The Power of Three
"What do you mean another one has been killed Cassandra?" asked Leo. The worry was clear on his face as he processed the news of the murder of another nascent witch. "We are trying desperately to uncover the identity of the force or forces of evil responsible, for now, they remain at large." replied Cassandra. Though the elder composed herself perfectly, Leo could still tell that this calm was only superficial. The death of a witch caused great upset and concern. But Leo could not imagine what effect the death of three witches, especially in such quick succession , would be doing to the elders. "I noticed that you haven't sounded the global alert yet" Leo said, though his tone made it clear that this was more of a question. "Well, so far, this is not a global threat. All three incidents have been localized to a small town, Camden, in London, England. So we have only issued a local alert, though we must all be vigilant" Cassandra responded.
At that moment, the sound of a bell ringing filled the main hall. Students, as well as some professors started to file in from their previous lessons on their way to the next. Leo tried to hide his concerned look as he greeted the passing students. The teachers and the more astute students bowed in reverence to Cassandra as they walked by. After all, it is not every day that one is in the presence of an elder.
Moving to the side, in an attempt to hide their conversation, Leo asked "What can I do to help?". As the current headmaster of Magic School, Leo had his plate very full, but even he knew that revealing these agents of darkness at large took precedent. "For now, we ask that you will please keep the students at Magic School. We want to minimize their exposure to the outside world, especially those that would return to London to visit family." Cassandra continued "We are also thinking of using Magic School to host any nascent witches that we detect in the area. Here they will be safe from those that seek to harm them." Leo nodded in agreement with the instructions Cassandra had given him. He would of course be accommodating to any witches that the elders manage to find. He just hoped that this whole ordeal would be over sooner than later. Cassandra added "It is a shame the Charmed Ones are in retirement, we could really use their expertise and powers right now." Leo smiled as his mind filled with memories of his demon fighting days with the sisters. "Yes, it is a shame, but surely it is time for the next generation of witches to pick up where they left off" Answered Leo. "That is exactly what we had in mind." agreed Cassandra, with a knowing smile on her face. "Thank you for your cooperation in this. May this nightmare be over as soon as possible. Blessed be Leo" said Cassandra as she ascended in a cloud of orbs. Leo stared at the spot that the elder was just in as he began fully processing all he had heard. "Blessed be" he whispered back, as he began on his way back to his office.
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The gust of cold air was welcomed by Peter as he exited the doors to his gym. He made his way through the car park to his car absentmindedly, as planned what to do when he got home. It had been a long day and a longer than normal gym session, so he looked forward to having some dinner and getting into bed. Peter had made it to his car in no time and proceeded to open his boot to place his gym bag in. As he entered his car, his phone began to ring, causing him to groan internally, until he saw the caller. Peter normally enjoyed calls from his grandma, but noting the late hour of the call, he knew it would not be one filled with good news. "Hi Grandma, how're you?" asked Peter. She answered, with an almost audible sigh, "Better, after hearing your voice." The tone of relief seemed to confuse Peter. "Is everything alright? , you seem anxious" noted Peter. Sophia Marie, his grandma, was a formidable woman in every sense of the word. It took a lot to rattle her and break her always calm composure. "Are you alone and free to talk?" inquired Sophia. Peter looked to his left and right to make sure he no one could overhear. "Yes I am" Peter replied.
"I have just done a reading of the cards and I am very worried." began Sophia. "They tell me that you are about to face a great and powerful evil, one you cannot defeat alone." This was not the news Peter needed to hear today. "The cards wouldn't have happened to tell you what this evil is or how I am supposed to defeat it, would they?" asked Peter. Amongst her many talents as a witch, Sophia Marie had developed the ability of Divination, in particular, through Tarot cards. "No, they weren't that clear, but what was clear was that you are about to be in danger and you will need help to overcome this." continued Sophia. This news could not come at a worse time for Peter, he had so many deadlines coming up, not to mention the chaos at work caused by this string of disappearances and murders of young people. "Maybe it is all connected" whispered Peter to himself. "What was that dear?", asked Sophia. This pulled Peter out of his inner thoughts and he began "There have been a series of disappearances in our local area, of young people. They have been reappearing a few days later, dead of course. The cause of death as well as any information about the killer are unknown. I had been considering whether this may be demonic." Peter waited for his grandma to reply but heard only silence, he could imagine the cogs turning in her head. "I think it may be Peter, it is unlikely that these events are not linked. Follow this story more carefully, I think this will lead us to some answers." said Sophia. Peter had already reached that conclusion himself, but was pleased his grandma agreed. "I need to consult with my friend gifted with premonition to see if we can shed more light on this situation. As always, stay safe young one. I love you" said Sophia. "Love you grandma" replied Peter.
