Chapter eleven

She started to concentrate and think deeply about a solution. 'There must be a way to save them both.' She massaged her temples, staring blankly as she frowned. She tapped her fingers on her forehead, nervously.

She couldn't decide, she didn't want to. But either could she risk not to save none.

When finally, her face relaxed, an idea got in her mind causing a smile's hint. Maybe instead of helping one of them to climb up she could try to fix the crack on the ground, so that she may succeed in saving them both.

She extended her arm, opening her fingers, she stretched her hand while she squeezed her eyes. She focused all her energy upon the soil.

The ground began blowing out pieces of topsoils at her call, provoking the raise of a cloud of dust. The ground slowly started returning to its initial position, crumbles and soil recompose fixing gradually the hole.

She smiled, her heart for a second beaten of joy and filled with happiness.

Maybe she was finally doing something good.

But right when she was about to rejoice, the soil sagged and the crack expanded at the very bottom. What once was a crack now had became a huge hole in the soul.

Oh no.

Both the women screamed as they were about to precipitate. The hole kept dilatating until it was so close to suck them down alive. She clenched her teeth, she was in vain striving.

She needed another solution. And Quick.

Her adoptive mother was crying and calling her, making her even more concerned.

She extended the other hand, joining both the hands together, she directed the palms of her hands to the ground. She let out a cry of pain as she gave in her all to try one last time. She clenched her fists, inclining her head. Frost started rising upon the ground, turning into ice. She opens her eyes exhausted. The layer of ice was expanding, giving her Hope for One last efforr. She closed her eyes again, she was feeling confident that may this time finally she would succeed. She used all the energy left in her body, when ice finally reached both the women. "You did it!" Her adoptive mother said, impressed, staring at the layer of ice.

Rebecca's eyes started twinkling. She walkrd towards them ready to hug them when the ice suddenly broke once again. "no no no"

Rebecca whispered as she saw the ice sinking into the hole. And once again. The hope expanded even more.

Tears fell down her face, "no! I don't want to choose." She screamed out in all her agony and desperation. She was broken and reluctant, what kind of absurd Maleficent test was that?!

she didn't know what to do anymore. She's never felt that vulnerable and hopeless before. Everytime she thought she would make it then the soil broke again tearing her positivity away.

She ran out of energy and ideas. She fell on her knee crying.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed to both their mothers crying.

"Save her, Becca." Her biological mother suggested, in a murmur.

The crack was nearly sucking them in, they were hardly holding on, but they wouldn't last much longer. Becca couldn't risk losing them both.

She closed her eyes trying to collect every whit of energy and hope left in her body. That was her last attempt to save them both. She got up and once again, extended her arms. Her hands trembled for both the sadness and the tiredness.

Her previous efforts drained every inch of energy from her body.

Her hands and legs began to shake, she was barely standing up.

From the ground started growing a root. Rebecca moved her hands, driving the root. It grew getting taller and thicker, it wrapped her adoptive's mother body and lifted it. Then a new root began growing, heading to her real mother's body, driven by Rebecca.

It tightened all her body and raised her picking her up from the soil.

Rebecca's legs collapse beneath her, She was almost fainting so tirednher vision blurried.

, but despite this, she kept concentrating.

Around their body flowers bloomed, creating a protective shield to shelter them from the stone chips.

In a sudden, all become dark.

She heard a clapping, which brought her back in the school, with Andreas and Margaret.

"W-W-What happened?" She asked, stuttering.

"I've been here for centuries and I've never seen anything like that before. Rebecca, you're phenomenal." Her wrinkles became deeper as she smiled, clapping her hands.

"Rebecca, congratulations, you successfully passed the test." Andreas declared. But his voice didn't seem as happy as Margaret's voice.

"It felt so real.." Rebecca looked down the floor disappointed.

"You must be tired now, enchantress. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?" Margaret said, caressing her cheek.

In response she smiled shyly, then turned to Andreas, to ask him approval about Margareth's suggestion. When he nodded, she walked out, heading to the school's cafeteria. She definitely needed a good coffee before a rest.

"Why do you look so concerned?" Margaret demanded, noticing Andreas's upset expression.

"Because the test was supposed to reveal which side she would pick. If she would have saved her adoptive mother it would have meant she was good and pure, whereas if she would picked her biological mother it would have meant her dominant side was her evil one, which would have explained, Pagos' appearance. But she managed to save them both, what does it mean? That she hasn't sided yet?" Andreas's monologue made Margaret giggle.

"You're always overthinking, always craving for answers. The world isn't always black or white, shades exist. Maybe she hasn't taken sides yet. Maybe she is a perfect equation of both sides, good and evil. But I'm sure, she will eventually do the right thing." Margaret reassured him.

"I've never seen someone so powerful. She was worn out, yet she still tried to save them both, and succeeded. She's so determined. She seems to control her power perfectly." Margaret says, in amazement.

"I've noticed that, when she's under pressure, she controls her powers admirably." Andrea stated.

"You should teach her advanced spells. She can go very far, if she's led by someone like you." Margaret said appealing.

"What if the council finds out.." Andreas's expression was vacant, he couldn't understand how Margaret was so calm about such an important matter.

The reason why Andreas was so concerned was that the test was meant to show Roselyn's inner nature and the result she had achieved, would just mean one thing, that she wasn't evil or good at all, but she was both, a demonstration that she hasn't side yet and she could be a threaten for the school. Last thing he wanted was to train someone and end up like her mother.

"The council doesn't have to find out. We will keep tabs of her and then, decide whether to tell them or not."

Andreas nodded. "Okay."

"Stop being worried" she whispered, caressing his shoulder and smiling at him.

Roselyn meantime walked at the school's cafeteria she definitely needed some sugar to give her energy after the challenging test. While she ordered she looked around it and she noticed it was oddlyt empty, probably due to the time, it was only 11 am.

As her eyes wandered around the room she met the intense staring of a middle-aged man. He didn't seem willing to look away her gaze.

She ordered a coffee, looking at him from the corner of her eye to check whether he was still staring.

He didn't seem willing to look away from her not even for an instant. That attitude made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy. She wondered who he was and what he wanted from her to obsessively stare at her that way.

"Rebecca?" He had blue eyes and his hair was black. He was wearing a long bordeaux coat which covered all his body. She nodded frowning.

"I'm Gabriel Smith. I'm a member of the magic council of Terra Silvis." He extended his hand. Becca hesitated before shaking his hand.

"You're an Enchantress. There're many rumors about you. Your mother was one of the greatest Enchantresses of all times."

Rebecca's attention increased as she heard him mentioning her mother.

"We've been close friends, then, unfortunately, we took two different paths."

"How was she like?" The girl asked.

He inclined his head, thinking, then he smiled, "she was so determined, and full of energy, so powerful that even evil creatures feared her."

She looked down at the floor. She wondered if she will ever be as powerful as her, she wouldn't want to disappoint her expectations.

"Have you ever met her?" He lifted her head with a gently touch on her chin, forcing her to stare into his eyes.

Rebecca shook her hesd no, emanating an unhappy look.

He beckoned her to follow him. At that call, she didn't wait him to ask twice, impulsively and carefree She followed him.

Even a single piece of information about her mother would be enough for her to take the risk of following someone she barely met.