#and likely completely sunk the en branch

[monocrowee]

so last night i was drawing a certain vtuber and um decided to check twitter to see how the nijisanji situation was doing

anyways scrapped that im drawing cyyu and maybe dokibird instead plus i got some star rail sketches im working on

[finelinevogue]

you come home drunk and both your siblings Harry and Gemma are home watching a movie

Ur mom Anne is asleep and you snuckrf out to a party and got drunk maybe, and you come and when Harry is like “YN? What r u doing?” And the first thing u say is “I’m not drunk” and just start rambling stuff

sibling!harry isn’t talked about often enough so here we go;

(this turned sad pretty quickly fyi….)

You were flat out drunk.

Pissed. Wankered. Plastered. Hammered. The whole combination of all of them together.

If someone were to ask you to spell your name you would reply with a bunch of letters that didn’t even exist in yours and you knew this because it had just happened.

“You’re so drunk.” Your best friend Hannah giggled, but their was a tone of concern behind her voice. She knew that you were a lightweight, but didn’t keep tabs on you the whole night to keep track of how many drinks you’d had. Turns out, too late, too many.

“No, i’m Y/N dummy!” Your words slurred as you stumbled over on the grass outside of the party you’d just been at.

It had been your good friends Will’s birthday party and it was all very exciting because it was the first big house party for people your age - in your school. Will’s house was massive, too, and it was the talk of the town. Unfortunately your stupid, annoying, over-protective older brother had told you no when you’d asked him if you could go. You’d gone to your mum first, the lovely Anne, and she’d said maybe, but once Harry had twisted his way into her head to describe everything the party wouldn’t be she’d said no.

Luckily for you, your bedroom window was right next to a huge tree - one that you could easily climb onto, up and down. So that’s what you’d done.

As soon as you’d arrived at Will’s you had a drink in your hand. Then another, and another and so on until the point you were at now - wasted. You had originally drunk so much out of spite of Harry, but you ended up trying to the point where you honestly didn’t even notice you were drinking alcohol.

“Y/N get up, c’mon. I need to get you home.” Hannah sighed, looking around to see if anyone was around to help.

“Noooo! Harry will be there and he’ll shout at me.”

“Why? Harry’s nothing but lovely.” Hannah had a not-so-secret secret crush on your brother - as did the whole of your town. And the country. And the world. It was hard living in the shadow of Harry Styles, but you did love him just not when he sucked the fun from the universe.

“That’s what everyone thinks.” You rolled your eyes and kept them shut, just wanting to go to sleep now and the grass seemed comfortable enough.

“You should be so lucky Y/N.” Hannah argued back.

“Sure doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

“You’re so ungrateful, do you know that?” Hannah scoffed, clearly pissed off with your whining antics, “You know what? You can walk yourself home.”

And with that you were left to the front grass, confused as to what you’d done wrong to make her so pissed off so quickly. You thought you were just sharing feelings and having a heart-to-heart, but clearly Hannah found offence to your words. No doubt she was pissed off at you for being a bitch about Harry, but that’s just the way it was. He was your brother. Your famous older brother who adorned the hearts of billions. Sometimes that’s all you ever feel like - ‘the sister of Harry Styles’ - to the point where you just wanted freedom and release. Sure, this was not the healthiest way for release but it did make you forget who you were just for the day. You often felt misunderstood and it was times like this when you could feel a little better.

“Fuck.” You sighed, knowing you’d just pissed off someone else in your life. Now, you’d have to get yourself home and confront your even more pissed off brother, sister and potentially mother. That’s if they were even up. Or if they cared enough.

You’d always felt left behind.

It was no doubt unintentional, but you felt like you were the least cared about in the family. Harry was the golden angel and could do no wrong and Gemma was just a responsible queen, according to mum. You, well… You were the “irresponsible and reckless” one of the bunch according to most media outlets and even your family. Maybe it was true? You never saw yourself as those things, but you could see how the sneaking out and drinking - and at a young age - could be seen as.

You picked yourself up off the floor, stumbling as your head started spinning fast. You felt sick, tired and cold and you hadn’t noticed your nose runny and eyes teary until now. You tugged the sleeves of your long t-shirt down, silently wishing you’d brought a jacket, and pulled your phone out of your pocket.

No charge. Great.

The walk home didn’t take too long, but completely wasted did not make it easy. You bumped into people and got cat-called by hideous and vile men. You felt unsafe, but you kept yourself together and attempted to get home as quickly as possible.

“Fucking pull yourself together.” You talked to yourself as you stood at the bottom of the tree, climbing it the best you could with a cloudy mind. The branches scratched your arms and your legs felt so fatigued, but you were honestly too exhausted to care anymore.

As you clambered through your window the last thing you expected was to see Harry laying on your bed.

“What the fuck!” You screamed from shock at him being there, stumbling over your own legs and falling onto the floor. Harry sat up immediately.

“What do you mean what the fuck? Y/N? What the fuck?” He threw the question back in your face, throwing his arms up in despair.

“Oh please, save your judgement Harry. I don’t need it today.” You gathered yourself from the floor and walked into your en suite bathroom, after switching on the light.

“Where were you huh?” He didn’t cut his questions.

“Out.” You mumbled, throwing cold water over your red and puffy face. Your hands were freezing and your head pounding, so the last thing you needed was Harry yelling at you at how much of a disappointment you were.

“Are you drunk?” He walked into the bathroom, clearly not understanding the meaning of personal space. “Are yo- are you crying?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Tears started welling up in your eyes again.

“What doesn’t matter? Being drunk, you crying, getting home late, sneaking out?”

“None of it!” You snapped, looking at him with so much sadness. “None of it matters. I- I don’t matter.” You sank down on the cold tiled floor, resting your back against the wall opposite the bath. The tears fell and stung you eyes. You embraced your legs with your arms after pulling your knees up to your chest.

Your whole body language screamed to Harry that you were not okay and he was upset for you.

“Y/N..” Your name came out soft and fragile from Harry’s mouth.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.” Harry sunk down against the wall next to you, not touching you but close enough for you to know he was there for you. He let you cry until you decided you were alone enough to let him comfort you. You brought your head up and let it rest on Harry’s shoulder, to which he responded by putting his head on top of yours.

“I’m just really tired Harry.” You whimpered, using your long sleeve to wipe your nose dry.

“Of what Y/N/N?”

“Being a nobody.”

“You’re not a nobo—”

“Harry I am—”

“No you’re not.” Harry ended the argument quickly, before continuing. “You’re not a nobody Y/N. You’re my sister and bestest friend in the whole world. I care and worry for you more than anyone. I love you more than anyone, just don’t tell Gem or mum that! I’ve never thought of you as anything but my favourite person and someone I can rely on for my happiness, and I apologise if i’ve taken that for granted recently.”

“It’s okay, thank you.”

“You’re my most important person and i’m sorry you’ve been feeling this way, but trust me, Y/N, when I say that drinking away your problems, and even rebelling, is not the way to make things better. It always makes it worse.” Harry spoke from personal experience.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I am too.” Harry sighed, kissing the side of your head. “Just worry about you too much to see that sometimes i’m holding you back.”

“I like that you worry about me, it makes me feel important.”

“That’s because you are. Most important person in my life.”

[shadowbannedforlife]

Trust Fall

“Simone!” Lena called out, her voice almost echoing through the trees as she treaded though the grass under the summer sun’s peak, the sounds of the friendly shipmen still remained loud at her back beyond the hill as the settlers welcomed their gifts to their land. 

Supplies consisting of food and fine clothes; trinkets and other valuables that sought to see them through for the next coming weeks, securing a growing sense of peace and excitement amongst the group with each box and crate that that sailors delivered to the settles families and homes.

Lena sighed, “Come on, Miss Lenoir will be worried about you, y’know!” as she made her way further up the hill, just barely scraping the edge of the bayou as she continued on her search, the dark marsh contrasting starkly against the clearing of which she stood in; like she was looking into another world that rubbed shoulders with her own that’s only barrier was word of mouth.

A world full of alligators, poison ivy and venomous snakes that every occupant of the island reminded not only their children to never go near, but each other as well. As venturing into the world that lurked just beyond the brush was a risk fit for no one.

Lena was no exception to those warnings.

She stopped to survey her surroundings before casting her gaze down at the ground, defeated, “Come on, Simone. Where are-” but before she could finish that thought, the sound of a yipping dog followed by an intelligible plea caught her attention from afar.

~

“Go away!” Simone cried, staring daggers down at the small ratter dog that stared right back at her from below, both of it’s front paws up on the base of the tree as it continued it’s barrage of insufferable barking, the animal baring no indication of it stopping any time soon, as with each breath the dog took a bark was exhaled, much to Simone’s growing irritation and impatience.

The dog belonged to the ship that bumped up against the island. As well as the goods the sailors had delivered they had also seemingly brought along a few sea-mutts in order to keep stowaway rats at bay, who had then subsequently made their way onto the island just as the shipmen had.

“Leave me be!” Simone gritted her teeth and tugged at a nearby branch until it broke off into her hand, raising it above her head threateningly, or at least, as threatening as a small girl like herself that was stuck up a tree could manage.

“I’m serious, just stop it! Stop it now!” she demanded, her grip on the stick tightening like she was about to throw it down in attempt to hit, or, even better yet, scare the the dog away completely, or at least just long enough for her to get down from this tree and head back home before anyone found her like this, even if she had to run just to assure that the dog didn’t catch up to her.

Though, that hope would be short-lived.

Simone felt tears begin to well up in her eyes from the pure irritation of her situation alone, “I’m not a rat!” she yelled, and she flung the branch down, but it missed it’s target completely, the ratter dog unable to bat an eye at where the stick had even landed and just continued to bark frantically without purpose.

“What will it take for you to leave me alone...”

“Simone!” Lena called out to her, causing Simone to stop her tirade for a moment to look towards her as Lena stepped out of the shrubbery and towards the lone tree, “There you are!” 

Simone didn’t say anything in reply and just sunk in on herself as Lena assessed the scene that lay before her, the momentary silence only to be filled by the sounds of the barking ratter.

A smile creeped up the side of Lena’s face, followed by a stifled laughter as she opened her mouth to speak, “Um.. are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Simone replied, her voice stiff as she tried desperately to hide her own embarrassment from Lena despite how fruitless of an effort it was, still able to hear her muffled laughter even from the bottom of the tree and over the sounds of the barking dog, before she finally contained enough of her own amusement to speak.

“Did this dog chase you up that tree?”

“Be quiet.” Simone spat, sinking even deeper in on herself as Lena reached down to the small dog, which averted it’s attention from Simone as soon as Lena offered it her affection, it’s obsessant barking coming to an immediate halt.

“It’s just a little dog, Simone.”

But Simone was having none of it, “Lena. Make it. Go. Away.” she drawled, causing Lena to roll her eyes before they landed on the stick that lay beside the tree, the same one that Simone had flung not minutes before. 

Lena picked it up and held it out in front of the small dog.

“Come here little fella!” she called, causing the dog’s barking to start up again, but it wouldn’t last long, she pulled her arm back and threw the stick as hard as her young self could manage, both of the girls watching as the dog took off and faded out of earshot after it’s prize.

“There.” Lena turned back towards the tree, “Are you going to come down now? Miss Lenoir's looking for you.”

Simone, very thoughtfully, gripped the branch she was perched on as she looked down over it’s edge and spontaneously, a sudden influx of dread overtook her as she realized the gravity of her situation. Though, she still took it upon herself to try and uphold the very little pride she had left and managed to mask her fears for the moments being.

“Yes, of course. I’ll come down...” but despite her statement, Simone didn’t move. She had better secured her grip against the tree trunk like she about to attempt to scale down the tree, but she never did. Simone sat frozen while Lena stood at the bottom, watching her and waiting.

“Simone? Are you having trouble?” Lena called up to her, and with that Simone managed to force herself up, fuelled by nothing but spite alone as she reached up to grip the branch above her head.

“Yes, yes! I’m.. perfectly fine.” Though, there was noticeable hesitance in Simone’s voice, Lena decided in the moment to keep her mouth shut, just in case anything that she might say would aggravate her even further, but in the moments it took for Simone’s sudden burst of confidence to come through, did the universe around her decide to punish her for her dissonance.

The branch above her head snapped and almost immediately she lost her footing and fell, causing Lena to yelp and reach up to cover her mouth with her hands as Simone dropped through the thicket of branches, her eyes wide open in terror but with no scream to accompany it, as if she’d gone into shock midair as she waited for the ground to come up and meet her.

Lena broke out of her trance and instinctually she moved forward at such a speed she didn’t think probable, only to feel the sudden boost of adrenaline that had pushed her forward then be knocked out of her as she felt herself be forced against the ground right as Simone collapsed on top of her like a heavy weight, leaving both girls in a heap on the ground, just until the world around them had set back into motion.

