Poseidon (mentioned) and Stormy (mentioned) belongs to GeekyCookie1

~~~~~~~~

"What do you want me to do?" Jaxon promptly asked, skeptically looking at Narcissa as she walked around them. "It's simple, really," she began, stroking their chin as Jaxon glared at the sea witch in disgust.

"I need you to stop Jesse from getting the rest of the relics," Narcissa sharply continued as Jaxon's eyes widened. "Why? He needs those relics to get his wish," Jaxon countered back as Narcissa laughed.

"Jesse never needed the relics, just true love's kiss," Narcissa briefly corrected, sighing in relief as she now knew the love fairy didn't read the contract. She could rest easy on that part but, the sea witch frowned, realizing she wasted a whole trip to the human realm for nothing.

Well, not for nothing — she corrected. Narcissa found another puppet to string along in her game. She got the love fairy, collecting items she didn't really need, but wanted just to spite Erebus all the same. Still if she wanted to out-do Erebus, Narcissa needed to expand herself.

After all, one wasn't enough.

So here she was making a deal with a heartbroken half-hybrid Avalonian, using their unrequited love towards the love fairy as a way to get Jaxon to become another pawn in the scheme of things.

"True love's kiss?" Jaxon curiously repeated, slowly as if in that moment, the realization dawned on them. "The curse will break for different reasons, depending on the person, but since Jesse is a love fairy, love can essentially break him out," Narcissa explained with a shrug.

Jaxon was about to open their mouth when they recalled the way Jesse's tears revived Aliya. Despite not being able to say anything, Jesse was able to bring her back to life.

Then they thought back to the Cain incident and vividly recalled the way a pink aura surrounded the boy as Aliya kissed him, his eyes returning back to normal as she fell unconscious, succumbing to the injuries given to her by Cain with Jesse being able to bring her back to life.

It was no longer just a coincidence.

None of it ever was.

How could they had been blind to the whole thing?

The truth came to them so clearly, Jaxon couldn't help but laugh. "Aliya is his true love's kiss," Jaxon bitterly stated, glancing at the lake after the realization had finally dawned on them. On the other hand, Narcissa pretended to act interested by nodding, trying not to make it obvious that she already made the discovery prior to the trip while she was keeping her eye on Jesse.

After all, that discovery alone was the only reason why Narcissa bothered to come to the surface world. Technically, she could just hex Jesse for breaching their contract due to him accepting help but she would let that slide since Aliya and the Kiernan siblings were one factor she forgot to oversee... annoyingly.

To be fair though, Jesse needed the help. Narcissa knew he wouldn't last on his own and besides, the group got one relic in a single day. Aliya, Jaxon and Lillian were probably his only real chance of beating her, which was why she intended to breaking the group up.

What better way of breaking the group than the cruel, sinking gestures of love? Besides, it was fitting when one considered the pains of unrequited love. She knew Jaxon loved Jesse from afar, but Jesse (her client) hopelessly loved Aliya, who just started getting feelings towards him.

It would have been fine, but she could not let Jesse's budding romance with Aliya slide because that meant he could break her hold over him easier through the wingless faerie.

If the two had kissed and Jesse realized she tricked him [in her defense, the contract was there detailing the rules but she had written true's love kiss in really small font, so there was that], she wouldn't know what to expect.

Luckily, none of that would matter because Jesse would not be reaching his end of their deal. Now that she had sown in the first seeds of discord, she knew the rest of the relics were simply designed as a way of breaking his spirit. In the end, she would get Jesse as part of her latest collection of victims, so help her.

"If he ends up kissing her, then Jesse permanently becomes human," they slowly stated as Narcissa nodded. Jaxon had wanted Jesse to get his wish, but why did Aliya have to be the one to grant him that right? Yes, Aliya is his true love, so it only made sense but still!

"She doesn't even deserve him," Jaxon angrily mumbled, clenching their fist as Narcissa darkly smiled, her eyes lighting up at the sight of sowing in discord. "So, put an end to their romance before you end losing him to your sister," Narcissa darkly encouraged as Jaxon scoffed.

"Aliya is no sister of mine. She's just an ex-sister now," Jaxon angrily answered, though part of them wondered how Narcissa knew about Aliya being their adoptive sister. They just never referred to Aliya as their adoptive sister just like she didn't refer to them as her adoptive sibling.

Rather, it was mutually agreed between Aliya, her family, Lillian and Jaxon that none of them were referred to the other as adoptive. Instead, everyone would look at each other as if they had been a family from the start.

"Still, I'll help you stop the others from getting the remaining relics," they firmly stated as Narcissa proudly smirked, holding a contract of her own. "Just make sure Aliya isn't the one kissing Jesse," they requested as the quill appeared in their hand. Unlike Jesse, Jaxon actually read the contract and found the deal between them would cease to exist if someone was willing to take their place.

Well, no one was going to do that. After all, they were strictly alone and the others were asleep. Who would be stupid enough to stop them? More importantly, who would be dumb enough to get them out of the deal? They knew what they were doing. Jaxon wasn't just another Jesse to the sea witch.

They would come out on top.

But as Jaxon signed their name, the sea witch silently grinning as another unsuspecting pawn fell neatly into her grasp. She got the love fairy and now in the palm of her hand, Narcissa got the storyteller.

This was all too easy.

~~~~~~~

Stretching his arms, Jesse awoke to the sun shining on a relatively cloudless day. It was the second day of the deal he made with Narcissa and he still had three more relics to collect. With the deadline getting closer, Jesse was confident that his chance of beating the sea witch and achieving his wish would be worth it.

However as he stared at the sleeping girl beside him, Jesse solemnly frowned, partially wondering if he made the right choice after all. If Jesse couldn't get Aliya and his desire to become human, would he be willing to give her up to live a life on the surface world forever? Would he give up his dream of living on the surface if it meant having Aliya by his side?

