Author Note: I'm sorry for the slow update. I'm doing summer online classes and trying to help my family. My grandfather is in the hospital right now, and my parents, my sister, and I are forced to take care of him because he's divorced, and my uncle lives in South Calirona while we live in Colorado. It sucks as I had to take care of my mom during my spring break and now my grandfather for the summer. I can't wait for the Fall to come. I know it's far from El Día de los Muertos, but I'm trying to balance work, school, and outside life all at once. I find the holiday interesting and better than some other traditional holidays for celebrating the dead from different cultures.
"Claire! Claire!"
I open my eyes, hearing Mom cry my name. I turn around and see her and Dad in front of me. I sigh with relief but sense something is wrong. What are they doing here? "Mamá! Papá!" I call out, running to them, but a fire line appears before me, making me stop and causing my parents to scream. "Mamá! Papá!" I cry. As soon as the fire disappears, the sky becomes red, everything is dead, and my parents turn into stone, petrified with horror. I cried in agony, seeing my parents, people I love and want to help, destroyed before me, and I could do nothing. I hear laughter above me, making my blood go cold. I look up and see my worst nightmare.
"You see, Child, no one is safe from our new world. You will be our champion." Bellroc laughs, pointing their staff at me.
Rage boils inside me, and I summon my staff. "You two are going to pay for this!" I growl, my magic flowing fast through my body. Before I strike, I hear something in my ear, making me freeze.
"Sweetie!" Mom's voice says calmly. "It's OK. What you see is not real. Your father and I are safe with Enrique. It's OK. You are brave, you are strong, and you have the power in you to overcome anything."
Tears swell in my eyes, but hope comes to my heart, hearing my mom reach out to me. "Mamá."
"I am here for you, sweetie. I will always be here for you, my little warrior."
Those words give me strength, and I fight off the Arcane Order, rage but determination inside me. I am strong and brave; I will never give up on the world and those I love.
"Claire!" I hear a frail female voice, causing everything to disappear into the darkness. "Claire."
I turn around and see Abuela smiling at me. I sigh with relief and run towards her. "Abuela!" I shout, but as I get closer, she becomes pale and covers her stomach with her hands. "Abuela?" I asked, but my heart dropped when blood drenched in her clothes. She pulls her hands away to show a sharp blade in her stomach, making my blood freeze. I look up, and her smile is permanent on her face. She collapses, but I catch her in my arms. "Abuela! Abuela!" I cry, holding her in my arms. She starts to drift off, and panic races in my heartbeat. "Don't you dare close your eyes! Don't you dare let go of me!" I beg, squeezing her hand tightly, hoping she does the same.
"Claire." She mumbles in her weak voice. "You're almost there... You will succeed."
"But I failed... I failed you." I reply, shaking my head.
"No... You've done nothing wrong... I'm so proud of you... You will succeed." She disagrees.
"I promise I'll destroy the Arcane Order. I'll avenge you. You are too good to die." I cry.
"Claire... Vengeance will only corrupt the soul. Do not let them take your heart. You will win this war and succeed, even if I won't be there to see it." She says softly, and I feel her grip go.
"No! NO! Don't let go! Don't leave me!" I beg, shaking her to stay awake.
"Claire...it's OK. I will never leave you and always be in your heart. I love you." She says sweetly and closes her eyes.
Her strength leaves her body and relaxes, making me panic. "NO! NO! Abuela! Abuela, wake up! Please don't leave me! Abuela!" I cry out in agony. I bury my face in her chest, hoping to hear anything, but no answer, making me cradle her in my arms. "I love you, Abuela! I promise to avenge you! I promise I'll defeat these monsters and help our family! I promise!"
I stare out the window, awake and fully dressed, holding my necklace tightly, trying to keep my mind occupied by the huge gemstones outside, but I keep returning to my nightmare.
"Claire."
I turn around and see my boyfriend sitting on our bed, stretching from just waking up. "Hi, Jim!" I say as calmly as possible.
"How long have you been up? Could you not sleep last night?" He asks worryingly.
I shake my head, walking to our bed. "No, I just happened to wake up a bit early. I couldn't get back to sleep and didn't want to wake you up." I half-lies and sit down. "You look very peaceful when you sleep."
