"Oh, but you must travel through those woods again and again... said a shadow at the window... and you must be lucky to avoid the wolf every time...

But the wolf... the wolf only needs enough luck to find you once."

Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll 

"Tanya, for God's sake, we're not in a video game!" Hugo shouted, his knuckles going white from so much strength he was using was trying to hold on to his seat. "Drive slowly!"

"Oh Hugo, can you just chill out?! It's not like any of us are going to die if the car crashes, right? So let me have my fun!" Tanya rolled her eyes, making a curve so abrupt that I felt the seat belt cut against my skin. "Besides that, I have a lot of experience."

" Doesn't the emotional trauma count? Isn't my mental health important to you?" Hugo questioned, clinging tightly to the seat. "And did you know that there are other people who are still alive walking around here? What if you run over one of them?"

I couldn't help but make a face. - Being hit by a car hurts a lot.

"Geez, you two. Do you really think the Army was going to lend us a normal car?" Tanya rolled her eyes, pointing a golden seal at the corner of the glass. "This is not a simple, half-assed car, my loves. It is a Bugatti Kyra, ultimate turbo edition."

A long pause followed Tanya's speech, making it very clear that we had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ah, honestly!" Tanya snorted, seeming to accelerate the car even more in frustration. "This beauty here reaches more than 400km / h, not to mention, of course, that it is electric, its battery uses solar energy and has its own internal generator. It is 100% eco-friendly."

"It must be because with the way she's going, I'll end up becoming fertilizer here," Hugo grunted, but Tanya either didn't care or simply didn't notice.

"Of course, being the standard car for Army officers, it has some little secrets, like the fact that it is unable to damage the property of living humans. So, even if I turn here and hit a wall," Tanya exemplified, causing Hugo and I to close our eyes and start screaming in panic. "nothing would happen." She concluded, an almost wicked smile on her face.

I took a deep breath, placing my hand on my chest. My heart was beating so fast it hurt.

"PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA, TANYA, TRAUMA!" Hugo shouted, hitting the back of the driver's seat, where Tanya was sitting. "Shoot, but see if I won't send you my therapist's bill!"

Tanya gave a happy laugh and, although a part of me wanted to yell at her too, there was another that was happy to see her happy.

I think this was a part of me that would never change, I was happy to see others happy. I always have been and always would be.

And that's fine. I just had to be careful to remember to take my needs into account as well.

Amidst all this mess, it took me a while to realize that Aline seemed strangely unaware of everything that was happening. Almost as if she weren't here.

Was Aline aware?

As if feeling my gaze on her, Aline's eyes met mine and she smiled at me through the reflection of the glass. A normal act, a friendly one even.

But so empty.

That was honestly bothering me.

The cemetery was unusually quiet when we finally got there, Tanya parking the car anyway in the middle of the street.

Hugo opened the door and launched himself on the floor, kissing him emphatically.

"Ah, thank God. It's over, Lord. Thank you, my God."

Tanya rolled her eyes and gave me an irritated smile as if to say 'do you believe that?'

Due to the fact that I wanted to do the same thing as Hugo, but I didn't want to upset Tanya, I decided that giving a fake smile was the best I could do.

I smiled.

Tanya snorted.

"Ah, you are a bunch of babies. So sensitive ... " Her laughter was full of sarcasm when she turned to Aline, who was still sitting in the car.

Immobile.

No reaction at all.

"Affe, come on." Without any tact, Tanya opened Aline's door and grabbed her arm, forcing Aline to walk with her.

Hugo frowned.

"Hey, Tanya, you can't do this!"

"This what?" she replied grudgingly. "Come on Hugo, we're in a hurry."

"Yes, but that is no reason to leave the car stopped in the middle of the street, not to mention carrying poor poor Aline like that." Hurrying up, Hugo offered his arm to Aline. "Let me help, I'm better at these things—"

"You are spoiling her Hugo, and that is not what she needs. Not now." Tanya smiled "and as for the car, I wouldn't park it near my house. The Army can come and get it whenever they want, do you really think I trust them?"

