015 Disgrace Yet Again

"It is wakened..."

Archbishop's old and low voice put a shade of awe on the face of everyone in the room. They were all high levels of the coven, all except Jacob, who came at Ann's request.

"Hank, they should know." Said the archbishop, closing his eyes tiredly as if falling asleep.

"Yes, archbishop." Hand bowed at the old man and turned to the rest, "As you all know, I have taken some glimpse into our fate, doom, awaits us."

The whole room listened in silence.

"But sometimes, only sometimes, there are visions of a bright future for us, instead of doom." Hank continued, "But ONLY sometimes."

Ann had a bad feeling when Hank stressed on that "sometimes" so many times.

"But there's something I haven't told you," Hank took a deep breath before he continued, "These visions, they are prophecies of the same time."

"What does that mean?" Jacob scanned the room in confusion only to realize that the confusion was not universal.

"It means the future at that exact point is changing constantly." Ann rolled her eyes in distress --

how could some moron like him deserve this kind of power instead of her?!

"I saw magic power flow into The Shadow, not like a river but HUGE flood, the world-consuming kind of flood." Hank signed, "But most of the times it was in the color of pure black, and only a few times was it light."

"Black magic?!" Jacob yelled, "That means--"

"Yes. Most magic covens use light magic," Hank nodded heavily, "But there ARE clans of dark magic that exist out there. Secret ones. They are dangerous and mysterious. Their power comes from evil, and can do ONLY, evil."

"How few times?" Ann asked in a shaking voice, "How few times was it light magic in your visions?"

"One out of a thousand." Hank sighed in a heavy tone.

"So...?" Jacob felt taken by fear when all people in that room fell in silence, "So what does that mean?"

Hank said slowly: "The wand is deciding whether to be a light magic wand or a dark one. And if something goes wrong and The Shadow chooses dark, then..."

"Then we are doomed," Ann continued under her breath, "as the whole world consumed by the dark magic of the most powerful weapon."

"But Ann uses light magic!" Jacob said in a haste, "She wakened it so it means we have avoided the doom, right?!"

Ann's heart sunk.

Yes she used light magic, but what if that evil Lilith who took her glory and her Jacob belonged to the dark side?!

Ann didn't realize she was so furious at the fact that Jacob didn't care about her like he used to! Ann didn't think he would be serious with anyone other than herself!

Lilith took Jacob from her, made her a fool in front of all Mages, AND now because Lilith was evil, everyone would know she lied about how The Shadow was wakened!

Ann bit her lips with her fists shaking with rage, struggling whether to tell the truth, and that was when the archbishop spoke again:

"Try it again."

All eyes focused on Ann instantly.

Ann felt like her nightmare of that meeting night came back all over again. She couldn't even think about the disappointment that would appear on these people's faces when she would fail to light it, yet again!

"Can you lit it for us again?" The high priest spoke in a soft and low voice as he handed Ann The Shadow.

"I don't even know how I did it the first time." Ann mumbled with genuine hesitation this time.

She didn't want to touch the wand and reveal the fraud she was. Touching the wand would only shorten the lifespan of her lies.

"I don't think anyone else would be able to," Hank put his hand on Ann's head as a comfort, "Embrace your fate and it will be okay, kiddo."

This was it. The moment that would decide her fate.

Ann took a deep breath and stepped up, again trying to force her magic into the wand. The whole room was staring at her, just like in the meeting. Except this time, Ann knew she won't be able to make it glow.

But she did.

It was only a tiny glimpse of light, but there WAS light! It went through The Shadow like a beam of lightning and Ann almost drop the wand out of surprise.

The archbishop opened his eyes, but instead of excitement, his eyes were now fixed on the glowing wand, filled with shock.

"Oh my God!" Ann didn't even know she had such a shrill voice in her, "Did you see that?!"

Ann didn't see the unusual reaction from the archbishop. In fact, she didn't even remember there were other people in the room!

Maybe it WAS her!

That was the idea that occupied ALL her mind.

Maybe it was her who wakened The Shadow after all! Maybe it was all just a stupid misunderstanding! To think that she almost murdered an innocent girl for nothing!

All because this stupid little wand wouldn't respond to her when Ann needed it to!

"You naughty little thing," Ann murmured at The Shadow, forgetting there were other people in the room, "You just have to scare me like that in front of everyone, huh?"

"Wow..." Jacob murmured, "You ARE the one... It's really you all along..."

"Not yet." The archbishop's words took the frantic smile from Ann's face when she only enjoyed it for a few seconds.

"What do you mean?!" Shouted Ann in a wave of disbelieving anger, and even Hank was taken back by her attitude this time.

This was the second time that her glory was taken away from her right out of her hands!

"Only the soul is returned." Archbishop's ancient voice rose, and that took away the excitement from ALL in the room.

"What does that mean--" Ann started but the archbishop waved his hand and The Shadow flew out of Ann's hand and landed in his open palm.

"We will think of something to avoid the doom," Said the archbishop slowly but sternly, "The wand is not to be touched, by anyone."

Everyone in the room was shocked by this sudden decision.

"But you promised!" Ann shouted in that shrill voice, "Whoever wakens it, gets it! I wakened The Shadow! It's mine! I--"

"Shut up!"

Ann wheeled on that voice, only to see into the angry, disappointed, and ashamed eyes of her father.