Simone pushed off of Lena and onto her knees, fear still gripping her even as she spoke, “Lena, you- you caught me.” she gasped, “You actually, caught me.” 

Though, Lena didn’t respond, not immediately anyway. She lay there, only able to listen to the undeniable sting that saturated her left arm, causing it to pulse unnaturally before she finally sat up, reaching around with her opposing hand to support it, “Ohh, noo.” she breathed, before Simone’s voice snapped her back into reality.

“Lena?”

“Y-yeah.” she replied, forcing a smile across her face, “Just in the nick of time, too!” She wasn’t sure why she was trying to hard to seem hurt, it obviously didn’t work and that was blatant by the expression that Simone gave her.

Simone reached for her, “Lena, what’s wrong with your arm?” and just as quickly, Lena pulled it away.

“Wait, don’t look!” Lena pleaded, Simone’s face growing grim with emotion as she watched Lena wince in agony and only then is when the severity of the situation dawned on her.

Simone held her breath. “Is it broken?” but the answer was already clear as day, even before Lena had to say anything, she had already gone pale in the face from pain and was breathing deep like she was out of breath.

“Yes. I think I have...”

Simone got to her feet, still slightly shaken from the fall but still more than capable of finding her way back home without stumbling too much. “Don’t move, I’ll go get help, you just-”

Though, as if by a stroke of luck, a man calling out from the trees emerged into the clearing.

“Julio!” he called out, “Julio!”

It was daunting for both girls for a moment; for a man neither of them knew to suddenly come across them, but, when it turned out he belonged to the shipmen that were stationed back beside the group of settlers, it bought both girls a lot of ease to be in the presence of someone that could help them.

It turned out that he was searching for his lost dog, the same one that was responsible for Simone getting stuck up the tree and, kindly, he took both girls back home, along with ‘Julio’ who, now that he was reunited with his owner, had decided not to acknowledge Simone, much to her sake.

Though, even though the man had saved both girls from a lot of stress, and Simone from his dog, he would not be able to save either of them from Simone’s mother, who, even while Lena’s arm was in the process of being patched up, was still berating them both for their reckless behaviour.

“What were you thinking!?” 

Simone and Lena both sat in silence at each other’s side within the white walls of the medical tent, Simone looking down at the ground whilst Lena kept her focus on the doctor that knelt at her side as he fitted her with a sling that held her arm against her chest.

“Climbing a tree like that; do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?” Margarette grabbed Simone’s shoulder, startling her and forcing her to look up at her mother, “If you had fallen and no else was around! You could’ve died, you silly girl!” her mother’s voice was harsh and it caused Simone tear up as her eyes trailed off to the side.

Margarette sighed and released Simone from her grip and then instead turned towards Lena and the doctor that was still testing the stability of Lena’s sling, waiting a moment to calm herself before speaking.

“Thank you, Percy.” she said to the doctor.

“Not a problem, Miss Lenoir.” he replied, standing briefly as to face her properly, “These two attract trouble like honey attracts flies. Lena’s arm will be fine, but it’s best she not move it for the next little while.”

“Understood.” Margarette turned towards Lena and reached to lay her hand atop her head, causing Lena to turn her head up towards her, and for a moment they shared a tender look before she turned her attention back to Percy.

“Need I leave her with you?”

“Only for the time being.” he replied, “Besides, maybe it’ll help them stay out of harms way for the time being.”

Margarette let out a singular muffled laugh from her throat before she cast her gaze back down towards her two children, “Maybe it will.” and with that she turned to make her way out of the medical tent, turning back only momentarily to face her two girls again.

“I’ll be back within the hour.” Margarette said, “When I get back, I want to hear no complaints from Percy about either of you.”

“Do you understand?”

Simone sighed, she could feel that her mother’s eyes were on her and primarily on her. “Yes, mother.” she replied, Lena following her shortly after with a small, “Yes, Miss Lenoir.” as both girls then watched Margarette turn and leave.

The silence that hung over them was heavy, only to be interrupted by the clinking of bottles and vials that Percy was fiddling with at his work table, too momentarily preoccupied with his work to really notice either of the girls.

“Are you mad at me?”

Simone turned towards Lena as soon as she had broken the silence, blinking twice for a moment as if she was unsure if she had heard her correctly, “Come again?” she asked her, and for a moment Lena stuttered.

“For laughing at you, I mean.” she continued, “I didn’t mean to cause you to fall.. that was, it was-” she stammered again, “I really didn’t mean to.”

Simone was silent for a moment, “Lena.” she started, her mouth hanging ajar for a moment as she searched for what to say before it finally tumbled out after what felt like a mini eternity. 

“I broke your arm, why are you apologising to me?” There was a noticeable amount of bewilderment in her voice which caused Lena to freeze and open her mouth like she wanted to speak, but Simone subsequently beat her to it.

“I should be the one saying sorry.” 

Simone paused for a moment and looked down at the ground in thought, a grim emotion of guilt manifesting itself on her face before she felt Lena latch into her with her good arm before pulling her into a hug.

“Well, I forgive you then!”

Simone jolted, taken aback by the sudden embrace, but soon, that initial expression of surprised soon faded and she leaned into Lena, gently, as to not accidentally nudge her arm as she let the underside of her chin rest atop Lena’s head.

“Thank you.”

[ashliinks]

until finally | cedric diggory

prompt ; imagine being one of the mermaids who lived in the black lake

words ; 4.5k

pairing(s) ; cedric x maledictus-mermaid fem!reader, fred & george x reader                        (platonic)

a/n ; i wrote this at 3am after sobbing over goblet of fire, pls enjoy :) 

        take a shot everytime i saw grindylows for liver failure

Ever since you were as small as a guppy, you had always known you were different from the other merfolk who resided in the Black Lake. Your more human-like features and your lack of proficiency in mermish music, stood out amongst the folk in your village. It wasn’t until you were thirteen, that your mother revealed her darkest secret to you. 

Many moons ago, your family was bestowed with a curse. A blood curse. The curse had been passed down the women of your family for centuries it had seemed. From your understanding, the type of blood curse meant your fate was predestined; and that in time you would be permanently stuck beneath the dark waters of the lake. 

You had never thought to question the days you spent on land. The ability to change your tail into legs had never seemed odd to you, until a young mermaid told you that it was very strange indeed. You would be lying if you said it didn’t cross your mind as to why none of the merfolk took you up on your offers of picnics on the river-bank. 

You had come to realise that your mother had unfortunately succumbed to the curse, unable to transform into a human anymore. As the days went on, she seemed to grow more and more miserable, for she missed the feeling of the sunshine on her skin, the grass beneath her feet and the friends she made in the wizarding world. All of the young wizards she knew had abandoned her as soon as she was limited on the time she could spend above water. You tried to convince her that the younger generations of wizards were more understanding, and that those who visited you after school hours and weekends were the nicest people you had ever met. 

You took a deep breath as you broke the surface of the Black Lake, the warm sunlight being a welcomed feeling on your cold skin. As your ears adjusted and popped at the sudden assault of air, you heard cheering from the shore. Looking over you noticed a cluster of Hogwarts students jumping and waving to you. You couldn’t help the smile that graced your features, diving back under the water so you could swim closer to them.

“Y/N!” A voice called out to you as you resurfaced once more. Propping yourself up on the lakes edge slightly, your eyes instantly recognised the black and yellow robes of the Hufflepuff boy who had come to visit you.

“Diggory!” You yelled in glee, flinging your arms up into the air at the sight of him, making you fall back into the lake slightly. This seemed to amuse him and his rabble of fangirls, them all chuckling beneath their breath as your clumsiness. 

“How is my favourite wizard...Don’t tell Fred and George I said that,” You winced, only imagining the backlash you would receive from the twins if they ever found out.

“Cedric has only gone and put his name in the Goblet of Fire,” One of the Hufflepuff boys yelled with a giggle, making your smile drop suddenly. You pushed yourself up further, motioning for Cedric to lean forward. The boy did so wearily, noticing your sudden change in expression. He was right to do so, as when he was in close enough reach you sunk your hands into the collar of his robes, using your great upper body strength to fling him over your head and into the lake. 

Everyone went quiet.

He resurfaced shortly after, spitting water everywhere. “What in the bloody hell was that for?!”

“HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO PUT YOUR NAME INTO THAT STUPID CUP DIGGORY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE HAD TO DRAG BACK UP TO THE SURFACE BECAUSE THEY NEVER MAKE IT PAST TWENTY MINUTES IN HERE?” You yelled, splashing water at the boy to emphasise your words. 

Cedric was silent. When he put his name in, he had heard of the terrible feats some of the tasks held. He had heard whispers of those that sunk beneath the murky waters of the lake to never return. So it was safe to say, your reaction had been pretty tame to what he initially imagined you would do.

“I might as well drown you myself! How could you be so, so-” Ah! There it was. He had half expected you to drag him straight down to the bottom of the lake and leave him there, but he knew you didn’t have the gall. You couldn’t even hurt a Grindylow, no matter how prickly they got sometimes. 

“I’m going to be fine! I have all but perfected the bubble head charm-”

“You think that now Ced, but wait until you're in the water. Because it's not just your air you have to worry about, there’s the Grindylows and the kelpies, not to mention the giant squid and he’s feeling particularly tender after those Durmstrang kids ran their boat over one of his arms-”

“Love, you’re overreacting! Plus I have you don’t I? Or will you bail on me if we have to come to the lake?” Cedric asked, cocking his eyebrow as he splashed you slightly.

“Are you doubting me Diggory?” You asked, raising your voice as you splashed him back once more.

“I would never!” He feigned hurt at the idea, making you burst out into laughter. 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’VE NEVER RODE A BROOM?” Fred and George yelled in unison as you climbed further up in the tree you were all gathered around.

“My mother kept me in my mer-form most of my life! I’ve never even held a wand even though we’re supposed to be witches,” You giggled as you rose higher and higher.

“YOU WHAT?” They yelled even louder. Even Hermoine had a surprised look on her face at the remark.  It was no lie. Your mother thought it may have been best to keep you a mermaid most of the time, that way when the transformation became final you would not long for the wizarding lifestyle she so desperately missed. You had never ridden a broom, never held a wand. Hell, you had never even cast a spell as simple as an accio charm. 

“Well this simply won’t do,”

“Not at all,” The twins rambled on in turns. You could never quite get over that, their twin telepathy and always knowing what the other was thinking at all times. It must be a terrible thing to have to deal with. 

“C’mon then guppy, we’re off to the castle.”

“Wait, what? I mean is that even allowed, I’ve never been inside the castle, I don’t even have shoes, are you sure Dumbledore wouldn’t mind that I-”

“Christ, you’d think being underwater all the time would limit your skills of communication,” George laughed as you began your descent towards the ground. 

“Who cares if you don’t have shoes, Potter walks around looking like he’s just woken up in a parallel universe half of the time,”

The laugh that erupted from you had you throwing your head back, a chorus of chuckles resounding from below you too. You were laughing that much that you had forgotten to keep a tight grip on the branches, and in the next moment your wobbly legs had slipped from their place, sending you tumbling through branches and leaves. Hurtling towards the ground, you braced for the impact. You almost wondered what would happen if you were to break a leg. Your mother would kill you, there’s no doubt about that, but would your tail also be broken? You didn’t particularly want to find out. 

After what felt like a lifetime, you landed. However, it wasn’t the hard, painful landing you were expecting. Instead what you had landed on was soft, and warm...and moving? Opening your eyes, that you had not remembered closing, you came face to face with a chest. It was only when you looked up, you were met with the slight pained expression of Fred Weasley.

“Try to be a hero and I just get the wind knocked out of me,” He wheezed, making you blush bashfully. 

“Could say you just took my breath away guppy,” He winked, making you burst out in another uncontrollable fit of laughter.

“CEDRIC?” You yelled out as you ran through the courtyard of the castle, the whole place completely unfamiliar to you. You did however, manage to blend in quite well, Fred and George had taken you to Hogsmeade and had provided you with a set of Hogwarts robes, out of the allowance their mother was sending them. You had nearly cried when you found out they had been saving up for weeks just to make you feel more included. Your heart swelled even more when they told you that you could come and visit the castle any time now, looking like a student wouldn’t put you under too much scrutiny. You were still scared as to what would happen to you if Dumbledore, or god forbid Snape, ever found you. 

“Y/N?” Someone called, making you spin around sharply. Your hair still dripping, as you had not waited a single minute from jumping out of the lake to sort yourself out fully, slapped you in the face at the speed of your turn. Looking through the flashes of black, blue and fur, your eyes landed on the boy you had been searching for.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, looking over you in worry that something had happened. He paused when he noticed the robes you were wearing. 

