Onyx and Alesandria didn't wait until the first break of dawn to soar through the magical barrier that circled around the grounds of the Erabon mountains.

After discovering the secret behind Alesandria's heightened powers, the Mind Siphon made sure to wait until the sky was between the hours of morning and night and the stars were somehow visible in the dark, ocean sky to safely guide them out of the mountains.

Following a rugged path that buried itself between the thick forests and morning dew grass, they were able to pick themselves through the forest with only their bags hanging off their shoulders before reaching a river that separated them from the rest of the path.

Looking down at the roaring currents, the village girl gulped, feeling her feet move back. But her companion looked at her, a glimmer burning in her eyes. "This is a great opportunity to put your strength and speed to the test," she said, taking a closer step towards the current.

She looked back at, a small smile nudging on her lips. "You'll be fine. It's all about courage and channeling your powers into your actions" she reminded her, waving a hand over to the river. "Just take a deep breath and the rest will guide you."

Nodding, Alesandria willed her legs to take a couple of steps closer to the raging waters, fluttering her eyes close to channel all her powers to flow inside her body and burst with energy. A dizziness pulled her body to sleep for a minute and she was still, almost not breathing.

Her heart fluttered once before something ignited inside of her and exploded. Like lightning hitting her veins, she shook awake, her eyes fluttering wide open and a burst of strength seizing her body and pushing her forward. Before she knew it herself, she and Onyx were running down the stone paths in the rivers, their shoes scuffing against the boulders and the very early morning wind kissing their cheeks.

Feeling the breath of the wind on her skin was one thing, but Alesandria knew the difference of tasting it as soon as it hit her tongue, a sweet flavor she could never get used to. It was refreshing and wild and free, something she yearned to be.

Before she knew it, they were down the path of the mountain and making their way into the heart of Serius, the town square. Onyx took a breath, pushing her fingers through her hair. "You are one heck of a runner" she breathed, stepping past the rocks and pebbles that met them in their jagged path.

Alesandria only chuckled, curling her fingers around the strap of her bag. "I used to chase Eros around in the town square all the time. That boy made me run for miles and miles." She smiled, the memories fading in black and white in her head. It seemed as if those memories happened only a few months ago, back when she was untouched and pure.

Oh, how she wished for those days back. Those days when she was happy and free and pure.

By the time they had crossed over another river, down a mud-slicked path and through another thicket of emerald trees to reach the town square, the sun was already beaming its rays into the sky, the kingdom awakening with a frenzy. There weren't many people wandering around, only elderly women who set up their booths for the day, setting their handwoven baskets by their feet.

Keeping their head down, the two managed to go unnoticed as they walked to Castrin's dwelling. It took almost a half an hour just by walking, Onyx knowing in the back of her mind that she could have easily cut their time in half by just using her super strength to run.

When they reached Castrin's dwelling, the door swung open for them as always and they walked down the hallway and down the winding staircase to meet Castrin in his dwelling of books and knowledge. Yet when they were nearing him, Onyx felt a strange simmer in the air, a crack - the smell of magic lingering around.

And she knew why as soon as they stepped into his dwelling. Castrin was sitting by his table, flipping through books and writing down notes. Beside him was a tall stranger with dark hair who held a book in his hand. His skin was inked with tattoos, marks of unknown meaning.

Across was a girl with slick dark hair, holding a witch book in her hand, clouds of magic swirling around her fingertips. "Castrin, what is going on?" At the sound of Alesandria's voice, all three turned around to see the two girls standing there, confused looks on both of their faces. Castrin himself took a breath, abandoning his chair as he stood up.

"Alesandria, I thought I told you not to come back here until-"

Onyx cut him off short. "We know genius" she hissed at him, crossing her arms. "We know the reason behind her chaotic powers. That's why we came back." It took a second for the Dark Magic Summoner to process this information but before he could open his mouth and speak, a voice interrupted him, coming from the back.

"You're not going to introduce as Castrin? Such poor manners" the man leaning on the wall spoke, pushing himself off the wall and striding over. The Dark Magic Summoner's cheeks turned bright red, scratching the back of his neck. Turning to his companions he said, "Onyx, Alesandria, this is Emperor Draco of Elsavior and Yongui Mesacrai."