Jim chuckles and shakes his head. "So do you." He says calmly. Suddenly, Jim grabs my hand. "Are you cold?"
I realized I was trembling. "No! I'm fine." I lie, pulling my hand away, and get up. "Come on; we can't keep Veronica and our friends waiting."
"Hold your horses, Claire; I've just gotten up."
I sigh and nod my head. "Yes! I'm sorry."
While Jim gets dressed, I stare out the window, sad yet trying so hard to hide it. I shiver as Jim gently wraps his hands around me, making me gasp. "What's wrong, Claire? You're usually not this quiet." He says softly.
I try to control myself. I can't let him worry about me, but I can't just lie to him. "Today is El Día de los Muertos." I admit, turning around to face my boyfriend.
His eyes widen, and he frowns. "Oh, Claire." He sighs with worry. "Do you need to take a break?"
"I'm fine, Jim. We already took one yesterday." I mutter and push away from him. "Come on; we shouldn't worry, our friends," I say, not looking at him, not wanting Jim to show me pity, but he grabs my hand.
"Claire, don't pretend I can't see what's wrong." He says, making me look at him. "You're losing sleep; you're stressing yourself out. I'm surprised you haven't reached your breaking point yet."
"I already had my breaking point before we left home and yesterday." I groan, making him shake his head.
"No. You had a panic attack yesterday and another one on the beach. I'm talking about the edge of the cliff." Jim corrects me, hinting at what he actually means.
I sigh and shake my head. "No, that won't happen. I'm fine. Working helps me cope and distract myself."
"Claire, studying, training, and working isn't a coping strategy; it's breaking you down," Jim argues.
"How do you know how I deal with pain?"
"Because I've been seeing this for a while. You haven't been yourself since after the 21st. You have nightmares every night, you always seem on edge and act like you're fine, but you're not. You might be fooling everyone, but you're not fooling me, and with this holiday, I think taking a break for the day is better than draining yourself. I know you're worried about the Arcane Order, but you have other people around you who are willing to help you with this toll. You and Toby did that for me, so let us do the same for you."
I sigh and look away. "Fine, but I want to be alone."
"No way! I'm-"
"I want to be alone!" I hiss, looking away. I wait for a minute until Jim lets go of my wrist.
"OK, but will you at least let Amber stay with you?"
"Sure." I agree, wanting to drop the subject.
We don't look at each other when exiting our room. I see Amber in front of me with NotEnrique and Nymeria on the floor. We all go to the dining hall, but I want to run as we get close to the door. I don't want to see anyone and just disappear, but before I can, Jim grabs my wrist; seemingly knowing what I'm about to do. I sigh as we enter the room and see our friends inside.
"There you guys are!" Toby says.
"You're late," Zoe says, crossing her arms and warming my cheeks.
"Sorry, guys. We were just talking." Jim replies.
"What were you talking about?" Mary asks, smirking.
"None of your business." I hiss, take my hand back from Jim and run out of the room, finding somewhere to be alone. I hear people shout my name, so I transform into my wolf form to run faster and hide somewhere. Once in the clear, I change back into my human form. I walk around the castle, trying to get my mind off everything I went through, but with every step I take, it feels like the Arcane Order is drilling into my head.
"No one is safe from our new world. You will be our champion." Bellroc's voice hisses in my ear. "The morals must pay for what they have done to us for centuries."
I shake my head, trying to block away the voice, but it causes another to sneak into my ear.
"You are no different than Morgana. The fate of the world is at stake because of you." An old man's voice says, shaking me to my core.
"Humanity is lost beyond correction, but you can fix everything." Skreal laughs.
I cover my ears, but it's no use.
"¡Eres un mocoso egoísta! Basta de saber que traes vergüenza a nuestra familia y a nuestros antepasados como lo hizo Verónica. Recuerda queue." Olivia screams and I start running again.
"I want to make my own decisions and write my destiny." I hear my voice speak up with bravery.
"¡Eres una hija decepcionada y una mujer vergonzosa! ¡Nos traicionas y te vas a tener sexo con hombres como una puta!" Lucas yells, causing his voice to echo louder and louder against the walls.