“Are those Hufflepuff robes?” He asked with a small smile.

Looking down, you took in the sight of yourself. The sunshine yellow looked amazing against your skin tone, and the slightly oversized robe made you feel so comfy and to your amusement was surprisingly swishy. 

“Uh yeah! Fred and George bought them for me!” You enthused, ever the one to be easily distracted. “They sorted me themselves, said I was the en-a-body-mans of a Hufflepuff,” You sounded out the word, some words were a little more difficult for you to say, still not entirely used to speaking English after years of speaking mermish beneath the waters. 

“Embodiment?” He chuckled, affection filling his grey eyes making them glisten like the river-stones you had been collecting from the river banks. He watched as slowly drying wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. He would never say it to you though. Terrified of your reaction. Of course he was, in himself, conflicted. He had been dating Cho Chang for a while now, and while he cared for the raven haired beauty from the neighbouring house, he couldn’t quite get over his feelings for the innocent Maledictus that lived in the lake just beyond the school grounds. 

“Yes that’s what I said,” You waved your hand, blushing at the correction. “Anyway, what I’m here for is to tell you about the second task!” You whisper-yelled, pulling him to the side, away from the hustle and bustle of the other students. 

“How do you know what the second task is?” 

“Because it’s me Ced!” He furrowed his brows, confused by your phrasing. “That egg you got from the first task? It’s mermish. There’s been whispers around the village for a few days now, I don’t know much, but I can tell you that you’re going to be in the lake for a long while.” You hated the thought. You had remembered telling the Hufflepuff about the bodies you had dragged from the lake. Even when there wasn’t an event on, there were many students that would go swimming too far or too deep and lose their lives. The Black Lake was not one to foolishly meddle with. 

Cedric had assured you that there was nothing to worry about, but you could see the flash of fear in his eyes at the mention of being in the lake for longer than twenty minutes. You silently vowed to yourself to do anything in your power to help him through the task though. You couldn’t, no, you wouldn’t lose him to the lake. 

When the day of the task came, you were unsure of what to do. Obviously, you didn’t want to get Cedric disqualified from the tournament, or all of his hard work would have been in vain. Fighting off that dragon was no easy feat. But you didn’t want to leave him completely alone in the water. You knew Harry was competing too, but you had also heard that Neville had provided him with some Gillyweed, and whilst its effects are a little unpredictable, you weren't worried. 

“You know you shouldn’t be getting involved with this Diggory boy.” Your mother called from just beyond the rocks.

“He’s a good person mum-”

“They all say that. They all act like they would walk the earth for you, but in reality, they would drop you the moment they have thoughts of you becoming a burden.”

“Yeah, well Ced isn’t like that. You’d know that if you actually took the time out of your busy schedule of moping around the kelp to properly meet him-”

“Do you have any idea who his father is Y/N? Amos Diggory is a very proud man. He will not settle on having a Maledictus as a wife for his precious son.”

“I didn’t ask for this mum! None of us did. But I sure as hell won’t let it define me and everything I do in life. If I am destined to be stuck underwater for the rest of my life, I would sure as hell love to experience life to the fullest before I lose it.”

“It will break you. It broke me.”

“I’m not you, mother.” You whispered, turning away from her and swimming off further into the lake to await the arrival of the champions.

About half an hour into the task, you had managed to locate where they were keeping the champion’s treasure. And you were shocked to say the least. For the ‘treasure’ the village folk had whispered about, wasn’t diamonds or gold. It was people. You were almost horrified at the emotional manipulation these games were playing with the students, the torment of having to try and rescue a loved one from the bottom of the lake; all whilst evading the things that posed a threat to them, trying to keep their charms working and all whilst being against the clock.

It was cruel.

You waited for what seemed like the longest time, not doubting Cedric’s ability to get past the first lot of Grindylows or even his charms skills. But you didn’t trust what might happen once he recovered Cho who was floating in the water. You felt slightly hurt that Cho was the one deemed as Cedric’s ‘treasure’, and your mother's words rang within your ears. It would be more trouble than it’s worth for them to try and capture you. Also, Cedric had been very publicly dating the Ravenclaw student. You had no ill feelings towards the girl, none at all. All of the times you have met, which have been seldom, she was always lovely. Her bright, yet soft voice dancing in the air. Her timid demeanour was very comforting. She was soft, delicate and entirely enticing. You could understand why Cedric was interested in her. They did make a lovely couple. 

It was a shame they had been arguing a lot as of late. Both Cedric and Cho had confided in you about their relationship troubles. The pair of them not being entirely sure whether they were meant to be. They cared for one another, but they weren’t sure whether their romance had run its course. You didn’t dare hold a bias to their troubles. It would be unfair of you to take advantage of a situation like that. No. Instead, like the good friend you were, encouraged them to talk it out between themselves and trusted that this was just a rough patch and they would be right as rain by next week.

Finally, you saw someone emerge from the kelp just beyond the village centre. It was Harry. He looked almost as confused as you were when seeing the students in the water. Ron, Hermoine, Cho and Gabrielle Delacour. She could only imagine the kind of internal battle Harry was currently facing. Ron and Hermoine were his best friends, he had quite the flaming crush on Cho, and Fleur had not yet arrived to collect her younger sister. 

Swimming closer to the boy, you placed a hand on his shoulder making him jump slightly. When he saw it was you he calmed down, you nodded towards the ropes tying the students down to the bottom of the lake. Harry nodded in understanding, reaching to untie Ron first. You noticed the other merfolk drawing closer, and you knew you were in for a lecture once the task was over for interfering.  You guarded Harry, worried more of the Grindylows may work their way closer and drag him down into the depths. You tried to stop him as he reached for Hermoine, but one of the merfolk got their first. 

They aimed a spear towards his neck in warning, “You must only take one,” They sneered, their long hair floating in front of their face. 

“But she’s my friend too!” Harry argued. You placed a hand on his arm and shook your head.

“Only one Harry, I know it’s cruel but someone will come for Hermoine.” You tried to reassure the Gryffindor. He sighed softly, looking back over between Ron and Hermoine. That was until you watched the mermaids scatter, spinning around you and Harry both noticed the shark head swimming towards you at a rapid pace. You weren’t scared as such. You knew these waters like the back of your hand, and you were sure there were definitely no sharks here. 

Your thoughts were confirmed when the shark headed figure swam past the pair of you, biting through the thick rope that held Hermoine. It was the Durmstrang boy, you couldn’t quite remember his name. Krun? Krud? Oh well it didn’t matter. You were still looking for Cedric. The shark man pulled the girl along, dragging her back up towards the surface. From said direction came a flash of yellow, making a smile stretch across your face.

“Finally, where have you been?” You asked, moving backwards in the water slightly. Cedric didn’t answer, only flashing you a small smile before tapping his watch, Harry nodded, the three of you knowing that time was growing short. You moved back as Cedric cast a spell, splicing the rope and letting Cho free. He took her arm and waved at you before heading towards the surface. 

“Come on Harry, there isn’t much time left.” You told the boy, he shook his head.

“I can’t just leave her here,” He pleaded, motioning towards Gabrielle. He was right. Fleur still hadn’t made an appearance. You had just hoped she had been pulled out of the water and hadn’t drowned. 

“Okay, but we’ve got to be quick,” Harry nodded, casting the same spell as Cedric, setting Gabrielle loose. You quickly swam over, taking the French girl into your arms and lead the way towards the surface. You could hear the screams of protest from the merfolk, you were so getting a lecture late. Tension started to bubble in your chest as you neared the kelp, knowing the Grindylows couldn’t be far. Making sure Harry was behind you, you continued on. 

But as soon as Harry breached the edge of the kelp, they came for him. Scratchy limbs and tentacles wrapping themselves around his limbs dragging him down. He let go of Ron, pushing him over towards you. “Get them to the surface!” He yelled, the water making his voice sound funny.

“But what about you?”

“Just go!” He yelled again. You complied, taking both Ron’s and Gabrielle’s hand and speeding towards the surface. It was no hardship for you, your large tail making gliding through the water so smooth. Just before you reached the surface, you pushed the pair up; knowing you couldn’t be seen or Harry would be disqualified. You waited for a moment, making sure they surfaced, and swam away before you dove back down in search of Harry.

You could vaguely see the boy, still being attacked by Grindylows. Racing down there, you were able to sweep a few of them off of the boy. Just enough for him to reach his wand up into the water. “ASCENDIO!” He cried, and just like that the boy went propelling through the water, breaching the surface like a torpedo and landing back on the dock.

“So when are you asking Cho to the Yule ball?” You asked Cedric as the pair of you walked through the school grounds. 

“I, um, we’re not going to the ball together,” Cedric trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in awkwardness. You paused where you stood, Cedric not realising for a moment that you weren’t still walking beside him.

“What? Why not? You two would look amazingggg,” You dragged out your last word to further emphasise how strongly you felt on the matter.

“We broke up the day you told me about the task,” He started, looking down at the ground “We both decided it’d be best,” You looked at the boy in confusion. You had thought they were getting back on track. He hadn’t let anything on to you that day. You should’ve been able to tell, or something. You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Cedric had just broken up with his girlfriend and you had been rambling incorrect words at him, like an idiot. 

“Cho had started to notice that I wasn’t entirely devoted to her. I feel awful about hurting her, but she found out I had feelings for someone else. I didn’t want to admit it to myself at first, but the longer I denied it the stronger those feelings got.”

“Oh?” Was all you could muster, the sinking feeling growing deeper and deeper. How stupid you had been to think that Cedric could be interested in you in the slightest. I mean look at him. The Hufflepuff Heartthrob and now heart-breaker it seemed. You were just a washed up maledictus, who would one day be just a forgotten memory when you were finally bound to the lake. 

“She’s amazing. She’s smart, yet totally clueless about the smallest things. She stumbles over her words in the cutest way, and when she laughs? It feels like it's warming my soul. She’s a Hufflepuff too, so we don’t have to worry about sneaking around, although she would probably prefer we would. I’ve never met her mother, but if given the chance, I would love to convince her how much I love her daughter and that I would do anything just to make her happy,” He sounded as if he was floating. The joy coming from his voice, made your head sink lower and lower until you could not take your eyes off of the ground. 

“Wow, uh, she sounds amazing Ced,” You muttered, not really knowing what to say. Because in all honesty, she did. She sounded like Cedric’s dream girl, and by the way he talked about her he knew it too. Cedric paused for a moment, looking back to notice you trailing behind him. He couldn’t miss the solemn expression on your face, he frowned for a moment. He hated seeing you sad. But then he smiled in realisation.

That smiled soon turned into a fit of giggles, slowly becoming louder and louder until you looked up. Cocking your head to the side, you were confused. “Is something funny?” You asked, looking down at yourself and then around the area, trying to locate the source of his amusement.

“You are so bloody clueless,” He whispered, coming to stand in front of you. You raised your eyebrows, still not getting what he meant. But from here, you noticed how smooth his skin was. The faint rosy blush of his cheeks made him look even more angelic. The soft breeze ruffled his honey-brown locks, always perfectly styled to give him that ‘boyfriend’ look. 

Cedric smiled looking down at you. He watched those gorgeous eyes glisten in the sunlight, plump lips looking irresistibly kissable. He watched as wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. 

Until finally, after so long…

He did. 

Reaching a tender hand up to cup your soft cheek, you leaned into his touch; the warmth from his palm comforting and addicting. Everything about Cedric was entirely comforting and addicting. From his homely scent of cinnamon, brown sugar and honey, to the small chuckles that turn into loud thunders of laughter that make your stomach do flips. Flips like they were currently doing and the thought of him being so close. 

Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you froze in place, not daring to move and ruin the moment. “I have loved you ever since I saw you sat on that stupid rock you love so much. I met the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and I was so distracted I walked right into a tree,” Cedric laughed, the memory made you giggle too. The first meeting you had with Cedric had been the best way you have ever been introduced to anyone.

“And instead of leaving, you just laughed. You laughed so bloody hard that you ended up falling off the rock and into the lake. It was then, that was the exact moment I knew I was screwed. It was that moment that I knew that no one else would be able to compare. I don’t want to find anyone else, I don’t care if in ten years time I have to carry you around in your own luxury tank. I love you Y/N Y/L/N, and I would do anything to make you happy,” 

You were silent for a moment, the sinking feeling turning into the most boisterous of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. THE Cedric Diggory had just confessed his undying love for you. For you. He mistook your silence for rejection. Looking away from you for a moment. He went to move his hand, but you placed yours on top of it, keeping it firmly lay upon your cheek. He opened and closed his mouth like a guppy for a second, not knowing what to say. Before he could even utter a word, you did what you had wanted to do since the day you met the Hufflepuff Heartthrob.

