♙CHAPTER FOUR♙

( STYX KRONIŌN )

ONE: WHY DO I FEEL LIKE THIS?

styx and sebastian had been sneaking around for days together, her not wanting anyone to know about his existence and him not wanting the same. it confused her on why he didn't just enroll in the school but it would make her keeping their relationship a secret. if it could even be considered a relationship.

she also knew she couldn't spend as much time with him as she wanted considering heracles and lizzie were getting suspicious. she hadn't even told hope about the boy considering they hadn't seen eachother since the game. that's why she now sat around a table with random witches as lizzie ordered them around. everyone but styx.

styx and lizzie. unusual relationship. lizzie would consider the girl her bestfriend, but styx didn't even consider her a friend. she was merely a girl who she wanted to protect and didn't want to die. ok, maybe she was her bestfriend. but she'd never tell the blonde that unless she was on her deathbed. she wasn't very good at forming friendships let alone keeping them.

"i said greek goddess, not greek slave. i can't look like a cos player in front of heracles" lizzie complained as she dropped the dress one of the girls was sewing onto the table.

"we could, take in the sleeve like this-" the girl went to grab lizzie wrist to show her only for the blonde to pull it back defensively. styx raised her eyebrow at the blonde's weird behaviour.

"don't. just fix it!" lizzie said as she pulled a face showing she was uncomfortable before turning to the dark brunette next to her.

"what's wrong?" styx asked as she tilted her head at the platinum blonde knowing there was something going on with her.

"what do you mean? there's nothing wrong" lizzie said answering the question trying to act clueless.

"elizabeth jenna saltzman. you know i will kill you unless you tell me" styx slightly threatened being serious with her words.

"i spent a lot of time bettering myself over the summer and i need you all to rise to my level. now" lizzie said now directing her words to the other witches as she stood up and span around coming face to face with mg.

styx noticed the rude looks the witches were giving lizzie and stared them down with a glare until they all returned to their work now silently judging both girls. if she could kill them all, she would.

"how's it going?" mg asked both girls as he sent styx a nervous look remembering what he had seen a few days ago.

"terrible" lizzie said honestly as styx stayed silent, not wanting to speak to the boy.

"i mean i'm great, but everyone else. terrible. except styx" lizzie said as she sent her friend a smile making the brunette roll her eyes playfully. "and you. you really tried to help me with heracles, thanks" lizzie said now smiling at mg widely.

"well, my cue to leave. i have business to attend to" styx said pushing herself up as she waved at lizzie sweetly before taking to the stairs only to be stopped by mg's hand on her arm.

"hey, about that. uhm, i know you're all in with that sebastian guy but i think it'd be better if you stop seeing him. you know since he's not a student and all" mg said making her eyes widen not understanding how he knew.

"why would i do that?" she asked raising an eyebrow as she ripped her arm out of his grasp and crossed her own.

"i'm worried you might be... seeings things, through rose coloured glasses" the curly haired boy smiled making her huff out a breath in annoyance.

"stop prying in other peoples lives" she warned and she glared at him "and stop overthinking it" she spat before continuing up the stairs.

――――

the girl now stood in lizzie's room as they both got ready for their dates, although she lied and told lizzie it was with a boy from the mundane school. she internally laughed, as if she'd date a human.

"i need you" josie said running into the room with a panicked expression as lizzie got up angrily and styx only averted her eyes. she didn't like josie that much.

"so you can apologise, for this!" lizzie said lifting her dress sleeve up to reveal her forearm with red marks all across it. "are you seriously using black magic, again?" lizzie asked which caught styx attention. the brunette pushing herself up stalked over.

"you're mundane witches you're not meant to be messing with this" styx warned as she looked over lizzie's arm. she had been dealing with black magic since her birth and it took her years to control.

"remember that whatever happens to you, happens to me too!" lizzie said urgently as she looked at josie with a frown.

"and i'm sorry, it wont happen again" josie apologised to her twin as he posture began shaking in anticipation.

"you're just lucky that heracles appreciates old fashion" lizzie said making styx slightly laugh knowing the boy did not care what she wore.

they were interrupted by a loud voice shouting out an unrecognisable language throughout the halls, styx and lizzie looked up to see josie hold a pleading look before motioning them to wait and making her way out of the room. before she could process what was happening, a man was dragged in as he wore samurai armour.

"who the holy hell is that?" styx asked as her eyes widened. she knew the school had problems but this was a whole new level.

"long story. short version, he is a samurai/ demon hunter who lost his oni. and the only way we can kill it is if we find his demon banishing sword before it gets off land and into malivore. can you come?" josie rushed out as she looked between the two girls hoping for any help.

"well i suppose if i reschedule my date it can give this rash some time to clear up" lizzie said as she rolled down her sleeve and looked around the room. josie then turnt her pleading look to styx.

"fine" the goddess huffed out as she gave a hard eye roll making josie smile widely.

"thank you, thank you" the brunette witch said as she ran to them giving them a hug. styx froze up as she was unsure what to do.

the man began speaking japanese as he began hitting his heart and pointing to styx making the girl become self- conscious "he's talking about me, isn't he? he's calling me evil" the girl asked as she turned to josie with a hurt look.

