IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

- 10. True nightmares

"You can not hide from me, Amaya! Nor can you hide from the truth!" Was all that I heard as I ran through the woods of Meridial. "It's going to take you and make you it's queen!" I had blood on my hands and I wore black lace dress that ended at my knees. My hair was in a loose braid. I listened to my surroundings as I ran. When there was no sound I stopped, hid behind a tree and carefully looked around.

"The queen and the princess... together at last." Her cold voice send shivers down my spine. "Forever bound to the spirits of the dead." Her evil laugh echoed through my head as she got closer to me. Her cold blue eyes looked right into my dark soul and the next thing I felt was my eyes flashing in the same cold blue as hers. Then I lifted my head and looked at my mother who held my dagger. Waiting for me to destroy everything I loved. And everything I hated. "You know what I want! Bring it to me." Another voice said and I suddenly screamed.

I shot up from my bed and screamed again from the horrors I just had to witness. Suddenly Hope was by my side, holding me as I went silent. My breathing was ragged and my heart was beating rapidly in my chest. "It's okay, Amaya. It's over now." Hope whispered and stroke my back. "It's okay now." She whispered again. Then the door slammed open and an exhausted Alaric Saltzman entered and looked worried in my direction. "Hope, go back to sleep. Amaya, please come with me." The headmaster said and Hope kissed my cheek before she returned to her bed. I got up and only took my boots as I followed Alaric into the kitchen.

"I've known you for almost two decades and in those two decades you achieved to do things other supernaturals only would dream of. But since you decided to go here you never once had a nightmare. So, what's up?" Alaric said and I went to make myself a sandwich. "Since I know about the bond that binds me to Josie I dream about different things. I just see us. And we're happy. But that was different. There was no happy Josie. There was this darkness and void I only feel when it comes to the darkness I have inside of me. The darkness that is silently waiting for me to snap. And in that nightmare I did. And I tortured and killed and I was ready to become queen." Alaric gulped and I went on to make myself a sandwich. Now with a plate in my hand I went to sit down and Alaric followed me. "So your fear of participating in the race and becoming queen is still present?" I silently nodded. "I'm next in line. And my mother is more or less losing it." I whispered.

"She's immortal. Why would someone want you as their queen when there is still a powerful one sitting on the throne?" He asked and I chuckled sadly. "Even immortal beings die eventually." I whispered and my thoughts went to the people I have cared about and lost. "So, your mother is... dying?" He quietly asked and I nodded. "Without my dad she's... very fragile." I whispered. Then I silently ate my sandwich. Alaric then let me be and I spent the rest of the night in the library reading, staying awake.

Hope missed the emergency assembly that followed two hours after I woke up. and I kept my eyes on the two boys that were new at the school. A werewolf and a human. Emma and Dorian had the younger students evacuated in the Lockwood cellar and Alaric told us that our exams were still continuing as scheduled. "Hey, you're Amaya, right?" A boy asked behind me as I walked out of the grand hall after Alaric finished his speech. "Hope's sister." The boy said and I turned around to him. "Who wants to know that?" I asked and crossed my arms before my chest. Rafael stood next to him. "Ah, you're Landon Kirby. And yes, I am Amaya." Landon nodded before he continued, "You don't happen to know where Hope currently is, do you?" He asked and I shook my head. "No. I haven't seen her since I woke up in the middle of the night, but I'll tell her her little boyfriend is searching for her when I see her." I retorded with sarcasm laced in my voice and turned around to leave.

I went into my room to get my revilas spellbook, opened it at one signifcant page and sighed heavily. "What are you doing?" A voice asked as I began to sit on the floor with my book in my hands. "It'll be just a minute, I promise." I said to Alaric and Hope as they entered the room. "We need you here. The new monster is causing the nightmares." Hope explained and I flashed my eyes. I got up from the ground, opened a portal and then turned around to look at them. "And I need to go! Either accompany me or stay away!" I raised my voice and then went through the portal. A rough cough followed as Alaric and Hope walked through the portal. It closed after we stood on the ground of Meridial. "Mother?" I asked, my voice filled with worry as I looked around the empty hallway. "What is it?" Hope asked and Alaric was prevented from coming closer to the throne room. With a snap of my fingers I lifted the spell and in the same moment I heard a scream echoing through the throne room. I rushed into it and Alaric and Hope followed me.

