the books of hidden worlds

chapter nine: Elias

As we walked, the wind suddenly grew cold around us. "Why are you here?" a whisper cut through the air, barely audible but chilling.

"Show yourself!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the sudden stillness.

"Help!" Peter’s cry rang out, his voice strained. "Put him down!" Rowan commanded, his face twisted with anger.

"You?" Kevin exclaimed, a mix of shock and recognition flashing across his face. All of us turned, startled that Kevin seemed to know the figure.

The figure rose to her feet, revealing herself. "Allow me to introduce myself," she said, her tone calm yet ominous. "I am known as the Darkness Witch, but you may call me Agnes." As she spoke, her clothing transformed, morphing into a dark, shadowy black, resembling the robes of death itself.

"Don't be afraid of me, I mean no harm," she added with a sinister smile.

"Put him down," Rowan demanded again, his anger growing.

"Very well," she said indifferently, releasing Peter, who dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

"What do you want from us? We’ve done nothing to you," Dorian said, stepping forward, his voice steady but filled with unease.

"You’re right, you haven’t. But I have unfinished business… with him." Agnes pointed directly at Cassian.

"No!" Orion’s voice rang out, sharp and protective.

Orion was right. "What do you want with him?" Alden stepped forward, standing between Cassian and the witch. "You’ll have to get through all of us first," he said, his voice firm, daring her to try.

Before anyone could react, Dorian’s voice changed, as if possessed by something beyond him. "Stop this!" he shouted.

"Enough!" Agnes yelled, her voice booming as the air crackled with tension.

"You need to know why I’ve come, why I seek Cassian. Once, he was my student." Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous nostalgia. "Yes, my student," she repeated, her voice taunting as she looked at me, her gaze cold and unyielding. "And I know who you are," she continued, her voice dripping with malice. "You are the Harrison siblings—children of Lucian and Ivy. Tell your father I cherish the time when he was once my friend." Her laughter echoed, sending chills down our spines.

"You don’t need to mention anything to my brother," Alden snapped, irritation seeping into his words. His frustration was palpable, and then, without warning, he began speaking in Italian:

"Per la forza del vento, del fuoco e della terra,
Il potere della strega ora si disperda.
Con la forza del tuono, sotto la luce lunare,
La tua magia finisce, non più da mostrare."

(By the force of wind, fire, and earth,
The witch’s power, I now unbirth.
With the strength of thunder, under the moon's glow,
Your magic ends, no longer to show.)

Agnes staggered, her expression twisting into one of shock. "What is happening? You, child, you’ve taken my power!" Her voice rose in disbelief. "No… no, you spoke in Italian! Don’t play me for a fool!"

"Enough of this, Agnes," Kevin intervened, his voice calm but firm.

"Fine," she hissed, "but hand him over. I want Cassian."

"You have no power left," Alden said coldly.

"You’re wrong, child!" Agnes spat, her fury returning in full force. She turned to Cassian, her voice a venomous command. "Cassian, return my power. Now!"

"Cassian, no!" Dorian cried out, panic lacing his voice.

"I’m sorry," Cassian whispered, tears streaming down his face. His hands trembled as he spoke the words in Italian to restore her power: