WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)

"Oh my God, Nico!" I scream, rushing towards the entrance of the treehouse, joining Axel by the edge. My heart feels like it's pounding out of my chest.

"Em, it was an accident! I didn't mean to! I was trying to help him!" Axel stammers, his face contorted with panic and fear evident in his voice.

"I know, I saw!" I reply, my entire body trembling. Descending the ladder, I pray that Nico is somehow still alive, with Axel following closely behind.

As we reach the ground, I witness Nico's body contorted in unnatural angles. His neck appears broken, and his wide-eyed gaze reflects sheer terror, refusing to close. Instantly, I begin to hyperventilate, pressing myself against the tree and clutching my chest. "Oh my god."

"He's dead. Fuck. I didn't mean to kill him! I just couldn't stand how he was talking to you up there!" Axel panics, struggling to catch his breath.

"What do we do? The Sisters will strip us of our powers and banish us," I sob, tears streaming down my cheeks. "And Nico, he has a family. He has parents and siblings!"

"I know, damn it, I know," Axel says, running his hand through his brown hair, tears streaming down his face as well. "We have to come up with a plan. We can't just let this be."

"He's dead, Axel! What can we possibly do?" I ask, still hyperventilating. "There's no spell to bring someone back from the dead! I can't believe this is happening."

Axel paces back and forth in a state of panic, taking swigs from his flask and lighting a cigarettewith shakey hands. He hands me the flask, and without hesitation, I gulp down as much of the cheap rum as possible. I also take a few drags of the cigarette, rarely indulging in smoking, but it seems fitting at this moment. What the fuck are we going to do? Oh my god, poor Nico...

Axel extinguishes the cigarette, gripping my shoulders tightly with both hands, his face still etched with fear, guilt, and panic as he looks me straight in the eye. "Go back to the dorms now. Don't get caught. You were in bed all night. Juniper will cover for you if she needs to. I'll take care of his body."

His body... Those words reply over and over again in my mind, haunting me with their gruesome reality. I can't seem to escape it. Axel keeps his grip tight on my shoulders and I start to see visions of him as a kid, about eight or nine being beaten by some man, his mother's boyfriend if I had to guess.

"Ember, are you even listening to me? You need to go back to the dorms, now! I'll come find you in the morning. Go!" Axel's voice grows louder, jolting me out of my vision. I nod in response, stealing one last glance at Nico's motionless form before turning away and sprinting towards the mountain, running through the secret tunnels that lead back to the school.

As I finally reach the safety of my room, I hurriedly strip off my clothes, replacing them with an oversized t-shirt. Collapsing onto my bed, I bury my face in the pillow, muffling my sobs as tears stream down my face. Sable lays next to me, not saying anything, just comforting me with his presence. Exhaustion eventually takes over, and I drift into an uneasy slumber, still tormented by the events that unfolded tonight.

I wake up the next morning to the blaring sound of my alarm and groggily hit the snooze button, dreading the start of a new day. Juniper is already awake and dressed, engrossed in something playing on her portable DVD player.

"Hey, what time did you get in last night?" She asks, pausing her device.

"Late," I reply, keeping my response vague as the memories of last night come flooding back.

"So, how was it? Did you...you know?" She asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Um, no. He never showed up," I lie, feeling a tinge of guilt for painting him as the bad guy. But I can't bring myself to share what really happened with anyone, not even Juniper. I can't believe he died… It was an accident.

"Wait really? What an asshole." She says, her eyes going wide with shock.

"Yeah, it's no big deal." I shrug casually, trying not to think about what happened. “I'm not super into him anyway.”

Just as we finish our conversation, there's a knock at our door, causing me to jump in panic. Juniper gives me a confused look before opening the door, revealing Axel standing there, swaying from side to side. It's evident that he hasn't been to bed yet, and the scent of rum hangs heavy in the air.

"Jesus, stay up late partying much?" Juniper teases, unaware of the turmoil in his heart.

"Something like that," Axel responds flatly, his words more than slightly slurred. His gaze meets mine, and I can see the exhaustion and concern in his brown eyes. "Can we talk? Privately?"

"Yeah, sure," I say, glancing at Juniper, silently asking for her understanding.

"Okay, I can take a hint when it's given," she says, grabbing her backpack. "I was just about to go study with Ethan and Andrew anyways. Don't be late for class."

I nod at her, grateful for her understanding, and watch her leave the room. Axel enters and closes the door, locking it behind him.

"What happened? What did you do with his...body?" I whisper in a panic, rushing over to Axel and helping him walk to my bed, where he sits down and I sit next to him. It's a mystery how he managed to make it up the stairs and to my dorm in his current state.

"I think it's better you don't know. I just came to make sure you're okay," Axel says, his swaying continuing even as he sits on my bed. "I'm so sorry, I should have never followed you last night."

"Why did you follow me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"When I heard you were going to the fuckhouse, I knew you weren't ready to have sex with him. And I heard Nico bragging to some guys in the dorm about how he's going to take your virginity. I got worried and wanted to make sure he wasn't going to pressure you," he admits, his words still slurred and hard to understand.

"That's actually really sweet... Thank you," I say, gently squeezing his arm. "I know you didn't start the fight and that you tried to catch him before he fell. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault."

"Then why do I feel so fucking guilty? How am I going to live like this?" Axel sobs, turning over and burying his face in my shoulder. I hold him tightly, offering comfort and support until he eventually falls asleep in my arms.