The two girls drifted their gaze to the noble people, bowing their head in respect as they did so. Yongui didn't flash a smile, only nodded her head while Draco smiled kindly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nice to meet you both. Now please, enlighten all of us about Alesandria."

The village girl 's cheeks flushed red, her eyes scanning the room. "Where is my family?" she asked Castrin, her brows knitted in worry. "Safe on the other side of the room, I promise" he replied back, taking her hand and squeezing them lightly. His hard gaze turned over to the Siphon standing next to her, raising his brows. "Well, enlighten us."

Growling underneath her breath, the Siphon simply rested her hand against the head of her sword and said plain and simple, "She is a hybrid. All her powers are trying to destroy the mortal part of her but her mortal side is fighting back which would explain her out of control and powerful powers."

Silence crackled in the room, eyes moving to gaze at the hybrid. Even the Dark Magic Summoner himself dropped her hand, his starry eyes studying her with intruigment. "Are you sure about this Onyx?" Draco asked her in a deep voice that surprised her, his lips pulling into a thin line. She nodded immediately, her gaze turning back to her companion. "Look at her eyes and on her shoulder."

Sure enough, when they all looked they saw exactly what the Siphon had seen last night. Alesandria's multicolored eyes ringed with emerald and a half Siphon heritage on one side of her neck and shoulder. Another heritage mark was on her other shoulder and the other side of her neck, though a bit hard to translate.

"Great. Just fucking great" Yongui hissed, tossing her arms up in the air. She walked back over to the wall Draco was leaning on, her book abandoned on the floor. She plastered her palms on his desk, scowling at everyone. "If we don't go through the ceremony to bring out the other hybrid side of her, she will die," she said, her indigo eyes shimmering. "There is no way in hell she will survive her immortal powers slowly eating away at her mortal soul."

"Maybe there is another way" Castrin replied back, shaking his head. A scoff escaped his friend's lips, her cold eyes staring. "For goodness sakes Castrin, I'm a hybrid and I know first hand that she won't survive unless she goes through the ceremony and becomes a true hybrid."

"What ceremony?" Alesandria asked, abandoning Castrin and Onyx to stand in the center of the room."What ceremony do I have to go through?" she demanded, her voice no longer carrying that crisp happiness and innocence that was lingering only minutes earlier. Now it was hard, gritty and edgy.

The room was silent once again, everyone exchanging glances to one another. Onyx dug her fingers through her hair, feeling the pain in her skull grow as Rheynoak pushed through her walls once again, trying so hard to break free and invade her mind once again. The Ruges on her arm burned, almost as if they were set on fire and she tucked her arm to the back of her neck.

After a minute or two passed without any answer, Draco sighed, shaking his head. "In order for you to become a full hybrid, you would have to go through something called The Catalyst Oath" he explained, not meeting the village girl's eyes. "It's a ceremony that is powerful enough to bend your powers out of your bones and unlock your other powers, therefore flourishing you into a full hybrid."

"Okay, so why can't we do it tonight?" Alesandria asked, raising her brows as she asked. "It seems to be that this would benefit me a lot." This time, Castrin interrupted her, cutting her off before she could say any more words. "Because it has to be performed on a specific day under a specific moon."

"And besides, there is a slight possibility that you might not survive the process" Yongui added, pushing herself onto of his desk. She crossed her legs over one another, fixing the skirt of her dress that she wore. "The ceremony is deadly as it is beneficial and besides, are you really ready to give up your mortal life? To never be a human ever again? Because once you go through The Catalyst Oath there is not turning back."

The village girl paid Yongui no mind, simply huffing and dragging her hands down her slightly dirty face. Dark strands fell across her pale hand that was cut and bruised from the constant training with Onyx, blood crusted along the wounds. "If it is the only option left, then I am willing to go through with it. This is not just for me but for the sake of my family. They deserve a better life than this."

Castrin jumped in, interrupting her words. "Maybe you should just sit down, think about this" he suggested, reaching for her elbow. "You have been through a lot and you are jumping to irrational conclusions."

The village girl frowned, yanking her arm from his grip. "Wouldn't you do the same if it came down to it Castrin?" she asked him, her eyes seeking through his for the answers she wished to see. "Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself for others?"

As the little bicker grew, Onyx felt the pain of Rheynoak's interference stabbing her through the head again. Her nails dug into her hair, desperate to drown out the pain that desperately took over her mind and body. She shook her head as if she could shake his presence out.

