Chapter 9: Running Away

"Miss Crystal!"

Crystal looked behind the three guys and found James who looks exhausted. He was breathing heavily as if he runs here without stopping. Crystal worried about the boy and step forward towards him, but Fae, Lux, and Oz stopped her and blocked her view from the kid.

"What are you three up to? James is just a kid!"- Feeling the hostility coming off the three while they were staring at James. Crystal was bewildered and perplexed at this, why are they so hostile and wary of James?

"No wonder, Miss Crystal, that you were too immersed in the curse for a long time," Fae said before looking at her way. His expression was filled with remorse and pity that made her baffled.

"That is why the curse is so effective and you do not even catch the 'witch' on the act," Oz said as he tightened his fists. Crystal has an inkling of the person they were referring to, but she cannot accept the fact that it was that person.

"Miss Crystal, w-what are they talking about? A-Are they bullying you?!" James asked in his shaking voice. She can feel and hear his bewilderment and fear, however, Lux, Oz, and Fae were very adamant to not let her get close to the child.

"Miss Crystal, I suggest you consume it now and see with your own eyes what the 'real world' truly was."- Lux said and prepared his dagger. Crystal hesitated before putting her hand above her belly, the Twins were not making a fuss, so does that mean it's safe for her to believe in them?

'I am a transmigrated person who is holding the life of the twins by the will of the soul that departed this world. I am with no knowledge of this body's past and cannot actively reach out to strangers who might secretly be after this body's head or for the twins... How exactly can I move from this situation? I can't trust anyone... nobody at all... But this...' Crystal stared at the vial in her hands in doubt, her grip was hard but it didn't break.

"Miss Crystal, only by opening your own eyes can you judge fairly the situation we are in right now, please take it!"- Lux shouted at her to stop her from her trance. She flinched from his loud and intimidating voice, along with the buzzing noise that was hovering close to her ears.

[They're just lying to you]

[They wanted to harm you and your children]

[Why would they try to meddle now when you don't have any valuable thing to own? Their lying!]

[Lying! Lying! They're just lying to you!]

"Fae, help the Miss! She's being brainwashed!" Crystal heard Lux yelled for Fae to rescue her from something she cannot even see but hear only! Holding her by the shoulders and helping to sit at the chair nearby, Fae made sure she was steady before casting a spell using a foreign language that Crystal doesn't understand. After he finished the chant, Crystal felt so much better looked up to meet Fae's face, however, what she saw behind him almost got her a heart attack!

"B-Behind you!" Crystal shouted in both fear and surprised that alerted Fae and dodged the attack. She watched in a daze as she saw the glimpses of the 'real world' they were talking about, and she was scared, very scared- no! Petrified even!

"Miss Crystal! Please drink the potion! We will protect you and get you out of this place- so please trust us even just this once!" Lux grabbed her attention and desperately told her to drink the potion. Crystal's sweaty palms clenched harder before she took a deep breath and uncapped the vial, drinking it in one go while a thought floated inside her mind.

'As long as I live and protect the twins- it doesn't matter. I'll definitely keep them safe!'

"Fae! Oz! Now!" She heard Lux shouted and she opened her eyes to look, once again, she cannot contain the gasped of fear escaping her lips.

Everything was dark, nothing from the previous mirage she has been living could not be seen in the 'real world'. Everything looks old and nasty, she can smell a foul smell that made her gag in disgust but she held the bail from rising inside of her and grimaced.

'Instead of living in a neat house... this looks like a prison cell... the dirtiest I ever encountered! H-How- Did I live here for how many months?!'

Crystal was overwhelmed with the first part of the revelation, and she has gone into another shock when she looked at the door of the place- James, the little sweet and caring boy who was looking after her was nothing like the person standing in front of her.

'W-Who is that? I cannot recognize the face, but the posture and body structure- an old female?' She was bewildered and cannot deny the fact that she was disgusted at the state of the old lady's appearance. Her smiling expression brings a shiver and uncomfortable feeling upon her.

"Miss Crystal, please do not look at her directly because you might get bewitched again,"- Lux put a hand on her shoulder before he looked at his other companions to keep the magical shield that was keeping them at a reasonable distance away from the old lady.

