"Here's the plan: we snatch one of them and interrogate them for confirmation that Necro is inside before we storm in and rescue her. If it's in the negative, then we move on to the next location. Clear?" Abigail questioned without preamble once she parked the car.

"I'm telling you this is the place, Abs," Raelle bit back.

Alarm bells were still going off inside her mind making her body buzz with adverse energy. Even acres away from outside the building—an abandoned school they later found out— the feeling she got from her linking with Mother Mycelium hours ago left her reeling. The death current she stumbled upon was rich and thick. They made her dizzy and nauseous.

Were those what Necro witches had to familiarize themselves with all the time? Was it different for Scylla?

Abigail was quick in replying, "The building is huge and well blocked by power-dampeners. Without Tally's Sight, we're not wasting time seeking these rooms one by one to find Scylla if she's not in any of them in the first place. We need confirmation. Once we got it, we move."

Logically, Raelle knew that was a sound plan. Because what if her assessment was a dud and Scylla was somewhere else? Raelle couldn't let any more precious time be wasted in arguing. So, she forced herself to nod. "Okay, fine. Let's go."

They got out of the car and began running through the forest. Leading the group was Tally with Raelle closed at her side and Abigail and Adil following in the rear. The Knower had directed them another way earlier to reach the school without being detected when she Saw the front gate was heavily guarded miles before.

Raelle steadily breathed in the fresh forest air, feet quick and eyes focused up front. Blur of green and red leaves passed by, a knot in her stomach forming.

"There!" Tally pointed at an obvious appearance at the back of the school. She veered left suddenly and Raelle stumbled a little before catching up and promptly stopped when Tally chose a large bush to crouch behind.

"Why are we stopping?" Raelle asked with panted breath. Abigail and Adil joined seconds later, none the worse for wear.

"They're patrolling the area and they're coming here."

"How many?" Abigail asked.

"One. Another just went the other way."

As if on cue, twigs snapping echoed around the woods. A hush fell in the group.

Raelle got up before anyone could stop her, sprinting forward without a care in the world. Her unit hissed her name and ran after her. But, Raelle had no intention to stop, only pushing herself forward. True to Tally's word, a man in a red-black uniform finally came into view twenty steps away.

He froze like a deer in the headlights as soon as he saw her. But, then he recovered his senses, carefully carrying on his path again. "Stop and identify yourself!"

Raelle did no such thing. Threads of power trickle from her body and she let it out in abandon, recognizing it as the Mycelium.

The man immediately halted, eyes widened at whatever he saw.

The Mycelium reached to him first before Raelle managed to do so. Tendrils of spores solidified and burst forth before they wound around the soldier's neck, effectively choking and trapping him. He wheezed loudly, arms thrashing upon contact. She stopped his floundering with a punch to the face.

He went down with a loud thud and Raelle went after him, knee digging his chest. "Scylla Ramshorn," She hissed to his now blood-painted face from his broken nose.

The Mycelium thread tightened around his neck, threatening to crush his Adam's apple. Raelle felt its action like it had muscle, like it was another part of her limb. When his reddening eyes grew hazy, she slammed the back of his head to the ground.

"Hey!" His pupils finally focused. "A witch you brought here five days ago. Brunette, blue eyes. Scylla Ramshorn. Is she here?"

His eyes flickered for a moment before they grew unfocused again. But, Raelle saw it as clear as day. Even if he insisted on a "D-Don't know!" after.

The Mycelium thread grew into thin branches and penetrate the pores of his skin all around his head, Linking.

Visions invaded Raelle. She flicked through unimportant events to her. Only one person was vital in her search.

Scylla. Scylla. Scylla.

A glimpse of familiar ocean blue eyes found her moments later and Raelle expanded the Link, thirsty for more. And she got it.

The ocean blue depth that Raelle so loved and mesmerized by was now cloudy and tearful. Wide and scared.

"Grab her legs."

Those dimmed siren eyes only grew closer until Raelle grabbed Scylla's left leg in a dead-vice grip, tugging mercilessly until she couldn't fight back. Another man doing the same to her right.

She could feel Scylla's trembling body in her grip. A loud thump thump thump against a floorboard belonging to another man was walking leisurely towards them. He stopped by her right leg and Raelle noticed late the hammer in his hand as he slammed it down Scylla's knee.

NO!

Something wet and chunky splattered on her face.

