THE CHARMED

chapter 5

The night was dark, but as protectors of the earth, this didn't really phase me. My only concern was one of the council members or teachers spotting me outside after curfew. I made sure I wore a black hoody,jacket, and black pants. That way, it would be harder for anyone to spot me in the dark. I was literally so annoyed that Ania had actually left after I refused, and after I told her, it was a bad idea. Did she really like Damian that much already that she was willing to go against her own best friend. It worried me that our whole friendship could change because of a guy. I hoped that wasn't the case or I would be so disappointed.

I walked faster towards the cabin it was just 10 minutes away from the academy. The air grew colder as I made my way through the dense forest toward the so-called "secret" cabin. Each breath I took seemed to hang in the frigid air, and my heart pounded in my chest with an unsettling heaviness. Something felt off, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over me like a heavy blanket.

I quickened my pace, the crunch of leaves beneath my feet echoing in the silent forest. When had it gotten so cold? I could have sworn it wasn't this icy when I left my room. Shivering, I pushed forward, determination driving me toward the cabin where Ania was supposedly partying.

As I approached the cabin, the sounds of laughter and music floated through the chilled air. It seemed the party had already begun, despite the darkness that enveloped the forest. I scanned the area outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ania among the mingling teenagers. Some were locked in passionate embraces, while others swayed to the music, drinks in hand. But there was no sign of Ania.

Steeling myself, I ventured inside the cabin, the warmth of the fire offering a brief respite from the biting cold. I cast my gaze around the dimly lit interior, searching for any sign of my friend. My heart sank as I realized she wasn't there.

Determined, I began to ask people if they had seen Ania, describing her appearance in hopes that someone had spotted her. Some shrugged me off, too engrossed in their own conversations to pay me any mind. Others shook their heads, their faces blank with indifference.

My search led me to the kitchen, where Damian stood chatting with a group of friends. I approached him, my voice trembling slightly as I asked if he had seen Ania. "Hey, have you seen Ania? Did she come over?"

Damian's brow furrowed in confusion,"No I thought she decided not to show up. She did say she might not make it, so I didn't really wait up for her."My heart sank even further as he admitted he thought she hadn't shown up.

Panic threatened to consume me as I realized Ania was missing, and my mind raced with worst-case scenarios. But I forced myself to stay calm, reminding myself that she could have simply been delayed or taken a detour. Damian and I decided to search the area around the cabin and wait for a few more minutes, hoping that Ania would arrive soon.

As we stepped back outside into the cold night air, I whispered reassurances to myself, desperately trying to quell the rising fear in my chest. Everything would be okay, I told myself, clinging to the hope that Ania would soon appear, safe and sound.

"Hey, let me get my friends to help look for her. She could be close. I'm sure she is okay, and if we don't find her here, she could be back at the academy." Damian said his eyes full of hope, but to me, the air felt colder it was freezing. It's as if I could almost feel death close by, and I found myself wanting to cry.

Damian returned a few minutes later with a bunch of his friends, some that I knew, and he decided it was best we split up. "Come on, Rhea, you come with me, if you don't mind ofcourse"

I nodded my head as I walked with him. My hands started shivering, and each step that I took felt heavier. Maybe I was being paranoid, but it felt like something was out here with us following our every movement. That something was not good.

"Are you okay?Here you can take mine," Damian said, distracting me from my thoughts as he handed me his jacket.

I shook my head. Was he crazy it was freezing, and he probably needed it more he was literally wearing a thin Grey t shirt. "Oh no, it's okay. You need it more it's freezing. You will get sick or something."

"Actually, it's really not that cold, Rhea, but your hands are shaking. Are you sure you are okay? we can continue the search. You can head over to the cabin. It's warmer there,"

Maybe I was nervous, or maybe I was catching a cold, but whatever it was, I was not going to stop searching for my friend until I knew she was safe. "No, I'm okay. Let's keep going."

Damian nodded, and we kept going. After 20 minutes of looking around, we decided maybe she had stayed back at the academy. "I am sure she decided not to come she said she would probably not make it, so it's best we also check at the academy. What did she tell you exactly before she left?" he asked as we walked back to the cabin.

"Maybe you are right, let's just check the academy first," I said, not wanting to mention that we had a little fall out, and when Ania left, she wasn't very happy with me. Maybe Ania actually decided to listen to me and stay behind.

"Yeah, let's do that," Damian said, and we both heard crunching sounds as if something large had stepped on a few sticks, and then there was a loud scream. Damian and I immediately ran towards the scream. Damians friend Tessa was screaming, looking up a tree with blood all over her face . Damian and a couple of guys quickly held her. We all looked up at the source of blood, and there was a body. The body was unrecognizable because it didn't have its head ,somebody had hung the body upside down with several deep cuts all over it. It actually looked like something had Clawed its large nails deep inside the person's skin,it was terrifying.

I gasped in horror, and my heart started racing . I moved closer, and Damian held my arm "its a male. The body it's not hers. That is not Ania"

My whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and tears filled my eyes "its not, are you sure it's not her?" I cried

Damian held me close and hugged me softly. "I promise that's not Ania, it's going to be alright."