Author Note: I'm sorry for the slow upload. It has been a hell in these past week. And to anyone who wants to see more magic, you're welcome.
Claire closes her eyes and becomes motionless on the bed. Douxie and Zoe prepare for the test while Jim, Toby, Archie, and Nari look on. They can do nothing to help; this job is for the wizards.
Zoe sees Claire's necklace shining off the bright light and groans. "What did I tell her about taking jewelry off." Zoe reaches and almost touches the necklace until Jim grabs her wrist, making her look at him with a cross look. "What are you doing, Jim?" She hisses harshly.
Jim looks back at her with sharp eyes. "You can't do that." He says calmly, lifting Zoe hand away from Claire's body.
"Why not?"
"This necklace means a lot to Claire; she'll freak out if you take it off," Jim answers clearly, remembering the story he heard during Claire's presentation. He doesn't want to hurt her.
"But in order for this test to work, we need to take this off her. She's asleep; she won't notice a thing." Zoe replies, swats Jim's hand, and returns to Claire's unconscious body.
She reaches out her hand, and as her fingers touch the silver, the necklace's small gems glow. Everyone backs up from the sleeping girl as the light becomes brighter and bigger on her chest. The light blows up, and everyone flies a few feet across the room and falls on the floor while the room fills with purple-like gas with yellow sparkles.
Everyone covered their eyes and ducked from the strong wind blown around, and streams of purple danced in the air, and it soon disappears. No smoke, no debris, and no destroyed items.
"What the hell was that!" Toby shouts in horror, looking pale as a ghost.
"Note to self, don't touch that necklace," Zoe mutters in pain, spread on the floor.
Douxie is behind her, and after helping Archie and Nari up, he crawls to help Zoe.
Zoe groans from Douxie, wrapping his arms around her arm and back, but decides to let it slide and let Douxie help her up. Jim helps Toby up and rushes to the white bed. His eyes widen in horror as he sees his girlfriend's whole body glow purple from head to toe, with her necklace shining the brightest.
"What did you do to her?" Jim asks in horror, turning to Douxie and Zoe.
Nari, Toby, and Archie walk to Jim and see what's happening to Claire, who sleeps peacefully on the bed without a flinch. "I don't know! I think this necklace is magical or something!" Zoe says in defense, raising her hands.
They look at Claire, seeing streams of purple dancing around her body. The glowing slowly stops, but the necklace still glows. Everyone glances at one another in shock at what they just witnessed.
"Should we go on with the test?" Toby asks with concern, trembling.
Nari raises her hands above Claire, and green starts glowing from her palms. Nari closes her eyes and hovers one hand over Claire's head and one over her heart for a minute. "She's alright; we can and should go on with the test." She says softly.
Zoe and Douxie look at each and nod their heads. They walk to the wall and get the Magic X-ray and themselves ready. Zoe and Douxie get on some safety equipment (gloves and lab coats) and places two small pads on Claire's arms and two on her head.
Zoe places the Magic X-ray over Claire's body and turns it on.
"Will she feel anything?" Jim asks in concern.
"Claire won't feel anything," Douxie says calmly.
Zoe hits the buttons on the X-ray machine and looks at Douxie, Archie, and Nari. "You ready?" She asks clearly.
"Yes." Douxie agrees. Zoe turns to the flashing computer screen and presses another button, showing an image of Claire's body, scanning her from head to toe and showing another embodiment inside her skin.
"Wake up, Claire."
I stir to the sound of a woman hymning and open my eyes. I find myself standing in the middle of a dark hall with grey brick and a 20-foot high-rise ceiling like the castle I saw in my dreams on Sunday night. When I look up, the roof disappears into an illumination of a beautiful starry night sky, making me think there's no ceiling.
"Life is strange, filled with twisty frights and wonders to behold,
Look at the stars and moon tonight,
You'll be great and take to flight."
I walk around to find the voice but can't find anything or anyone. As I turn a corner, I see the same wolf I saw in the alley with Jim and Toby; it looks more ghostly and haunting in the dark atmosphere.
"Follow the wolf as black as night."
The wolf turns its back to me and starts walking away.
"Wait, come back!" I shout, but my voice sounds like an echo. I run up to keep up with the wolf, following it as the walls become darker and colder.