But the more she fought, the more he pushed and soon enough his voice and his words were echoing in her mind, bouncing off into invisible walls only to echo in her brain louder, more aggravating.

The pain became more unbearable, the Ruges on her arms burning. A grunt left her lips, capturing everyone's attention as she gritted her teeth together, trying to sustain a number of curses that threatened to fly out of her mouth. "Onyx, what's wrong?" Alesandria asked her but the Mind Siphon was already running down the hallway they had come from, collapsing against the staircase as she let her guards down enough for Rheynoak to speak.

"A fucking hybrid Onyx?" he yelled in her mind, his voice hard and cold and cruel. "Not only is she a Mind Siphon but she is a hybrid as well! Keeping this information away from me for even a minute was so foolish of you Onyx! Foolish and unreasonable."

"You shouldn't be talking, you selfish prick" she hissed back at him through the bond, crossing her arms across his chest."I just found out about this last night and honestly, I would rather be comfortable with her making the decision rather than you swooping in to ruin everything like you always do."

The tribe leader seem to hiss at her between their bond, the thin line practically shaking, "Her making the decisions? Stars and gods damn you Onyx, she is not in the position to make this decision" he growled at her, his anger practically burning the bond alive. "Onyx, if you let her go through The Catalyst Oath, not only are you making her into a more desirable magic being, you are also risking the fact that she might die!"

"It's better than you claiming her like she is some sort of stupid price and keeping her captive!" the Siphon growled back at him, cracking her knuckles against the concrete wall next to her. Bones snapped and she could feel the blood pool underneath her knuckles. "If she wants to go through the oath for the sake of her family, I am allowing her to make that decision."

"You are the most irrational and unstable person to decide that fate for her" Rheynoak said in a gritty voice. "People are after her. The other tribes are growing suspicious and are ready to unleash a search party Just for her. I trusted you with this mission but it is obvious that you can't even obey a simple order. So just bring her back to the desert and I will take care of the rest or I swear to the stars and gods, I will come to Serius myself."

"Don't you dare step foot into this kingdom, Rheynoak" the Siphon snapped at him, feeling everything pool from her soul. All the anger, the torture, the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness. It all just tumbled and melted into an unstoppable force that fueled her words. "You can't say I don't follow orders Rheynoak because I wouldn't be standing on the grounds of Serius right now if I disobeyed you! You threw me into this damned kingdom like bait without a second thought to find this girl and I fucking did! I found her and helped her discover what was wrong with her powers. She is broken, her family needs her and without this oath, she might die either way. So for one god damned moment in your life, let this girl make her own decisions! Don't you dare chain her up like you do with everyone else!"

The silence after her sentence reigned like a silver sword, deadly and heavy and unbearable. Onyx's chest was heaving up and down, her body so weak and her breath rushing in and out of her mouth. The anger her magic was sizzling with boiled underneath her skin, fingers dug deep into her scalp.

The mental bond between them shook, the sound of the tribe leader's voice becoming impatient as he simply said to her "Convince her not to take the oath and bring her back to the desert or I will come to Serius myself and do it."

This time, the Mind Siphon didn't hesitate when she said, "See you in a few days then" before building up her mental walls and blocking him out once more. She took another deep breath, letting herself lean against the staircase before composing herself.

Straightening her lips, she walked down the hallway back into Castrin's dwelling only to find all eyes on her, pinning her to the wall like a target. Her blood instantly went cold at everyone's questionable stare, knowing there was no covering what they heard,

"So you are a part of Rheynoak's tribe," Draco said to her, taking a few strides towards her. He briefly shared a glance with Yongui who scowled at the Siphon with such disgust, she turned her head to the other side, focusing her gaze on the wall instead. "No wonder you have the Ruges on your arm. I thought they looked familiar."

"You know Rheynoak?" she asked, looking him straight in those dark eyes that traced every single curve of her face like a shiny new coin. A smile curled on his lips, almost mocking her. "You have no idea" he replied, shaking his head. He took a step closer to Onyx, his gaze never leaving hers even when there was so much as an inch.

"I suggest you better start explaining yourself, sweetheart."

And Onyx did. She took a deep breath and told them everything, the truth. She let her eyes trail to Castrin as she told them how Rheynoak picked her to come to Serius to find Alesandria, scowled when she met Yongui's eyes when she explained Rheynoak's plan of bringing her back, pressed her lips together when Draco's eyes met her when she explained that she didn't think Alesandria deserved to be hunted like this and her intentions grew only to help her.

