Origin

CHAPTER 25

**Veronica**

After Marissa had disappeared, I was left looking at the now empty space. How could she do this? She had passed beyond the boundaries and had joined a side which was evil. It had to be.

I felt Lovetta who was beside me shifting back to her human form and moving closer to the guys. I forced myself to snap out of my deep thoughts and follow her.

"You alive?" I asked the guys who were trying to get up and managed to look like that they were rising from the dead.

"For now, but we have to get healed soon," Clell said as the sister helped Alaric stand up. "And we have to find out where Holden and Kristy went."

" Marissa has to be found immediately. She is definitely bad news," Lovetta said but then her attention snapped back to me. She seemed to remember who Marissa was to me. "Are you okay?" I knew she didn't refer to any physical injuries.

Truth to be told, I wasn't. The fact that my best friend, the one who always understood me and was there for one had trusted someone else who was trying to destroy the worlds was breaking me on the inside. I knew Marissa was sick and tired of how we were treated and wanted to climb up the social ladder.

The guilt was like killing me. I hadn't noticed how unhappy she was or even when she met this dark queen she was talking about. I was a bad friend; I didn't even know she was in contact with someone so dangerous. I had no idea what was happening to her.

But there was no way I would ever say that to someone else. So, I put on a smirk and answered her.

"Of course, I am fine. It's not like she harmed my pretty blond locks," I laughed it off as I flicked my hair.

But apparently it wasn't enough to make Lovetta believe it. She got up from her place beside Haru and approached me. Before I could react, she placed her arms around me and hugged me.

"You don't have to lie. I'm sure it's very hard for you," she whispered near my ear.

Her tight hug reminded me of my baby sister. She used to hug me like that and pat my head. When my parents found a job at the ground dimension, it broke my heart that I wouldn't see and hug her so often.

Tears stung my eyes as I was reminded of her and the memories of the part. In those scenes, there was always me, my sister and Marissa. It only made my heart tighten more. I didn't push her away, instead I used her contact to gain strength and hold back the tears caused by the loss of my closest friend.

A light brightened up the sky and Lovetta turned away to see what had caused it. I sniffled and took a few deep breaths to regain my cool facade. When I felt ready, I copied her move. I stared as Holden came through a portal which had formed in the middle of the beach.

"Holden!" Alaric yelled before he hissed from the pain of the action.

I sensed two other figures passing through, one of which I couldn't recognize. As for the other, I could tell it was Kristy but she was different. Not only was her hair red but her eyes matched that flaming color. I turned to Lovetta to see how she would react to them. At first her face showed recognition of the girl and then relief. But when she sensed the unknown boy, who was with her, she was filled with the urge to protect her friends. She moved in front of the guys who were still in no position to move and eyed the boy.

"What happened here? Is everyone all right?" Kristy said as she walked over to us with that boy on her tail.

"Kristy, what happened to you? And who is that?" the wolf girl asked. Kristy opened her mouth to explain but Holden put a stop to it by placing his hand on her shoulder.