I lose track of the wolf and start to shiver, hugging myself. I can see my own breath. I see something glow below my eyes and see my necklace glowing, illuminating purple light. The light comforts me, and sometimes I can use it to see in the dark. I walk while looking around the dark corridor, feeling like I need to find something.
While Zoe and Douxie study Claire's body, Toby gets bored. He walks over to the armchairs where Claire's stuff is, but when he walks to an empty chair, Claire's backpack coincidentally falls to his feet, spilling out her schoolwork and spell book. Toby knees down to the bag, but as he picks it up, he hears a loud metal thud and a wrinkle in the wind. Toby looks down, but his face fills with horror. "Ummm... Jim?"
Jim is still beside Claire, watching over her. He becomes annoyed when hearing his best friend's voice and turns to Toby. Jim walks over as he sees Toby's ghost-like face, holding up a note and a handgrip in his hands.
Jim slides to Toby and grabs the small metal handgrip. He examines it. "What the hell?" He mumbles. "This is impossible."
Archie turns his head to where the boys are and notices. "What's going on over there, you two?" He asks, stepping down from Douxie's shoulder and walking over to the boys, making Douxie notice a bit.
But Jim and Toby don't even glance at him. Instead, Jim flicks his wrist with the handgrip, and it opens up into a staff. A white, curved staff with purple-and-blue tints, resembling quartz crystals and a hooked end, resembling a lobster claw. The sight makes Jim's eyes widen in horror, and Archie stops in his tracks.
Douxie sees the shadow staff in Jim's hands and rushes to him. "Where did you find this?" He asks him, slightly horrified.
"Claire's backpack fell, and I heard a metal thud when I picked it up. It also came with a note." Toby answered, trembling and handing Douxie the note.
Douxie grabs the note and examines it. His eyes widen, and he re-reads the letter over and over again.
"What is it? What does it say?" Jim asks with worry, but actually, he's horrified, holding a staff he thought was destroyed by Toby on Claire's orders. How is it here in her bag?
Douxie shows Jim the note, and he reads it. His eyes widen too. "Hello, Shadowdancer! You forgot something. Can't wait to see you again. I'll be watching you." He mumbles. Jim turns to Douxie with panicked eyes.
"What does that mean?" Toby asks, shaking in fear.
Douxie glances down and taps his chin, thinking for a moment. "I don't know. Either this note and the staff are connected or not." He answers clearly, looking up at two boys.
"Either way, this note is definitely not in Claire's handwriting. It's too rough, dark, and not neat like hers." Jim adds to Douxie's explanation.
"You think someone is after Claire?" Toby asks.
"Maybe." Douxie sighs in defeat, making Jim pale as a ghost.
"I hope not!" Jim says, trembling with horror.
All this time, Zoe and Nari raise their eyebrow as they turn to see what's happening near the armchairs. They can't hear the others due to the machine's sound and can't leave due to watching Claire. Zoe and Nari have never heard of or seen the shadow staff but are interested in what's happening. "Hey, what's going on over there, you guys!" She shouts to the boys, momentarily turning away from the computer.
Douxie, Jim, and Toby get up, along with Archie, and walk to the girls. "Nari, Zoe, we think something or someone is after Claire," Douxie says calmly.
Jim shows Zoe the note, but she isn't phased and just shrugs her shoulders. "What should we do about it?" She asks Douxie calmly.
Zoe's face isn't full of anger, emotion, or scared; just stoic and calm. Jim becomes furious at Zoe's calm demeanor towards something terrible that might happen to Claire. He balls his fists up, and his eyes look enraged. "How the hell can you be so calm in this situation?" He yells furiously.
Douxie steps in between his friends. "Jim, calm down! Zoe can't express emotions like you or I can, but she does care about this." He says calmly.
Toby places a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Chill, Jimbo. She didn't mean it." He says calmly too.
Jim freezes and glances down, thinking of Douxie and Toby's words. He looks up at Zoe and looks into her eyes. Her light blue eyes are filled with emotions, a spark of fear, a wave of sadness, and a burn of worry, but her face doesn't show that. Jim takes a deep breath and relaxes his body. "I'm sorry." He mumbles, lowering his head with guilt.
"It's ok," Zoe says clearly. "You must tell Claire what's going on." She points out before turning to the computer screen, which shows Claire's inner body glow purple.
"I think that Claire already knows," Archie says clearly, walking up to the unconscious girl's bedside with Nari.
