CHAPTER FOURTEEN: NOTHING

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"Remember, no matter how small you are, the world cannot shake you. Only you can, Seren."

"Tell me, Amy, you know I don't like being called Seren. Only Grandma does."

The edges of my memory were blurry; I could only see him. I didn't even know where we were. But even with my heart in a hurricane of emotions, I knew Christian could calm me, bring me back down to earth, even if it was a long and complicated journey. His smile could light up the darkest room. His eyes were a beacon of hope, not just for the people of Alba but also for me. Christian was my anchor when I felt unsettled.

I opened my eyes again, returning to reality after being taken away from it once more.

The afternoon had started to fall; clouds fractured the sky, and the air was cool, playing with my hair. The tears had already dried up; Ben hadn't said anything, and the others hadn't asked. It would have been difficult to answer since I hadn't opened my mouth since we left Blue's.

Gemma's hugs comforted me, not like the memory of Chris running through my mind, but they helped. She, Eamon, and Ben walked beside me. The rest of my guard followed me stealthily, some walking a few steps ahead, others behind. Always present, unseen. My ghosts.

Like a catchy jingle, a question lingered in my head, keeping me occupied. It gave me a purpose beyond how surreal everything seemed to me. Beyond what I now understood. One month, just one month to become what I truly was, one month to say goodbye. And one month to find out who the witch was who had enchanted me. Perhaps I could get her to lift this enchantment that lived under my skin. Maybe by becoming the Amy I once was, I wouldn't suffer for the Amy I was now. Perhaps I wouldn't have to wait a month to find out and constantly dread my future.

Gemma's grip on my hand let me know that we had arrived. She understood my silence, and I truly appreciated that. I didn't even know where I was putting my feet, and if it weren't for her, I might have stumbled.

I was glad to know that I would soon see Loki and could take him to Alba with me. Where he truly belonged. I didn't want to leave my companion behind. He had witnessed every tear, every laugh, every pain we had experienced in that house. And I wanted him to witness what was to come now. The spark in his honey-colored eyes was the one that used to uplift my soul.

However, my soul felt different now, in a dark nebula. As if it were hidden under a branch in Phoenix. Waiting in ambush, with fear, because the sensation was there again. On the surface of my skin, ready to lose consciousness again and lose control.

I stood still on the first steps of my house; the double door rose before me with its small windows decorated with colorful little flowers. It was one of my favorite things about the house, after the spiral staircase.

The street was deserted; the world seemed to be happening somewhere else.

Edmund, Jayden, Lexi, Sophia, and Eamon were the first to enter. Ben, Kimberly, and Gemma stayed outside, each protecting one of my sides. I struggled with the impulse not to follow my friend's orders. Every part of my body did. I muttered to myself that I had to get used to, from now on, this new reality. A reality where a nightmare-created monster was waiting for me behind the door of my home, ready to open my throat or make my ears bleed.

"Why are they taking so long?" I couldn't stop playing with my fingers, and my heart had started to beat faster with each passing second. "They're making me nervous."

"They need to make sure the house is completely clear, that no one has entered since the last time Trevor was here."

"Who is Trevor?"

"Your father's friend who was supposed to take care of Loki. Last night was the last report we received from him." Ben hurried to my side, noticing that my eyes widened in alarm. "He had to leave before dawn, leaving it free for us."

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