3 Realm of Nightmares
They walk out of the portal, only to realize they're back inside the house they started in. Hale grumbled in annoyance as Wes started lecturing him. Thea pulled a note out of her pocket after she put her new books in her bag.
"Guys, listen." She says, causing Wes to stop and look at her. "For the next scenario, you will all be forced to do the thing you hate most. This is the second level of the curse. In order to get to this scenario, you must tell eachother your biggest fears."
"What?! Our biggest fears?? And that was the first level?!" Hazel cried out, gripping onto Thea's still burnt arm.
"Okay, I'll go first. My biggest fear is the dark because of my great brother." Wes slowly explains, taking Hazel's arm out from Thea's.
"My biggest fear is death." Leo shudders, causing Hazel to laugh a little.
"I'm terrified of heights and insects." Hazel mumbled, causing Hale to laugh. "Well, what's your biggest fear, Hale?!"
"My biggest fears are- well- they're pretty funny actually- well- commitment and-" Hale hesitated for a moment. "And children."
Hazel giggled, and Thea even cracked a smile. Juliette burst into laughter.
"Fear the mighty children!!" Juliette exclaimed through laughter. "They bring commitment!!"
"Oh, ha ha!! What's your fear, princess?" Hale growls, glaring at Juliette.
"It's being forgotten, jerk." Juliette snaps, causing his glare to falter.
"Aw, I'll never forget you Juliette!!" Hazel comforted, giving said girl a smile.
"My fear is witches, after this experience." Nixson mumbles, causing the rest to laugh, except Thea who chuckles.
"Preach man!!" Leo screamed out.
"Who hasn't gone yet?" Wes asks, looking at the group.
Hale and Juliette immediately pointed at Thea, who was trying to leave the room. Hazel jumped up and grabbed Thea's arm. She turned around, seeming bored with the conversation.
"What's your fear or fears Thea?" Hazel questioned, the rest of the group staring at the two.
"Astraphobia and thalassophobia." She answers bluntly. "Fear of storms and fear of oceans."
"Oh, that's co-"
Hazel was cut off by the floor opening under them, causing them all to fall in. Thea let out a squeak of fear as she heard the thunder, but she quickly composed herself. Leo shot her a worried look, not hearing anything besides Juliette and Hazel's screams.
When they landed, they noticed they were in a black room. Looking around, they realized they were alone.
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Hazel watched in amazement as the room started to shift into something new. She felt air blow through her hair as she looked around. She looked down and screamed. Under her, there was cities streets, only she was far above it. As she was falling, she landed in a room of nothingness. The walls filled with pitch darkness, black all around her. She looked around the corners of the room, seeing spiders crawling out of them. She dropped onto her knees as she screamed again.
She felt the spiders crawling all over her clothes, causing her to cry out. She knew they weren't there, but it still terrified her. She felt something move in her pockets while her body was shuddering. She shakily pulled it out, and quickly realized it was a note.
Hazel,
If you want to see your friends. Face your fears.
She read over the note again. Then for a third time. Before she knew it, she had read it ten times.
"How am I supposed to do this alone!!" Hazel cried out.
The spiders stopped in a circle around her, prompting Hazel to let out a tiny whimper. She drew in a breath, and looked below her as she put her hand into the sea of spiders. She felt dizzy as she stared below her. She felt the spiders skitter up her arm again, only it was real this time.
"I can do this… I can do this…" She repeated these words over and over again, until she believed the words she was telling herself.
She lifted her hand, taking a handful of spiders with her. She thought of how much the others must be suffering right now. She continued staring below her, feeling her fears slowly being put to ease. She thought of Thea, and how scared she might be right now. She had to beat this for her friends. She had to.
The room quickly turned black again. Hazel's head snapped up and she looked around. On the wall across from her were the words 'You passed!!'.
"I… I did it?" She jumped up with joy. "I DID IT!!"
She noticed the wall opening up and walked towards the blinding light.
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Thea stared in shock as Hazel walked onto the boat she was in. Hazel looked around before her eyes landed on Thea.
"Thea!!" Hazel exclaimed, rushing towards the smaller girl.
Hazel attempted to wrap her arms around her, only to be slightly pushed away. Hazel hugs her anyways, unaware the burn was still on her body. Thea rolled her eyes in an attempt to ignore it, only wincing slightly.
