Nell: “It will be okay….it will be okay.”419Please respect copyright.PENANAvgElZFER7v
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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?
419Please respect copyright.PENANASeJf4GSlo8
419Please respect copyright.PENANADpu0qj8odd
Sever: “We got it, move out.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAHysv10hFfO
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Alyson: “Na-”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAGP1pPJZogI
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I try to get up but the rifles move to freeze me in place.
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Nell: “What are you going to do to my son?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA30z7uCeEdx
419Please respect copyright.PENANASsQ4b2BLOC
Sever: “…You don’t need to know.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAbwkfPWKyY9
419Please respect copyright.PENANAH85z1u8zbH
Nell: “…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAhuCbaYCdnP
No…419Please respect copyright.PENANAGP78d4r3J1
419Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7y2ObXoeP
Sever: “Be sure to go to school tomorrow Alyson. We need everything to move as usual. Low suspicion and all that.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAxGeI4ubVhA
419Please respect copyright.PENANAaQQI8EQJIL
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAE5jNzOOp4O
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A day that was supposed to heal us is instead one where we’re damaged beyond repair. And it’s not even over yet.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAoXMBhYuDjx
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Alyson: “N-Nell, I need to know what you meant by Nao being a mage.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA2vnD526PC1
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She’s still holding me in her arms and shaking trying to hold back a flood of tears.
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Nell: “Alyson…I’ll try to explain. But I don’t know what good it will do….Nao is gone.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAbQkgGzSshI
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Alyson: “Not yet, maybe I-”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAmImHr72Iwq
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Nell: “No!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAN2V9aJFmOg
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Alyson: “!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAYQazbAHbKE
419Please respect copyright.PENANAAStlLe1U3x
Nell: “I’m already on verge of breaking…don’t make me lose you too…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAAiQuKLil86
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Alyson: “So you telling me to leave Nao to those…monsters?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANALXCbgMSVIM
419Please respect copyright.PENANAdBRhpnZUou
Nell: “…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANARD4VNn6cJP
419Please respect copyright.PENANAT6TIJbXor7
Alyson: “…Let’s drop it for now. Please, just tell me everything.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAxTiqRDWjME
419Please respect copyright.PENANAKpq0rLUfAH
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAs4jzGbkuli
419Please respect copyright.PENANAL1h1WqCZId
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAUSEAcTpdpm
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I’m the one that sent Anton to Nao…
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwHigMi4uVk
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Alyson: “Nell…I have a confession to make.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAkwmyRTovAk
419Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ttir4fZ6H
Nell: “No…not you too.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAEMKufn3Q7W
419Please respect copyright.PENANAJditxyIWOD
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAT3OIWU4bwz
419Please respect copyright.PENANAWc5DKqAFhW
Alyson: “I-I’m so…so sorry.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAyqeBp5vydV
419Please respect copyright.PENANANYAXdH4Uyw
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAAZMjRxFeGn
419Please respect copyright.PENANAK5D6HMvVoT
Nell: “W-We’ve all made mistakes. If only I wasn’t blind to it. No…I lost my only son.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAmr4VFS9x8t
419Please respect copyright.PENANA9rbbvwz0hj
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAFfd8mAwcid
419Please respect copyright.PENANAPoobmkpKkZ
Alyson: “What…do we do now?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAuvSxkmxc0U
419Please respect copyright.PENANAinh5ulRVLm
Nell: “I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, we will make up for this for the rest of our lives.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANABatzVr7DTR
419Please respect copyright.PENANA15Ev8lpott
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANA7vYDn4TPaN
419Please respect copyright.PENANAaF3QF0wFWI
But more than that, voices from my past haunt my thoughts. Whispering perspectives that only deepen my guilt.
