Darkness—everything around her was pitch black as if she were swimming through ink. She was unable to see her hand in front of her face. The only sound was the beating of her heart, echoing in the silence. It was hard to think. The images were floating around, but she couldn't capture them. They slipped through her fingers like dust in the wind. Time passed slowly, but there was a feeling of sluggishly going up as if emerging from the murky waters. The sound of her breathing became a grounding force, bringing her back to reality. Her body was heavy and warm, and the bed was uncomfortable because the coarse sheets itched her skin. Realizing she could open her eyes, Will groaned as the view slowly came into focus. A sterile room with white walls, a narrow table with a chair, and an old television mounted on the panel—this was a hospital. She reached for the glass of water on the table, trying to remember what had happened. The drip with a needle in her arm made her movements difficult. Her mouth was parched and had a terrible, bitter aftertaste. With a swing of the door, her mother walked in and quickly rushed over for a tight hug. Will could feel the warm embrace, but her mind was still foggy, and it was hard to recall why she was in the hospital. As her mother pulled away, there were worry lines etched deep into her face.

'Will, oh baby, you're alright! Are you thirsty? Let me help…' Susan pushed the glass into her hand and sat beside her on the plastic chair

'Mum? What?' Will began to ask but then decided to take a small sip of water. It was incredibly cold, and she quickly drank the entire glass.

Susan smiled at her and patted her back gently. 'Feeling better now?'

Will nodded gratefully and was surprised when the doors reopened and Mr. Lair entered wearing a police uniform. She unconsciously shuddered.

'Good evening, Will, Misis Vandom. Or should I say morning, very early morning?' He greeted them with a tired smile, looking stern and serious approaching them. 'I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to ask you a few questions about the incident that happened earlier today.'

Will's heart raced as she wondered what kind of trouble she might be in. 'This is an official visit, and now that Will is awake, I have to take her statement. Tell me what happened to you, Miss Vandom.' He took a battered pad and a pen from his pocket and nodded in her direction. Will was confused, and her mind worked at a snail's pace. She tried remembering the events leading up to her being here, but everything was a blur. What happened? She remained silent, looking out the window, trying to gather her thoughts.

It was dark outside, with only a few lonely streetlights shining in the distance. The weather was terrible—a fierce gust pelted heavy raindrops against the glass, and the trees creaked in the strong wind. Suddenly, a violent gust yanked open the window, throwing the curtains around and creating a cold draft. The room was instantly filled with the sound of howling wind and rain, as well as a familiar feeling in the air—powerful magic swirling with irritation and anger. It tasted like burned sugar in her mouth. Her heart raced as she recognized the unmistakable signature of the person behind the manifestation of what was not an ordinary storm.

'Oh…' Will doubled over, clutching her head in her hands. She could feel the energy pulsing through her body as memories swirled like a kaleidoscope in her mind. Dancing… drinking… Cedric... Torture… Pain… Phobos and the fight…

It only lasted a split second. When she opened her eyes, Irma's father was standing next to the bed, worried about her pallid skin and mom was fumbling with the curtains, attempting to close the window.

'I'm sorry, Mr. Lair. My head hurts and everything is so foggy.' She tried smiling, but it came out more like a grimace. 'I remember dancing with the girls at the concert. Then we talked, danced, and drank some strange-sounding beverages. Don't worry, none of it was alcoholic. That was club policy for a Halloween concert, and then I felt strange... My stomach started hurting, so I went to the ladies' room, but... I have no idea what happened after that. I awoke here.' Will flopped back onto the pillows, exhausted and lying through her teeth. She had no idea what the girls had told him to cover up the mess they had made. Pretending to be clueless was the only option. Will hoped that her acting skills were convincing enough to throw him off their trail. As she closed her eyes, and silently prayed that he wouldn't dig any deeper into their supposed "night out."

'You were drugged, Miss Vandom. We discovered an unknown chemical mixture in your blood. I'm not surprised you can't recall everything.' Mr. Lair explained, looking at her with worry. 'I want to know how what happened, but with so little to go on, there is nobody to blame here. However, the building girls discovered you burned to the ground. It's unlikely we will find the culprit.'

'My daughter was almost physically assaulted.' Susan stated, squeezing her hand. 'I want the person responsible for this found! What if he hurt someone else?' Susan's words echoed through the room. Her eyes were filled with anger and fear.

'We will try, Mrs. Vandom, but there is nothing I can promise.' Mr. Lair looked tired. 'I understand your concerns...' He nodded sympathetically.

Will remained silent while inspecting her wrists. Not even a scratch remained. Cornelia must have healed the damage from the ropes. What a relief! Those would require awkward explanations. At the same time, it was difficult for her to forget how helpless she felt at the hands of the enemy. Will wanted to cry but refused to do so until she was alone.

