to get out to the stadium before we’re blamed for the deaths of thousands.”

Jaxsin swiftly lifted Marianna into his arms and I prepared to move, but his statement clicked in.

“Wait! Blame you? You’re one of the enemies,” I pointed out. “Well, both of you are.”

They exchanged looks before Eliyahu pulled something out of his pocket and presented a badge.

“Eliyahu Hamilton. Official double agent under the sworn law of Witchling Elite Forces. I’m this douche’s real twin brother, but I’ve been living in a different universe up until recently.”

“Wait, what?!” we all gasped, and Elijah rolled his eyes.

“Ya. Apparently, the shit of a twin threatened me my entire life, forced me to screw up my friendship with Brianne, faked being me on multiple occasions, got me fucking paralyzed, and then induced the nurses to put me in a coma so I’d rot and die. And now he wants to put the ultimate blame of killing thousands of people on my name, while he’s a fake-ass shapeshifter imposter whose ultimate duty is to kill Brianne and Jax before graduation.”

We were gawking before Jax shook his head and blinked a few times. I noticed his eyes were back to normal as he looked at the twins and immediately frowned. “There’s two of you?”

“Ugh,” they both groaned in irritation before the ground shook.

“Fuck,” Eliyahu cursed. “Earthquake!”

We were running seconds later and soon enough we managed to get through the narrow path that led right into the open stadium.

We skidded to a stop as the ground shook tremendously, but it was nothing like the crazy mayhem happening all around us. Students were screaming, people young and old were running on the field, and a sole source of energy was hovering in the center of the chaos.

A blonde girl with short hair hovered in the air, her arms out as waves of dark magic rushed in all directions while slithering cobras attacked people who were attempting to flee the stadium. That seemed to be an impossible goal; people banged on the unopened doors for dear life.

The ground beneath us suddenly cracked, leaving me no choice but to jump back as the others attempted to get out of the way.

“Time to say bye-bye!” the woman screamed as her body shifted before our eyes - until an Elijah lookalike with black spots all over his flesh clapped his hands.

“Bri!” Elijah called out, and I looked to see her and Jax as the ground beneath their feet suddenly shattered into mini rocks. Suddenly, a large mouth came up from the ground.

“NO!” I screamed and tried to even take a step, but their bodies were swallowed as the gigantic purple cobra shot further up into the air before it hissed in delight.

“Brianne! Jax!” Elijah screamed and tried to race towards the beast.

“Elijah, wait!” Eliyahu cried out to him as he followed his lead to try and stop him. I watched in horror as a sharp purple needle struck through both of them. Their bodies were lifted up by what I realized was the tail of the beast before it hissed loudly and tossed the twins into its mouth.

“No…no.” I backed up in horror before I fell back on the cement of the hall that had yet to crack from the intense shaking. Arrows of black crashed into the snake, and my eyes immediately looked to see Finnick as he sent more arrows to try and distract the beast.

It hissed and raced towards him, and I caught onto Kaito, who had both swords in his grasp and was charging towards the creature. With a cry of war, the snake took a huge inhale before it spat out threads of venom.

“Kaito! Finnick!” My screams wouldn’t do a single thing to save them as Finnick and Kaito tried to avoid the attack but were caught in the white-green threads that burned their flesh.

Their screams were joined by all those that were drenched by the poisonous liquid. I was left in a state of shock as I watched their skin begin to melt off their bodies until there was nothing but bone.

Not a second later the entire field collapsed, and I watched it all as people fell into the sinking hole.

I fought to breathe as panic overtook me - my cheeks already wet with tears as I realized no one was going to come and fix this. I had to do something. I had the power to do something, and it had to be done right now if I wanted to ensure this wasn’t irreversible.

Lifting my shaky hands, I watched as they seemed to double in vision, which only made me realize I was on the verge of passing out.

“No. I can’t fail again. I can’t…I can’t fail! They’re all relying on me! I can’t let them die!” I placed my hands to my temples as I closed my eyes shut to try and concentrate. “Please. I beg of you. Work!”

“Why should I?”

My eyes shot open as I lifted my head to see my surroundings were now black and there stood a little boy.

The boy that reflected my childhood self.

“You…” I whispered as the little boy approached me. “You’re me.”

“I’m your inner child,” the boy declared with power. “And I don’t see the need to help you.”

“Why not?” I questioned. “Our friends. Our loved ones. Innocent people just died and we have the power to change it!”

“And what happens when you make another mistake and they all still die?” he questioned. “Then what?”

“That’s not going to happen!”

“What if I told you that this is the forty-ninth time you’ve tried to save your friends?” His revelation silenced me as the boy shook his head in disappointment. “Again and again, you’ve gone back and lived the semester with the agreement you’d forget going back. I told you I’d give you fifty shots, and today is your last one.”

I was speechless as the boy simply shrugged. “If you’re going to waste your last chance, I might as well let the present happen.”

“Let me try one more time,” I pleaded. “Allow me to remember.”

“The only way to remember is by having magic in this realm, which you don’t,” he replied as he lifted his hands to show their thrumming force while his energy burned around him.

“Why…why don’t I?”

“Everyone’s magic comes from the inner child within. Unless you incorporate an outside source, only your inner child can carry the magic inside your body. So as of now, you’re nothing but a catalyst.”

His words for a boy were heavy in their emotional toll on me as my mind begged for me to admit defeat, especially now that I knew the truth. I’d done this almost fifty times and lost, reset, and made it all the way here to fail again.

What would one more chance do?

The urge to give up grew stronger and I lowered my head to my shaking hands. What caught my attention was the tattoo on my wrist and I recalled how each of the most important people in my life perished.

Closing my eyes, I fought hard against the sting that threatened to make me shed tears. My heart sank at the feeling of defeat. Why couldn’t we prevail? I simply couldn’t grasp the reasoning.

There had to be one way out. This couldn’t be the end to the Notorious Five.

We’ve been able to get through everything together…wait. Together…all of us…

Staring at the tattoo, my mind immediately began to formulate a plan - the pieces coming together.

“I need the last chance,” I whispered and looked up to the little boy as I worked on standing up. He seemed annoyed by my stubbornness as he crossed his arms.

“I didn’t think my older self would be this stupid,” he huffed. “You’re not going to win!”

“You’re right,” I replied. “I’m not going to win on my own. If what you’re saying is true, and I’ve been here, again and again, that only confirms that I haven’t changed my mindset. I’ve been trying to go back to a time when I could make a domino change effect that would give me a different ending, and thus far, it’s done nothing of the sort.”

“So what is going to make this time different?” the boy huffed.

“I’m not going back to the night of death experience,” I voiced. “Return me to the exact time when Jax was in the hall waiting for me and Brianne.”

“Why?” He gave me a mocking look. “So you can tell him that he’s about to die? Oh right, you’re not going to remember.”

“I will remember,” I vowed as I clenched my fists to ground myself with this newly formulated plan in my head that continued to grow as the seconds ticked by.

“You have no magi-”

I lifted my arm up to show him the mark on my wrist, and he looked stumped by its appearance. “When did you get that?”

“Meaning I haven’t had this tattoo previously,” I whispered.

“You did not,” the boy admitted and watched me carefully. “What are you planning?”

“To save all the victims of the catastrophe that’s about to happen. Only this time around, I’m not doing it on my own, but with those who’ve gotten me this far.”

I went on my knees then, which confused the boy even more. I reached out to offer my left hand to him.

“That includes you.”

“M-Me?” The boy looked offended as he took a step back and glared at my hand. “You just want to use me for my power!”

“No.” I shook my head as I looked him in the eyes. “I need your help as well.”

“After forty-nine times, why would you suddenly be inclined to ask for my assistance?”

“I realized that my ultimate fear is letting down all those I love. That I’m unable to protect them from harm’s way, and because of this fear, I always want to try and do everything myself. Protect those I love, aid in making them feel better and being the comforting individual they need in their lives. If I could be the carrier of their burdens, I’d do it in a heartbeat. That was until I soon began to realize that I wasn’t allowing anyone to aid me when I struggled to keep my head up high. I didn’t want the aid of others because I’d accepted a role I created for myself and wouldn’t let such a role be taken by anyone else. That decision blinded me from realizing that it’s okay to rely on my friends and those I care about. That I’m not a superhero or a god that has the ability to carry the world’s burdens. I have to accept that my role isn’t to protect everyone in the world. My role is to work on myself and the goals I wish to achieve, which will lead me to situations where I can aid others, and that includes needing assistance in those intense times.”

With a small smile, I reached out to gently stroke the boy’s head. His eyes widened at my gesture and my smile spread across my lips as my eyes watered.

“You had to become strong because I was simply too weak to acknowledge my fear of relying on others. You became the hidden strength because you wished nothing but my success with each trial. You sacrificed watching me replay these chains of events again and again, in hopes I’d open my eyes and see that you merely wanted me to see the strength and magical power I carry within.” I paused as my hand moved to his cheek. A single tear ran down his cheek as it did the same down mine. “You’re the God of Protection, aren’t you?”

The boy stared at me long and hard before he finally nodded.

“Yes,” he confirmed as he blinked back more tears. “This is your last shot.”

“I know,” I replied and offered my left hand once more. “I won’t let you down anymore,” I vowed. “Together, we’ll save all those we love.”

“Together,” he quietly stated as he stared into my eyes. He could see my conviction that didn’t waver even as he looked between my face and gestured hand.

He placed his little hand in mine and the tattoo upon my wrist began to glow brilliantly.

In a flash, I was back in the changing room in my school uniform. I looked to my wrist to see the tattoo was still lightly glowing, all while a silver gem with hints of purple glimmered in the palm of my hand.

“I got my crystal,” I whispered before getting right into gear. Quickly fastening the gem necklace around my neck, I raced out of the locker room, just as Jax arrived down the hall.