"Olivia?" Hope asked worried and the mad queen turned around to us. "It's okay, it's us. Amaya and Hope." My mother flashed her warm brown eyes into a cold blue and lifted her finger, pointed at us. "Leave!" She yelled and Sophia prepared a ritual on the ground. "Sophia, what is this?" I asked and the regent rose from the crouching positon. "They made her do it. The Elders made her. I'm so sorry." Sophia whispered and a young man came from behind me in the room and stood next to my mother. "No." I whispered and Hope took my arm. I flashed my eyes again and formed a green magic ball. Hope let go of me and with my magic I stepped forward, pushing the man into the wall. "Amaya, no!" Someone yelled and I stopped in my tracks. "Don't. Please don't." The voice begged and I froze instantly.

"Now we're all together." Mom whispered and her eyes turned back to brown. She smiled at me when I turned around to her. "Dad." Hope spoke softly and I turned around to the scene. "What did you do?" I whispered and Alaric was taken aback by what had happened. The ghost of my father, still connected to my mother appeared in the circle of salt. "This isn't possible." Alaric whispered perplexed and I turned to Sophia. "You." A hand on my shoulder stopped me from going after the regent that was responsible for all this.

Dad looked at Mom with a look I have seen before and the real Olivia Mikaelson - one that was not driven by madness - came through and her lips turned into a small smile. "The spell will only allow me to be here for so long. Don't do anything you'll regret, sweetheart." He said and I turned around to hug him tightly. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Sophia sent Alaric back home and let the guards get the man I had thrown into a wall. Hope walked around the circle and hugged Dad too. "You all have come so far. Don't destroy it by letting your anger control you. All of you." Dad looked at Mom once again and I stepped away from him and Hope while they were still hugging. "I have so many things to tell you... From the moment I arrived at school to all this." Hope now sobbed and I myself felt tears rolling down my cheeks.

Mom came forward and stood next to me. Hope slowly pulled away from his embrace and looked at me. Dad looked at all of us. "Since when is the dark world so peaceful, my love?" He now directly asked Mom and she chuckled sadly. "That is probably because you never went into the dark world." She whispered, her voice cracking. "You found peace?" Hope silently asked and he nodded. "I did. This connection is the only thing that's allowing me to watch over you. All of you." Dad spoke softly. Then he looked down at me. "It is okay to care. It is okay to fall in love, Amaya. Don't fight it. It's going to make you strong, believe me." I slowly nodded. "As for you... this boy needs you. And you need him. And something tells me you won't get rid of him so easily." Hope chuckled and looked down to the floor. Then Dad sighed and turned around to my mother. "Your people need you, my love. My daughters need you. I know how hard this is but you have to keep fighting. Because you are exactly that. A fighter. Fight for what is yours and don't let anyone take it away. You don't need me anymore, Olivia. You're able to fight without me. Meridial doesn't need a king. It never has. It is and always will be ruled by a queen. A queen that is chosen by blood." Mom slowly stepped forward and nodded. "Olivia." Sophia whispered and Dad nodded. "I have to leave." He whispered and Mom nodded, crying. "I love you." She whispered and Dad pressed a kiss on her lips. "I love-" The last grains of sand in the hourglass slipped through to the bottom and the ghost disappeared. Mom now looked more stronger than ever looked up at Sophia and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Arrange a meeting. I want every spirit and every elder to appear here within the hour." Sophia smiled at her queen and then turned around to leave the room.

Mom then opened a portal behind us and Hope sighed. "There are some people waiting for you. Go now, my princesses." Mom pressed a kiss on my forehead and then did the same with Hope. Hope and I then turned around and left for the school.