419Please respect copyright.PENANANqE9akQ4im
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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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANA1JgE94IXKe
419Please respect copyright.PENANAbBbQyAiFVB
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAkH6ekyVArf
419Please respect copyright.PENANArY0LdehiTz
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…
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[Switch Perspective: Anthony]419Please respect copyright.PENANA5ErfDUf4KM
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Mat: “Are you okay?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAy1uEHrdvgt
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Anthony: “Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a bit worried that we’ll get bullied because of yesterday.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAjKadBFjUrp
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Velo: “Don’t worry, Nao scared them away. As he said, we won.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAuZfjESF6eh
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Mat: “Besides, it’s the beginning of the day who wou-”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwdsvUm35Kd
419Please respect copyright.PENANAE7zUwMOwoK
“Yeah guys, we want to show you something.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA8gy3FCh20i
419Please respect copyright.PENANALAFoe20XuN
Their faces darken at the realization of what’s about to happen. But me…I crack a smile.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAWQUYVb9Xrp
419Please respect copyright.PENANAfvJGnqxoL2
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANACy0csIUtJO
419Please respect copyright.PENANAt1TfLee1D0
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAfQnuCeMvAc
419Please respect copyright.PENANACcMhBbybab
“So let it be written. My new owner and husband.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAy2cYZfvAz9
419Please respect copyright.PENANAqfZIwwgM3q
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANANeVvcJE0wM
419Please respect copyright.PENANACwlsMH3xqE
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAnaOWGBN6J6
419Please respect copyright.PENANACvDipgdIx8
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAMAnjzo8nyK
419Please respect copyright.PENANAq4LBlJph4N
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANApGUjKWOi7t
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Well, no more. That time is over. As I look into their eyes filled with fear, I wonder if this is what Nao felt.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAf3sNdmD07V
419Please respect copyright.PENANAud5b4Ijkyo
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAAOPcNnyV7o
419Please respect copyright.PENANAgIMCq59T3I
“Come my husband, let us once again burn another world. Another blood bath for our promised wedding day.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAEWwR0hHvzF
419Please respect copyright.PENANA0TXVuUknge
I’ll be what you want me to be. As long as I can have my vengeance.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAIcHsE0errz
419Please respect copyright.PENANA2tigghj24A
Mat: “A-Anthony…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAKL4vkMYkw1
419Please respect copyright.PENANAR0PheB7nPb
Oh, I almost forgot. My friends lay beaten and broken behind me.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwDCS5t5yJ7
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“Ignore them love. I’ll keep the end of my deal. We’ll spare them but no one else may live.”
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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.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAzrQAeuwCJp
419Please respect copyright.PENANA5mgrPI1VLz
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….
419Please respect copyright.PENANAniGhpuLn1Q
Anthony: “Let none survive.”419Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9QEOTkv1W
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwX5016wXJk
[Switch Perspective: Alyson]
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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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAU2U1P9gvOd
419Please respect copyright.PENANAE3gDnf2WLs
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANA0WIp10FEBx
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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.
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419Please respect copyright.PENANA45xhE6kQEo
“Okay everyone, calm down. It must be-”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA2Mm8Uzo28C
*SCREAM*419Please respect copyright.PENANAulaGGaFqFd
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Outside we can hear blood-chilling screams and thunder. But what drove us to madness was the smell of ashes.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAf2IXEArKEj
419Please respect copyright.PENANAZOEEoRGSpS
“Everyone stay here and hide under your desks. I’ll go and see what’s happening.”
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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.
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I’m…scared stiff. Am I…going to die?
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???: “Alyson!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAiEnI6Nr3d2
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A voice wakes me up from my dark thoughts. I watch the door fly open and a girl rush inside.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwqwLrR1kQQ
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Deanna: “Alyson hide!”
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She runs to me and grabs a hold of my shoulder.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAGzFU9W6pci
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Alyson: “Deanna? What’s happening?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAiSlwu61a70
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Deanna: “No time to explain but I’m sure you and Trevor are Anthony’s main targets.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5lEl2pHC4
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Anthony? H-He’s the one doing all of this?
