8 PROTECT HER

"It started..." As soon as I closed my eyes to think, I drifted to dreamland. I saw a dream. It was bewildering. I went to a humongous place. When I went inside, I saw many uncanny things. It looked abandoned from the outside but on the inside, it was a place where the same kind of people stayed. There was a vast place where one can practice various martial arts.

Moving on I saw a place filled with gadgets, AI( Artificial Intelligence )gadgets and a lot of electronic devices. There were small robots as well. While walking over the enormous area, I eventually reached the centre of the place. That place in itself was huge, it was circular and there were few steps to go down. In the centre, there was a diamond-shaped glass place. I went inside and the floor glowed! Suddenly the place went a little up and I was able to see everything from there. It had a classic wooden wardrobe.

When I opened it, it had weaponry. I saw Bows on my right and arrow's on my left. In front, the cabinets were supposed to move out. I pulled and all of them came out as one. There were blades, laced whips, crossbows, throwing stars and knives. The cabinets were filled with Ranged, exotic and blunt weapons. After looking at those reams of weapons it looked like they were used to kill dark creatures! I closed the wardrobe.

And was about to move out when suddenly one of the cubes on the floor started to bring something up. It was a small pillar. It had a glass box and inside the glass box, I saw a single blue rose. It was floating inside the glass box. Its beauty was distinctive. I was mesmerised by it. I was going to touch it when I suddenly heard someone say "How have you been, my girl!?" I was shocked at who I was just listening to. I looked back and saw her, my mother.

"Mom" my eyes got watery. I wanted to go near her but she stopped me and I saw her flying in the air."Diana my girl, you are so strong! You've stayed strong for long enough don't you think it's time for you to give up?" I didn't understand what she wanted to say. " Mom, what are you trying to say?" I said impatiently. She growled and shouted at me, "What I want is your soul! It doesn't belong to you my girl" she came near me and started to caressed my face. "It doesn't belong to you, it belongs to me, to your mommy, My dear," I said, "What do you mean!?" She was laughing like a devil now. I couldn't believe what I saw. Was it the same person who loved her daughter to death? Wasn't she a kind and simple person? What is she trying to do? She said, "What I want is for you to die right now! At this very moment! Can't you do this for your mother whom you love the most?" She was talking like a crazy person. But somehow I was convinced by what she said. I loved her to the point where I can die for her. But it felt as if I was hypnotised.

She gave me a sharp knife to bleed myself to death. I accepted that. I took the knife and clenched my fingers. I started to bleed. Even though it was a dream it felt too real to be a dream. I was bleeding, I started to feel dizzy now. I bled enough to pass out. I felt as if someone was eating out my soul. Everything was blurry but I could still see my mother laughing like a crazy woman.

All of a sudden the main door from where I entered this place opened and I saw two familiar faces. Sebastian and Lucas! What were they doing here? Sebastian said something in gibberish and opened the glass door, Lucas almost turned into a wolf? He attacked her and was snarling at her, Sebastian took out a jade knife and bashed her. She disappeared into a cloud of green smoke.

The knife fell from my hands and I was about to collapse but then Sebastian held onto me and I was hugging him now. I could listen to his heartbeat it was beating at an inhumane pace. I had one hand on his shoulder and one on his chest. The blood coming out of my hand was fresh and warm. The blood was staining his clothes, but he couldn't care less. I was losing my consciousness.

When I abruptly woke up! I had beads of sweat on my forehead and palms. I was scared to death. But I woke up on my couch. I thought I slept on my bed. I saw my left palm just in case because I still couldn't believe that it was just a dream! I was startled! I had a fresh wound and it was band-aided. It pained. I hissed. Sebastian came out of nowhere and asked " Does it sting?" I was perplexed because I didn't remember him coming to the cottage, he went to the woods after our little chat! "What are you doing here?"

Lucas answered while bringing fruits "He called me last night and told me to check up on you because you weren't feeling good yesterday". I said, " So...?" He sighed and continued, huh!! , "I asked him to go to the cottage first even though he was saying no. We reached the cottage at the same time and saw that you were sleepwalking and almost tried to kill yourself with a knife! We somehow snatched the knife, but you bled enough by then." I was astounded by what he just said. I was terrified. How can a dream feel so real that I almost killed myself!? I was breathing heavily but Lucas held my hands and rubbed them which helped me to calm down a bit.

