"I can not believe you!" Cairo yelled, his nostrils flaring, causing Azzie to flinch. "How do you just forget to bring your wand?!"

"I didn't think I needed to, okay? You already had yours. I didn't see the reason to bring mine," she explained, his anger new to her.

Cairo paced back and forth, rubbing his hands through his hair in a backward motion, breathing in deeply to calm his nerves.

He turned back to Azzie, seeing her staring at him, almost like gawking. "What?" he questioned, his brow raised.

"I don't think you realize how hot you look when angry," she answered, her cheeks turning red.

Is she serious?

She's kidding, right?

"Says the girl who wants nothing to do with me. Whatever happened to, 'You're so nerdy, I could puke?"

Azzie scoffed. "Dude, all you talk about is comic books. Spider-Man this, Spider-Man that. Captain America this, Captain America that. It's boring and nerdy! But it doesn't mean I don't find you attractive. You're hot as fuck!"

It was almost as if those words didn't mean to come out of her mouth, because as soon as she said them, her eyes widened in realization, and she smacked her hands over her mouth in shock.

Cairo stood frozen, his anger momentarily forgotten as the weight of Azzie's unexpected confession settled upon him like a heavy cloak, silencing even his rage. Unsure of what to say, they stood in a suffocating silence; the air thick with tension. Cairo could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a drum, a frantic rhythm mirroring Azzie's equally rapid heartbeat. His mind raced, a whirlwind of confusion as he tried to reconcile her words with her actions; the tension tightening with each passing moment.

Azzie slowly lowered her hands from her mouth, her eyes filled with vulnerability. "I... I didn't mean to say that out loud," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It just slipped, and I... I'm sorry."

Cairo's anger melted away, replaced by confusion and curiosity. He took a step closer to Azzie, his eyes searching hers for any sign of deception. "So, you find me attractive?" he asked cautiously, a glimmer of hope flickering in his voice.

Azzie's mind went blank as Cairo approached her, the rough bark of the tree pressing against her back as she backed up against it.

"I uh— I—" she stammered again, not having any words. He finally got closer, pressing his forehead against hers. With her back against the tree, Azzie found herself unable to tear her gaze away from his intense eyes. They bore into her soul, searching for answers that she herself didn't have. Her heart pounded in her chest, matching the rhythm of their shared breaths.

"What else do you find attractive about me?" he asked, intimidating her. As Azzie's mind raced, searching for a way to diffuse the tension, Cairo's intense gaze held her captive. His proximity sent shivers down her spine, and it was almost as if she didn't know what to do.

The moment didn't last too long, as the familiar growling of the creature interrupted them, indicating the blocking potion had worn off. Cairo stepped back, leaving Azzie disappointed.

Azzie's disappointment was quickly replaced by a surge of adrenaline as she realized they had to face the creature once again. "What do we do? I don't have my wand."

"You can use physical magic, can't you? Have you mastered that yet?" Cairo asked, only for her to shake her head in response.

Physical magic is when a witch or wizard can perform magic with only their hands, not needing their wands. This type of ability regarding wizards was only possible for sorcerers, mages, and necromancers. Among witches, only green, elemental, and natural-born witches could perform magic wandlessly. Even though they still used wands, they didn't have to be good at physical magic to not use it; it was a natural gift, so if you were born with it, wands weren't essential.

As an elemental witch, Azzie possessed the powers of physical magic. Nevertheless, her mastery of the subject was only achieved in her fourth year of primary education; according to educational regulations, students may not repeat a given course, implying prior mastery of her physical abilities that she no longer had any knowledge of.

She shook her head. "No, I haven't. Not since fourth year," she replied, feeling useless. Cairo's eyes softened as he watched Azzie's disappointment wash over her.

He knew they couldn't afford to dwell on their emotions now, not with the creature looming nearby. "It's alright, Az," he reassured her, his voice gentle yet firm. "We'll figure it out together."

She smiled in response, nodding her head in agreement. "Come over here so it won't see us," he ordered, taking her hand and pulling her away with him toward a secluded spot, away from the creature's sight.

He knew he had to teach her the basics of physical magic, and fast. "Alright, listen carefully," he began, his voice steady. "Physical magic is all about harnessing and channeling your inner energy. It's about connecting with the world around you."

Azzie nodded, her eyes focused on Cairo's every move. She trusted him, even in this chaotic moment. "Now, I'm a conjuring wizard, which means I can conjure anything and it appears," he explained, and took a deep breath, and demonstrated a simple physical spell, conjuring a small orb of light within his palm. "Now you try," he encouraged.

Her eyes searched for any sign of water nearby, catching a glimpse of a lake not too far ahead. Being a sea witch meant she could control water however she liked, especially turning an object into liquid. However, she had never actually practiced, not even once.

She took a deep breath, trying to push away her insecurities. "Here goes nothing," she muttered, knowing she had to step up and face the creature, even without her wand.

Focusing on Cairo's words, reminding herself to connect with the world around her, she felt confident. She stared at the lake, its shimmering surface captivating her attention.

Summoning all her courage, she extended her hand toward it, visualizing the water responding to her command. She concentrated, frowning when she felt not one ounce of energy.

"Come on, you can do it. Just try harder," Cairo pushed, keeping a lookout for the werewolf-like creature, hearing its footsteps in the distance.

With a second effort, Azzie tried again, clearing her mind. A few seconds went by, and still, nothing. "Crap. We have to go, it's getting closer," Cairo warned her.