"Where are we?" Hazel questions as she finally lets Thea out of the hug.
"We're on a ship." Thea answers.
"I see… let's go explore!!" Hazel shouted.
Before Thea could argue, Hazel started pulling her around the ship. There were people on the ship, and the two didn't know if they were real or not. When they reached the outside of the boat, Thea seemed relatively fine other than her grip becoming like steel. Thea's blank expression faltered as they neared the edge.
"Maybe we should go somewhere else." Thea suggested, trying to pull Hazel away.
"Nah, look at this view. It's beautiful!" Hazel sighed, pulling Thea closer to the edge.
Thea tried to resist, but stopped when her eyes landed on the sunset. To her, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She loved how the pinks, oranges, and purples of the sky melted into each other, creating a breathtaking masterpiece. Hazel smiled at the younger girl, pulling her into a side hug.
"It's….. beautiful…" Thea muttered, Hazel nodding in agreement.
"It really is." Hazel replied, as she turned to look at Thea.
Hazel felt proud that she was able to make Thea happy. Thea looked more relaxed, more carefree than when she smiled. She looked like a child, and it made Hazel wonder why she tried to hide so much.
Hazel smiled brightly as Thea turned to look at her. Thea rolled her eyes and turned around after hearing someone clear their throats. Hazel turned around too, confusion etched on her face.
"Alright people!! Who wants to go swimming!!" Some random blond guy cheered, the rest of the boat following behind.
"I think I'll sit this one out!" Thea chuckled nervously. "I don't even have a bathing suit!!"
"You can borrow one of mine, sweetie." A young woman offers, pulling her black hair out of a ponytail.
"Um- I do-"
"That's a great idea!! Thank you so much!! Do you have one I could borrow?" Hazel butts in, cutting Thea off.
The girl nodded with a smile, and brings them to a room. She hands Thea a plain black one piece, and hands Hazel a plain white bikini. The girl walks out after giving them a smile.
Hazel pushes Thea into the bathroom, before quickly changing into her swimsuit. She sits down and waits for Thea to come out. After five minutes, she gets bored waiting for her. She bangs her hand on the door.
"Thea, hurry up!!" Hazel complained.
"Okay, okay!! Jeez!!" Thea growled.
Thea slowly opened the door and walked out. Hazel beamed at her. It was obvious Thea was trying to cover up the burns she had gotten from Hale, with very little luck.
"I wish the others could see you now!! Let's go!!" Hazel giggles, grabbing Thea's hand and running back out to the deck.
Hazel let go of Thea and jumped into the ocean. A few seconds later, her head pops up. She motions for Thea to jump in as well, which she replies with sitting down. Hazel groans and climbs up the ladder.
"C'mon!! You want to find the others, don't you?" Hazel asks. "You just need to face your fears and we're gone!!"
Thea stared at her, before replying with a short "Fine." Hazel grinned at her, grabbing her forearms. Hazel pushed Thea into the water, before jumping in herself. They bobbed in the water for a while, Thea floating near the boat while Hazel swam around with people.
"Alright, dudes!! Come on back!! A wicked storm is about to start!!" The same guy from earlier shouted from the boat.
Thea was the first one on the boat, and sat waiting for Hazel. While she was waiting, it started raining. Everyone else was on the boat, and she couldn't see Hazel. She rushed over the ledge to see Hazel trapped in the currents. Thea bit her lip as she looked around, unsure of what to do. She could leave Hazel to die and go find the others, or she could face her fear to save Hazel. She knew what she had to do.
She walked away from the ledge, before turning around vaulting herself over it. She dived into the water and quickly swam up. She frantically looked around for Hazel, bobbing under the water a couple times. She spotted Hazel and started swimming towards her. Lighting and thunder resonated in her ears as she tried to reach her friend. She watched as Hazel started sinking, and quickly dove after her.
Her blurry vision was making it almost impossible to see, but she was determined to find her. She spotted something sinking and immediately started swimming towards it. The closer she got, the closer she was to knowing it was Hazel. She grabbed Hazel's hands and started swimming up, pulling Hazel along with her.
