Chapter 5

It has been a few months ever since the tournament finished, Esmeralda was sat in the library minding her business waiting for the perfect opportunity to use her magic and portal down to see Cleo, but as soon as the librarian looked away she went jumped through with her possession landing behind the pillar she hid behind on the first day they met.

"What should we do to her now, Albus? We can't find her partner anywhere" The librarian asked concerned about the thought of another out break if they do end up permanently destroying this familiar even though an outbreak capable of destroying an entire city can only be caused by unusual familiars like Cleo as ones similar to her kind haven't been found believing that she's the only one left.

"I guess we have to prepare for the worst.." Albus replied walking off as the librarian followed right after him unsure that the Kingdom could withstand another outburst so ground breaking again and might actually cause the caves beneath them to crumble and cave in sucking the entire kingdom at once forever.

"You sure? Are we even ready to go against such power! No one even knows who it is yet and my library would be in great danger because of this stupid idea" worrying about her precious library as Albus rolled his eyes as he couldn't care less about it since he already had the knowledge he needs to ensure the safety of his students.

While disappearing up the stairwell Esmeralda rushed over to Cleo who was barely holding on collapsing to the ground completely exhausted.

"Im sorry, Esmeralda.. I am unsure of how long I can keep going on like this.." Cleo apologised as a painful gut feeling began to stir in Esmeralda's stomach getting down on her knees hugging the face of her huge 9 tailed best friend.

"Don't leave me.. you're the only one I can trust and actually understands me" Esmeralda begged as tears began to form filling up her eyes making it harder to see as Cleo gently nuzzled herself closer.

"I'm too old.. my kind aren't actually meant to live forever like you wizards can.. but I assure you, there are more similar to where I came from hiding away that are just as compatible as we are and could potentially become your actual familiar. It's just going to take some time that's all" Cleo weakly reassured her human looking friend that everything is going to be just fine even if she were to disappear.

"It's not fair.. I want you to be by my side and run away back home with me.. I had it all planned out and everything!" Esmeralda sobbed making Cleo feel bad but her time had come to say goodbye and finally be at peace again.

"Don't worry.. I will always be here with you, my friend" those were Cleo's last dying wishes as her head became heavy too heavy for Esmeralda to hold forcing her to put it down as gently as she could seeing that her best friend was dead laying there lifeless right beside her.

"It's not fair.. You did nothing wrong" Esmeralda whimpered to herself plopping her face into Cleo's soft white fur coat as her hands gently clenched grabbing some of the fur crying it all out for a good 5 minutes until Cleo's body began to glow brightly startling Esmeralda as she quickly crawled backwards seeing her dead best friends body beginning to float off from the ground as the chains slipped off fazing through her body before Cleo turned into a spirit like identity as her head looked up darting her eyes straight at Esmeralda before dashing straight towards her entering into her body sending a shiver down the girl's spine. "That the..?" She mumbled looking at her chest seeing the Pendant Cleo or she think she did gave her at the beginning as it was still intact and unharmed as she let out a big sigh of relief before suddenly blacking out laying of the stone floor completely knocked out unaware of Albus' return seeing her laid there as he rushed over quickly checking her pulse.

"Still breathing.. how did she get down here? And where is Cleo?!" Talking to himself as his worst fear has came true using his magic to portal her back to her room not expecting much despite finding her in a room where no other student other than Theo and Becky are aware of it existence. What will he do?

Theo was alerted to keep an eye on Esmeralda until the situation is resolved and take care of and until then he shouldn't take his eyes off of her not even for a second as anything could happen ending all reality for all we know.

When Esmeralda slowly woke up from unconsciousness groaning while sitting up holding her head before seeing Theo stood at the window admiring the scenery watching as Albus scanned the entire Kingdom for Cleo's signature and trap her down.

"Theo? What are you doing here? And how did I end up in my room?" She asked as he quickly looked back and smiled as if nothing bad is happening before walking over to her bed sitting on the edge beside her.

"Albus told me to keep a close eye on you that's all just after finding you passed out of the stone cold floor in beast dungeon" he replied not wanting to go on any further a he believes that she has no clue about Cleo's existence, but really she knew far more than anyone especially Albus.

"What?! How did I bloody end up down there?" She asked confused as he got nervous scratching the back of his head unsure of what to reply.

