Nell: “It will be okay….it will be okay.”375Please respect copyright.PENANAapZ7HhTMI7
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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?
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Sever: “We got it, move out.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANA1q64YBGGMo
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Alyson: “Na-”
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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?”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAi8qypknBTx
375Please respect copyright.PENANAxD9o7nkmVe
Sever: “…You don’t need to know.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAEIfwYd2DJJ
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Nell: “…”
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No…375Please respect copyright.PENANAkU7srIdDJD
375Please respect copyright.PENANAnWiZRv15o4
Sever: “Be sure to go to school tomorrow Alyson. We need everything to move as usual. Low suspicion and all that.”
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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.
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAGHbU0t21zw
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Alyson: “N-Nell, I need to know what you meant by Nao being a mage.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAIvhzGV2kOl
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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.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAopY1VBJVrh
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Alyson: “Not yet, maybe I-”
375Please respect copyright.PENANADUnSIbML8M
375Please respect copyright.PENANAjJXiWoMuf7
Nell: “No!”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAygLOoBoBN8
375Please respect copyright.PENANATZiaDBWJxZ
Alyson: “!”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAHVviSlqD3h
375Please respect copyright.PENANAL2oDe5ys5g
Nell: “I’m already on verge of breaking…don’t make me lose you too…”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAYMM2ZZQPZV
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Alyson: “So you telling me to leave Nao to those…monsters?”
375Please respect copyright.PENANADNxH2F1rfu
375Please respect copyright.PENANARpUOv4MBFo
Nell: “…”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAg6YpMF0bTe
Alyson: “…Let’s drop it for now. Please, just tell me everything.”
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAIj1N3raWDc
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9u1G88AsV
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I’m the one that sent Anton to Nao…
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Alyson: “Nell…I have a confession to make.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANA8U9Ym2EgXa
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Nell: “No…not you too.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAmMDkWhL70B
375Please respect copyright.PENANApmasDSMbMu
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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANA9uFTn0QImS
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Alyson: “I-I’m so…so sorry.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANASlwg37JGxW
375Please respect copyright.PENANAb5ruGzOx8D
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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAGifK9cEKGg
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Nell: “W-We’ve all made mistakes. If only I wasn’t blind to it. No…I lost my only son.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANA2USGLXorTL
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAMOmqZCJ8Nx
375Please respect copyright.PENANAEf54mEjvRK
Alyson: “What…do we do now?”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAo9c1cNfSXZ
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Nell: “I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, we will make up for this for the rest of our lives.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAfIqHb2EJsi
375Please respect copyright.PENANAy8CVkgaOzh
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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAGO3gZlc772
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But more than that, voices from my past haunt my thoughts. Whispering perspectives that only deepen my guilt.
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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.
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAR4dejzljBC
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.
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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]375Please respect copyright.PENANAy87ydLWQ5H
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Mat: “Are you okay?”
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Anthony: “Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a bit worried that we’ll get bullied because of yesterday.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAmIfOqgRo0f
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Velo: “Don’t worry, Nao scared them away. As he said, we won.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAFFnuGNCkKp
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Mat: “Besides, it’s the beginning of the day who wou-”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAKKIJtVW06a
375Please respect copyright.PENANAl79NMgKlwb
“Yeah guys, we want to show you something.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANASLNVDDo283
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Their faces darken at the realization of what’s about to happen. But me…I crack a smile.
375Please respect copyright.PENANA8swMLnZVvw
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAr3TlI4bjgv
375Please respect copyright.PENANAs6NgdvwTrp
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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAUIi53CaKX9
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“So let it be written. My new owner and husband.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAltWL1Kimov
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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.
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAENaYpskKhk
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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAXYWtjmQGkc
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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.
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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.
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANATRrARgvyGb
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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.
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“Come my husband, let us once again burn another world. Another blood bath for our promised wedding day.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANALE3xynz05r
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I’ll be what you want me to be. As long as I can have my vengeance.
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Mat: “A-Anthony…”
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Oh, I almost forgot. My friends lay beaten and broken behind me.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAKPZYoQy3bn
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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.”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANA8U1cvL1tXi
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….
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Anthony: “Let none survive.”375Please respect copyright.PENANAtfGcE3Pnua
375Please respect copyright.PENANAHgTEP6K2zi
[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.
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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.
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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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“Okay everyone, calm down. It must be-”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAmWFb0uS8dy
*SCREAM*375Please respect copyright.PENANAbQo5wG1has
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Outside we can hear blood-chilling screams and thunder. But what drove us to madness was the smell of ashes.
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“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!”
375Please respect copyright.PENANA9FxbToLteV
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A voice wakes me up from my dark thoughts. I watch the door fly open and a girl rush inside.
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Deanna: “Alyson hide!”
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She runs to me and grabs a hold of my shoulder.
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Alyson: “Deanna? What’s happening?”
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Deanna: “No time to explain but I’m sure you and Trevor are Anthony’s main targets.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAAZt4Hez3Js
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Anthony? H-He’s the one doing all of this?
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Anthony: “You’re not wrong.”
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!!375Please respect copyright.PENANAv22VVq9qET
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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.
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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.”
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Deanna: “W-Why are you doing this?”
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Purple lightning strikes right in front of Deanna’s eyes.
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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.”
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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.
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Anthony: “As for Alyson. You may be Nao’s sister, but you’re still a part of the problem. He’ll forgive me eventually.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAmcCVzRFYgF
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Alyson: “If you still care about Nao then save him!”
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Anthony: “Save him? What do you mean?”
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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: “!”
375Please respect copyright.PENANAd5dCBCQ9dr
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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.
375Please respect copyright.PENANAnrlomIbF9I
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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.
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Deanna: “Alyson…”
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?375Please respect copyright.PENANAi0v15PHxp4
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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?
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Anthony: “Tch, don’t pretend bitch. You haven’t changed.”
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Deanna: “…”
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Alyson: “W-Why?”
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Deanna: “Because you inspired me to be better, this is the least I can do.”
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Alyson: “Deanna…”
375Please respect copyright.PENANA5wk6A6FxD4
375Please respect copyright.PENANAuBwAU7ojDy
Anthony: *Sigh*
375Please respect copyright.PENANAuHh9ixqrkG
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Anthony: “Fine, I’ll roast you both.”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANA3scTbfjmww
???: “Wow, and I thought the bullies here were evil.”
375Please respect copyright.PENANArXWzh8Z0ya
!!!375Please respect copyright.PENANAzFZeMglLAu
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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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Anthony: “King…”
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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?”
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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!”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAY7b1gQHlXF
Anthony: “…Begone.”
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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.
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Trevor: “I hope that’s not all you got.”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAudfqLSAns1
Anthony: “!!”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAGTYvGPUEAh
Anthony: “…I see. Well, that’s not fair. But, she doesn’t mind the challenge.”
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375Please respect copyright.PENANAP8mTevI8ou
She?
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375Please respect copyright.PENANALns3VT6g1J
Trevor: “Still got more? Then bring it on!”
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