'Will is a very lucky girl to have such good friends. I can't imagine what would have happened if they hadn't discovered her. I leave you to rest and inform Irma. The girls waited for you, but everyone was taken home because it was late. I have no doubt you will see them in the morning.' He smiled.

'Mrs. Vandom, Miss Vandom, goodnight. Please contact me if you recall anything else.' Mr. Lair said as he exited the room, nodding in their direction. Will's exhaustion set in, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep and forget what had happened, but seeing her mother's worried expression, she put on a strong mask.

'Mom, everything is alright. I don't remember much. Nothing bad happened.' She smiled, wishing to be alone. It was difficult to deceive her mother. Will felt as if her life had become a tangle of lies that had unintentionally hurt everyone around her. She had nobody to rely on and, for once, to be taken care of. She longed for a confidant—someone who would understand her struggles and offer support. But she couldn't risk revealing her secrets to anyone, not even her closest friends.

'Oh, honey, how can I? Do you have any idea how afraid I was after receiving a call from the hospital? Never do this again.' Susan hugged her daughter, and Will sniffed at her shoulder. It was warm and safe. For a brief moment, she could pretend the world outside didn't exist and that there was no danger to her life because of the cause Kandrakar had given her.

'You must be tired.' Susan examined her face, finding it too pale. 'Get some sleep.' She said this and helped Will onto the pillows, gently tucking her in. 'You will see me first thing in the morning.' Susan gently ruffled her hair.

Will internally sighed. Sleep sounded like a good idea, and the pillows were soft, but somehow it was frightening. Squeezing her mother's hand, she relaxed, trying to feign sleep.

Some time had passed, and she must have dozed off but was roused by the silent closing of the door. Her mother has finally left. Hugging herself, Will rolled into the small ball and shuddered. She felt so alone and useless. Her throat hurt, trying to hold in the sobs. Will cried, knowing this was the only undisturbed time to do it. When morning comes, she must remain strong, appearing normal to her mother and friends as if nothing had happened. It wasn't Will's first or last time doing something like this. The leader of the Guardians had to appear perfect.

Will whimpered, remembering how she did this with the only person she should not have. Wishing for his strong embrace as she broke apart, and hoping that the next time they met, Phobos would not use her moment of weakness against her. At that moment, when he offered comfort, Will felt safe in his arms. He helped her without expecting anything in return. Will knew that Phobos was not the kind of person who would offer comfort to anyone, so deep inside her heart, a dangerous attraction flared. Even though she knew it was wrong, Will wanted to feel his lips one more time. Imagining something more than an innocent kiss on the brow, Will was instantly embarrassed and torn. She should not want him. It went against everything the girls believed in. But the attraction to him was too strong to ignore. Will was struggling with her desires, unsure of what to do next. It was too much for her troubled heart. She cried even harder, trying to remain silent, and the Heart of Kandrakar buzzed in response to its keeper's distress. A cocoon of soothing and relaxing magic encircled her, and soon the girl fell into a deep sleep.

The rest of the night was restless and riddled with nightmares. She awoke covered in a cold sweat after dreaming of being bound and surrounded by aggressive shadows who groped her body without restraint. Will rose from her bed and walked around the room, angry at the whole situation. She could not afford to be weak. Grabbing the pendant, Will prayed for strength to forget and cope with the recent failure.

In the morning, Will was escorted to the hospital canteen for a communal breakfast following a visit from the doctor, who removed the drip and informed her of her health status. She returned to her ward after eating an unsatisfactory breakfast of fruits and porridge. Her mom was in the room talking to the nurse. She smiled and went out to sign the documents confirming her release. Will noticed a bag left on the bed and was relieved to find casual clothes inside. Changing out of her hospital gown and into jeans, a tank top, and a cozy sweater made her feel more human. The discovery of the black dress in the small cupboard ruined her good mood. It was put in a plastic bag, all dirty and torn. Will shoved the fabric back into the bag and took a deep breath, feeling nausea rise. The moment was interrupted when someone barged in… Her body was pushed back as Taranee collided with her in a fierce hug.

'Will, thank God you are awake!' she sniffed into her shoulder. Will looked around and noticed other girls gathered in one big hug. The warmth expanded inside her. It was reassuring to have friends who cared and helped, even in the worst of situations. She smiled weakly and hugged her back, feeling grateful for their support.

'Enough, let her breathe.' Cornelia smiled, removing herself from the pile.

'I'm glad you are okay.' Irma punched her in the shoulder. 'Please, do not do that ever again.'

'Yeah, we almost lost you… Who was that monster?' Hay Lin asked, pushing her onto the bed and sitting on the blanket.

