# What if Lissa couldn't handle it? #
Lissa POV I was running through the forest, my dress was ruined, the branches hit me in the face. The screams and whispers were behind me, they pleaded me for help, they cried. I couldn't help them... I didn't know how to. They begged me, but I couldn't, so I ran.
They were behind me, and even though I kept running, they never seemed to go away, I didn't seem to escape them.
Actually they only got louder.
"Don't run..." the ghostly voices whispered.
"Heeelppp usss!" The blood curling scream echoed through the forest. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, they needed my help, but I just didn't know how to help them, I didn't know what to do...
"No... no... leave me alone..." I sobbed out of breath.
"Goddess! Help us! Don't leave us like that! Don't run!" They screamed.
That's when I woke up, covered in sweat and crying. Loud sobs escaped my lips. I got out of the bed and tried to stand up, but my feet couldn't hold me up. I was shaking and I fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry..." I sobbed. "I'm sorry..."
I just stood there on my knees, sobbing.
After a while though I stood up and, leaning on the wall, I opened the door and started slowly walking down the dark corridors of the Academy.
I knew there was a guardian, but I could always compel them. They would let me out. They wouldn't stop me.
"Princess Dragomir, what are you doing out here at this time?" The guardian on duty asked. It was a woman in her mid thirties. I looked into her eyes, my hear tilted a little. I probably looked like a lunatic. I probably was.
"Let me out." I said.
"What? Why would I-"
"Let me out." I repeated, the compulsion became stronger. She couldn't resist my magic, she nodded and went to sit back on her chair.
I went out, away from my room. I headed towards the gates, compelling everyone I saw to sleep. It was easier. It was fast. They wouldn't mind me going out, out of the warda, if they couldn't see me. No, it would be alright.
The large gates of the Academy came into view. I just stood there, in front of them, looking at the dark steel. I touched it. Cold. A small smile crept onto my face. I just needed air, yeah, that was it, I just had to feel free for a little while. It wasn't anything serious. I stepped out of the wards, immediately feeling the change. It was colder out here, but for the first time, I felt free. I took one step further, the small smile on my face getting bigger...
And that was when I heard them. The voices.
They were really quiet, I could barely hear them. But I could. I looked around me, my bow dry eyes filling up with tears again.
"No... I'm so sorry. I... I just can't..." I whispered.
"Help usss..." a faint whisper. I heard a scream in the distance.
"I... I don't know how to... I'm... sorry..." I sobbed. I shut my eyes, wishing this was just another nightmare, and I would wake up again. But when I opened them, I was still out there, the voices were still there...no...
"No..." I whispered... and took off.
It was just like in the dream. I was running through the forest. My night gown was ripped into pieces, it was ruined, I was crying, the voices were... it was awful...
"Goddessssssss... pleasseeee... don't run awaaayyyy!" The voice got louder and louder, finishing with a blood curling scream. They were all hurting, I had yo help them... but I didn't know how.
"No... no...noo..." I chanted quietly, sobbing. Strands of my hair were wet because of my sweat. I didn't run a lot. But now I had to. I didn't have another choice...
Another scream rang through the forest.
Then I fell. I fell on the ground, tearing up the skin on my knees. I sobbed even louder, standing there on four legs.
"Goddess... help us...don't leave us... help us... you can help us..." the voices were becoming louder and louder. I couldn't take it anymore.
"No! Leave me alone!" I screamed. I stood on my knees, looking around."Just leave me alone! I can't... I can't help you..." I cried.
That was when I saw them. They were there, faces without eyes, screaming in terror. I backed away.
"No... no..." I whispered."No..."
Rose POV "Lissa!" I woke up with a jolt. Lissa's terror was so strong through the bond, it interupted my own dream, pulling me in her head.
Running through the forest, crying.
Wait... what was she doing outside the wards?!
I jumped up and ran out of my room. I didn't care about the guardians, right now I had a coupke of simple things to do. Be fast. Save Lissa.
