RAMSEY BIANCHI

Today was truly a day of celebration, the whole day I spent with my family. After the ceremony had ended, we went to eat. Then we went to the mall and ended up going to the cinema, then we went home and waited until dinner before making our way to the restaurant to meet up with Stacey's. For once, I wasn't sad about not having my parents around, ever since these powers manifested, I've felt different. The emotional baggage felt lighter, and I don't know why, it was as if the powers had healed the scar in my heart.

I'm not so sure.

Dim Sum was packed, hazel orbs scanned the small restaurant, a smile made its way to my face as I felt the energy of the place. I looked around and saw people enjoying themselves, I saw them smiling and laughing, their energy was bright and alluring, warm even. Now my eyes rested on the people at my table, Ethan was showing something on his phone to Howard and Connor was talking to Philip about sports. Aunt Ivana and Mrs. Stacey exchanged work gossip, laughing while enjoying their wine.

"Have you applied to any colleges?" Gwen changed the topic, I swallowed the dumpling before taking a sip of my soft drink.

I shook my head, giving her a guilty look. "No... I haven't." I exhaled tiredly. "I'm thinking about taking a sabbatical. Right now, all I can think of are these powers. I've been studying them and training myself. It's where my focus is at."

"I get it." Gwen gave me a reassuring smile. "As long as you end up getting into college, it's okay to take a sabbatical."

I bit my lower lip. "You know... I can't stop thinking about something." Gwen nodded encouragingly. "Why Hayek awoke these powers in me? Why would she do that?"

"I don't know why, but it can't be good," Gwen told me, she placed a hand on my own, looking at me sympathetically. "We'll find out, and we will work this out."

I let out a sigh of relief, giving her a grateful smile, she smiled back, and then her eyes looked at something behind me. "Oh, boy."

"What?" I turned around and was able to catch Peter's sad face before he started to walk away from the restaurant. "Oh." I stood up, getting the attention of everyone. I grabbed my coat and put it on, I felt for Peter's gift in my pockets and was able to feel the USB. "I'll be back. Peter's outside, I'll go see what's up."

Aunt Ivana nodded. "Okay, hun. Don't stay out for too long, it's cold. I don't want you getting sick."

"Yes, auntie," I told her, I gave Gwen one last look before making my way out of the restaurant.

Outside was indeed cold, I shuddered and hugged myself, trying to conserve body warmth. My footsteps slowed down as I neared my boyfriend, my eyes immediately caught the distressed look written all over his face, my heart sank. When Peter wore that look, it only meant trouble, it meant someone was going to get hurt.

I arched an eyebrow at him as I came to a halt. "What? What is it?"

Peter's eyes screamed in pain, but I didn't dare show him compassion because this is what he does, he overthinks. "What am I doing, Ramsey? I... I made a promise. This is wrong." He stressed, I inhaled sharply. "It feels wrong."

"Peter..." I started but eventually felt silent, I had no idea what to tell him.

He shook his head, backing away a little. "I see him... everywhere, Ramsey. And I can't handle this guilt... I can't."

"So, what? What do you suggest we do?" I barked, Peter looked at me helplessly. "Because if you're proposing we push Gwen away... then you're pushing me away too." Peter looked away. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Because I don't know what else to do!" He exclaimed, face flushing as he struggled not to cry, he looked away and walked up to the sidewalk. "I failed her dad. I don't want to fail her. And if I end up failing her... what guarantee do I have that I'm not going to fail you?"

The burden of a hero.

They save everyone, except those who really matter to them.

He leaned against the wall, hands tucked inside his coat pocket. I stood in my place for a second before making my way up to him, this time I looked into his eyes with love and compassion. My hands rested on his chest, I tilted my head and watched him struggle with a decision. We both had loyalties, but they lied to different people, my loyalty lay with the living and his with the dead.

"You're a magnificent hero, Peter." I began, my hands sliding up and stopping on his shoulders. "But that's what you are, a hero, not a God. You can try and save people, but you can't decide who lives and who dies. Failing to save someone does not mean you failed as a hero."