Jesse was too far into his decision to start second-guessing, but ever since he and Aliya got close again, he was beginning to find himself (albeit slightly) torn.

Staring at the girl once more, Jesse shook his head, deciding he would deal with the issue when it came. For now, Jesse decided to just focus on sticking to his goal. Being human was what he wanted, after all, so why would his blossoming relationship with Aliya challenge his way of thinking?

Dismissing the matter with a flick of his wrist, Jesse chose to focus his attention on a clever way of waking Aliya up instead. He delicately decided on this matter for a few minutes, before the perfect idea came to him.

Leaning towards her ear, Jesse bent down, preparing to say something witty when it occurred to him that he still could not talk. Once the realization hit him, Jesse angrily huffed, his hair floating as he bit his lip, really wishing he had his voice back. He could write down his response, sure, but his words wouldn't flow through correctly.

Jesse figured he could ask Jaxon since they were the only one that got his 'voice' right, but he chose not to ask them. First, it seemed like a waste of opportunity to put Jaxon into that situation. Plus, asking them felt rather insulting as he knew Jaxon had a crush on him.

After all, Jesse was a love fairy. If he was going to know anyone that had a crush on him, it would be him. But Jesse always told himself he wasn't going to be was that guy and string people along while trying to pursue their actual lover.... which is why he felt worse, because he unwittingly became that guy.

Yes, Jesse knew Jaxon had a crush on him, but he was really wishing Jax would have moved on from him. Jesse liked Jaxon, but more so as a friend. He genuinely had no idea on how to break their feelings gently while being respectful.

Sure, Jaxon were funny and sweet, those were two traits he definitely appreciated but Jesse always found himself drawn to Aliya more. Ever since the two were changelings, she was the only one who truly understood him. She genuinely cared about everyone around her and kept fighting in spite of the odds around her.

Everything about Aliya was so... perfect. That's why he found himself torn because he wanted to reach his dream, but his feelings towards Aliya were beginning to complicate what he wanted versus what he needed.

Did he want to be human? Did he need to be human? Did he want Aliya? Did he need Aliya? Questions like those swirled in his head, but as Jesse saw Aliya stirring in her sleep, all of his worries faded away. In this quiet moment, it was just the two of them and that was enough.

Tapping on her shoulder and lightly stroking her hair, Jesse noticed the girl waking up. As she sat up, her eyes fluttered before she looked at her surroundings, confused before her eyes landed on him. When she made eye contact with him, it didn't take long for the boy to notice a shift in her behavior.

Beforehand, she would have brushed him off, but now Jesse saw her reddened face in the sunlight as she quickly stood up and attempted to create distance between them once more, much to his disappointment and dismay.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have slept with you! I mean sleep on you! I... I mean—" Aliya frantically apologized, trying to use her hands to create distance but Jesse only shushed her and gently held her hands, brushing her hair back as he softly smiled, writing into his notebook before smiling.

"Hey, you're okay. I honestly liked holding you close," she read as Aliya shyly glanced down at the ground, her blush deepening in the sunlight. "You know, it was just a one-time thing, right?" she briefly insisted, only for Jesse to merely give her a smug look in return.

Aliya rolled her eyes, giving him a light shove as Jesse softly smiled in her direction, still very much in love with his best friend. "Alright, we got a long day ahead of us, so let's go find Jax and Lillian," she insisted, trying to leave when Jesse casually spun her to his side.

Aliya gave a soft chuckle but all the same, she tried to focus on the quest, which was admirable but the four of them still had time to get the other three relics. He knew he should take this matter seriously, but every time he got around Aliya, he just felt more confident that they would succeed.

So, Jesse didn't feel the need to get stressed out, at least not in the same sense of Aliya, who only shook her head, trying not to appear amused by the whole thing. "Jess—" she began, trying to sound stern, only to stop when he held her chin towards his face, a light smirk forming over his lips.

"Jesse," Aliya repeated, in another attempt to sound stern, now trying to look away but her voice softened as he held her chin towards his direction once more. Once again, a subtle silence formed between the two as Jesse felt time slowing down.

Last time, he lost the opportunity to kiss her because Jesse reacted too slowly, but this time, he was determined to succeed. Leaning towards each other, the two nearly kissed until Aliya politely stopped him, a playful smile as she held a finger to his lips.

"Let's just try to stick to the mission ahead. Okay?" Aliya promptly stated, much to the fairy's disappointment, who felt his efforts dashed once more. As the faerie stood and removed her finger from Jesse's mouth, she had spotted the light-skinned girl in the distance.

"Lillian!"

When Lillian had spotted the light-skinned girl in the distance, she softly smiled in her direction. Jesse (who wasn't quite ready to see Aliya go) gently held onto the girl, but she merely smiled.

"Sorry, Jesse, but I have to go," she insisted before dashing off to discuss the group's next move. Left alone, Jesse merely huffed, his hair floating in mid-air.