“Connor?” he asked in confusion because I was racing towards him before I grabbed onto his hand and forced him to follow me. “C-Connor? What the fuck?”

“Call Brianne now!”

I was sure he didn’t understand why, but we turned the corner and ran to the open door to the stairwell where we crashed right into two people. We fell back to the floor as they did, and when I opened my eyes, there were Elijah and Eliyahu.

“Ow,” they said in unison. “What the fu-huh?”

They paused as they stared at us and we stared right back.

“Elijah?! Two of them,” Jax said before the other door to our left opened up to reveal Brianne.

She paused mid-stride with Fuwa and Elsa on her shoulders, her eyes taking in the scene before she pouted her lips.

“Why do I feel like something messed-up is about to happen?”

That seemed to get me back on track as I quickly rose up. “Brianne! Spell Travel us to Finnick and Kaito!”

She blinked in confusion as she moved to where we stood. “W-Why?”

“I’ll explain later. We need to do it now!” I emphasized. She looked to Jax before acknowledging Elijah and Eliyahu with a glance.

“Hands!” She gestured for us to hold hands. Jax reached out to hold Brianne’s and mine, and I and Bri reached for Elijah’s and Eliyahu’s, but they stared at us in confusion.

“Guys!” I stressed. “Either hold our hands or die by the piercing tail of a cobra!”

That had their eyes growing wide before they quickly placed their hands in our grasps.

My eyes locked on Brianne’s eyes and she gave me a look of worry. I gave her a small smile and nodded in encouragement.

“You can do this, Brianne,” I whispered.

She swallowed, and her face grew serious as she bobbed her head in understanding. “Ready?”

“Ready,” I replied with the others. She took one long inhale and let it out, the world around us shifting entirely. I knew this dramatic move was going to shift the future entirely.

This was truly our final shot.

~BRIANNE~

WHEN WE MATERIALIZED, dual voices spoke at once. “Why the hell are we being…oh.”

Frowning at the trailed off question, I opened my eyes to see Finnick and Kaito were midway through putting clothes on; Finnick was wearing just boxers while Kaito was in the process of putting regular black jeans on.

The two of them blinked in confusion before they acknowledged the new additions in our company. Before anyone could speak, Kaito had swords in his grasp and was darting them straight in the twin’s direction.

“Wait!” I got in the way, which only made Kaito curse as he tried to stop the soaring swords. I couldn’t even lift my hands up in time, but I watched as the twins caught the blades in their grasps - the sharp points of the swords inches from the sides of my face.

Well…I could have lost my ears.

Could be worse.

Like?

The ground collapsing and a cobra swallowing you up before you die from being squished by rocks.

What kind of eerie imaging…wait.

“Is anyone going to explain why there are two Elijahs with you guys?!” Finnick questioned. I noticed the droplets of blood that began to fall from the twin’s hands, which made me pause my train of thought to flinch.

“Elijah! Eliyahu!” I turned right around to glare at the two of them. Their astonished expressions followed with them pointing to themselves.

“Why the hell are you angry?” Elijah questioned.

“And how the hell do you know who I am?” Eliyahu questioned.

“Wait,” they both added and moved their free hands in a stop sign. “How…are we alive?”

That triggered a wave of silence as memories flooded my mind. Swift scenes flooded my consciousness, until the last second when we fell into the dark acid pits of the purple cobra - our flesh sinking into the boiling acid.

My knees buckled at the memory, and Elijah caught me. It felt like an icy shiver went through me, which seemed to unlock a flaming heat within my chest that disappeared seconds after. The others were quickly at my side while Jax snapped his fingers.

A golden flame materialized in his grasp before it moved swiftly around Elijah’s and Eliyahu’s injured hands. In a flash, their cuts from the blades were healed.

Elijah helped me sit up before looking to Jax. “Thanks.”

Jax merely nodded and looked at me. “Brianne. Are you okay?”

“Ya, sorry,” I breathed. “I just need a moment.”

“She Spell Traveled all of you?” Finnick questioned as he and Kaito quickly rose up to put on the rest of their clothes while we responded.

“Ya,” Jax replied and looked at Connor. “What’s going on? Did we-”

“The realm imposter acting like Elijah all this while is one of the cheerleaders in the competition. She’s plagued with the darkness Brianne placed on the Elijah that tried to kill us. She tried to control Brianne by setting up a trap in the changing room that ended up striking her, but Elijah and Eliyahu were able to extract it out of her. This was before a massive earthquake and when we reached the stadium, everyone was trapped. Everyone essentially died. I used my gift to reverse time…and um…” He trailed off as he began to blink his eyes. “Fuck. My eyes are blurry.”

Eliyahu cursed and looked to Jax. “I need some of that healing fire shit!”

Jax didn’t even delay as he summoned the golden flames while Eliyahu was up and behind Connor in a second. He placed his hands over Connor’s eyes. “This is going to hurt but you’ll thank me later.”

Connor couldn’t reply as he hissed as Eliyahu literally froze a good chunk of his face. We all stared at him questioningly before Elijah explained. “This was in a book. Are you freezing the retina veins in his eyes so that the damage doesn’t spread and create irreversible blindness?”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing, dummy,” Eliyahu replied with an added insult.

“You just love insulting me when I’m the one angry at you.”

“And your miserable life is my fault because?”

“Because you’re my fucking twin who was off in a different dimension while I was suffering like an orphaned puppy!”

“Uh-huh, and when you were left in a coma for two damn years, who came to change your diapers when the nurses abandoned you until your crush came along to save you after the hospital realized her net worth and that she had a connection with you? Who was it? Oh right, my ass!”

“Don’t act like you weren’t shit-talking abo-”

“Boys,” I groaned. “As much as we’d love to figure out how the hell there’s two of you and all the history of your up and down brotherhood, can we focus on not dying again?”

“Right,” they replied before Eliyahu returned his attention to Jax. “Alright. You can use your flame. Just be careful not to make the heat too hot.”

“You need to move your hands or it’s going to burn you.”

“I can’t or the ice will melt just as fast.”

“Eliyahu,” Elijah warned in worry but Eliyahu rolled his eyes. “Listen. I’m a fucking agent. I’ve dealt through worse than a few burns. We can’t waste any more time. Heal your boyfriend’s eyes up or he’s going to be blind and useless in this final showdown!”

Jax bit his lip but directed the flames to the source. Eliyahu hissed in pain, and I could feel the way his emotions spiked as his dark aura rose in defence.

Elijah and I moved further out of the way, as did Finnick and Kaito. Even Jax took a hesitant few steps back at the intense growth of Eliyahu’s dark aura, but he seemed to keep his energy from oozing out into a physical weapon.

When Eliyahu cued him to finish up, Jax retracted the flames. They danced around him and extinguished. Eliyahu moved back then and took a moment to put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

Connor opened his eyes and took a few breaths as emotions of relief washed over him. “Fuck. I can see you.”

“Good,” Eliyahu breathed. “Ten seconds later and you’d be a blind fucker.”

“How do you know that?” Jax asked before he approached Eliyahu. Reaching where he stood, he crouched down and quickly sparked a flame to help heal his burned hands.

Eliyahu waited until he was done to reply. “Experience makes you wiser,” he replied and inspected his hands. “Thanks.”

Jax nodded and came over to help me stand up. I still felt a little winded, but not on the verge of passing out, like I had in past experiences.

“What’s the plan for us to not die?” I decided to ask, and we looked at Connor, who cut to the chase.

“We need Fuwa,” Connor began. “The girl must be waiting for Brianne to walk to the girl’s changing room to change. Instead, we’re going straight to the stadium with Fuwa’s assistance. We have to get everyone out of the stadium as quickly as possible.”

Fuwa poofed into existence as he landed on my shoulder, and within another blink, he was in his chibi form as he landed on my shoulder once more.

“What’s going on?”

“Fuwa, we need you to teleport us to the stadium. The moment we reach there, we have to teleport as many people out of the stadium as possible,” I explained swiftly.

He noticed my seriousness before his body glowed and we were already being teleported to the entrance of the stadium field.

“Brianne? Jax, what the… Elijah?” We turned our heads to see Professor Phoenix, Master ZenSu, and Sebastian right at the entrance.

“We have an emergency!” Connor announced. “There’s about to be a huge incident that will destroy the entire stadium!”

That had their attention as Professor Phoenix summoned her wand.

“The girl whose hair Elsa burned! She’s involved.”

“Enova?” Professor Phoenix questioned.

“You mean the girl heading towards us?” Finnick’s question got our attention as we turned our gazes to the opposite side of the field. The girl stood at the entrance, and her eyes landed our group.

“Aurora!” I called Professor Phoenix with urgency. “She’s the fake Elijah! She has a cobra familiar beneath the field and is about to cause an earthquake to trap everyone here!”

Enova somehow overheard my statement, because we noticed the sudden spike of her energy as the clear skies above suddenly began to cloud.

Professor Phoenix cursed as we watched her body begin to glow. “Sebastian! Remove as many as you can! Master ZenSu. It’s time to kill a snake!”

“Yes, Aurora,” Sebastian responded before he clapped his hands, which triggered a magical reaction as magic circles of blue and gold began to appear all over the walls of the stadium. The chatty space suddenly burst with screams of shock and wonder, but our attention was on Enova as she began to run our way.

“FOR THE SHADOW KINGDOM!” she screamed with a manic smile as she tore at her uniformed top to reveal a black object that was strapped to her body.

The way I gasped was nothing like Kaito’s scream. It was as if he saw what was about to happen. “B-Bomb. The bomb is made of the same materials as the bullets from the attack in Switzerland.”

“We have to stop her!” Elijah and Eliyahu declared and began to race forward, but I caught Kaito’s whisper.

“We’ve lost.”

“MEWMEW!”

