Darkest Desires → Caliban [CAOS]

xv. blackout

BLACKOUT
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Had it been any other day, Dahlia would be eager with a grin on her face and excitement pulsing through her veins upon entering a mortal High School. In Arkala, Dahlia and her friends went to school; it was small, but they learned what they needed to, living in a village of Djinns. She had always wanted more, though. She aspired to have the normal high school experience she learned that mortals had, in the real world with real people, learning about things like the history of wars, geometry, how to analyze a fiction novel... She wanted more than what Arkala had to offer like the history of Djinn's enemies and the art of spells and potions. But in attempting to get what she wanted, she lost everything. She was stripped of her family, her friends, her village, her freedom, all because of her selfishness and greed.

Now standing in the halls of Baxter High, Dahlia wanted nothing more than the boringness of Arkala High School. She didn't desire to roam around and explore Baxter High, see how its classrooms were different from the ones in Arkala. She knew now that nothing, no matter how interesting or different, could compete with her village and anything within it. She would never make the mistake of taking Akala for granted again, even if it was already gone, burned to ash and rubble.

With her arms around herself, hugging her body as memories of her old life played in her head, Dahlia watched silently as the others spoke. They were all huddled around Rosalind, like a shield of protection, desperate to get their friend back. Roz, Harvey, Sabrina and Theo were all lucky to have each other. Dahlia envied their relationship. She missed the feeling of her friends' comfort and protection as they plotted to get back at whichever boy hurt her, or helped her get out of trouble for whatever mess she'd made with her powers.

"When she comes back to life, she won't be scarred, will she?" Harvey broke the silence in the hallway.

"She will not," Caliban assured.

"Oh, that's a relief," Sabrina sighed gratefully. "What happens now?

Caliban turned to Harvey. "You say the spell, but first, you make your offering."

"To whom?"

"Aphrodite or Eros."

"What am I offering?" Harvey questioned hesitantly, uncertain of what the sacrifice would have to be.

"Your love for Rosalind. Give it up, and she'll be restored to flesh."

Harvey frowned in confusion, shaking his head at the idea. "Give it up? What are you talking about?"

"Aphrodite is the goddess of love. She'll grant your wish, but demands your heart's desire, Rosalind," Caliban declared as though it was obvious.

Before Harvey could argue and complain about how ridiculous the offering was, Dahlia let out a light scoff. With furrowed eyebrows, everyone turned to face the brunette who stood leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Though her mind was in question, confused by her own reaction to Caliban's words, the rest of her was confident, careless about the cold words that were about to leave her mouth. "Harvey doesn't love Roz," she stated. Even Caliban watched Dahlia with wide eyes when she spoke, shocked at the cruelness of her words. Dahlia was known to always be the one against hurting others; she had been the one who was fuming at Caliban, refusing to speak to him for days after sabotaging Sabrina and leaving her at King Herod's feet. Now, her words were hurtful, cutting Harvey's heart like knives, and with the way that her eyebrows were raised and shoulders were back nonchalantly, it seemed that she was unbothered by the damage she was causing. Caliban wondered what was wrong with her... why there was a darkness glooming in her eyes and a sparkle of purple, just like when she was having a vision.