Episode 2

“Serena,” I heard a voice echo in my head as I started to regain consciousness and touch with reality. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a group of women around me. I tried to look around but I realized I was tied down to where I lay.

“What’s this?” I panicked, failing to recognize the faces of the women hovering over me and I also failed to recognize where I was. The last thing I remembered was seeing my mother's lifeless body in front of me. This place was different.

I was laid on some kind of wooden bed with leaves and vines that tied me down. I looked around and I was in a cottage which I was guessing belonged to witches but I didn’t know those witches.

“Relax, you need your strength back,” one of the women said to me. She was obviously old but still had black, healthy hair. She had wrinkles on her face and her hands with bright red lips. She looked like she used to be a very beautiful woman in her days.

“I don’t, I do need to get the fuck out of here!” I yelled, attempting to break free from the trap but the more I tried, the hotter the vines got and it stung.

“Oh, she curses too,” another woman noted out, cackling as she hovered a transparent cup over me in circles. This woman was a bit younger than the first, with brown hair and brown eyes.

“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here and why I’m trapped here?” I asked, already fed up with their absolute silence. I tried to use my magic to cut the vines but my magic didn’t penetrate the vines.

“Stop that, child,” the first woman said, sternly this time, and for some reason, I obeyed quickly.

“Why did that sting?” I asked, surprised at how my magic failed to penetrate the vines. My survival instincts immediately told me that I was in trouble.

“It’s the vine of life. It gave you the powers you possess. You can’t use against it,” the brown-haired woman muttered.

“Okay, so why am I here?” I asked a bit more politely this time and they both smiled.

“We were summoned by your mother, Eloise Blackwood,” she said and I gasped.

“That’s impossible, where is she?” I asked, frantically searching around the room with my eyes like I didn’t already see her die before me.

“We can only be summoned by the Coven Queen and we can only appear when she is dead,” the black-haired one said and I just stared at her, trying to process what she meant.

“Your mother summoned us so we can perform a ritual and pass down her strength, memories, and powers to you as her next in line,” she said and all the pieces were finally coming together.

“Oh, I see…” I said, still processing what she had just said when I heard a wheezing sound from the back.

“Oh, the ritual is ready to commence,” the brown-haired one ran excitedly to a large pot in the corner of the room where I lay. She wavered her hand and the magic fire was immediately quenched.

With the wave of her hand again, the vines slowly let go of me and I was free to move.

“Sit,” she commanded and I immediately sat up while she poured some amount of the content of the pot into a bowl then brought it to my feet.

“Place your feet in here child. And whatever you see, don’t run.” I had no idea what she meant but I looked at her suspiciously and then carefully placed my feet into the content of the bowel.

I found myself lying under a tree, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of fresh grass and flowers. Slowly, I opened my eyes, my surroundings unfamiliar and serene.

Confusion washed over me as I tried to recall how I ended up here. Instinctively, I reached out to summon my magical powers, only to discover that they were inexplicably dormant. Panic began to creep in as I scanned the area, searching for any signs of life, but there was no one to be found.

Suddenly, a mirror appeared before me, startling me with its sudden appearance. Without thinking, the words, "Mirror, mirror on the wall," slipped past my lips, as if compelled by an unseen force. To my astonishment, I saw the reflection of my mother gazing back at me from the mirror's surface. I examined my own hands and dress, then back to the mirror, but I still appeared to be a younger version of my mother. Before I could understand the strangeness of the situation, the mirror vanished, and darkness consumed the sky above.

As the darkness loomed, raindrops started to fall, but instead of water, they were crimson droplets of blood. I shuddered, realizing it was the full moon. Fear propelled me into motion, and I began running away from the tree, desperate to escape the scene.

However, no matter how far I ran, I found myself returning to the same spot beneath the tree. It was as if the very ground refused to release me from its grip. This bizarre cycle repeated itself five times, each time heightening my anxiety.

