‘The departure point’

Time stopped... Angelica woke up and looked around. She was in a strange place. All around her was red. She could feel the salty taste of blood in the mouth. There was enough light. She tried to move but couldn't. In fact, she could circle around in the same place, but couldn't go, or 'float' on. Something was holding her. As if she was in a large soft cocoon, from which it was impossible to get out.

"Damn, where am I?" the girl said in the hearts.

And then she heard someone was saying...

"I think we have caught all of them," said the soft insinuating voice.

"No, there's one more, but I don't think it will be a big problem to catch him."

"Excellent! So many mistakes are in one day. The creator will not forgive us!"

"What will we do with them? Maybe we will send them into oblivion?!"

"Have you forgotten that they were born and exist somewhere in time and space and if we do that, the future will be changed."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I think we should bring them back to their departure point."

"So easy?!"

"The ingenious is always simple!"

"And what if they come here again?"

"I don't think so... They want to close the portal, which we inadvertently left open."

"Well, let's hurry up!"

After that, Angelica did not hear anything. She was spun again and gone somewhere...

She did not know how much time passed but when she woke up, she saw herself near the 'white haze' in the gorge. Next to her were unconscious Huron, Swein and Edward. Angelica tried to sit up. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps and soon the Prince of Vampires and Margo ran to our heroes.

"Angelica, you're alive!" Arthur cried and ran with open arms to the girl.

"I haven't died yet!" laughed Lica. "Easy, Prince, you will choke me off!"

Meanwhile, Margo was examining Huron, Swein and Edward.

"It's strange," finally said the witch. "Angelica has woken up but they are still paralyzed."

"Margo, I am undead!" the girl said, pulling away from the Prince of Vampires. "Apparently, this affected my 'resurrection'."

"Maybe you are right," the witch nodded.

"Tell me, how much time has passed since I went to look for Huron?" Lica turned to the Prince of Vampires.

"A little more than two days as you went into the portal," said Arthur.

"I have very little time," said Angelica. "Margo can you help your brother to wake up more quickly?"

"I'll try!" promised the witch. "And you will help me! Remember you are also a witch!"

"Tell what to do!"

"We are going to carry out the ritual of resurrection."

Margo started to clear the place for a pentagram. Arthur and Lica helped her. Then the witch drew a large five-pointed star with some magic words on its rays and asked the Prince of Vampires to put Huron, Swein and Edward inside the star. She came inside herself and asked Angelica to join her.

"Now, just repeat after me," Margo asked the girl.

She raised her hands to the sky and began saying the spell. Lica did the same. The witch spoke louder and louder and finally she snapped something in Latin. To her surprise, Angelica realized that Margo said the word 'resurrection'.

"No," said the girl, "it's wrong! They are not dead! Not 'resurrection', we should say 'return'!"

And Angelica again read the spell, replacing the word 'resurrection' on 'return'... Surprised Margo couldn't say a word. She just stood near, silently staring at the girl. At this moment, Huron woke up, then – Swein and Edward.

"You are really good witch!" the witch said gloating at Lica.

"Yes but it won't help me," Angelica smiled.

The Prince of Vampires helped Huron up and Lica rushed to the Prince and hugged him.

"Edward, you were sucked by the space tornado either, weren't you?" asked the girl.

"Yes, just after you," the Prince smiled.

Lica then turned to Swein and gave him a hug. The Goblins' King looked at her coldly and turned to Edward:

"Prince, she is your girlfriend, isn't she? Why has she stuck to me?"

"Swein, what is wrong with you?" Angelica surprised. "Don't you recognize me?"

"Why must I recognize you?"

The Prince of Vampires burst of laughing.

"Memory is a strange thing," he said.

"Swein you are kidding me again?!" the girl exclaimed in the hearts.

"Who are you?!" the Goblins' King said nervously, trying to escape from grasp.

"Wait," said Margo.

The witch came to Swein and asked:

"Do you remember who you are? Do you remember me?"

