Witching Roses

Roses

I tried to focus on my assignment as I sat down, but my mind was a storm. The past week had been a whirlwind of events, leaving me with a pulsating new power... and Claudia had returned!

Luna had just departed, and I made a feeble attempt to appear unfazed, to disguise my fear by diving into my work.

I stared at the blank page in front of me, the words of my assignment swirling in my mind but never quite forming. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the weight of recent events pressing down like a suffocating blanket. How could I focus on anything mundane when my life had been turned upside down?

The power within me pulsed, a constant reminder of the dark ritual that had changed everything. The symbols on my skin throbbed with an eerie energy, as if they were alive, reacting to my heightened emotions. And Claudia—her return was an enigma that filled me with both dread and curiosity. How had she come back? What had she become?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. I needed answers, and more than that, I needed control. The power inside me was like a wild beast, untamed and dangerous. If I didn't learn to harness it, I feared what might happen—not just to me, but to everyone around me.

I let go of my pencil, and to my astonishment, it continued to stand on its own before slowly beginning to write. The sight was mesmerizing and unsettling, the lead moving across the page with a purpose.

The pencil scrawled words across the page, forming coherent sentences that mirrored the assignment I had been struggling with. It was as if the power within me was taking over, channeling my thoughts and knowledge in a way I couldn't control. My eyes widened as I watched the pencil move, the words flowing effortlessly onto the paper.

For a moment, I felt a strange sense of relief. The power, while unsettling, was helping me.

As the pencil finished the last sentence, it fell to the desk with a soft clatter. I stared at the completed assignment, my mind racing. The symbols on my skin pulsed gently, as if they were satisfied with their work. I couldn't deny that the power within me was growing stronger, more assertive.

How was this even possible? A part of me wanted to tear the paper to shreds, to pretend none of this was happening. But the words written there were mine, unmistakably—yet not.

I reached up to touch the symbols on my arm, their lines faintly glowing under my fingertips. The symbols felt warm, almost like they were pulsing with a heartbeat of their own. I needed to get out of the room.

I grabbed my jacket and slipped out of the dorm, the cool afternoon air a welcome relief against my flushed skin. The campus was quiet, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant hum of life. I knew I should find Star but instead I made my way to the rose garden.

The garden was bathed in the sunset, the roses glowing softly in the orange light. I took a deep breath, the scent of the flowers calming my racing thoughts. I walked along the winding untamed paths, my fingers brushing against the velvety petals.

I found a secluded spot near the center of the garden, where the roses grew the thickest, their blooms vibrant and lush. I sat down on the soft grass, the symbols on my skin still faintly glowing. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the energy within me.

"Please," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "If there are any spirits here, any witches who can hear me... I need your help. I need to understand this power."

For a moment, there was only silence, the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. But then, I felt a subtle shift in the air, a tingling sensation that started at the base of my spine and spread through my body. The symbols on my skin grew warmer, their glow intensifying.