My eyes widened at the sound before I locked onto Elsa, who was charging towards Enova. My heart literally stopped as my magic shot into overdrive - the idea of Elsa taking a direct hit-making my entire body prickle with fear.

“ELSA!” I screamed and rushed forward.

“Brianne!” Jax tried to stop me, but his hand missed its chance at catching me as my body suddenly buzzed into a jolting force that had me crashing into Enova a second later.

We went flying from the impact, my body in the air like hers as I shoved above her… Elsa crashed into my chest - just as my eyes noticed the glimmering smile from the girl as she tugged on a ring that was connected to her chest.

“You lose, bitch,” she whispered with a wild smile.

My arms immediately wrapped around Elsa just as I realized there was no way out of this.

It…can’t end!

I shut my eyes and waited for the heated blast, but my body froze mid-air, just as my chest began to burn until I was hissing and trying to reach for whatever was burning me.

“Hot, hot, ow!” I quickly reached into my blazer pocket and tossed the burning object in the air. My eyes widened at the sight as I realized the burning object was a glowing card that remained floating in the air.

“What?” I stared in confusion. Elsa began to purr as her body grew hot. “Elsa?”

She pushed away from my chest to drop to the floor and stand right below the floating card. I was pulled forward until I was two feet away from the card, my body in a standing position as I was parallel to the card.

Glancing down at Elsa, I watched as her body was engulfed in magic, and my eyes widened as the bright light revealed a little girl. She had bright orange hair with golden strands, and her left eye was pink while the other was gold.

She wore a simple white dress and was barefoot, but her arms raised up to the card like she was praising it before she called out, “Star! I need help!”

Her soft, child-like voice held a commanding sensation as flames shot out of her little hands and danced around the card that began to spin rapidly. The pink light shone outward until four beams of light began to reveal a swirling door.

The first person to arrive was to my left. The pink light revealed Alice in her uniform as she blinked out of her confusion to look my way.

“Huh? Brianne?”

“Alice?” I gasped. We both looked to the next arrival, Jade, as she walked through the portal wearing pajamas.

“Hmm? What’s going on?” she questioned with an exhausted expression.

“KILL!” Shadow Jade jumped out of the portal to crash into Jade, who somehow managed not to fall over.

We couldn’t respond as the next girl came out of the portal. Alicia walked in wearing a dazzling dress with various stars. It was like she’d come out of a ballroom magazine.

She seemed the least confused as she looked at the three of us before she glanced at the space around.

“Looks like my backup plan worked,” she declared with pride.

“Backup plan?” I asked as she nodded her head.

“I saw that girl’s intentions and your change in fate when we met. I didn’t have enough time to determine whether we were all connected, so I figured I’d let the stars do it for me. And now we’re here. Well, almost everyone.”

“Wait, there’s one more person?” I asked as we all turned our attention to the last beam that sparked with electric currents.

“Yup. The one who’s going to get you out of this,” Alicia said with pride. “She helped me once before.”

The last woman walked out of the portal, flaming wings trailing her as she walked into perfect view.

We were all left speechless as the woman with beautiful long silver locks with turquoise highlights appeared before us and the spinning card began to glow. My eyes widened as I realized she was the same woman from the sky, only her wings were literally in flames and she wore a dark purple combat uniform with a matching cape with red velvet interior on her shoulders.

Before the portal could completely close, a girl jumped right through and landed down next to Elsa. She looked just like the latest woman, only her hair had multiple colored highlights and she wore a colored leather coat, black tights, a purple skirt, and a black t-shirt that said HELLCHILD DUTY.

“ELSA!” the girl cheered and put her hands up.

“STAR!” she cheered back but kept her hands up to control the spinning card. “You came!”

“I told you I’d come if you or your Mistress ever needed help. We’re friends!” Star cheered and hugged her. “Familiar friends! Familiar friends!”

We moved our gazes from the cute reunion to the silver-haired woman, who smiled at the conversation. Her eyes took each of us in before she viewed the stadium. Her eyes locked onto Enova last.

“I knew Alicia and Daisy were onto something, but I never thought this would become the end result,” she declared before she bowed her head slightly in greeting. “Silver Spell Solange,” she introduced as her eyes locked onto mine. “This is the first time we’ve officially met, though it’s not the first time I’ve given you a hand.”

“You’re…the woman who helped me during the bridge incident,” I whispered. “The one who apparently healed me.”

“Yes,” she calmly replied with a slight grin. “You’ve grown. Though I expected us all to not meet so soon.”

“We’re not supposed to meet?” Alice asked. “I was in the library when I felt a tugging sensation and was brought here.”

“Sleeping,” Jade replied.

“KILLING!” Shadow Jade declared.

“Meaning she was organizing her plushie collection,” Jade translated.

“I knew this would happen,” Alicia revealed and walked over to where Elsa still had her hands up. “Thank you, little one. We’ll take it from here.”

“Yeah!” Elsa cheered and looked at Star before she looked in my direction. “Mommy! I did it.”

“Elsa…” I whispered and watched her push off the ground to reach where I was levitating. Her eyes twinkled with happiness as she reached out to gently press her hands upon my cheeks.

“You did it, Mommy! You summoned me!”

“Why…why couldn’t I do it before?” I wondered before I raised my hand to stroke her head. “Elsa. This is your form…like Fuwa.”

“Mommy couldn’t because Elijah put a spell on you!” she revealed as her body began to fade.

“A spell? Wait…Elsa, you’re disappearing!” My heart spiked but she smiled and pressed her forehead against mine.

“Mommy needs energy to save everyone. Love you, Mommy,” she replied as she faded into twinkling dust. I worried she’d never return, but Silver spoke up.

“Your energy is unstable and that’s why she can’t stay as long,” she revealed. “As for whatever spell was placed on you, there’s a good chance it is to prevent those who work with the Dark Kingdom from discovering your rooted connection with your familiar.”

“Rooted connection,” I whispered.

Silver nodded as Star pushed off the ground to soar to Silver’s side. She hugged her left leg as she looked our way.

“Your Elsa’s past mommy!” Star cheered.

Silver nodded and elaborated, “You would have easily unlocked your familiar’s abilities a few weeks or even days after awakening her. Due to your rooted bond, it would have potentially aided in a premature death on your end because the dark forces target anyone whose familiar has rooted bonds. Whoever may have placed this spell had to have known you’d be in a dangerous enough situation that would lead to the awakening of your familiar’s abilities long ago. Guess you should thank them because they had to have taken the spell off minutes ago.”

“Minutes ago…” I trailed off as I remembered when Elijah caught me and my body felt like an icy shiver ran through me, followed by intense heat in my chest.

Was that him unlocking it? Elijah…

“We’re running out of time,” Alicia announced as she showed the Unity card that was beginning to fade.

Everyone looked at me and I swiftly informed them what was going on. “The girl is wearing a vest with some weapon that not only can kill people but makes it impossible to rejuvenate or anything. We were going to teleport everyone in the stadium, but it’s too late.”

Silver frowned as she stared at Enova.

“The moment time restarts, it’ll explode.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” I questioned pleadingly. “I…we can’t lose. We died and Connor reversed time for this moment.”

“There’s one thing that can be done,” Silver announced. “However, it’ll require enormous energy, an item to host the energy, and I’ll need to finalize the last part. I can last a little longer in this world but you three won’t be able to remain much longer.”

“Alright!” Alice fist-pumped the air. “Let the three of us pump out the energy.”

“We need an item to host the power,” Alicia acknowledged.

“KILL!” I flinched at the loud noise to my left, noticing Shadow Jade was next to me and pointing to my neck. “Shiny! Host! Kill!”

Glancing down, I realized a prism crystal was resting on a golden chain around my necklace. The sight triggered a glimpse of the shining jewel entering my chest, seconds before I passed out in Finnick’s arms during the confrontation on the mountain semesters ago.

“Your necklace could work?” Jade added. “It looks powerful enough to hold our power.”

“Wait. Won’t you guys be drained because of this?” I questioned in worry.

“Who cares.” Alicia shrugged. “Better than our friend being dead.”

“Plus, I’m heading back to bed after this,” Jade added.

“And we haven’t gotten a girl’s shopping date, so we can’t have you dying and all,” Alice added.

“All the above,” Silver concluded with a smirk. “Are you ready? This is your only shot.”

I took a deep breath and looked to my men across the field. Even in this stilled space, I could see their fear and hopelessness.

This was our once-in-a-lifetime moment, and I wasn’t going to let the darkness steal my hope. “Ready,” I whispered.

Silver’s wings burst into raining flakes of embers as she moved swiftly to stand behind me and placed her hands upon my shoulders.

Alice, Alicia, and Jade moved into a line: Jade in the center with Shadow Jade behind her.

They exchanged one final look with one another as they lifted their hands up to point at me. “Ready!” Jade declared as the others bobbed their heads in agreement. “Three. Two. One!”

“Kill!” Shadow Jade cheered in support as the three of them shot a stream of magic directly to the crystal hanging from my neck, which began to absorb it all.

Their bodies were already beginning to disappear, but it didn’t stop them from shooting more and more magic. The streams didn’t completely dissolve until they were glittering particles, and I caught onto their goodbyes as their images faded away.

“Good luck, sis!” Alice called out from afar.

“Best of luck,” Jade called out which was followed with. “Kill!”

“Prosperous victory, Brianne!” Alicia affirmed.

It was just me and Silver left, and she moved to stand before me. “Star, return home. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Okay! Bye,” she happily stated as she began to disappear.

When it was just us, Silver took a step back and took a deep breath to let it out.

“This is where your final decision lies,” she announced. “Name.”

“Brianne Marie Harlow,” I declared.

“You have a choice, Brianne. Either you pray that the conjured force of magic we’ve implanted in this crystal will be enough to nullify the bomb’s reaction, which will cause a cancellation effect and most likely save this place from being completely destroyed, or we use the energy to teleport ourselves to the highest point in the sky where the bomb will explode.”