Peter sat still in his car as he thought through all his grandma had told him. It seemed almost obvious to him that this evil he was to face is the same that was terrorizing the city. That was clear. What was unclear was how he was supposed to defeat this evil. His grandma's vision seemed to suggest that he cannot do it alone. But did that mean he needed someone else to help or maybe a weapon of some sort? Peter was rapidly becoming frustrated; though he trusted his grandma's ability to Divine, the abstract nature of visions irritated him. He decided to put that part of the vision aside and focus on what he could do in the present, which was to study the reports of the last victims to pick up any clues on who this demon, if they even were a demon, could be.
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Oli could not believe the day he had had. Time seemed to slow, giving the day a never ending feel, so all he wanted to do was rush into bed and sleep the day away. However, as he reached forward with his keys in his hand he could not miss his ring glowing. Oli had blessed the ring himself to alert him to the presence of magic in the immediate area. He was not alone. Oli turned quickly to scan up and down the corridor but could not sense anyone there. He swung his bag down and quickly retrieved the vial he had hidden in it for cases such as this. His heart rate increased, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Oli steeled himself. With his keys in one hand and the vial in the other he tentatively opened the door to his apartment as he tensed in anticipation.
It all happened so quickly.
His living room was dark but he could still make out a vague humanoid shape that adjusted themselves as Oli walked into his apartment. Without hesitation and with surprising accuracy, Oli stepped forward and threw the vial in the direction of the shadowed figure. Before the vial struck however, the figure raised their hand, palm flat and facing forward. A circular fluorescent blue shield appeared right in the vial's path creating a collision that shattered the vial. The force of the collision forced the two men to stumble back a few paces. Oli had reached the door again and quickly turned to the light switch. He cast the room into light as his eyes struggled to confirm the figure was who he thought it was. "You always were a little slow brother. But you did know how to make a great potion. Why you chose to throw that all away and live a life amongst these mortals, I'll never understand but...". Oli could recognise that voice anywhere he heard it and quickly interrupted "Hi Owen, nice to see you too."
The Hayward brothers had all the characteristic figures of their family. The blonde hair, defined jaw line and striking blue eyes. Though Owen was taller by a few inches, and more muscular, the facial similarities were still there. It was these two faces that had a momentary stare off after Oli's sarcastic comment. Owen was instantly reminded of how he disliked his brother's wit and cutting remarks. Though, he had not been exposed to it for a while. "It's good to see some things never change" Owen noted, more to himself than anything as his eyes fully examined his baby brother. "Well that's not entirely true. Now, it seems we are breaking into each other's places and trying to scare them to death." Quipped Oli. Owen laughed, "Don't let them hear that a Hayward was almost killed by a little fright, it may tip them over the edge and they may actually follow throw with disowning you." The 'them' he referenced were his and Oli's parents, Oscar and Elizabeth Hayward. Oli did not want to think about his parents, those memories still hurt, so he sought to change the subject as quickly as possible. "I'm sure you didn't come all this way to lecture me on the Hayward family legacy, so why are you actually here?" This question wiped the smirk off Owen's face and he was serious again.
