The Young and Gifted

54. happily ever after

"My, my," a feminine voice drawled from behind her and Kaura swivelled around to see a woman struggling to stay upright, wearing a torn wedding dress. Her hair was stiff and sticking out in odd positions, mouth leaking with blood, skin a pale green shade, eyes a light tint of pink and her arms were thin and gangly. She looked like a tragically broken doll. "You reek of love. Pathetic."

Kaura took slow steps back, her fingers twitching to react. The monster only chuckled. 

"You know what's funny about the concept of love? It's easy to love someone but the real challenge is to have them love you back. I learned it the hard way," it snarled and its snarly fingers reached for her. 

"Fugere dorsum," Kaura yelled in an attempt to defend herself. 

"I am Amores, monster from the Legendarium and your spells are futile, not while you haven't unlocked your full potential," it cackled and latched unto Kaura's arm. 

She gasped as the entity swallowed her up and she could hear her laugh echo around in her mind. Her pupils flicked into a rosy shade and Amores was in utter control of her. More than anything, Kaura felt trapped. Because the monster had access to everything, every single name on the list of people she loved. And she feared for all of them. 

*

When Mason spotted Kaura in the hallway, sashaying towards him, he already knew something was off. He quickly flitted to the library but that left Raf who did not have the luxury of such swift speed. He didn't even know she was possessed. "Cerebrum dolor," she muttered and he groaned, gripping his head. 

Does that hurt? Amores whispered to Kaura inside of her mind, her question echoing around. Do you feel the pain of love?

Stop, Kaura ordered. Not until you learn your lesson the way I learned mine. Amores only laughed and continued to assault Raf to a point where blood was leaking from his nose. "Kaura--" he groaned. "What are you doing?"

"Taking care of something I should have in a long time ago," she said brokenly. Her voice didn't even sound like hers. 

Before Raf's wounds became any more fatal, Lizzie emerged and grabbed Kaura's arm, beginning to siphon her. "Leave him alone."

Amores-Kaura turned to her with a grin and flicked her wrist, slamming Lizzie against the wall. Josie and Penelope emerged too and Amores-Kaura turned to Penelope with a sickening smile. "Oh, she loves you a lot. I think I'll take you first."

Before Penelope could move to cast a spell, Amores-Kaura cupped her cheeks viciously and began to siphon. STOP, Kaura pleaded as she watched Penelope's eyes start to drain. STOP, RIGHT NOW. Amores didn't. 

Josie's heart started to thunder widely as she tried to move forward, to cast a spell, to do something but Kaura's magic only blasted her to the floor. And when her gaze rose once more, she screamed in horror as Penelope's lifeless body fell to the ground, eyes wide and staring at her. 

Everything seemed to mute out as she crawled to the body, shaking the witch to wake up. Meanwhile, Raf had grabbed Lizzie and got away by the time Mason stepped into the hallway again. He knelt beside Josie, telling her that the teachers had a plan but she wasn't listening. Her eyes were drenched in tears as Penelope's wide brown eyes only stared at her. 

Amores-Kaura sighed with exhaust and stood straighter. "There you go. One down, several more to go." Her gaze fell on Mason. "Why, hello there." She slowly stalked to Mason and he stood to his height. 

"Fight it, Kaura," Mason encouraged as she only made her way towards him with no falter. "I know you can, you're strong."

"She loves you too," Amores-Kaura mused as she reached for a table. And broke off its leg to create a stake-like weapon. 

Mason didn't make moves to take a step back and was speaking to the witch he once knew. "You can do it, Kaura. Just push her out."

Amores-Kaura had already pounced on him and they both tumbled to the floor, Kaura on top and Mason below as the stake pressed to his heart. Kaura began to cry as she managed to stress out, "Run." You must love him very much if you can suppress my control, Amores chuckled as she continued to press the stake further. "Mason, please run. I can't fight her off."

"You can," he stressed out as the sharp end began to tear through his flesh. 

Her tears began to drip on his face as the weapon pushed deeper and deeper and became a certain patience to see when it was going to reach its targeted organ. "FIGHT BACK. PUSH ME OFF."

Mason didn't. Instead, he cupped her cheek and smiled. "Shh. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay."

A vein in her forehead popped as she tried to somehow push the evading entity that tormented her mind but it was difficult. All she could control were her tears and her voice. Amores hadn't fought to get either back, as if she knew it was dousing the fire to her pain. "Mason, don't do this."

But it was too late. The stake had already reached his heart and she watched in horror as his skin turned grey, with crinkling vines dancing across his skin. 

She gasped when she felt the pressure of the monster in her mind release. Amores was gone. Kaura sank, her eyes glued to Mason's lifeless eyes. And like Josie, a disoriented ringing began in her ears as she grabbed his cheeks, trying to shake him awake. MASON, her mind screamed, her lips screamed. He didn't wake up. Her eyes seemed to break and she brought her lips to his as if that would wake him up. 

But she didn't realize that this wasn't a fairytale where a true love's kiss would solve everything. This wasn't a story where everyone would wake up and live happily ever after. This was the Legendarium and it only brought nightmares to realities.

~

"Yeah. Uh, don't worry though. Everyone here is dead." 

try to guess who said it and don't forget to vote ;)