He looked at me, hopeful, with his eyes he begged me for reassurance. "It doesn't?"

"No." I shook my head, smiling softly as I leaned closer, my hands resting on either side of his cheek. "It doesn't." I got on my tippy-toes and kissed his forehead before joining them. "You're amazing." Peter closed his eyes and listened to my voice. "Just stop pushing us away, please. That's not your decision to make."

Peter inhaled, his strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a warm hug. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent, I felt the warmth in his vein, the brightness of his soul, and his fierce spirit.

I felt him.

"I think I'm gonna head home." His chest vibrated as he spoke, I leaned back and looked up, staring into those beautiful doe eyes. "I'm fine. It's just... I don't want to ruin your evening."

I sigh and nodded, my hand rubbing his shoulder affectionately. "Try not to overthink this, Peter."

"Yeah, no- I just... gotta clear my head." He lied, I smiled sadly, but for once I decided not to say anything. "I'll call you."

He pulled me by the waist and kissed me goodbye, I melted into the kiss naturally, leaning closer to him. My hand snaked inside the pocket of my black coat and as we pulled away I fetched out the USB which contained my graduation gift for Peter.

Still, in his arms, I showed him the USB and caught his confused pout. "What's that?"

"A graduation gift. From me to you." I chuckled as he reached out and grabbed the small device, he examined it before looking at me guiltily.

"I didn't-"

I shook my head, interrupting him. "Doesn't matter." I kissed his cheek before making my way back to the restaurant, glanced at him, and noticed he was observing me with a sweet smile. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

It's been a week since graduation. I woke up that day and went for my morning run at 4 o'clock in the morning, the silence was loud but comforting. It allowed me to relax and focus on my run, sweat dripped down my body, my breathing came in short pants, and I was feeling slightly dizzy. I kept going on despite my fatigue, I told myself that once I reached the park I'll rest all the time I want.

I redirected my focus from the exhaustion to the magic books I had purchased a couple of months before graduating. They were The Book of The Invisible Sun and Key of Solomon. The first book spoke about using your soul to connect with the universe's energy, it teaches you the importance of being in touch with yourself and the energy that surrounds you. The second book is a pseudepigraphical grimoire attributed to King Solomon, it dates back somewhere between the 14th or 15th century in the Italian Renaissance, the book explores Renaissance magic.

The key of Solomon spoke about all the substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. I realized that I had bought the wrong books, none taught me about ancient magic and how to use it. All I know is how to connect with my soul, which was helpful for astral projection, but I didn't know how to use my magic powers. The key of Solomon explained how to manipulate that magic, how to use it for defense or offense, but I didn't dare try it because I was scared of doing something wrong.

I required someone to teach me. Someone who knows about these kinds of things.

My feet slowed down, and I realized I had reached my destination, the sky was already turning a shade brighter. I inhale and exhale, trying to regulate my ragged breathing as I make my way towards the swings and sit down on them. I leaned my head against the chain holding the seat and slightly rocked myself. Furthermore, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and brows using my white Midtown track team t-shirt.

"You're growing knowledgeable." A male voice spoke up, my breath hitched in my throat and I half turned. Finn looked at me through blue orbs, his blond curls looked as if they were bleached by sunlight. "But knowledge is useless if you don't exercise it."

"How did you find me?" I asked him.

He sighs, walking up to sit down on the swing next to mine, his hands entwined and dangled between his legs. "You and I are opposites, but our energy is the same." He turned to me, no sign of hostility. "It is through your energy that I'm able to track you."

"You do realize that's a violation of my privacy, right?" I told him, Finn chuckled and shrugged, rocking himself. "Am I able to track your energy?"

He nodded. "Yes, it takes practice, but you can. You're my counterpart, everything I can do, you can do it too. What sets us apart is our core, that small gray area of desire or free will, like religion has come to name it. You are attracted to light, and I am attracted to darkness."

