The Queen of Shadows - World of Winx rewrite S.1

Chapter 3: Find your inner voice

One month had passed since the Winx decided to stay on Earth in their quest to unravel the mysterious disappearance of talents. Despite their efforts to find clues, they hadn't made much progress.

It was a rainy early morning when news of the latest disappearance reached them. A talented karate performer had vanished into thin air right after his act on the square. The Winx were perplexed as they couldn't comprehend how the talent thief managed to kidnap him without anyone noticing.

"We've been on Earth for one month and still haven't figured out the talent thiefs' identity.." Tecna sighed, swiping over the information on the big screen in front of them.

 Flora sipped her tea thoughtfully, and Stella peered at the screen. A video played, showcasing the karate performer's impressive moves and professionalism as he effortlessly kicked a wooden plank.

"He hasn't been spotted in the last twenty-four hours," Tecna noted, closing the video. "The only trace we have left is this golden magical powder."

"We've already dismissed my theory of potential alien abduction, right?" Stella exclaimed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Tecna shook her head and let out a sigh. She couldn't understand how Stella could make jokes at a time like this when they were on an important mission.

"Stella, aliens don't exist on Earth," Flora chimed in.

"Hmm...The talent thief must know magic somehow, since they use sleep dust," Tecna pointed out."Sleep-what-dust?" Stella scratched her head in confusion.

Tecna sighed, feeling a bit exasperated. "The magical golden powder."

"Oh, right!" Stella tried to pretend she knew all the time what Tecna talked about.

Tecna rolled her eyes in disbelief. Turning her attention to Bloom, she asked, "Any updates from you, Bloom?"

"No... Sector one and two are clear," Bloom replied through her Winx watch.

"We have to stay focused and be cautious until the thief strikes again," Tecna said, feeling frustrated that they hadn't found any patterns in the talent thief's actions. It didn't make sense to her how all these events were connected. She had always believed that Earth was a place where humans couldn't use magic, but now there was someone out there using magical powder to kidnap talents. The mystery was becoming more perplexing by the day.

***

Aisha and Roxy continued through the empty alley, determined to clear sector three. Roxy had cleverly used her dog, Artu, as a third eye to sneak around without drawing too much attention to themselves. Aisha couldn't help but feel amazed that an Earth girl like Roxy possessed magic. From the moment she sensed Roxy's magic essence at the dance club, she knew there was something special about her. Roxy had confided in Aisha, revealing that she discovered her powers during her teen years and had the unique ability to communicate with animals.

As the heavy rain poured down, visibility became increasingly challenging. The early morning air felt damp and chilly, and Aisha's hair became wet and weighed down by the raindrops.

"Roxy, has Artu seen anything yet?" Aisha inquired, turning towards her.

"No, he hasn't spotted anything suspicious so far," Roxy replied.

"Alright, let's keep looking," Aisha said determinedly, unwilling to give up the search.

***

Flora filled up the empty teacups and placed one in front of Tecna and then one by Stella. Earth had really got her more interested in its ecosystem and nature. She still tried to understand more about different new herbs and flowers she had found. Some of the flowers were very different than the flowers on Lynphea. Flora really liked the flower called cornflower and its blue outlook, which Vanessa had showed her in her store. She found it exciting to experiment and make tea and potions out of some herbs, especially now when they couldn't use magic as much as in the Magical Dimension.

"Here, drink some of this new herbal tea. It's made out of some plant called stinging nettles," Flora said as she took a sip from her own teacup.

"Oh... tea, fun..." Tecna's voice didn't sound very enthusiastic. Flora could see her friend's cheeks turning slightly green, almost like she was about to puke. The sound of Tecna swallowing her tea made Flora wonder if she had cooked the tea wrong. She had read that she was supposed to cook it for a while to allow the stinging nettles's poison to dissipate from the leaves.

"It's... bitter," Tecna said, grimacing.