"Some people think fate is destiny and can't be changed, while others think it's based on the person's choices, but no matter what people say, it's up to the person who is swimming where to go and what they choose to be." Abuela's gentle voice combats it.
"Don't let anyone take away who you are." Mom hushes me.
"You don't have a choice." The Half-Troll threatens me.
"It's your destiny. This is the way." Bellroc chants.
"Don't give up, my child," Morgana whispers.
I burst open the glass doors to a balcony of the castle, causing the voices to go away, and catch my breath on the railing. I feel guilty about them, hear the insults and threats, and start crying from hearing Morgana, Mom, and Abuela. I can't let the universe be held in the hands of the Arcane Order, but I'm just a 17-year-old witch, going to be up to two of the most powerful beings in the world. How do I have a fighting chance? Suddenly, I hear a little jingle in my right ear and turn my head to see Amber next to me. "Hi, Amber!" I greet her. She looks down and grabs my sleeve, struggling to get my arm off the rail, but she's too small and has to let go. "Sorry, Amber. I'm not in the mood to play." I sigh, making her pout and fly away. I look out and see the colorful crystals and gems, brightening the caverns with their beauty. It reminds me of Trollmarket, and I sigh with sadness and feel more guilty. The trolls lost their home twice and are held captive by the Arcane Order. How can I find the strength to get my revenge and save everything I care about?
"Hello, Claire!"
I turn around and see Veronica behind me on the other side of the door. I smile and stand up. "Hey, Abuela-Uh-Veronica! Hi!" I reply, feeling awkward, walking inside. "Why are you here?"
"I sense you were sad, and Amber told me you were here. Why aren't you with your friends?" She says softly.
"I wanted to be alone today."
"Why today?"
My heart sinks again and collapses to the floor. "Today is El Día de los Muertos." I mumble. "I want to go home." I begin to cry.
"You want to be with your family, right?" Veronica asks sympathetically.
I bite my lip and nod my head. "I miss my parents and my family, but most importantly, I miss my Abuela. I had hoped to come back home to celebrate El Día de los Muertos with my family and honor her, but I'm down here..." I sigh.
"But you still have your friends with you." Veronica tries to reassure me.
"Yeah... Even Jim." I mumble.
"You two sometimes remind me of my husband, Willian, and I." Veronica giggles, drawing me out of feeling momentarily sad.
"I remember that name," I say. "You haven't mentioned your family. I know your husband's name and that he was from England, and you two had three children."
"Yes. I met my husband when I was only 16, and he was 18. We fell in love the moment we first exchanged words. He was a student from England." Veronica sighs.
"How did you two meet?"
"We met in the streets of town when he was arriving from England for the first time. It was a windy day, and I was walking when my scarf flew off my shoulders. I ran after it and almost got run over by a horse. Then, a man pulled me out of the way and asked if I was alright."
"So romantic." I tease her.
"Yes, when my eyes met him, my heart skipped a beat. I fell in love after hearing William's gentle and kind voice."
"And did he?"
"Yes, but I didn't know that until he came to my house. During our first encounter, I said my name, and he told me when he went to school, he asked about me; a friar, Padre Ferdinand, told him he knew me and knew where I lived. After attending classes, he showed up at my door with the scarf that I had lost and met Aunt Elaine. She was surprised yet ecstatic that a handsome young man came to see me."
"What happened after?" I ask, hanging on to her every word, wanting all the details.
"We went for a walk and talked about each other. I was so fascinated when he told me he was from England, where my birth mother was born. I asked him so many questions about everything I could think of. Even though it was improper, Willian was taken by my curiosity and answered all my questions. We spent hours talking to each other, to the point where Aunt Elaine had to send a servant for me to come home. Willian had school but promised to visit me as soon as possible. Before he left, he picked a carnation flower and kissed me on the hand.
"Oh my god!" I reply. I'm usually not taken by these types of stories, but hearing how my ancestors first met is so sweet. "What then?"
