God! My parents!

They'd so ground me for life!

I shed quiet tears as I heard Xander's laugh from the distance but I didn't dare open my eyes so I could concentrate on taking us home safely.

Minuet kept meowing, but this time they sounded weak and more quiet than before.

He's sounding very weak now, I've to get home faster...

"Keep breathing Minuet, you're gonna be fine...I promised that in the beginning and I'll make sure that happens". I pleaded with small sobs cuddling him closer for comfort.

Almost home, I can feel it..

It felt like I was travelling back in time and being teleported at the same time into some unknown glowing space.

Almost-

I was almost about entering into the unknown- when something heavy and soul-crushing dug fiercely into my leg, forcing me to open my eyes widely.

I let out a pained scream as another pain shot into my legs- this time the shackles Xander was earlier holding, gripped the bare skin on my thigh and cut off some skin.

How's that possible!

Struggling to maintain my balance, I spotted someone- no... two shadows standing at a dark corner of an abandoned alleyway.

Then like a quick vision, the first shadow's face shimmered under the moonlight and I forgot to breathe for once.

Foxy?

Besides her was the very person I ran away from.

W-what?

I gasped as the shackles dug deeper into my flesh, causing my blood to spill down to the earth below me.

Before I knew it, I was going down headlong, whatever spell they had used on me definitely paralyzed me this time, but at least Minuet was still safe in my arms even though I wasn't.

This is it...

I was now few metres above the ground when suddenly Minuet started wriggling in my arms. The crackling sound of bones rearranging reached my ears, making me to panic at what was happening to him.

When I locked eyes with the black cat, he gave me a mischievious grin and leaped out from my arms.

A scratchy shout escaped my lips when Minuet's fur exploded in the air into tiny bright sparkles of dust and energy. Minuet? What happened to him?

I was now dangerously close to the ground, when I suddenly felt a pair of strong arms around my arms against a firm body.

I looked up to see a dangerously attractive beast staring besides me and vexing with rage. Unlike Minuet, he had amber golden eyes, large fangs, grey thick fur, large claws and a huge massive stature like a wild dog- but more of a wolf or something.

His lips was pulled back into a deep snarl and growl, revealing a few mouthful of his threatening fangs.

Is this...Minuet!?

Or is this the other shadow that saved me before?!

"Don't let go of me..". The strange beast growled, not meeting my eyes for once.

"W-what?". Before I could ask anything else, he slammed his fist into the ground, causing the other hunters stumble to their feet from the impact.

I held on to this beast for my dear life as he made few spins and combats in the air before slicing through the attached shackles from my thigh with his claws. It hurts so bad, especially as my body is going numb! I wish I could help him.

With a thud, the shackles fell on the ground and we were now on the ground safely- but I still held on to him in fear and too much shock. I'm afraid that if I let go, they'd get me so easily.

"M-minuet, s-stay back...t-they're c-coming". I mumbled in ragged breaths at the beast besides me, but he wasn't even listening to me- rather than glaring at the two shadows approaching us now. "They're luring you to fall into their traps, M-minuet...they're so many of them hiding in the shadows...please listen to me".

"Long time no see mate". Foxy chuckled with a smile and clasped her hands as she approached Minuet. "I never thought we'd meet this way, Alpha".

What sent chills over me was that, that smile was something similar to that of Xander's, which means that she's working for the hunters too. What does she mean meet again?

What does Alpha even mean?!

What the hell is going on here?!

"I see your with the chosen one". Foxy lashed out in a deep voice as she glared at the both of us with a menacing smile. "Still on the game of hide and seek, are we?".

Minuet's growl from within his chest made me almost flinch in fear. I've never seen this side of Minuet before and he never mentioned it either. This is actually the first time I've been terrified of Minuet- he looks like he's going to kill without mercy.

I could feel his breaths slowly becoming husky and his nails were becoming claws again. His eyes were no longer amber but black now. From his expressions, I could tell he's ready to lunge at her.

Oh no, he's going to attack her!

I can't let him do that!

This is a trap!

I don't want blood on my hands again...

With little courage, I took one of his large paws in my small hands and closed my eyes. They want to use our dark side against us, but I won't let that happen. Instead, my dark side would darken their hearts.

I let the dark side of me take over and something warm flowed through my hands into the beast's fur. I watched as a strange power surged through me and levitated me in a protective shield. My eyes were no longer white like earlier- but were now black. It felt like something had taken over my body and controlled me completely as I wasn't in control of my actions anymore. My back arched a little as my hair grew longer and completely turned white, and a pair of white wings popped out, flapping behind me gently- as the wind caressed it's ends.

Glaring coldly at the stunned troops, I soared above them swiftly, emitting some forces around every one of them who were still on the ground. The symbol of an upside cross glowed steadily on my forehead as these strange words left my lips:

"My blood turns black- my flesh turns blue. I will curse you if you force me to, from left with sighs and negative ties. I will clear your eyes and curse your lies. I'll call the strength of a plague of flies. With the blood gone black and flesh of blue- the evil you sent is back to you. My soul now clean and yours on fire. You mess with a witch, you get burned you liar". With one last flap of my wings, the ground strated rumbling and a dark revolving mist of lightning and cloud surrounded the area. I don't remember what happened next but I began to fill my mind with the memories of the sweet scent of flowers, pancakes, coffees, plushies and perfumes besides my bedside.

I imagined the newly washed clothes and linens hanging around the courtyard, and most importantly, imagined falling into what seemed like darkness- that would cover me into a soft plush bed.

Exhaling a deep breath, everything went dark.

******

"Oww, my whole body aches so much". I groaned and flustered my eyes open to see myself in my bed. I held my head to try remembering what happened last as everything that happened was likely to be a dream. I mean, there's no way Xander could be a hunter, it's just too good to be true.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!". I cried in pain as I tried moving my thigh, it hurt so much and yet it feels so sore that I can't feel my skin.

I managed to prop my elbow on the pillow besides me and remove my blanket.

My jaws dropped at the cringing sighting of bandages wrapped neatly all around my left thigh and chest region. It didn't seem messy, but I could still see some blood stains stuck at the middle of it all.

Sigh.

Wait, if these are all real...where's Minuet?!

My eyes scanned the room I was in and landed on a familiar body sitting by the window sill under the moonlight.

Minuet...

Minuet had curled up himself in a way that his chin was resting on my knees and his arms were wrapped around his legs.

I wanted to approach him, but that wouldn't be a good idea, so I just sat down there and watched silently as he gazed into the distance. Could he be asleep?

Few minutes past and yet, I wasn't still exhausted and everything was becoming too silent for me. My magic had used itself to revive itself somehow, I'm guessing the only way I'm not affected is because I've been unconscious for hours during this process.

"We need to talk". I mindlinked him.

All of a sudden, his ears twitched a little and so did his lips, and he turned his head to the side, staring at me. His eyes were cold and at the same time soft.

The awkward thing even was that we just looked at each other without saying anything at all. I don't know if he knows but he's killing me with guilt just through his looks. When his eyes narrowed down into a glare, I decided to be the first to speak up.

"M-minuet, I'm sorry...I-I should've listened to you". I voiced out in a whisper and face palmed to hide my tears. "Xander was right...I'm so densed".

"Isabelle...". His voice came out soft and strained.

"Yes?". I removed my palms from my face and looked at him at once, hoping he'd hear me out.

"We're never trying that again, got it?" He warned with a stern look and averted his eyes somewhere else coldly.