"Brother?"
The same dream which always led to my brother's slow death appeared, but I realized this time it was different; instead of Gabriel appearing at the end of the hall, he stood next to me. He had one of those sad smiles on his face and he was looking down the hall.
I followed his gaze, unsure why Brother was so focused on the end of the hall. A person appeared but the shadows in the hall hid his face from me.
"Jewel. You love me right?" At his question, I turned to look at him.
"Of course I do. I'll always love you," I reminded him, wishing he would realize that even after all these years, I still missed his loving hugs and yearned for him to be able to see how I turned out.
He smiled, moving to face me. I looked back to the person at the end of the hall who began his slow approach towards the ledge. I still couldn't see the stranger’s face and I realized I wouldn't be able to till he got to where Brother and I stood.
Arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a hug and I blinked back tears; Gabriel's warm embrace felt real. I slowly raised my arms, placing my hands on his back and squeezed him tightly, hoping this wasn't the last time I saw him.
Even though these nightmares brought tears and screams when I awoke, at least I got to see Gabriel for a short time. I watched, time and again, his various facial expressions, reminding me both of my adoration for my dear brother who showed me the good in the world but also how cruel reality was.
He pulled away, tears in his eyes. "I love you, my sweet sister. Your heart is so pure and never be afraid to love. Love can break through every obstacle, even when the situation seems hopeless. "
"Are you leaving? Will I ever see you again? Don't go." I clung tight to his arms.
He chuckled, the rich sound set off the waterworks as tears began to roll down my cheeks. "I'm always with you, Jewel. I've watched over you and will protect you until you're ready to let me go."
"But...are you happy?" I asked, wondering if I was holding him back from moving on.
"I'm happy watching my sister fall in love,” he replied, lifting his hands to wipe the tears from my flushed cheeks.
"But it's selfish of me to cling to this. To watch you die over and over again. I know it is...yet it's so hard. So difficult to let go." I cried.
He nodded. "I know. It is hard, but in time you will be able to. Just continue to love," he whispered, looking back down the hall.
I glanced to my right, still unable to see the person's face but in a few seconds he'd walk onto the balcony, revealing his identity to us.
"Jewel?"
"Yes, Gabriel?" I turned back to him.
"End the cycle,” he begged and I saw the same flicker of fear I had seen the day he left for school. "Don't let them take your love away."
I was confused by his words as I stared into his gold eyes. Take my love away? Is he talking about Logan? Or the others?
Deep in thought, I didn't even realize the person had passed us and was already at the edge. My eyes landed on his familiar frame and widened as my mouth dropped. He turned around, his fearful eyes full of tears as he stared at my wide ones.
"I'm sorry, Jewel. It was all to save you."
I screamed. My hand shot out to save him, to use some type of magic to stop him as his body began to lean back, but nothing worked and his body went over the edge. I raced to where he once was, my breathing uneven and my heart frantic.
I tried to use my magic, fighting to save him but I watched his body become one with the ground, blood everywhere and an ear-piercing screen left my mouth.
"Fuck, Jewel! Wake up!"
I jolted forward as my eyes flashed open. I gasped for air and my eyes were scanning the room while my body trembled in sheer panic. Arms held me and I heard approaching footsteps followed by the door openings.
"Shit. Is Jewel okay?!" I heard Braxton's voice. Someone pulled me into their arms, and after I took a deep inhale, I knew it was Logan.
"She had a nightmare. Jewel, just breathe,” he encouraged. I began to whimper into his chest as tears rolled down my cheeks.
"That's the fifth one this week," Maximus' deep voice announced.
"You think something's triggering it?" That question came from Kage.
"I don't know," Brax replied.
"Logan, we have to ask her what she keeps seeing? This is out of the ordinary. Maybe it was her brother; she mumbles his name whenever she dreams about him. She hasn't this whole week," Nixon pointed out.
Logan stroked my hair and I began to relax, wishing I could go back to sleep. The darkness clung to my mind and I longed to accept its invitation, anything to rid the haunting scene from my memory.
"Jewel, you need to tell me who died in your dream."
"No. I want to sleep," I mumbled. The room was silent and I thought I'd finally get to sleep but I felt a hand gently rest on my arm.
"Jewel. Is it the same dream with your brother?" Nixon asked; his voice was firm and drew my attention.
"Yes," I mumbled.
"Does he die?" Nixon pressed.
"...No," I replied.
"Who dies, Jewel?" Nixon whispered and I fought the darkness that was waiting to take me away. I didn't want to reveal anything, wanting to just fade into the darkness, but my instincts told me Nixon wouldn't let me and the longer I prolonged it, the higher the chance sleep would leave me, the memories from my dream left behind.