She gasped for air as she and Hazel reached the surface, before pulling Hazel towards the boat. She pulled Hazel in front of her and wrapped an arm around her. She started climbing the ladder, while carrying Hazel. She made it to the top and threw Hazel onto the boat. Thea pulled herself up, and landed on the deck with a 'thud'.
She crawled over to Hazel and pressed her ear to Hazel's chest, checking for a heartbeat. She sighed in relief when she heard the faint beating. She thought about how to wake Hazel, not really wanting to give her mouth to mouth.
"I'm sorry Hazel." Thea muttered, before slapping said girl. Hazel's eyes snapped open and she shot up, nearly hitting Thea in the process. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Thea mused, watching Hazel rub her now red cheek.
"Did you slap me!?" Hazel cried, holding her wounded cheek with a look of mock betrayal.
"Come on!! We gotta go!!" Thea chuckled, pulling Hazel off the ground.
They walked back to the room that Thea and Hazel started in, chatting on the way. They talked about their families, although Thea was more hesitant. They made it to Thea's room, only to see a soft glow coming from under the door. They glance at each other before walking in, blinded by the light.
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When they made it to the next room, they found Leo leaning over something, his shoulders shaking harshly. As they got closer, they could see what he was leaning over. Hazel looked over at Thea, whose eyes were wide with surprise. Leo was leaning over a terribly burnt Thea, blood and ashes falling off of her body.
Thea turned her head to the side, her face becoming pale. They could both clearly hear Leo's cries now, with Hazel cursing the gods for doing this to him. Hazel watched Thea step forwards, face still pale. She placed a hand on Leo's shoulder, causing him to flinch and snapped his head around.
When he made eye contact with her, he dropped the clone in his arms and shot up. He started wiping his eyes, a small yet fake grin making his way onto his face.
"Hey, you guys!" He grinned. "What's up? How'd you-"
"I'm not going anywhere, idiot. You promised our moms you would protect me, and I'm holding you to that." Thea interrupts him, giving him a small glare. "Don't disappoint me."
Leo stares at her for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her tightly. Thea's face turned to one of surprise, as she started awkwardly patting his back.
"It's okay -uh- champ?" She asked herself, looking down at Leo.
Leo let go of Thea and looked at Hazel. They stared at each other, before bursting into laughter. Thea rolls her eyes and looks down at her own corpse.
A shiver runs down her spine as her corpse's eyes locked with hers. Her corpse rolls over, both Hazel and Leo unaware of this, and places her hands on the ground. She pushes herself up and gives Thea an impish grin. She starts walking away, before turning around and motioning for Thea to follow her.
Thea turns to Leo and Hazel, who are still laughing, before briskly walking after her clone. She watches her clone morph into a young man with blonde hair. He locked eyes with Thea, who could now see his ice blue eyes.
"You're a spiritus." Thea breathed out, eyes widening in amazement.
The young man chuckles and nods.
"Yes, you're right. You may call me Vita, young one." Vita offered, flashing Thea a grin.
"You're Vita!! The spiritus of life!!" Thea gaped.
"Yes. I am, child. Heed my warning. You will soon face a challenge that will be difficult for you to do. You must let go of your past in order to move on in the future." Vita said, before disappearing.
Thea stared at the spot where he was, trying to wrap her head around this. She blindly walked back to the other two, who were standing at a glowing door calling her name. When Hazel spotted Thea, she rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, Leo joining soon afterwards.
"Come on, Thea!! We're almost halfway done!! We just gotta find Wes, Hale, Juliette, and Nixson and we've completed the task!!" Hazel exclaimed, pulling them through the door before Thea could utter a word.
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When they reached Hale's room, they spotted Juliette, Thea, and Hazel in a wedding dress, surrounded by kids. Leo growled in annoyance as the three clones tackled Hale, who let out a very manly scream.
Hale turned around to see Hazel and Thea, only to let out another manly scream. Both Hazel's pick up a child and grin evilly at Hale, before shoving the kids into his arms. The two Hazel's high five each other while giving Hale a smirk.
"Listen here, idiot. They are just kids, and nobody wants to marry you. You have literally nothing to be afraid of." Thea growls, a sharp glare on her features.