Nari touches the young girl's arm and smiles when feeling peace in Claire's body. "What are you dreaming about?" She mumbles softly to herself.
After walking around for, I think, three minutes with the light on my chest, I find the wolf sitting in the center of the room. It has a warm look in its eyes and gets up to slowly walk towards me. I take one step back, but the exact phrase is repeated.
'Don't give up; you are strong.'
I freeze and look into the wolf's eyes. It bows its head. Despite all the warning signs of being near a wild animal, I slowly kneel, reach my hand, and stroke its head. The wolf's head leans up, and I feel the soft but tangled fur brush against my palm. The wolf's face looks more friendly than the other times I saw it. Its eyes relax, and its tail starts to wag.
"Awww, you're not a scary beast." I giggle and pet the back of the wolf's ears. The wolf doesn't respond. Instead, it draws back, but it stays in its place. The wolf tilts its head, and I look around us. "I'm kinda lost. Can you please help me?" I ask softly.
The wolf nods and turns around. The wolf's head turns back to me and flickers its ears back and forward, telling me to come. I get up and follow the creature. The wolf is at a walking pace and always turns its head to check if I'm still following.
The wolf points me to a dark metal door and nudges my right arm to the knob. I look at the door; it seems medieval and ancient. I turn my head to the wolf, and it gestures its head to the door when turning to me. I turn back to the door and shrug my shoulders. I grab the knob and expect to feel cold and ash, but it feels warm and soothing. I turn the knob clockwise, but the door is heavy and rusty. With all the strength I can, I push the door open.
I find myself in a room. Not my bedroom, classroom, anywhere in my house, or I have seen before, but at the same time, something feels familiar; I just don't know what it is. The walls are circular; the ceiling is the same height as the hallways. A giant bookshelf covers up a quarter of the room, touching the roof to the floor, filled with books from top to bottom. There's a fancy medieval bed covered with crimson curtains and bed sheets in front of me. Beside it is a fireplace made of stone, and the fire still burns inside. There's a desk with many papers on it, and the floor is all made of beautiful, unbroken white stone.
I notice a giant painting of an adult woman and an infant over the fireplace. The woman wears a dark green medieval gown with red hair in a high bun. The infant in the woman's arms is wearing a simple but elegant white gown. The painting looks like a mother and child. I look closer and notice that the woman has emerald green eyes while the baby is brown.
"You'll find secrets no one was meant to hear."
I hear a baby crying, making me jump. "Who"s there?" I shout in fear, looking around the room frantically. The wolf is gone, no one is around, and the crying continues.
"Veronica, shhh, shhh."
I hear a ghostly echo voice, making the crying stop. It sounds familiar, but my head won't connect to which voice it belongs.
"Veronica. Veronica, you are so loved, so loved. Veronica, Mama loves you. Veronica, be safe, be strong. No matter where you are, I'll be in your heart."
I hear booming and crashing, making me cover my ears and duck into a ball on the floor. The crying starts again and becomes louder as the boom comes closer. My necklace starts glowing, and I feel pain in my chest and head, making me squeeze my eyes tight. "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" I wail, and everything ceases in a moment.
I pant and take quick breaths. Too scared to open my eyes.
"Claire, open your eyes."
I find myself on a green hospital floor. I hear a baby wailing, and I get up and follow the sound.
"Congratulations, it's a girl!" I hear a female voice shout excitedly, and the wailing becomes louder.
I looked around and tried to find the crying, which I was oddly drawn to. As I walk, my necklace starts to glow and becomes dim or brighter depending on where I turn. Knowing logic, I follow the more colorful part of my necklace, making it shine even brighter, but, oddly, no one knows I'm here. Doctors, nurses, and visitors walk and stand in the hallways but can't see me when I pass or the glow on my chest. When I hear a doctor shout my way, I freeze and turn to them, but someone else runs through me like I'm a ghost.
The necklace leads me to a room, making it stop glowing. I see a number and see it says 547. The same room number I was in when I was born. The blinds are shut, but the door is open, and I hear louder crying inside. I slowly open the door and look into the room, gasping.
I'm in a hospital room, my mother on the white bed in a white hospital gown, holding a little pink bundle. My dad sits beside her, and two nurses and one doctor are in the room.
"She's beautiful!" Mom cries. She looks exhausted but has tears and the widest smile I've seen. Dad has the same expression—happy, tears, joy, and excitement.
