Shawn never hesitated when it came to his friends' safety. He agreed and jumped. But it wasn't easy—he barely touched the shed under the window when he lost his balance. Just as he was about to fall, Ryan whispered something. It felt like a force pushed Shawn forward, and he landed inside.
Ryan followed. Black smoke crawled over the door as Shawn rushed to me, shaking me awake. I jolted up, coughing. Gasping for air, I leaned over the edge of my bed and threw up.
It wasn't bile. It was dirt. Dry, dark, and thick—enough to hold in both hands.
I stumbled to the bathroom, washed my face and mouth, and came out trembling. I slid down against the wall, hugging my knees. The tears came fast. Shawn knelt and gently pulled me into his arms.
Ryan stood by the door, staring as the smoke thinned. It started fading the moment I woke up.
"I'm tired, Shawn," I sobbed.
They moved me to Mrs. Leonardo's room for the night. Shawn sat beside me, trying to keep me distracted, but my mind kept circling back to the dream. It was the first one in a long time that actually meant something.
"I know you're mad at me," Mrs. Leonardo said softly as she sat beside me. She held out a small shot glass. "Here, take this. The drinks won't taste bitter to you anymore." She smiled.
I stared at her, confused. "Why are you doing this? And why did you do that?" I asked.
She smiled. "You wouldn't have listened. I had to stop you from doing something you'd regret later."
"But I still did regrettable things," I muttered, unable to meet her eyes.
"That's why I'm giving you a choice now. But understand one thing—you have two options. You think Crystal is alive?" she asked. I nodded.
"Then drink this and go get drunk enough to sleep peacefully… or drink this and stay sane for Crystal's sake. I'm sure when she returns, it'll break her heart even more to see you this lost." She placed the glass in front of me and walked away.
I drifted into thought, then looked at Shawn. He just shrugged with a smirk.
I drank it.
That night, I kept thinking about her words, and I knew she was right. I made a choice—to work on my anger, to train harder, and take control of my powers.
Months passed. The nightmares didn't. I slept in Mrs. Leonardo's room, and she'd always wake me before things got worse. But she was losing sleep because of me, and the guilt was eating at me.
Doctors and Ryan kept searching for a solution, but they had nothing. So one night, I forced myself to stay awake, stretching my eyes wide until they gave in. I drifted off.
And I had the same kind of dream I did the night Shawn had to jump through the window. This time, I didn't stop breathing.
I just woke up—and turned to the door as it creaked open on its own.
I stepped out and looked around. No one was there. Then I looked down—paw prints. Glowing, like they were magical. I followed them carefully, then spotted Shawn and Ryan talking on the stairs.
They noticed me. "What happened? Everything alright?" Shawn asked.
"I'm following footprints. There's a reason I had that dream twice. I think someone buried Cris!" My words tumbled out as I picked up speed.
"What are you talking about, Zinnia? There are no footprints." Shawn looked at the ground—nothing.
"Wait," Ryan said. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "There really are footprints. Paw prints," he muttered, and they both started following me.
I told them everything as we slipped out of school. Ryan made us invisible so we passed the guards easily. "You go. I'll handle things here," he said, then vanished.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Shawn grabbed my arm. "Last time we checked, wolves were our enemies."
"I wasn't afraid of that wolf. You have to believe me. I know Cris is there." I pulled away and kept walking. The sky was starting to lighten. "Sun will rise soon."
Shawn didn't move. "Are you sure you're doing this for Cris? And not someone else?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I turned to face him.
"You know exactly what I mean." He stepped closer, gripping my shoulders. "Zee, he betrayed us. He's not coming back, and if he does, it won't be for anything good."
I shoved his hands off and turned back to the path. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I still can't accept that he betrayed us. But Shawn, I swear—Cris is all I care about right now, and I'm not giving up on her." I kept following the trail, chasing every turn that wolf led me to in my dream.
Shawn followed without a word. "That's where I saw it digging," I said, pointing to a mound of dirt under a tree. It looked off to him, so he told me to stay back while he dug.
