18. Mother

 Isabelle POV

The figure stepped forward; her identity hidden by the radiant glow. But her presence filled me with a sense of hope and strength, a deep connection with her arising from my heart. As the light began to fade, the figure raised her head, and I gasped in shock.

It was someone I never expected someone I thought lost to us forever.

My heart skipped a beat. It was our mother, standing there in a radiant glow, her presence both comforting and awe-inspiring. She looked exactly as I remembered her, yet there was an ethereal quality to her now, a power that seemed to emanate from her very being.

"Mother?" I whispered in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing.

She smiled, a look of fierce determination in her eyes. "Yes, Isabelle. I have returned. And I won't let the Destroyer succeed with his evil plans." 

I wanted to hug her tightly, I wanted to kiss her in my excitement of having her back. Keeping all the questions at bay, I focused on what needs to be done. 

A loud roar of fury emanated from the thick, dark shadows. "You cannot stop me! You are nothing but a ghost!"

But my mother raised her hand, and a wave of light surged forward, clashing with the dark energy of the Destroyer. What I had to practice every day with my power of light, she easily did with just a wave of her hand. The ground shook, and the sky seemed to split open as the two forces collided.

"Isabelle, Xander," my mother called out, her voice filled with urgency. "We need to act now. The only way to weaken the Destroyer is to break his hold over Chelsea."

I looked at Chelsea , standing there, a pawn in the Destroyer's game. Her eyes, once filled with warmth, were now cold and distant. I knew what we had to do, but the risk was enormous.

"We will save her mother. Xander and I are going to wake her from whatever evil trance the Destroyer has put her through!"

My mother nodded; her eyes filled with pride. "I will hold off the Destroyer. You must reach Chelsea and break the spell that binds her."

As my mother continued to clash with the Destroyer, Xander and I made our way towards Chelsea, passing through minions fighting against vampires. The ground was a battlefield, littered with fallen minions and weakened vampires. Fallen trees and debris, scattered all over, a testament to the destruction wrought by the dark forces.

"Chelsea," I called out, my voice filled with desperation. "Listen to me. You have to fight him. You're stronger than this."

She looked at me, a flicker of recognition in her eyes. But the darkness still held its grip on her. She flinched from my touch, moving away from me. "Stay back!" she shouted, her voice laced with pain and anger. "I don't want to hurt you."

"We're not leaving you," Xander said, stepping forward. "We're family. And we'll fight for you. We are here for you Chelsea." Xander's words clearly softened Chelsea's heart as her face exhibited a tender look, her eyes speaking to us softly. 

As we reached her, the ground shook violently, and a deafening roar filled the air. The Destroyer was pushing back, his power overwhelming.

"Isabelle, Xander!" my mother cried out, her voice strained. "You must hurry!"

We grabbed Chelsea's hands, our combined strength holding her steady. I could feel the dark energy pulsing through her, a tangible force trying to push us away.

"Fight it, Chelsea," I urged, my voice choked with emotion. "Remember who you are. Remember your family. Remember the people who loves you."

Tears streamed down her face, and I could see the struggle within her. The blood bond between us, though strained, was still there, and I held onto it with everything I had.

The air crackled with energy, and I felt a surge of hope as Chelsea's eyes began to clear. The darkness was receding, and for the first time, I saw the sister I wanted to have.

She whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said, my heart aching for her. Embracing her tight. "We're going to get through this. Together."

But just as it seemed we were winning, a shadow loomed over us. The Destroyer, realizing his hold was slipping, unleashed a final, desperate attack. A wave of dark energy hurtled towards us, and there was no time to escape.

"NO!" my mother screamed, throwing herself in front of us with lightning speed. The dark energy struck her, and she crumpled to the ground, the light around her flickering.

"Mother!" I cried, rushing to her side. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with love and pain.

"Save Chelsea," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You must..." Her eyes closed even before she could finish what she was about to say.

A surge of despair threatened to overwhelm me, but there was no time to panic. The Destroyer's forces were closing in, and we had to act quickly. Chelsea, now free from his grasp, looked at me with a mix of confusion and fear.

"We need to get out of here," Xander said urgently, carrying mother in his arms. I stood with determination, gathering everything within me, letting the light flow throughout my body and concentrating them in my hands. Just as I was about to throw out my light to the darkness that hurt my mother, Chelsea's arms joined mine, and I felt the strongest force I have ever felt ever since I discovered this power within me. I glanced at her and she nodded at me in determination. With joined hands, throwing out the strongest power of light to the shadow that almost killed our mother, breaking it into tiny pieces, hearing an ancient growl of pain from deep within the mountain.

 We turned to flee, the ground trembled once more, and the air grew colder. The Destroyer, though weakened, was far from defeated. We can still feel his rage and vengeance. Wolves and vampires help each other evacuate another battlefield.

A cruel laugh filled the forest, coming from everywhere. "This is far from over."

Werewolves in human and wolf form, and vampires raced through the forest, the Destroyer's empowered minions closing in around us. The light of dawn was just beginning to break through the trees, a faint glimmer of hope in the encroaching darkness. But the battle was far from won, and the cost had been unimaginable.

I held Chelsea tightly as I looked at my pale-faced mother in Xander's arms. Questions start to fill my head but I pushed them behind as we all ran back to the packhouse. No one knows how and why, but my mother is back... And I have a sister I almost lost.