With a heaving chest, Raelle slowly opened her eyes to find herself back in the woods. The man's head was no more below her, only a pool of red. With a shaking hand, she wiped her face. It came back bloodied and in pink lumps.

It didn't bother her, as she stood up to leave the headless body behind, nor did the startled look from Abigail, Tally and Adil.

No. What bothered her was the bloodcurdling scream Scylla had before Raelle broke the Link.

"Auditorium 2," She said to her Unit.

And then off she went.

*

There was a discomfort in Raelle's chest, a sensation in her brain that was wide-awake, like excess adrenaline, or maybe it was the man's horrible memories she had been repeating in an infinite loop behind her eyes.

Scylla, beaten and broken.

Therefore, it was easy when the next soldier that came up, Raelle had no reservation at all. The Mycelium thread burst forth to wrap around his head, the only thing that wasn't protected, and squeezed until there was nothing there anymore.

She stepped over his body on the bloodied floor and continued on.

Auditorium 2 was on the second floor. She needed to get to the stairs down the hallways. And nothing would stand in between her and getting to Scylla.

It was isolating, like watching a film from the third person point of view, where you would never worry the world inside the TV would get to you. You knew it was made-up.

Raelle was in her own movie. The Mycelium was her point of view, the soldiers were the evil world that would never have her or any other witches ever again. Forever.

When she finished climbing the stairs, bypassing the headless bodies that had been thrown haphazardly on the walls and on the railings, red splattered in a chaotic pattern all over, Raelle found a double door with 'Auditorium 2' nameplate on them.

She threw open the door with more force than necessary. Their hinges broke and the doors flew inward to crash loudly against the audience seats a few rows below.

A heavy silence swallowed the air inside.

Time seemed to stop as Raelle processed over what she had come upon.

Dark hall save for a white bright spotlight lighting up the stage, three soldiers stood in a semi-circle around a chained-up woman.

And that woman...

Raelle could only see on top of the head from where she was, but deep in her heart she knew that lock of hair, those hands; being tied up over the head, that body; now more blood than skin.

She thought the vision from the man's memories was the foulest she had seen, but looking at the real Scylla was infinitely much worse than being stabbed through the heart. Because Raelle's heart was being ripped out from her chest and then beaten up until there was nothing left but a bloody mess.

"Scylla?" The name came out in a broken whisper on Raelle's lips.

That couldn't be her girlfriend, could it?

Scylla's shirt and jeans were torn and bloodied. Her legs bend at an awkward angle, her arms the only thing supporting her dangling above the air.

"Goddess protect," Tally's gasp and the subsequent arrival of Abigail and Adil at her side snapped Raelle back into action.

"UNLOCK HER!" She roared, legs hastily climbing down the set of steps to get to Scylla.

Two of the soldiers did the same from the stage far too leisurely.

"We blocked your wind and whisper in here. Stand down, or you'll regret it."

He and his comrade didn't get to say their next piece. The Mycelium thread travelled faster than Raelle could bring herself down the stage as it branched into two thin sharp lines before they cut the soldiers' necks clean.

Their heads fell with a thud before they rolled away. Their body followed seconds behind.

"Fuck you, witch!" The last one that was still on the stage grasped a handful of Scylla's hair, tilting her head backwards, revealing her closed eyes, bruised face and split lips for all to see. Raelle couldn't breathe.

"Burn in Hell!" He spat, knife slitting Scylla's throat.

"NO!! SCYLLA!!"

The man exploded into spores, the Mycelium took him a second too late.

Raelle slipped over the stairs up the stage, her legs like lead as she pushed herself up the floor to get closer, faster.

"Scylla!" Raelle immediately placed a shaking hand on Scylla's throat, trying to stop the bleeding. Her other arm snaked around Scylla's waist, pulling her close to lessen the weight. "Hey, I got you, Scylla. I got you."

She tried her damn best to ignore the blood leaking between her fingers as she rapidly began her prayer. "Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you."

Scylla's eyes slowly opened, hazy ocean blue eyes stared right into Raelle.

"Scylla," A soft chuckle left her freely. "Hey, baby. Hey, you're gonna be okay."

"Mom... Dad," Scylla whispered with laboured breathing, the light slowly fading from her eyes.

