Witchcraft and Shadows

Magic and Mayhem

"The witch is not a monster but a reflection of the prejudices and fears of those who hunt her."

 — Anonymous

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In the Woods

Damon and Bonnie are strolling through the woods on a crisp morning. Damon, unusually upbeat, whistles and idly plays with a stick. Bonnie, clearly unimpressed, remarks, "You're in a good mood for the first time this decade." Damon pokes her with the stick, and she swats it away. "Stop that."

Damon grins. "Because I have a hot date with my girl tonight."

Bonnie, skeptical, replies, "Yeah, assuming Kai's telling the truth."

Damon remains unfazed. "I'm thinking dinner and a movie. No, screw that—skip straight to the good part."

Bonnie speeds up, putting distance between them. "Yeah, and assuming I can do the spell, which I won't know until I see it."

As Damon catches up, he mimics her earlier enthusiasm. "Whatever happened to hope, Bon? Remember when I was all like boo, grr—" He adopts a high-pitched tone. "—and you were like 'hooray, hooray, we're getting out of here!'?"

Bonnie, unimpressed, retorts, "Look, I want to go home more than anything, but Kai's a sociopath. Who's to say he won't screw us over?"

Damon's demeanor shifts to seriousness. "Me, I say, because I will kill Kai and anyone—" He jumps with the stick. "—who comes in the way of me going home."

Just then, Cassidy strides into the scene, her presence marked by a mix of sarcasm and authority. "Oh, how adorable. Damon's all determined and heroic. Meanwhile, we've got Mr. Psycho with an ax."

Kai materializes from the woods, an ax in hand and the Ascendant clutched tightly. He grins at Damon and Bonnie's glares. "I heard my name. All good, I hope?" He uses the Ascendant to block the sun. "The eclipse will happen directly overhead, in perfect alignment with the Gemini constellation. You need to dig into the tunnels below us."

Bonnie, puzzled, asks, "Why?"

Kai, with a hint of condescension, replies, "Have you never portal-jumped through an eclipse before?" When they don't look impressed, he adds, "The light of the eclipse will activate the Ascendant. You do a little spell, and poof! Anyone standing in the circle of light holding the Ascendant goes home."

Bonnie, growing impatient, demands, "Let me see it."

Kai hesitates. "When the time comes."

Cassidy steps forward, her eyes sharp. "Seriously? You think we're just going to wait around while you play your little games? Show us the spell now, or we'll see how well you fare without it."

Kai smirks, clearly enjoying the interaction. "And what will you do if I don't?"

Cassidy leans in, her voice low and teasing. "Oh, I'm sure you've got plenty of tricks up your sleeve, but I've got my own plans."

Damon, noticing the exchange, raises an eyebrow. "Where are you going, Kai?"

Kai casually replies, "Into town. I need to gather some important supplies."

He turns, whistling as he walks away. Cassidy eyes him with a smirk. "Well, that's convenient. Mind if I join? I wouldn't want you to get lost in the chaos of the 90s all by yourself."

Kai raises an eyebrow, amused. "And what makes you think I need your help?"

Cassidy grins. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you. Plus, someone needs to make sure you don't buy anything ridiculous."