Battle Effects

Dawn was approaching, and Agatha was unaware of the time she had spent running back and forth across the forest. 

Since Aiden had gone missing the previous night, they had not stopped searching for him, turning every corner of his room inside out. Agatha had scoured Albus Hotspot, Slumber Shack, Mystic Inn, Upper Escrima, and even Lower Town. Yet, Aiden remained elusive.

Liam had not wanted Agatha to join the search for Aiden, insisting it was too dangerous to roam around. "To hell with it," Agatha had yelled.

She couldn't stay put, doing nothing while Aiden was missing and his safety was uncertain.

So, Agatha had sneaked out past midnight. It wasn't easy, though. Two guards monitored her every move. But for Aiden, she would do anything, even fight back. She did, and now she was following Aiden's faint trace toward the nearby forest.

The sun soon scorched the sky, but she still could not find Aiden.

She wiped her tears, sweat, and blood, panting heavily as she leaned against a tree. She couldn't believe she had lost Aiden. She had been too complacent. They were just under one roof, a few doors away, so why hadn't she noticed he had been taken? Where was the noise? Was Aiden abducted while asleep? Had they hurt him while he was unconscious?

Agatha clenched her fists as she resumed her search. She could not forgive them for daring to take Aiden away. Nor could she forgive herself for being so clueless.

She should have stayed by his side.

Agatha tried to suppress another wave of tears that threatened to blur her vision. She accidentally bumped into someone while doing so.

Her small frame fell to the ground from the collision, and she couldn't stand right away due to exhaustion. This caused the passerby to stomp on her a few times.

"What the? Get out of the way!"

Feet after feet hit various parts of her body. They stomped on her hands, her feet, even her back. She shrunk and covered her head, laying helplessly on the ground. The pain became numb as minutes passed.

She had been desperately searching for Aiden, forgetting to eat breakfast and lunch. Her strength waned due to the nonstop running. But she could not give up. It was not an option. She needed to see Aiden. To ensure he was safe and sound. She needed to save him. She had to do something, anything. It should not be like this.

With her remaining energy, Agatha soon rose to her feet and resumed sensing Aiden's faint aura nearby. At this moment, she wished she were a Werebeast. With their heightened senses, she could easily find Aiden quickly.

But since Agatha was a Fae, she could only follow Aiden's faint traces that she knew all too well.

It was somewhat a problem, though. His scattered blood was all she could trace. Unfortunately, it led her only to the forest.

Agatha was now lost. She knelt when her shaking legs brought her back to the forest's edge. For many times she followed the little drops, but this was the dead end. There, at the edge of wilderness, Aiden was gone.

Agatha screamed, disappointed, frustrated, and angry. Tears she had been holding streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall after a rainstorm.

She just wanted him to be safe. But why did it seem so difficult to achieve? She was not like others who dreamed of wealth, power, or fame. She only wished for a simple, peaceful, and joyful life. But why did it seem so impossible to get? What else should she sacrifice? What else could she do?

"Aiden…" Agatha called out into the sky, hoping he could hear her wherever he was.

Although her body had almost surrendered, Agatha's mind was relentless. Different scenarios played out inside her. Aiden being beaten to death, Nysander cutting him open, Aiden coughing blood as he begged for his life.

"Aiden…"

Agatha could not stop fearing for his life. All of those she loved the most had already left her. All of them were gone forever. She would die if Aiden were taken from her too.

Despite everything, she still held hope. Aiden was safe. So she needed to be strong. She must stop being anxious and weak if she was determined to save him from Nysander.

She had promised with all her life that she would protect Aiden no matter what. But what had happened? She had neglected him. He was snatched right under her nose.

Still exhausted, Agatha managed to stand. Her weary eyes surveyed the immediate surroundings. She needed a plan.

She needed to follow the remaining trail of Aiden. Since she couldn't do it herself, she had to find someone who could. Then, after finding his location, she needed to distract Nysander or, better yet, defeat him. But the latter seemed uncertain. So she planned to give Aiden sufficient time to escape somewhere far away, somewhere safe.

Wiping her dried tears, Agatha persuaded herself to stop crying. It was no good. Instead, she must find a Werebeast or a Witch to assist her in finding and saving Aiden.

With renewed hope, Agatha stood upright and breathed in. She began walking across the forest toward the town to look for a Werebeast or a Witch.

But the plan failed before it even began. Someone grabbed her arm from behind.

It happened so fast that Agatha failed to realize what was happening. She didn't get the chance to move at all. She tried to fight back, but whoever was holding her was too strong. She couldn't even move her hands.

They were shoved into her small back as she lay headfirst on the grassy ground. Her feet were held together by sharp knees, stopping her from kicking.

With dusted lips, Agatha screamed, "Let me go!"

She tried to hit whoever it was on her back, but a thick cloth was abruptly wrapped around her lips and nose.

A dizzying smell flooded her system, so foul like decaying waste that it made her nauseous. Her vision began to spin and blur, and she felt as if she were drifting away. She could see nothing but the shadows of the trees. She couldn't move or shout for help.

Agatha's body soon began to convulse, and slowly, her vision faded into darkness. She badly wanted to rescue Aiden, so despite the loosening of her consciousness, she thought of nothing and no one else but him. Aiden needed her. She needed to fight and win. She must find him.

"Liam…" With a muffled voice, Agatha's whisper was hopeful. She tried her best to stay awake but was failing. A sudden thought crept into her mind.

She wondered what Liam would feel if he learned of her current state. Would he care? Would he care enough to save her? To rescue her from this dilemma?

She wanted to know the answers to her questions. But no matter how much she tried to battle the effects, Agatha was soon consumed by utter darkness.