Owen Hayward was known for his normal carefree and charming manner but he had his serious and focused face. The 'Hayward Heir' face as Oli affectionately coined it. It was this facial expression that Owen wore now. "I came to warn you. I think you may be in danger". This answered shocked Oli and his original annoyance at his brother's trespassing dissipated. "What do you mean? In danger from whom?" Oli asked, obviously grasping the gravity of the situation. A look flashed across Owen's face so quickly, his brother was unsure it even happened, but Oli was very good at reading his brother, it was a look of frustration. "We're not sure exactly." The use of 'we' hung in the air as Owen held his brother's gaze. It was not often that the Hayward coven was unable to, well unable to do anything that they wanted to. This worried Oli. "How do you know it, whatever it is, is after me?". Owen moved to the door closing it. "We don't. But we know that you are in danger. Young people, young witches, no older than you, have been disappearing in your area and turning up dead a few days later. The cause of death is unknown and the being remains at large. Suffice to say we have been following the situation and are very worried." Silence hung in the air as Oli let the information sink in. There was one question he wanted to ask but was afraid of the answer. "Did they send you to tell me?" Asked Oli, again referring to his parents. "That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you need to be careful and you need to be able to protect yourself. I've left supplies on the table, weapons, potions and talismans. I see you still have your ring, good, keep that." Owen had resumed the role of older brother effortlessly as if it hadn't been months since they have last spoken, let alone met. "Owen, wait please. You know that I don't practice anymore. All this isn't me." Oli said as he walked to the table and looked in the duffel bag from his brother. "Magic is as much a part of you as an arm or leg, we both know that. You can deny our family name all you want, but you can't deny that" Scolded Owen. "I wasn't, I wasn't trying to deny anything" Oli started. Owen put up his hand to silence his brother. He remembered the events just as clearly as his brother. "Regardless, the Haywards take care of their own. You're still one of us Oli, even if you don't want to be." His phone rang breaking up the conversation. Owen turned and answered the call in hushed tones as Oli busied himself searching through the bag. "They are expecting me back. I have to go but please look after yourself baby brother." Owen took one last look at Oli, realizing how much he missed him, then turned around to open the door. "I will. Thank you Owen." And with that, his brother was gone.
Oli felt as his he had been holding his breath this whole time since his walked into his flat. He let out a loud sigh, almost as if he could expel all that had happened this day from his body. He walked to his bed with his bag of magical items. He dumped the bag on the floor as he crawled into bed laying face down. He went over the entire conversation with his brother in his head. Before he knew it, he was moving to his closet to retrieve something he didn't think he would use again, at least not anytime soon anyways. His personal book of shadows. He stared at the leather cover with his family's insignia of the deer and the four fleur-de-lis around it. For the first time in a long time, he unbound the book and opened it. The book felt both familiar and strange at the same time. Oli could not beat the feeling that it was all about to change.
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Toby stood still, feet planted and head facing forward. In the mirror was the reflection of an upset and extremely sleep deprived face staring back. The bags beneath his eyes had begun to dig deep and turn darker, in striking contrast with his red, sore and bloodshot eyes. Images from the dreams Toby had recently dreamt were constantly passing through his mind. What was worse was the feeling. The horrible sensation of being suffocated and starved of air felt so real, his right hand reflexively went to his throat, as if to ensure nothing was there. The dreams themselves did not bother Toby, he could handle horror and gore. It was how real they felt, as if it were he, himself that was going through them. These night terrors, as the doctors had called when he was younger, had been a part of Toby's life for as long as he could remember. But having three in such quick succession, especially such violent and painful ones, were proving harder to deal with. The fourth and most recent had just woken him up from his sleep in a pool of sweat, with tears streaming from his eyes. This dream had followed the same format as the others, although set in a different place to last time.
This series of dreams always started with Toby walking down a street quite panicked and scared. The thought that he was being followed was overwhelming. He would turn back to check for someone in pursuit, but there would not be one. Just when the feelings would subside, a figure would appear ahead of him. This figure always seemed to be shadowed, so Toby could never see the face but they always felt familiar. It was then that the body was disappear completely in shadow and that is when he would turn and run. But the darkness always caught him. The darkness was thick, like smoke and would fill both his mouth and nose. He could not scream and he could not breathe, he would just fall to the ground as the darkness overcame him. The last thing he remembered seeing, was some blurry writing inside a cartoon drawing of the sun.
Toby always woke in a start and struggled to find his bearings. He had to ground himself in the present and focus on sensations from his surroundings. That's what his therapist told him, all those years ago as a frightened child. He was to remind himself that they were dreams and they were not real. But recently, he could not shake the feeling that they were real. Toby steeled himself, splashing his face with cold water to become more alert. Sleep was obviously out of the question, so he decided he might as well as his day, the sun would be up soon anyways. The day ahead would be busy, which is why he really wanted a nice night's sleep. The cumulative effect of these night terrors were starting to hit Toby but he focuses on tying to plan his day ahead as he busied himself with getting ready, oblivious to the flashing lights of the police cars on the way to follow up reports of a dead body found on the floor outside the rising sun pub.