Until finally, after so long…

You did.

You leaned up as far as you could, other hand coming to circle the back of Cedric’s head pulling him down. His lips met yours, and everything fell into place. Hearts beating like crazy within your chests. Breaths short. But everything, after so, so long. 

Was finally perfect.

[ey8508]

Rumors & Secrets LZ

Totally more contents about LZ : )

[Finally, we meet again]

Note:

R&S for this card (CG above)

Chapter SPOILERS up to chapter 37 (read with your own risk)

Contains 5 chapters

Translation isn’t 100% accurate (or grammar errors)

This is mostly in Li Zeyan’s POV before he meets MC (in the past original timeline) and ends with the iconic “Evolver?” question (where it all begins in chapter 1)

Do not repost to any other site (reblog is fine)

Chapter 1

Page 1

The sun is slowly setting...

At the horizon, a large rose color slowly fainted from the golden sunlight, soaking the low-hanging cloud curtain, allowing the color of the stratus clouds to burst out, reflecting the blue sea surface that meets the sky.

The extended Bentley drove away from the bustling part of the town and moved slowly along the winding road. It rained at noon, and the air was full of the smell of wet soil and raindrops soaking leaves. Li Zeyan lowered half of the car window and turned his gaze to the red-brick and white-walled building under his feet, unconsciously a little surprised.

Eze, one of the most beautiful towns on the Mediterranean coast, is also the former residence of Li Zeyan's grandfather and grandmother.

Page 2

Since he can remember, he has often come to Eze with his mother to stay for a while. The leisurely and beautiful memories of his youth are composed of the humid sea breeze here, the touch of the ankle being drawn by the low bushes, and the moment when the eyes are filled with bright and full bouquets.

Mother always likes to go to the market in the early morning to buy a few bunches of flowers, before he gets up. He then will put the flower branches in various containers or clay pots or glasses as the way he likes.

When grandpa and grandma were still alive, they would have a richer breakfast. Although they had settled in Eze early in the morning, they still had a Chinese stomach. They wanted to eat porridge and noodles. When they passed away, breakfast becomes a little simpler, only bread, omelette, or instant cereal...

Page 3

Of course, his mother is also studying cooking seriously and wants to cook some complicated dishes for him, but progress is slow.

Although these memories became more and more blurred with his busy life, as soon as he returned here, the images of sunlight, green trees, ocean, and flowers in his mind became particularly clear.

The corners of Li Zeyan's lips showed a faint smile.

The video conference is already being connected, and Li Zeyan withdraws his gaze and sets his sights on the laptop in front of him. Soon, several young people in suits and leather shoes appeared in the meeting room. Although their hair colors were different, their pupils were different, the confident and relaxed look on his face was particularly noticeable.

Page 4

They are several industry stars recently discovered by Li Zeyan. They have been successively arranged in several venture capital companies established by Huarui overseas. In Li Zeyan's view, the times have changed. It is no longer the person in the investment department holding a bunch of industry data. In financial statements, you can easily figure out whether a company really has the stage of commercial value. They need to work hard in a field, understand every link that a student can accomplish, understand the most innovative business models, and look at all new things with suspicion and surprise.

They can contact any field they are interested in on the platform of Huarui, accumulate experience, and become Li Zeyan's eyes for exploring new tracks.

Page 5

The car drove halfway through the mountain, and the cascading sunset cast a golden glow on Li Zeyan's face, covering his smiling eyes in a warm color.

[They're talking in EN]

"Li, looks like you've got a brilliant sunset."

"It sure is."

[Back to CN]

"Isn't it Eze? It's a place worth sitting on the balcony all day."

" Indeed. "

Page 6

[Now they're talking in French]

"Better to drink good wine and appreciate the scenery."

"D'accord."

Chapter 2

Page 1

The relaxed video conference ends when the vehicle reaches the top of the mountain.

Li Zeyan got out of the car, strode forward, and a gentle breeze came towards him, messing with the strands of hair on his forehead. He fastened the suit that was blown up by the wind, took the rose bouquet from the entourage, and walked to the corner he knew.

Only a little golden light remained in the setting sun, hooked in the dark blue of the starry sky, quietly spilling on the white marble tombstone.

"mother."

Page 2

Li Zeyan put down the flowers, took out a brown handkerchief from his pocket, and knelt down to wipe the floating dust on the monument. Although there are people taking care of it every day, the tombstone is never slender. Every few days someone will come to replace a bunch of flowers, they are all taken care of and was cleaned with moisturizing liquid in the crystal vase that was placed in front of the tomb.

"Father was originally going to come over, but something happened temporarily. He asked me to bring you this bouquet of roses to make amends."

Li Zeyan slowly stood up as he spoke, looking at the sun that had completely sunk at sea level, inadvertently folded his fingers slightly, and clenched into a fist.

Page 3

On this day of the year, he will definitely take time to return to Eze. Although the schedule is tight, sometimes he can only stand in front of the grave for a short while, and has to rush to the next meeting. However, he still insists on coming in person...

His mother's death day is of extraordinary significance to him.

Li Zeyan breathed the cool air at the top of the mountain and talked about trivial matters for no reason.

"The charity project I talked to you last time is fully operational. I have found a lot of professional teachers who are willing to teach music to disabled children. Many of them have experience in caring for disabled children. Some also have a background in music schools. It should not be an issue to send gifted children to regular schools in the future-"

Page 4

"By the way, I saw the Moments two days ago. Aunt Gu said that she wants Wenwen to accept the wedding, as she has a very good boyfriend. Given her previous battles with Wenwen to urge her to marry, I think they will be urged to get the certificate soon."

" Do you remember Ronan? He went to Italy two days ago and sent me a two-meter sculpture, the sculptured piece was me.

...It is really difficult for him to spend such a large cost to let the world's best sculptor accompany him to do such boring things."

After a moment of silence, he remembered another thing.

Page 5

"Father’s favorite program "Discovering Miracles", the ratings and profitability of the last year are not good, Huarui is preparing to divest. Although it is a pity to say that, in the process of fast-forwarding, many people have been left behind, and "Discovering Miracles" is just one of them."

The hands on the dial had reached the time when Li Zeyan planned to leave, but he was standing in the dark, looking deeply at his mother's silent gravestone.

A breath of wind was quickly blown away by the night wind, and his voice became lighter while he was talking.

"All leads are broken..."

"I still didn't find her."

Page 6

After that, Li Zeyan sighed slightly emotional. He retracted his gaze from the tombstone, raised his hand to shake off a leaf hanging on the neck of his suit, and then strode away.

As if responding to his lonely back when he left, a quiet meteor suddenly struck across the endless night.

Chapter 3

Page 1

On the tarmac, Li Zeyan's private jet had been waiting for a long time. The weather tonight was good and the field of vision was wide. When boarding the plane, the captain rarely suggested that he could take a look at the sea covered with white moonlight from the porthole.

As soon as he sat down, Wei Qian walked over with his tablet computer.

"President. Regarding today's schedule, there are some parts that need your confirmation."

"First of all, the equity investment plan of the SE network video platform has been formally established. The relevant meeting is scheduled at 2 pm, and the representatives of SE will land at 12 noon, and the airport pick-up personnel have been arranged."

Page 2

"But you have promised Mr. Chen to attend his cocktail reception at 7pm on time, so the dinner after the meeting with the SE representatives..."

"Just say that we understand their hard journey, postpone the meal for one day, let them rest for the night."

"Understood. Also, Yaoxing Circus has accepted our invitation and is willing to come to Lianyu City for performances. However, they still have some doubts about the performance venue and performance permits, and they want to determine the original schedule. Is it possible to successfully obtain the performance license? Regarding this point, I have asked the relevant person in charge to prepare the materials required to apply for the license. I apply in the name of Hua Rui. I believe that it is not a big problem to get this license. So please ask the president, can you give them a positive answer directly?"

Page 3

Li Zeyan nodded faintly, and turned his sight out towards one of the porthole. The plane was flying over the city, and the star lights were gathered in his eyes. In the darker glass, a pair of eyes were also as deep as night.

"President Mr. Bao's payment for this month has passed, but he replied to this email and asked me to convey it to you."

"He said that he has only found some useful clues in the first few years before. In the last year, almost nothing was collected. He loves money very much, but he does not want to take your money for nothing. None of these investigations have yielded much. He is willing to help you do some commercial work. Business. No additional fees will be charged to you. He has a wide range of knowledge and resources. If you can find some news, you can help your friends... "

Page 4

Lao Bao's original words were "commercial espionage," and Wei Qian thought about it repeatedly before coming up with this rhetoric.

Li Zeyan couldn't help but smile faintly when thinking of Lao Bao's joking expression.

"Tell him, we don't need it for now. Hua Rui's information channels may not be less than his. Let him take money at ease and do things seriously."

Wei Qian replied in a low voice and stopped talking. The silence in the cabin was comparable to that of the night. The plane traveled steadily in the quiet, clear night, repeating the journey it had traveled countless times without moving.

Chapter 4

Page 1

Half an hour later, Li Zeyan finished shower, changed into a white bathrobe and sat on the bedroom sofa.

The red wine in the decanter has reached its best taste. Li Zeyan poured himself a half glass and tasted it, his expression was neither salty nor light. He vaguely remember that this 85-year-old Romanee-Conti seems to be a gift specially given to him by a director of Yuelai Entertainment at the auction.

At Yuelai Entertainment, Li Zeyan was tasting the wine, and a few projects that could work with them flashed in his mind, but when then changed his mind, as he puts it down.

Can wait, they are not qualified now.

Page 2

Li Zeyan leaned on the sofa, turned on the computer, and casually browsed the letters in the mailbox and the approval process.

An e-mail with the subject "Facial Structure and Profit Prospect Analysis Report" was lying on the first line of his mailbox. He clicked it in and glanced at the conclusion part 1 hastily.

According to the final data analysis, the film company’s only variety show "Discovering Miracles" lost about 80% of its audience in the last year, and its ratings ranked thirteenth (that is, third from the bottom) among the programs at the same time. At the same time, the film and television company has changed the person in charge a few months ago. The investigation showed that the person in charge had no experience in program production, company management, business negotiation, etc. before officially taking over the company. Accordingly, the venture capital department requested the president and the board of directors to suspend the continued capital injection of the company.

Page 3

Li Zeyan replied to the email with one hand with little thought: Approval of the withdrawal.

It never takes him too much time to make such a decision.

In the last two weeks, Li Zeyan has divested five companies, and this film and television company is the sixth. At the same time, he also made a lot of investment transactions, such as SE.

Huarui's capital chain is operating at a high speed, quickly responding to the market.

Page 4

Many people think that there is a gamble in this. Li Zeyan never denies that Huarui's style of offensive and never procrastinating seems too "aggressive" in the entire industry. But it doesn't matter. He knows better than anyone that the steady fight of the so-called industry giants is just a strategy that has to be adopted without an efficient business promotion mechanism and redundant management structure.

In a few years, perhaps Huarui will do the same.

But it doesn't matter, before that, he will lay the best foundation for Huarui, so that Huarui can still maintain active and vigorous vitality in the continuous expansion.

Page 5

After drinking the red wine in the glass in one sip, Li Zeyan pressed the sleep mode on the remote control, the light-shielding plate slowly fell, and the surrounding lights dimmed a little bit. He walked into the bathroom again to brush his teeth and wash to end the busy day.

This night, Li Zeyan had a deep dream.

In the time of emptiness, countless spots of light flowed slowly between his fingers. He tried to hold one or two in the house, but every time he made a fist and opened it, his palm was empty. Someone was smiling in front of him, her long light brown hair was slightly curly, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised with a smile, that was his mother. She smiled at him, her eyes calm and gentle, as if looking at a unique treasure in the world. She seemed to be asking something, but she also seemed to be just smile quietly.

He couldn't keep up with her.

Page 6

He knew that he had been waiting for a long time in a strange vortex, but who was he waiting for?

The indicator light on the wing is not clear in the thick night, the whole continent under the clouds is sleeping, and the time is as quiet as stopping, freezing the whole world at this moment.

In the sky, the stars are shining, and the whole Milky Way witnesses him breathing while in a dream.

Page 7

In the same deep dream, a girl was holding a mobile phone with a flashing light in her arms, and she was talking indifferently in a drowsy sleep.

As the two ends of the world are finally connected, the trajectory that continues to move forward is quietly changed.

The smoothly moving plane passed the sunrise scenery on the horizon.

The light-shielding board was slowly raised in accordance with the program instructions, and the first ray of sunlight in the morning shone into the porthole, covering Li Zeyan's bed.

Chapter 5

Page 1

Li Zeyan originally planned to go directly to Hua Rui, but halfway through, he received a message that Mr. Cai said that he had committed rheumatism and wanted to ask him for two days off.