But at her last sentence, the Mind Siphon's voice crack when she met Alesandria's, shaking her head as she did so. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for him to come hunt you down like this."

"Oh save the pity excuse, Onyx!" the village girl screamed at her, flinging her arm. "You are telling me that you were originally here to take me hostage and drag me back to a desert, that if you weren't assigned this mission, you could care less about me and my family!"

Alesandria practically laughed in her face, mocking her as she flung her arm up in disbelief. Her cheeks were red, her eyes burning with a rare fire. Onyx took a step forward, opening her mouth to explain. "Alesandria, you have to under-"

"NO! I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THIS ONYX!" Her voice vibrated through the room, shocking everyone, including herself. Those green-gray eyes widened in disbelief, one hand clutched around her heart and the other digging into her palm. "You are fool's gold. A pity waste of my time and you know it! I knew you lied about some things but to keep all of this away from me is just wrong!"

"I was protecting you!" Onyx protested, taking a dangerous step close to the fumbling girl. "I didn't want to drag you back to the desert.It wasn't the right thing to do. If I did, you wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Oh, like you know what the right thing is" the girl hissed back at her. She shook her head in disbelief again, looking around the room to meet everyone's eyes. She held on to Castrin's gaze, curling her fingers into a ball. Her cold gaze slowly turned back to Onyx, a frown on her lips.

"I don't need your help. You can take your fake ass right back to where you came from and leave me alone. I can make decisions for myself and my family without you breathing down on my neck."

Then with that, she took angry steps out of the room and down the hallway, her feet scuffing the floor as she lowered herself down another set of stairs that led into the dungeons. Onyx stood in her place in shock, her mind not knowing where to go.

Even Rheynoak didn't have anything smart to say back, the bond silent. She fought with her emotions, not knowing what to feel, how to feel. She was just a jumbled mess inside, tangle and uncoordinated.

"Somebody better go after her" Yongui said, breaking the silence. She slid off the table and headed for the dungeons. "I don't think she will like the fact that we are are keeping three SilverClaw Witches captive."

That seemed to capture the Siphon's attention, her head snapping over to the other girl who simply ignored her questioning gaze. "Explain please" she demanded, raising her brows. Yongui scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You should be the last person talking."

And then she took off too, heading down towards the stairs that led to the dungeons. After a while, Castrin followed her too, simply saying, "Give her time. She will come back around" before heading down towards the dungeon.

When it was just her and Draco left in the room, she didn't have any more words to say, the urge to run and never come back still burning deep within her core. The emperor's brown eyes looked over her one more time, slower and more careful this time.

"She'll come around" he simply said to her into a tone that boarded on the line of being edgy. "They always do."

"I don't need your pity" the Mind Siphon growled back at him, digging and pulling through her hair once more. "I don't need anyone's pity right now. I can take care of myself."

A laugh fell from his lips, his lips turned in a humorous way. Even his eyes seemed to sparkle, something she had not seen since she stepped into the room and his brooding eyes met hers. "I am not giving you pity FireEyes, trust me. I could care less about how you mend your broken soul over this" he hissed back at her, backing her into a nearby wall.

Her back hit the wall, her gaze still holding his. "Frankly I agree with everything she said. You screwed up big time and I wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to see you again. But she wants to go through with The Catalyst Oath and we have to prepare her. So wipe that frown off your face and join us when you're ready."

Sweeping over her face one more time, he backed away and nodded before brushing past her, his footsteps retreating into the dark stairwell that led into the dungeons. It was only then that Onyx allowed herself to slide down from the wall and curl her knees to her chest, a single tear falling from her eyes.   

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter!

So much drama happened! And it will only get wilder. So Rheynoak is making a surprise visit. That should make things...interesting to say the least. You all know Rheynoak, he loves creating waves that destroy everything.

But I want to know...do you guys agree with Alesandria about everything she said to Onyx or do you side with Onyx, seeing past her exterior and seeing her good intentions? Also, what do you think of Yongui and Draco? Like her, hate her? Tell me!

Also, thank you guys so much! The Catalyst Oath is #596 in fantasy which means so much to me! Thank you for that! That means the world to me!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May