“Wouldn’t that kill us?”

“I won’t perish from your universe’s weapons,” she revealed. “However, you may not survive the strain of the impact.”

“So…I’ll die, but everyone else will live.”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I will be with you and guide you to where you’ll be sent off to if you die. You have to make the choice now, Brianne.”

I knew there was no more time to debate - as if I hadn’t made up my mind the moment I stopped time.

“Let death be the final choice then,” I whispered boldly while I tried not to shed the tears threatening to escape.

“Very well,” Silver declared as her hands squeezed my shoulders. “Five seconds.”

I nodded as my eyes lingered on my Notorious men. Seeing them from afar for one last time made my tears fall as I took a second to admire each of them.

They had all grown, matured, and prospered in their accomplishments, and though this wasn’t close to the ending I wished for, their safety was what mattered the most.

At the last second, I allowed myself to close my eyes.

To the Universe, and Marianna. Thanks for everything.

~JAX~

“Bria-”

When everything seemed to jolt to the present, we watched the glint of a prism crystal along Brianne’s neck - a mere second before a wave of energy burst through the stadium that left us all flying back.

When I crashed to the ground, I was already scrambling up and racing to the field as Bri’s name left my lips. “BRIANNE!”

I ran right to the middle, only to skid to a stop as the smoke and dust began to clear. I looked around, trying to sense her, but a tremendous boom came from the sky. Everyone’s heads moved upward to see the massive explosive force that went off so high in the sky, it looked like a star had burst into tiny flaming ashes.

One look left everyone in silence. You didn’t need to be a genius to know what just happened, and yet I stood there just staring as the tiny ember remnants fell until they disintegrated into nothing.

The stadium that had been buzzing with panic was left in complete silence; no one was able to say a single word as it all came together.

My knees buckled as I fell to the grassy surface. The crippling devastation made my ears ring as my blood rushed to pump through my body and drum in acknowledgment of the truth.

“Bri…anne?” I couldn’t believe it. No, I didn’t want to believe it, but I felt it in my being. Felt a piece of me shatter and leave me feeling hollow. Tears fell down my cheeks as I slowly lowered my gaze to the floor, my eyes catching onto the small black rock.

I reached to pick it up with my trembling hands, lifting it to see the teardrop rock that reminded me of a piece of coal. The size was like the sparkling gem I’d seen for a second on Brianne’s neck before she vanished with Enova in tow. The mere reminder made my lip tremble as I fought not to panic.

It felt like I was suffocating, the string of panic, fear, and anger wrapping around my throat in an attempt to consume me. I took deep breaths as I focused just on the item in the palm of my hand, but the longer I stared the angrier I got.

I gritted my teeth to hold back the scream that begged to be heard. I knew if I allowed the mere sound to escape, all the shackles holding me back would shatter and release the dark cyclone of agony to wreak havoc on the world around me.

I could feel the growing fear as black electric sparks began to pulse around me, just as flames of various colors ignited and extinguished just as quickly. I was losing control. I could feel my hands slipping from the rope that fought to contain the beast of mass destruction inside me.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip so hard I could taste my blood, but my eyes were glued on the teardrop rock in my grasp.

The last reminder of the woman I loved.

My tears began to fall into the palm of my hand, drip after drip as it stained the coal surface. I knew this was what the Shadow Kingdom was waiting for.

To watch me let loose and destroy Witchling Academy once again, like I had in the past. They wanted the past to repeat itself, and though my heart clenched in agony and my body burned with so much heat that I could burn the world down even faster than anyone could imagine, I couldn’t pull the trigger.

Jaxsin’s presence ran through me. The heat that spiked the temperature profusely began to tame itself as it lowered. I continued to coach myself to breathe, my eyes still on the prize in my grasp as the sparks of black stopped and my flames began to tame themselves.

With a few more breaths, I closed my eyes as more tears escaped their safe hold.

“Brianne…I…I won’t fail you,” I whispered to the air. “I…won’t lose control. We promised…we’d never repeat the past. So…”

I had to pause because sobs began to escape me, and I looked at the teardrop as more sobs left my trembling lips, until I lowered my bloody lips to the rock and kissed it gently, like it was the last time my lips would touch anything remotely connected to our Notorious Queen.

“So show me a sign that…you’re proud of me, babe,” I begged as more sobs escaped me and I put my head to the floor and cried. “Brianne.”

I sobbed uncontrollably as a soft breeze passed by, one that held a tender warmth to it even though my body was frigid cold. I continued to cry, not caring if the world could hear me. I’d done the one thing everyone seemed to doubt I’d be able to accomplish.

The least I can do is cry until my very sockets dry up.

I didn’t want to dare think of the future, or how I’d even survive from this moment onward, but at least I could recognize one tiny victory even though it was clear we’d truly failed.

We lost the most valuable gem of all.

The soft lick to my forehead made me realize Luna was here to comfort me. She arrived when I needed her the most, and I guess today would be no different.

Lifting my head slightly to acknowledge her, I looked into the large eyes of pink that stared up at me as golden-orange sparks swarmed their massive surface.

“MewMew!”

I stared at Elsa’s tiny body as she purred and playfully tapped my fist. Opening it up simply out of shock revealed the teardrop rock was gone, but it didn’t matter because my eyes caught onto the bare feet that stood mere inches from my line of sight - leaving me no choice but to slowly look up and acknowledge the woman standing there.

I thought I was imagining the view as the sky was washed with pastel colors of pink, orange, gold, and hints of teal blue, and the fluffy clouds slowly passed by as the sun continued to set.

The mere background was nothing in comparison to the stunning beauty before me.

“Br…Br…” I couldn’t even say her name with my shaky lips as I took in her figure. She stood there completely naked, but with her hands covering her lower part while her orange-gold locks were so long, they literally covered her breasts and surpassed her butt in length, but seemed to help be a perfect curtain.

She was smiling down at me as her tired eyes met mine.

“No matter how small our spark of love is, its touch can change someone’s lifetime.” She quietly repeated the spoken words from the festival as she slowly lowered to her knees before me. Her hand sought my cheek, and her gleaming lips curled.

“See?” she whispered. “You proved to the world that even if I’m not around, you won’t lose control.”

Her eyes, which were back to their usual brown color, shimmered with happiness as she wiped away my tears while her own tears ran down her cheeks.

“Sorry for scaring you, Jax. I’m here.”

The last two words were what triggered my movement as I closed the distance between us and hugged her tightly. She relaxed in my arms as she gently hugged me back - and the warmth and touch of her slim body set off the waterworks as I sobbed into her shoulder while relief overtook me.

The relief of everyone else came in the form of claps as one began the trend until the stadium cheered in happiness.

Nothing could express this moment as I cried in the arms of my eternal love.

Against all odds, we found a way to prevail. We’ve achieved the ultimate ending: victory.

25

GRADUATION PROMISE

~BRIANNE~

“LAST BUT NOT LEAST. Please welcome to the graduation stage, B-”

The cheers exploded before Professor Phoenix could announce my name, leaving me giggling at the end of the stage as my Notorious men stood in wait for me on the other side.

Diplomas in hand.

“Brianne Marie Harlow!”

“MewMew!”

I lifted my hand to pat Elsa’s head as she continued to sit on my shoulder. With bold steps, I walked upon the stage. I thought the cheers couldn’t get any louder, but they did as people young and old clapped and screamed my name in happiness.

Professor Phoenix stood in wait for me, my rolled-up diploma in her hand while a bright pink box sat on the podium. When I reached where she stood, she offered me my diploma first, and the crowd went insane as we posed for the standard picture.

I couldn’t help but give her a hug a second later, which made her laugh as she hugged me back. Pulling out of the hug, I remained in my spot as the crowd quieted down.

Professor Phoenix nodded to the vast stadium audience before she reached for the box on the podium. Ms. Electra came over to take hold of the box for the special occasion.

“Today, we are honoring one of our prestigious students with the highest, rarest award that’s ever been given to a student since the creation of Witchling Academy. This medal is Witchling’s Elite Medal of Honor. It acknowledges that the wearer of such award has not only gone above and beyond for the students, professors, and bystanders who live on Witchling Academy property but has aided in saving thousands of mages from great catastrophe. This medal opens many doors for its owner, but more importantly, it instills that Witchling Academy soil will always be a place to call home. Brianne Marie Harlow, congratulations.”

The booming cheers sealed her words as she opened the pink box to reveal the medal of metallic pink with gold and orange accents. The striking image of a female student pointing their wand in battle was displayed in gold with my name engraved at the bottom.

Lowering my head, I allowed her to slip the medal onto my neck then turned to face the audience as flashes from the cameras went off. I looked to the crowd to see my parents, Starlight, Katsume, and Sebastian - all of them clapping and cheering in pride.

Father was fighting hard not to cry while Mother was a sobbing mess. The two of them still carried smiles as they waved at me.

This was the moment we’d worked so hard for, and here I was, on the graduation stage, being recognized, praised, and honored.

I started as a nobody, one who had no legacy attached to her name other than her family’s good deeds. The gifted sixteen-year-old with no friends, who somehow managed to graduate with the highest medal of honor, multiple friends, four amazing boyfriends, and a congregation of people who wouldn’t remember me as a Harlow, but as the woman named Brianne, who managed to save Witchling Academy from a universal terrorist attack.

After one final bow and a few pictures with the rest of the administration on stage, I walked to where my four amazing boyfriends stood in wait. The moment I was hidden by the curtain, they crashed into me with massive hugs, leaving me to laugh as we cheered long and hard - our bodies jumping up in down in glee, which ended up making the crowd laugh because they could clearly hear our gleeful declaration.

“WE DID IT!” we cheered.