He was a little worried, and after hesitating a little, he decided to visit.

Coincidentally, it was close to the meal time when he went to visit. The elderly eat early, and the house is full of plants when he enters the door. Mrs. Cai said that it would keep her down for a casual meal. He couldn't refuse the meal, so she took over the dishes.

Li Zeyan held a bowl straight at his waist, eating, and asking about Mr. Cai's condition. He had already arranged for a doctor to follow up for Mr. Cai before he finished the meal.

Page 2

Mr. Cai was grateful, and remembered some gossip he had seen on the Internet before, "I saw a lot of people commenting about the restaurants on the Internet. You must have seen it, manager, don’t keep it to your heart."

Li Zeyan smiled, he did not expect Mr. Cai to comfort him in return, "Mr. Cai, I never care what they think, how the restaurant wants to operate, I have always been aware of this, please rest assured. You can rest in peace in these two days. According to what I just said, Souvenir will be out of business for a week. Firstly, see what the doctor says."

Mr. Cai pounded his long-painful knee with a smile on his face, "I am old and useless. You don't have to do it for me"

Li Zeyan remarks "It's nothing"

Page 3

Then Mrs. Cai silently took a thin blanket from the living room to cover her husband. The two couples looked at each other for a short time, and said nothing. They still followed the topic just now and started talking cheerfully. The restaurant diners praised the manager’s craftsmanship.

Li Zeyan took the scene in his eyes, and a faint smile flicked across his lips.

After finishing light meal with a cup of tea, Li Zeyan did not want to disturb the couple too much, and left after that.

When he came, the weather was fine, the sun was fragile, and there was a leisurely sunny day scenery. Unexpectedly, when Li Zeyan walked to the intersection across the street from Huarui, there was both the sun and rain.

Page 4

He thought of the evening reception, thinking about whether to let Wei Qian bring him a clean suit. At this moment, a petite girl suddenly stood in front of him.

The green light on the crosswalk turned red just after the countdown, the vehicles coming from a distance did not slow down at all, and the girl was still standing in the middle of the road slowly, not aware of the coming danger!

It happened too suddenly, and two rapid bangs rang out.

Page 5

Li Zeyan's expression between his eyebrows changed slightly, and all the noise around him stopped in the moment.

He took a step forward and held her in his arms.

The girl stared at him with stunned eyes.

"Evolver?"

When time stands still, raindrops hover in the air, he also stopped his gaze.

[corkcitylibraries]

It Seems Like Nothing Changes

Paul Cussen

August 2018

In the last two weeks of Anglo-Welsh composer Philip Heseltine’s year long stay in Ireland, he writes ten songs which are published under the pseudonym Peter Warlock. These are considered to be among his finest work.

An t-Óglách, with the tagline ‘The Official Organ of the Irish Volunteer', often described as a successor to the Irish Volunteer, is published. It is published twice a month initially and successfully manages to remain in circulation despite numerous raids and having to operate in secret to avoid complete closure. Michael Collins, Adjutant General and Director of Organisation, is a regular contributor to the magazine.

Charlie Hurley is arrested on a charge of unlawful assembly and imprisoned in Cork Gaol. When arrested he is found to have in his possession documents relating to military installations in the Beara peninsula and a plan for destroying the police barracks in Castletownbere. On release from Cork Gaol he is rearrested, court-martialled and sentenced to five years' penal servitude at Maryborough (Portlaoise) Gaol.

John Hawkes from off-Barrack Street lodges an unsuccessful appeal with the local War Pensions Committee in Cork city, noting that he had been ‘awarded a pension of 8d. a day for 18 months final [sic] & his period expired some time ago. He states that if he could obtain a pair of spectacles, he would be employed at once as a watchmaker. He has no home and no money and will have to go to the workhouse if his appeal fails.’ Hawkes had previously served in the Royal Munster Fusiliers in France but had been discharged in April 1915, according to his mother, ‘because he got a bad cold in the trenches’ and had been declared ‘unfit for further duty’. Doctors at a hospital in Boulogne had determined that Hawkes suffered from a ‘mental deficiency’ .

Acting Major Thomas Marshal Llewellyn Fuge is mentioned in Despatches. He is mentioned in ‘Long Shadows by de Banks: the history of Cork County Cricket Club’ by Colm Murphy as a useful fast medium bowler who played for Ireland.

Stephen O’Callaghan of 39 Bandon Road completes four years on active duty with the Worcestershire Regiment and the Royal Munster Fusiliers, a recipient of the British Army Service Medal and the Victory Medal.

HMS Flying Fox takes over kite balloons and the operations are attached to the deployment of the American battleships Utah, Nevada and Oklahoma. The three battleships operate from Berehaven from August to October to protect Allied convoys from attack by the German battlecruisers. 

August 1 – The first fully combined air, sea, and land military operation in history is launched as RN Fairey Campania seaplanes from HMS Nairana join Allied forces to drive Red Army forces from the mouth of the Northern Dvina river in Russia.

The French Tenth Army launch an attack and penetrate five miles into German territory in the Second Battle of the Marne.

British troops enter Vladivostok.

August 2 – Captain Georgi Chaplin stages a coup against the local Soviet government of Arkhangelsk.

Japan announces that it is deploying troops to Siberia.

The first general strike in Canada occurs in a one-day protest at the murder of Albert “Ginger” Goodwin.

August 4 – ‘Gaelic Sunday’, approximately 100,000 Gaels take part in an act of defiance against the British administration by refusing to apply for licenses to play Gaelic Games.

Noel Willman, actor and theatre director, is born in Derry.

There is a full muster of the members of the companies of the Third West Cork Brigade for the funeral of Lieutenant William Hurley (Kilbrittain Company) in Clogagh.

The Norwegian barque Remonstrant is sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 280 nautical miles (520 km) west of the Fastnet Rock. Her crew survive.

Adolf Hitler is awarded an Iron Cross first class on recommendation of his Jewish superior Lieutenant Hugo Gutmann.

August 5 – Five Zeppelins attempt to bomb London however most of the bombs fall into the North Sea due to heavy cloud cover and L20 is shot down killing all the crew.

August 7 – Florrie Burke is born. He goes on to play for Cork United, Cork Athletic, Evergreen United, Ireland and the League of Ireland XI (d. 1995).

August 8 – The first organised meeting of the I.T.G.W.U. in Mallow is held this evening in the old Town-Hall.

Battle of Amiens where Canadian and Australian troops begin a string of almost continuous victories, the 'Hundred Days Offensive', with an 8-mile push through the German front lines, the Canadians and Australians capture 12,000 German soldiers, while the British take 13,000 and the French capture another 3,000 prisoners (more enemy troops were captured in the six days from August 6 to August 12 than in the previous nine months combined). German General Erich Ludendorff later calls this the "black day of the German Army". Historian Charles Messenger refers to this date as the “day we won the war”.

August 10 – General Frederick Poole, the British commander in Archangel, is told to help the White Russians.

August 16 – Battle of Lake Baikal is fought by the Czechoslovak legion against the Red Army. Red army forces take Arkhangelsk.

August 17 – Moisei Uritsky, the Petrograd head of the Cheka, is assassinated.

Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon meet for the last time, in London, and spend what Sassoon later describes as "the whole of a hot cloudless afternoon together”. British troops attack Baku, Azerbaijan

August 21 – The Second Battle of the Somme begins. Corporal Thomas Hargroves, Royal Irish Regiment, 2nd Batallion, dies in action. He had come from Laois to serve in the Prison Service in Cork and enlisted for military service in early 1916. He first saw action securing positions in Dublin in 1916. His unit landed in France in August 1916. He is listed on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, (and on a memorial which disappeared from St. Peter’s Church between 2002 and 2006).

August 22 – Sergeant John Hallinon is killed in action in the Somme. He was born around 1883 in Ballincollig and was working as a bank messenger in London. His wife, Emily, unaware of the condition of life in the trenches wrote to ask for her husband's ring, wristwatch and pipes. They had one child, William.

August 23 – Creation of the Bessarabian Peasants' Party.

August 25 – Composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist Leonard Bernstein is born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (d. 1990).

70 year old fisherman William Whelton dies in Courtmacsharry after mistakenly consuming poison (unlike poisonings in the UK a century later there is no suspicion of Russian involvement!)

August 27 – Denis O'Doherty, Irish Guards is killed in action aged 28. His brother Felix O'Doherty had started the Fianna and Volunteers in Blarney and became Captain 'B' (Blarney) Company, 6th Battalion, Cork Brigade, I.R.A.

The Battle of Ambos Nogales occurs when U.S. Army forces skirmish against Mexican Carrancistas and two supposed German advisors at Nogales, Arizona, in the only battle of WWI fought on United States soil. Over 130 people die, the majority are Mexican citizens.

August 29 – Science historian and cryptanalyst John Herival is born in Belfast (d. 2011).

Bob Conklin dies of gunshot wounds, sustained at the Battle of Arras. Due to the delay of mail from the Front, his family still continue to receive letters from Bob after learning of his death: “Give my love to all and don’t worry on my account”; “Well, my news is finished, so I’ll ring off. I will write mother in a few days. Love to all. Bob.”

August 30 – Czechoslovakia forms independent republic.

London Policemen go on strike after the dismissal of PC Tommy Thiel (centre in the photograph) for union membership. The strikers demand union recognition and a wage increase. Within a few hours 6,000 men throughout London are out, with more joining all the time; even the Special Branch is affected.

Vladimir Lenin is shot and wounded by Fanny Kaplan in Moscow.

[temptation-narnia-chronicles]

From Upon the Golden Thrones

Episode 8: The Parlor

     Breathe. Ironic how something so essential could be so impossible. Shades of blue and green and purple swirled and blurred, the ocean beckoning her beneath it's waves. Trapping her below the surface. Flooding her lungs. Dark hair shackled her, tangling around her limbs and making it impossible for her to move. She was desperate, screaming for air, fighting against the current but the ocean was a ruthless competitor and would not let her free. As her vision shifted out of focus, her mind cloudy, she sunk deeper and deeper, engulfed in the darkness.