'His name is Cedric, and he is Phobos general. Probably his right hand…' Will silently replied, shuddering slightly. 'He wanted Heart of Kandrakar, but I have no idea how that monster found me or what I drank. Because of the drugs, my memory is jumbled. I'm just grateful you found me. Thank you, girls... I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come to my aid.' Will said, remaining silent about the actual events. It was unacceptable to be grateful to their enemy's leader. She lied. Again. It felt wrong to repeatedly deceive the girls, but Will already owed him and betraying this secret would have been worse than lying. She knew she had to keep up the facade of animosity towards their enemy, even though he had helped her more than once. Will felt a pang of guilt as she looked at the happy girls and wondered if they would ever forgive her if they found out the truth.

'Will we have to tell you something else?' Cornelia started nervously, biting her lip.

'Elyon is missing, along with her parents. There isn't much information available, but we believe she was abducted and brought to Meridian. You were the last one to see her try to remember something more.' Her eyes welled up with unshed tears as she realized her friend had been kidnapped.

Will frowned. That couldn't be right because there was no one else in the basement. Elyon offered a drink, later helped her get through the crowd, and abandoned her in the middle of it. She recalled someone grabbing her from behind. Will felt nausea rising in her stomach. Something seemed very wrong. Elyon's secrecy and disappearances at random times with cover-up lies. Will's only conclusion was that she betrayed them. She couldn't believe that Elyon, their friend, would do such a thing. It seemed unbelievable to her. Reserving judgment until more information came up, Will swallowed her doubts, wondering if the whole friendship was a lie and if she ever truly knew Elyon at all.

'I don't know. I lost Elyon in the crowd. The basement was empty except for the monsters.' She shrugged, trying not to flinch as the memories were too fresh in her mind.

'My father is looking for her. They were missed this morning when he went to talk to Elyon about the party. According to what I heard, their house was left with all of their belongings. Nothing was missing, only a lot of disturbance in the kitchen. It could have been a simple break-in or something.' Irma frowned.

'It's not! My best friend is missing and most likely in the hands of a monster! How can you be so calm? We should do something!' Cornelia shouted out her frustration.

'Cornelia, think about it! Elyon and her parents have been gone since yesterday. It could have been just a simple robbery or kidnapping. Let the police do their jobs. Not everything has to be magical!' Irma reasonably explained, annoyed with her friend. She never took her opinion seriously.

Cornelia rolled her eyes, feeling defensive. 'I know that, Irma. But you have to understand that with our powers, we can help in ways the police can't. We have a responsibility to use them for good.' Irma sighed, realizing that Cornelia had a point. 'Okay, fine. But let's at least wait until we have more information before we go charging in.'

'You both have a point. I think we should check the house. Maybe the police overlooked something.' Taranee tried placating the rising argument.

'Good idea. It's not like they know what to look for. Cops don't believe in magic,' Hay Lin offered her opinion. Cornelia huffed. It was too much for her to process, and the girls did not understand her feelings. Her friendship with Elyon was drifting away, and she wanted to save her friend. She felt she owed her something for all the lies they told to keep the Guardian's secret hidden.

'Just help me, okay? I want to find Elyon as soon as possible.' She relented, looking through the window. The storm from yesterday blew the barely hanging leaves from the trees. They stood bare in the gray sky. It suited her mood, which was as bleak as the weather outside. Cornelia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation. But she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on finding Elyon, knowing that time was of the essence. Susan walked in, startling the girls out of their musings.

'Good afternoon, girls. I did not expect you this early…' Susan smiled, seeing her daughter surrounded by her loyal friends. 'I wanted to thank you for yesterday. If you did not locate Will… ' With teary eyes, she hugged Taranee, who stood closest to her.

'You don't have to thank us. Mrs. V. Will is our friend, and we always support each other.' Hay Lin reassured the teary woman. 'Isn't that right, girls? Best friends forever?' She called out, extending her hand.

'Yeah!'

'Uhu!'

'Friends forever!'

'… and always!'

Girls placed their hands together in a circle and let them go with the motto 'W.I.T.C.H!".

They laughed out loud, temporarily forgetting their worries and simply enjoying being together as only best friends can.

Later, as her mother drove them home, Will gazed out the car window watching the world go by. Her heart hurt, and her mind churned. If she was right, Elyon poisoned her, and Will had no idea why. Telling the girls this would likely result in more arguments, especially from Cornelia. Elyon was a childhood friend, and it was out of the question to tell the girls what she thought about her betraying them all. Will lacked useful information concerning the situation, but she knew she needed to find out more before making any decisions about Elyon's sudden change in behavior. Finally choosing to help the girls search the house, Will went home feeling drained and weary. Her life has just become even more complicated. There was something bigger at play, something beyond just Elyon's behavior. Will knew she needed to be cautious and tread carefully as she delved deeper into this mystery.