13- Loss

Emma's world spun out of control as the truth unfolded before her. The screams of terror pierced the night air, blending with the crackling of flames that now seemed to mock her innocence. She turned to Madeline, her voice trembling with disbelief and fear. "What's happening? I thought you said it was just a harmless spell, that it wouldn't hurt anyone!"

Madeline met her gaze with an unsettling smile, a glint of something darker shimmering in her eyes. "It was meant to be harmless, dear Emma," she replied, her voice tinged with an eerie calmness. "But with the intensity of your emotions, it... evolved."

Emma recoiled in horror as realization dawned upon her. The fire that had encircled them moments ago now lay extinguished at her feet, leaving a cold, haunting silence in its wake. "What did you do?" Emma's voice quivered, her eyes wide with dread.

Madeline's laughter echoed through the night, chilling Emma to the core. "No, my dear Emma," she whispered, her tone dripping with malice. "It's what you have done. You were the one who cast the spell."

As Madeline spoke, Emma watched in terror as her friend's form twisted and contorted before her eyes. The once-familiar face morphed into something grotesque—a visage with scales like serpents, a forked tongue that flicked out hungrily, and eyes that gleamed obsidian black. Emma stumbled back, her heart racing as she struggled to comprehend the monstrous transformation unfolding before her.

"A witch..." Emma gasped, her voice barely a whisper as she stared at the abomination that Madeline had become. The realization struck her with the force of a thunderbolt—her friend, her playmate,had unleashed something beyond their control, something ancient and malevolent.

Madeline's laughter grew louder, mingling with the distant cries of anguish from the manor. "Yes, dear Emma" she hissed, her voice now a sinister rasp. "And now, we shall see what other havoc your emotions can wreak."

Emma's world shattered in that moment, torn between horror and disbelief. The night air seemed to thicken with dread, the darkness closing in around her as she stood face to face with the chilling truth—she had awoken a power far beyond her understanding, and now, she could only watch helplessly as its consequences unfurled before her eyes.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she yelled out, her voice cracking with anguish and disbelief, "What do you want from me? Why did you make me do this?" Her words echoed through the night, filled with a desperation that bordered on hysteria.

Madeline's expression remained unnervingly calm as she approached Emma, her features twisted into a macabre smile. "I wish I could tell you," she replied cryptically, her voice carrying an otherworldly cadence. "But some secrets are not mine to share. The grand master's will must be obeyed."

Emma recoiled from her friend's advancing figure, her mind reeling with horror at the realization of what she had unwittingly unleashed. "Join us, Emma," Madeline continued, her voice coaxing yet chilling. "You don't belong among them. You've glimpsed the power within you. We can help you harness it, unlock its full potential."

Anger flashed in Emma's eyes, mingling with her profound sorrow. "No!" she shouted defiantly, her voice trembling with emotion. "No matter what , they're still my family and I'll never join you."

With those words, Emma spat at Madeline's feet and turned to run towards the burning manor, her resolve steeling her trembling limbs. Madeline's laughter followed her, a sinister echo in the night. "Where are you going, Emma?" she taunted, her voice laced with malice. "Victoria will never forgive you."

Emma's steps faltered for a moment as Madeline's words pierced her heart like poisoned arrows. Victoria—her beloved sister—haunted her thoughts even as she raced towards the inferno. But Emma pushed forward, driven by the desperate hope that she could somehow undo the horrors she had inadvertently set in motion.

As she approached the blazing manor, Emma's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and determination.