Lonely is so bad. Lonely is so lonely. For most people. I hide in the shadows. For my safety, they said. The less people who know you exist the better, they said. It's s hard to do my job without being seen. Not being identified as a magician is easy compared to this.

Tedros: Kind. Brave. Confidant. And my friend. He listens when I need to talk. He is comforting when I need him to be. And above all, he can keep a secret.

Chaddick. About the only other person in the world apart from Tedros and Yuba I trust completely, (as my father doesn't count. I will always love and trust him.) Perfect. I love him as a friend and that is all I will ever love him as.

Then there is Agatha. I am glad she got someone as good as Tedros. I don't trust her though. She reminds me of Morgana. Sweet on the outside but rotten on the inside. But in this story I suppose the Morgana in this story is also the Guinevere; Sophie.

Sophie is a witch. That is all I will say.

Tedros leaves his chivalry and etiquette class. I must follow as his shadow. Not his literal shadow but a shadow is what I am. Just a floating girl that is often passed as a figment of imagination. But after what I believe to come, I will have to sacrifice everything. Even my identity. Even my love. Even my life.

Tedros and Agatha snuck out of the school to see Yuba. Agatha wasn't sure what it was about but Tedros said he had a hunch about something he refused to tell Agatha.

They crawled into Yuba's cave.

"What are you doing here?" Agatha yelped when she saw Chaddick sitting at a table with a girl. She had long, dark brown, almost black, straight hair. It was long but pulled back and tied down low then braided. It contrasted hugely with her bright red cape with a golden dragon stitched into it over her black singlet top, brown pants and hunting boots. At her side was an elaborate sword. What really stood out, though, was the diamond, ruby-eyed pendant.

"The barrier's breaking." She spilled into the air. Then she melted into the shadows. When she reappeared, she pulled the stone door across like it was nothing. Agatha had only seen that done with magic. She was gobsmacked.

Agatha didn't recognise her from either of the schools.

"It's alright. I invited them." Tedros explained cooly.

"Does anyone want to explain why we're here?" Agatha asked.

The new girl said, "I already told you. The barrier is breaking."

Agatha saw her lips were coloured, the top one black and the bottom gold. She was strange yet Agatha felt a safe vibe around this girl. The same one she felt whenever she was around Tedros...

"...so that you can capture your inner beauty and project it-" Professor Dovey was interrupted by a large cracking sound.

Agatha looked around the class to see what had made the noise when something caught her eye. She stood up in her seat and looked outside. What she saw startled her and she asked, "um...Professor Dovey. Is that normal?"

Professor Dovey saw what Agatha was looking at and turned deathly white. "Agatha, get Tedros and bring him to me now!" She practically screeched.

Following her teacher's instructions, she ran into the hall and sprinted to find Tedros. It wasn't that hard. He was running straight towards her, flanked by Chaddick.

"Dovey wants you." Agatha puffed.

"Where?" Tedros asked.

"This way!" Agatha turned on her heel and ran the way she came, followed by the two princes.

They ran into the beautification class and Professor Dovey immediately told Agatha to get herself into Evil and warn the school.

So she did. She ran as quickly as her puffed lungs would let her to warn her best friend and all her friends in Evil

"The schools are in danger and Dovey seems to know what's going on. Neither school is safe. Bring the students over. We need to work together on this."Agatha said. Seeing Sophie's doubtful face she added, "It's what Leonora would have done." Agatha pleaded.

Sophie looked up and locked emerald eyes with black. "Okay."

The Evers and Nevers were gathered outside of the schools.

The barrier surrounding the schools was usually invisible. Now, however, you could see the green magic tendrils flicking off it, with large tears in the barrier, making large, cracking noises, like glass breaking.

All the little couples and cliques were huddled together, some of the girls screaming when a particularly loud bang encompassed the forest.

Tedros, Agatha, Chaddick, Sophie and Professor Dovey were the last to join the group of worried students.

Tedros' eyes wandered to the school gates and his eyes widened in terror. Morgana and Morgausestood outside, magic swirling off them in their endeavour to destroy the barrier keeping the students safe.

"Professor Dovey!" He called to her, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

She, along with the students, was staring at the barrier in the sky. When she heard him call her name, she had to tear her gaze from the sky.

"Yes?"

Tedros pointed at the witches.

Dovey paled and told him, "you have to summon her."

"She doesn't think she's ready."

"Do you?"

"Yes, but-" Tedros was cut off by the Dean.

"Good. If you believe in her, she can succeed. But remember," Professor Dovey warned. "Do not allow her to burn out."

Tedros nodded. "Zanisha! I need you."

Chaddick stared at him in horror, Agatha with confusion.

Then, in a flash of black and red, the strange girl appeared next to Tedros.

"What do you-" then she saw the witches. She turned to Tedros and started yelling at him. "I'm not ready! I told you I'm not ready! You promised you wouldn't need me until I was ready!"

"You are. And I do need you. Everyone needs you to be the normal you."

"I'm. Not-" Tears were gathering in the girl's eyes.

"You have to be. Or everyone here dies."

"I am ready." Zanisha said, almost to herself, wiping the tears away.

"Alright. I'll do it. I'll help you win this."