Despite his best efforts to reach out to her, it was clear he lost his opportunity to kiss his best friend.... again.

~~~~~

Walking among the New Yorkers, the four Avalonians found the busy streets had its benefits in ensuring no one would hear their conversation, but found its drawbacks in the large crowd. Still, it was a nice cover and the four did their best to navigate through the sidewalks.

In the midst of reaching the end of the sidewalk, a random civilian had brush shoulders with Aliya on the way to the underground subway. As the civilian apologized, the two had lock eyes.

It was for a brief moment, but the time length was enough for Aliya and the stranger to catch the sudden glow in each other's eyes. Not long after, the civilian's simple smile dropped to a mere smirk.

"I should get going," Aliya insisted, trying to catch up with the others when a tight grip caught her off-guard. As the glow settled down, Aliya could see a flicker of blackish red, much darker than when she saw Iris's eyes, which were now a brighter shade of red, given the comparison.

"What's the rush?" the olive-skinned male inquired, smirking brighter as though it had just been his lucky day. "Don't tell me you forgot who I am," he continued, boasting a taunting chuckle.

As she stared closer, Aliya observed the male's black leather jacket, which had several rough patches over the years. Staring at his burgundy T-shirt and dark blue jeans, she could pick up the scent of ash and cigar smoke. Peering down, she spotted a singular dark maroon droplet stain smeared on the male's white shoelaces.

"How can I forget your face, Marcellus? You and your friends are the reason I'm missing my wings and nearly drowned," Aliya counters in a dry and bitter manner. "It's a shame Poseidon and your pesky friends had to intervene, but given how you're alone now, it seems I can finally finish what we started all those years ago,"  he insisted, gripping her arm harder.

As he laughed, Aliya spotted a crystal heart-shaped necklace with a white lace. The necklace itself gave off an angelic hue, but the only thing that caught her attention was the same dried maroon droplet that she found on his shoelaces.

"What are you going to do? Kill me here?" she questioned, keeping a neutral composure as the male glance at his shoelaces, which gave her enough time to place a tracker in his pocket. By the time he was done, Aliya resumed her initial state.

"With these witnesses? No," he answered, which gave Aliya some kind of relief. "We will resume our unfinished business soon," he continued, releasing her arm, which now had severe marks, given from the male's intensive hold over her.

"Just know, the next time we meet, I don't plan on being merciful," he concluded and before Aliya could get his name out, Marcellus was gone with the sound of the railway steered her back to reality. When she got on the subway, it seemed as though no time had passed between her and the encounter she faced.

Glancing down at the tracking device, Aliya sighed. Facing the ringleader that nearly got her killed wasn't on her list, but if Marcellus had the heart of purity (which she assumed wasn't as pure, given how the relic was in his possession), then she needed to make sure her team could retrieve the necklace from his clutches before Marcellus had the chance to use the relic for his own purposes.

"There you are!" Lillian exclaimed before giving her sibling a smug grin. "Ha! I told you we just lost her in the midst of these stops, Jax," Lillian insisted as Aliya did her best to ignore the tense smile Jax gave in response to their sister's statement, believing her relationship with Jax could get back on better terms.

Unfortunately, she would just have to endure the wrath of Jax's newfound behavior and hope for the best until that moment comes. "What were you doing, anyways?" Lillian followed up as Aliya proudly held her miniature device.

"Tracking the location of our second relic."

~~~~~~~

Stepping off from the latest stop, Aliya surveyed the area, wondering why the tracker had suddenly stopped moving. "Maybe, it's broken," Jaxon chimed in as Aliya firmly shook her head. "No, I built the thing myself and the tracker was working just fine when we got the dagger, so why...." Aliya began, trailing off as she found herself considering the possibility of her tracker truly being broken.

"So, you're the one tracking me."

When Lillian held Aliya steady, the four found Marcellus wiping his mouth, the dark red liquid smearing against his rugged mouth. "I would ask why, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with this," he continued, holding the crystal heart-shaped necklace with a white lace.

"Avalon's heart of purity necklace," Jaxon and Lillian stated in sync, both of them in disbelief, given how Marcellus was far from pure. "Amazing, isn't it? The necklace was hard to find, I admit, but once my girlfriend found it, well then retrieving the heart of purity became the easy part," he began, smirking towards the group as a sharp fang briefly appeared before Marcellus eyed the four.

"So, you used your girlfriend to find the heart of purity and killed her when she had served her purpose," Jaxon openly summarized, reaching to the same conclusion as the others.

"You know, I wanted to resolve my unfinished business with your friend there," Marcellus briefly paused to stare at Aliya, before facing the rest of the group. "But since you three seem to know the truth, you must also die," he concluded, scanning the group before spotting Jesse, who was shaking from the impact of his words.

"Hey, you're not dying. Not tonight, not ever," Jaxon fiercely sworn to Jesse as Lillian and Aliya eyed them. "I mean, we are not dying," they continued, correcting themselves in the process. "Alright, let's get this started," Marcellus stated, his smirk still in tact as the sun went down. As the moon shined, his eyes glowed a blackish red tint alongside his Avalonian necklace.

The moment he touch his necklace, the ground shook and as the four struggled to maintain their balance. Moments later, the ground stopped shaking as their eyes widened from the sight of a swarm of rotting flesh in front of them, just as Marcellus proudly smirked.

"All of you know what to do. Protect the necklace and kill at all costs, but leave the girl," he firmly stated, his eyes glued to Aliya. "She's mine," he added, while the four Avalonians face each other.

"Somehow, battling the undead wasn't on my to-do list," Jaxon began as Lillian and Aliya laughed. "Well, there's a first time for everything," Lillian and Aliya playfully insisted as Jaxon shook their head.

"Okay, but the undead?" they called out to the two girls, but the two were too far ahead for either one to hear them. "Come on!" they exclaimed, groaning as they stared at the horizon.