The bundle, hearing female pronouns, and seeing my parents together. I conclude that it's me they're holding. I'm their only daughter, and it wouldn't be possible if it were Enrique. He came home in a blue blanket. I hear crying again, and Mom looks down.
"No, no, no, shhh, shhh, it's ok, Mjia. Shhh, it's alright. Mamá's here, and so is Daddy." Mom says softly.
Dad approaches Mom's face and makes a funny face with a tiny wave. "Hello, Mjia!" He says so sweetly.
I'm curious and walk over to Mom, wanting to see myself as an infant just born with my own eyes. I walk where I can see her. I wasn't the most beautiful baby born in the world, but I was to earn my parent's love and my classmate's comments. I have a cute little round face peeking out of the blanket. My eyes are cute little brown eyes and a bunch of hair on my head. I look clean and pretty. The baby self stares at my mom with a blank expression. I don't blame myself. I was just born and confused about the world I'm looking at.
I notice a tiny streak of blue on my head. The same streak of blue on my hair was in the photo I showed my classmates today.
"Why does she have blue in her hair?" Dad asks with concern.
"We don't know how or why that came. I saw it on her head when she came out." The doctor says clearly.
But the baby starts crying again, struggling in my mom's arms.
"No, no, no, Mjia. Shhh, it's ok." Mom says softly, but it doesn't work.
The baby still keeps crying. Then, a flash of glowing light appears on the baby's chest and head. She cries louder and struggles even more. Dad, the nurses, and the doctors start to get worried, but Mom stays calm and continues to shush me.
"My baby, you're in my arms tonight, safe from all harm; life is strange, filled with twisty frights and wonders to behold; look at the stars and moon tonight; you'll be great and take to flight. You will travel so far to find out who you are, go down deep to find what is lost, listen to your heart, and follow the sound. You are in my arms tonight, but will always be in my heart as you go on. Don't give up; you are strong." Mom sings the song I've been hearing for the past week.
My jaw almost drops to the floor. Does my mother know this song? Did I know this song? I am trying to remember. My head starts to spin with too many questions I almost pass out.
The baby stops crying, and I see a clear purple light shine on its chest. Mom kisses the baby's head.
"I love you, my little Claire," Mom whispers gently, smiling with a tear running down her cheek.
I walk out of the room, speechless. I get a few feet away and start to hyperventilate. The song, the streak, the glow. I want to go to sleep and wish this is just a dream. My necklace starts glowing, and I hug myself. I want to cry. I'm scared and pray to wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP, CLAIRE! This isn't real!
I feel the room grow cold and darker. I open my eyes and slowly look up to see the shadow realm. I hear a flash and look up.
"Oh no! Where'd the light go? That was our way home! We're sealed in!" I hear Toby's voice shout.
I see a golden flash zip a few inches away from me.
"Look! My staff!" I hear myself shout.
"Get it! It's our only way back!" I hear Jim's voice shout.
Then I hear Toby screaming.
I push myself forward on a rock and fly to see what's happening. I get to another rock and hide behind it so I can see. I see Jim and me as a purple ghost trying to grab the golden flash. The memory hit me in the head like a rock. The day I was possessed and fought Morgana. I watch how desperately Jim, Toby, and I are getting, trying to catch the shadow staff but with no luck.
I see myself pushing forward, standing on a rock, and holding her arms.
"Azazazuth-Kinekh-Thoon!" She or I grunt.
The staff stops moving and glowing gold, turning purple and returning to myself. But it turns gold and retreats to where it was
"What are you doing?" Jim shouts.
"I don't know. These words, they're in my head." I whine and hold my arms up again. "Azazazuth-Kinekh-Thoon!"
I watch myself battle to control the shadow staff... and my body. I see myself fighting and struggling so hard that I win and regain the staff back. They all fall from the shadow realm, and I fall with them. I close my eyes and pray for the spinning to stop. I feel the ground come close and feel myself hit something hard. I groan in pain and open my eyes, but my vision is dizzy from hitting my head.
My vision is black; at first, I thought it was my eyes, but when I focus more, I see pitch dark all around me. I slowly get up, almost jumping at hearing ear-piercing screaming. I turn to the sound and see the same image as of Monday night, the heartstone being destroyed and trolls scrambling to escape, but instead, I'm in the center of the confusion.