I decided to say the word so I could go back to sleep, and I prayed in the morning I wouldn't remember anything. I let the darkness take me, mumbling the single name.
"Zane."
"What time is it?" I mumbled when I reached the kitchen, still feeling sluggish after taking a long shower and changing into shorts and a crop top. I had a headache but I didn't feel like a seizure was coming. I still took my meds when I woke up, Alice forcing me to with her threat of staying home from her flying date with Koa to watch over me if I didn’t.
It was Sunday afternoon and we had one week before our final exams. The weeks seemed to fly by after our break and with the increase in tests, assignments, and magic battles, we'd been too caught up to take a break till now. We'd been doing study sessions until yesterday and decided to take today off.
I woke up to Kage sleeping next to me, holding me tightly. Alice was in her fox form curled next to my head and Koa sat on the headboard as if guarding over us. When I woke Kage up, he asked if I was okay, but I had no clue why he seemed so worried. My guess was I had some type of dream about Brother again like I'd been having all week. I couldn't remember what happened, but I assumed it was the same as always. What else would cause me to cry and scream in my sleep?
"You're awake, Precious? To answer your question, it's one in the afternoon." Logan was at the stove making what looked to be hamburgers.
I mumbled my thanks, rubbing at my eyes, my vision blurry with sleep. I hadn't used magic today so what was the big deal?
Logan put the pan on the left burner, turning the stove off before walking towards me. "You okay?"
"Hmm? I'm really tired and my vision sucks," I complained.
Logan frowned, lifting his hand up to press against my forehead. "You're really warm. I think you're coming down with a fever. Did you take your seizure medicine?"
"Ya. Alice forced me to before she went out." I sighed, wondering if I should go back to bed and rest. I didn't have an appetite and my sore muscles and blurry vision weren’t making me feel any better.
Logan embraced me and I sank into his warmth, wishing he'd come up with me and take a nap with me.
As if reading my thoughts, Logan asked,"You want to nap?"
"Yes, but not alone," I confessed.
"Okay, we can go sleep,” he whispered and I nodded into his shirt. He stroked my hair as we stood in each other's arms.
"Jewel's awake?" Brax's voice questioned. I slowly looked over my shoulder to see the others standing in the doorway. They took a good look at me and all wore different expressions of worry.
"Jewel looks like she survived a war," Kage said quietly, walking up to me.
I pulled out of Logan's hug to squint at Kage. "I do not."
"Let me get her glasses," Brax announced, leaving the room and heading upstairs.
"Jewel you're a little pale. Maybe you should go back to bed?" Maximus suggested, as he came to stand next to Kage who hugged me.
"I'm going to take a nap soon," I confessed. Kage released me and Maximus took his turn to hug me.
I moved to Nixon who rubbed my back. "Is Logan gonna be your napping buddy for today?"
I smiled "Yes, but you can join too," I whispered.
"I'll kick him off the bed. He's a blanket hogger," Logan argued.
Kage and Maximus chuckled. "That's not too bad." Maximus pointed out.
Brax returned as I pulled out of Nixon's hug. "Here Jewel." Brax slid the specs onto my face and I gave him a relieved smile.
"Thanks." I smiled and his arms encircled me, hugging me tightly.
"Don't get sick on us,” he whispered. I nodded in agreement. Brax released me and I yawned.
"I guess I'll go na-"
"JEWEL!"
I flinched at the loud sound and noticed Kage also tense, grabbing his head. "Fuck, Koa! Don't fucking do that. It hurts!" Kage cursed.
What, Alice?! I demanded, my head already pounding at the shrill of her voice.
"Trouble! Zane's with a group of friends doing some stupid initiation shit! HURRY!"
My eyes grew wide and I turned to Kage who looked worried.
"Fuck, Zane!" he exclaimed.
"Wait, what?" Maximus asked but we didn't have time to explain. Kage and I sprinted to the door, slipping on our shoes as we headed out. I used a spell to conceal myself until we reached the school grounds. I heard the others follow Kage and I as we sprinted down Spellbound road. Alice, where are you?!
"The tower," she whispered uneasily like it was a forsaken place. I cursed, dread running through me.
We reached the school grounds which were empty because it was Sunday. There wouldn't be any professors on campus unless there was an emergency and by the time we even attempted to call them, we might already be too late.
We passed the same familiar bench and I could envision the little me sitting on it, kicking my legs back and forth as I hummed, waiting for Mother to finish talking to Ms. Landsford before my eyes glanced to the tower.