"Well, here goes nothing."

~~~~~~~

"Jesse, look out!"

As Jesse quickly ducked, Jaxon levitated a undead soldier into the direction of the other soldiers and Lillian clash the soldiers into each other with her teleportation abilities, it wasn't enough to stop the undead from picking themselves back up.

Even as Jesse tried to fight back, he kept hindering the progress of others, which now frustrated Lillian, who could feel her powers draining the energy she once had. "There's too many and Jesse isn't doing anything to stop them!" Lillian angrily snapped as Jesse helplessly flinched from the tone of her voice.

"Libby, yelling isn't going to solve anything," Jaxon insisted as Lillian defensively glared at their direction. "It's not my fault Jesse is completely useless! He can't fight to save his life and if we all die, it will be his fault!" she snapped once more as Jaxon shook their head.

"Jesse isn't a fighter and you know this," Jaxon stated before sighing. "If this is anyone's fault, the main culprit will be Aliya. She's the one always leading us to die. We are all just dumb enough to follow her," Jaxon counter back as the two siblings continued bickering, just as the undead began to surround them.

As their argument became more heated, their voices grew louder and Jesse could only helplessly watch, but as everything faded from view, he found himself surrounded with a face he would rather forget.

In his focus, Jesse saw a male with pitch black medium-length hair with a dark denim-blue jacket on top of a dark gray T-shirt followed by black jeans, high-top black heart-break styled socks and black sneakers. Although Jesse could see hints of some kind of eye color, the male's eyes were considerably a darker shade of brown, almost black as the male was surrounded by shadows and chained.

"You need me, Jesse," the male spoke, standing up as the chain clanged against the fairy's mind. "No, no! I don't need you!" Jesse angrily exclaimed, defensively backing away.

"Yes, you do. That's why I'm here. You couldn't get rid of me, so you had me chained here until I would be of service to you again," the male bluntly stated as Jesse furiously gripped onto his head.

"NO!"

In a fit of blind rage, Jesse charged towards the male, only to stop himself in the midst of raising his fist. Disgusted, Jesse backed away as his body trembled from the action he was about to perform. "You insist you're not a fighter, but once your anger intervenes, I beg to differ," the male smugly stated as Jesse forced himself to stop looking directly at his hands.

"Face it. You do need me and so do your so-called friends," the male insisted as Jesse fell to his knees. "The last time you got out, you only made things worse," Jesse insisted as the male laughed.

"That was my first time. I made a few amateur mistakes and a couple of lives were lost, what's the big deal? Besides, your girlfriend intervened, so I don't see why you're still sulking," the male insisted as Jesse stood up, now in protective mode.

"Do not bring up—"

"Who? Aliya?" the male responded with a brisk laugh. "Well, she won't be around for much longer anyways," he insisted as Jesse cautiously eyed him. "What do you mean?" Jesse nervously asked as the male took a step back. "See for yourself," the male pointed out, gesturing to Aliya falling to her knees and struggling to get back up.

As Marcellus pinned Aliya to the wall, Jesse could see the intensity in the Avalonian's grip when it came to holding her throat. "Just like old times, hmm? There's no one around to help you out this time, freak. Now, we can finally get on with our past," Marcellus boast as Jesse gasped.

"Aliya!" Jesse exclaimed and with his anger rises, he knew he was defenseless on his own. "Lillian was right. I am useless, but..." he paused, as if weighing his options before sighing. "You are not," he continued, turning to face the chained male. "You were right. It looks like I need your help after all," he added as the male smirked.

"Just say my name and I'll get right to it," the male insisted, already preparing to undo his chains when Jesse stopped him. "I'll say your name on one condition," Jesse counter as the male blinked. "Which is....?" the male began as Jesse dejectedly sighed. "I don't want anyone getting hurt, especially Aliya," he insisted before forcing himself to release his fist.

"Do this and I might consider letting you out longer next time. Deal?" Jesse added as the male shook his hand. "Sure," he began. "Then with the deal in effect, Cain, I release you," Jesse promptly stated as Cain smirked. "You really should have let me finish. I'm not very good with promises, much less keeping them," he briefly insisted as Jesse's eyes widened at the mistake he made.

"I revoke the deal! I revoke the—" Jesse frantically began, but the chains were now placed on him as Cain rubbed his wrist. "Right, well, good luck with that," he said as Jesse growled.

"Cain!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look at you. You're still the same fearful, pathetic little girl from all of those years ago," Marcellus insisted, pinning Aliya to the wall as she struggled to break free of his hold. "I see you haven't changed," he continued as Aliya managed a small chuckle.

"Yeah, well... neither have you."

Using what little strength she had left, Aliya willed the remainder of her energy into producing a powerful kick as Marcellus briefly lost control of his balance along with losing the heart of purity as it was no longer in his possession.

Shortly afterwards, Lillian caught the necklace and gave the heart of purity to Jaxon, who stared at the relic with mixed emotions. "That was a poor decision you made," Marcellus insisted, looking towards his opponent in her weakened state and wiping the blood from his nose.

"No, I think my decision was rather logical," Aliya smugly stated, but her witty response came back to haunt her when Marcellus forcibly grabbed her before pounding the girl back into the ground. "Aliya!" Lillian and Jaxon called out in concern as Aliya forced herself to stand, her head spinning from the impact.

"I'm fine! Go get Jesse and leave!" Aliya called out, biting back the screams she wanted to release. "We are not leaving you!" Lillian defensively exclaimed, preparing to charge at Marcellus when a large swoosh of wind caught everyone off-balance. When Marcellus and the others stood up, everyone could see his undead army moving unresponsively on the ground.

Then moments later, the undead army stood up but their eyes were now completely black. Distraught, Marcellus stared at the three, who were also at a loss of words. "What is the meaning of this?" Marcellus sharply demanded as a cold, icy laugh echoed across from the podium.

"You are not the only one who can control the dead," the cloaked figure spoke, before taking off the hood and smirking. As Marcellus and the others watch, the four could see Jesse's amulet now turn black. "How is your friend talking and how is he controlling my minions? Jesse is a pathetic love fairy, not a master of necromancy!" Marcellus snapped as he saw the three displaying different ranges of emotions.

"That's because it's not Jesse," Jaxon solemnly began. "Who you are seeing right now is..." Lillian continued, before stumbling as Jaxon caught her. "Cain and it's a great pleasure to be back," he began, dismissively flicking Lillian and Jaxon back with a wave of his hand as Aliya's eyes widened.

"Lily! Jax!" Aliya protectively cried out, concerned for her two siblings and friends. "I believe you and I have unfinished business," Cain promptly stated as Marcellus promptly laughed before standing up.

"No, no, no. You don't get to control my army and get to deal with her first! I've waited years for this and I literally sold my soul to get to this point. You can wait," Marcellus firmly stated as Cain waved his hand and flung the Avalonian towards his army of the undead.