     The further she fell, the more she began to make out voices echoing in her ears. Fragmented sentences laced with joy and pain and horror, but completely incomprehensible like the way everything sounds when you're just slowly waking from a long and deep sleep. She could, however, identify familiarities in tone and accent: the strong brogue of her father, the gentle carress of a mother's whisper, the reassuring words of a boy who was pining for her hand. Out of the black burst a bright white light, blinding and brilliant, illuminating a large pair of double doors surrounded by flowers. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow about the faces floating in front of her. Are you ready? one asked softly, twirling around behind her to fix something upon her head. This is the happiest day of your life, said another.      The doors burst open with a swell of music, revealing a gutwrenchingly gaudy scene. Spanned out before he was the parlor smothered in flowers and crowded with dignitaries. At the end of a long aisle, in front of the large windows overlooking the sea, stood High King Peter the Magnificent. A strong grasp took hold of her arm, looking up to see none other than her father smiling down upon her, though it was not a smile of genuine pride. Rather, it was forced with undertones of disappointment. You could've become so much more than a man's wife, his voice echoed, disconnected from his body.       A lump rose in her throat, heart racing, her feet moving her down the aisle against her will. The music grew louder and less uniform, as if a line of static was running through it. Millions of eyes stared at her, some of which she recognized immediately. Her mother watched with hands folded and an unreadable expression upon her face. Varying tones of disgust and romance flickered across those of her sisters. And upon Peter's face sat a disgustingly childish grin, unrealistically wide and far too excited, as if he was hopped up on acid or had needles injected into his jaw.       The closer she grew to the altar, the more overwhelmed she became with dread. Desperation strangled her, knowing that if she could control her legs, she would sprint as far as she could before dropping dead in the middle of the woods. But alas, she had zero control and therefore was trapped enacting the events of this horrifying scene. Her father released her from his grip, backing away beside the rest of her family, as Peter gripped her hands in his. Together forever, he whispered, leaning in as if to kiss her on the cheek. Ice ran down her spine.       Aslan, standing before them, roared tremendously, bearing his sharp white teeth, before speaking. If anyone has reason to believe these two shouldn't be married, speak now or forever hold your peace, he announced. The words tangled in Eilonwy's throat but no matter how hard she tried, they couldn't break free. Much to her relief, she didn't need to.       We object! a chorus of voices rang from the hallway. The double doors swung open and a congregation of strange and unusual creatures filtered through. Among them was Lord Lemuel, eyes black and hollow from his blinding experience. He stumbled forward drunkenly, seizing Eilonwy by the waist and pulling her against his pelvis. We have unfinished business to attend to, he growled, digging his veiny hands into her flesh. Nobody seemed phased by his lewd behavior, not even Peter. A sudden, strong cramp then seized Eilonwy's stomach, breaking free of Lemuel's grasp to fall upon her hands and knees. She wanted to scream but could only manage a hoarse squeak. An invisible vise tightened around her entire abdomen as she writhed on the floor, her body busting open. Blood pooled at her hips, staining the lace of her tight dress bright red. Sweat beaded on her brow as she gripped at the fabric in sheer pain, her horror only emphasized by everyone's cold, blank stares. Not even Peter would help her.       Finally, the pain subsided as she felt something slither out of her. Gasping for breath, she tossed her head back and wept only to discover a slimy creature crawling up her chest: a baby. A shriek broke free from her lips as she overheard a voice coo, She looks just like you!       The first of many, another voice erupted, unmistakably King Lune's, as he broke out in booming laughter. The infant tugged at Eilonwy's dress and hair, eyes wide and nearly demonic. A blood curdling wail broke from it's lips, as if someone was murdering it, as it then split in half and multipled until a hoard of children were surrounding her, pulling at every square inch of body and demanding her for nourishment and affection.       Nothing is more attractive than a woman whose created life, Lemuel's voice rang in her ears, his hands sliding down her chest from behind. Eilonwy wanted to swat him away but her arms were weighed down by the needy grip of infants.       You'll make an amazing mother, Peter's voice then spoke as he nestled himself between her legs. Her sisters laughed uncontrollably, chanting cruel words of how Eilonwy will never make anything of herself, as King Lune's laughter continued to shake through the parlor along with the grating music that by now had become nothing but horrific noise.       Then, in one fell swoop, it all paused. Aslan's roar shook the entire castle, plagued with pain as he began to transform. His jaw separated and peeled backwards, his tongue twisting into the face of a woman who rose up from his throat like a phoenix, droplets of saliva hardening into crystals around her neck and upon her head. Eilonwy recognized the being in an instant: Jadis.       How rude of you, Eilonwy, dear, to have forgotten my invitation, she hissed, tilting the huntress's face upward. If only there was some way to repay you for your ignorance. A sly grin spread across her face as she drew her wand from behind her back, jamming the tip against the marble flooring. In an instant, everything began to decompose. Flesh rotted and fell from bodies, eyes rolling to the backs of heads and mouths hanging open wildly. Piles of bones littered the floor, soaked in puddles of blood. Faces both new and old had diminished into mere skeletons. And as for you, Jadis then announced, gripping Eilonwy by the neck and raising her up above her head. It's a shame you won't just die like the rest of them!       With a piercing shatter, Eilonwy's body was launched through the central window and propelled toward a black, monstrous sea. Deep down, the worst part was knowing that she would more than likely survive regardless of what beasts lurked below. She sucked in a deep breath, clenching her eyes shut tight as she broke through the surface and snapped awake in her own bed.       It took a few moments for her to check over herself, ensure that all of her limbs were in tact and that she had not, in fact, suffered the horrors of childbirth. Her entire body was drenched in a cold sweat, her chest aching and heart pounding. "It was just a dream...it was just a dream....a stupid, pathetic, fucking dream" she whispered to herself, half relieved and half furious. It may have just been a dream but that didn't mean it wasn't a constant possibility. She swung the windows open for some fresh air, leaning her arms and head out as if she was a seasick sailor. The moon shown brightly overhead, somehow calming in it's constant presence. It seemed significantly larger this night, as if it was nearing the earth in an effort to wrap Eilonwy in it's soothing light. She remembered many a night spent under it's glow, curled up in the snow or sprawled upon a tree branch. She slept wherever she damn well pleased. She had no rules or obligations. Nobody expected a thing from her. She was a lone leaf riding the breeze across the Narnian landscape. Her heart ached for those days back, for the bite of winter and blissful autonomy. It had been so long since she felt that freedom. She never should've taken advantage of it, should have clung to it before it all slipped away. Luxuries were fine but nothing could compare to the thrill of the wild.       The breath of autumn flowed through the halls as summer's leaves began to decay. It was almost as if a sense of happiness and rejuvination washed over the castle as the air cooled and the once green world turned red. For the Pevensies, they were just happy they didn't have to return to school.       "Bow down for King Edmund!" the just announced, brandishing his sword in the doorway. Peter peered up from his paperwork, a chuckle breaking past his lips. In one swift movement, he leapt from his chair and drew his own sword.       "En garde!" he shouted back, thrusting his blade toward his brother. They parried across the grand hall all the way toward the balcony, where Eilonwy was sitting disconnected from everyone else."You think you're a better swordsman than the High King himself?"       "Oh, I know I'm a better swordsman than the High King!" Edmund jested back.  Peter darted in and tapped Edmund on the shoulder, a sly smile spreading across his face. Susan and Lucy laughed from the nearby table, watching with all the spectacle and awe of the audience of an infamous sports match.       Edmund's smile dropped immediately, pursing his lips and furrowing his brows as he lifted his sword above his head and swung wildly. Susan gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth, watching as the blade connected with a suit of armor on display. Pieces of silver broke apart and clattered onto the floor.       "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Eilonwy shrieked, storming inside to assess the damage. Dark circles lined her eyes, her complexion reduced to a sickly pallor.       Peter gazed back at her with wide eyes, panting, as Edmund clamored to clear up the debris. "We were just having a bit of fun, but things got kind of out of hand..." Peter replied sheepishly.       "But nobody got hurt, and that's the important thing" Susan chimed in. Eilonwy grimaced, unamused.       "I swear, I get no fucking peace around here" she muttered to herself, stomping out of the room.       "What's gotten into her?" Edmund whispered as soon as she left. Peter shook his head.       "I don't know. Ever since King Lune visited, she's been acting strange but it seems as though it's only gotten worse since after Kronne" Peter explained. He had hoped that their comparably quiet month and a half at the castle would revive everyone's depleting energy, and for the most part he was correct. Everyone else was bright-eyed and full of joy. Everyone except Eilonwy. "I ought to go talk to her later, see if she's alright."       "Yeah, you do that" Susan suggested, huffing as she turned her attention back to her work. Her ideas for the orphanage were coming along swimmingly, especially after meeting Peter's approval when she proposed the idea in parliament. She loved having her own little pet project to work on, one that she could complete at her own pace and feel individual pride for. Their newfound down-time was certainly appreciated, as well.       As Eilonwy barrelled down the hallway, her eyes fixed themselves on the parlor doors. Images from her dream flashed through her mind, sending a shiver down her spine. This was the way it always was: a strong unease taking hold of her at every pass. It had been one hundred years since she stepped behind those doors, one hundred years since the sun hit her through those windows and her bare feet walked across the marble floors. In their increased time spent at the castle, the Pevensies had taken quite a liking to the room. It was Susan's idea to open it up and inhabit it more frequently, and she and her sister very much enjoyed taking their tea there and admiring the sea. Peter, however, was the only one wary of the place. He knew of Eilonwy's history, of her trauma and tragedy, and the thought of stepping foot inside such a place seemed like a disservice to the woman he so loved.       Secretly, however, Peter wasn't the only one lost in deep thought about the parlor. It was no secret that Eilonwy refused to step foot in the room, but it was a mystery as to why. Edmund was the most observant of this, eyeing her suspiciously as she'd trot nervously past. He wanted answers, an explanation as to what was making her so uneasy. Perhaps then he could piece together the mystery of what was going on inside that barricaded brain and even who she really was as a person, as well.       Susan rose from her seat as the grandfather clock chimed 4pm, straightening her skirt and motioning for Lucy to join her for afternoon tea. "Ed, Pete, would you like to join us?" the valiant asked. The boys didn't normally accompany them, finding tea time to be more of a lady's task, but this didn't stop Lucy from asking every day regardless.       "Thanks, Lu, but I've got some paperwork to do" Peter excused, tilting his head to the stacks of documents surrounding him. Lucy nodded in understanding, turning her attention to Edmund.       "I'll be there in a bit, Lucy. I've got some things to take care of" he replied. Susan eyed him suspiciously but said nothing of it. Once they departed, Edmund strolled down the hall toward the sparring grounds. Peering around the corner, he found Eilonwy racing about with sword in hand, just as he expected her to be. She seemed to utilize the field much more frequently these days, and manage her weapons with an even greater passion. Yet another strange but fascinating aspect of this wayward woman.       Upon returning to his chamber, Edmund swung his window open and chimed a bell he had installed upon the sill. Within minutes, Sallowpad came swooping in obediently. "Good afternoon, your majesty! How can I be of service to you today?"       "Sallowpad, I need you to do me a favor" Edmund replied. Sallowpad leaned in, intrigued. "I need you to discretely up the surveillance on the sparring grounds. Let me know if Eilonwy leaves, alright?" The raven had no idea what Edmund had planned but he didn't protest. With a nod, he glided out the window and disappeared into the trees.       Sucking in a deep breath, Edmund fixed his window and sped down the hall as quietly as possible. He figured that even with Sallowpad keeping watch, his time was negotiable. He would have to work quickly and efficiently to complete his task.       Eilonwy's chambers were a mystery but the moment Edmund slipped inside, a wave of knowing washed over him, as if he was visiting a historic battlefield where many had lost their lives. Everything about the place appeared old and well-loved, from the tatters and frays in the blankets to the antique brush and ribbons on the dresser. Stepping into her room was like stepping back in time, temporally disorienting. Tiptoeing around the floor's mess, he slowly tugged one of the drawers open and began inspecting inside for some kind of clue. The top two drawers proved unsuccessful, finding nothing but wrinkled clothes stained with age-old mud. The third drawer, however, piqued his interest considerably. Beneath a pile of dark dresses was a tiny leatherbound book. He admirably ran his fingers over the apple tree etched into the cover before flipping through the yellowed pages.       It seems as though I'll never escape this, read one page in Eilonwy's signature messy hand. Nobody seems to think I'll make anything of my life. I don't even think Papa has much faith in me. He won't even let me in battle-- real battle. Says it's no place for a young girl like me. More like it's no place for young girls like Helene and Amalthea. They're far too gentle and proper to face the wages of war. They'd never survive. I, however...       Another page spoke rather cruelly of a man named Rolf, whom Edmund inferred was a horrible man with horrible values. Though her handwriting was shaky and smudged here, Edmund inferred the worst of this man as a dizzying array of mental images flickered through his mind. Mental images that, unfortunately, weren't totally unfamiliar.       Before he could read further, a frantic caw echoed from outside the window. Edmund struggled to hide the book, preparing to escape, but within seconds the bedroom door swung wide open and there stood Eilonwy. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" she screamed, charging forward and snatching the book from his hands. Her grip was strong as she grabbed him by the forearm and lifted him to his feet, staring him down with wild eyes. "Who do you think you are to rummage through someone's personal property? Hmm?"       "I-I was just--!" Edmund stammered, terrified, but the huntress interrupted him before he could get another word out.       "I don't give a fuck what you were doing! Get out! Now!" she demanded, tossing him toward the doorway. Edmund stumbled into the hall, regaining his footing, but wasn't about to leave so easily.       "Listen, I'm worried about you! We all are! I was just...I was just looking to see if maybe I could find a hint as to what's wrong" Edmund explained. Eilonwy immediately paused, taking a moment to chew over the just's words. Maybe her troubles weren't as discrete as she had hoped they were. No matter. That didn't give Edmund any right to snoop.       Clutching the book to her chest, she slowly lifted her gaze to Edmund. There was something in her eyes that wasn't quite right, a vulnerability peeking through the cracks in her hard exterior. "Well, Edmund" she murmured softly, "I appreciate your concern but I don't need you looking after me. Or anyone for that matter. Now, if you'd please be so kind as to leave."       Edmund bowed his head and backed away slowly, watching as Eilonwy slammed the door in his face. Though it was midday, the hallway immediately seemed entrenched in absolute darkness. With an exasperated sigh, he kicked at the floor and retreated to the parlor for tea with his sisters.       Eilonwy propped her window open and let the cool night air flow through the room. The stars seemed especially bright tonight and for the first time in a while, the hint of a smile touched her lips. It felt like home. Shaking hands grasped the novel on her vanity and opened to a random page as she slumped into the nearest chair. She didn't quite care for whatever she had grabbed, nor did she care for reading much at all, but she just needed something engaging enough to distract her. She hoped whatever mundane tale was before her would either help her forget her troubles or bore her into a much needed sleep. Either way, she couldn't lose.       As she forced herself through the first couple paragraphs, however, she realized there was a third possibility she hadn't accounted for: interruption. Try as she might, when the knocks at her door failed to quit, she had no choice but to answer. Her stomach flipped when she found Peter on the other side.       "What do you want, Pete? I'm a little busy here" she asked rudely, waving the book in front of his face. The High King was unamused.       "Well, put a bookmark in it then because I need to speak with you" he replied, pushing past her into the room. A spark of offense flashed across her face as she shut the door and trudged back inside.       "Whatever this is about, could it not have waited til morning?" she said. Peter shook his head, seating himself on the edge of her bed. An invisible hand gave her throat a quick, strong squeeze.       "I suppose it could've, but I'd rather settle things now" he said back. "Eilonwy, I'm worried about you."       "Yeah, you and everyone else in Narnia" she replied sarcastically.       Peter groaned, leaning forward and taking his hands in hers. "I'm being serious, Ellie. I'm genuinely concerned about you."       Eilonwy snatched her hands back and rolled her eyes. "You have nothing to be concerned about, Peter. I'm perfectly fine" she lied. He didn't believe her for a second. After a few beats of silent staring, she added, "What makes you think I'm worth so much worry anyways?"       "Oh, where do I begin?" Peter groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. "You haven't been eating lately. You've gotten so thin. I doubt you've been sleeping very well, either, since you look like a raccoon with those horrible dark circles. And ever since King Lune visited, you've been acting different. I know there's something wrong that you're not telling me, Ellie, but whatever it is, I want you to be able to trust in me. Confide in me like I do you. Please, Ellie. Just tell me what the hell is going on."       A sigh escaped Eilonwy's lips as she leaned back in her chair, pressing her fingers into her temples. "Peter, you worry far too much. I'm perfectly fine. Just please..."       "No, Eilonwy, I'm not leaving until you give me an answer. A real answer" he protested, once again taking her hand in his.       She narrowed her eyes in his direction, frustrated with his perseverance. "Nothing is wrong, Pete! And even if it was, why is it such a big deal to you?"       "Because, Ellie!" he exclaimed, "I care about you! I thought you'd be happy here back at Cair Paravel with my family, returning home and spending time with us like you have, but you don't seem very happy and that concerns me. I want to make it better. I want to make you happy."       "Peter, it's not your job to make me happy" Eilonwy replied but the High King shook his head.       "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. That is exactly my job. More than even ruling Narnia, my job is to make you happy" he replied. Eilonwy's heart began racing in her chest as his grip on her hand tightened. She recognized the glimmer in his eyes, hinting at the kinds of things that were to come next. The warning lights flashing as the train barrelled down the tracks. This time, she was powerless to stop it. "I know you don't think it's my job to make you happy or worry about you or even look after you but it is. It is because...because I love you, Eilonwy."       The moment the words fell from his lips, Eilonwy's entire body went numb. Her head spun and her limbs felt like jelly and her tongue was entirely too big for her mouth. "Y-you...you what...?" she croaked.       "I love you" he repeated, a grin spreading across his face. All the tension he had built up over the past couple months, all the restraint, instantly vanished in a massive swell of relief. "Eilonwy, I'm in love with you!" he laughed, leaning closer. He lifted his hand to cup her cheek, hoping to kiss her, but she broke free of his grasp and jumped to her feet before he could.       The entire room was spinning and her stomach was flipping in every direction imaginable. Peter watched her a moment before standing up and slowly approaching her, a tender expression upon his face. He wanted to hug her and kiss her and celebrate his confession with her. He was in love and finally admitting it felt incredible. As he swept in to wrap his arms around her, however, Eilonwy spun him around and shoved him out the door, mumbling something about it being far too late and needing to wake up early. As her bedroom door slammed in his face, the novelty quickly faded and he began to obsessively retrace the moment in hopes of remembering whether she said she loved him back. In his outrageous excitement, the whole thing passed in a happy blur but now he was second guessing himself. Unless...maybe she really was exhausted. Maybe she was just preparing to settle into bed when he barged in and interrupted her routine. Maybe she was too tired to say she loved him back.       From behind the locked door, Eilonwy slid onto the floor and attempted to make herself as small and insignificant as possible. Peter's words echoed through her brain like a broken record, distorting with each replay. I love you, Eilonwy. Eilonwy, I'm in love with you. I love you, Eilonwy. Eilonwy, I'm in love with you. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Peter's face: that glimmer in his eyes and wide grin across his lips. The picture of sheer happiness. Deep down, she knew none of this was nearly all that surprising. She knew Peter had had feelings for her since the very beginning, since their hands brushed against one another's in the light of a campfire that first night together. She could feel the electricity between them, the rising tension that took hold during their journey. She wasn't even sure if she felt the same way. By now, she couldn't quite comprehend how she felt. The energy between her and the king was undeniable, the way he ignited that strange and disgustingly satisfying feeling in her. Warm and tender and full of purpose. But romance was far more than just good feelings and carefree escapades. It was compromise and commitment, promises of togetherness in the form of tied hands and locked lips. Peter was still so young, so inexperienced. So naive to the harsh cruelties of the world. She already had a decent idea of his pie-in-the-sky ideas, his hopes of marriage and babies and ruling side by side. The thought of so much domestication was dizzying. Truthfully, Eilonwy still barely even felt like a human let alone prepared for the responsibility of becoming a wife, a mother, a queen. The world was spinning far too fast and her brain felt like it was about to explode from her head. In one swift motion, she fell upon her mattress, cocooning herself in her blankets, and shoved her pillow over her head. Even in sleep, she found no respite.       Sunlight filtered through the parlor's spotless windows as the Pevensies embraced the space for yet another bright afternoon. Peter and Susan were enthralled in rather serious paperwork, meanwhile Edmund and Lucy found great joy in a game of chess. As Peter skimmed through and signed some legal documents, his free hand skated down to rest gently upon Eilonwy's knee. An uneasy smile touched her lips as she forced herself to focus on the book before her. Though he knew this was no doubt difficult for her, he was incredibly proud of her bravery for finally facing her fear and stepping foot in a room full of such horrible memories. As she read, however, her ears suddenly picked up on a curious sound in the distance.       "Do you hear that...?" she asked softly, glancing to each of the Pevensies. They gazed back at her, bewildered. "That noise, do you hear it? It's almost like some sort of...clanging."       The royals strained their ears for the faint sound. It took a few moments but soon each of them could hear it, too. Then, suddenly, a scream. Peter's eyes widened as he jolted from his seat and rushed to the door. The clanging increased in volume. Lucy clutched her sister's hand, a strange sense of fear rising from within her. Edmund rose to join his brother, remaining a few feet behind for safety. Susan straightened her back, eyes locked on her brothers as she awaited their response. Peter gently pressed his ear against the door, hoping to make sense of the commotion, hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword. Screams echoed down the hallway, the ruckus growing louder and louder until...silence.       "Maybe it's gone..." Lucy whispered. Eilonwy drew her knees to her chest, her heart pounding. A sickening sense of deja vu overtook her. The silence dragged on until Peter decided perhaps there was just a rat in the kitchen or something else equally mundane.       "I'm sure it's nothing" Peter assured. "Let's just all take a deep breath and relax." Susan nodded minutely. The tension began to lift. They all returned to their activities. All was well.       Everything happened so quickly and yet somehow also in slow motion. Eilonwy struggled to focus her vision as her entire world crumbled around her. She was frozen in place, kneeling on the floor awestruck. The double doors burst open, shaking the entire building, as an army of misfits and delinquents poured inside. Peter's eyes widened but he barely had time to react. A mesmerizing figure, pale and piercing, skated a hand down the High King's abdomen and stabbed her blade into his chest. A sickening grin spread across her face as her eyes turned jet black, whispering, "Long live the king." Jadis.       Peter collapsed to the floor, blood spilling from the wound. Lucy rushed to save him but was instantly seized by the strong grip of a minotaur, quickly binding her hands behind her back and stealing her cordial from her belt. The vial shattered on the ground, red juice spilling across the marble floor and mingling with that of Peter's blood. A lump rose into Eilonwy's throat, her heart beating against her chest so violently she was certain she was going to have a heart attack.       Tears streamed down the other's faces as Jadis's henchman tied them up and threw them onto the floor. The witch eyed each of the royals one by one as she grew closer. With a satisfied grin, she knelt down beside Susan and stalled a moment to caress a lock of her soft chestnut hair. "What a beautiful young girl" Jadis murmured before lifting her knife and stabbing the gentle straight in the chest. Lucy shrieked, struggling to break free of her bonds, but it was no use. A yelp escaped Susan's lips as the blood poured down her dress.       Eyeing the valiant, Jadis then skated toward little Lucy with hunger in her eyes. Gripping the back of the girl's head, the witch gazed upon her admirably before slicing the littlest Pevensie's neck. Lucy's head fell backwards and bobbed at a disgustingly inhumane angle. Next came Edmund, whose entire body had fell into a terrifying chill at the thought of once more revisiting the woman he had such history with.       "Edmund, dear" Jadis cooed, gripping his chin so as to force him to look upon her. "You could've had so much more" she whispered, lunging her blade into the exact some spot on his stomach where she had impaled him during Beruna. The just king gasped for breath, fighting the overwhelming sensation, but Jadis had stabbed her knife deeper now than before. In a matter of minutes, he, too, had drifted.       From the middle of the room, Eilonwy's body quaked with terror at all she had just witnessed. In mere moments, the entire Pevensie family had been viciously murdered before her very eyes. Her stomach churned as Jadis then turned her gaze to the huntress, grinning triumphantly. "You seem to have quite a talent for getting in the middle of these sorts of situations, don't you, Eilonwy, dear?" she said as she approached. "Not once but twice now I have killed all those you hold dearest to you, and in the same exact room no less! Oh, the irony!"       A low growl tangled in Eilonwy's throat as she clenched her fists at her side, staring up at this devil of a woman. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream and fight or curl up in the puddles of blood and completely break. "You...had no right...!" she finally said through clenched teeth.       "Oh, my dear, sweet, little Eilonwy, I think you misunderstand the situation. You see, this land rightfully belongs to me and therefore it is my right to exterminate any and all who try to usurp it from me. Does that make sense?" she explained condescendingly, leaning down and sliding an icy hand down the girl's cheek. "If only you could go with them. I'm sure Narnia would love to see proof of your mortality. Such a shame we have to tell all those little white lies."       An unadulterated rage began bubbling up from within Eilonwy's chest, collecting energy from every cell inside of her body. "You had...no...right!" Eilonwy repeated, this time stronger and more passionately than before.       "Perhaps you'll never truly understand" Jadis replied, half to herself. "Unless...maybe we can prove your mortality, Eilonwy. What do you think? Should we try?" Without giving her a chance to reply, Jadis swiped her blade across Eilonwy's stomach in one swift movement. The witch stood over her, satisfied, as she watched the girl gasp and tumble to the floor, the contents of her stomach spilling out before her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as her eyes landed right on Peter's lifeless face, mustering all her energy to reach out and take his dead hand in hers. The moment Jadis noticed this, however, she growled in displeasure and launched a hard kick toward Eilonwy's disemboweled abdomen. Instantly, everything went black.       Peter tugged his robe tighter around his waist as he shuffled back to bed, glass of water in hand. As he passed Eilonwy's room, however, he swore he heard the quiet sounds of struggle. His heart instantly leapt into his throat, fearing the worst, as he set his glass on a little table nearby and knocked on her door softly. "Eilonwy? Are you okay in there?" No answer. He knocked again, fear increasing, but again was met with silence. Visions of what happened with Lemuel and her near-death experience on Kronne flashed through his mind. If she was in danger, he couldn't afford to lose her. He couldn't risk ignoring her pain.       Slamming the door open, the High King found Eilonwy bawling and writhing in bed. "Eilonwy? Eilonwy!" he shouted, darting to her side. He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him in the darkness.       "P-Peter?!" she wailed, barely comprehensible.       "Ellie, it's me. I'm right here. Everything's alright. Everything's going to be alright" he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. Eilonwy squirmed in Peter's grasp, her hot tears seeping thorugh his nightshirt as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. His lips grazed her ear as he whispered soft reassurances to her, trying everything in his power to calm her, but deep down she was terrified. If she had the strength, she would've broken free of his grasp and ran as far as her legs would carry her. Instead, she was absolutely exhausted as if she had just run a marathon on 45 minutes of sleep. Eventually, her wailing dwindled to mere whimpers as she slowly slipped out of consciousness. Peter refused to leave her side the entire night.       When she awoke the next morning, throat sore and eyes crusted shut, she was horrified to find Peter's hand resting on the small of her back. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over to catch him passed out on the other side of the bed. A tinge of panic struck her, leaping to her feet and quickly reaching beneath her nightgown for security's sake. All was well. She sighed and pressed her back against the wall, tilting her head toward the ceiling. She was treading very dangerous waters here and she wasn't so sure she liked where things were going. When Peter awoke shortly after, Eilonwy had disappeared.       "Rough night?" Edmund asked at breakfast. Peter scooted into the seat beside him and rubbed the sleep from his face.       "I guess" he yawned. Once his vision was focused enough, he scanned the room hoping Eilonwy had joined them. He was pleased to not only find her at the other end of the table, but appearing in better spirits than she had expressed in quite a long while. She was joking and laughing with Tumnus and the Beavers, eating all of her food with great fervor. It was almost as if the previous night had never happened, and all the nasty nights beforehand, too. While the others were delighted to see her so full of life again, Peter couldn't help but feel slightly suspicious. Nobody is cured of their ailments overnight. Or maybe she was fine all along. The past week had him seriously questioning his perception of reality.       "I'm glad to see Eilonwy is feeling better" Lucy smiled as she watched the girl sparring from the balcony. Susan nodded.       "I don't know if I've ever seen her this happy" she replied thoughtfully. They sipped their tea together and continued to chat about her, watching as Peter approached their friend.       "Nice to see you're feeling better" he commented, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. Eilonwy paused a moment, huffing a stray strand of hair from her face, and shrugged.       "Better than what?" she asked. "I told you before, Pete, I'm perfectly fine."       "But, I mean, last night..." he stammered in confusion.       "What about last night?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.       "You can't possibly say you don't remember, I mean...you were so...I just...you were having a nightmare?" he said.       Eilonwy furrowed her brows and sheathed her sword, approaching slowly to place the back of her hand on Peter's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Pete?"       "Wait, what? Of course I'm feeling alright! I should be asking the same of you" the magnificent stammered, swatting her hand away. "You were hysterical last night, clinging to me and crying yourself to sleep. Remember? I spent the night comforting you."       "Sounds like you had a rather vivid dream there, Peter" she replied, crossing her arms. "Listen, whatever you saw or whatever you think you saw, it was nothing. It was all in your head. I'm perfectly fine. You've got nothing to worry about."       Peter averted his eyes and tried to recount the events of the night. She was so sure of herself, it made it hard to believe anything else was true. But if she was right and everything was just in his head, then how did he wake up in her bed? What really happened? He couldn't comprehend it. However, this was not the time or place for deep pondering. While he hated being dishonest, he nodded slowly and agreed that she was right, that it must have all been in his head, and that he was happy to see she was feeling so well regardless. As she watched him depart, Eilonwy sighed in relief and unsheathed her sword. Crisis averted.       Despite the smile and pleasant disposition she exuded, Eilonwy was not better. If anything, she was getting worse. Nightmares plagued her every night, she just learned to keep quiet about them. Even during the day, strong bouts of deja vu and anxiety seized her. Her mind was constantly running, pumping out thought after terrible thought. She tried to keep herself as busy as possible, sparring every afternoon and hoarding books from the library. What others considered being productive, she considered an attempt at distraction. No matter what she did, however, nothing could calm the waves of insanity that kept knocking into the shore.       Even worse, her terror passing that parlor increased tenfold. A part of her considered just barging in there once and for all, finally quieting those taunting thoughts. Perhaps if she just revisited the scene of the crime, then it would confirm to her the reality of her situation. The incident happened and her family was gone. There was no changing that. The sooner she made peace with that, the sooner she could move on with her life and finally be free of this horrible pain. As much as she romanticized the idea, she knew she knew she didn't have the strength to really do such a thing. No amount of sleep deprivation of alcohol-induced confidence could ever give her the strength to venture past those doors. Or so she thought.       In the comfort of her bed, she was suddenly jarred awake by a familiar voice calling to her. Eilonwy...Eilonwy, where are you? it echoed down the hallway, magnetizing. In a daze, Eilonwy peeled back the covers and began drunkenly swaying out of the room and right toward those fateful doors. The closer she grew, the louder the voice became until finally, she could hear it ringing from inside the parlor. Without hesitation, Eilonwy swung the doors open and stepped inside.       One of the large windows creaked slightly ajar, a soft autumn breeze flowing through the crack. Everything was exactly as Eilonwy had remembered: the pastel pink walls, the white brocade chairs, the sheer curtains framing every window. Portraits of her family still hung overhead, perfectly manicured faces and stiff poses with eyes cold and hollow. She saw her father standing tall, sword in hand, pride painting his gruff face. Her mother, poised and elegant with platinum hair piled high atop her head. Her sisters, cherubic and porcelain and pure. And then she saw herself. The outcast. The black sheep. Crooked teeth and tangled hair and dirtied skirts. An ink stain on an otherwise perfect painting. She remembered the exact day that portrait was painted. It had been so long.       A frigid air burst into the room, engulfing Eilonwy in panic. Suddenly, a phantom seized her entire body, paralyzing her as something cold and hard pressed to her throat. She knew who it was immediately. This was it. Revenge. Eilonwy would finally pay her dues. A blade to her throat. A slice. Blood. A cold, steely breath whispers, "Long live the princess."       A blood curdling shriek echoed through the castle, shrill enough to shatter windows. Peter sprinted out of his room, horror-stricken to find the parlor doors creaked open. He understood immediately. Rushing inside, he found Eilonwy's frail form crumpled onto the marble floor convulsing. A stream of staff, councilmen, and the other royals followed Peter, watching as he skidded to a halt beside his friend and wrapped her in his arms. Her shrieks nearly deafened him, flailing her arms with wild abandon, fists knocking Peter in the chest. He begged her to look at him, to breathe, shouting that everything was alright and nothing was going to hurt her, but had a hard time keeping his word. Patches of the floor were still stained pink with blood.       Susan clutched her chest as she watched the scene from a distance, having never seen anyone, let alone the huntress, quite so hysterical. It felt like stepping into a horror movie, watching doctors cart a young woman in a strait jacket off to a psych ward. If they were still in London, the gentle was sure that would be the case. But this wasn't London. This was Narnia and in Narnia, there were no mental institutions. There were no tranquilizers or laughing gas or sleeping pills. Even with Lucy's cordial at the ready, Susan knew not even that could fix Eilonwy's ailment. There was only one option, one person experienced enough for an illness of this magnitude. The longer Susan watched, the more she understood that he was their only choice. If they had any hope of healing Eilonwy, they would have to call on Aesop.