"Every day after school, he would visit me, and we would just talk, and this went on for a few months until he had to go back to England after school. I was heartbroken and wanted to go with him, but Aunt Elaine forbade me to go to England but allowed Willian and me to remain in contact. Time went on, and our courtship grew more serious. One day, on my 18th birthday, William asked for my hand, and I said yes immediately, tackling him to the ground and hugging him. I literally ran back home and told Aunt Elaine the news, and she was so ecstatic but worried because Willian was from England. Thankfully, he was almost done with school, and because he met me, he decided to stay in Spain, and a year later, we got married."
"Oh my god, that is such a love story!" I comment.
"Not long after my wedding, I became pregnant with my first child, Elenora, and within four years, I had two more children, Ferrando and Diago." She sighs and turns around, becoming sad and disappointed.
"You must miss them," I say, feeling her sadness.
Veronica sighs and nods her head. "More than I can say, Claire, but when I saw you for the first time, you reminded me of my daughter and, sometimes, even my sons, giving me joy."
"Really?" I ask curiously.
"Yes. Elenora was a lively, determined, and strong girl with a soft nature. Ferrando was my hot-headed and stubborn yet fearless and persistent little boy. On the other hand, Diago was shy and quiet yet hardworking and compassionate. All these traits were shined through you, and everyone who met and knew you was lucky." She says, showing a smile.
"That's something Abuela would say. 'Everyone who met and knew me is lucky.'" I groan sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"It's true. You're a truly gifted and amazing girl."
"Who causes everyone she knows and loves to be in danger," I mutter, looking away. I bite my lip to avoid the tears coming back. "I felt like the world was destroyed when Abuela's heart stopped beating, and I feel so bad I'm not with my family on this important day, but I can't stop until I defeat the Arcane Order or die trying. I want her to be at peace, make her proud, and keep everyone safe, but I can't. I feel like a failure." I cry, sobbing.
"Shhh! Shhh! It's OK, Claire. Shhhh!" Veronica says calmly. "You didn't cause anything wrong."
While crying, I don't feel any arms around me, but I feel a warm sensation around my body. After I was eight, this sensation would always accompany me whenever I felt lonely and scared. Then I realized with all those moments, it was Veronica trying to comfort me. I open my eyes and look to my left to see her smiling sweetly at me. I crack one a bit, too, until Veronica looks at me seriously.
"Claire, I want you to listen to me." She says, and I nod my head. "You are not a failure. You are not. You may feel you were responsible for your grandmother's death, but you weren't. She might be gone, but you are not alone; you have all your friends still here with you and an amazing boyfriend who I know loves and cares about you so much."
"How?" I ask, and we look down at my left hand, seeing the ring glow, making me blush. Then I turned my head, and my heart leaped out. "Jim!" I cry and run to him. I slam my body into him, wrapping my arms tightly around him, and he does the same. I want to say something, but all that can come out is crying.
"Shhh! Shhhh! Don't cry, Claire! Shhh!" Jim whispers, rubbing my back.
We stay close, with Jim hushing me while combing my hair with his fingers. My knees buckle, and Jim sets us both down. The memories and moments of Jim holding me in his arms always brought me back to peace. From everything that has happened to us, everything we've been through, Jim is the only one who can calm me down. After we came home, we were both diagnosed with PTSD. The psychologist who diagnosed us was shocked when I told her I and Jim are a couple. She advised us to break when she figured out our triggers, but being together was the only thing that calmed us from our triggers and trauma. However, my heart aches for the ability to see Abuela again and tell her I'm sorry, but that's not possible. "I feel like such a failure, Jim." I cry in his shirt. "I'm a failure."
"No, no. You are not a failure Claire." He replies softly.
"But I let Bellroc kill Abuela. I could've saved her." I argue. "I'm a burden. Everywhere I go, everything I do, I cause suffering. I got you stuck in the Darklands for two weeks to save my brother. I allowed Gummar to escape to rescue you. I caused you to get hurt by the Green Knight. I caused the death of Merlin when I wanted to save you. I could've saved Abuela. I could've healed her, I could've protected her, but she died in my arms, and now the Arcane Order is after us all because of me."
"No, you are not, Claire! You are nothing like that! You saved so many lives and did everything you could." He says and pulls me away for us to see each other.