Eight semesters. Four solid years. We’d managed to do what the Shadow Kingdom wished to stop us from achieving, and the payoff was fantastic to experience.

Graduation consisted of pictures, autographs, news reporters, and getting moments with our families.

We finally got to change out of our gowns to have a private meeting with Professor Phoenix, Ms. Electra, and Sebastian. I wondered what role he played with his recent collaboration with the magic council, but then again, so many Witchling Star situations forced him to be involved, so he’d somehow become a part of the grand team that aided us in getting to this final moment.

Mia and Miya were going to join the celebrations later tonight since they were already off with their boyfriends to celebrate with their families that had come from Korea to celebrate their success.

We’d at least gotten some pictures together. What brought me even more happiness was knowing we’d remain friends regardless of what was next.

When we reached the designated room to wait, Jax stopped me at the door.

“What?” I questioned as he smirked and reached out to fix my hair.

“Gotta make sure you look perfect.”

“Liar,” I laughed as we stared into each other’s eyes.

He took a steady breath and whispered, “Can Jaxsin speak to Marianna real quick?”

“Sure.” I gave him a curious look at his apprehensiveness before Marianna was in control and opening my eyes to acknowledge Jaxsin, who was now present.

With a sly smirk, I moved my hand to wrap around his neck.

“Well, well, well. Why have I been summoned from my lovely slumber?”

“You weren’t sleeping,” he grumbled back.

I giggled. “How do you know? Hmm? Time is valuable. If you’re too shy to say what’s on your mind, then-”

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him while his eyes never left mine. Inching closer, I lowered my eyes to his approaching lips, and with a tiny smile of my own, I accepted his sweet kiss.

“Thank you,” he softly expressed his gratitude. “For not leaving me.”

“As if I’d ever leave,” I huffed but pulled him into a tight hug. “I love your dark-tempered butt too much to abandon you in this world.”

He hugged me back as the two of us allowed ourselves to enjoy this brief moment.

Pulling back, Marianna was gone, as was Jaxsin, leaving the two of us to share a pleased smile as I slipped my hand into his.

“Ready for our next adventure?”

“Yes, if it comes with cake and wine,” I suggested. He chuckled and bobbed his head. “Anything for our Notorious Queen.”

We entered the room and quietly made our way to the front, where Kaito, Finnick, and Connor waited for us. To our surprise, Elijah and Eliyahu came into the room, followed by Eliza, which shocked us further as she worked on wheeling herself into the room.

She didn’t speak until she reached where we stood, her intention to speak pausing when she acknowledged the twins.

“I thought you died,” she stated to Eliyahu, who rolled his eyes.

“That was the imposter.”

“So you’re a triplet?”

“No,” they said together before they gave each other an annoyed look. “Stop copying me!”

“Here we go,” Ms. Electra hummed as the twins went right into a fighting spree, leaving us to watch while Eliza looked my way. Deciding to acknowledge her, I gave a slight wave.

“Hey, Eliza.”

“Hey,” she replied and looked at the five of us. “Congrats on graduating.”

“Thank you,” I replied for us. “Have they reached a final verdict for Elisha?”

“Until they’re positive that her death won’t kill me, she’s been locked up in some evil mage prison that people compare to Hell. My dad has to serve some time even though he was being manipulated, but he didn’t take it too harshly. As for my mom, she’s officially back. She’s going to be supporting me while I do my final year here so…”

“That means you have one more year to go to graduate,” I stated with a frown.

She actually smiled while she shrugged. “Sadly, but I guess it’s better than being kicked out, right? It sucks since everyone I knew is basically leaving and it’s not like the rumors my evil twin spread aren’t still lingering around. Either way, I’ll get around it. I’m apparently a stubborn bitch, so I guess that applies to the desire of wanting to succeed.”

“Stubborn my ass,” Eliyahu muttered while Elijah rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to be alone, anyway. You can have Eliyahu bothering you.”

“Huh?” She gave them an odd look. “He’s not attending.”

“Actually, we are,” Eliyahu revealed. “We decided it wouldn’t be fair to get a pass to graduate from Witchling Academy due to all the craziness that has happened.”

“Therefore, we’re taking a makeup year. It’ll give us enough time to figure out what we want in life and give us more confidence.”

I was shocked, just like the others, and we looked to see Eliza’s wide eyes. “Okay, but it doesn’t mean we’re friends or anything.”

“Why not?” they inquired and Eliyahu continued. “We dealt with similar shit, though Elijah over here got the end of the stick most of the time. I was in school, but things just got out of hand and, well, here I am. I don’t know anyone here and I’m sure Elijah’s going to deal with a few bad apples who know the lies of our imposter, so we’re in the same boat.”

“Might as well help one another,” Elijah concluded. “We’re here just to confirm our attendance.”

“But…” Eliza frowned. “You don’t wanna hang out with a handicapped person. I’m just going to slow you down.”

Her words pulled at my heartstrings, and from the other’s expressions, they all felt the pain in her voice at the admission.

“A disability isn’t going to stop a star from shining brightly,” I voiced, which got her attention. “If someone can’t be around you because they want to use something like that against you, it just proves they’re not worth your time or commitment.”

Elijah nodded. “Real friends stick together with you. Even if you are different.” He looked my way. “True friends just want the best for you and accept you no matter what.”

Eliza nodded in understanding before the three of them had to sign a form to confirm their re-enrollment.

“We’ll see you guys at the big celebration tonight,” Eliyahu announced. “Then you can listen to our sob story.”

“No one wants to listen,” Eliza huffed as she worked on wheeling herself to the door.

Eliyahu tsked before catching up to her to help her out.

“I didn’t ask for your help, evil twin.”

“First off, It’s Eliyahu. Second of all, my ass ain’t evil. I’m impatient as fuck, but I don’t have that murderous intent nonsense. Lastly, your arms are shaking, which says you’re exhausted, so suck it up and accept my help.”

“You know what? I don’t like you!”

“Join the club. There’s a damn waitlist of people who don’t like me, and sadly the number one member is over there mentally conflicted about when he’s going to confront Brianne and say how thankful he is!”

“Can you shut the fuck up!” Elijah snapped back at his brother, who was swiftly moving out the door with Eliza. “I’m going to hurt you!”

“I’d like to see you try, coma boy! You owe me for changing your diapers!”

We were all silently watching as Ms. Electra quietly snickered. “I’m sorry, that’s just funny.”

Elijah groaned before he let out a sigh and walked over to face me.

“Before you guys get into the important stuff, I just…wanted to say thank you.”

He looked at each of my men before he settled his expression on me as he took a step back and bowed.

“Thank you for taking care of me when it wasn’t any of your responsibility. Though I can only remember bits and pieces of what I heard when in a coma, I was thankful to be cared for by a group of individuals that actually wished me well. I held a lot of bitterness years ago, and my actions are what pushed away the woman I cared about. I felt trapped, burdened, and couldn’t do what I wished to do, and it ended with a cascade of troubles that impacted your school experience. Though I can’t fix or change those events, I can at least do my part and grow into a better person. I’m hoping this isn’t the last time we see each other, and I pray to the gods we’ll get an opportunity in the future to be friends.”

He rose up and smiled at me as a single tear ran down my cheek.

“I still care dearly for you, Brianne,” he boldly confessed. “Since I was never bold enough to say it, I figured it was now or never. I’m happy you’re with men who not only love you but who encourage your growth and blossoming prosperity. Though I lost my chance, I hope to at least be friends again when I’ve grown stronger and am in my element.”

“Elijah,” I whispered.

“Better not hold you guys back,” he announced and bowed one more time. “Best of luck, Notorious Five. See you soon.”

He headed to the door and was gone moments later. Jax reached out to wrap his hand comfortingly around my right side while Connor did the same on my left.

I was proud of Elijah’s growth and strength to admit his wrongs and gratefulness. Now he’d have the time to focus on himself, and maybe one day we’d be able to see how far he’s come.

Sebastian walked to the stand before me with Professor Phoenix and Ms. Electra at his sides. He took a moment to acknowledge each of us with his eyes before he bobbed his head in internal understanding.

“Connor and I made an agreement that night in Switzerland, and it’s time for that payment,” he declared. He lifted his hand as it began to glow a soft purple with hints of gold and silver. “I promised you five wouldn’t be torn apart.”

We took deep breaths then let them out, and I knew Jax was holding Finnick’s hand while Connor held Kaito’s. All of us were connected as we waited for what would happen.

“What I’m about to do won’t make sense when it’s done, but in time, you’ll understand the point of it.”

With one final glance at us, he smiled a brilliant smile and whispered, “Until your next invite, Witchlings.”

He snapped his fingers, and the room was engulfed in light.

Graduation promise to remain together…no matter our payment.

EPILOGUE: REUNION AND INVITATION

~ONE YEAR LATER~

“YES, Starlight. I heard you, for the fiftieth time. The moment we get off the private jet, turn left into the VIP sector of the airport to the room with the golden envelope we received. It’s honestly not our fault there was no added memo that said alumni have to confirm their status by today! You’re lucky Jax and I were able to catch a flight. No. We weren’t fucking around! I already told you, I was doing an apprentice program with Aurora that went around the world while Jax was attending various world leader events as president of the Witchling Peace Organization we founded last summer. It really hasn’t been fun, shopping, travel, and sex, alright? And yes, my hair isn’t pink anymore. It’s not my fault that I didn’t read the coloring box when I was drunk graduation night.”

Jax was playing with my hair as I continued to rest on his shoulder and speak with my older sister, who was far too excited about our arrival back home.

I couldn’t believe a year had already passed since our graduation from Witchling Academy. After receiving our diplomas, we’d gone straight to a banquet hall with our family and friends to celebrate, which led to some drunk memories and me waking up with pink hair.