As if a reflex, I looked up, relieved to see that no one was there but it didn't stop my uneasiness. I needed to make sure Zane was safe before I would be able to calm down. As we approached the door to the tower, my legs came to a stop, my eyes lingering on the place where Gabriel fell to his death. I wanted to move, but it was like I was frozen with fear. Kage noticed and I gave him a worried look, hoping he would realize he'd have to go without me. He nodded in understanding and ran to the door, opening it up with a magic spell then rushed up the stairs. I watched the others follow and I stood there trembling as tears rolled down my cheeks.
Not again. Please...not again. Hands gripped my arms and I looked up to see Logan's gold eyes.
He placed his hand on my cheeks. "Breathe."
I took a shaky breath. "Logan. What...what if...I...can't?" I began, my voice shaking from my anxiety as thoughts of Zane falling over the edge hit me in a rush. It was as if I'd witnessed it with my own eyes and now that I stood at the site that I’d found a way to avoid all semester, I couldn't seem to do anything.
"No. Don't think like that. We aren't going to lose Zane. We're going to get him and slap some sense into that thick skull of his and head home to have burgers for lunch, alright?"
"Alright. I- I...wanna help. I can't stay here alone," I confessed, knowing Logan would go off to help the others.
He stared into my eyes and nodded, slipping his hand into mine. "Okay. Let's do this together."
We both rushed to the entrance, Logan pressing his hand to the door and summoning a magic circle to unlock it. Then he opened it up for the both of us to squeeze through. We began sprinting up the stairs, one flight after the next, panting more with each floor.
When we finally reached the top floor and opened the door, we both gasped and dropped to the ground to avoid the fireballs that flew at us, crashing into the wall behind us.
"Don't interfere!" a voice snarled and I glanced up to see Eric who had his wand pointed our way. My eyes scanned the hall, noticing Braxton and Maximus beating the shit out of two older students while Kage was flinging ice shards and water balls at two students who looked to be freshmen like us.
Nixon had Andrew pinned to the wall but what caught my attention was the brawl happening on the balcony. Nick and Zane looked to be fighting against Zane's two friends that we would see him with in the halls, using their fists to attack one another.
I didn't understand what was going on or why Nick was helping Zane while his other two friends seemed to be on the opposite team but what made my heart drop was the sight of a ginger-haired individual, the same one that I remembered seeing when I was heading to the cafeteria with Braxton. He walked from the side entrance only inches away from the balcony and I immediately jolted forward into a sprint, realizing if I didn't get there on time, one of the guys would get hurt.
"Shit, Je-" Logan began but was cut off when another row of fireballs shot out at us from Eric's wand.
I raised my hand. "WATER!" I commanded. Water balls equal in number to the fireballs formed and shot out to clash against the approaching fireballs. I slid to the floor, moving past Eric before he could grab me. Then I cartwheeled and was up and running.
Brax, Maximus, Nixon, and Kage noticed my presence but were too busy holding down their targets to stop me. I didn't need to be stopped; I had to take down Lark before he finished the deed. I noticed him raise his hand holding a gold wand, and my eyes widened. My feet pushed off the ground as I leaped; my body tackled Lark and we both crashed to the ground, his wand falling out of his grasp.
"Fucking, who the fuck?" the voice snarled as he began to try and throw me off him. We struggled, our bodies rolling on the ground and he ended up pinning me beneath him. I glared up at him and his blazing orange eyes met mine, looking similar to the Lark I knew but I realized it wasn't the same person. He looked like him, but was younger. His eyes locked onto mine and narrowed.
"You,” he whispered; his hands went to my throat. I quickly kicked his balls and he cursed. Then I kicked his chest, pushing him back. I scrambled backward, putting distance between us. I dropped to the ground to avoid a flying body that crashed into the wall on my right.
I looked to see one of the students who was fighting Nick. Zane was knocked out, blood dripping from a wound on his temple. I looked to my right and Nick had the other student pinned to the ground.
Zane woke and starting getting up, bruises and scratches on his cheeks and arms.
His wild green eyes met mine and he looked both worried and relieved to see me. I glanced back at the Lark look-alike who gritted his teeth at me.
"You're the reason my life was shit! It was all you,” he shouted, pointing to me as he began to glow; the wand that he dropped levitated back into his grasp. I cursed, scrambling to my feet as Zane dashed towards me.
"Don't you dare!" he shouted, pushing off the ground to tackle the Lark look-alike but he was too slow. whirlpool of wind crashing into Zane and sent him flying straight at me. SHIT!
I didn't respond fast enough; Zane crashed into me and we both went flying straight into the wall. I heard a loud crack and I cried out before we both fell to the ground, my head immediately pounding so hard I almost vomited right away.
"Jewel!" Alice’s voice screamed and I turned to my side, pulling my legs up while I gripped my head. Fuck! Can't...get a fucking...break.