"Yes, but could you at least align the car on the sidewalk?"

"Nope."

"Please,"

"Nope." Tanya smiled "I'll make it as complicated as possible for them. But don't worry, Hugo darling, I won't cause an accident. The car was made for that, remember?"

Who knew Tanya was a car buff?

We ended up following Tanya into the cemetery and yes, Tanya had stopped a long way from where her home was. Of course, considering that she stopped beside the cemetery and that there was only one house there, well, it wouldn't be that hard for them to find out where she lived.

But who was I to destroy her dreams, right?

Following Tanya and Aline into the house, I tried to forget that I was walking inside a cemetery. Not that I was afraid, but the image of the tombs and the beautiful marble angels and crosses gave me the creeps.

Okay, I was afraid, yes.

Ironic, since half of me was still a 'lost soul', but well, the truth isn't any less true just because it doesn't make sense.

Hugo walked beside me with a strangely serious expression on his face. I wanted to ask him if he didn't think Aline was behaving strangely, if Tanya wasn't a maniac and why the heck did we have to walk through the tombs in the middle of the night, but something told me that it wasn't a good time to talk.

And that something was right.

Halfway across we came across Izak and Joanne, looking strangely frightening with the flickering flames of the candles serving as their main lighting.

Around them, forming a perfect circle, Ingreth, Jace, Miss Savannah and Natalia were unconscious, each with their hands behind them, a thick rope tying them to a tomb. Among them there were lit candles that were stuck on the floor and in between them men - or women, it was impossible to define - with black cloaks holding lighted candles in their hands completed the dark image of the place.

It was pretty scary.

"As I feared," Tanya murmured, looking at us from the side of her eye. "We won't be able to call Malach. We will have to act for ourselves."

"Look!" Aline said, making us all look at her in surprise. "The Mirror."

I followed the direction she was pointing at, and yes, there it was. For some reason, I expected it to be somber, perhaps made of human bones or at least painted black.

But no, the Mirror of the Damned was very beautiful, its frame made of metal and silver, with details that made it look like a vine full of flowers. It looked like a princess's mirror.

Izak handed Joanne the Mirror, and for a moment I felt my heart stop. I had the impression that something very bad would happen the instant her fingers touched the surface of the Mirror, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Well, nothing that would not risk the lives of Hugo, Tanya, and all the others who were there unconscious. I couldn't act on impulse, Izak had more than ten people on his side, not counting my sister and everyone else who was unconscious.

And we... well, it was Hugo, me, Tanya and an Aline who still seemed to be living in China with as far away as her mind was.

Geoffrey might as well have come with us, I thought in an impulse. I mean, not that I trusted him, but it was better than nothing, right? Not to mention that he was big and scary. It would have helped, for sure.

Joanne accepted the Mirror and I held my breath. His fingers touched the surface almost with... lust, but nothing happened.

Nothing.

I allowed myself to relax a little, looking away to see that Izak was watching the scene with an expression of extreme satisfaction. I felt the fear slowly return.

The Mirror shone a little, the silver becoming momentarily more alive, only to return to its original state. Izak looked tense, something is not working the way he planned, I thought.

Great.

"Izak is frustrated." Hugo murmured next to me, his hand going to the pocket where he kept a small knife to spread butter that I knew he had 'borrowed' from his brother. "It's now or never."

"Can I choose never?" I asked and Tanya laughed, shaking her head.

"No chance, Princess," she replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Better get ready to run."

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Hello everyone!

Not sure anyone noticed, but the car Tanya is talking about doesn't exist. I created it! So, yeah xD

Thank you so much for reading this. It means the world to me! If you have the time, please, do share your thoughts on what you think of the story so far. Thank you!

Stay safe!

Originally published: May, 8th 2020

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