In the woods again

Elysia followed the lady into a small house. "What's your name?" She asked.

"I'm Elysia."

"I'm June." The lady smiled and Elysia nodded. "You're not from around here, right?"

"Yes." Elysia nodded, and June opened the door to the house.

An old woman was sitting next to the fire. She looked sick and anyone could tell she would die very soon.

"This is my grandmother. She is my only family left. She can't talk anymore." June smiled and Elysia walked to the woman who looked up at her smiling. "She says how are you."

"Oh, I'm fine, ma'am." Elysia smiled.

"Grand mama, this is Elysia. She helped me from those bullies again. I brought only a few things back home." June smiled with a hint of sadness. "I'll prepare dinner. It won't be long."

Elysia sat down and looked around the room and looked at the pictures hung on the wall. She saw June and her grandmother.

After about an hour, June walked in with a plate of chicken soup. "This is for you."

"Thank you." Elysia smiled before picking the spoon to eat. "Who is that?" Elysia pointed at the largest picture in the small living room.

"That's my mother. She died when I was a baby. My grandmother took care of me until now. I just wish I could have even met really her before she died." June replied with a small smile.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Elysia said.

"Oh, it's nothing." June smiled. "It's been long since I actually talked to someone, though. Everyone runs from me. That's why I had to grab the chance of making friends with you earlier."

"Trust me. I know how it feels like. I had only one friend who left yesterday when she had her wedding." Elysia replied, eating her soup gently.

"Yeah. It's going to be lonely." June said.

"Oh my goodness." Elysia gasped, looking outside. "It's past twilight. My aunt will kill me."

"Oh. I am grateful for your patience." June quickly stood up after her and picked a flask wrapped in clothes. "Here. Have this. If you go out next time, you can bring it along. Be careful tonight because people don't really stay out long on the night of an eclipse."

"Thank you very much, June." Elysia collected it and rushed down to the market. It was a bit quiet, and she looked up at the large clock. "Past eight. Waahh."

Elysia made everything she was carrying disappear like she usually does, and she rushed towards the path back home.

"I can just appear back in the school, but my teleporting powers can only work for short distances." Elysia mumbled as she ran. "What was I thinking to be out this long. Aunt Linda would kill me."

She suddenly heard quick footsteps behind her. She turned and saw no one. She faced her front and started to run again, but she halted when a shadow passed her. She looked up and saw nothing again.

She took a few gently steps and turned back then seeing two people who were in black cloak. They were charging towards her with full speed.

"Magicia Invado Novo." Elysia quickly cast and took her heels, and to her surprise they broke the barrier with ease. "Oh goodness."

She ran as quick as she could, reaching the edge of the village where she met the Daria earlier. "If I pass the main road, there's possibility they would catch up. I only have to risk this woods."

Elysia ran into the woods as quick as she could. The woods were unusually quiet. She could still feel those behind her coming near.

"This might have been the worst decision I've ever made. Next time, I won't step out of my tower." Elysia whimpered as she ran. "Ow."

Her leg entered a small hole, and she pain shot through her body as her ankle broke. "Not the right time."

Just then the wolf like monster she saw the first time she went out kept at her, and she screamed raising her hands up, and it was thrown away from her.

She quickly used her magic on her broken ankle and started running as fast as she could. She didn't see those after her again, but she suddenly felt a presence before her. It was dark and threatening. She looked up, and a woman came to her sight. The woman was tall and the dark magic she was emitting was suffocating.

"It's you again, Elysia. You've grown so much." She smiled with her pair of white teeth obvious.

Elysia could remember that voice even in her sleep. She was the one who hypnotized her the first time she came out. "You."

"Oh yes. It's me." The woman laughed wickedly. "My men did a great job making you take this route back home. Little girl who wants to know the world."

Suddenly she was wrapped in black magic. Nothing she did had effect on the magic. "Don't worry, little lady. The barrier is powerful than you think. Can't you see I'm just trying to help you? You wish to see the whole world without hindrance. Your aunt Linda and mother Lucinda are just protecting you from nothing. I promise to give you everything."

"I have everything already. My aunt and mother are enough for me." Elysia yelled, and the thunder boomed.

"You should calm down, little lady. We don't want the rain to start pouring now." The woman laughed. "You have nothing. Your mother doesn't even want you. You're a curse to her. She never wanted to have you. You were the biggest mistake she's ever made."