Azzie, feeling defeated and useless, stood there, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. Cairo noticed, his heart sinking as he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

He knew she was a strong and skilled witch, and had proved it many times. Though, he never thought she had any vulnerabilities till now. It was like he was seeing a whole other side to her no one had seen before.

He wanted to comfort her and make her feel as though she was worth something, but knew there was no time. The growling grew even closer, making Cairo more alert to its location. He peeked past the oak tree they were hiding behind, seeing its spikey figure with its back turned.

Turning around to a sobbing Azzie, he said, "I know how you're feeling right now, I do; and I'm sorry that I can't be of much help because of it, but we have to go, like—now," he whispered, gesturing toward the unknown creature.

She sniffed, wiping her eyes, and asked, "But how are we gonna get past it? Neither of us have our wands."

She was right. Without their wands, the both of them were doomed. Suddenly, Cairo got an idea. "Wait here," he ordered, making Azzie look at him confusingly.

Oh yeah, cause obviously there's nowhere else to go besides staying behind this dang tree!

Azzie watched curiously as Cairo cautiously sneaked past the creature, its back still turned as it growled, thinking they were in its direction. Without a second thought, he sped past it, the creature immediately taking off right after.

Azzie didn't know what was going on, but the next thing she knew, her feet were no longer on the ground and she was now on Cairo's back, speeding away opposite of the creature who fell for his diversion.

They got far enough to find what looked like an abandoned cottage lingering in the forest, with clear signs of no one living there.

Cairo settled Azzie back onto the ground, the brown-haired girl instantly getting whiplash from all the running they'd been doing in the past half hour.

He looked around, wondering what a cottage was doing in the middle of a forest. Azzie, on the other hand, was recovering from her current whiplash.

He stepped closer to the cottage, searching for a sign of entry. "What are you doing?" Azzie questioned, rubbing her strained neck.

"It looks abandoned. Maybe we can stay here for a while until we can figure out a way back home," he answered, making Azzie look at him like he was crazy.

"What? No!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. She couldn't fathom the idea of staying in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere, especially since this was often how horror movies would go. Cairo turned to face her, a hint of determination in his eyes.

"Listen, Azzie," he began, his voice calm—yet—firm. "We don't have many options at the moment. We've been running for at least twenty or thirty minutes—I haven't really been counting—and we need a safe place to rest and gather our thoughts."

Azzie crossed her arms, still skeptical. "But what if someone owns this place? What if they come back and find us here?"

Cairo understood her concerns, but couldn't ignore the exhaustion etched on her face. He gently reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I don't think anyone has been here for a long time, Azzie. Look around, there are clear signs of neglect and abandonment."

Reluctantly, Azzie glanced at the dilapidated cottage, realizing that Cairo might have a point. The overgrown vegetation, broken windows, and rusty door hinges all seemed to show that this place had been abandoned for quite some time.

With a sigh, Azzie finally nodded in agreement. "Okay, fine. But we'll only stay here for a little while. We need to find a way back home soon."

Cairo smiled, grateful that she had relented. He knew they couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long. Together, they cautiously approached the cottage, entering through the creaking front door.

Inside, they found an eerie but surprisingly cozy atmosphere. Dust particles danced in the sunlight that streamed through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. The worn-out furniture and faded wallpaper indicated that the cottage had been abandoned for at least a decade, or possibly even longer.

As they explored the cottage more, their initial unease began to fade. Azzie found an old journal on a dusty shelf, while Cairo found an old pocket watch on top of the fireplace.

Determined to make the most of their unexpected refuge, Cairo and Azzie settled down in one of the rooms, happy to see there were two beds instead of one.

"Looks like a family lived here," Azzie pointed out, looking around. "How do you know?" Cairo asked, not seeing anything family-related, such as photographs or objects indicating such thinking. If kids lived here, there were no signs of a teddy bear or anything like that lingering around. The place just looked empty.

Azzie glanced around the room, her eyes scanning the walls and furniture in search of any clue that would confirm her suspicion. She noticed a faint outline on the wall where a picture frame once hung, leaving behind a slightly faded rectangle amidst the layers of dust. "Look," she said, pointing at the area. "There used to be something here, maybe a family portrait."

Cairo squinted and nodded, realizing that Azzie's observation might hold some truth. "You're right," he said, suddenly feeling intrigued.

"Looks like they just moved out. No one can live in a cottage in the forest for too long anyway," Azzie replied, plopping down onto one of the beds.

Cairo chuckled. "Yeah, agreed," he said, taking a seat opposite of her on the other bed.

"So, how do you think we can get out of here? I mean, we came for the necklace, but it looks like we failed this mission," Azzie wondered, frowning in disappointment.

"I wouldn't say we failed. Just had some obstacles," Cairo replied, taking his shoes off and placing them beside the bed.

"Are you forgetting we have senior exams next year? I can't afford to not show up for it," she began to panic, putting her face in her hands, and started to cry again.

Dang it, she's crying again.

Knowing he had to comfort her, he stood up and walked over to her bed. He sat down beside her and patted her on the head. "There, there. Everything will be fine," he assured, only for her to cry harder.

God, help me.

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Thought I would update a second time to make up for the three weeks I missed without one. Hope you guys liked it🤗♥️

Also, just something a little fun, but could you guys help me come up with a name for the creature? Kind of boring just calling it the "unknown creature" or "the spiky-looking creature" so if you have any suggestions, please comment them!
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