I start hyperventilating when I see Bellroc walking towards me, laughing hysterically. They then point at me, and I freeze in fear. "You, you did this! You have brought Trollmarket's doom and the people you love!" They shout maniacally.
They point to their left, and I turn; my heart breaks. There, in stone, was everyone in my family, friends, and everyone I loved. I cry and run to them. I find Douxie in the crowd and see his petrified face. The scene of horror and fear sweeps over me, and I fall to my knees, sobbing.
"This isn't real! This isn't REAL!" I cry, shut my eyes, and hug myself. I start shaking as I hear maniacal laughing.
I pray this will be over, and I wake up. Come on, Claire Nuñez, WAKE UP!
"Open your eyes, Nuñez."
I hear a different voice whisper that sounds British and male. I feel the air become warm and a soft but heavy touch on my back. I slowly open it, praying it's Douxie, but I don't see anyone. The room is cold but blue, filled with astronomical symbols; it reminds me of the Heartstone Trollmarket arena.
"There is a chance of things to be restored even when it's impossible to."
I see the Amulet of Daylight in destroyed pieces in front of me. When I try to touch it, the Amulet slowly restores in two colors, blue and purple. I blink as the Amulet flies towards me and grab it, making it and my necklace glow.
"Go on, little one; you're friends need you."
I turn around and see the wolf again. I glance down at the Amulet and see a hint of purple in the stone. I caress the clock features; it also feels real and looks like it. I walk toward the wolf, and my necklace glows brighter and brighter. I close my eyes and feel myself drift.
I see blue, red, purple, green, and yellow flashes. I feel my skin becoming warmer, and I finally wake up.
"There is magic flowing inside of you."
"Guys, I got something!" Zoe shouts to everyone.
They all come to her side and see the computer image of an outline of Claire's figure with purple stems flowing through her body.
"Douxie, how long did you know Claire again?" She asks him without turning to him.
"About three months. Why?" Douxie asks, raising his eyebrow.
"Did she ever tell you if she was born or cursed with magic?" Zoe asks, ignoring Douxie's question.
"No, why?" He asks in confusion.
"Because I don't think Claire is a human from the beginning." Zoe finally answers before she hears a beep. "She's waking up. Good, we're done. Douxie, Nari, can you help me?"
Douxie and Nari walk to Claire's right side, and Zoe stands at the computer. Jim, Toby, and Archie watch anxiously for Claire to open her eyes. Zoe taps on some buttons before turning to Nari. "You may wake her up." She says softly.
Nari nods, touches her hands on Claire's temples, and closes her eyes. "Wake up." She whispers as her hands glow green.
I feel I'm about to wake up, but I feel something grab my shoulder. I gulp and slowly turn to see red and black. I see a black figure a few feet away from me with horns on its head, glowing yellow eyes, and standing about a head taller than me.
"Hello, Shadowdancer! I found you!" It laughs, and my stomach flips.
Shadowdancer and glowing yellow eyes. Wait! That's the same creature from my window who wrote the note! I tremble in fear, backing up and holding the Amulet close to my chest.
"Give me the necklace and the Amulet. NOW!" It screams, making me shake in terror.
"No! You can't have them!" I shout, holding the Amulet closer to my necklace, making them send a pulsing noise to my ear.
Clouds of black smoke come from behind the figure and make Bellroc and Skrael. "You will be our piece for glory and create a new world!" Skrael shouts, pointing his staff to me, and Bellroc laughs maniacal.
Everything around me starts to scream and laugh. I make a run for it and run as fast as I can, seeing a bright light of green. I reach a free hand out and try to touch it, but I can't. I try again and again, but no luck. I feel them coming closer, and I grow more desperate. I cry and scream, but it doesn't work. I try one more time and feel myself falling and hear laughing.
"See you soon, Shadowdancer!"
"No!" I shot my eyes open and sprang up on the bed, seeing flashing lights and hearing ringing in my ears. I look down at my shaking body and up at my shocked friends in the room of white and blue. I take a deep breath, knowing I'm safe and out, but what I saw was horrifying enough. I curl up and hug my legs, crying from my nightmare.
Author Note: I decided to do both first and third perspective. There is so much action going on in both Claire's mind and where her friends are. I'm working with another writer on another project but will do the best I can to jungle that, new things happing in my life and this story. Please review.