"Now, where were we?" Cain began as Aliya's eyes widened. She was slowly beginning to wish she had conserved her energy and strength somewhat better. "Right. The part where I kill you now," he answered, picking the girl up with ease as Aliya truly struggled to free herself.

"Any last words?" Cain asked, holding her throat as his arm began to develop black veins which transferred toward Aliya's throat. As the veins grew, Aliya could feel the strains of poison entering through her body. She weakly kicked and thrust her way to possibly get herself free, but moving only made things worse.

"Hey, shadow drone!" Lillian and Jaxon called out to Cain, who merely look in their direction and momentarily blinked. "Oh, it's you two," Cain dully began, bored of seeing Lillian and Jaxon. "Come to see your friend speak her last words?" he asked as Jaxon took out the heart of purity and gave the necklace to Lillian.

"No, but you should," they said before facing their sister, who had a determined gleam in her eyes, which were no longer black from the usage of her powers. "Libby, now!" they ordered as Lillian grinned. "With pleasure!" Lillian exclaimed as she flashed the necklace, revealing a white light to shine on Cain, catching him off-guard as he dropped Aliya, releasing his hold on her.

As such, the poison withdrew itself back from her body and back into Cain's grasp. With the poison draining itself from Aliya's system, all that remained was a few small spouts of the black veins. As Aliya rubbed her throat, Lillian and Jaxon rush to help her stand while Cain laid on the ground, staring as the black gemstone began reverting back to a natural pinkish glow.

"This isn't the last time we will meet," Cain insisted as he stood up. "No, but when you come back, we'll be ready to beat you twice as hard," Lillian confidently boast as Jaxon nodded. "Someday, we might even find a way to break your hold over Jesse," Jax added as Cain scoffed.

"Yeah, sure. Jesse will never get rid of me, so good luck trying to get the job done," Cain firmly stated before eyeing the three Avalonians closely. "I will get my revenge and as for you," he paused to face Aliya, who look at him with exhaustion. "Mark my words, I will come out on top and resolve our unfinished business," Cain continued as Aliya merely shook her head.

"Sure, you will but hey, you tried. I'll give you that," she bristly responded, brushing his words off. "As long as my friends are with me, you should know you don't really stand a chance," Aliya continued as Cain glared at her.

"Your friends, huh? See how long those two last. You'll be alone soon enough, then you really won't stand a chance against me, but hey. You will try to prove me wrong, yet in the end, I'll be right, so good luck trying to stop what's coming," Cain concluded before a puff of black mist formed over him.

In the place of the mist, the gemstone restored itself to its natural pinkish glow as Jesse found himself in his body once more. Jesse scanned his surroundings and when his eyes landed on Aliya, he immediately ran towards her, pulling the girl into an affectionate hug.

In the process, his action caught Lillian and Jaxon off-guard as the two were practically pushed to the side. Jesse had briefly pulled away, trying to say her name, only to frown when he realized Narcissa's spell was still in effect because he (not Cain) made the deal with the sea witch.

"Jesse, I'm fine," Aliya softly said, trying to put distance between them out of respect for Jaxon, who couldn't stop themself from looking even if they had tried. Lillian, on the other hand, was mainly upset over being shoved by Jesse.

"Aliya, if he shoves me again, Jesse is going six feet under," Lillian promptly threatened as Jesse hid behind Aliya (much to Jaxon's annoyance) while Aliya merely chuckled, knowing she was joking (or half-joking, at least). "I'm sure it was an accident," Aliya gently pointed out as Lillian merely huffed.

"Yeah, well accident or not, he's getting too comfortable with shoving me and someone needs to put him in his place," she continued before sighing as she saw Aliya eyeing her. It was like getting scolded by a caring mother, only instead of a mother, she got a older sister.

"Fine, fine! Jesse will merely get off with a warning because I know Jax will bury me if anything happens to him," Lillian openly admitted as Aliya playfully shook her head while Jax rolled their eyes. "Anyways, please tell me we were able to secure the heart of purity," Jaxon chimed in as Lillian held the necklace with pride.

"The necklace is secured," Lillian proudly chimed in as Jesse's eyes lit up as he happily shook Aliya. "Jesse is definitely thrilled," Aliya pointed out as Jaxon and Lillian high-five each other. "We are halfway done! Now, let's all go," Jaxon began just as Marcellus stood up and approached the group.

"No one is going anywhere!" Marcellus began as Jaxon and Lillian eyed each other. "I actually forgot he was still here," Lillian whispered to Jaxon, who nodded. "I did too," they told her as Marcellus shook his head.

"Not until I get my revenge on her!" Marcellus angrily exclaimed, pointing toward Aliya, who groaned at the sight of having to endure another guy who despised her. "You and I still have unfinished business!" he exclaimed as Aliya rolled her eyes.

"Didn't you and your friends torture me enough when we were changelings? Can't you just... I don't know, move on with your life at this point? Or better yet, offer me a long overdue apology?" she insisted as Marcellus bluntly laugh at the thought of moving on, much less the idea of apologizing.

"Yeah, okay. I figure you would react like that, so I don't feel awful for doing this," Aliya cheekily began before targeting his necklace. As she threw the rock in the direction of the gemstone, a crack formed as a loud range of hissing sounds echoed across the podium.

Retaining (or at least trying to retain) their balance as the ground shake once more, the four noticed large cracks forming around Marcellus, who struggled to keep his own balance as the ground caved in.

"What did you do!" Marcellus exclaimed, now caught mid-laugh as he took in effects of the surroundings and his undead army disintegrating around him. "Our unfinished business," Aliya dismissively stated, tossing another rock in a up-and-down motion as she caught the rock in her hand.

"If I'm not getting an apology, then I might as well get my version of payback," she insisted without much remorse for Marcellus. "So, any last words?" she followed up, only for Marcellus to panic.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, but Aliya found he wasn't worthy of having any last words, the same way he had deemed her unworthy in the past. "Actually, I don't want to hear what you have to say. I believe that's what you told me, isn't that right?" she began before laughing.

"Well, since you can't drown, maybe being buried will suffice for the years I've suffered," she said, flexing her arm. "Oh and don't worry about your friends, Marcellus. I'll make sure all of them join you under ground too," she added before throwing the rock in his direction, causing Marcellus to lose his balance.

"I will get my revenge!" Marcellus called out before tumbling towards the depths of the earth, the cracks forming over him before returning to its normal state. Around them, the ground stopped shaking and the cracks were no longer in sight.

"Sure you will. Try getting out now," Aliya chimed in, feeling some degree of peace, but even if Marcellus was the ringleader who organized the event, he wasn't the one who ripped out her wings. At least, she would have one less nightmare to worry about. So for now, that would be enough.