Flora shrugged her shoulders as she took another sip of her tea. She glanced over at Stella, who made the cup float in the air. The green fluid in the teacup steamed away due to Stella's sun spell.

"You shouldn't use magic, Stella!" Flora said, furrowing her eyebrows. Stella twitched and lost control of her teacup. It dropped on top of the table, and the green liquid covered a corner of the screen on the table.

"Whoops..." Stella said as she snapped her fingers. The green liquid disappeared.

"Stella, we need to get used to passing as normal girls," Flora reminded her. Stella pretended as if nothing happened, whistling and playing with her fingers on the table.

Flora sighed, feeling that the group dynamics had changed over time. It wasn't the same as it was two years ago like when they fought Lord Darkar and Valtor.

***Musa had her eyes closed as she focused her magic, trying to hear any suspicious noises in sector four. However, the heavy rain pouring down and the dripping sound from the nearby roof made it difficult for her to detect anything. She let out a frustrated sigh, feeling the raindrops on her face.

Suddenly, she spotted something yellow flash across the street. Musa's eyes snapped open, and she quickly ran towards the corner of the building to get a better view. Through the rain, she saw a figure with a yellow hood running across the street. Musa wasted no time and aimed her Winx watch towards the figure, using its special function to take a photo and send it to Tecna for analysis.

"Girls, we have movement in sector four!" Musa exclaimed, trying to keep her eyes on the fast-moving figure.

"I'm analyzing the photo," Tecna replied over their communication link.

As seconds passed, Musa anxiously waited for Tecna's analysis. Finally, Tecna confirmed that the person in the photo matched their suspect and that they had been present at the square during the disappearance of the street dancer.

"That's our guy!" Musa said, determination in her voice. She wasted no time and ran after the person.

"Let's take this person down!" Aisha shouted through the Winx watch.

***

Roxy crouched down beside Artu, gently petting him for reassurance. "Come on, boy. Let's trace that person down."

Through her special bond with Artu, Roxy activated her magic, seeing the world through his eyes. As she ran alongside him, they followed the mysterious yellow hooded figure. It continued to dash through the streets and eventually turned into an alley. Artu barked loudly, signaling that the person was trapped in a dead end.

With determination in her eyes, Bloom appeared in front of the hooded figure, blocking its escape route. The person looked startled and took a step back.

***Bloom's heart pounded in her chest as she faced the mysterious figure with the yellow hood. The person's dark blue eyes bore into her, filled with a cold, menacing glare. Its ponytail swayed with the force of the rain, and the black eye shadow intensified the anger in its expression. Bloom clenched her fists and tried to put on her brave face.

Suddenly, the person's hand flashed, and a hook-shaped knife gleamed menacingly. In its other hand, it released a cloud of golden sparkling dust, the very same magical powder that had been used when the talents to vanish. Bloom's heart raced as she recognized the danger. She took a deep breath, bracing herself to resist the effects of the powder. She held her breath tightly, determined not to fall prey to its sleep-inducing magic. But as the person lunged at her with the knife, she couldn't evade the strike completely. A sharp pain shot through her knee as she hit the ground.

Wincing, Bloom rolled onto her back, her senses on high alert. The person lunged again, their knife aimed at her once more. With quick reflexes, she managed to evade the attack, the sound of the knife hitting the asphalt echoing through the alley. But before she could react further, strong hands seized her by the neck, lifting her off the ground. Panic surged within her as she struggled for air, the grip tightening with each passing moment. In the dim light of the alley, Bloom caught a glimpse of the knife's blade glinting dangerously close to her throat. She could hear the person behind her breathing heavily, their ragged breaths sending a chill down her spine. The sharp blade of the knife scratched against the surface of her skin, making her pulse race even faster. Bloom tried to steady her breaths, her heart pounding in her chest.

Around the corner, Musa rushed over, but as she made eye contact with Bloom, she froze in her tracks. A deep, dark voice emerged from the person in the yellow hood.