"But-"
"Shhh!" Jim interrupts me. "Don't place what others did onto you. You did everything you could to save me from the Darklands when no one else wanted to. You saved the trolls in Trollmarket from Gummar. You saved all the humans in Arcadia. You saved my life from the Arcane Order and your family from them too." He says, trying to reassure and remind her of her achievements.
"But Abuela-"
"Your abuela won't want you to torture yourself in grief. She won't be able to rest in peace if you keep blaming yourself. She would want you to be happy."
"I won't be able to heal until I defeat the Arcane Order! I want them to pay for what they have done to this world, even if it means I die!" I admit, sending a shock wave between us. I realized what I'd said and buried my face in his shirt. "My family is cursed, and I need to break it. Abuela or any of my family won't be able to rest until I break it!" I cry. "I can't let anyone suffer because of me."
Jim tightly holds me to himself, shaking, not wanting to let me go. "Claire, don't you dare say that!" Jim says in my ear. "I won't let you do this alone."
I just sob in his shirt, realizing I can't argue or fight against him. "I want my mom. I want to be with my family." I mumble.
"Shhh! Claire, I promise once this is all over, you'll be with them soon." Jim reassures me and pulls us apart to look at me, grabbing my chin. "But you have us, and we are here for you on this journey and what you're going through; you just need to let us help you."
I sigh in defeat, bite my lip and glance down. "OK." I breathe. "I just miss Abuela and want her to be proud of me and be in peace."
"And she is. Look how far you've gone. We traveled underground, and you transported us to England just to find Veronica. You're determined to protect the ones you love and never stop fighting. I might not be her, but if Abuela were here, she would be so proud of you, but she would want you to rest for the day and let the people around you help."
If I would hate admitting it, Jim is right. I close my eyes and start crying again, burying my face in Jim's shirt. Jim shushes me and holds me tightly, rubbing my back with one hand and stroking my hair with the other. "Thank you, Jim..." I mumble. "I love you."
"I love you too, Claire. I'm always with you to the end of the line." He whispers in my ear and kisses me on the forehead. "Come on; everyone is worried about you and wants to learn about El Día de los Muertos to celebrate."
"OK," I mumble before Veronica and Amber lead us to our friends. They feel bad, but unlike yesterday, they didn't do anything, and I reassure them I'm fine; I just feel guilty about the death of Abuela and want to be with my family. Aja asks me what El Día de los Muertos is, and I smile. I tell her that it's a two-day event from November 1st to 2nd, celebrating the dead and deceased of family members. Zoe wants to celebrate for me, but no one knows how because it's not part of my friend's culture.
"How do you even celebrate El Día de los Muertos? Isn't that a Mexican holiday?" Steve asks.
"Yes, but it's also celebrated in Los Angles, Hati, Guatemala, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Portugal, the Philippines, and Spain, although each country does it differently," I explain.
"Isn't it kinda creepy that you guys celebrate the dead?" Mary asks.
"No! It is a joyous holiday to honor our ancestors by making offerings, dancing, and telling stories to remember them." I reassure her. "Didn't you guys hear about this in Spanish class?" I ask, crossing my arms. Every human looks around with a sense of awkwardness and embarrassment. I look at Jim, and when our eyes meet, he looks down in shame. Instead of disappointment, I laugh, breaking the silence. "It's OK, guys. Spanish class doesn't give all the details of the holiday anyways."
"But didn't you take a Spanish class?" Toby asks.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. "I'm polyglot. I can speak four languages, including fluent Spanish."
Everyone looks at me in shock. "What?! What other languages?" Archie asks.
"English, my main language, Trollish, taught by NotEnrique, and Wizard-ese and Latin taught by Douxie." I list off.
"Wow! Looks like Claire is smarter than you, Archie." Zoe jokes, making Archie groan.
"To test out of Spanish class, I had to pass an oral, written, and spelling exam from Mr. Uhl, which was stressful and brutal, but it was worth it, and I had the choice to take another language class if I wanted or another elective. I chose the ladder as I didn't have to learn another language and felt my head would explode."
"Oh, that's why we didn't see you in a language class," Toby says. "What elective did you take?"