"no, no. he's talking about the oni, it posses people and it makes them act evil and crazy" josie explained trying to calm the girl down who looked to be getting angry.

"well then, i retract my offer. my heart is the one thing i have control over right now and i cannot risk losing myself for this" she said as she threw her arms up to the man.

and it was true. she had spent two weeks at the school and already had more control over herself as she did in the underworld. she was finally able to feel things for other people and she may have wanted to stop before but now she liked it. it made her feel human.

the man drew a sword from his belt before lifting it to students who stalked outside of the door making josie look between the two with a pleading look before running after the man shouting out japanese.

"have fun on your date" styx said turning to lizzie knowing that josie wouldn't come back for lizzie being too caught up with the samurai. the girl didn't even wait to hear what the blonde would say before making her way to find sebastian.

――――

the girl had explained to sebastian about the whole thing that had gone on as she sat beside him in front of the lake. the vampire didn't say anything as he just listened to what she said. she was about to argue with him if he was even listening before he cupped her cheek making her shut up.

"just cause your handsome doesn't mean you don't need to listen to me" she argued as she pulled her face from his grasp.

"come on love. i came here for you, not to hear about these random people" the boy chuckled making her shoulders drop. "i feel we are not as close as we could be"

"we're as close as close could be right now sebastian" she said gesturing to the way the two were sat and the proximity of their bodies.

"you know what i mean" he groaned as he saw her face morph to one of amusement seeing how annoyed he got.

"you know i love annoying you, right?" she asked as she moved so she was now sat closer to the boy than before.

"i can tell my dear" he whispered as he leaned closer to her so that their lips were about to meet.

the girl was about to kiss him before she saw mg slide out from behind a tree with a video camera in his grasp aiming it towards them. the girl quickly got up with a murderous glint in her pretty eyes.

"i know how this looks" mg said quickly as he regained his balance and walked closer to her.

"like you're a sick little stalker. leave now before sebastian kicks your ass!" she yelled as tears welled in her eyes. something she wasn't used to. the girl pointing to the spot where she just sat. it wasn't nice to have her personal space invaded

"styx! i don't think that's going to be a problem" mg said as he gestured to the spot. the girl flipped around not seeing sebastian sitting there anymore.

"fine, i'll kick your ass!" she yelled now getting angry that sebastian had just ditched her and that mg was prying into her life for whatever sick game he was playing.

"j- just-" he said trying to pass her the camera making her hit it away with a large frown which also looked filled with disappointment.

"get that thing out of my face!" she didn't know how to feel considering all of these sad emotions were new and were making her heart grow heavy.

"just watch it, please!" the vampire boy complained as he pushed it towards her again making her grab it to shut him up.

the boy began playing the video as she stared at the screen with a confused face, it was of her sitting on the grass with no sebastian. he wasn't there "what the hell is this? why isn't sebastian in this?" she muttered as she looked back to the spot.

"i'm really sorry. but this was the only way i could think of to get you to see, what everyone else will see" he said as his voice became more frantic. styx's breaths grew louder as she began playing with her fingers at her side. "sebastian's not real!"

"shut up!" she whimpered out as she shut her eyes and let the tears fall bringing a hand to his face to stop him. the girl wanted to kill someone. "just shut up" she said looking up to meet his regretful eyes.

"you and me, are not friends! we never were and we will never be" she spat as his eyebrows furrowed and a hurt look crossed his face. all he had wanted to do was show the poor girl what was happening to her.

"so see this. you don't exist to me!" she nearly screamed as she quickly rushed to the blanket and picked up her phone before storming off away from the boy, hitting his shoulder in the process.

――――

she didn't know how, but she now found herself in mystic falls square outside of an ice cream shop. she had a large sundae in front of her as she cried. she felt like a teenage human girl and she hated it. she was vulnerable after just having her heart crack.

"of course he wasn't real. you just thought someone loved you. no one will ever love you! you're evil inside, because no one likes you so you have to talk to yourself" she criticised herself as she gathered more scoops of ice cream. she just wanted to be back in the underworld away from everything.

as she looked up she noticed landon walking through the street with a sword in his grasp. the sword that the samurai had. he must've been possessed. she remembered he made hope cry. and she was angry. she needed to hurt someone.

"landon!" she called out, although the boy kept walking "stop it!" she got out through her throat although it hurt as she got up and started running towards him. once she got close enough she muttered a spell and made the sword fly to her hands.

"i'm guessing you're possessed by an evil demon" she walked closer as she thrusted the sword through his abdomen as far as it would go "that makes two of us" she muttered as she felt another tear leave her eye.

she felt something enter her body as she pulled the sword out hearing the boy choke before he fell. the girl looked up seeing a woman with a dog staring at her.

"dress rehearsal. please come to our performance next week " she shouted out through gritted teeth as she made sure the woman left. she felt her body shake as something was moving around in her head.

the girl quickly summoned a pair of chains to restrain herself she rushed to the tree in front and tied herself. she was now possessed and couldn't let it get to the pit. hope had sacrificed herself and she wouldn't let the girls actions go to waste.