"What do you want?!" the voice demanded, and Bloom could see the blue glove on the person's hand, tightly gripping the knife's handle. The blade pressed harder against her throat as Musa remained silent.

"Please remove the knife first," Musa said calmly, raising her hands in the air.

The person released their grip and kicked Bloom, sending her sprawling to the ground. The yellow hood person ran away as Bloom grasped for air. Musa quickly crouched down beside her, concerned. "Are you okay, Bloom?"

Bloom nodded and tried to sound calm. "The thief got away."

"Lunching thermal scanner," Tecna's voice came over the Winx watch.

***

The scanner left the Winx Mobile and began searching a large area. Tecna carefully observed the map and noticed a red dot appearing approximately thirty meters away from Aisha and Roxy. She quickly sent the coordinates to Aisha and Roxy, who started moving towards the red dot in the alley. At the same time, she saw Bloom and Musa approaching the alley from the other direction.

"The alley's empty?" Aisha questioned, sounding perplexed.

Tecna couldn't comprehend the situation. She glanced at the map again and was astonished to see four dots standing in front of the red dot. It must be the thief!

***

Roxy scratched her head. "But there's no one here?"

She watched as Aisha charged towards the seemingly empty alley, heading straight for a spot with gray garbage cans standing to the right. All Roxy could see were garbage bags scattered on the ground. It seemed impossible for the thief to hide there. Aisha kicked the garbage cans, causing them to rattle as they fell over. Behind the cans, there was nothing.

"Empty?" Musa echoed, her voice filled with confusion.

Roxy felt a faint presence coming from behind one of the garbage bags. She bent down and discovered a frightened cat huddled there. The loud noise had startled the poor creature, and it now curled up into a small ball, visibly scared. Roxy smiled, gently picking up the cat and comforting it. "No worries, little one. We didn't mean to scare you."

"Great... We spent all this time chasing a cat?!" Aisha snorted. "Tecna and her gadgets."

Musa and Bloom laughed.

"My devices are never wrong! He should be right there?!"

"Here is your thief...!" Aisha snorted and sent a photo to Tecna

"What a cat-a-strophe." All the girls heard Stella say over the Winx watch. In the background, they heard Tecna sigh and Flora chuckle.

"I must go home before Fruity Music Bar opens," Roxy said.

"It's okay, Roxy. But thanks for all the help!" Musa said and smiled.

On Musa's watch, a big alarm went off, filling the sound of the rain. It flashed pink and displayed a large logo of a "W."

"Oh no... the start of the season is about to begin very soon!" Musa exclaimed.

"We've got 5 minutes and thirty seconds until it starts!" Tecna noted.

Roxy saw the girls rush out from the alley. As she was about to leave the alley, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps. She quickly turned around, but the alley was still empty.

"Did you hear anything?" she asked the cat. Its big cute eyes were wide open as it tilted its head.

 The cat suddenly jammed and cuddled in her arms. "I must have heard wrong..."

***

Stella opened the door into the flat. All the girls rushed to the big walk-in closet, grabbing their pajamas. The camera drones floated in the living room, ready to go online. Aisha leaped over the big gray sofa and turned on the large TV screen. Stella tried her best to fix all the girls' hair, making it look like they had just awakened.

"Come on, Stella, hurry!" Musa exclaimed as she waved her hand.

"I'm trying. It's not that easy without magic...." Stella sighed, attempting to fix Bloom's hair and make a braid.

"Five, four, three...." Tecna counted down.

Stella and Bloom hurried into the living room, getting ready to begin their act. On the TV, the program started, and the camera drones opened their lenses. Ace's voice came through the TV, introducing himself as the new host. "Welcome to WOW, and let's meet our new talent scouts, the Winx!"

