Nell: “It will be okay….it will be okay.”293Please respect copyright.PENANAtt0haTvXW4
293Please respect copyright.PENANABQmNKZH1J8
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Nell repeats that through tears but I can’t help but stare down the barrel of those guns. Magic? Murder? It’s all too much to take. What’s even real anymore?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAgyDw4j6uju
293Please respect copyright.PENANA2GsaobO6HO
Sever: “We got it, move out.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAHrEdNiMKW6
293Please respect copyright.PENANAMQD6k6aZrh
Alyson: “Na-”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAKMVOXXvOVf
293Please respect copyright.PENANAfLfuGZv7W8
I try to get up but the rifles move to freeze me in place.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtW3y1YyuCS
293Please respect copyright.PENANAY7Cym2y7JT
Nell: “What are you going to do to my son?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANANu3F4lLHpz
293Please respect copyright.PENANAcTAsSS1h6e
Sever: “…You don’t need to know.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAxmOmzU1zdt
293Please respect copyright.PENANA4tr8KE1b5z
Nell: “…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAB3Otw24IKX
No…293Please respect copyright.PENANAbNa2waLMuk
293Please respect copyright.PENANAPxrsIY7ccK
Sever: “Be sure to go to school tomorrow Alyson. We need everything to move as usual. Low suspicion and all that.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA2Jtm4kAH52
293Please respect copyright.PENANA4N1t64hA9R
I-I’m too scared to move. I couldn’t do anything as Sever dragged Nao out of my life. With a slam of the door, everything starts to settle.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAR6A7oKrQfH
293Please respect copyright.PENANA3n5Mljx03u
A day that was supposed to heal us is instead one where we’re damaged beyond repair. And it’s not even over yet.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZmucSS7D8A
293Please respect copyright.PENANAucB3CodGc9
Alyson: “N-Nell, I need to know what you meant by Nao being a mage.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAnbzdfg4MGg
293Please respect copyright.PENANACiZa7KLUB3
She’s still holding me in her arms and shaking trying to hold back a flood of tears.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAOQvU67hATl
293Please respect copyright.PENANAklVflYDb3C
Nell: “Alyson…I’ll try to explain. But I don’t know what good it will do….Nao is gone.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAVkV1NGrGIu
293Please respect copyright.PENANA7a6xo7xCeb
Alyson: “Not yet, maybe I-”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA2zXN5nLta0
293Please respect copyright.PENANAmnKoiI8T9G
Nell: “No!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAuZtMEkXNBp
293Please respect copyright.PENANADB2jKwYhKd
Alyson: “!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhhMzYCt37B
293Please respect copyright.PENANAU9o1sqz8b5
Nell: “I’m already on verge of breaking…don’t make me lose you too…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANArx8umrUIxK
293Please respect copyright.PENANAMZNkwtEaFL
Alyson: “So you telling me to leave Nao to those…monsters?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANApWvEJs2xm8
293Please respect copyright.PENANAltw2LN2xGC
Nell: “…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA3n7nhCTm52
293Please respect copyright.PENANAdv5alwgAVq
Alyson: “…Let’s drop it for now. Please, just tell me everything.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAU6dxcasVOL
293Please respect copyright.PENANA69b0bW0yE6
For the next 10 minutes, the lights grew dim and the air thickened. What Nell told me seemed so ridiculous but…it’s all true. Nao killed Anton and he can use magic.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAL2X5QsHI8O
293Please respect copyright.PENANAwnj4bDpdX9
So many things go through my mind. What this means for his success. How does this effects his ability to succeed? But that is not important because I realize just how much I messed up.