"Scyl-Scylla, it's me." Raelle tightened her fingers and pressed her palm harder when the blood still managed to escape. "N-No. Why— Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth. And he that seeketh, findeth. And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever!"

"Rae!"

"It's not working! Why is it not fucking working?!"

"RAE!" "RAE!"

"WHAT!?"

"No magic can work here. They got the power-dampener. We need to get her out." Abigail said as she pulled a lever at the side of the stage.

The chain tied to Scylla's wrists immediately came crashing down. Raelle went down with Scylla, cushioning her fall with her own body. Tally and Adil quickly work to free the metal chains completely off Scylla's wrists. Abigail slid next to her, tearing the hem of her own shirt and wrapped Scylla's bleeding throat close with it. Before Tally could mutter a "Go!" once they were done, Raelle was already gathering Scylla into her arms, carrying her and running out of the goddess-forsaken place.

The hallways blurred in Raelle's vision. Her cheeks were wet and her breath was in short spurts as she ran like the Devil was chasing her. Scylla remained unresponsive in her arms, eyes shut tight and one hand loosely gripping Raelle's jacket like she knew Raelle was there even if she didn't recognise her before.

Raelle's heart was in her throat. Scylla almost looked like she was in a peaceful sleep if not for her malnourished beaten frame and blood all over.

Her Unit managed to catch up or maybe she was too fucking slow. With a growl, Raelle pushed her feet to go faster, turning left and then right down the hallways before finally, the door she got in earlier came into view.

Tally sprinted past to swing the door open for her.

"Just a bit further, Rae!" She urged as they ran side by side into the woods, leaving behind the school. "Here, here!"

Raelle didn't need to be told twice as she slowed and gently laid Scylla on the ground, before kneeling beside her. Quick fingers moved to unwrap the bloodied binding around Scylla's throat and replaced her hand close around it again. Another reached down for Scylla's fragile stone-cold hand, gripping tightly like Raelle's life depended on it.

Funny how metaphor can be real.

"Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth." Raelle could feel the power travelled now. With newfound confidence, she hunched down, resting her forehead against Scylla's clammy ones, and breathed out. "And he that seeketh, findeth. And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever."

The wind howled around them, rustling the leaves, green and red, until some fell off unable to hold on anymore. Somewhere far away, a rumble echoed until the very earth shook. The trees rustled again at the force, and more leaves fell.

After all of that, Scylla remained as she was. Unchanged.

Raelle moved her dried bloodied hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Scylla's ear. She looked up at the teary eyes of her sister.

"Tal, why isn't she waking up?"

The redhead choked out a sob, stopping it with a palm over her mouth. But, no such thing for her eyes. Tears leaked out freely.

"You said...you said you saw her smiling, laughing, right?" Raelle laughed then, a broken and hollow little thing. This was absurd. "Why isn't she waking up Tal? You saw her. She was fine. Tal, wh-why then..."

"R-Rae, I d-don't—I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know!?" Raelle seized hold of Tally's shoulders, shaking them frantically until she could make sense of what was happening. "You said you saw her smiling, laughing! You saw her! She was fine! She's fine! You saw her, right?!"

"Rae, get off of her!"

Someone pulled her away by the waist. Abigail's voice rang in her ears.

Raelle thrashed around trying to escape from the hold, but Abigail had her in a death grip, hugging her from behind with her arms and legs as they both lay on the ground.

Adil was soothing Tally's kneeling form across them. Scylla was still there at the side, right where Raelle left her, still unmoving. It didn't make any sense.

"TAL!" Raelle cried out, fraught and ruined. "SHE'S FINE, RIGHT TAL? SCYLLA'S FINE! YOU SAW HER! YOU SAID—"

"Rae! Stop!"

Raelle clawed at her other sister's arms, trying to break free to get to Tally. But, Raelle couldn't see clearly anymore. Only blurred forms and lines that made no sense to her. She couldn't breathe, her face wet.

"Ab-Abs, you heard Tal right? Scylla's fine?" She choked out.

Abigail's hold tightened before she softly said, "Rae, I'm sorry."

Raelle's body slackened. Her chest was heavy and she couldn't breathe.

"I n-need her. Please, I need her."

The hold behind finally loosened and hurriedly she crawled away to get back to Scylla, cradling her gently and carefully into her arms, pulling her close, closer. She rocked them both trying to soothe this dreadful tautness in her heart that was beginning to consume her whole.