Stella still tried to fix her bun off screen. As she did that, she noticed that Flora had forgotten to change her pants. Stella waved towards Flora and pointed to her spy pants. Flora's eyes widened in realization, and she quickly crouched down, putting on a big, awkward smile. Stella shook her head, wanting to save her friend from an embarrassing and unprofessional moment.

She decided to improvise and headed to the kitchen. "Hi, fans!" Stella said, showing herself in front of the camera. She struck a pose like a true model. "Stella here. Hello!" Trying to distract the audience from Flora's mishap, Stella confidently introduced herself and blew a kiss to the camera.

Stella sat down beside her friends, joining in on making their breakfast. She picked up a jar of jam in her hand, and a toast.

"So this is our stars on a typical Gardenia morning," Ace said. "What's on your fantastic plate for today, girls?"

"Fantastic toast and jam," Stella exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident as she held up a piece of toast and the jar of jam.

"Speaking of toast...Here's to a show that jams!" Tecna interjected, attempting a joke. However, her humor didn't quite land as the crowd fell silent. Stella rolled her eyes, and the other girls couldn't help but grimace at the pun.

"You know jams? Like music improvisation and uh..." Tecna tried to explain, but the joke seemed to have gone flat.

"Humour is not your talent, but... Keep trying, Tecna... or not?" Ace teased, causing laughter to erupt from the people in the background of the studio.

Stella leaned over towards Tecna and whispered, "Then I think my cat pun was better."

Tecna gave her a mock glare and rolled her eyes, acknowledging Stella's playful competition. The other girls chuckled, thoroughly entertained by their friendly banter. Stella winked and smiled, relishing the lighthearted moment.

Meanwhile, the cameras paused as the program shifted to pre-recorded material introducing the Winx to the audience. On the TV screen, the Winx's pre-recorded segment began to play.

"Oh no... not this," Musa sighed, recognizing the particular scene coming up.

"What do you mean by 'oh no'?" Stella asked, intrigued and curious.

Bloom chuckled knowingly. "You'll see, Stel."

—

On the TV-Screen:

Bloom sat comfortably on the sofa, her pink glittering drawing tablet resting on her lap. As the camera focused on her, she was shown in her element, engrossed in her artwork. Musa's voice chimed in.

"Bloom is the best roommate a girl could ever want! And she's a great artist."

Musa approached Bloom, who was still immersed in her drawing.

"Nice dog!" Musa exclaimed.

Bloom raised an eyebrow and glared at Musa. "It's a horse?!"

—

Stella's laughter filled the room, and she teased Musa, "How could you not see it was a horse? Horses are not that similar to dogs!"Musa shrugged, still felt embarrassed, "I am not good when it comes to art..."The other girls giggled.

—

On the TV-Screen:

"Musa is supportive and encouraging. She always includes me in whatever she's doing," Bloom said.

The scene switched over to Musa, who stood and sang a short song while playing her purple electric guitar with finesse. The music filled the air, showcasing Musa's musical talent and passion. Then the camera focused on Bloom, who sat next to Musa, attempting to play on an acoustic guitar. The strings sounded out of tune as Bloom struggled to keep up with the melody.

"Come on, Bloom! Keep up!" Musa exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

Bloom grimaced as she tried to strum the six strings. In her effort, one of the strings suddenly broke, making an awkward sound.

—

"And that's what you call a musical disaster," Musa said, unable to hide a shudder at the false notes.

"Maybe it would've been easier if you had brush straws as guitar strings instead and a paper as a pick?" Stella quipped, winking at her friend.

"Ha-ha..." Bloom replied with a hint of sarcasm.

—

On the TV-Screen:

Aisha and Tecna stood outside on a basketball court. Aisha dribbled around a still-standing Tecna, who had her arms crossed and didn't seem interested in getting involved in the game.

"Tecna tries to steal the ball, but Aisha is too fast," Aisha said as she scored a goal. She continued to dribble around the court, while Tecna remained unmoved with her arms still crossed. "She fakes left, spins right, and ties her in a knot! Bo-yaaa."