[fuzzystarofficial-blog]

Chapter 2 Preview Part 2(or 3)

Isaac, Fiora and friends had heard a strange noise coming from en empty apartment. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a kitty :( (sorry Fiora!). They’ve come face to face with a big ugly monster, and no one can hear them scream! What to do?! And...uh...what’s the glowing around your neck?

"Memorite. Now." said the male and female chorus.

"J-Just give them to it!" screamed Emma. She grabbed her necklace and tried to pull it above her head, but the stone began to glow red. She struggled, but couldn't get it past her nose before her arms gave out.

"What's your problem? Just give it up already." said Fiora.

"I'm trying, but I can't!" she cried. "It's too heavy for some reason. It's stuck."

I tried to yank mine off every which way, but the more I forced it, the heavier the stone became. By the time I got the necklace up to my eyes, my arms felt like they were lifting a freight train. Burning and tired, my hands sunk to my side in defeat.

"We can't!" I told the creature.

The monster looked at us silently before it suddenly jerked up and roared into the sky. We covered our ears in terror, huddling close together. When I found the courage to look up, I saw it approach.

"Memorite. Must take. Take it!" it yelled.

The thing went into a full sprint, nearly running on all fours like a gorilla as its heavy arms dragged against the grass. I was scared out of my mind as a battle cry left its unseen lips. I thought it would be the last thing me, or any of my friends would ever hear. Once close enough, it swing its colossal arm. Like a tree branch in a whirlwind, it would take out most if not all of us.

For a split second everything stopped. Austin was frozen with his arms in front of his face. Fiora was on her knees, anticipating the inevitable. Emma was now crouched over her, but unlike the rest of us, a faint aura had outlined her entire body. I noticed the same had happened to me. Her eyes fell on mine, but only for a fraction of the time. Without words we told the other that something was up with our shards. The light, in its growing brilliance, whispered by its shine that we were the only ones who could do something.

We weren't going to die. Not like that.

Our perception of time sped back up, and the aura became visible to the others. By the time the world was brought back to full speed, both of my arms were up, holding back the deadly blow. Emma followed suit, and with a loud cry the bony girl swerved under me and swung at the monster. The blow from her dainty hand sent it spiraling away into the back porch. It broke the iron railing and fresh boards like they were made out of foam. Squirming on its back, it laid with a handrail piercing its chest until it melted into black mush. The crystal in its hand fell into the debris.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked. Fiora and Austin nodded and stood.

We all wanted to ask why's and how's, but they had to wait. I looked around at the other empty apartments. The stone shot me a warm jolt as I noticed new sets of white eyes looking back at us. One pair. Two pairs. Four. Seven. They all left their spots and ran for us. Unlike their fallen comrade, these growled with mindless rage rather than make any demands.

"Oh my God!" shouted Fiora. I couldn't tell if she was scared or excited. "What do we do?"

Emma and I looked at each other. The shards around our necks were bright blue, and the power around our bodies began to swirl like a tornado of light. In bright calligraphy, an undisclosed force wrote the words "Of Bravery" around my body. ""Of Knowledge" adorned Emma. They hovered in the air for a few seconds before they disappeared along with the glowing aura. However, they left a parting gift; a radiant sword in my hand, and an elegant bow in hers.

The creatures stopped their charge. They hissed and murmured with each other, and drew away as I looked at them. It wasn't me they were afraid of, but my sword. I knew what pretend was all about, but the onyx blade that shot from the golden thorned cross guard and red handle was as real as could be. The glyphs down the metal, the same words that floated around me, flickered in crimson.

I held the weapon in front of me while my eyes switched focus to whichever monster was closest. They would start to advance, but the moment I pointed my blade at them they would back off.

"They're scared of it." said Fiora. She looked up at me with determination in her eyes. "You can beat them. The blade is their weakness!"

"I'm not a swordsman!" I yelled.

"You are now! Do it, Voshi!" she said.

The bravest of the beasts ran at me. With a howl it pulled back for a punch, and by the looks of its muscles, it could have nailed me into the dirt like a stake. As the punch came down, I swung my sword. The beast staggered back from the cut, and black gel slowly took up its form. Once most of its torso congealed, the light left its eyes and the rest of it turned into a puddle of soupy wires.

The six remaining creatures ran at us at once. Austin and Fiora hid behind the piles of lumber as I stepped up to bat against another beast. The birds chirps and the wind's gentle rustling of leaves had faded from my senses. All I could hear was my own heartbeat and the shimmering song of my spinning sword.

I didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing. My swings were wide and wild, like if you were trying to swat a fly with a baseball bat. Any blows that connected were pure chance, or perhaps the sword's doing.

One monster popped instantly against the tip of my sword, followed by a second. The third creature came from behind and grabbed me. I was in its tight grasp for seconds before it flung me into the vinyl siding of a wall. It cracked and dented on impact. Some of the siding even fell on me, and the glass from the second floor window cracked from the heavy impact.

"Isaac?!" shouted Fiora.

My waist down felt like pins and needles for a few seconds. I gathered my senses and got legs to stand. Other than that, the only damage happened to my clothes. The crystal around my neck glowed green before it returned to blue.

"I'm okay." I called out.

I turned my head to see Emma fleeing from three giants. As fast as they were, they couldn't catch her. It was as if I were watching a video played in fast forward as her feet carried her across the courtyard.

"What do I do? All I have is a bow and no arrows!"

Fiora stood from her spot and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Pull back the string and fire!"

"I have no freakin' arrows you retard!"

"Shut up and do it!"

Emma spun around, and with complete trust in her sister's wealth of comic book experience, pulled back the string to her purple, vine covered bow. The smaller crystals embedded in the flowery tips lit up a fiery red as a thin bolt materialized out of nowhere. She released it as quick as it appeared. It landed in the first beast, bursting it in a flaming hot mess.

I turned my attention back to my opponent, who was now an arm's length from me. It swatted the sword out of my hand and rammed its arm into my body. I went back into the wall again. My necklace turned green as it rammed my body against it over and over, but after a while the pain registered, and I fell down in a crumbled heap bordering on tears.

Emma started for me, but there was no way she would make it in time. I reached for my sword, but it fizzled into nothingness after a swift kick to the face.

"Help!" I shouted through my swelling lip.

The monster lifted its leg to stomp me flat, but it staggered back as two small arms latched onto its neck. It turned and flipped around as the glowing blonde boy struggled to choke it into submission. A glow came from his pants pocket.

"Get outta there, dude!" he said.

I stood and my blade reformed, but before I could swing it, Austin had already been engulfed in a blinding light. "Of Courage" vanished, leaving him with a silver tipped spear that he promptly used to disintegrate his opponent. The battle was over.