I heard Zane groan followed by a haunting laugh. I opened my eyes cautiously, realizing my glasses must have been flung off due to the impact. The world was spinning and the light was making everything worse. My eyes landed on the orange haired male who made a slow approach towards us, his wand charging his next attack.
"The years of mockery. The bullying and name-calling. All because of you. You're the reason why my brother was put into prison. You're the reason I had to suffer because of his stupid mistake of killing your damn brother. You and your friend were the ones who ruined my life. Now I’m going to ruin yours,” he declared.
Zane struggled to get up, gripping his leg that appeared to be broken. "Don't you dare go near her!" he shouted.
The ginger-haired male laughed. "Look at the silent hero. This whole time you played as the villain for the sake of protecting her. You thought I couldn't tell? The way you watched her at the party, I knew right away you weren’t loyal to me. You love her just like her pathetic boyfriend who ratted out my brother. Well after all this, what did you get out of it? Here she came, running to save you and now she'll watch you die as I throw your damn body over the edge." He laughed.
No! I quickly rolled onto my stomach, fighting the vomit that threatened to escape my throat. The weird sensation took that moment to tingle through me like a cold wave and I gritted my teeth, realizing it was now or never. I had to think of a way to stop him.
Maybe if he couldn’t see. YES! BLINDING SPELL! I went to my knees and quickly stood, feeling wobbly as the world continued to spin, making me feel like I might pass out. I have to do this! I'll end the cycle for Brother.
I lifted my hands up just as Lark's brother readied his final attack. "BLIND!" I commanded, using as much mana as needed to speed up the process. He cried out, clutching at his eyes, the distraction canceling out his spell and he began screaming. He opened his eyes and they were now pure white, the color in them gone as he clawed at them, making his skin begin to bleed.
"No. NO! I can't see. How dare you?! NO!" he screamed, shaking his head left and right as he gripped his head, covering his eyes. I sighed in relief, my arms falling to my sides as I fought to stay upright.
"Jewel. I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Zane's tear-filled eyes met mine and I smiled weakly.
"I think I'm about to have a seizure," I confessed. "But I'm good," I whispered.
Zane struggled to move his leg and his expression flooded with concern. "Lay down. Nick called for help. Ms. Landsford and the others will be here any moment."
I looked to Nick who'd knocked out the other kid and now got up, his eyes meeting mine. "They'll be here soon, but you really should lay down," he instructed.
I smirked and my eyes went back to Lark's brother whose hands were still on his bleeding face. Was it weird that I felt pity for him? Maybe he was bullied and isolated because of his older brother's actions but two wrongs didn't make a right.
"HOOT!" I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Koa and Alice in the distance. I looked over at the school gate and saw Ms. Landsford, her assistant, Logan's mother and even my mother running towards the tower. I sighed in relief; my shoulders sank and the weird feeling did another slow transition down my body. The cold prickling and goosebumps that roamed my flesh alerted me I would experience a seizure at any time.
Guess I should lay down.
"NO!" Nick's voice suddenly cried out and I turned my head to see him running towards me. I looked back in time to see Lark's brother’s wand directed at me. My body was pushed back so hard it felt like my back broke when I slammed into the ancient brick which broke under the impact.
"JEWEL!" I heard Zane scream but the sound already began to fade as I started to fall. Everything slowed and as my eyes lowered to watch window after window of the tower pass by and my eyes locked on a pair of silver ones. The same sinister eyes that had watched me from the window looked down at me.
What frightened me the most was the sinister smile that crossed his dry lips, showing hints of his yellow teeth. He leaned forward, as if enjoying the satisfaction of my impending death before he pulled back, disappearing from sight, but my ears were able to catch a sickening laugh.
My consciousness wavered and I looked back up, noticing someone was flying towards me. It must have been at a faster pace than what I was going at, but everything still felt like it was in slow motion.
My eyes began to close as tears left them. I felt the trickle of blood from my nose but the image that formed before me made me relax: Gabriel's face looking down at me. He now had white wings, and his hand slowly reached out to me, ready to take me from this world. I felt bad that I would die and leave the others. Die the same way Gabriel did and leave poor Mother behind.
Yet, at this very moment, I felt at peace, knowing I truly ended the cycle. Maybe my death would finally end the bullying? Maybe it would let people finally realize the problem happening behind closed doors and for teachers to take more precautions in watching their students for changes in behavior.
My death could start a revolution of change and that thought made me somewhat happy. But before my eyes closed and my mind accepted the darkness, the image changed.
Red eyes with black magic circles in them locked onto mine and the last thought I had was that Nixon would hate me for not having one last nap in his arms.