our little angel

The Woods Call Again

Age 15
Words 350
Summary: Albus, Raven, Rose, and Scorpius go in to the woods and Raven feels the pain she hasn't felt in months

The forest loomed ahead, the trees swaying slightly in the winter breeze. Raven, Albus, Rose, and Scorpius trudged through the snow-covered ground, their breath visible in the cold air.

"I still don’t see why we had to come out here," Scorpius muttered, shoving his hands into his cloak pockets.

"Because something feels… off," Raven said, glancing around. "And I want to know what."

Albus shot her a concerned look. "You wanted to come back here? After everything?"

Raven exhaled sharply. "Yes, Albus. Because something is still wrong. I can feel it."

They walked deeper into the woods, past the familiar gnarled trees and frost-bitten bushes. The silence was unsettling.

Then, it hit her.

Raven gasped, stumbling forward as pain seared through her body. Her knees buckled, and before she could hit the ground, Albus caught her.

"Raven?" Rose’s voice was panicked.

Scorpius knelt beside them. "She’s burning up—what’s wrong with her?"

Raven squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body trembling. "It’s back," she choked out. "The pain—it’s back!"

Albus’s grip tightened around her. "We need to get her out of here—now."

Before they could move, a sharp gust of wind howled through the trees. The ground beneath them seemed to hum, dark tendrils of magic creeping up the trunks of the trees like vines.

Scorpius swore under his breath. "Tell me you all see that."

Rose paled. "Yeah, I see it."

The pain in Raven’s chest worsened. She gasped, her breath coming out in ragged pants. "It’s here. The thing—the magic—it’s still alive."

Albus looked around wildly. "Then we need to go before—"

A shrill, ghostly whisper filled the air.

"You came back…"

The four of them froze.

Raven’s heart pounded. "No… This can’t be happening."

But the whisper only grew stronger, curling around them like invisible chains. And as Raven’s pain escalated, she realized something terrifying.

The dark magic wasn’t just still alive.

It was waiting for her.