Eternal

A Spell Beyond My Reach

"How long has it been?" Ed's voice cut through the silence, his eyes fixed on Theo, who sat motionless on the bed, his face blank, staring into nothing.

"Three days," I replied, snapping the old spell book shut with a soft thud. Hours of studying those stubborn runes, and still, they withheld their meaning. Frustration gnawed at me. With a simple flick of my wrist, the book floated back to its place on the shelf, magic sparking faintly at my fingertips. Yet my thoughts were not so magical to say the least.

I watched Theo closely. He hadn't spoken or even acknowledged anyone in the room for days, which was unlike him. Normally, his quiet nature would have been a relief, but this emptiness in him was unsettling.

Ed, new to this life, strange creatures, and danger, shifted uncomfortably. He stopped out-smarting me, I could say that that was the only good thing that came after that night...

I knelt beside Theo, brushing a hand across his cheek. And before I mouthed a spell Ed's hands pulled me back, I would have loved to crush him six feet under but then I would have to explain why to Theo and "he annoyed me" doesn't sound like a reasonable excuse. Theo's eyes flickered, but nothing more. "He's alright," I said in my head, more to reassure myself than anyone else.

I sat at my desk and waited. The sound of the wooden clock and Ed's fidgeting accompanied us for hours. Time felt slower and the sound of nothing was touring me, I kept looking back and forth to see if that dead look on his face changed. My spell book started to shake, every matter in this second felt out of place.

Ed stood stiffly nearby, arms folded as he scanned the room nervously. I knew he was a coward, the door opened, he flinched, looked at the door and then looked back at me..

"Leave now.. Run to where your legs can take you, if I close this door you will do this with us," I stated.

"I didn't sign up for this," he muttered under his breath.

"Of Course you didn't, the moment you stepped foot here the royal family was nothing but generous. parties, music-"

"Why are you upset?"

"He–likes you.. alot for some reason," I point at Theo "although I have been here all along-" I take a deep breath and step closer to him. "You can't leave when things aren't to your liking" strangely enough the clock ticked faster... he stepped back. And the ticking stopped, after days of nothing but blank stares Theo looked at him, his eyes widened.

"If you leave now, did you ever really stay?" I said, He turned toward the door, his steps deliberate. With a quiet click, he shut it behind him, then leaned back against it, his gaze lingering on us as he rested.

"So.. you want me to stay?" Ed asked, looking at me with a smug look on his face, I wanted nothing more than crushing him six feet under. Theo sat properly looking at the ground, we waited for him to say something but I wish he said nothing..

"We can't leave alone.." Theo said

I froze. The moment Theo's eyes met mine, I felt it—the weight of what was coming. That quiet determination in his gaze said everything. He didn't even need to speak; I knew exactly what he was about to ask. Again. He wanted me to save everyone. The pressure hit me like a stone sinking in my chest, heavy and suffocating. My mind spiralled, racing through all the things I knew I couldn't do, the limits of my power crashing over me. It was overwhelming, spinning out of control, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the burden he was about to place on me.

It's like... drowning. That's what it feels like. My lungs tighten, I can't get enough air, and my heartbeat's... deafening. I know I'm still here, still in the room, but everything feels distant, like I'm watching it from the outside. The walls start to close in, and all I want to do is run. Run far away from everyone and everything. From him.