Since then, it was decided we’d officially take a year off, and what better way of doing it then by enrolling in an apprenticeship that allowed us to travel the world? The best part? We got to go by aliases and our appearances had been altered thanks to some highly advanced magic machinery.

To be honest, it was difficult in the beginning - simply because none of us remembered when we’d agreed to become “spy” apprentices, which is what I liked to call the extremely rare role.

The opportunity literally allowed us to travel the world while doing something that called out to us. The result of it was that we were able to follow our passions around the world while still keeping in contact, which included monthly get-togethers in our choice of country.

Jax became the official president of a newly created Peace Organization. He went by a different name and had changed his flaming hair to temporary black. I still thought he’d be recognizable, and yet he looked like a different person.

Finnick was traveling the world and opening various art schools and museums under his alias’ name. It was easy for him to run his fashion and newly made perfume brand since he didn’t need to make a physical appearance until this fall after our yearly apprenticeship was up.

He’d changed his hair color to silver, which made him look more like a samurai, especially when he was next to Kaito.

Kaito not only got to accompany Finnick throughout the world for the art tours, building projects, and developing Finnick’s fashion line, he was also aiding in the creation of special swords and magic incantation weaponry that would aid in countering the illegal weapons that were being exchanged in the black market.

With the help of Finnick’s drawing skills, they were able to plan out a complete line of weapons that would aid in defending against and eliminating any of those bullets or machinery created with that specific illegal metal that almost killed us on our last holiday.

Connor actually owned many of those very manufacturers. His mother had shown him a bit about stocks and business management. When the idea was brought to him by Finnick and Kaito, he immediately worked on getting the right resources to aid with the production. We all decided to meet in Dubai, and Finnick’s previous agent, who was now the art director of one of Finnick’s most recent museums, had a few friends in the industry that could make a brilliant deal that would have Witchling Star and many other protective organizations pushing for the creations of these defensive weapons.

With all that in the works, and with us traveling so often, he began investing in hotels that were bringing in bonus revenue - and scoring us plenty of free stays at five- to seven-star hotels.

As for myself, Aurora accepted me into a very rare apprentice opportunity she’s only done with one other student long ago. Though I wasn’t sure of it in the beginning, I wanted to do something that would impact change across the world. She decided it would be a marvelous idea to travel and teach about various subjects including topics regarding bullying, teamwork, and finding yourself when life was rough. Some would call it a self-help coach, but I simply wanted to share my knowledge and experiences while integrating my wisdom gathered from books in terms of magic and spell work.

Thinking I was twenty-one and doing what others took years of school and experience to accomplish gave me the sense of confidence I’d yearned for when I entered Witchling. Now I could walk among society without worry or fear of lacking, and it felt amazing.

“Yup! I’ll see you soon. Love ya.” As I hung up the phone, the seatbelt sign went on as the pilot announced we were landing.

Jax kissed my temple before I moved from resting against him to fasten my seat belt.

“Your sister sounds excited,” Jax acknowledged.

“Not as excited as I am that your hair is back to being flaming hot,” I tossed back with a wide grin. “Get it? Flaming hot.”

“I did not miss your cringe-worthy jokes.” He laughed, which made me giggle as he fastened his seatbelt. “It feels good to finally be back. Pretending to be someone else was hard.”

“I felt like we were epic supernatural spies living another identity. It felt good, though, because no one knew who we were.”

“I’m going to miss that,” he admitted as he picked up my hand and wrapped his fingers around mine. “Sure, we made new reputations and all, but we somehow made our new personas famous.”

“We should be double agents,” I suggested.

“Didn’t we know a double agent?” he pondered.

“Hmmm. I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe we did. It’s hard with our lifestyle to keep track of everyone.”

“I’m more excited to meet the others. Didn’t Aurora say we have to see Rubin to touch up our tattoos?”

“Yes. Have to unlock something. I forget what she said.”

“Because you were wasted.”

“Well, ya.” I laughed. “That graduation party was so lit that even after a year, I still can’t remember half of what happened.”

“If that pink dye didn’t last a year, you’d say it didn’t happen.”

“You loved my pink hair as much as I loved your black strands.”

“You hated my hair.”

“Fair point.” I winked. “You kept calling me bubble gum!”

“You like when I call you that in bed,” he acknowledged, which made me huff and elbow him in the side.

“T-That’s different! You say it with that sexy, deep voice that does stupid shit to me. You could say poop in a different language and I’d think it’s hot as fuck!”

He laughed and bobbed his head. “Truth.”

“Ugh. You’re silly.”

“But you love me.”

“Sadly,” I replied but moved over to kiss him. “It’s nice to be back at Witchling.”

“Let’s figure out what this gold invite is all about.”

The plane landed soon after. We made our way to the VIP room with the directions Starlight had given us. We’d received a golden invitation with an orange seal that projected the letters WAE. It looked like all five of us had gotten the invitation, but the inside letter was completely blank.

We needed to be together to read it, and I guess that room was designated for whatever surprise awaited us.

We entered the first private room to see Finnick, Kaito, and Connor.

“We’re here!” I cheered to grab their attention. The three of them beamed at our arrival. They each carried their own small luggage. We only needed our carry-on and smaller bag for the essentials since this trip was only for this invite.

With the apprentice program, we got to fly basically wherever we wished, so it came to the point where flying light was only logical.

“Red,” Finnick greeted as he skipped over to me. I laughed at his playful banter, remembering old times as he picked me right up and swung me around.

“Where’s the pink hair?! I thought we’d match!”

“Jax hated it! Look what a happy sucker he is now that it’s orange again.”

“No more black hair? Wow. Is today the apocalypse?” Connor teased as Jax reached where he stood and accepted the bear hug.

“I told you I was changing it back. You were praising the gods!”

“Obviously. You look good with black hair. You look like a billionaire bachelor.”

“Ohhh. Connor’s jelly someone’s gonna take his man away,” I teased as Finnick let go of me so I could hug Kaito.

“More like he’d throw a fit and get a few people fired if someone tried,” Kaito declared as if that was what would happen.

“Stop predicting shit,” Connor huffed. “Though that’s exactly what would happen.”

“You’re horrible.” Jax laughed.

“That’s old news,” Kaito acknowledged. “We all got here on time.”

“Yup,” Finnick replied as I hugged Connor. “Got your golden envelopes?”

“Yup,” we all replied.

We finished hugging before we headed into the final room as a unit. Once the doors closed, we noticed the tall man sitting at the desk. He seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it as we headed to the front to present our gold invitations.

“Good afternoon. My name is Marianna Blaze,” I introduced, only to remember we weren’t going by aliases anymore. “I may be under my other name. We weren’t informed what this invitation we received was about. Only that we must attend in this room to unlock the message it holds.”

The man bobbed his head in understanding. “Please wait right there in a line with your invitations in your left hands.”

“Thank you.” I bobbed my head before returning to stand between Connor and Jax, the five of us holding onto the golden envelopes.

“He looks familiar,” Jax muttered.

“Real familiar,” Connor added. “Was he a professor at Witchling or something?”

“Not sure,” I admitted. “I don’t recall seeing him.”

“Me neither,” Finnick whispered.

“Could have been a substitute or something.” Kaito offered.

“Probably,” we agreed and kept quiet as he returned into the room with a cloaked individual. It was a little spooky, but I wasn’t getting any odd vibes. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t be cautious, but I’d remain calm in my stance.

“Please retrieve your letters and I will unlock the spell to reveal what message it has for you,” he instructed.

“Alright,” we replied and awaited his move as he lifted up his left hand that began to glow a striking purple with hints of silver and gold.

All of this felt like deja vu, but when he snapped his fingers and our vision was washed with bright light, it all suddenly came rushing back.

Wait…what?

When the light dimmed, I knew who the man was. He stood there with a proud smile.

“Sebastian? Wait…why did we forget you to begin with? No…hold on…we forgot more than that, didn’t we?”

“We forgot all about Elijah and Eliyahu,” Jax acknowledged.

“What about Eliza? Or better yet, what happened with Mia and Miya, the twins?”

“How did we go from saving the world from a catastrophe to being apprentices when we were never really given a proper career path?” Connor questioned.

We were baffled by our memory loss and circumstances. Just moments ago, everything that happened in the last year made sense, and yet now that we remembered how we graduated to begin with and the events that led to us walking off the stage and confronting Sebastian, it became clear we’d forgotten far more about our school life than we’d realized.

“The payment I received from you all was to allow you to live a year without your demigod powers.”

We gawked at the realization as he smiled and nodded his head.

“When I snapped my fingers, I retrieved your demigod powers. That includes your familiars, memories of those who are demigods, and any incidences that the Shadow Kingdom contributed to. You all left this room knowing you graduated from the prestigious Witchling Academy with a year apprenticeship that allowed you to strive towards whatever endeavors you had.”

The revelation left us speechless as he continued.

“Since the Shadow Kingdom placed a target on your heads, you never got a break to simply live. At every corner, something would go wrong, and though I’m not necessarily a part of Witchling Academy, I couldn’t continue to see another set of prestigious students fall to the hands of shattered mental health. I know what was planned next for the five of you, and I negotiated with Professor Phoenix, Ms. Electra, and the remaining magic council to give you the privilege to live life for a full year without the constraints of money or lack of opportunity. We wanted you all to flourish further into who you wanted to become before being given the official invitations in your grasps.”

I lowered my eyes to the letter, watching as the cursive purple ink bled onto the page and revealed the hidden message.

“Dear Candidate. We would formally like to invite you to attend Witchling Academy Elite. The prestigious demigod…academy invites the worthy, powerful, and blessed beings of the universal realms that carry the gem and blessings of a god. If one accepts this invitation, they will be privileged to begin their transfer to their Elite headquarters. The next four years will unlock many doors, opportunities, and avenues, and any current commitments will be respected and can be worked around with your new school schedule. Do you accept?”