'Is this what they call a forcefield? The Old lady is a witch? Lux, Oz, and Fae are what then?' Crystal looked at them with inquiring gaze but the three were busy fending off the unnatural beings that finally entered Crystal's sight.

'Oh! Whoa! What are those hideous creatures?! You monsters! Don't you know that gazing at something ugly can affect the appearance of my twins?! What in the world?!' Crystal can't help but grimace and wanting to close her eyes shut from seeing such monstrous and disgusting-looking monsters.

"Miss Crystal, please do not lower your guards. The witch's monsters might attack you!" Oz suddenly cautioned Crystal that made her flinched and open her eyes to meet the disgusting monster hitting the forcefield with all its might. Crystal bit her tongue inside of her mouth and only grimaced, not peeping a word, however, inside her mind, she was cursing the monster with all the foul words she knows.

Lux, Oz, and Fae successfully defeated the witch's monsters, and when they turn to look at Crystal, they all saw her wearing a cold expression while looking at one of the monsters twitching in pain and close to dying. They were surprised at her steel-like nerves facing such monsters, however, they turn back to face the witch whose sole target is Crystal. They can sense it, the witch is preparing a middle-tier hex! They need to caution Crystal!

"Miss Crystal!" She heard Lux called her and she looked back in his direction. At the same time, the dark ominous energy caught her attention as well. She was quick in her footwork and jump sideways to avoid the dark energy, however, it seems to be chasing her. She was bewildered and run away from it in the small space.

"How can it chase me inside this forcefield?! Answer me, you three!" Crystal shouted at the three dumbfounded men who were busy chasing her with their eyes.

"A-Ah! T-This shield is just low-tier magic, t-the hex is middle-tier so it can pass through the b-barrier, Miss Crystal!"- Fae stuttered with a red face. Crystal didn't have time to look in their direction and immediately told them to help her, but they were clueless about how to dispel and stop the hex. Crystal can't help but roll her eyes and started to think rationally. It helps that she is a vampire, she can sort her thoughts while moving faster than any human.

'The caster is the witch and these three don't know how to dispel this dark magic. This spell flying after me seems to be manipulated by that Witch so the only thing left is to... directly hit!'

After brooding at her plan, she immediately changes the direction and runs towards the direction of the witch.

"If you don't wanna die, you better dispel this hex or you're really gonna have it!"- Crystal said in a voice directed to the Witch who was caught in surprise. The Witch was too slow and as soon as Crystal passed her and get out of the building, the hex hit the Witch, and immediately, she got shrouded with the dark energy. Crystal didn't look back, judging from her agonized scream and pig-like squeals, she knows that the Witch is dying miserably.

She looked around outside the streets and felt depressed. She was inside this town for a long time, and she thought that she can finally settle down and raise the twins first before traveling, but all this time she was being held a prisoner inside a mirage.

Looking down she carefully rubbed her belly and quietly said her apologies to the twins.

"I was too naive and got imprisoned in a place that almost endangered you both. I am sorry, my twins. I will be careful next time, and I will take care of the both of you, I promise."- Crystal told the twins and received two kicks from the twins. She grimaced a bit from the pain before she turns around and looked at Fae, Lux, and Oz going outside the run-down building.

"Miss Crystal, it's best for us to get out of this town first before the sun sets, will you please join us and take you to safety?" Lux asked her and bow down to her like a proper knight, Fae and Oz also bow down to her.

There was some lingering doubt inside of her mind, looking at both advantages and disadvantages of being with them and going somewhere unknown. However, there was no place that is familiar to her, not when the body still refuses to give her the memories of the original. But if she ventured alone, then she would be exposed to higher risks.

Crystal took a deep breath, she finally decided on her future path.

"Take me with the three of you, in one condition." Crystal composed her expression and gaze down at them, her tone is serious and monotone.

"Yes, please tell us your condition, Miss Crystal." Lux said and waited for her to speak while Fae and Oz were both quiet throughout the exchange.

"Tell me everything you know, don't let any information behind." She said and looked at them one by one.