A Friend or an Enemy?

Dust still danced in the air, provided by the cold night wind that followed after the rain. The smell of burning permeated the room, mixing with the iron of dried blood that stained the floorboards. Grace was on her knees, her fingers digging into the splintered wood, feeling a rough texture against her skin. Her breathing came in uncontrolled tremors, each solution echoing in the emptiness that settled inside her. She had her head turned to the side, refusing to face reality.

His grandfather had died at that moment and his body lay there, his face peaceful, as if he was finally at rest.

The only thing that still tied her to a minimally safe past had been ripped away from her, and now she was there, alone, surrounded by debris and ashes.

“No…no…that can’t be possible.” he whispered, his voice hoarse and weakened from crying.

The world around him seemed to close in, the shadows taking on threatening contours as his vision became blurred. His chest burned with a crushing heaviness, as if all the pain contained within his soul was spilling out at once. She couldn't take it anymore if she had to go through it all again.

Viktor watched in silence. He was not a man of sweet words or delicate gestures. But something inside him twisted when he saw her like this – broken, torn apart in the face of things that neither of them could change.

For a moment, the image of her there, kneeling on the floor, brought back memories that he had gone through the same thing not long ago. He knew what it was like to lose everything. He knew what it was like to feel the weight of death crushing the soul, suffocating any trace of hope.

And she knew, above all, that no words would change what she was feeling.

Viktor hesitated for a moment, then came closer, standing next to her, touching her shoulder firmly. His heat was reserved by Grace's cold skin, but she didn't react.

“Grace…” he murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper.

She didn't respond.

Viktor closed his eyes for a moment, searching for the right words – if they even existed.

“You are not alone. Know this, your grandfather was right, I will help you with whatever you need.” He said, speaking the words he wished he had heard years ago when he was in the same situation as her.

Grace trembled, clenching her hands into fists.

“Then get me out of here.” he whispered, his voice coming out no more than a faint rasp.

Viktor frowned.

"What?"

Grace brought her hands to her face, not even caring about the dirt that was on her, wiping away the tears that had wet her cheek, her still teary eyes staring into his.

“Get me out of here, Viktor.” His voice was stronger now, more desperate. “Take me away…anywhere other than this hell. You live in London, don't you? You can take me there, you don’t even have to worry about me, I’ll manage there.”

She took a deep breath, trying to contain the tremor in her voice.

“I don’t want this anymore” He confessed, his expression filled with tiredness and pain. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I've already lost so much in such a short time, my house is destroyed, I lost my grandfather, my cell phone is broken. I have nothing else worth here, I don't even know what to feel anymore, I've been through so much in a short time that I can't even feel anger or sadness or whatever..”

Viktor stared at her for long seconds. Part of him understood her desire. He himself had wanted to run away so many times that he had lost count. But he also knew that running away was never a real option.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t know if we can go, but I can try to find a way if that’s what you really want.” He said, his voice firm, but without judgment. He knew she couldn't leave, but he wasn't the one who would say that, after all, he hadn't been the one who had lost everything.

Grace nodded slowly.

“I don’t want any more of this…”

Before Viktor could respond, a sharp noise filled the room.

“You can’t leave, Grace.”

The two turned sharply, muscles tense, senses alert.

There, among the wavering shadows of the destroyed room, Elisa stood up like a friend. His slender figure seemed to merge with the darkness, his eyes shining with something between urgency and authority. The long black cloak waved slightly in the cold wind that passed through the devastated house, her blond hair reflected the brightness of the sun that was beginning to rise.

They both got up, Grace lost a little balance because she had been kneeling for a while, Viktor helped her to steady herself, taking them from where she was, taking her to a part with less debris, he placed himself in front of Grace in an instinctive reflex of protection, his body rigid, prepared for anything, despite being vulnerable, Grace would still have a chance if he could receive more discharge from a possible attack from Elisa.

“What the hell are you doing here?” — He said, his voice full of distrust.

Elisa didn't take her eyes off Grace. Watching any movement the Valefar heiress made behind Viktor. She didn't know what had happened to the girl for them to be so upset, well, apart from the part that her grandfather had died.

“I came to stop her from making a mistake.”

Grace blinked, still confused, but angry at the blonde girl.

“What do you mean by that? You were the one who started all this and now I'm not supposed to leave? Who do you think you are to boss me around?” Grace screamed.

Elisa crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.

"You You can't leave this city. It’s the rule”

A shiver ran down Grace's spine. She was about to speak some more before Elisa started again.