"I-um.. just don't tell him that I told you or he'll kill me!" Theo suddenly begged making her nod frantically as he sighed with relief knowing that he could count on her. "Oh I knew I could count on you, babe. Well, it's just that the reason he's got me watching you because you're the last one to be in the room where it happened. Are you sure you have no clue on how you got down there?" Ending his no helping explanation with a question as she shook her head no not wanting to speak as she knew that her voice would crack when explain how she got in there. "Are you suurrree?" Pushing her even more just like a kid would as she kicked him off the bed hearing his BITT collide with the wooden floor.

"No you idiot! I was reading bloody books in the library thats it! Now stop bugging me" she yelled being a teeny over dramatic, but he believed as he stood up rubbing the back of his butt in response.

"Okay.. you couldn't just said that instead of kicking me like that" Theo complained before diving on top of her as she screamed not expecting it landing on top of her as the two laughed at one another before looking into one another's eyes as Theo made the first move kissing Esmeralda straight in the lips as her arms wrapped around him going along with it despite already dating. Theo was about to make another move when the door to Esmeralda's room creaked over making him fly off of her in a flash not wanting to be caught in action, but it was a false alarm as Becky came through seeing how nervous and sweat he was while Esmeralda just laid there in the same spot acting pretty chill and confused on what had just happened.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked looking at the two, but Esmeralda was about to speak Theo but in.

"No!.. ahem I mean no, no you weren't" he replied trying to collect himself as Becky shrugged her shoulders before sitting on the bed beside him being uncomfortably close which made things slightly suspicious as he nervously glanced back at forth between the two.

"Shit.. I'm jealous" Esmeralda thought looking away from the two as she flipped herself around and got off from the bed letting her hair down purposely teasing him as he shot up rushing over at her and hugged her as she peaked over his shoulder sticking her tongue her out at Becky before rodding her off pissing off the blonde. "Hehehe, he's mine bitch" thought it herself before unexpectedly grabbing his butt causing him to jump.

"Ah! Esme!" He screamed not aware that his girl was capable of such nasty behaviour despite slightly liking it.

"Awkwardly enough you've got a nice butt" Esmeralda mumbled feeling how unusual plump it was despite being a boy making Becky even more jealous by the second.

Whatever happened next made things far more weirder as Felix walked in with Albus instantly making Esmeralda retract her hands before pushing Theo away in order to see what the old wise man wanted. "We need to have a word" he serious instructed looking only at Esmeralda leaving her no other choice, but to follow him back to his magic room where all the magic happens.

"Oh fudge.. does he know?" Thinking to herself scared to death of what could happen if he finds out what exactly happened down in the best dungeon where Cleo spent most of her old life trapped down there for no reason, but to be blamed for her partners mistakes and miss use of magic. However the talk was only about some test she got a a above average score despite being the perfect student.

A month went by and Esmeralda had noticed that Theo had been acting awfully weird these past 2 weeks every time Becky came around interrupting their couple time leaving her no other option, but to follow them or find out what these idiots are actually doing behind her back. So during recess Esmeralda kept a close eye on Theo as he met up with Becky heading into the library which was odd as the two never liking going there for specific reasons which made Esmeralda even more determined than before going full assassin mode and went in, but when she did they were nowhere to be seen so she went to the librarian.

"Um, have you happened to see where Becky and Theo could've went?" She nervously asked as the librarian shrugged her shoulders clearly lying and went back to work.

Esmeralda's PoV:

I sighed before walking off in the opposite direction the spinning bookshelf waiting for the librarian to be completely distracted as using magic here would trigger her, but that wouldn't be fun would it? I grew the courage and used a gravitational spell that aloud me to walk on the ceiling and other bookshelves that surrounded the librarian as she was unfazed about me using magic in her library which was against the rules, but this is an emergency in my books.

When arriving at the magical spinning bookshelf I easily found the book pulling it as I was quickly met with the stairwell looking down I gulped before taking a big breath in and out knowing how bad this room is as it reminded her of the memories of Cleo.

"I swear they better not be down here" thinking to myself as I confidently get nervously headed down the stairwell unaware of what I was going to witness. When reaching the bottom the room was oddly quiet without Cleo there to talk to, but when I looked further on near to where she used to be chained my heart dropped seeing the thing I hated the most.. cheaters. Backstabbing, lying mother fucking cheaters!

"When are you going to tell her that I'm better?" Becky cockily asked acting all lovely dovely despite being a selfish centred blonde bitch. I gritted my teeth so betrayed by the ones I gave second chances too and now I regret doing so.