~~~~~~~~~~

Later on that evening, Lillian and Jaxon were sitting by a fire while Jesse observed the two. Moments later, Aliya arrived but a shift in her energy caught Lillian's attention.

"Li, what's the matter? If this is about the relics, we got the dagger and now, we got the heart of purity in our possession. We're halfway through the relics we need to get and you don't look entirely excited," Lillian began as Aliya awkwardly fumbled with Castor's Avalonian necklace.

"You guys have to find the last two relics without me. I can give you the location, but I can't go with you," Aliya insisted as Lillian stared at her in disbelief. "What? No way!" Lillian sharply exclaimed, not liking Aliya's suggestion. "Trust me, it's for the best. If I tag along, I'll just ruin everything," Aliya countered back as Lillian scoffed.

"Yeah, right. If it weren't for you, then we definitely wouldn't be at the halfway mark of this quest by now," Lillian insisted, frowning when Aliya looked away. "Alright, why are you saying these things? You know we need you to help us get these last two relics, so I don't understand why you're trying to opt out now," she added as Aliya sighed.

"If I go, I'll have to stop all of you from reaching Erebus's scepter and gemstone," Aliya coldly response, which caught Lillian and the others off-guard as the three were still unable to get use to the sudden switch in her tone.

"Stop us?" Lillian puzzlingly repeated, somewhat confused but mostly concerned. "Li, what are you getting at?" she continued. "Erebus doesn't want Jesse to get to his scepter and gemstone because if he does, then that mean Narcissa wins," Aliya continued as Jaxon stared at her.

"So what, you're saying this whole time, we are just...." Jaxon began, only to trail off as they struggled to form their thoughts. "Play things for higher beings? Sure," Aliya dismissively answered, her tone oddly emotionless.

"Anyways, the sea witch and Erebus are at war with each other, so they've chosen their 'champions' to stop the other from succeeding," she continued as Lillian noted the way her sibling's eyes widened from Aliya's response.

"Champions?" Lillian chimed in. "It's their affectionate way of calling everyone under their hold as pawns," Aliya simply answered. "For example, Jesse is unwittingly a pawn for Narcissa since he is under her hold, which is why she wants him to collect all four relics," she began as Jaxon cleared their throat.

"If that is the case and what you are saying is true, then what would happen if Narcissa wanted to stop Jesse from collecting the rest of the relics?" Jaxon slowly inquired as they tried their best not to give themselves away. "Well, given how Jesse also made the deal with Narcissa, it's possible she might have underestimated his initial worth to her," Aliya briefly began. "But..." Jaxon began as she eyed Jesse.

"But... it is possible she saw more value in him, especially after tonight's events," she continued. "If this is the case and I'm correct, then Narcissa would naturally want to keep Jesse within her grasp and use his powers to her advantage, yet if Jesse is able to beat her by completing his side of the deal, then she won't be able to do anything," Aliya further explained as Jaxon nodded.

"Wait so if this is all true, then are we just going on this elaborate quest for... nothing?" Lillian sharply questioned. "Because if this is the case, then I have no problem dropping this quest and sending Jesse off to the sea witch myself," she added as Jaxon and Aliya eyed her.

"Libby!" Jaxon called out as Lillian scoffed. "What? Am I wrong? What has Jesse ever done for any of us? What has he done for you, Jax?" she sharply inquired, pointing to Jesse. "Jesse did... Well, he did..." Jaxon tried to find some way to defend Jesse, but they were finding it nearly impossible to find ways Jesse had actually done something for them. When Jaxon failed to give a response, Lillian turned to Aliya.

"What about you, Li? What has Jesse done for you? Has he ever defended you? Has he ever taken a hit for you? Has he ever been willing to be selfless enough to risk his life just once to ensure your safety?" Lillian persisted as Jesse eyed Aliya, hoping she would come to his aid like all of the previous times.

"Look, it doesn't matter what he did or what he didn't do. Jesse is still our friend and if push comes to shove, he will do anything to protect us because that's what friends do," Aliya sharply counter back as Lillian scoffed.

"He's not our friend and he's definitely not mine. Out of all of us here, Jesse is always the first to backstab us, especially you. I don't see how you can possibly waste your time defending him," Lillian countered back as Aliya sighed.

"Lily—" Aliya began, only to get interrupted by Lillian. "Whether Jesse ends up human or goes back to Avalon in his initial state, he will just revert back to his perfectionist state. I mean, let's just address this now, right?" Lillian continued, her voice breaking.

"He will go back to looking down on us as mere freaks and let's not forget, he will go back to tormenting you while wrapped into the arms of Iris, his elite friends and his wealth," Lillian further added as Jesse's face fell. Even without a voice, Jesse knew she had a point.