293Please respect copyright.PENANARTWm5Jufri
293Please respect copyright.PENANAlQth5Gn7tS
I’m the one that sent Anton to Nao…
293Please respect copyright.PENANAuuqeFTNr0Q
293Please respect copyright.PENANAXyYduKbIq7
Alyson: “Nell…I have a confession to make.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAOKQQT9JriV
293Please respect copyright.PENANANLBk2Rap5D
Nell: “No…not you too.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANADahdzjBUCy
293Please respect copyright.PENANAkaXDxXjjQw
I told mom about my actions at school and my queen status. I hate to see the warmth in her eyes fade away. But I…need to tell her the truth. I ran away from telling her how I behave for too long.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAvRlADp2jGQ
293Please respect copyright.PENANAHWUUMmt7EQ
Alyson: “I-I’m so…so sorry.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA8AcxVEDD86
293Please respect copyright.PENANAiEwdSSD0XN
Tears flood my eyes. Everything hits me and I collapse into her arms. Cold but accepting. I plead for forgiveness in her arms and she answers by stroking my hair.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA9lKGlZcEUj
293Please respect copyright.PENANApfCeJcsTaZ
Nell: “W-We’ve all made mistakes. If only I wasn’t blind to it. No…I lost my only son.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAYE2a5yE6mu
293Please respect copyright.PENANAoGbGMoPIvt
And she’s left with me. A daughter she shouldn’t have adopted in the first place. If only, I didn’t take Lilly’s place…no…stole her place.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA3tjM3efGPt
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhiSjuQ5Zwd
Alyson: “What…do we do now?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAwCpJFepdox
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWhdrIhCULd
Nell: “I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, we will make up for this for the rest of our lives.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA5WhR6GJGSh
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWtmckey0xo
Yes…it’s only fair. We stayed in each other embrace for several minutes before dragging ourselves to bed. I couldn’t get much sleep at night. I tossed and turned, thinking about what might be happening to Nao.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZfhu5Zoad7
293Please respect copyright.PENANAS3yqNEp0F7
But more than that, voices from my past haunt my thoughts. Whispering perspectives that only deepen my guilt.
293Please respect copyright.PENANABftXUbCRA6
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZlZ2AypsW5
And what about Nao’s friends? How will they take the news, especially coming from me? Is becoming queen and achieving success worth it if my family won’t be there.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAe44F48Q6Rz
293Please respect copyright.PENANAkUylRKnVq8
In the morning, we go about our morning routine without Nao. We try our best to keep appearances just in case we’re still being watched. But a tear here, a wounded glance there. We couldn’t keep it all inside.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAst5AiNTR5s
293Please respect copyright.PENANASydNndg55s
I drag my body to school and feign ignorance as best as I can. Going through the motions as if nothing happen. That’s until the sky started to turn purple…
293Please respect copyright.PENANAcA8qXC03oF
[Switch Perspective: Anthony]293Please respect copyright.PENANAYmChciUt60
293Please respect copyright.PENANAF85I8QCTBg
Mat: “Are you okay?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAz6QJzR3IBa
293Please respect copyright.PENANAq7aDkybKoi
Anthony: “Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a bit worried that we’ll get bullied because of yesterday.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAP0fY38cSQe
293Please respect copyright.PENANALBtvBeFqxb
Velo: “Don’t worry, Nao scared them away. As he said, we won.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA6nZB2Ng5zo
293Please respect copyright.PENANAJMyH3sejdr
Mat: “Besides, it’s the beginning of the day who wou-”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAqfbNlzce78
293Please respect copyright.PENANANOPLf0IbIB
“Yeah guys, we want to show you something.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAPzwzX4XaIB
293Please respect copyright.PENANAuEZAZMsKnd
Their faces darken at the realization of what’s about to happen. But me…I crack a smile.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA8A2EjL3UAj
293Please respect copyright.PENANAJ30mhMeud4
The inevitable happens as they lead us to a secluded area. Nao can’t protect us and he wouldn’t even if he could. He will leave me like so many others when they ascend to become stars.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAu0pnZR4FAr
293Please respect copyright.PENANA2pjm2tLpME
I ignore the screams of pain and the bully’s incoherent ramblings. I ball up a fist and grin. I won the bet. No one changes and nothing will get better. Not until I make it.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAORRFN6sh1X
293Please respect copyright.PENANAa8IcwtCjCk
“So let it be written. My new owner and husband.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAR0AgkzNfSu
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhtfUeqo9ip
A gold ring emblazoned with ancient words and engraved with a purple gem appears on my ring finger. Everything goes quiet and my environment disappears.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhUee5qIMdM
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWAQvwOCgLv
I push myself off as new clothes adorn my body. Something I instinctively know to be a groom’s attire. But it’s vastly different, more like a cross between mage robes and kingly armor.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZizyN4E49A
293Please respect copyright.PENANAEZUlMm4iUF
The world returns tomorrow and beneath me are my friends. In front of me are the bullies. Once filled with wrath and assurance that they would get away with this, now look at them. Fear and confusion contort their faces beautifully.