The scene switched over to Tecna smirking as she outplayed Aisha in a video game. The score was 100-0 in favor of Tecna. Aisha pressed the buttons on the controller in frustration, trying to catch up but finding no success.

—

On the TV-Screen:

Stella sat on a chair, and she yawned before putting on a wide smile.

"Hello! I'm Stella. I love fashion! Particularly, um... uh, sorry - can we start again?" she said.

A clap was heard, and the scene cut to a new take.

"Partica-skirt..." Stella tried again but paused, seemingly struggling to find the right words.Stella let out a sigh of frustration.—

"Why did they keep those takes?!" Stella said with widened eyes.

The other girls laughed.

"They were supposed to only keep—"

—

On the TV-Screen:

"—Fashion is my passion! Thanks to my portable sewing machine, Super Sue!" Stella talked to herself and Super Sue.

The scene switched over to Flora, who stood and cooked a big fish. Stella tasted the fish and seemed to love it. Then she took a sip from a glass with green liquid. Her face turned green as she ran out of the screen.

"What was that?!"

"Avocado mixed with stinging nettles," Flora replied.

—

"Really, Flora? Avocado mixed with stinging nettles? What a combination," Tecna said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was still learning..." Flora said, and her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

Stella couldn't help but remembering the awful taste on her tongue that almost made her want to puke again.

***

On a stage, different talents had been performed. The Winx were tired after sitting there for one hour straight without seeing anything interesting. It was either weird acts or people seeking attention in front of a camera.

"How many are there left?" Musa yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Well, there are ten people left..." Tecna said, scrolling on a tablet."

Musa wondered how she would ever survive all this when she suddenly heard someone singing from a distance. The singing voice sounded clear and magical. Musa could feel the passion and talent behind that voice. A strange feeling sparked in her heart, filling her with light and hope. She rose up from her chair and followed the beautiful voice.

As she walked across the streets, she stopped outside a café where a brown-haired girl was singing while serving a man his coffee. Her aura sparkled, and Musa felt a weird connection to the girl. Inside her, she felt her magic glow and a sensation that her power was somehow getting stronger as she kept hearing the girl's voice. There was something special about that girl's music that resonated deep within her heart.

Musa could her the rest of the Winx catch up to her.

"Wow, she is perfect for our show!" Flora said brightly.

"Which means she's also perfect for..." Stella paused and leaned closer towards Bloom. "—that guy... You know, the one whose name we can't say...? The talent—"

Aisha sighed irritably, "Just say that guy... We know who you mean."

Stella pushed away a camera from her side and looked around. She got a concerned facial expression.

"He could be out there...anywhere." Stella exhaled.

"Stella's right! We can't let this girl out of our sight!" Bloom said and nodded.

Musa approached towards the girl. "Hello, my name is Musa. What a beautiful voice you've got. You are singing great!"

The girl in front of her smiled. "Oh thanks! My name's Annabelle."Musa told Annabelle about the show WOW and how they'd like her to be a part of the competition. Annabelle told her that she's not a singer and didn't think she would be that great."Musa could be your singing coach," Flora said.

Annabelle smiled. "For real? You know, I actually have a song that I've been working on and—"A girl with short orange hair called out her name. She had crossed arms and told Annabelle that they had to prepare one hundred orders of cupcakes for the night. Annabelle sighed. "I'm sorry but Louise needs my help..."

Musa felt all the happiness and excitement in Annabelle's heart fade away, as if her biggest dream in life was about to slip through her fingers. Musa couldn't let that happen. "Annabelle, wait! We'll help you with the cupcakes!"

Annabelle stopped, looking surprised. All of the Winx nodded and smiled, showing their support. While Musa took Annabelle to a music studio, the rest of the Winx went into the kitchen to help Louise with the cupcakes.

In the studio, Annabelle's eyes widened with amazement as she took in all the studio gears and the walls adorned with big sound dampening cushions. Musa could hear Annabelle's heart singing a song of happiness.