"But why give me these powers? Why make me your equal?" I found myself seeking answers, answers that only Finn could give me.

He frowned. "That's not what happened, young Ramsey. These powers were already yours, they were dormant but present. They had no reason to be triggered, until now, because of me." I blinked, for some reason, I wasn't scared, I was curious to know more. "Your counterpart. In life one doesn't get to be all-powerful and live as such, there has to be order, a balance, something that keeps the scales from tilting."

"I'm not liking how this is starting to sound?"

Finn looked at me with a frown. "Do tell."

"It sounds to me like we're enemies," I told him, I wasn't scared, but I didn't want to fight him. "I don't want to fight you, Finn. You've done nothing to me."

"Hayek. I'm not at all Finn." I nodded, he continued. "Because we're opposites, people, religion, studies, history, they all view us as enemies. Destined to destroy one another for eternity, but despite being equally powerful, one cannot exist without the other. Light cannot reign alone, there is no balance in order, there must be a little chaos to keep the scales from tilting too much on one side."

"Like the moon and the sun, darkness, and light, they can't be together, but they can coexist. One reign during the day and one reign during the night. There is harmony and balance in that." I inhaled deeply before glancing at the beautiful display of warm hues in the sky. "If you are darkness, and I am light, why are we allowed to wield such power? Why are we allowed to even be this close to each other?"

"Because life is a huge cliché, it loves to repeat its history," Hayek confessed. "I came back to life for one sole purpose, to punish and slaughter the Irish King's bloodline."

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, a gentle whisper inside my head was telling me to fight off temptation, to not believe a word Hayek was saying. "I... I can't let you do that."

Hayek turned to me, face solemn. "I don't want power and I don't want the rest of the souls that walk this earth. I just want one generation. I want them to pay for killing my parents, killing my people, burning my home, and revenge for paying a man to seduce me while they murder my people. Innocent people."

"That doesn't justify you," I argued. "His family isn't to blame for his crimes, he is."

"It happened 495 years ago," Hayek confessed.

I raised my eyebrows. "A long time ago, amiga."

"Yeah, he's already burning in hell," Hayek replied calmly, he glanced away and stared at the beautiful sunrise. A moment later he stood up, and I looked at him warily, ready for anything. "But this wrath... this betrayal... I can't just ignore it."

"Moments ago, you told me you didn't want power, you didn't want to hurt the rest of the people. Rage is not a good path to follow." I tried to reason with her.

Hayek turned to me and I noticed dark veins spreading from his neck all the way to his temple. "Ruin is my destiny. Death is my core, I am the Witch of The Afterlife, Ramsey. It's my damnation, my birthright."

"Hayek, don't do this." I found myself begging her.

Hayek was a dark creature, ancient, and filthy with ruin. Her darkness could poison this entire planet, hurt my family and friends along with other 7 billion people. I am her equal, but I can't use my magic, I can't summon it, I can't do anything. That left my home vulnerable and if I failed to stop her, then that means Peter is going to try and save us all, he'll die.

She looked at me. "I don't want to fight you. But I lost a lot, and I was punished by a witch unfairly, don't make her same mistake. I never asked to be made the villain, but I guess that is my legacy."

I stood up and looked at her uneasily. "You can't destroy me, so why stop me?"

I wasn't able to answer her, Hayek didn't stay long enough for me to come up with an answer. Black mist engulfed her body and she disappeared, right in front of my eyes, leaving only trails of black haze that soon dissipated in the air.

"What am I going to do?" 

🅷🅾🅻🅰

❄ Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh ☃️

SO I finished writing the
final battle and let me tell
you, I don't like it 😆 I stayed
up til 1 am writing it and in the
end I ended up writing just
because. But there's still time to
fix it and I think I'll have to split
it into two parts because looking
like 8,000 or so was my word count.

But hopefully, I won't mess this up 😅

Stay safe mis amores 🤍🎄