Just when I believed I was trapped forever, the tree suddenly came alive, its branches transforming into a gaping maw that swallowed me whole. My heart pounded in my chest as I fell through the darkness, a bone-chilling scream escaping my lips. With a resounding thud, I landed on the dusty ground, disoriented but relieved to be free from the tree's clutches.

Struggling to compose myself, I took in my surroundings, only to be confronted by a menacing circle of werewolves. Their fierce gazes bore into me, and I realized that I had fallen into the den of the alphas. Five of them advanced toward me, their predatory instincts honed on my presence.

"Look, guys. Manna just fell from heaven," one of the alphas remarked, his voice filled with a disturbing mixture of desire, hunger, and loathing.

"What are you doing here?" another alpha demanded, but I stood frozen, unable to utter a single word. I wondered how fate had led me to the territory of these powerful alphas, knowing full well the deep-rooted enmity between witches and werewolves. The urge to run surged within me, but I remembered the brown-haired witch's warning not to run, no matter the circumstances. Reluctantly, I forced myself to remain motionless.

"This is just a dream. It's not real," I muttered to myself, desperately clinging to the hope that this was a mere illusion. Yet, everything and everyone appeared undeniably real. Doubt clouded my mind as I grappled with the implications of my situation, fearing even more what would happen if I dared tried to run.

Before an alpha could pounce on me, another one burst into the room, leaping onto his fellow alpha and engaging in a ferocious brawl. The room erupted with a cacophony of growls and snarls as the alphas transformed into their full wolf forms.

"What are you doing, Daniel? She's a witch! We must eliminate her!" one of the alphas barked, his voice laced with hostility. However, Daniel, the alpha who had come to my defense, emitted a menacing growl in response.

"You'll have to go through me," Daniel declared, his voice filled with determination as he lunged at his fellow alphas, defending me with unwavering resolve.

The air was tense as Daniel stood bravely against the other alphas. He turned into a big black wolf, ready to fight. The other alphas growled and attacked him, trying to hurt him.

Daniel was quick and dodged the first alpha's attack. He fought back, scratching and biting him. The second alpha tried to attack from the side, but Daniel saw it coming and avoided it. He bit the second alpha and made him run away.

I was scared and confused, not sure what was happening. I watched as Daniel fought the alphas, hoping he would win. I couldn't move because I was told not to run.

The remaining alphas gathered together and planned their attack. Daniel howled, showing he was strong and ready. The first alpha tried to bite him again, but Daniel fought back, biting and scratching. They were both really fierce.

Another alpha tried to sneak up on Daniel, but I couldn't stay silent. I screamed really loud, distracting the alpha. This gave Daniel a chance to defend himself.

I watched Daniel fight with all his might, protecting me. His black fur was flying everywhere, and his muscles were strong. He was faster and smarter than the alphas, and he slowly weakened them.

“We live to fight another day,” one of the alphas finally surrendered, leaving with the remaining alphas while Daniel turned to face me.

With heavy breaths, he slowly started turning back to his normal self and I could help but admire what a handsome man he was. He was extremely perfect but why was he helping me?

“What’s your name?” He asked, giving me his hand so he could pull me up from the dusty ground.

“Eloise,” I said and was shocked because my name was Serena. Eloise was my mother’s name. It was then that I realized I was in my mother’s world.

He looked at me so intently as though he was studying every single part of my face and each moment our eyes jammed, I felt a flame within me. It was the witch's flame that happened when you found your true to be. The man/woman whom you were to spend the rest of your life with.

I stared at him longer, unable to understand what was happening between us and that was when I saw the veins on his neck, pop out as if he was trying to hold something back, and then suddenly, he flashed me a wide smile and I saw his fangs were out.

He stepped closer to me as if he was trying to kiss me.

“What are you doing?” I asked and without warning, he sank his fangs into the side of my neck and I let out a loud shriek.

I was always told that werewolves couldn’t resist their mates. They would mark their mates and when the mark was starting to fade, they’d have the irresistible urge to mark them on that same spot again.

I was shocked when I realized that Alpha had just marked me.

Wait… does it mean? No!