"Okay, let's start! What kind of song have you written?" Musa asked.

Annabelle reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She unfolded it and showed it to Musa.

"I wrote this song because of my big dreams to become a musician, to one day sing in front of a big audience and show the passion for my music. But I've been afraid to follow my dream because I thought I wasn't good enough. So, this song is about daring to let go and not being afraid of who you are," Annabelle explained, a tear glistening in her eye.

Musa could feel Annabelle's fear inside, as if it mirrored her own struggles. The story behind Annabelle's lyrics made Musa reflect on her own journey. After her mother's death and her father banning music from their lives, she had struggled to find her inner voice. But when she sang out her feelings, she knew what her life was meant to be.

"Music is like your soul, and without it, you lose a big part of yourself. You should never be afraid to follow your dream. If your heart sings a song that feels right, you should follow that," Musa comforted Annabelle, placing a hand on her shoulder. She gently wiped away Annabelle's tear, and Annabelle nodded with gratitude.

"Thanks, Musa," she said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.***The Winx continued their cupcake-making, and Bloom struggled to get the right thickness in her batter. She wished she wasn't so awful at cooking. Her batter turned out sticky and had lumps of flour in it, while Tecna and Flora seemed to have fun and their cupcakes looked beautifully baked with gorgeous decorations and toppings.

"I don't get how you can be so good at cooking..." Bloom sighed, glancing enviously at her friends' cupcakes.

"No worries, Bloom. You'll eventually get better," Flora reassured her with a warm smile as she finished another cupcake.

Aisha worked swiftly, and glaze splashed around her, creating a bit of a mess.As Stella poured the batter into the cupcake tins, Aisha called her for assistance, pointing to the batter and the empty cupcake tins beside her. As the batter started running out, she glanced at the recipe but got overwhelmed by all the numbers and measurements. Without thinking, she instinctively snapped her fingers, and to her surprise, all the ingredients flew into her bowl, creating a perfect batter.

"Stel! We said no magic?!" Bloom exclaimed with irritation in her voice.

"Oh, sorry..." Stella apologized again, but her reflexes got the best of her once more, causing the batter to overflow and fill up the entire room.

The girls quickly grabbed bowls and tried to scoop up the excess batter before it made an even bigger mess. Louise came in through the door and her eyes widened at the mess, with the Winx almost covered and drenched in batter. "What on Earth happened here?!"

"We'll clean up, I promise," Flora reassured her.

As soon as Louise left the room, Aisha couldn't resist using her magic. She snapped her fingers, and in an instant, the room was cleaned, looking good as new. But all the cupcakes was destroyed.

"Wow, thanks, Stella. Now we gotta do all the cupcakes all over again..." Aisha groaned.

"Ahhh... Please, can we use magic only in this occasion?" Stella pleaded, glancing over at Bloom. Bloom sighed but nodded in agreement.

"Okay... but only for this time..." she relented.

***

As the time for Annabelle's performance approached, Musa had just finished her sound check on the stage. Memories of her own first performance at Alfea flooded her mind, how fun and magical it was. She made her way to the loge to find Annabelle warming up her voice.

"What if I mess up with the lyrics, Musa...?" Annabelle suddenly expressed her concern.

"Don't worry. It'll go well. I believe in you," Musa reassured her with a warm smile.

Feeling the need to offer her friend some comfort, Musa picked up a pair of earrings from her jeans pocket. The earrings looked like musical notes with a sparkling touch. These were a precious gift from Princess Galatea, given to Musa when she performed at one of her ceremonies. They had always brought her luck and made her feel less nervous.

"Here. A friend of mine once gave these to me, and they've always given me luck," Musa said as she extended the earrings towards Annabelle.

"Thanks, Musa," Annabelle said gratefully, and they hugged each other tightly.