"Tell me what?! That you're cheating on me" I butted in scaring the both of them as Theo looked more concerned than Becky while a smile came up on her face. "I don't know why you're smiling? Have you seen yourself?" I responded seeing that smile flip upside down in seconds as she stopped her foot against the ground like a brat.

"Babe it isn'—" before he could even finish i lifted up my finger stopping him right there.

"No, I ain't your babe. The brat baby is, so get out of my face before I get rid of the both of you myself" I threatened as Becky didn't want to leave crossing her arms being arrogant as always. I hated that about her since she never listens and I'm about to feel havoc on this bitch.

"Come on I can explai—WOW!" He yelled as anger completely filled my body allowing my magic to take control as I was unable to contain it any longer. The pendant began to glow vigorously as my eyes began to glow a bright scarlet red while that same mysterious aura from a few months back when I got my pendant formed around me forcing my hair to flow along with it while the place slowly began to crumble due to my new intense magic.

"I regret everything. trusting you. Loving you. EVERYTHING! You're worth nothing to me now so BE GONE!" I exclaimed lifting my arm up at them revealing only bad intentions in my actions while footsteps rushed up from behind forcing me to look back as Albus used his magic sending me backwards into the same spot where he had once chained Cleo.

"I should've known you were up to something! Now I have to punish you and your partner" Albus yelled as chains shot up from the ground clicking permanently around both wrists and ankles before aggressively trying to tug me down, but something within me didn't want to let that happen gifting me with more power than before as I yelled pulling snapping the chains clean off from their hinges starling the old wise wizard as if that was his only plan. "Theo! Becky! Give me a hand here!" He ordered as they willing with no second thought combined their magic to make a set of chains that not even I or this thing inside me could break.

"You traitors! Look at what you've done! They aren't going to forgive you for this" I replied not knowing what the heck I was saying, but I knew it wasn't me anymore seeing Albus just glaring down at me then at my pendant enraged me even after he used his magic to rip straight off my neck as this power that was once in me vanished losing all my magic to these chains. My clothes were too changed into horrible ragged clothing as if I was some sort of slave to them.

"Take this as a lesson, one that is going to take you centuries to learn.. sadly Merlin won't be notified about this so I'll keep this interesting and tell him something that'll keep him away from my territory, for good. A reason that would make you regret coming along with me" he coldly spoke aiming it straight at me as if I was the one who caused him trouble, but that wasn't me!

"It wasn't my fault! Whatever just happened just then wasn't because of me, something took control of my body!" Telling him the truth and yet he huffed in disbelief as if something within me has changed, but what exactly? Why can't they just tell me?!

"Haha! I guess you have to look into a mirror, oh wait, you can't!" Becky teased making it pretty obvious that something is clearly am wrong with me and why is she acting so mean all of a sudden? Aren't we supposed to be friends?

"Why are you being such a brat?! Aren't we supposed to be friends?" I replied as she grew disgusted at the word before out of nowhere another chin cuffed around my neck pulling me onto my knees like some sort of beast. I glanced over at Theo as he closed his eyes and looked away disappointed in himself making me feel self conscious of my own appearance.

"Actually, you're never going to leave this place, so you 'friends' in Camelot are going to get some very bad news about you.. so get comfortable as you won't be leaving Phoenix anytime soon" Albus said before gesturing the two to follow him as they felt me down here without looking back even once.

"Wait! Don't leave on my own down here! Please?!" I begged watching them fade away up the stairwell leaving me completely alone down here where it was silent, cold and mild meddling. Why do I have to be treated like some Monster? All I've done was be nice to your people and this is the thanks I get?!

I failed to do anything right. They're going to lie to my friends and keep me trapped down here for who knows how long and yet I must at least try and find a way to break these chains, but I know that there is nothing I can do at these odds, they took my magic away.

"I'm sorry, Cleo.. I have failed you" mumbling to myself thinking about my best friend finally feeling the pain she had felt for who knows how long. Thoughts coming quickly as they go filled my mind on what my friends would be thinking believing Albus' fake news and lies by the fact that I am actually still alive and yelled down here for who knows how long?!

Even throughout the years life didn't get any better I was now a victim to their sick plans using my magic just so their kingdom remained powerful using too much draining me of what I have left. Do they even know what they're even doing to me anymore? This can kill me when all my magic gets used up too much as it resigns within my soul and without that I will get dangerously weak to the point I won't be able to resist and more likely be taken control of the darkness of black magic.

I hope they know what they're doing cause whatever happens next I will be sure to have my revenge on them one way or another.