419Please respect copyright.PENANAIUshqXu1YQ
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Anthony: “You’re not wrong.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANANs0nRqRRqT
!!419Please respect copyright.PENANAvRpoYCMrER
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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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAqQZnEE7OCr
419Please respect copyright.PENANAkEC2XyJAKO
Are we the last ones?
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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.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA7W7JsF8O96
419Please respect copyright.PENANASssPN39wOV
Deanna: “W-Why are you doing this?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANASUKl9tOArr
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Purple lightning strikes right in front of Deanna’s eyes.
419Please respect copyright.PENANA5FT3ps9Yaf
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Deanna: “AHHH!”
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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.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANADB7T2uI4N2
419Please respect copyright.PENANA44zFuYJRS5
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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAtNfMfFjlKt
419Please respect copyright.PENANAgsz2RW2Tn3
Anthony: “As for Alyson. You may be Nao’s sister, but you’re still a part of the problem. He’ll forgive me eventually.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANA7U0bebB0Xm
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Alyson: “If you still care about Nao then save him!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAeQWh0bOSIL
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Anthony: “Save him? What do you mean?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAE6N4W5O0xW
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Alyson: “Sever and his men took him last night. They were searching for that magic book.”
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Anthony: “!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAAi5xLQZzF6
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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.”
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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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAMb6ibNq2XI
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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.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAKtNdHpfIzb
419Please respect copyright.PENANAbyNh0Df2yl
Deanna: “Alyson…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAgsUC84brUm
?419Please respect copyright.PENANADUAtnSpzsG
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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?
419Please respect copyright.PENANAo9u1Egk96e
419Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZbvLMldD3
Anthony: “Tch, don’t pretend bitch. You haven’t changed.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAiB6Godix0c
419Please respect copyright.PENANANLRrU1wiBQ
Deanna: “…”
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Alyson: “W-Why?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAESMo71dDm6
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Deanna: “Because you inspired me to be better, this is the least I can do.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAoqnvfLB4nH
419Please respect copyright.PENANAaFDvYG9yvK
Alyson: “Deanna…”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAkjFzlRYBld
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Anthony: *Sigh*
419Please respect copyright.PENANALQRYUaNQNp
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Anthony: “Fine, I’ll roast you both.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAMW5ivQbuaJ
419Please respect copyright.PENANArcXAiAFM8D
???: “Wow, and I thought the bullies here were evil.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAWuJpMkZ8XQ
!!!419Please respect copyright.PENANAEE1x9sb8Hv
419Please respect copyright.PENANA4JCcvYU1A5
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.
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419Please respect copyright.PENANAfTLKzitC1W
Anthony: “King…”
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419Please respect copyright.PENANAUjFwvwlVTP
Trevor: “I was right, you would be a good warm-up. Maybe even the main attraction.”
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Anthony: “How can you…be calm right now?”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAwUkJxt2Sh2
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Trevor: “I’m not calm…I’m excited. Who would have thought magic existed, this is the fight I was looking for!”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAbiULGwlnDL
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Anthony: “…Begone.”
419Please respect copyright.PENANAQYx8o31Jpn
419Please respect copyright.PENANAv2bcwFPwaS
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.
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When the smoke and lightning clear, Trevor appears unscathed.
419Please respect copyright.PENANAjuAJ0mGGCb
419Please respect copyright.PENANAiR84WDXioQ
Trevor: “I hope that’s not all you got.”
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419Please respect copyright.PENANAFrqU0ZKo7A
Anthony: “!!”
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Anthony: “…I see. Well, that’s not fair. But, she doesn’t mind the challenge.”
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419Please respect copyright.PENANAqkHu5mXgml
She?
419Please respect copyright.PENANALu6CsZ1Xhv
419Please respect copyright.PENANAlQmn96Vo7D
Trevor: “Still got more? Then bring it on!”
ns216.73.216.254da2