APPLE WITCH (girlxgirlxgirl)

37. Rose colored death

🍎

⚠️ child imprisonment, mentions of suicide/self sacrifice, blood, gruesome conditions, dead bodies, murder, dangerous weapons, indications of torture, imprisonment ⚠️

"I can't believe it"

Melora gulps down the lump that grows in her throat, eyes wide as she stares at the child. His eyes are closed in a scared frown, as he shivers and tries to keep himself warm while curling up in his hard prisoner's bed. A child. Young child, barely above the age of three, suffering in the same place Melora suffered in when she was already twelve. She finally understands what the two guards meant when they said that they were horrified; she is horrified enough to be nauseous.

"We need to get him out of here"

Melora knows what she is saying but she has no idea how she's actually going to achieve that. A weight pulls at her chest. How could they have been so cruel? How could they have trapped someone his age in here, how could they have left him alone in this dark and cold environment? Melora has lived here for eight years and she'll be the first person to say that it's definitely not a place for a child. The hunger, the manipulation, the burning pain. How dare they? And it stabs at her own heart too, for how could she and her friends ever have planned to use the magic of the four seasons, when one of them is this young? How could the emperor ever have planned to use this child for four season magic? He would die if they forced him to use any kind of magic.

Melora rushes up to the sleeping child, not knowing how but wanting to save him from this place as quickly as possible. The guards don't stop her, only watching with pained eyes as she gently shakes the toddler awake. She can't have him be asleep while they escape, no matter how tempting it may be to shield him from the horror that the tower is. If he wakes up, startles and screams in the middle of it all, they'll all be dead. Melora is smart enough to wake him up. His eyes flutter open and Melora sees them shine in a beautiful pink colour, something which she has never seen before. They shine like diamonds, gentle pink diamonds and they quickly fill with tears, the poor boy shrinking in on himself from fear. Melora gulps down her tears and manages a small smile, hoping that she doesn't look too scary.

"Don't worry, I'm here to save you okay? You'll be safe with me"

The boy sniffles and blinks, probably still drowsy from his sleep. He shrinks away in fear.

"You're the summer witch, do you understand that? I'm the spring witch so I'll help you"

Melora sighs, trying to lift some of the heaviness off her heart but she finds no relief. The kid seems to understand what she is saying, as he doesn't try to get away from her hands anymore. She gathers the child into her arms, although feeling quite tired and pained herself, and heads towards the exit. Melora has no clear plan, no step-by-step program to get them both out of here. But she does have an idea. She does know that with the right amount of help, she could teleport them away, and they would never have to leave these walls physically in the first place. All she needs is a source of life. They'll be fine. He'll be safe. She had nobody to protect her when she got trapped in here but by God, she'll be the one to protect the summer witch. It's about time the witches finally gathered themselves and broke themselves free.

"Melora?"

Just as she is about to leave, a familiar voice cuts through the air of the summer tower. Melora halts in her steps, throat suddenly feeling dry. Right in front of her, looking like an angel, stands a white-haired tall witch with widened deep black eyes, completely caught off guard. A black haired and red-eyed vampire stands next to him, equally as horrified, as they stare at the scene in front of them. Melora, the spring witch, standing in the supposedly empty summer tower with the summer witch, clinging onto her like a pitiful little spider. It's not hard to tell what is going on. The kid turns around in Melora's arms and his shining rose coloured eyes stare right at them curiously, Saint and Adar are quick to recognise the pink crescent moon on his forehead, matching with his unique pink eyes. Only the summer witch has pink eyes. Only the summer witch has a pink crescent moon. This really is the summer witch, the last puzzle piece. And yet he breaks the entire puzzle apart. Because just like Melora said, how could they ever use a child to complete four seasonal magic?