I ran with all I had in me, past the dorm matron, out in the yard and past the gates. I ran, faintly registering my surroundings and the guardians shouting behind me. I ran in the forest.
"Stop it... leave me alone... please..."I heard sobbing, that couldn't be noone else than Lissa. I ran faster.
"I don't want this anymore... that's enough...I can't... take it..." she cried. Images flashed before my eyes. I was jumping from Lissa's head to mine and the opposite.
One of them froze me in my tracks.
Faces without eyes, screaming in terror. I gasped.
Ghosts. That was madness, Lissa was being chased by these things... I didn't know if she would be able to handle it. I ran again. I could hear her crying and I could even see her in the distance. She was standing on her knees in the ground, her arms hung on her sides, her golden hair, reflecting the moonlight, hung in front of her eyes. Her head was hung low, loud sobs shaking her body.
"That was enough... I don't want this... I don't want to deak with this..." she mumbled, another sob escaping her lips.
"Liss..." I whispered but she didn't hear me. She threw her head back and then slowly tilted it on one side. Her eyes were looking at something on the ground. A big sharp branch, I realised. It had fallen on the ground.
Her eyes were glued to the branch. She slowly lifted her hand and looked at it, swirling it, again, slowly. A faint smile crept on her face as another sob ran through her body.
"It's going to be over soon, Lissa... don't worry... you won't hurt anymore..." she murmured to herself.
Her hand slowly reached out to take the branch. Her thin fingers went around it and she lifted it off the ground.
I don't know why I didn't do anything. I wanted to. I just couldn't move. I stood there looking at her, terrified. That was it, I realised, she had gone crazy. The magic has driven her to this. And now those terrifying ghosts with no eyes... they had pushed her over the edge.
I unfroze and took a step clozer, but her eyes shot up to me.
"Just stay there, Rose. Leave me alone. I don't want this anymore. Let me be." She said, using all her powers to compell me to stay there. I froze. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. The compulsion had worked. My eyes widened in horror, I tried to scream, but nothing cane out of my mouth. Not even a single sound.
"Just... let me... do this... I need this... everything is going to be okay... I won't hurt anymore... isn't that what you want? I will not hurt. All your life you did everything you could so I wouldn't hurt... I won't now..." she mumbled, drifting her eyes to the branch.
"I love you, Rose..." she whispered, another sob escaping her lips before the branch went through her chest. A smile grew on her lips, a single tear rolling down her cheek and falling on the ground. My eyes were wide and I finally felt released of the conpulsion. I fell on the ground and crawles to Lissa's lifeless body.
I cradled her in my arms and lowered my head. I rested it in the crook of her neck.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you... I swore I would give my life for yours, die protecting you... I obviously failed...I'm sorry... I should have taken the darkness... then it would have probably been me with a branch in my chest, but I don't care... I would have done it for you..." I whispered. A tear rolled down my side and on her neck. I lifted my head and looked in the dark night.
There they were, the ghosts. Not the ones without eyes, they were gone. The other ghosts.
"Lissa! Lissaa!" I shouted. After a few minutes her ghost came in view. She was smiling.
"I'm okay..." I heard in my head. The bond, I realised."I am not hurting... I am peaceful here with everyone else..."
"I'm sorry..." I mumbled as another tear rolled down my cheek.
"It's alright... the world is still spinning, everybody is looking forward, life goes on... you have to carry on..."she said. I shook my head.
"No... I...love you, Lissa... I'm sorry I didn't protect you better..." I said and a single sob escaped my lips, followed by a third tear.
"Everything is going to be okay... goodbye, Rose..." she said.
Then the ghostly figure of my best friend kneeled before me and hugged me... and then she disappeared. "No..."I whispered and squeezed my eyes shut. I wiped the tears, but new took their places.
I then lifted my bond mate's dead body and walked to the Academy, an alley of tears after me. The wind was blowing, but I wasn't cold. I was... numb. She was gone. I have failed my mission, my duty, I have not kept a promise... a promise to myself.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered once again and kissed Lissa's forehead before stepping inside the wards... and dalling to my knees, breaking down.