"Why not?"

Elisa let out a heavy sigh, as if she was about to say something she didn't want to say.

“Because now you are the Guardian of the portal”

Grace's heart jolted in her chest.

"What?"

“Your family inheritance has finally been passed down to you.” Elisa took a step forward. “The Portal is tied to your existence now. You are the only thing that keeps the barrier between this world and the next intact. Only a person of Valefar blood can hold the rank.”

Grace felt a lump form in her throat, already imagining what was coming.

“What if I… what if I leave?”

Elisa was silent for a moment. Then, his expression closed, and his voice came like a sentence:

“If you leave, the curse will understand that you gave up your post.”

The tension in the air became almost palpable. Viktor was impassive, already knowing what was going to happen if Grace left, but still, he looked at her, hoping to translate her emotions through her expressions.

Viktor looked from Grace to Elisa, his jaw clenched.

“And what happens if the curse understands this?”

Elisa closed her eyes for a brief second, as if gathering the courage to say her next words.

“She’s going to kill her.”

Silence fell heavily between the three. None of them wanted to say anything, or even move.

Grace felt a chill spread through her body.

"Like this?"

“Your blood, Grace.” Elisa stared at her. “Your blood now carries the burden of that lineage. The Portal is related to you. If you try to run away, he will feel it. He will believe you are abandoning your duty.”

Grace felt her chest tighten.

“And what happens to someone who leaves that position?”

Elisa took a deep breath.

“No one ever lived to tell about it.”

Viktor let out a short sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"Shit."

Grace felt her heart beat at a frantic pace. His will to flee was crushed by the cruel reality of his fate.

She looked at the ruins around her, at the dried blood on the ground where her grandfather had fallen, at the dust still floating in the air.

She couldn't run. She couldn't give up.

His fate was sealed and it sucked.

Elisa spoke again.

“I can contact some friends who can hold a funeral in wizarding traditions for your grandfather, they don't charge anything. We also need to talk about your initiation, we can't take too long as Lazáro can attack while you are still weak.”

Grace furrowed her eyebrows. She, honestly, didn't understand anything else about Elisa's intentions. One moment, she was tricking her into going to this strange and macabre cemetery and then, now she was here being helpful to them. Grace didn't even have the strength to refute or fight, she just wanted a good night's sleep and rest.

“Why are you doing all this? Look, I appreciate what you're doing for…” Grace sighed. “For my grandfather. But I don't understand.”

“What don't you understand? Everyone in this city is a witch, we help those of our kind and we always try to be willing to do anything.” Elisa explained, observing the reactions of the girl in front of her. “But why are you asking me this?”

“Are you going to act like you have a disagreement now?” Grace crossed her arms. Viktor was watching that scene, he knew the conversation would get more personal. He had already decided that he wanted to go get his car, after all his clothes were still wet and he wanted to take a good shower at his house.

Talking to Grace who had left behind him some time ago, telling her that he would go get his car from his house and as soon as he returned they could go to his house there in the city so she could rest.

While the two were talking, Elisa sent a message to her friend, talking about Grace's grandfather's cremation, taking advantage of the short moment of distraction.

—

Grace continued looking at Elisa, waiting for a response from her.

“I don’t know what you mean girl. I wasn’t even here in the city for months, I came back after I found out that Lázaro was freed, which happened a few months ago.” Elisa replied. She was already getting tired of standing there, her legs were hurting and her subconscious reminding her that there was a dead body there wasn't helping much. She needed to get out of there, perhaps do some spiritual cleansing.

“Do you have Viktor’s contact information?” Elisa asked before Grace could speak again.

The brunette stared at her with owl eyes, not understanding much.

“No, I don't.” Grace replied, realizing that Elisa didn't even know what had happened at the cemetery.

"It doesn't matter. I have somewhere to go, it will be good if you come too, he can find us later.” Elisa stopped talking after she heard the notification noise, checking the message. “My colleague will be here in a few minutes to cremate your grandfather.”

"What? No. I'm going to stay here, I want to follow.” Grace was not surprised by the act of cremation, as her family had the custom of cremating bodies, it was a very old tradition.

“Unfortunately you can’t, darling. It is a dangerous ritual for those who see it, pure black magic, it can end up affecting your own magic, only professionals in the field are allowed in the rituals. Sorry, but it’s better this way.”

Grace lowered her head, sighing a few times before raising it again. Biting her lip, trying not to cry again. Elisa was right, it was better for her not to be here and to leave as quickly as possible.