***

Musa's heart was still filled with the magic of Annabelle's performance as she stood beside Flora, trying to keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals. The music played, and Annabelle took a deep breath before starting to sing. Musa could feel the passion and emotion in every note that Annabelle sang, and she couldn't help but be moved by the beauty of her performance. A tear of joy escaped from Musa's eye as she witnessed the magical moment unfold on the stage."She's amazing!" Flora exclaimed.

As Annabelle's song reached its end, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Musa smiled, feeling proud and grateful to have been a part of this special moment. Annabelle thanked the audience, and her smile radiated happiness.

However, something peculiar happened to Musa. She felt a strange sensation inside her, as if her heart was resonating with Annabelle's music. For a brief moment, she had a vision of herself transforming into an entirely new and unknown transformation she had never seen before. The melody of the song that played in her heart was the same as Annabelle's dream song.

Turning to Flora, Musa asked if she had experienced the same feeling. Confused, Flora inquired, "What feeling?"

Musa hesitated, thinking it might just be her music powers acting up. "Eh... never mind," she replied.

***

Musa stood outside Annabelle's loge as she waited for her to come out. She guarded the door, just in case something would happen. So far, it had been quiet from the talent thief, which made the Winx even more suspicious.

Outside, Musa could hear the crowd still calling Annabelle's name. She was happy that her performance went well. But suddenly, the lights went off. Musa jumped as she heard a heartbreaking scream from inside the loge. She dashed through the door and saw that Annabelle was gone.

Musa heard footsteps behind her and turned around. She saw a black silhouette pass by the door. She followed it to the right and saw it run away.

The Winx came after. All of them ran through the hallway and through the ventilations that led backstage. They caught a glimpse of a running person, but it was hard to make out any details in the dim light. Suddenly, a big headlamp turned towards them, momentarily blinding them. Musa could hear a familiar voice scream, and as her eyes adjusted, she realized that it was Louise who had tripped over the wooden fence and was about to fall into the water below.

"Aisha, catch Louise with your magic!" Musa shouted urgently and pointed.

Aisha held up a hand due to the light that blinded her. She reacted swiftly, using her magic to created a morphixbubble around her and brought her back to land. Stella moved the headlamp direction with her magic. When the Winx now could see they glanced at each other.

"False alarm! We must find Annabelle!" Aisha exclaimed. Everyone left except for Musa who could sense jealousy in Louise heart.

"Louise, why were you running?" Musa asked.

Louise explained how she let her own jealousy take over and made her turn off the lights. She told Musa about her dreams of winning WOW, but she didn't manage to impress the audience enough and got withdrawn from the competition. "I always wanted to become a singer... I got jealous and couldn't bear to see Annabelle living my dream."

"It is her dream she's living..." Musa answered. "But you could always find a way to live up to your own dreams. You just gotta explore your inner self and how to achieve them."

Louise nodded.

"Musa, Annabelle is gone..." Tecna said over from Musa's Winx watch.

***

Musa saw herself standing on a dark shore. The water was dark gray, and the sound of the water didn't sound as harmonized as other waves she had listened to. The surroundings around her were nothing like she had seen before. The atmosphere felt off, and there was no life nearby. She saw a big forest with blue trees, some trees that looked like a crazy dream. She went into the crazy forest and suddenly felt someone grab her hand. Musa turned around and saw Annabelle. She looked scared and stressed. Musa couldn't tell why, but she had a feeling like someone was watching her.

"Annabelle, are you okay?!" Musa asked, but she didn't get any answer.

"My earring..." Annabelle said and pointed at her ear, which didn't have the earring hanging there.

Musa heard something from behind, rustling in some dead bushes. Annabelle ran away in horror at the sound. Musa ran after her and tried to catch up to her. But in front of her, some dead vines appeared, blocking her way and strangling her. She tried to scream after Annabelle, but felt her voice didn't reach out. She tried to get free and get some air. With her last breath, she cried out as loud as she could:

"Annabelle!"