MAXINE"Very well. Come with me." Dennis said. He turned leading the way down twisting and turning shelves. There were other people here, dusting off objects in front of them, using magnifying glasses, and taking down notes.He worked as a team.Dennis took us to a private room. He glanced out the wide windows before pulling the blinds down and turning on the lights in the room."Okay, where's the artifact?" He asked.I glanced at Liam and he nodded. Gently, I pulled the artifact out of my bag, scared that if I turned it the wrong way, it might sort of turn on again, bringing the guardians back to life."Skies unmake me," Dennis muttered, taking the artifact gingerly from me and holding it to the light."Do you know it?" I asked. He walked over to his desk with it, placing it on the surface with the white linen cloth on it. There was a magnifying glass stand and he pulled it to stare at the artifact."It belonged to the goddess Sarinoa." He said. The tone he spoke sounded like he expe
MAXINEDennis was beyond appalled by Liam's suggestion. "Surely you must be kidding," he stuttered, letting out a nervous chuckle."Do I look like I tell jokes?" Liam replied with all seriousness.The smile left Dennis’ face and he frowned, looking at Liam. I could feel the tension in the air from these two men. I had to step in."Not destroy it, per se," I began, stepping between them. "Just hide it, so no one can ever find it for the rest of eternity."Dennis looked at me. "That's impossible. History can prove that. Whether it be a hundred or thousand years from now, it will still be found." He said."So what do you suggest? You're aware that this can cause chaos if it falls into the wrong hands.""Of course, I do. I would never suggest giving this to the government in the first place. They're always the first to lose something they claimed to have kept under the greatest lock and key," Dennis rolled his eyes and I took that as a good sign that the tension had faded."What do you su
LIAMI watched as the artifact exploded in a burst of bright light and hit Maxine, striking her in the chest. It was too quick and she didn't even have the time to react or scream. It hit her, sending her flying a few meters away and us to the ground.I looked at the center where the artifact once was. Instead of the strange wooden object, there was an ash burn on the grass. I glanced in Maxine's direction to see that she was still lying, sprawled on the ground."Maxine!" I yelled, getting to my feet and hurrying after her. Kris reached her before me and he gave me space as I took her head in my hands. "Maxine," I called shaking her.She trembled in my hands, her eyes closed, her teeth chattering from the impact."Get a healer!" I yelled, shaking her lightly. Varis came to my side, looking down at her. "What's wrong?" He asked."She got hit by that light," Kris supplied. I turned to Alaric, the spell caster."What happened?" I asked, unable to suppress the anger in my voice. He got do
MAXINEBefore I could question what Liam meant, he turned off the lights, leaving only the lamp on the bedside table. I heard the door opening."Get some rest, Maxine. I'll be in another room." He said. He closed the door, leaving me alone in his room with my thoughts.I wondered what he meant. Did the artifact do something to me that I didn't know? I had to admit, I was feeling energetic and better but that couldn't possibly be it.Soon, I dozed off, falling into a dreamless night. The days following the incident with the artifact were a blur of recovery. I was made to stay at home but I could only last a day.Even though I came back to work the next day because I was feeling okay, Liam and the others seemed to be monitoring me. They made sure I didn't overwork myself and nothing "strange" was happening to me. They told me that the spell caster said I had the artifact's energy in me and it would take a few days for it to wear off.It was a bit awkward getting monitored. They ensured
MAXINELiam's jaw tightened slightly, his mind probably racing with the implications of what this meant. "We need to understand what's happening," he stated firmly."I know," I replied, feeling dejected. "I just… I feel like something is happening to me."Liam thought about my words carefully. He met my eyes. "If that's the case," he began slowly, "we'll find out together. Whatever you're experiencing, whatever changes may come... you're not alone, Maxine. I want you to know that."His words brought comfort to me. I nodded. "Thank you," I murmured gratefully.Surprisingly, he opened his arms. "Come here," he said to me.I walked into his arms, hugging him for the first time. It felt weird, but it also felt good. I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my hand around his back."We'll figure this out," he assured me, patting my back. "Everything is going to be fine."That wasn't certain. Only one thing was certain—my life would never be the same again.Liam stayed all afternoon. Surpr
MAXINEHe tried the handle again, trying to open the door. "Maxine!" He called, the alarm audible in his voice.I jumped at the sound of Liam’s voice, my heart jumping into my throat. "I'm fine!" I cried, unable to hide the trembling of my voice.My hands were trembling and the claws still didn't go back. I couldn't take it anymore. I began to sob, crumpling to my knees on the floor."Maxine!" Liam called, hearing my cries. I heard the door knob turning and then the sound of wood breaking. Liam pulled it out completely, ripping the door open. He growled.I turned to see him standing in the doorway, the look on his face showing anger and concern. I hid my hands between my legs, biting my lips when a claw scratched my thigh.He walked in, seeing me on the floor. Liam crouched next to me, scanning my face for any injuries. “Maxine, what's happening? Is everything alright?” he asked.I forced a smile, nodding. “Just tired, I guess. A lot on my mind.” I lied.He didn’t look convinced. I fe
MAXINESeeing the spell caster meant that Liam considered this a serious issue. I snatched my hands back gently."There's no need," I said, remembering how Alaric had sounded when he was casting a spell. How the whites of his eyes had covered his irises and made him look like a creature of pure evil with all that makeup on his eyes.I didn't want that same man to tinker with me to find out what was wrong with me when surely, he hadn't dealt with anything like that."If I wait a few more days, I'm sure I'll be back to normal," I said giving Liam what I assumed was a reassuring smile. I wasn't scared of Alaric per se, but I was uncomfortable."Maxine…" Liam started."I'll be fine, I promise. I could take herbs and see if they'll help me. There would be no need for him to look at me and try to cast a spell on me or something." I whined."Is that why you're scared? You think he'll do something to you?" He asked. "Maxine, I'll be right next to you. I wouldn't let him do anything to harm th
MAXINEMy heart was racing in my chest and I wondered how long it would take him to fix whatever was wrong with me. I didn't need him to tell me what to do next.I closed my eyes. I tried to focus on anything but his voice as he chanted strange words. But he was the only one I could hear.Suddenly, I felt the water around me. It began to rise, halfway up my arm until it covered my ankle. I tried to open my eyes but it was impossible.The water dragged me under, filling my nose and filling my lungs. I tried to swim but the more I tried, the more I drowned. My body was like a rock, sinking deeper and deeper into this vast ocean of blue surrounding me.Soon, I ran out of air. I stopped struggling. I looked up towards the light breaking through at the top, a sign that it was the surface. I stretched my hands, trying to reach it.I exhaled, my eyes shutting as I let the water claim me.I gasped awake, coughing, and suddenly found myself on the forest floor. Dry leaves stuck to my wet skin