"But yeah, sure. Let's go save Jesse because he's "our" friend, who definitely would go out of his way to drown us if it meant saving himself," Lillian bitterly concluded, eyeing the love fairy with disgust. She thought Aliya and Jaxon were too optimistic about Jesse and just didn't want to see their hearts shatter when he ends up proving her right.

"Libby—" Jaxon gently began as Lillian angrily huffed. "Let's just move on before I really decide to take him to the sea witch myself," she firmly stated as Jesse could only look away in shame.

"While this quest may seem like it was all for nothing, if Jesse is able to get the last two relics and bring all of them to Narcissa, then everything we did during the length of his spell will pay off," Aliya briefly continued, as if nothing was going on between the group.

"If he's unable to retrieve the last two or if any of the other relics go missing by then...?" Jaxon followed up as Aliya looked at Jesse and sighed. "Then, this whole quest would have truly been for nothing," Aliya solemnly answered as Lillian groaned. "We might as well get the last two relics, so I don't feel like Jesse wasted my time," Lillian bitterly answered before her eyes widened for a brief moment.

"Wait if Jesse is a pawn for Narcissa, then..." Lillian briefly trailed off, trying to voice her thoughts when she hear Aliya's sigh.

"I'm a pawn for Erebus," Aliya blankly finished. "Up until now, Erebus has influenced me and there were brief moments where he even got control over me, but if you're truly wanting to commit, then you should know I'll end up possibly being your next obstacle," Aliya continued, fearful to look into any of their eyes.

"This route would have been avoided if I went through with his initial request and kill Jesse like he wanted," Aliya continued as Jaxon's eyes widened, realizing she hadn't told them everything related to Erebus after all. "It's possible he still wants me to kill Jesse since this route would be easier for him," she continued, focusing her attention on the flames.

"You won't really kill Jesse, right?" Jaxon softly asked, but Aliya could still sense the hesitation in their tone. She couldn't blame Jax for asking though. She managed to stop herself up till now, but ever since they got the second relic, it's been becoming harder for Aliya to maintain control over her own thoughts and actions. Aliya didn't want to admit it, but a part of her wanted to kill him just to get revenge on the way he treated her over the years.

Although she had the urge, Aliya knew she wasn't a monster... yet. So despite the way she felt towards Jesse regarding their past, Aliya tried to save her reputation before it came undone tomorrow. "No, which is why we are now facing the possibility of three bodies rather than one," Aliya answered before facepalming herself. If she had wanted to save herself, that was no longer a possibility for her.

"Aliya!" Lillian and Jaxon exclaimed as Jesse's eyes widened from her response. Aliya could only laugh, which did nothing to defuse the situation. "Why are you laughing?" the two snapped, which only made Aliya laugh harder.

"Stop laughing! You're supposed to reassure us that we are safe, not make us fearful of our lives," the two insisted, but there was almost some kind of devilish gleam in Aliya's eyes, which only made the group worried.

"I wish I could reassure you, but I can barely reassure myself that I'm still in control, so forgive me if I find your fear amusing," Aliya plainly stated, failing to suppress her laughter. When she saw their eyes drop, Aliya forced herself to stop laughing, trying to remind herself that she once cared for the safety of her friends.

At the thought of caring for her friends once, Aliya felt her heart sank. She had cared for her friends at some point. Jesse was her best friend and they were on speaking terms again! Lillian and Jaxon were her siblings! She loved her two friends like family and she got her wish! So why did Aliya have to remind herself of these things to remember how fiercely she cared about them?

"Erebus was right after all. It was only a matter of time until he got his way," Aliya quietly mumbled, which caught the group's attention. "Aliya—" Lillian and Jaxon began, but she was the one to interrupt the two.

"Look, getting the last two relics from Erebus is critical for Jesse to succeed, so I'll try my best to ensure you three can retrieve the relics before he notices. He's going to possess me anyways, so I'll just deal with the consequences of my decision. Besides, maybe by then, Jesse will become human and you two will already be back at Avalon," Aliya firmly stated as everyone stared at her.

"Aliya, you are not going to sacrifice yourself just so Jesse can get his stupid wish. If he absolutely wants to become human, then we can find another way, but this?" Lillian began as she heavily sighed. "This is just your recklessness talking," Jaxon finished as Aliya stood up.

"True, but being reckless seems to be my only talent. So, if I'm going out with a bang, why not embrace it?" Aliya insisted before sighing. "All of you should get some sleep. It's going to be a very long and painful day, but should you three succeed, then tomorrow will be the last day," she continued.

"Aliya, we will find another way to get the relics and stop Erebus from possessing you," Lillian and Jaxon firmly stated as Aliya only smiled to hide the fact it was far too late for her. Maybe, that's why Erebus allowed her to come clean. The god already knew he was getting his way, so fighting against her fate would be pointless by now.

"Get some sleep. You'll think more clearly in the morning," Aliya softly said before disappearing into the dark. Now alone, Jaxon and Lillian reflect on their friend (and sister)'s words while Jesse tried to blow out the fire.

"Jax, we are not really going to let Aliya go through with her plan, will we?" Lillian asked as Jaxon shook their head. "No. Maybe, she's just not in the right mindset after everything that happened to her these last couple of days," Jaxon insisted as Lillian sighed.

"What are we going to do? I don't want to lose my only sister to some god and a sea witch who values themselves more than our lives," Lillian insisted, nearly on the verge of tears when Jaxon protectively held their sister steady and stroked her hair in a tender, loving manner.

"Hey, hey. We are not going to lose our sister. Someone just needs to talk to her and by someone, I mean me. I'm going to go talk to her and try to get her to change her mind about this. Okay?" Jaxon softly assured her as Lillian nodded.