I read it word for word, before lifting my head to look at my men and then Sebastian.

“This is your opportunity to discover the true potential you carry within yourselves and unlock the world that’s hidden in the shadows that makes you five so valuable to the Shadow Kingdom.”

“If we don’t accept?” I inquired.

“I’ll snap my fingers and you’ll return to the lives you were enjoying. No strings attached.”

As tempting as our lives were, the fact I’d forgotten about my friends and even Elsa bothered me more. There was more to this world than just magic within our bodies. I wanted to discover my gifts and the god’s power within me.

I want to meet the universal friends I’d forgotten all about. To see the end to this prophecy and the Shadow Kingdom that has tried to ruin our lives again and again.

I looked at my men. They all had the same expression on their faces as I did - the expression of determination.

With a deep breath, I stood taller with my men at my sides as I decided to answer for us.

“Then, we formally accept the invitation,” I stated with pride.

“Excellent,” he said with a grin. “This is your mentor who will aid you in the transition into Witchling Elite: The Academy of Demigods.”

The individual switched places with Sebastian as he moved to stand further to the side, so this person had the sole spotlight. They lowered their hood, which made me gasp at the smiling sight before I smiled from ear to ear.

“It’s a pleasure to see the five of you again. At least, all together in one piece.”

The mesmerizing turquoise eyes bored into mine as their red lips curled upward and they crossed their arms over their chest. With a fix of their black-rimmed glasses, they took in each of us and nodded their head.

“My name is Silver Spell Solange. I’ll be your guide and future universal professor at Witchling Elite. I’m sure you have plenty of questions, but let’s fill out the paperwork first. It’s an honor and privilege to be one of the many individuals who will mold you into some of the strongest demigods this universe will have to offer. Please sign on the dotted line, and let’s get down to business.”

This may have been the true end of my young adult life at Witchling Academy, but before me was a new opportunity on the horizon with the next four years of discovering the hidden secret that was under our noses this entire time.

With a swirl of my signature on the dotted line, the Notorious Five were ready to start their new adventure.

Welcome To Witchling Academy Elite.

Where All Demigods Discover Their Call Of Destiny.

THE END.

Welcome To Witchling Academy Elite.

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WOLF AWAKENED.

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WOLF AWAKENED BLURB

How do you thrive when you’re an unwanted, invaluable, human female?

Simple: alter your reality by switching teams.

During the day, I’m William De Luca, the only ‘son’ of Roberto De Luca, the king of the NYC mafia and Alpha of the deadliest wolf pack — one this city doesn’t mess with. At night, I’m Willow De Luca, cage fighter champion with a temper problem.

Regardless of which role I’m playing, I’m plagued by the inability to shift, a condition that has Papa Dearest deeming me a ‘fucking mistake.’ All the same, it’s worth enduring my double life if it means staying out of my father’s business and ignoring the growing legacy that’s waiting for me to claim.

Unfortunately, no matter how rich and powerful you are, the universe isn’t going to grant you everything you want. In Father’s case, it was having a son. In mine? Finding a mate. Without an inner wolf of my own, meeting a wolf shifter who’s connected to me is essentially impossible.

It’s a forbidden dream I’d all but given up on. Then my carefully balanced life is disrupted by the arrival of a new pack that intends to make me the target of a power play to take the De Luca territory. However, one glimpse of Dimitris, Neo, Saint, and Jayce is all it takes — I want to make them mine.

I’m willing to bet everything on a dangerous gamble, because maybe being a wealthy boy by day and lethal girl at night is the double-play I need to earn the grand prize.

Them.

PROLOGUE: FORBIDDEN FRUIT

The strike of a blade left me gasping for breath. Rushing pain flooded through me and spread, like a prick of a thorn that carried thick poison and aimed to leave its mark throughout my entire body.

My eyes were wide with shock, while I slowly took in the realization that I’d been struck with a weapon that was invisible to my sight until now.

As I took in the black hilt of the weapon, I absorbed the details of the hand gripping it for dear life - the thick lines of tatted marks that gave away one clue of who this perpetrator was. My lingering gaze was followed with my eyes shutting close as the blade exited my body and ignited the outward flow of the dark red liquid that kept me alive.

I should have submitted, but that was a quality I’d never been one to give in to. Yet again, my body revolted at the idea that this was the end for me as my fist moved swiftly until it punched my opponent in the nose. The crack gave me a sense of satisfaction as I lifted my leg to deliver another blow to his stomach.

The man went flying, a grunt escaping him as he crashed into the ground and skidded further back. As I lowered my leg and widened my stance, I was left a flinching mess as I immediately clenched the wound in my stomach, fighting for breath. It was as though my lungs were suddenly filling with liquid.

My body shook with adrenaline and the response of approaching death, but I ignored it as my fixed gaze settled on the man who fought to rise to his feet.

He looked at me in shock, as if he never expected that a woman as frail-looking as I could survive this long against him. He was a mass of muscle, and he reached a height of 6’0”. He was much larger than me, with my height of 5’5” and my slim frame. But that was always the first mistake of every opponent I’d faced.

The only difference here and now was that we weren’t in the fighting ring.

The man readied himself to strike again, but his nostrils flared as he suddenly took an extra second to sniff the air. His eyes widened like he’d seen a ghost, and he let out a mix of curse words as he looked around, trying to find a way out.

I watched his frantic change of behavior while fighting the urge to fall back in defeat. However, I would never allow myself to do that in front of a man who played dirty. Whoever this person was, he thought killing me would somehow leave a hollow wound in the heart of that fucker I called Father.

The mere thought threatened to make me laugh at the idea of that man even shedding a tear for me. If it wasn’t for my hidden talents and connections, I’d become just like my mom.

A useless waste of space that deserved to be chained and left in the dungeon for one thing only: to make babies.

She wasn’t even good at that, and I was the one miracle baby he got.

If only he could see me now: his frail human daughter fighting against the big, bad wolf who thought he was doing all of NYC a favor.

No matter my insignificance, I knew one thing was for sure. If I perished tonight, all bets would be off and all of NYC would feel the wrath of the De Lucas.

I expected the man to run, but what he did was completely unexpected and left me attempting to run while I mentally cursed myself for not paying attention thanks to my damn imagination.

The loud sound of a gunshot roared through the forest, and my scream left my throat before I could stop it. That high, shrilling sound preceded the shot of pain that forced my body to crumble as I began to fall backward.

I hit the ground with a thump, but my eyes were wide open as they stared up at the starry sky. How could such a sight be so calm and peaceful when it could see me begin to struggle against the fight towards living?

My gasps were quick and breathy, while my eyes fought to stay open as they looked from side to side, as if more enemies were ready to pounce on me at any minute. I heard the rushing footsteps coming towards me, and I braced myself before I gathered my strength to combat the next attack.

I may have been wounded by a blade and a bullet, but put me in a close-combat moment and I’d prevail without question.

As if the very ground had heard my silent declaration, my opponent arrived on the scene, ready to stab me one more time with the blade that still dripped with my blood. My lips somehow managed to curl up in a smile as I lifted my hands up to stop him from his swift attack.

That shocked him as he sucked in a heap of air, but this was my golden moment to show him what a true sport I was being in letting him damage me to this extent. My fists moved quickly - almost blindingly - as I disabled the hand that held the blade and managed to get it into my possession.

The next thing either of us knew, I was stabbing him in the eye. His scream of agony was followed with a grunt as I kicked him with enough force to send him back. I couldn’t roll over, but I quickly shot up and with a twirl of the very blade between my fingers, I sent it flying straight into his other eye.

It hit its mark marvellously, leaving my enemy hollering in pain as he clenched his face around the hilt of the blade. I bet he was debating on whether to pull it out or deal with the agony for the sake of saving time.

He rose up in a rush and quickly pulled out yet another gun. The safety flicked off before he readied himself to pull the trigger. All I could do was brace myself for the round of bullets that would get rid of me but at least I’d die with honor instead of as a woman who was filled with bullets and didn’t lay a bit of damage on her killer.

The last sight he’d see was the sin he committed, the lingering image of my dead body and the crime he’d face consequences for committing.

A shadow suddenly blurred above me, catching my attention for a nanosecond before its gigantic body crashed into the man a few feet away from me. The man’s mangled screams were only the beginning of the torture as the chorus of ripped limbs, crushed bones, and high-pitched echoes led to a gurgle. I was left in more shock than I had been when the blade and bullet injured me.

All it took was ten seconds for the deed to be done and my opponent’s remains to be scattered everywhere. The shadow turned to face me, and the full moon that took the opportunity to reveal itself from the passing cloud shone a ray of light upon the shadowy beast.

I took in the large wolf with white fur, the soft-looking coat cloaked with blood stains and dirt that must have splattered on him from the intense run through this crisp night.

Pink eyes met my blue ones. His eyes were the color of pastel pink that reminded me of balls of cotton candy that were served by those rare vendors during the busy evenings of rush hour.

The longer I stared into those mesmerizing orbs, the more familiar - and dangerous - they became. My brain was working hard against the sluggish pace, and it only took five extra seconds to realize those eyes were of my enemy.

One of my enemies.

I was ready to get up and pick a fight, proud to meet him in the form of my true self and ready to give him a piece of bitchery that he wholeheartedly deserved, but the mere movement suddenly sent me convulsing. My body fell back once more as all I could do was endure the waves of trembling shakes until they came to a pause.

Fuck! This hurts far worse than period cramps!

I fought to sit up once more, and I gasped for air that suddenly seemed to be stuck in my throat. I coughed, and boy did I regret that; it ignited a round of coughs which caused blood to spurt from my mouth and cloak my lips.

My single curse was muffled as I suddenly groaned and gave up on the idea of sitting up. Staring up at the sky was suddenly my way of revolting, but I began to realize that time was beginning to tick, and I’d need to get myself to a doctor as soon as possible.