"You're lying." Elysia yelled, and the rain started pouring. "My mother is just protecting me. She loves me, even though she doesn't show it. And regardless of what, I love her even if I'm her biggest mistake....."

"Oh little Elysia. Adonia never lies. I never lie. I'm telling you the truth. Your mother doesn't want to protect you willingly, it is only because she would live with her curse with no hope of being free if she doesn't. She's using you, Elysia, why can't you see that?" The woman, Adonia said in a compelling voice, but Elysia won't give in.

"I won't believe you. I don't and will never believe you. You're a monster." Elysia yelled with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh little Elysia now. No need to cry. The truth hurts. It hurts a lot, Elysia." Adonia said. "I'm just promising you freedom. Even if you want the whole world under your control, I'm going to give it to you. You just have to remove your veil. They just want others to run from you by giving you the veil. You would feel free with the veil. There's a young and beautiful young woman behind that veil. The woman any man would want to marry, and all other women would be envious of. Look Elysia you are the most beautiful flower and woman on this planet. If you just remove your veil, you would be able to catch a man's attention. I could even give you the one you've always been curious about since you were a kid. See him."

A picture of a young man appeared before her eyes, and she gasped. She remembered she saw the color of his hair back then.

"You're lying to me. You're a liar." Elysia yelled before biting her lips.

"I'll never lie to you, Elysia. I'm speaking the truth. All you need to do is remove the veil. You can remove it yourself, even without my help. You would see I'm right about everything I've been saying. Not only that, but you are the most beautiful, and you have to be free. You're just being tied down by Linda and Lucinda. They only want you for their self-interest."

"Stop lying to me. Stop lying to me." The surrounding barrier broke, and she opened her eyes, staring at Adonia. "You're a liar. They don't want me for themselves and if they do, it's the least I can do for them taking care of me. I would never listen to you. I'm fine with my veil on, and I would look for him myself. He would come to me if we are really destined."

"I see you want to do this the hard way, Elysia. Talking to you isn't working. I would just take the veil myself." Adonia frowned and Elysia cast a barrier around herself, making Adonia laugh more wickedly. "Not even your most powerful magic matches my weakest magic."

"I don't care. I would do anything to get away from you." Elysia yelled.

"And I don't think you can." Adonia chuckled, "I would give you time to think about it while sitting here."

Four beasts appeared facing Elysia. A throne appeared behind Adonia, and she sat gently watching Elysia.

"Deal with her, my pets."

The beasts charged towards Elysia. "Magicia Amatere Novo."

As she uttered a spell, the beasts became more and more. It was getting hard for her with her broken ankle. She seemed to be out of everything. She was slowly loosing her consciousness as they hit her without mercy.

"Now Elysia." Adonia said, and the beasts stopped their attacks. "Will you agree or not?"

"Never." Elysia said with blood running down her nose. Her whole body was wet due to the fierce rain.

"Looks like you haven't learned anything. Deal with her pets." Adonia hissed.

They all charged towards her.

"Magicia Nicia Novo." A large barrier covered Elysia. The beasts jumped toward it severally until it started breaking. Elysia, who was using all the strength, left in her to hold back finally called out for Linda. "Aunt Linda please save me."

"Lucinda, let me out now. How dare you hold me back. Adonia would kill her." Linda, who was sealed in a large barrier with Daria and Theo, yelled looking at Elysia in the large mirror before Lucinda who sat not far from them.

"Leave her for once Linda. She is capable of taking care of herself and stop treating her like a baby. If you die tomorrow, will she not live her life?" Lucinda yelled.

"Lucy, this is getting too much. Adonia would kill her." Theo said in a pleading tune.

"He's there. She would be okay." Lucinda said.

"You both are monsters. How would you watch her in that condition and do nothing."? Daria yelled.

"He was fighting beasts, stupid." Lucinda hissed. "She knows he's there already."

Elysia who was using the pinch of powers left in her finally gave up. The barrier broke, and the beasts charged towards her. But they never reached her. In her almost unconscious state, she heard unsheathing of swords, and before she could close her eyes, a pair of red eyes bend before her.

"Don't worry. You're safe now." She heard a familiar voice, but before she could process who she went out.