"landon! landon!" hope called out as her, josie and lizzie all ran towards the boy who was on the floor unconscious.

"are you okay?" josie called out as she looked up at the girl who was trying to tighten her restraints.

"no! i am going crazy" she spat out "at least there's a reason this time" she looked up as her eyes flashed red and not her usual orange.

"what did you do?" hope asked as she walked closer to her friend getting ready to remove the chains only to be shouted at by her.

"the demons in me!" she warned all the girls making hope and lizzie's eyes widen. "tighten them" she muttered to hope as the girl began doing it only for the demon in her to take over and growl at her.

"that's so embarrassing, i'm sorry " she said as she gained control again giving her friend a somewhat apologetic look.

"i don't understand. if the oni's in you, how are you talking?" josie asked standing up and walking up to the girl.

"i don't know! i can feel it, in my head, trying to take over. i don't know how much longer i can do it" she got out somehow as she cut her sentences short before she felt herself lose control.

"never mind. it's gone, you can untie me" the demon said as its voice matched styx's, the girl sending a smile before taking over again making her gasp.

"i didn't say that, it did. ok. it's still there, so don't-" she was cut off as the battle for control continued. she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up any longer.

"listen to me, im fine. we should probably get out of here before-" she took over again as a whimper left her lips.

"please, you have to do something. i can't keep doing this" she said as her voice cracked and her head hung low.

"she's fighting the demon somehow, like kurutta did" hope said through observation as josie and lizzie only stared with scared looks.

"i already know im going crazy, you don't need to rub it in" she said painfully as she began tugging on her restraints.

"kurutta is not crazy! and neither are you" lizzie argued as she walked closer to the girl with tears welling up in her own eyes.

"can we go home? i just wanna go home" styx pleaded as she looked up to meet the eyes of the girls.

"kurutta fought the oni for years. if you just give us a little bit of time to-" hope was cut off as styx cried in resentment.

"no! i can't do this for much longer!" she cried as she looked up to meet lizzie's eyes as tears began drying on her cheeks "sebastian isn't real!" she explained to the girl. lizzie knew who she meant considering styx had never spoken about another boy. "this whole time, i thought i was getting better. but i've just been seeing things, and hearing things, and feeling things that no one else does!"

"it's scaring me, all of this! i can't do it. its scarier than the demon in hades!" she cried as she felt herself breaking down from the inside. the demon would taken over soon.

"you're not crazy. we'll fix this" lizzie cried as she tried walking closer to her friend only for josie to stop her.

"no! the pieces are too small to put back together. thank you for being such good friends. but you have to end this" the word she said were some she'd have never said a few weeks ago but as she felt herself slipping away it'd probably be her last chance. "please" she met josie's eyes.

"what? " the brunette asked as her own eyes were coated with tears not understanding what she was asking.

"that sword" she nodded towards the glowing object on the floor and gestured to herself meaning she wanted her to kill her.

"no! i know that i barely just met you , but we are not going to let that happen" hope argued in protest as she wasn't in the mood to lose someone else she was beginning to love.

"you have no choice, we will not stop until you give us the boy" the oni had taken over again as her voice became static and monotone and her body pushed itself forward before she gained control again.

"you have to fight this" lizzie begged the girl as she tried thinking of something to do.

"fighting it useless. malivore still lives and his control over us is stronger than ever. soon the likes of me will be the least of your concerns" she demon once again made an appearance. she could feel herself slowly losing the will to fight for control as her body shut down.

"distracted during a monologue" she laughed to herself slightly "classic villain mistake" she found amusement in this situation even though she'd probably die. "josie, you gotta do this" she now felt bad for hating the other saltzman girl.

josie couldn't stop herself from letting her tears fall as she shook her head not wanting to do such a thing to the girl her sister was such good friends with. "for me" styx begged as her voice became soft.

the brunette turned around from the girl walking as far back as she could as she kept shaking her head. "hope! lizzie! if she doesn't do this, then you have to" she ordered knowing neither girl would be able to.

josie looked around before running to the sword "there's so much black magic in it, it hurts to hold!" the brunette moaned in pain.

"probably will hurt more being stabbed by it" styx laughed with no humour detected in her voice as tears blurred her vision.

the brunette saltzman tightened her grip on it as she looked down confused "if i can pull the magic out of this, i can pull the oni out of you" she said in realisation making styx shake her head.

"you won't be able to handle it! you can't do that" she tried stopping the girl understanding that if she did get the black magic out it'd enter her and probably lizzie.

josie didn't listen as she began sucking the magic out before letting the sword drop and blasting a huge amount towards styx with a scream, the oni was being pulled out of her slowly as josie began losing her composure. eventually, she got it out and into the malivore pit.

"you did it" styx breathed out as a smile crossed her lips "thank you" she cried as a choked sob left her lips.

"you better mean it" josie breathed out before collapsing, lizzie doing the same behind her. styx could feel herself also about to pass out and made eye contact with hope before saying something.

"get them somewhere safe, please" were her last words before the girl lost consciousness, her body leaning over the chains in an unruly position.