*Sebastian's POV*

I saw her being all terrified after she listened to Lucas. I was honestly worried about her. The disaster that happened last night shouldn't have taken place, and it should not happen in the future as well. She was possessed by a demon! It was a night hag or traditionally we can call him a Baku! A demon who eats dreams and souls. He shapeshifts to an individual that the person admires and likewise compels them in their sleep to kill themselves.

Diana was a victim because she is living in the cottage. This cottage is just a few miles away from our supernatural gateway. Also since Lizzie died the demons are free to go in and out of the gateway. Diana is her daughter but she shouldn't be the next guardian. I care about her. She is just a person whom I am irresistible of. She makes me feel something that nobody ever had. Last night when I saw her depressed and crying over her life. I felt the pain! She wasn't just a stranger to me now. She was becoming a part of my life. I'm weak but to protect her, I can go to all the lengths.

When I was thinking all this Lucas got a call from Max, with his eyes he signalled me and I knew what he meant, I gave him an indication to go on. With that Lucas said "Diana I'm sorry, but I have to go. Max needs me." Diana replied blandly " Yeah, it's alright. You can go!" Lucas didn't like the way Diana replied. He said " For today I'm leaving Sebastian behind. But we will talk tomorrow. We need to!" I was confused by the atmosphere they had created among themselves. Lucas left after saying those lines.

Max called Lucas because I told him everything that happened to Diana last night. He deserves to know it because he is the only legal guardian she has now. I told Max and Emilia to work on a spell so that we can protect Diana for the time being. Lucas would bring me the necklace at night and I'll make sure that Diana wears that.

She went to her room and took a shower. After the shower, When she was coming downstairs to the kitchen. She didn't look good. I wanted to make her feel better so I cooked. I wasn't a good cook but my magic made the food delicious and mouth watery. She sat at the table and looked at me and asked, " Were you honestly, worried about me?" I replied in a cold tone while serving her the brunch "Why? can't I? And how can I not? After what you did last night." She wasn't expecting that. She was bewildered and bit her bottom lip out of nervousness. I smirked and went near her. Our faces were just inches away. The dining table was in between us otherwise I might have lost my control over her lips by now.

*Diana's POV*

He came closer. We were just a kiss away when I got distracted by his necklace. I broke our moment and spoke, "What's with this necklace of yours?" He was disappointed as if he was expecting something else. He answered "Trust me when I say, the day I was born my mother found this in my crib. She is very spiritual! So I have been wearing this since the day I was born. Why are you asking though?", I replied, "Because I have the same bracelet." "WHAT!?" He was shocked and confused and so was I, to be honest.

I showed him the bracelet which was in my right hand carefully because that was my injured hand. My bracelet also had the same circular glass hanging on the chains. He was astonished. I looked at him and said" Why are you behaving like this? It's just the same bracelet! There can be a lot of designs of one piece!" He replied "No, Not this one. My mother told me it's ancient and I have seen it in my books that there are two-" He stopped talking and started to leave. " Where are you going?" He answered back " Don't open the door until and unless it's me, Lucas or Max. Okay? I'll be back shortly!".

Just like that he left and banged my door AGAIN! I yelled even though he left "Yaa! How am I supposed to eat that delicious food with my injured hand?" I felt feverish and went to my room to check my temperature. I had a hundred and one fever. I felt cold. So I just thought I should sleep with my quilt on. But I was afraid to do so because of the nightmare I had.

I wore a hoodie and went downstairs. I was bored so I thought I should take a walk. When I went out I remembered what Sebastian told me. But I couldn't care less because I had a fever and I almost died last night. So I should take a walk to feel fresh. It was pleasant to walk in the woods alone, it felt so perfect because I could smell the dirt due to last night downpour. The sun was setting and I had to go back but I lost my way and it was dark. I got scared when I suddenly bumped into somebody from back...