• The little girl watched from the shadows of the trees as cloaked figures descended upon her parents. She wanted to help them, to warn them but she could not. Her mother had put a barrier around her, silencing any sound she made and confining her to the shadows.
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    Ilsa stood back to back with her husband, the both of them tired and injured. Her opponent shuffled in front of her, sword poised and ready to strike. They had been fighting for what seemed like an hour and they had still yet to show any sign of fatigue.’ Who are they?’ she wondered.
    ‘They’re not human’ Barisco said through his mind link. ‘At least, I don’t think they are. They’re strengths are inhuman!’
    They’re opponents attacked. Strike after strike rained down upon them. They defended themselves as best as they could but to no avail. Ilsa parried her opponent’s sword with her staff and let loose a fireball in its direction. The being avoided it and just continued with the never ending barrage of attacks.
    ‘I can’t take this anymore!’ Ilsa screamed. She took a defensive stance and planted her staff into the ground. She began to chant as fast as she could. This spell required a lot of energy and that she did not have but she was willing to take risks at this point. She would take any risk if it meant that her family would live.
    As his wife chanted, Barisco defended her as best as he could. He kept close so none of their attacks would reach her and to catch her if she falls. His swords in his hands, he parried their blows and fought back. Ilsa opened her eyes. They glowed an electric blue. She held her staff in front of her and swept it in a circular motion, the tip leaving a trail of magic the same colour as her eyes, creating a circle. It burst into a wave of light, knocking their opponents of their feet and sent them flying. Barisco caught his wife as she fell down from exhaustion. He smiled and kissed the top of her head lovingly as she tries to catch her breath. He turned his attention to their daughter and smiled but why did she look so panicked?
    His eyes went wide as a single blade penetrated both if their hearts.
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    “No!”
    Alexandria awoke in cold sweat. Her breathing was hard and her heart was racing. Slowly, she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. Her body was trembling. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself but to no avail. Tears flowed but she did not make a sound. She was afraid of alerting Dictus to her own distress. She did not want to disturb the ancient werecat this early in the morning. Her thoughts went back to her nightmare. She had not dreamt of her parents in a long time. She thought she had gotten over it. She sighed heavily. She wanted to talk to someone about it. If only she could.
    She heard footsteps approaching her room. They became clearer as they neared her. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her best friend standing over her, his black hair covering his face, a pair of golden eyes looking at her from underneath, concerned about her.
    “Bad dream?” Damian asked her. She nodded slightly, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear. He sat down beside her and pulled her to his chest, holding her and stroking her hair, trying to calm her down. She had stopped crying and had rested her head at the crook of his neck.
    “I miss them so badly Damian.” she said. She closed her eyes and wept silently again.
    “I know you do.” he whispered. He stroked her hair and rocked her gently, calming her down. Looking out the window, he saw the sun rising. He sighed. They would have to go to work soon.
    ‘This is really going to be a bad day for her.’ he thought.