AURORA

It's A Sacrifice

Wanda stared at the empty staircase for a moment, the weight of Aurora's words heavy on her heart. She took a deep breath and returned to her cooking, determined to find a way to support her. Aurora had always been there for her, and now it was Wanda's turn to be strong.

---
Three hours later

Aurora tried to meditate again, sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by flickering candles. " May fire I....wha-"She opened her eyes and closed them again, trying to focus on her breathing, but her mind kept drifting on unrelated things. "Worthless" she muttered, her voice barely audible over the crackling of the flames

Wanda, hearing Aurora's self-deprecating words sitting on the bed immediately put down her pillow. "Please don't say that, you'll get better (she paused) with time..." she said firmly. "With time!!!Yeaaahhh!!" Aurora stood up making her way to her closet clapping. Wanda rolled her eyes by Aurora actions. "Well tell time, I'll do it my way" Aurora put her jacket on. Wanda looked at her and returned her gaze to the candles. Aurora rolled her eyes at Wanda's movements. "What...?" She signed.

" You are putting yourself at risk and you don't even care..." Wanda said sadness in her voice. Aurora snapped at her words. "What am I supposed to do? She blew up my house!! She locked you away, like you were nothing!! Andddd she has everyone under her control!!" Wanda taken back by Aurora sudden burst, she walked closer to her. Aurora with now tears in her eyes. "I deserve this!! I did this!! I let her in!!" Wanda looked away for a few seconds thinking before turning her gaze back to her. "Look at me!!! I'm tired Wanda!!" Tears streaming down her face. Wanda cupped Aurora's face with her palms. "Calm down darling, it's okay..." Aurora placed down Wanda's hands gently and slowly. "Nothing is okay, Wanda..." With that Aurora locked herself to her room leaving Wanda alone with her thoughts.
________
As the morning sun began to filter through the windows, there was a knock at the door. Wanda got up to answer it, revealing Mia standing there with a thick folder of documents. "Morning," Mia said, her expression serious. "I think I found something important."

Wanda ushered Mia inside, and they gathered around the small kitchen table. Mia spread out the documents, pointing to several key pieces of evidence. "I've been digging into Agatha's past. There's a pattern to her actions... Here...an assassin, a witch and a hunter.

Aurora opened her bedroom door. " You mean..." Wanda sat down. " It's a sacrifice, she wants to sacrifice them..."

Mia looked at her friend with concern. "Aurora, I don't think she wants Wanda or Strange for this sacrifice..."

Aurora shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I can't... I can't do this. It's too much." She stood up abruptly, knocking over a chair. "This is my fault" she cried, her voice breaking.

Wanda and Mia rushed to her side, wrapping their arms around her in a supportive embrace. "It's not your fault" Wanda whispered. "We are going to stop her.."

Aurora sobbed, the weight of her emotions finally breaking through. "I don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice small and vulnerable.

Mia gently lifted Aurora's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "We'll figure it out together. One step at a time. But you need to believe in yourself, Aurora. Just like we believe in you."

Aurora nodded, wiping away her tears. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll try."

Wanda gave her a reassuring smile. "That's all we ask. Now, let's get back to work. We have a plan to make and a fight to win."
___
Aurora spent the rest of the morning poring over ancient witchcraft texts, her eyes scanning every line for a spell that might give her an edge against Agatha. She knew that if Agatha took her power, she needed a backup-something that could help her fight back. Her fingers traced the faded ink on the brittle pages, her determination growing with each word.

Wanda, meanwhile, moved slowly around the house, her usual energy noticeably diminished. The strain of recent events had taken a toll on her, and she found herself avoiding the use of her powers, fearing that she might not be able to control them. She tried to keep herself busy with mundane tasks, anything to avoid thinking about the conflict that loomed ahead.

As Aurora continued her search, she found a promising spell. It was an old incantation that could imbue the caster with elemental fire powers, even if their primary magic was stripped away. She felt a spark of hope ignite within her as she read through the instructions, committing them to memory.

"You're really focused," Wanda remarked from the doorway, watching Aurora with a tired smile.

Aurora looked up, forcing a smile in return. "Just trying to be prepared," she said, closing the book and sliding it under a stack of papers on her desk. She didn't want Wanda to worry about her plan or the risks it entailed.

Wanda nodded, clearly exhausted. "I need to lie down for a bit," she said, heading toward her bedroom.

"Get some rest," Aurora replied, her voice gentle. "I'll keep looking through these."

As soon as Wanda was out of sight, Aurora returned to the spellbook. She knew she had to be careful, not just with the spell itself, but with keeping it hidden from Wanda. She didn't want her to know that she was planning to use such powerful magic. Wanda had already been through so much, and Aurora didn't want to add to her worries.
__
Over the next two days, Aurora practiced the incantation in secret, waiting until Wanda was asleep or out of the room. She felt a pang of guilt every time she lied about what she was doing, but she reassured herself that it was for the greater good. If Agatha came for her power, she needed to be ready.

Wanda, for her part, tried to regain her strength. She meditated, took long walks, and tried to clear her mind, but the heaviness of recent events lingered. She sensed that Aurora was hiding something, but she was too drained to confront her about it. Instead, she focused on supporting her in whatever way she could, even if it was just through small acts of kindness.

EVENING
They sat together in the dimly lit living room, Mia returned with more information about Agatha's plans. "I've found more connections," she said, laying out a new set of documents. "It looks like she's targeting specific individuals with unique abilities. The assassin, the witch, and the hunter are just the beginning."

Aurora and Wanda leaned in, examining the evidence. "What does she want from them? Because she didn't do that with me..." Wanda asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Power," Mia replied. "She wants to harness their abilities for some kind of ritual. I think it has to do with a convergence of magical forces."

Aurora felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that this was about more than just defeating Agatha-it was about preventing her from gaining unimaginable power. "We have to stop her before she completes the ritual," she said, her resolve hardening.

Wanda looked at Aurora, noticing the determination in her eyes. She still sensed that something was off, but she decided to trust her. "We'll need a plan," she said. "And we'll need to work together."

Aurora nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. She knew that the spell she had learned might be their best chance, but she couldn't reveal it yet. Not until the time was right. "We'll figure it out," she promised. "One step at a time."

As they continued to strategize late into the night, Aurora kept her secret close to her heart. She hoped that when the moment came, she would be able to protect her family friends and stop Agatha once and for all. But for now, all she could do was prepare and hope that her lies wouldn't come back to haunt her.