I could imagine one of Father’s best medics racing over to come aid me with the simplest things, afraid of what would come if he didn’t give his all in every assessment he was forced to give to ensure I was a healthy little shit of a puppy.

Those benefits surely would have been handy now, but I was on the edge of some forest, and there was no way would I survive the journey back when I was bleeding from multiple wounds.

Crushing sounds caught my attention before heavy exhales that weren’t my own drifted to me. If only I could allow myself to be curious; I’d think of the perfect way to piss that jackass off before kicking his balls and showing him who the true ruler of this city was.

Papa Dearest may be the lead of the show, but I was the secret weapon that would fuck shit up for the sake of being the only one on Father’s shit list. Anyone else could either fuck off or be murdered - all so I could have the last laugh when I took everything from that sick bastard of a father and show him that females weren’t weak baby-maker bitches like he always remarked on a day-to-day basis.

Footsteps made my body grow tense, and lo and behold, there stood the man of my angered envy.

Even now, as those pink rings scanned the damage that was laid on my poor flesh, all I could do was glare at him in disgust. The idea of him even trying to help me made me gag and left me begging for any other scenario to deal with.

This fucker who thought he could control me. The one whose smirk taunted me when he had me pressed against the wall with his tight groin grinding against mine while my father continued his meeting in the other room.

There were so many instances where he showed up to fuck up my idea. He was no different from the others who showed up to aid with one of the many drug heists orchestrated by my father. They would do anything to gain his favor. I couldn’t wait to gain a little strength just so I could experience the satisfying moment of punching him in the face.

I’d love to ruin a hint of that handsome perfection, to see the blood rush to his face and leave a dark circle, giving him a raccoon eye that he wholeheartedly deserved. An eye for an eye could technically work, though I hoped I’d be dead by the time he tried to pull out mine.

I’d laugh at the idea if I could, but as I focused on my reality I realized my body struggled to function. I was losing sensation in my fingertips and feet while my body shuddered as a strange chill began to sweep through me.

The man standing there suddenly looked concerned, and it was such a foreign sight that I thought my mind was surely hallucinating all of it. He was on his knees the next second, his arms shaking me and his words fighting to cut through to me, but my hearing was struggling because of how loud my blood was pumping. A ringing sound assaulted my senses.

I finally was able to pick up his words as he suddenly grabbed my left bicep.

“Fuck…” he whispered before those shock-stricken circles peered into mine, which were beginning to grow weaker. “Will! You’re Will, aren’t you?!”

Could I even answer his question? Obviously not, as I suddenly felt like I was slipping through some cracks beneath the ground. It was a slow transition: bits of me were already drifting away while others fought hard to remain and see what this man was shocked about.

Wasn’t it obvious who I was? I was the girl who was always mistaken in the tabloids for being some sort of twin sister doppelganger of the richest heir in NYC.

Anyone - and I mean anyone - would want to be William De Luca. The rich heir of the De Luca Organization, which hid its secret mafia roots behind plenty of businesses. The organization made the idea of giving drug money to the poor appear pure.

I tried to speak, but that only made me cough up more blood. Suddenly I was gasping as dark spots began to claim my vision. The man before me was now wildly shaking me, and it almost pained me to see the fear that gripped those cotton candy spheres.

He knew I was dying. While it wasn’t caused by his own hands, it left him desperate to be the one to claim such ownership of my end rather than allow another to do so.

As I continued to drift, his eyes became wilder, leaving me almost confused as to why.

“You can’t die!” he declared as if it were my choice. I surely didn’t want to enter the pits of Hell when I’d yet to prove my worth, let alone find a mate that would be crazy enough to date the ‘human’ mistake of an Alpha mafia leader father, but sometimes beggars really couldn’t be choosers. When death came knocking on your door, all you had to do was suck it up and skip right into Judgement.

The idea of it all made me wonder if I’d be able to do just that - skip right into the toasty realms of Hell.

My attention returned to the man as he dropped to his knees. He clearly didn’t care about the blood that surely would have pooled all around me by now as his hands pressed against the very wounds that bled away the remaining fragments of my twenty-five years of life.

“Dammit!” he cursed and looked me dead in the eye. “Don’t you dare slip away from me! Did I fucking give you permission?!”

That made me smirk, though it had to be a tiny one that ignited his rage as he pressed even harder. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore, but I was sure that my blood merely slipped through the spaces between his spread fingers and quickened my approaching demise.

How wonderful to get a helping hand.

“You’re not leaving us,” he snarled when his efforts were finally deemed hopeless. However, his words made no sense as he couldn’t stop fate itself.

I was a goner, just like my mom had been as she lay chained in the dungeon of our mansion home for weeks until she finally died. My death was better off. Quick and painless now that my senses were practically gone.

“Awaken.” The man’s whisper left me in wonder before something seemed to beat hard enough for me to feel through the numbness.

What?

The man of my peak of hatred watched me in shock before tiny traces of hope flooded those pink rings that dilated further.

“I knew it,” he whispered as a cynical grin formed on his lips. “Our little wolf is right there at the brink of death.”

He hovered over me suddenly, and I watched as a tattoo that blared with vitality within the dark night formed on his left arm. His eyes began to glow, those pinks spheres suddenly shifting to a dangerous silver with rings of purple around his irises.

His black short strands began to flood with silver, leaving me to shiver internally as the pulsating force pushed harder for release.

He looked into my eyes with so much force that it seemed to unlock the sensations that had been muted by my approaching death. Sensation came surging back through me, making me gasp as my back arched like I’d been revived by a defibrillator.

“Awaken, our forbidden fruit! Let that dazzling beast out of you!” he commanded, and the next pulsing force left me screaming. The pain was back but far worse than before. I was frozen with spasms of crippling agony as my mind experienced multiple emotions.

They flickered through from four different directions, a compass of foreign feelings that begged for my utmost attention. Confusion, uncertainty, and intense lust were only a fraction of the emotions running through me. A burning anger swept in from all four directions.

Only, the combination of rage wasn’t directed at me but rather at the person who did this to me.

When another wave of pulsating force went through me, it triggered something unimaginable. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as my body convulsed once more. I suddenly was consumed by heightened agony as the splintering sound of snapping bones was followed with my vision suddenly shifting entirely.

I almost lost consciousness at the peak of it all, but a combined force held me up from losing the battle I seemed to be enduring with myself.

When my eyes suddenly opened, the vision before me was magnificently clear, even in the darkness that aimed to hide our surroundings. I was on all fours, but everything else was different, from the extraordinary vision to the elevated sense of smell that tickled my nostrils.

Warmth flooded me while the place that surely was my chest seemed to be bathed in extra warmth as the pain lessened with haste.

When the pain seemed to be gone, I looked at my legs to see the white hairs of fur with the tiniest hint of fine pink fibers in the soft coat that reflected against the moon’s rays.

A chuckle of pride and exhaustion drifted onto the passing wind and my attention was on the sole man before me. My height was at his shoulders, seemingly abnormal when he well surpassed 6′0″, but it didn’t matter as I narrowed my eyes at him with the intention of attacking him returning to me.

He lifted his hands up, but that taunting smirk was still present on those sexy lips of his, all while he stood there - naked and hard at the mere sight of me.

“Finally. Our sweet forbidden fruit is ripe and ready for us to pleasantly enjoy.”

A rumble left me that morphed into a low growl, but it only made him chuckle.

“I’m not your enemy, Will. Or should I say, Willow?” he inquired and used my true name, and I lowered in preparation for attacking him if he didn’t lower that sick pride of his.

“Willow, my sweet.” The way his seductive voice said those very words had me tingling from the inside out as my body burned to be beneath him and fucked.

I shook my head wildly at the thought, and that left him chuckling before he was standing before me in one swift movement. I should have bitten him, but his hand was suddenly stroking my cheek and soon I was lowering my head as he knelt down to one knee and pressed his forehead against mine.

“Forbidden Willow, don’t push me away. I may be your enemy during the day, but right here, right now, I’m the next best thing to salvation,” he growled soothingly. “Embrace this, Willow. Dwell in the blissful moment of being Wolf Awakened. Whatever held you back has lost its battle, and now?”

He leaned back just so I’d lift my head and look into his deadly eyes.

“Now we wage war on all who dare defy us.”

The joy of his dangerous motivation somehow sparked new life into me, and all I could do was lift my head and howl. I was now bonded to my pack of enemies. That knowledge left excitement in its wake instead of fright.

Wolf Awakened is what I’ve overcome and it’s time to seek my forbidden pack of lethal fuckers who will lead us to victory.

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

~Books by Avery Song~

WILLOW’S FORBIDDEN PACK

Wolf Awakened

Wolf Endangered (Mar.5.2021)

NORTHERN SHADOW’S PACK

Wolf Surrender (Mar.12.20)

CLAIMING MY PACK SERIES

Wolf Tamer (Mar.12.2021)

DEMON MASKETEER INSTITUTE

Shadows Of Hell (Mar.5.2021)

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S YEAR FIVE

S.S.S. YEAR SIX

S.S.S. YEAR SEVEN (MAY.7.21)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES (COMPLETE)

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (Jan.29.2021)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Six (Apr.2.2021)

ACADEMY FOR ALL THINGS SCORCHING

Blazing Academy - Semester One

Blazing Academy - Semester Two

Blazing Academy - Semester Three (Jan.8.2021)

Blazing Academy - Semester Four (Feb.19.2021)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw

Supernatural Villain

Supernatural Savior (Feb.5.2021)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison

ROYAL CONFINEMENT FOR MALICIENT SUPERNATURALS

Shattered Princess

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two

Fae Rose Academy - Year Three (Feb.5.2021)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year One

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Two (Jan.15.2021)

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Three (Mar.5.2021)