Regan sat on the edge of her bed, overthinking the challenge she set herself, knowing there was no way back, she couldn't cancel it.
Even when she thought about it, it was crazy. She was in a place with witches. She was a witch as well. And now, she was going to fight someone she considered a friend before.
She tried to seek out for Seraphina, but the woman had already left, much to her dislike. Regan was captured by her usual anxiety. The whole time, she tried to work with her fire powers and she tried to prepare herself for defending, if not being able to attack back.
She paced nervously in her chamber, attempting to practice her fire powers, but she felt an overwhelming weakness and uncertainty. The flames flickered weakly at her command, leaving her frustrated and anxious. Time seemed to stretch endlessly as she waited for the challenge with Vesper, her nerves intensifying with each passing moment.
When the moment finally arrived, Regan walked into the garden, finding Vesper standing with a wicked triumph grin. The sun hadn't disappeared yet and the horizon was bright enough, illuminated by the planets in the sky. Allegra and Circe stood by the side of the battlefield, the blonde's expression mirroring Vesper's, while Circe was eager to know how the confrontation would go.
As Regan walked closer, her stomach twisted into a nervous knot. She hated that feeling, loathed it with all her heart. These fights were new for her, she had no idea how they were done.
Upon noticing her restlessness, Vesper chuckled darkly, "This is going to be your first but not last defeat, Reggie," she sneered, her eyes glimmering with evilness, "You'll regret defying me."
Regan gulped, she didn't want to lose, didn't want to be mocked around and didn't want to come as weak anymore. She blamed herself for setting such challenges but now it was done, she had to bring her courage up and not believe Vesper's infectious words.
The air grew heavier although they were outside. The sorcerer, hidden in the shadows of his castle, was more than keen to observe. His eyes lingered on his enemy, knowing that she wasn't as weak as she was perceived by the others.
The fight began with Vesper, who started to shoot electric energy bolts to Regan, who easily dodged, her fear rising second by second, knowing she was at stake.
Vesper continued with her spells of energy and Regan kept dodging. Suddenly, she got struck on her arm and winced in pain. Vesper grinned cruelly, "Surrender, Regan. Only if you don't want to die."
Regan's pain subsided quickly and anger rose in her veins. She couldn't let herself lose. She couldn't let Vesper win.
As the witch prepared to hit again, Regan tried to summon her strength and stretched her arms in defense, creating barrier of flames, that blocked Vesper's spells.
Allegra and Circe watched in uncertainty and displeasure, while the sorcerer couldn't help but smirk.
Vesper's face twisted into a frown as she grew more impatient and furious. She shot endless bolts of energy. Regan's shield subsided and that time and shecw wanted to try something different.
As she dodged Vesper's attacks, she got fueled by anger and determination and unleashed her flames with an intensity she didn't know she possessed.
The fire responded to her emotions, dancing and swirling around her as she shot fiery projectiles towards Vesper way. The once-confident witch found herself on the defensive, struggling to evade the relentless onslaught.
As the flames enveloped Vesper, Regan's anger seemed to intensify. She created a circle of fire around Vesper, trapping her within its blazing confines. The heat was palpable, and Vesper's expression shifted from arrogance to panic. The fire licked at her, making her vulnerable and defenseless.
"Damnit! You think you can trap me with your little flames?" Vesper shouted furiously.
Sirius observed them from a distance, knowing very well what Regan was capable of. Despite she was his enemy, he couldn't help but feel impressed by her.
Allegra and Circe, who were initially uncertain, exchanged uneasy and furious glances as they watched their sister being overpowered by Regan's abilities.
Regan was so much fueled that her powers were manifested by her emotions. She set Vesper in a ring of fire and the air cracked with a powerful energy.
However, as Vesper's strength waned, Regan's anger began to subside. She felt sadness and guilt, she didn't want to become like Vesper, consumed by hatred and cruelty. More importantly, she couldn't bring herself to hurt her so badly, despite that Vesper had been the one who hurt her before.
Regan hesitated, seeing Vesper close to collapse within the ring of fire.
Her empathy overcome her desire for revenge and she extinguished the flames around Vesper. As Vesper stumbled, seemingly weakened, Regan turned away, a sense of compassion prevailing.