293Please respect copyright.PENANABfRlZVJ74P
293Please respect copyright.PENANAkkvQI32fBy
Thinking that aiming for the body will hide our scars from Nao. Thinking that we were so scared that we wouldn’t tell our friend what happened.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAVitDtJrXOM
293Please respect copyright.PENANA93t2bz4oXG
Well, no more. That time is over. As I look into their eyes filled with fear, I wonder if this is what Nao felt.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAb8iBaGucXn
293Please respect copyright.PENANAvBsvghczlT
But unlike Nao, I won’t waste time. With a wave of my hand, they disappear in a burst of smoke. Turned to ash by the storm summoned by my new ally.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA6y3SYuOKgP
293Please respect copyright.PENANAzTlSzHioHS
“Come my husband, let us once again burn another world. Another blood bath for our promised wedding day.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAPKqtOU60Ny
293Please respect copyright.PENANABEG1oin11M
I’ll be what you want me to be. As long as I can have my vengeance.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAoKcmWVNXCP
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWjLmYVXiaV
Mat: “A-Anthony…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAOfEjIdKHYM
293Please respect copyright.PENANAsB3aDUlovg
Oh, I almost forgot. My friends lay beaten and broken behind me.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAr6m1mYRX8O
293Please respect copyright.PENANAABIUvIafP1
“Ignore them love. I’ll keep the end of my deal. We’ll spare them but no one else may live.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAgEJVZCDeuB
293Please respect copyright.PENANAcAOIVIYjKo
Anthony: “Don’t be scared guys. I’ll do what Nao couldn’t. By the end of the day, no one will do this to us ever again.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAw4geNLB4Ip
293Please respect copyright.PENANAXt4c4LxAmA
I ignore their pleas for answers and walk to the front of the school. I stare up at our new purple sky, crackling with lightning.
The bullies…
The bystanders…
The incompetent teachers…
The king….
The queen….
293Please respect copyright.PENANATuxgDZije0
Anthony: “Let none survive.”293Please respect copyright.PENANADRgb7UXScS
293Please respect copyright.PENANA9RwyyjcipF
[Switch Perspective: Alyson]
293Please respect copyright.PENANATS5gtd0tLh
Thunder and lightning rage outside. What was just a normal day turns into a dark hellscape in the sky. Even the teachers stop what they’re doing to stare into the void.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAd1Mij7IBXY
293Please respect copyright.PENANAlebxOqmEPX
Mumbling and questions start leaking around the class. But given what I know, I’m pretty sure that it has something to do with magic.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAUfMfXZOJ2R
293Please respect copyright.PENANAiVouKyMW9x
But it’s not Nao…he wouldn’t do this. Based on what Nell said, he feels horrible for what he did. This…that in the sky…is way worse.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtiZfXECkc2
293Please respect copyright.PENANACanyxS9R7d
“Okay everyone, calm down. It must be-”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAY5sMMb0MxB
*SCREAM*293Please respect copyright.PENANATR8kh5uSCp
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtowdCsZrsU
Outside we can hear blood-chilling screams and thunder. But what drove us to madness was the smell of ashes.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAjiWQUN9EUW
293Please respect copyright.PENANA1qxZwR1wyx
“Everyone stay here and hide under your desks. I’ll go and see what’s happening.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAi2bgArheKB
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The teacher leaves the room and disappears into the darkness of the hallway. The noises didn’t stop and the smell only got worse.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA7iqSpY7M16
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I’m…scared stiff. Am I…going to die?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAcxJCEuoW3G
293Please respect copyright.PENANAmfvMRwdHop
???: “Alyson!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAfb8MTltcWG
293Please respect copyright.PENANASFmFTCRL3T
A voice wakes me up from my dark thoughts. I watch the door fly open and a girl rush inside.
