Spellbound [wlw]

11

Amari woke up with a start, her mind already buzzing with thoughts of the upcoming competition. Her witch powers were still elusive, but she'd been training hard with her friends, Lily, and the others. As she prepared for the day, she couldn't help but think back to the mysterious figure who had appeared at the academy a month ago and then vanished without a trace.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.

Amari glanced towards the door, her mind still swirling with questions about the mysterious figure. She opened the door to find her friends, Lily and the others, standing in the hallway, ready to head to their first class of the day.

"Hey, Amari," Lily said with a smile. "Ready for another day of classes?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Amari replied, trying to shake off her worries and put on a smile. "Let's go."

As they walked to their class, Lily and the others started chatting about the upcoming competition.

Amari listened to her friends' excited chatter, but her mind kept drifting back to the mysterious figure. She knew she had to focus on the competition, but she couldn't help feeling like there was something she was missing.

Suddenly, Amari felt a jolt as she bumped into someone walking in the opposite direction. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the person's forearms to steady them.

"I'm so sorry," Amari began, but the words died in her throat as she looked up into the eyes of the person she had collided with.

It was Ivy.

For a moment, Amari and Ivy stood frozen, their gazes locked in a silent battle of unspoken words and emotions. Amari was speechless, her mind reeling from the shock of seeing Ivy here at the academy.

"Ivy..." Amari finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What are you doing here?"

Ivy's eyes narrowed, and Amari could feel the anger and resentment radiating from her like heat from a furnace.

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" Ivy snapped.

Amari felt her stomach twist in knots as she struggled to comprehend Ivy's reaction. This wasn't the Ivy she had met back at the forest town, the Ivy who had shared a tender moment with her. This Ivy was a stranger, a stranger who seemed to hate her.

"I don't understand..." Amari began, but Ivy cut her off.

"There's nothing to understand," Ivy said, her voice cold and distant.

Amari stood rooted to the spot, her mind reeling as Ivy stalked away, her last words ringing in her ears.

"Stay away from me, Amari. Just stay away."

A flood of questions swirled through her mind. Why was Ivy so angry with her? What had she done to deserve this animosity?

She had no idea that Ivy harbored such resentment toward her, and she didn't know how to process it. Amari had only ever shown kindness towards her.

With a heavy heart, Amari turned and caught up with her friends, their banter a sharp contrast to the tension that had just passed between her and Ivy.

As they made their way to the lunchroom, Amari was lost in thought. The encounter with Ivy had left her shaken, and she couldn't help but worry about what the future would hold.

They sat down at their usual table, and Lily immediately noticed Amari's distracted state.

"Hey, Amari, what's wrong? You're not yourself today," Lily said, her voice laced with concern.