Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 54• Returning from the Shadows

The two boys watched closely as Valeria used her magic. She continued to whisper the exact words over and over again. The monster's outline was slowly appearing again. Asher's eyes focused on their hands. Valeria's hands were slowly turning black just like Serena's. "What's she doing?" Misty questioned. Her voice was quiet and soft. It was almost as if she, somewhat, trusted Valeria. Hayes slowly sat up, leaning gently on Misty's shoulder as he did. "Sirens have the special ability to absorb powers. Both magical and non-magical powers." Hayes explained. Asher watched closely as Serena's colors slowly returned to her. Her clothes, her hair, her eyes. They all turned back to their original color. "She's taking one of her powers?" Misty asked, "Like take, take it? So she can't use them again?" She added. Hayes looked at her. "As if she never had them. She's basically erasing them from her blood." Hayes clarified. Valeria inhaled deeply as she absorbed all the darkness in Serena's body. She was slowly turning into darkness. Once she had absorbed all of the evil powers in Serena's body, the two of them collapsed at the same time. "Asher don't!" Misty said. Asher didn't listen to her. He raced towards Serena and raised her head carefully without even thinking about what could happen if he touched her now. He put her head on his lap and pushed her hair aside. "Serena?" he said. Misty helped Hayes stand up and guided him to his sister and Valeria. Asher was way too occupied with Serena to focus on either one of them. He gently tapped her cheeks with his fingers trying to wake her up. "Serena? Serena?" He repeated her name over and over again. Hayes knelt next to Valeria, or well, the monster she was now. "She's a shadow, isn't she?" Misty questioned. Hayes looked up at her with a sad look in his eyes. 

"Serena, can you please wake up? Come on. Open your eyes." Asher pleaded quietly. Serena's green eyes were practically burning into his soul. "Don't make me ask you a second time." She said, now calmer than before. The young man in front of her let out a low chuckle. His eyebrows then furrowed together, changing his expression to a more furious one. His eyes lit up again. He then grabbed the blade of Serena's sword with his hand, small drops of blood falling from his hand. He tossed away the weapon and wraps his hand around Serena's throat. He backed her up against another tree. The elven princess tried to pull his hand away, but she lacked the strength to do so. "Not so strong now, are you, Princess?" The young man smirked at her. Serena glared at him. "Let go of me, Asher." She orders, using his name for the first time. Asher brushed his thumb over the skin of her neck. "No, don't think I will." He said. He leaned closer to her face. "Let me ask you a question, too, Princess." He started, "What is a human doing in my forest?" He asked her. "First of all, my business is my own," Serena answered. Asher let out another chuckle. "Elves." He whispered. "Second of all, this isn't your forest," Serena added. "Isn't it?" The werewolf asked her. Serena kept her deadly glare on him. "So what's a princess like you doing here all by yourself protecting a human? Where's your overly arrogant brother?" He asked her. "Probably looking at himself in the mirror," Serena replied. The werewolf let out another chuckle. Asher raised his other hand to brush his fingers over the soft skin of her cheek. "Tell me why he's here." The young man asked, now politer. The she-elf tilted her head slightly. She put on a fake pout. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She replied. Asher growled at her and tightened his grip around her neck. Serena let out a small whimper. "What is it doing in my forest?" He asked again. "Uh, I have a name." Orlando cut in. The two mystical creatures glared at the human behind them. Asher rolls his eyes before he turned back to Serena."Why?" He asked again. He tightened his grip once more. "Technically, this isn't your forest," Serena said. "Don't go there, Princess. You know what happens when I get angry." He replies. "You sit on your father's lap and let him pet you until you're calm again?" Serena questioned. Asher let out another chuckle. "If you won't answer to me. Then maybe you will answer my father." He said. He roughly pulled Serena away from the tree. 

"Please, wake up." Asher pleaded. Serena's eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her green eyes revealed themselves to the werewolf that looked down at her worriedly. She raised her hand carefully to touch his cheek. "Are you dead?" She asked him. Her voice was very quiet and raspy. Asher smiled at her sweetly. "No, no," He tells her, "I'm alive." He assured her. Serena lowered her hand again. "Am I dead?" She questioned. Asher chuckled and helped her sit up straight. "Thankfully, no." He tells her. Serena looked at him and placed her hand on his cheek again. "You're definitely dead because you just said that you're thankful I'm still alive." She said. Asher chuckled again and placed his hand over hers. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. "No, I meant it." He tells her. Everything soon came back to her. The battle, Asher's confession to her, and her father falling to his death. She killed him. She looked around, very frightened, to see if she spotted her father anywhere near. She could see him in the far distance. His lifeless body was on the ground and surrounded by elves. Asher carefully turned her head towards him. They looked directly into each other's eyes. "It's over." He tells her. Serena was silent. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. She carefully scooted closer to Asher. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. Serena buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Thank you." She whispered. He smiled and rubbed her back gently. "You shouldn't be thanking me," he admitted. Serena pulled back and frowned at him. He looked at Valeria, Hayes, and Misty who were only a few inches away from them. "She saved you, believe it or not," Asher tells her. "She betrayed us," Serena said. Asher shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder. "She saved you." He tells her.