Lissa POV I was running through the forest, my dress was ruined, the branches hit me in the face. The screams and whispers were behind me, they pleaded me for help, they cried. I couldn't help them... I didn't know how to. They begged me, but I couldn't, so I ran.
They were behind me, and even though I kept running, they never seemed to go away, I didn't seem to escape them.
Actually they only got louder.
"Don't run..." the ghostly voices whispered.
"Heeelppp usss!" The blood curling scream echoed through the forest. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, they needed my help, but I just didn't know how to help them, I didn't know what to do...
"No... no... leave me alone..." I sobbed out of breath.
"Goddess! Help us! Don't leave us like that! Don't run!" They screamed.
That's when I woke up, covered in sweat and crying. Loud sobs escaped my lips. I got out of the bed and tried to stand up, but my feet couldn't hold me up. I was shaking and I fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry..." I sobbed. "I'm sorry..."
I just stood there on my knees, sobbing.
After a while though I stood up and, leaning on the wall, I opened the door and started slowly walking down the dark corridors of the Academy.
I knew there was a guardian, but I could always compel them. They would let me out. They wouldn't stop me.
"Princess Dragomir, what are you doing out here at this time?" The guardian on duty asked. It was a woman in her mid thirties. I looked into her eyes, my hear tilted a little. I probably looked like a lunatic. I probably was.
"Let me out." I said.
"What? Why would I-"
"Let me out." I repeated, the compulsion became stronger. She couldn't resist my magic, she nodded and went to sit back on her chair.
I went out, away from my room. I headed towards the gates, compelling everyone I saw to sleep. It was easier. It was fast. They wouldn't mind me going out, out of the warda, if they couldn't see me. No, it would be alright.
The large gates of the Academy came into view. I just stood there, in front of them, looking at the dark steel. I touched it. Cold. A small smile crept onto my face. I just needed air, yeah, that was it, I just had to feel free for a little while. It wasn't anything serious. I stepped out of the wards, immediately feeling the change. It was colder out here, but for the first time, I felt free. I took one step further, the small smile on my face getting bigger...
And that was when I heard them. The voices.
They were really quiet, I could barely hear them. But I could. I looked around me, my bow dry eyes filling up with tears again.
"No... I'm so sorry. I... I just can't..." I whispered.
"Help usss..." a faint whisper. I heard a scream in the distance.
"I... I don't know how to... I'm... sorry..." I sobbed. I shut my eyes, wishing this was just another nightmare, and I would wake up again. But when I opened them, I was still out there, the voices were still there...no...
"No..." I whispered... and took off.
It was just like in the dream. I was running through the forest. My night gown was ripped into pieces, it was ruined, I was crying, the voices were... it was awful...
"Goddessssssss... pleasseeee... don't run awaaayyyy!" The voice got louder and louder, finishing with a blood curling scream. They were all hurting, I had yo help them... but I didn't know how.
"No... no...noo..." I chanted quietly, sobbing. Strands of my hair were wet because of my sweat. I didn't run a lot. But now I had to. I didn't have another choice...
Another scream rang through the forest.
Then I fell. I fell on the ground, tearing up the skin on my knees. I sobbed even louder, standing there on four legs.
"Goddess... help us...don't leave us... help us... you can help us..." the voices were becoming louder and louder. I couldn't take it anymore.
"No! Leave me alone!" I screamed. I stood on my knees, looking around."Just leave me alone! I can't... I can't help you..." I cried.
That was when I saw them. They were there, faces without eyes, screaming in terror. I backed away.
"No... no..." I whispered."No..."
Rose POV "Lissa!" I woke up with a jolt. Lissa's terror was so strong through the bond, it interupted my own dream, pulling me in her head.
Running through the forest, crying.
Wait... what was she doing outside the wards?!
I jumped up and ran out of my room. I didn't care about the guardians, right now I had a coupke of simple things to do. Be fast. Save Lissa.
I ran with all I had in me, past the dorm matron, out in the yard and past the gates. I ran, faintly registering my surroundings and the guardians shouting behind me. I ran in the forest.