293Please respect copyright.PENANALhWn4lGbRN
293Please respect copyright.PENANAz0O9xUMHGz
Deanna: “Alyson hide!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhdRlewudgA
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She runs to me and grabs a hold of my shoulder.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWE7N9VYAmO
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Alyson: “Deanna? What’s happening?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAVPHfMC3u9A
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Deanna: “No time to explain but I’m sure you and Trevor are Anthony’s main targets.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAnUC4Sfcj3U
293Please respect copyright.PENANAa2Z5Db8jDx
Anthony? H-He’s the one doing all of this?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAvRHwzwIArh
293Please respect copyright.PENANAwDDoC5UM9E
Anthony: “You’re not wrong.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAPhmpDz2DIb
!!293Please respect copyright.PENANAuKbssPLjbN
293Please respect copyright.PENANAG6HvXvWxWe
His voice sends instant chills down my spine. But what makes it worse is that…it’s silent. The smell is still stronger than ever but the screams…they’re gone.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA1iy9Nnyocw
293Please respect copyright.PENANAg7PFivuPwZ
Are we the last ones?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAGoYKegnQrl
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtHhBcZTk3v
Anthony: “I don’t even need Nao’s mind reading to tell what you’re thinking. I’m sure there are more hiding but I want to kill you first.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAUYzRPR8FtN
293Please respect copyright.PENANA4RQ3SQqoPE
Deanna: “W-Why are you doing this?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAjN3xi1jkxY
293Please respect copyright.PENANAOWKWVUZ5hr
Purple lightning strikes right in front of Deanna’s eyes.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAm4fDwh5uSh
293Please respect copyright.PENANAcIwAgVaR8G
Deanna: “AHHH!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAQjaI1THvdR
293Please respect copyright.PENANA0iwbQ68W4e
Anthony: “You have a lot of nerve to ask that question. Be quiet and wait your turn. I’ll be sure to take my time with you. You deserve at least that much for your past crimes. Being blind is a good start.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAyqhUP1cfWY
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZga1bGsMXZ
Deanna is holding her eyes and screaming her heart out. Tears begin to leak out from her hands as everyone else starts to cry out. The cacophony of madness is deafening but despite it all, I can still hear Anthony’s next words.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAVD9HWZybcr
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtyC5muyxeX
Anthony: “As for Alyson. You may be Nao’s sister, but you’re still a part of the problem. He’ll forgive me eventually.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANARtoGrBYsO2
293Please respect copyright.PENANAgpVRLbZ984
Alyson: “If you still care about Nao then save him!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANADhkP72NyrD
293Please respect copyright.PENANAWvE3FpAOfC
Anthony: “Save him? What do you mean?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAzpDhDdWD68
293Please respect copyright.PENANALCUNPi8Ful
Alyson: “Sever and his men took him last night. They were searching for that magic book.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANABYPpixCNJv
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhhlOGS0X1I
Anthony: “!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA21H07czQCL
293Please respect copyright.PENANAb2Kj84dK2L
Anthony: “…No, you’re just lying to get out of this. There’s no way Nao would let that happen. Even if it did happen, I’ll be sure to save him after you’re dead.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAD1bGJw6qgH
293Please respect copyright.PENANAKrD2mb5mDB