But, it was futile. Raelle could never feel whole again.

She was too late. She should've found Scylla sooner. And now, she could never see Scylla's smile again, never hear her voice calling her, never tell her how much she loves her every morning when they wake up next to each other.

Never spent forever together.

How can she exist in a world where Scylla wasn't there?

The answer was too simple. She couldn't. Wouldn't even want to.

"Rae,"

Reluctantly, she tilted her head up from Scylla's cold cheek to find Tally, Abigail and Adil wide-eyed, looking down at the ground where Scylla was intertwined with her.

The Mycelium's threads of spore were slowly coming out from the very earth. Their pointed ends disperse into the air before they solidified again and took hold of Scylla's bare feet, spreading around her ankles and then upwards in a steady trail.

"Wh-What..." They only grew until they travelled around Scylla's broken knees. Raelle immediate jolted into action, ripping the thread apart. "No, no, no, no! You don't get to take her!"

Tally joined at the side only to stop her, "Wait Rae, look!" She pointed to Scylla's bare feet. The once bruised and cut were no more, leaving only smooth skin. "It's healing her, Rae."

"You need to Link with her again," Abigail rushed out at the other side. Her hand reached down to Scylla's limp one before dark eyes pinned Raelle's own in a hard gaze. "Link with all of us. Remember China?"

Raelle's heart stuttered. Hope rekindled its dying flame inside. "L-Like China?" She breathed out, afraid of what might happen. Afraid if this also failed, then...

Tal's warm hand slid down to hers, squeezing tight. "Rae, you got this." And then she did the same to Adil, as he then held Abigail's hand, completing the circle.

With encouraging looks from all of them, Raelle closed her eyes and breathe deep. Exhaling, her eyes opened and landed on Scylla's calming face, still unmoving against her chest.

She began Linking, attuned to Tally, Adil, Abigail and finally Scylla in her hold. Their blood flow, their organ function, down until their cellular composition; their very life force. And she did what her Momma always thought her a Fixer would do. She prayed.

"Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find," Raelle blew a shuddering breath, overwhelmed by the responsiveness channelling her Link. She focused on Scylla and continued. "Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth. And he that seeketh, findeth. And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened," Tears gathered under her eyes again, hoping against hope. "And when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Through the rivers, they shall not flood you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever."

At that moment, the visions chose to come in violent spurts, harsh and cruel under her skin. She felt the agony coursing through every part of her body. Broken and beaten as they already were. Again and again and again. Of the tormentors' faces, ugly and distorted, sneering insults after insults. Until suddenly everything vanished and the Link naturally broke.

It left her with gasping breath and muddled thoughts. Her Unit didn't fare any better, reeling from the visions they certainly experienced as well. But, they were okay. They were breathing.

Raelle looked down at Scylla.

The Mycelium threads were no more. Only Scylla there. Only her girlfriend. Her heart.

With a shaky hand, Raelle placed her palm over Scylla's chest, her other arm behind Scylla's shoulders pulled intentionally closer, and wait for Scylla to do the same. To breathe again.

It was a glorious moment when Scylla finally did. Her chest rose and fell to take in precious oxygen. Raelle looked down at her moving hand on top of Scylla's chest. And then to her cut on her face, on her throat, and all over her body, the skin knitted back together until not even blemishes left. Her broken legs were set straight and no dark bruises anywhere on open skin.

The only imperfection was how dirty Scylla still was. Caked with dried blood and dirt.

Raelle cradled Scylla's face softly, her thumb trying to clean the dried blood on Scylla's cheek. And that was when bright ocean blue eyes opened to greet her.

"Raelle?"

Raelle didn't wait as she leaned down to taste her name on Scylla's lips. It was delightful and warm and breathy. Just by doing this, she was already filled. Complete. So, she kissed Scylla one, two, three times.

Scylla reciprocated the kiss with the same enthusiasm, pulling Raelle's jacket close until they were flushed against each other. "I must be in heaven," she whispered.

Raelle opened her eyes and looked down, fingers touching Scylla's lips, and then up to beautiful blue eyes. Raelle didn't want to talk right now, prefer to guide her mouth into kissing her girlfriend again.

So, she did, with a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, as she breathed Scylla in, her heart settled. "I love you, Scylla Ramshorn." She felt more than saw the grin adorning Scylla's lips against her own.

"I love you too, Raelle Collar."