However, Vesper, seizing the opportunity, sneered with a scorned expression.
"Don't be consumed by your feelings, Regan!" she taunted. A wicked laughter escaped her as she conjured an evil spell. Regan, taken off guard, was struck by the dark magic, sending her sprawling towards a nearby pond.
She rose from the cold water and weakly stood on her knees, soaked in water for the second time. Now, she was sure of getting a cold. However, she couldn't let Vesper achieve what she wanted.
She gathered her flames again, and shot the fireball of flames, directly at Vesper, who was still laughing at her fake triumph. Vesper was taken aback herself and she landed backwards, grimacing in pain.
Meanwhile the sorcerer had suddenly appeared in the battleground and interrupted.
"Enough! This stupid competition is over! You," he pointed at Vesper, "and you two," at Allegra and Circe, "in my chamber. Now," he sternly ordered. Vesper slowly got up, glaring at him.
Regan watched them from afar. She couldn't help but feel a little accomplishment, since Vesper didn't fully defeat her.
"No! It's not over!" Vesper shouted at Sirius as she was eager to continue her fight. He narrowed his eyes at her and caught her arm, his grip tightening, his eyes piercing into hers. In a low, threatening tone, he uttered, "You will obey, or face consequences far worse than a mere competition."
Realizing that her body was weak and her spells were drained, Vesper reluctantly agreed.
The sorcerer released her harshly, while the other two were already going inside. With a heated gaze at Sirius, she walked on her heels, glaring at Regan, who was still in the pond, although there was a satisfaction written on her face.
Vesper furiously stepped inside, slamming the grand doors shut.
Meanwhile, Sirius turned away and approached Regan, who was shivering from the cold water, her wet red hair clinging to her face. A smirk tugged his lips and his words were full of taunt, "Seems like your flames got extinguished by your own emotions."
Regan felt the heat creep up on her, her face crimson with embarrassment. However, she stood up still, determined to not show any signs of submission.
"What's the matter with you? No one won. You can still feed up your ego," she vented angrily.
He chuckled, a low, deep chuckle that made her shiver even more, "You could have won, if only you wouldn't get sentimental. Too emotional, the downfall.
You had her on the ropes, yet you let compassion cloud your judgment. Pathetic from you."
Regan, still dripping wet, shot back, "Maybe because I'm not heartless like you."
"Heartless?" He raised an eyebrow, "You know very well, Regan. Heart doesn't have anything to do with this."
She even found it difficult to breathe in his presence. She felt like suffocating. She wanted to shove him away and beat him up, but she wasn't in the right position herself, "If you're here to gloat, then do it and leave Sirius."
He smirked at her annoyance, "That's not my way but I'll admit, I find you quite interesting to mess with."
"And I don't," Regan snapped, setting up her mind to leave immediately.
As she walked away, Sirius scoffed, "You might want to dry off before catching a cold," with a sly grin. Despite the coldness, there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Regan shot him a glare over her shoulder, but didn't engage further. She was so infuriated with him that she forgot about her shivers and the cold water of the pond. Stepping inside the castle, she went to her chamber, remembering the ways around.
Her body trembled uncomfortably, and her hands felt numb as she opened the chamber's door. Then, clumsily, she searched in the wardrobe for clothes to change with. She didn't know what to wear. There were so many clothes that it was like a fancy maze. She picked up some cotton, burgundy pants that stretched wide on the ends. As for a shirt, she found a white one. Her boots were damp, so she removed them.
Then, she changed inside the bathroom and felt her throat sore and dry, she knew she was going to get a cough at least. She sneezed four times in a row.
Later on, she leaned on the bed, playing with the hem of her shirt. She couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of happiness lingering within her. She hadn't succumbed to Vesper's taunts and her own abilities hadn't betrayed her.
She had no idea how she was able to shot Vesper and how her powers had really worked. She had realized that Vesper didn't deserve empathy. But still, Regan couldn't help and feel bad. She would never want to be cruel and ruthless, and she vowed to never be that.
Meanwhile, the sorcerer had gotten inside his chamber. He looked at the witches their features crossed by frowns and displeasures. Vesper glared at him with an intense look, while he couldn't care less.