"Margo, are you making fun of me?" the Goblins' King chuckled. "Of course, I remember who I am! I remember you, Edward, your brother and the Prince of Vampires. But I have no idea who this ill-mannered girl is. If she is the Prince's girlfriend, I feel sorry for him! Her manners are awful!"

"Swein, keep a watch on tongue!" Edward exclaimed, taking out his sword.

"Enough!" the witch gasped. "Prince, calm down! We have 'resurrected' you not for then you will kill each other."

She thought for a moment, and then said:

"In any case, first we have to return Angelica's soul, complete the ritual and seal the portal... And then we'll sort out with Swein's memory."

"I agree," nodded Huron. "This girl has suffered enough!"

"Then it's time to leave the gorge," said the Prince of Vampires.

Everybody agreed and went back. The witch Margo was going with Swein. They were walking in front of all and the woman was trying to find out what he remembered and what didn't. She knew that Swein remembered everything except the facts related to Angelica. He remembered even the rite Margo conducted to return his soul back. But it seemed to him that the witch did everything herself and there were no other girls in the crypt that day...

Huron and the Prince Night were coming behind them. Edward told Margo's brother about all events happened with him after the monster had dragged the sorcerer into the abyss. Not forgetting about the details, he told about Angelica's adventures - how Lica sealed the portal with her soul; how she became undead and that now she had very little time to save her life... Angelica and the Prince of Vampires – Arthur were walking behind all of them.

"How do you feel?" the Prince asked the girl.

"If I had a soul, then I would say that I have heavy heart," smiled Lica, "but in fact... I am fine!"

"Hold on me!" Arthur offered his help.

She nodded and took the Prince's arm.

"Tell me about the Goblins' King," suddenly asked Vampire.

"We were very close before," sincerely confessed Angelica, "and now I don't know!"

"Were you friends?"

"Something is like that..." the girl ducked the question.

"I have heard that the King was going to get married as soon as he came back home."

"Whatever!" waved Lica.

She wasn't sincere with Arthur. In fact, she was very upset that Swein had completely forgotten her. However, in the depths of her heart Angelica cherished the hope that everything would have its order, and the Goblins' King would remember her.

"You're lying!" suddenly Arthur said. "I can see how Swein is dear to you and how you are upset about that! Although I cannot understand your relationship… because the Goblins' King is going to marry another girl.

"Yes, he is marrying another woman," said Lica, "but I am offended because he forgot all our adventures. Believe me we had a lot of 'fun' together! Now he's looking at me as if I am a stranger and still manages to be rude!"

The Prince Vampire grinned and said:

"Well, if only it was true!"

He was silent for a moment and then said:

"You can try to remind him of something you have shared in the past. I mean something very bright, which people usually call shock. Believe me, even with memory loss such kind of events are impossible to forget!"

"I will try to follow your advice but not now," Angelica smiled, "first I have to return my soul."

"You are not happy to be undead!?" the Vampire laughed.

"No, it's okay but strange!" the girl said.

Then she wickedly looked at the Prince and remarked:

"Why are we talking about me? Tell me, how did you manage to escape the death? I was sure you were dead!"

"I am amazed myself that I am still alive," the Prince of Vampires grinned. "The majority of my soldiers died."

"It's a pity," muttered Lica. "I'm so sorry! But I did not know that..."

"It's okay," said Arthur, "now I will have to fill the ranks of vampires. I need the army! I am not the Prince without the army!"

"You will turn people into vampires!?"

"I have to! Angelica, I don't want to talk about it. I think it will upset you a lot."

Lica agreed with the Prince. Meanwhile, our heroes approached the pile of boulders and rock fragments, which they could use to go up.

"Come on!" Margo exclaimed. "It is the easiest way out of the abyss. Moreover, the volcano is very close here!"

Margo and Swein were first, Huron followed them. Edward got a little behind to help Angelica but the Prince Vampire assured him that he was able to take care of the girl himself...