He gathers a ball of lightning and prepares to throw it. This is it huh…all of it was for nothing? Everything I did for my success? Everything I did to Nao? It doesn’t mean anything in the end.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7FT6Im6pl
293Please respect copyright.PENANAvkjJanw44j
I can’t even shed a tear or scream. The insanity of what’s going on is overloading my mind beyond the point of crashing. I’m….long past that.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA7Cpm2Mjd21
293Please respect copyright.PENANAe8xOTq2Hvb
Deanna: “Alyson…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANApFMeE5IcRA
?293Please respect copyright.PENANAdqalKRzWqz
293Please respect copyright.PENANABORzn7RrAI
Deanna touches around until she finds me. She then covers my head and cradles me in her arms. Is she…shielding me? Why go so far?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAq8ziEDK5ZS
293Please respect copyright.PENANAhI7gA1GmOe
Anthony: “Tch, don’t pretend bitch. You haven’t changed.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAtoePZ2ZMXU
293Please respect copyright.PENANA5xKA3pdGKH
Deanna: “…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAuwepyCr9gB
293Please respect copyright.PENANAHzrepYDJyV
Alyson: “W-Why?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANABidmdTKDt7
293Please respect copyright.PENANAPXojtOJfPA
Deanna: “Because you inspired me to be better, this is the least I can do.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAwlvxuuwhLT
293Please respect copyright.PENANA0QffuEqQKn
Alyson: “Deanna…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA4U0YW3JSX9
293Please respect copyright.PENANAVN0jSP6XYv
Anthony: *Sigh*
293Please respect copyright.PENANAiL4rpY6AA4
293Please respect copyright.PENANAsAmJnSUjuH
Anthony: “Fine, I’ll roast you both.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAEt86tMIixW
293Please respect copyright.PENANAFJs0dTZlkn
???: “Wow, and I thought the bullies here were evil.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAW5nYcbe8Kq
!!!293Please respect copyright.PENANAcRM1r9I268
293Please respect copyright.PENANANZJh4nPYPU
Everyone turns to the one who dared to sound so relaxed in this situation. I felt relief for the first time today and it came from such an unlikely place.
293Please respect copyright.PENANA0pJYfp9AmY
293Please respect copyright.PENANASO72nFau1y
Anthony: “King…”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAMB2JN6u5mQ
293Please respect copyright.PENANA14x9QglP09
Trevor: “I was right, you would be a good warm-up. Maybe even the main attraction.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAvU4wTqeC3L
293Please respect copyright.PENANA0Ci22I7Zof
Anthony: “How can you…be calm right now?”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAgQCtlS9dRz
293Please respect copyright.PENANASuDh6U6wOG
Trevor: “I’m not calm…I’m excited. Who would have thought magic existed, this is the fight I was looking for!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANA9RbPtkT183
293Please respect copyright.PENANAdQN4dgr2UK
Anthony: “…Begone.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAJwxiyDCW0K
293Please respect copyright.PENANAepdHf1bRcG
Instantly, a large pillar of electrifying destruction erupts from where Trevor stood. Everyone looks away from the blinding light but there’s something strange…why are there no screams.
293Please respect copyright.PENANAujaX9X9F8c
293Please respect copyright.PENANA6HJu0O7Ixq
When the smoke and lightning clear, Trevor appears unscathed.
293Please respect copyright.PENANACG8gplcWES
293Please respect copyright.PENANAedgHjRmbBV
Trevor: “I hope that’s not all you got.”
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293Please respect copyright.PENANAzymJ3KzcPn
Anthony: “!!”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAzX5N4NLX2K
293Please respect copyright.PENANAa8wYt7m14v
Anthony: “…I see. Well, that’s not fair. But, she doesn’t mind the challenge.”
293Please respect copyright.PENANAAl9oUy4RM7
293Please respect copyright.PENANA1zRkkK5sKf
She?
293Please respect copyright.PENANAaye3EC64Xy
293Please respect copyright.PENANA4lPxyANzbS
Trevor: “Still got more? Then bring it on!”
ns3.22.194.5da2