"Political science, which annoyed my mom, but I don't know why, as she did the same at 14, inspiring her to do that as her profession," I reply in annoyance. "Anyways, to answer your question, Steve, to celebrate El Día de los Muertos, at least in Mexico, is to first create an ofrendas, or private altars, with all the pictures of a family's ancestors. These are so to let the ghosts of the ancestors in them come to the living world. They arrive from their graves and follow the path of orange marigold flower petals to the house where their alive descendants live. At the graves and the ofrendas, there are offerings of favorite dishes, drinks, and sometimes even items of the deceased. In the daytime, it's known for public dancing in the streets. People go to their homes or the graveyard at night to be with their family, living and dead. They sing songs, say prayers, and tell stories of the dead to keep the memory of them in the family through the younger generation." I explain, flabbergasting everyone to my knowledge of the holiday.
"Did you use to celebrate this?" Darci asks.
"I haven't celebrated it since I was 12 because my mom kept me from Abuela and everyone else." I sigh and shake my head. "I have no pictures of Abuela, no food, and no family members around, but I have her memories deep in my head and heart."
The room falls silent, and everyone looks at me with sadness. Then, Toby steps up. "But you also have us to help you celebrate her." He reassures me, making me smile.
"And I have a surprise for you all," Veronica says sweetly. "It's in the dining hall."
We follow Veronica to the dining room, and she tells me to open the door. I push it, and my eyes open wide. In the room, vases of beautiful blooming marigolds are in every corner of the room; streams of papel picados hand over our heads, marigold petals are on the floor, and food is on silver plates with lit candles on the table. I'm touched by Veronica's gesture for our family until I spot a purple papel picado standing out from everything else. I ask Archie to check it out, and he says it looks like a snowflake created with hearts and flowers, making my heart skip. The papel picado is mine from my last El Día de los Muertos. Tears come to my eyes, and I look down.
"Claire."
I look up to see my boyfriend's worried gaze.
"Are you OK?"
I nod and tell Jim what's wrong with heavy tears falling.
"Shhh! Shhh! It's OK, Claire." Jim whispers, hugging me.
"I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't mean to upset you." Veronica says softly.
"No, no, it's ok, Veronica," I reassure her in a shaky voice. "This is a good memory. I made that papel picado with Abuela."
"Do you have any more stories of her?" NotEnrique asks, making me smile.
For the next few hours, I tell stories I remember of Abuela and me, what I was told, and what she told me. The food on the table are favorite of Abuela, and we cheer for her, celebrating her legacy and our journey. Before going to bed, I thank everyone, and Darci, Mary, Zoe, Toby, Douxie, and Aja hug me.
"Claire."
I turn around and smile. "Hey, Nari! What is it?" I ask, kneeling to her eye level. She looks down, and her hands start glowing. A sprout grows from her palm and blooms into a peach dahlia. "Oh, it's so beautiful," I say sweetly.
"Your Mom misses you. She is safe but is sad and hopes you're ok." She says, making my skips a beat.
Dahils are my mom's favorite flower. Nari is connected to the earth and all its souls, so hearing about my mom makes my heart ache. I bite my lip as Nari hands me the flower. "Thank you," I mumble, touched. Nari jumps and wraps her arms around me.
"You humans celebrate beautiful holidays." She says.
I sigh and thank her for celebrating with me, hugging her back. A moment later, Nari lets go and wishes me goodnight before walking away with Zoe, Douxie, and Archie. Veronica wishes me and Jim goodnight, and Amber leads us to our room. After an emotional day, I hope to have a good dream with Jim by my side.
Author: IMPORTANT NOTE! I will upload two chapters simultaneously because chapter 49 has a big, massive lemon warning for the whole chapter. For most of the story, Jim has been respectful to Claire, but throughout, I hinted multiple times about them having sex for the first time. Claire needs comfort, and the couple thinks they're ready to take a serious step in their relationship. Don't worry; I know the terms of a T-rated story and will pull the fade-to-back card. I did my best, but this intimate moment between two mature 17-year-old teenagers. I know some might not read the A/N, so I will make another disclaimer next chapter, but please be advised. You don't have to read the next chapter if you don't want to. As always, please review and read the next chapter if you dare.