"Stop it... leave me alone... please..."I heard sobbing, that couldn't be noone else than Lissa. I ran faster.
"I don't want this anymore... that's enough...I can't... take it..." she cried. Images flashed before my eyes. I was jumping from Lissa's head to mine and the opposite.
One of them froze me in my tracks.
Faces without eyes, screaming in terror. I gasped.
Ghosts. That was madness, Lissa was being chased by these things... I didn't know if she would be able to handle it. I ran again. I could hear her crying and I could even see her in the distance. She was standing on her knees in the ground, her arms hung on her sides, her golden hair, reflecting the moonlight, hung in front of her eyes. Her head was hung low, loud sobs shaking her body.
"That was enough... I don't want this... I don't want to deak with this..." she mumbled, another sob escaping her lips.
"Liss..." I whispered but she didn't hear me. She threw her head back and then slowly tilted it on one side. Her eyes were looking at something on the ground. A big sharp branch, I realised. It had fallen on the ground.
Her eyes were glued to the branch. She slowly lifted her hand and looked at it, swirling it, again, slowly. A faint smile crept on her face as another sob ran through her body.
"It's going to be over soon, Lissa... don't worry... you won't hurt anymore..." she murmured to herself.
Her hand slowly reached out to take the branch. Her thin fingers went around it and she lifted it off the ground.
I don't know why I didn't do anything. I wanted to. I just couldn't move. I stood there looking at her, terrified. That was it, I realised, she had gone crazy. The magic has driven her to this. And now those terrifying ghosts with no eyes... they had pushed her over the edge.
I unfroze and took a step clozer, but her eyes shot up to me.
"Just stay there, Rose. Leave me alone. I don't want this anymore. Let me be." She said, using all her powers to compell me to stay there. I froze. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. The compulsion had worked. My eyes widened in horror, I tried to scream, but nothing cane out of my mouth. Not even a single sound.
"Just... let me... do this... I need this... everything is going to be okay... I won't hurt anymore... isn't that what you want? I will not hurt. All your life you did everything you could so I wouldn't hurt... I won't now..." she mumbled, drifting her eyes to the branch.
"I love you, Rose..." she whispered, another sob escaping her lips before the branch went through her chest. A smile grew on her lips, a single tear rolling down her cheek and falling on the ground. My eyes were wide and I finally felt released of the conpulsion. I fell on the ground and crawles to Lissa's lifeless body.
I cradled her in my arms and lowered my head. I rested it in the crook of her neck.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you... I swore I would give my life for yours, die protecting you... I obviously failed...I'm sorry... I should have taken the darkness... then it would have probably been me with a branch in my chest, but I don't care... I would have done it for you..." I whispered. A tear rolled down my side and on her neck. I lifted my head and looked in the dark night.
There they were, the ghosts. Not the ones without eyes, they were gone. The other ghosts.
"Lissa! Lissaa!" I shouted. After a few minutes her ghost came in view. She was smiling.
"I'm okay..." I heard in my head. The bond, I realised."I am not hurting... I am peaceful here with everyone else..."
"I'm sorry..." I mumbled as another tear rolled down my cheek.
"It's alright... the world is still spinning, everybody is looking forward, life goes on... you have to carry on..."she said. I shook my head.
"No... I...love you, Lissa... I'm sorry I didn't protect you better..." I said and a single sob escaped my lips, followed by a third tear.
"Everything is going to be okay... goodbye, Rose..." she said.
Then the ghostly figure of my best friend kneeled before me and hugged me... and then she disappeared. "No..."I whispered and squeezed my eyes shut. I wiped the tears, but new took their places.
I then lifted my bond mate's dead body and walked to the Academy, an alley of tears after me. The wind was blowing, but I wasn't cold. I was... numb. She was gone. I have failed my mission, my duty, I have not kept a promise... a promise to myself.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered once again and kissed Lissa's forehead before stepping inside the wards... and dalling to my knees, breaking down.