Hale gulped, and the children and clones started to shift. Leo, Hazel and Thea watch in confusion as they continued to change shape. Hazel and Leo burst into laughter upon seeing them change into an angry looking Thea. The original Thea had the same expression the others did, all of them slowly turning to look at Hale.
Hale gulps as their glares burn holes into him. The real Thea walks towards Hale, the others watching in confusion. Thea holds her hand out to Hale, who hesitantly takes it.
"Light your hand on fire." Thea says simply, causing Hale to try and pull his hand away.
"Hell no!! I don't want to make you angrier!! Let go!!" Hale growled, continuing to struggle to get his hand free.
"No!! You need to be able to not fear me. You need to know that I can still feel the pain that others inflict on me. Just light your fucking hand on fire you ignorant slut!!" Thea growls back.
Hale stopped struggling and began to glare at her. Quickly, both his and Thea's hands were engulfed in flames. Thea noticabley grit her teeth as the fire started climbing up her good arm.
Hale's flames go out almost as quickly as they started, and Thea's arm was as burnt as her other arm. A door appears behind Hale as the clones disappear, leaving one smirking Thea. "That is how you get rid of an irrational fear, my friends." Thea mused, walking through the door.
Hale grumbles as he walks through, and Hazel and Leo both share a look of confusion and fear.
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The four of them enter an empty room, looking around in confusion.
"Who's supposed to be in here?" Hale grumbles, causing Hazel to shrug. "Was anyone afraid of being invisible?" Thea shook her head and sat down.
"How do you guys not realize who's missing. They���re more important than the other guy that's missing." Thea states, rolling her eyes as her group sends confused looks her way.
Hazel sits down next to Thea and lays her head on Thea's shoulder, both ignoring the looks of confusion coming from the other two. Thea pulled out her spell book, and Hazel watched with complete interest. She skipped a couple of pages, before quickly glancing over the spell on the page.
"Sit visum videre." Thea recited, and a dark red mist surrounded the room.
Thea's eyes widened as the mist started traveling towards her. The others watched in amazement and confusion as fear passes through Thea's face. As the mist started to wrap around Thea's fingertips, she cried out.
"Invenire alia persona, et alia persona!!"
The mist immediately backed off and started circling something else in the room. Soon enough, Juliette stood in the middle of the room. They all stared at Thea in confusion as she got up and hurried towards the opening wall.
"Thea- wait-" Hazel exclaimed, and the remaining four followed Thea towards the light.
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The next room was pitch black, and the five could barely see anything. Hale lit his finger on fire, not noticing Hazel flinch slightly at the sight. Hazel scans around the room to spot someone in the corner. It was Wes curled in a ball.
Hazel and Hale (even though he doesn't want to admit it) both had a concerned look on their faces. Hale lit his hand on fire, illuminating the room with a warm glow. Hazel rushes over to Wes and pulls him in a tight hug.
"In lumine suo." Thea mutters, waving her hand at the group.
As soon as the words leave her lips, Hazel's body seems to be glowing. The others look at Hazel in shock, including Hazel herself.
"It's a simple spell, really. Wes, whenever you get frightened by something, Hazel will glow. The spell was supposed to be sent to someone you trust, so I guess Hazel is your walking nightlight." Thea explains, a small smile on her lips.
Hazel and Wes both blush lightly, while a door slowly opens behind them. Wes and Hazel rush towards the door, embarrassment present on their faces. Hale and Juliette then walk through after them, laughing out loud. Thea grabs Leo's wrist, and drags him through the door.
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Nixson was alone, staring at his mistress. She was glaring down at him, and he soon realized he was covered in blood.
"Lady Mortem, I-"
"Enough Volrak!!" Mortem bellowed. "You failed me!! You let them beat you!! You almost got killed by humans. Pathetic, measly, insignificant humans!! How worthless are you!!"
"My Lady, please let me-"
"NO!! I'm done giving you second chances, Volrak!! You are done!! I'm stripping you of your spiritus ranks!! You have failed me for the last time!!" Mortem screams at him.
'No.' Nixson thinks. 'I will not fail My Lady. I will get her what she needs, or die trying.'
At that thought, Lady Mortem disappears. As soon as she does, the six others walk through a door. A bright door appears and they all walk through it, with Thea glaring suspiciously at Nixson.
