Don't Let Me Disappear.

The Spell

"Monster? If I lose this ring, I'll become a monster?" Prussia mumbled in disbelief, staring at England, shocked.

The Brit nodded, reaching a hand up to nervously rub the back of his neck. "Which is why we'll take extra precautions to make sure you can never lose the ring. If you don't want to wear it, put it on a necklace. But be warned, you can never take it off for more than 24 hours."

Prussia gave a short nod, looking down at the chain already around his neck.

"But what about this?" He asked, pointing at the black-and-white cross that hung loosely on the chain, "can't you put the spell or whatever on here instead? It could...be the Cross of Sowl!"

"Saol," Ireland corrected, "The Cross of Saol." He stepped forward, reaching out to grab the metal necklace and hold it closer to his eyes.

Reluctantly, Prussia kept from snatching the special cross from the latter's hand. It was hard, for he never let anyone touch it. It had been a gift from Frederick the Great himself.

"I suppose," breaking the silence, Ireland let the cross fall back against Prussia's chest, stepping back to face his younger British brother. "He doesn't take this necklace off, or at least not often. I'm sure if we preform the spell well enough, with the necklace and Prussia in the middle, we can cast the spell on the cross and have it be especially bound to Prussia."

England watched the necklace intently for a moment as it flickered with the glare of the ceiling light.

"Aye," He mumbled after a long moment of still silence, "I agree. Gather your things, brothers, and Prussia, follow us to the basement. We should begin as soon as possible."

With a nod, the group gathered their belongings: Wales and Ireland with their staffs, and England and Scotland with their wands. The four led the way down one of England's many halls, winding down set after set of stairs in the dimly lit hallway until finally coming to a large iron door.

Digging in his pocket, England drew a large ring filled with ancient keys. He flipped through them boredly, trying a few and failing, before finally sticking the correct key in the hole, followed by a 'click' as the large door unlocked. Pressing his palm to the cold metal, England pushed the door once and it swung open, the rusty hinges creaking with the sudden movement.

"Stand in the middle of the circle," England commanded, motioning to a dark crimson circle painted on the musty basement's floor. Prussia did as he was told, standing uneasily in the middle of the crossing triangles which made a simple star shape. As the Kirklands mumbled among themselves and prepared, Prussia took a quick look around his surroundings.

The basement was not too large, making a rectangle. The stone brick walls were lined with bookcases stacked with glass bottles filled with mysterious liquids and ancient books which Prussia guessed were heavier than they looked. To the right, tables stood along the wall, littered with papers and writing utensils. In the corner of the room where England loomed over was a strange, round-looking table. It had a green valve protruding from the top, with a long rubber tube winding around and into a dip in the table. The dip was also glowing a bright green as England slowly traced circles above the swirling liquid, mumbling inaudibly.

Wales approached Prussia, extending his hand. "We need the cross. England must enchant it to make sure it does not explode when we cast the spell." At the word "explode", Prussia was immediately reluctant. His hand quickly shot up to cover the loved cross protectively, his eyes locked with the Welsh man's.

With a sigh, the Welsh nation shifted his weight. He ran a tired hand through his hair and shook it out before returning eye contact with Prussia.

"We need it, and if you do not cooperate the chance of the spell backfiring and killing you rises drastically. If you die, that defeats the purpose of the spell in the first place. Then all of England's hard work to save you would have gone to waste--which will make him highly upset."

After another stiff silence, the albino finally pulled the chain from his neck. He placed it in Wales' hand, and glanced away. Wales nodded quickly and turned on his heel, heading back to his brothers, handing the beloved cross to England, who then submerged it in the green liquid swirling within the dip of the table. Prussia felt naked and shifted uncomfortably, fiddling at the vacant spot on his chest where the cross always rested. He was not enjoying the new chill.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the swarm of Kirklands backed from the table to allow England through. He handed the cross back to Prussia, who immediately slung the chain over his neck, grateful to have it back. The brothers then each took a corner of the star, holding their wands and staffs ready. England stood at the head with Northern Ireland lighting the candles.

"We've looked over the spell countless times now. We know what we're doing, so no matter what happens, do not leave the circle. Alright?" England asked, his eyebrows raised and eyes locked on Prussia's. The albino gave a short nod, his hand tightly enclosed around the cross.

England gave one more glance around as Northern Ireland finished lighting the candles and returned to the mysterious table to watch. They only needed three wizards. England nodded to Ireland and Scotland before raising his own wand. Scotland and Ireland followed suit. With England starting off, the three began to recite phrases in ancient Gaelic, and the atmosphere immediately grew heavier.

Prussia shivered and his grip on the metal cross tightened drastically. It felt as though the temperature of the room suddenly dropped, and he only grew more unsettled at the sight of the green hue radiating off the brothers. Prussia stumbled slightly at sudden gusts of wind as the brothers continued to chant, and it took everything in him to keep still. Suddenly, the green hues from the brothers joined as one above the Prussian. He slowly turned his attention upward to a glowing green beam above him.

Pain.

That's all Prussia could think in the split second that it happened. He was suddenly curled on the floor, his fingernails digging deep into his sides as he clawed at his ribs. Desperate screams escaped his throat and tore it apart, echoing through the crowded room. Everything seemed larger and the light seemed blinding--Prussia felt terribly claustrophobic. Through his darkening vision, Prussia could still make out the brothers surrounding him, chanting. In the background he caught glimpse of Northern Ireland giving him an apologetic glance, before he jolted and the Irishman's attention turned to the left. Prussia slowly followed his gaze, his vision fading fast.

The last thing Prussia saw was a large body bust through the metal door of the basement, his crystal blue eyes filled with rage and fear, his short blonde hair damp with sweat.

Germany.

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Sorry, this is unedited. If you do not hear from me before the holidays, I want to wish everyone happy holidays and I hope you all stay safe. Bye~

- Arthur 🦄