He kept going, breathing hard, but found nothing.
"Stop. You were right. We shouldn't have come here," I said quietly, and we started refilling the pit.
Just as we were finishing, my eyes caught a crack in the tree bark. The sunlight had begun to stretch through the woods. I asked Shawn for his flashlight. I leaned in and saw nothing at first—but then, something shifted.
As the beam hit it, I saw half a girl's face, upside down.
I flew back, screaming. We had to report it. Luckily, Mrs. Leonardo and Sheriff Smith were already on the grounds that morning.
The Sheriff came with his supernatural investigation team.
When they cracked open the tree, what we saw stopped all breath—Robin, hanging upside down, unconscious. Her wrists and ankles tied, a cloth over her mouth. But she wasn't dead.
She was asleep.
"Ryan! She cast a sleeping spell on herself. I need you to break it!" Sheriff Smith ordered.
Ryan scooped her into his arms and rushed toward the school. We followed as they took her to the medical room and laid her on the stone bench. I'd always wondered why that bench existed—it looked too uncomfortable to sit on, with carvings of hands on both sides, a sun at the top, a moon at the bottom, and a thin line connecting them all.
I got my answer when Ryan began chanting in a language I couldn't place. He and Sheriff Smith sliced their fingers horizontally, pressing them into the hand-shaped carvings. Their blood traced through the etched lines, filling every shape. When the last corner was soaked, a light beamed down from a hole in the ceiling, landing on her face. It spread slowly—then vanished.
She gasped awake.
That wasn't the shocking part. It was what she said next.
"Hello, father," she whispered, looking at Sheriff Smith.
Shawn and I stared at her, then at Smith, then Ryan—who looked completely calm.
"Since when were you there?" I asked.
"Since the past two days. Remember the night you were on the balcony with your lover boy? I was there. I came to warn you he's using you… but…"
She looked away.
"But what?" I pushed.
"Forget it. You wouldn't believe me," she said, glancing at her father.
He gave a nod.
So she went on.
"I tried to distract you and ran, but he caught me. He grew that tree around my body so I'd suffocate. He placed a barrier that blocked my voice, so I cast a sleeping spell on myself—just to survive." She paused, expecting me to snap, maybe even hit her. But she froze when I hugged her instead.
"It's been more than just two days, Robin… it's been months. Dorian betrayed us." I looked her in the eyes, and she saw the tears there. But the shock on her face said it all—she hadn't realized how long she'd been trapped in that stem.
Later, in her room, I sat with her, learning things I never imagined. "Remember when I asked who selected you? It was me. I approved your request to join this school. I was on a mission to get you in and watch your back without becoming your friend. One night, I saw Dorian talking to a woman. Dark lipstick, big eyes. She was stunning, but something about her felt… wrong. I hid behind the wall and listened. He talked about luring you in emotionally.
I was coming to warn you, but he sensed someone was following. I stayed hidden in my room that night. Later, when I tried again, I saw him about to kiss you. I panicked. I thought he'd pass something to control you. So I threw rocks at your head and shoulder."
When she said that, I couldn't help it. I smiled.
"That was on point," I said, rubbing my head.
She laughed nervously. "I was never your enemy, Zinnia. I've never been jealous of you. It's just… when I take on a duty, I give it everything." There was a seriousness in her voice I hadn't heard before. That day, I met a different girl.
"Your aunt never had children, so she raised me like her own. I owe her everything. I do what she asks without question. The night the High Mage died, you saw me whisper something in her ear—that was about Shawn. At first, I thought he was suspicious. We never learned who his parents are, and we still don't know. I assumed maybe he had something to do with the death… but I was wrong. It was always meant to happen." Her voice was steady but tired.
When we finished talking, I let her rest. Then I told Shawn everything.
"I'm confused too," he admitted. "I don't even remember my surname… all I remember is I have parents, my parents?" He drifted into silence, lost in thought.
For the first time in a long while, I felt a strange calm. Maybe because I'd done something good. Maybe because, despite everything, I still had hope.