WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)

(Axel-Right, Ember-Left)

"It's time. Let's go. Follow me," Mr. Grimshaw says, his urgency evident. Axel takes my hand and we trail behind Mr. Grimshaw as he leads us out of the tunnels and into the staff dorms. With stealth, he sneaks us into his room and swiftly locks the door behind us.

"What about Silas and Magnus? They have a plan to manipulate the witches and turn them against the humans," I voice my concern, trying to keep calm as Axel's grip on my hand tightens.

"Don't worry, The Sisters have taken precautions. Both of you, drink this. It will shield you from their mind control. But if they attempt to manipulate you, play along. We need to catch them off guard. Most of the students and staff are aware and we have established protocols for situations like this," Mr. Grimshaw explains, handing Axel a leather canteen.

Axel takes a sip and his face contorts in disgust as he passes it to me. "This taste like ass."

I take a small gulp, fighting the urge to gag. He's not wrong. It tastes like what I imagine a butthole would taste like. I quickly hand it back to Mr. Grimshaw, hoping I hope I never have to endure that taste again and the nausea in my stomach starts building back up.

"What do you mean by protocols for situations like this?" I inquire, my curiosity overpowering the horrible taste and nausea.

"This isn't the first time someone from another realm has attempted to seize control of our world. It happened about a hundred and fifty years ago, and they nearly succeeded. Now, we are more prepared," Mr. Grimshaw reveals.

"I'm so sorry for all of this," I offer my sincere apology.

"It's not your fault, Ember. Silas will soon realize you're missing. Can you distract him and play on his emotions while The Sisters and I handle the uncle? He appears to be the greater threat. Don't worry, we will have other teachers nearby to protect you," he assures me.

"I can do that. When?" I ask, determination in my voice.

"Right now. He's in the library," Mr. Grimshaw declares.

"I'm coming with you," Axel declares, his protective instincts kicking in.

"No!" I immediately interject, my voice filled with urgency. "He wants you dead. Really bad. I can't risk it."

"Fine, but I'm at least going to astral project there so I can keep an eye on things if anything goes wrong," Axel insists stubbornly.

"Okay, fine," I relent stubbornly as I unlock the door and hasten towards the library, where I find Silas standing next to the fireplace.

"Can we talk?" I approach him gently, catching him off guard as he turns around in surprise.

"How did you get out?" He asks cautiously.

"You underestimate me, Silas," I playfully tease, trying to lighten the mood and hope he doesn't sense how nervous I really am.

"Have you changed your mind?" He questions, his gaze intense and searching.

"I have. I've thought it through, and I don't want to live without you. So when you go back, I'll go with you. Just promise me you won't harm Axel or any more of my friends," I plead, hoping my words sound convincing.

He ponders my request for a few moments before finally responding. "Fine. But don't try anything foolish, or I'll kill all your friends, starting with Axel."

"I won't. You can trust me. But can I trust you?" I raise an eyebrow, challenging him. "You lied to me about who you are. You lied about everything.”

"I've lied about a lot," he confesses. "I kidnapped my own brother, killed my own mother, and attempted to kill my father to seize the throne. I was on the brink of execution when I arrived in your realm. And while I'm being truthful, the first time we made love, I didn't tell you I loved you. I cast a spell to connect our souls so I could possess you. Do you still want to be with me now?"

I swallow hard, overwhelmed by the weight of his revelations. He's even more twisted than I had imagined. I steady my breathing before responding. "I believe I can change you. I can make you good. I know it."

"I want to be good for you," he admits. "I've never experienced genuine emotions until I met you. We will build a better life together in Hellspire and raise a family. Sons and daughters, Mo Chridhe."

"I trust you," I assure him, hoping he doesn't detect the falsehood in my words. It seems he doesn't, as he pulls me into a fierce and passionate kiss, which I reciprocate with as much sincerity as I can muster. In that kiss, I pour all my pain and heartache, hoping to reach some part of the person he could become. The person I thought he was for months.

"We won't be staying here for long," he murmurs as he pulls away. "At most, a week."

"You won't be staying here at all," Mr. Grimshaw declares, entering the room accompanied by The Sisters, Ethan, Andrew, Juniper, and even Miss Reed. He carries Magnus's lifeless body and callously throws it onto the library floor. "Your uncle is dead, Silas. It's all over. You cannot win this."

"What a shame. I genuinely liked him," Silas remarks, causing me to take a cautious step back toward the group of friends and teachers.

"You deceived me," Silas accuses, his eyes narrowed in my direction. "I explicitly warned you about the consequences of playing with me." He extends a hand, and suddenly, I find myself immobilized, unable to move. Glancing at the faces around me, it becomes evident that nobody else can move either.

He extends his other hand towards Andrew, who begins gasping for air, struggling to breathe. Gradually, he collapses to his knees, his face contorting into a terrifying shade of blue. In a sudden, chilling moment, it appears as though his soul has been violently ripped from his body, and with a resounding thud, he collapses to the ground as his magical life force seems to flow into Silas.

"No!" Ethan cries out, his movements still restricted, but tears streaming down his face as he gazes upon Andrew's lifeless form. “No! Let me go! Andrew!”

"Soon, you will join him," Silas utters, his hand now reaching towards Ethan.

"No! Leave him be! Silas, please! Spare him!" I scream, my pleas falling on deaf ears as he disregards my pleas. “Please, for me!”

Out of nowhere, Axel lunges at Silas, tackling him to the ground. However, their struggle does nothing to break the spell that keeps us all paralyzed. Helpless, we can only watch as Silas and Axel exchange brutal punches and kicks.

Silas delivers a powerful kick to Axel's head, causing him to stumble backward and crash to the floor. Horror grips me as I witness Silas produce a familiar object, which rapidly transforms into a sword. With a swift motion, he plunges the blade into Axel's lower stomach.

"No!" I scream, my voice filled with desperation. "Stop! I'll go with you! Let's leave right now! It's me you truly want. Just spare everyone else." Tears stream down my face as I plead with him. “Please Silas, I can't take this anymore.”

Silas pauses for a moment, considering my offer, while I can hear Axel groaning and struggling to breathe. Time is running out for him without immediate medical attention.

"Fine, but we leave immediately. And if anyone dares to interfere, I won't hesitate to kill them all," Silas declares. The spell that had held us captive suddenly dissipates, and I cautiously approach Silas as he pulls me close against his chest with one arm, the other hand gripping a small vial. "Soon, we will be together, in our kingdom."

With closed eyes, I remind myself that sacrificing myself is the only means to save everyone. Opening my eyes, I see Silas uncorking the vial and raising it to his lips. Just as he begins to drink, a forceful impact strikes me, and I find myself on the floor beside a bleeding and dying Axel.

Confusion fills me as I look up to discover Juniper now standing in my place within Silas's grasp. A puzzled expression crosses Silas's face, but Juniper smiles at me before they both vanish from this universe, leaving behind an empty void.