~~~~~~~~~Alyse's POV~~~~~~~~~

"And then he touched her hand and-!" Mabel let out a lovestruck sigh as she fell back onto her mattress. "It was like love at first sight..!!"

"Love isn't that easy, Mabel." Snow replied as she fixed the blanket. M had started explaining her new favorite movie, but Snow and I were already planning to go to bed.

It was 2am, and although we wanted the sleepover to last longer, the three of us were already really tired from school.

Mabel sat back up. "I know, but it's so romantic!! I can't wait until I meet my future boyfriend!!"

"M, you're still only fifteen." I snuggled against my pillow as I spoke. "We still have our whole lives ahead of us."

"But I can't wait!!"

Snow let out a small giggle, then lied down on her mattress. "How about you dream of your dream boy then?"

Mabel thought for a while, then lied back down with a goofy smile. "I'll dream of Leo.."

I rolled my eyes with a smile, Snow and I exchanging a glance afterwards. Letting out a yawn, I stretched my arms above my head, turning off my lamp. "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alyse?"

...

"Alyse, wake up."

A yawn escaped my lips, flinching a bit at the sudden light. I swear I just closed my eyes, bad the night really been that fast?

I felt someone tap my should, looking over and seeing Varian sitting on his desk at school. "You know you shouldn't fall asleep in class."

"Fall asleep in- Wait.." I looked around, my eyes adjusting to my surroundings. "When did I get here..?!"

"You woke up just in time, we have a new substitute teacher today."

Okay, I'm having some serious dejavú right now..

I hugged myself as a cold air filled the room, making me shiver. I had this dream before, I remember it.

"Alright, class." I looked over, the same shadow from that dream leaning against the teacher's desk. The only thing visible was the large smirk with fangs, it send shivers down my spine.

"Today we'll be learning basic human anatomy. But first, I'm gonna need a volunteer." Their head moved around, and though they had no eyes, I knew they were looking around.

Their head soon stopped, and I felt myself grow even colder as their smirk grew wider. "Blossom, why don't you step forward and help me explain?"

Blossom..?

Without any warning, my body stood up from my chair, walking over to the desk. I didn't have any control of my movements, and when I forced myself to stop, a sharp pain went up my legs.

I now stood beside the shadow, trying to step away. I didn't know what stopped me from running away, I just wanted to wake up!

They had already explained a few things, but I was in such a panic that I didn't listen to any of it, at least, not until they grabbed my arm.

My eyes widened as I finally recognized something about them.

A snake.

Around their shoulders rested a living green snake, with eyes cold and dead, but a smirk spread wide across their face.

I recognized it.

Venom.

Ryan's little pet.

I think it knew that I had found out, because his expression changed from cocky to angry, and he slithered onto my arm as I tried to pull away.

Feeling Venom on my shoulders, my blood was slowly growing cold. Especially since now, the shadow was no longer a shadow.

Ryan stood there instead, alive and well, gripping my wrist as his nails dug into my skin, and a wide smirk spread across his face.

"It's been a while, hasn't it~?"

I didn't have time to reply. Venom had already sunk his fangs into my neck, and I only felt a pulse of pain before everything went black.

Only for a second.

...

I was in my room again.

Sitting on my bed, sweating and hyperventilating, a hand over my neck as I trembled.

Mabel and Snow were sound asleep, thankfully I hadn't woken them up. A heavy sigh escaped my lips, gripping my hair as I did my best to calm down.

Ryan was dead.

We all saw him die, we all buried his body.

...

W-what if- ...

My eyes shifted to my window, was I just being paranoid? I just wanted to be sure.

Without waking my friends, I walked over, opening the window and climbing onto the roof, letting some vines lower me to the ground.

It was a cold night, winter was almost next door. Maybe I should've taken a jacket with me first, but I would be back soon enough.

It didn't take me long to reach his grave. It was still there, his name carved in it, still buried deep underground. A sigh of relief escaped my lips.

"I'm just being paranoid.."

I was about to head back to my room when a small shriek reached my ears. My shoulders tensed up, looking deeper into the forest.

I've been told many times not to go into the forest after dark, but..

I don't know what came over me..

Hugging myself for warmth, I followed the source of the sound. The deeper I walked, the colder it got, and the more I started to regret leaving the house.

Another shriek made my head turn to the side. The same deer than I had seen yesterday lied on the ground, the faint smell of blood feeling the air.

I ran over, seeing its leg hurt pretty badly. Aiden had taught me a few healing spells, so it was easy for me to form a small pink orb. However, as I looked back down, only a few ashes covered the cold stone floor.

"What..?!"

What used to be the green filled forest of life was back to what I had seen before: it was all gray. Cold, dead, decayed.

I shivered as the strong winds clashed against me, pushing me back a little. I had to do something!

The orb I had already formed grew; if nature wanted to protect me, I needed to protect it too.

I kneeled on the ground, pressing my hands against the stone floor as the orb dissolved into the ground, a few roots sinking in before the bright green plants grew from it, making me smile.

But it barely lasted a second..

The leaves quickly withered away, the stems shrinking until the shriveled and disappeared, leaving only stone once again.

What was happening..?!

"You're magic isn't enough now, is it?"

I turned to see Diana standing a bit far from me, her arms crossed. I was confused beyond believe, was this another dream?!

"W-what's going on?! Why are you here, what's wrong with the forest?!"

"You're asking me? I thought you were the new school hero." She walked closer to me. "So why can't you fix this?"

"I- I'm trying to! I d-don't know what's wrong!"

"You don't know?! You don't know, little miss nature?! Or is this just your way of pretending to be a hero?!"

Another gust of wind hit my back, forcing me to fall forward as a cold feeling covered me. The ground was now covered with a mix of snow and ashes, my teeth jittering as I trembled.

Diana was gone..

Nature wouldn't help me..

I had to go home..!

It didn't matter.. Whenever I tried to stand up, another gust of wind would force me back down, the cold only making me weaker and weaker..

My vision was already hazy..

My feel and hands slowly growing numb..

I want to go home..

T-take me home..

...

"ALYSE!!!"

Thanks for reading!!! 'Till next time!!!

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