"Now, I think that you three finally understood the threat that Regan posseses." He spoke coldly, his gaze distant, outside of the window.
"Threat? She's no close to that! If you wouldn't have intervened, I would have finished her off already!" Vesper's fury came into words as she was pissed off at him for having to interrupt so abruptly. "You don't know-"
"Shut up," he snapped, raising his hand to interrupt her, " If I wouldn't have intervened, you'd have collapsed already." His words stung but Vesper wasn't willing to accept them.
"How do you know? You weren't even there to watch the fight!" she spat angrily.
"I see and know it all, Vesper. You weren't a winner. But I didn't expect more anyway. Your shameful defeat from trolls, speaks volumes," he smirked, turning to her. "You can't even handle some small things."
Vesper's fists clenched and her anger intensified. Since her magic was drained, her hands glowed in merely dimly and weak bolts. In that situation, she couldn't express her powers, they'd end up coming as a weak blow and he'd mock her around even more.
"Just let her be, Sirius," Allegra joined, trying to stir some drama, "If you don't know already, she and the red haired one have some deep personal vendettas to fight for," she earned dagger looks from her sister.
"I don't care about personal vendettas. We don't need unimportant distractions. The same serves for both you two as well. You wouldn't have scored any better," he said, now his gaze turned to Allegra and Circe, who frowned in response.
"Since the matter is about vengeance, why don't you fight with Regan yourself, Sirius? You also have some personal vendetta with her, don't you?" Vesper retorted, her words venomously laced.
Sirius's expression darkened, "Don't make excuses for your defeats, Vesper. Our goals are for power and success, not for your melodramas," he sternly snapped.
"We don't really know what you,r goals are, Sirius. Maybe you're trying to throw the blame on us," Circe abruptly said.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, "I don't need validation from what happened today, Circe. I've seen much of your defeats. You couldn't handle some trolls, yet you attempt to overrate yourselves," he said, his voice filled with mockery, as he sat on his throne.
"And about these trolls, I heard that they've been telling everyone about your shameful defeat. So that, don't talk to me about my goals, when you three don't even have goals."
Allegra, unable to contain her irritation, suggested with a smirk, "Maybe you should have a little duel with Regan yourself, Sirius. Show us how it's done."
Sirius, unfazed, replied, "If it serves a purpose, I won't hesitate. But first, focus on enhancing your own abilities. Failure is not an option. You need improvement."
"You're avoiding the real matter What happened? Are you afraid of Regan now?" Vesper sneered, her voice laced with rage.
Maintaining his composure, he replied, "Fear is a luxury I cannot afford. But I don't say the same for you," he replied, his voice malicious.
"You say so? Fine. I'll fight Regan again, and this time, I'll crush her. No interruptions, no excuses, no mercy," she said, fueled by anger and defiance.
Sirius's expression darkened as he spoke in his usual cryptic words, "You better save your anger. You might use it when your face turns pale."
Ignoring his words, Vesper scoffed and turned away. Sirius coldly dismissed them all, and the trio left his chamber, heading to their owns.
As they walked, the blonde couldn't resist taunting Vesper, "So, Vesper? Where's the, 'I'll crush you under my magic' line? The redhead's powers were more potent than you thought," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Vesper's anger took place again and this time she glared at her sister, "Shut up, Allegra! She's nothing compared to me! And you, you wouldn't have done any better," she spat, "you would have cried like the fool you are."
Allegra only chuckled, "If it was me, I would have already closed this matter."
Vesper's pace quickened, leaving them behind.
"Guess someone is no longer someone's favorite," Allegra called, her voice mischievously teasing.
Vesper's fury was palpable as she entered her chamber and slammed the doors shut. Her hands tangled in her hair, gripping them tightly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Ah, Regan! You'll see what it means to shame me!"
She couldn't shake off the humiliation of not winning and the desire for revenge burning within her. It rose her determination to destroy Regan. She didn't care about Sirius's words, however she couldn't shake off the resentment she felt for him as well.
He was always showing his self absorbed attitude, showing his authority. She couldn't stand it, no matter of her raging feelings for him.