"Okay, but can you take Jesse with you?" Lillian asked as Jaxon stared at her. "Why?" they curiously ask as she pointed towards Jesse. "He can't put out a fire right," she answered, gesturing to the flames devouring Jesse, who frequently jumped as Jaxon laughed from his reaction to the roaring fire.

"Alright, I'll take him with me before he ends up burning this place," Jaxon answered as Lillian sighed in relief. "Thank you," Lillian softly said, hugging her sibling as Jaxon affectionately held onto their sister.

"You are welcome."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Aliya!"

As they called out her name, Jaxon frowned, knowing Aliya was purposely trying to ignore them. "Aliya! I know you can hear me!" they loudly exclaimed, their frown growing deeper when they didn't get a response.

"So this is how she wants to be," Jaxon mumbled before sighing. "Aliya, I'm giving you one more chance before I call out your full name," they called out and when they didn't get a response, Jaxon held their breath.

"One, two—" they began, purposely drawing each number out in a slow manner before a voice caught their attention. "Alright, I get it!" Aliya called out as Jaxon and Jesse high-five each other. "Where are you? We need to talk," Jaxon stated, their voice echoing.

"Over here," Aliya responded as Jesse spotted the girl and led them to the river, where the two found her skipping rocks into the water. "Oh, there you are!" Jaxon exclaimed as Aliya held another rock in her head. "You found me," she said, lightly flicking the pebble before turning to face Jaxon and Jesse.

"What did you want to talk about?" Aliya casually asked, trying to fake her natural curiosity when she didn't really care.  "I volunteered myself to convince you to change your mind about your plan, but I mainly want to know why you are willing to put Jesse before yourself," Jaxon answered as Aliya eyed them.

"Don't get me wrong! Jesse is great, but the way you made it sound, it was almost like you don't value yourself as a higher priority," Jaxon insisted as Aliya found herself laughing.

"Why would I prioritize myself in a higher position when everyone is always telling me I'm not worth anything?" Aliya countered back with another laugh as she didn't take their response seriously.

"Aliya, what are you talking about? You should be able to prioritize yourself in a higher position, though you should really be first on your list," Jaxon insisted as they and Jesse sat beside Aliya. "Sure. I'm the pathetic troublemaker of Avalon. I'm wingless and lack any real substance to make myself valuable to a society that is run by talent and magical abilities," she pointed out.

"Not everyone views you that way," Jaxon defensively stated as Aliya dryly chuckled. "Who then?" she countered back as Jaxon and Jesse raised their hands, which Aliya only reacted by a blank stare. "We do!" Jaxon proudly exclaimed as Aliya rolled her eyes.

"Jesse's claim is superficial. The moment this issue gets resolved, he will either forget about everything or revert back into his arrogant, I'm-better-than-you position and as for you, Jax, didn't you call me a monster only recently?" Aliya harshly recalled as their faces fell.

"It was in the heat of the moment! You know I didn't mean it!" Jaxon awkwardly protested as Aliya rolled her eyes.

"That's what you're going with? That you didn't mean when you said a monster is what I would become? That you and the others were foolish for trusting me? That you all should fear me?" she persisted, laughing once more. "Say what you want, Jax, but you're a terrible liar. Heat of the moment or not, you meant it," she bluntly added as Jaxon sighed, knowing she was right.

They had meant their words and Jaxon wish they hadn't allow their jealousy to blind them from the great friendship they shared with Aliya. She had a right to form a crush on Jesse just like they did. They regretted their words deeply in the moment, but it was clear Aliya had no intention on forgiving them or Jesse for that matter.

In the end, Jaxon and Jesse had unwittingly proved Aliya's point. It didn't matter what either one of them said because at the end of the day, they were just going to turn their backs on her when the pressure got too high.

"Okay, but you can't tell me your parents, Stormy and Poseidon wouldn't want you to prioritize yourself first," Jaxon began and only then, did they see her eyes start to soften, so they knew Aliya was listening.

"What about Castor? He was willing to risk his life for you. Would you go and tell him that you're not worth caring about?" they continued and when Aliya remained silent, Jaxon knew they were making a breakthrough.

"Lillian told me she didn't want to lose the only sister she had. Aliya, she looks up to you. You should have seen the way she was on the verge of tears, because she cares about you deeply. Are you going to tell her that she's wasting her time on you just because you chose not to prioritize yourself?" Jaxon concluded and once they had finished, they glanced over to see Aliya's eyes widened.

"I still won't prioritize yourself, but you're right about the fact I still have a support system, even if they occasionally hate me in the heat of the moment," Aliya admitted as she tried to mask her shaky breathing.

"Look... I'm sorry. It just seemed like the right thing to do, because I thought lowly of myself. I didn't take into account how my decision would effect everyone else," she continued as Aliya sighed once more.

"Aliya, you're not at fault here. These last few days have been stressful and I imagine with each encounter, it's warping the way you view yourself, which is why you value your life so low," they gently explained to her. "Look, I may get jealous but at the end of the day, you are my sister. Adopted or not, you will always be worth it," they softly assured her as Aliya gave a small, meaningful smile.

"Thanks, sib," Aliya softly said as Jaxon playfully ruffled her hair, grinning at the sound of her soft laugh. "Anytime, sis," they said, repeating the same soft nature. "You should get some sleep though. You will think clearly in the morning and we can come up with alternatives to your initial plan," they added, standing up.

"Promise me you'll get some sleep," they sternly added as Aliya lightly chuckled. "I'll get some sleep," she assured them, intending to keep her promise to them. "Good, then I'm heading back. Come on, Jesse," they said, turning to Jesse, who had gestured toward his notebook. As Jaxon held the notebook to the moonlight, they were able to make out his response.

"You want to keep Aliya company by staying here?" Jaxon whispered as Jesse firmly nodded. The thought of Jesse being alone with their sister made them nervous in the sense of their jealousy, but they didn't want to be controlled by their emotions. So in an effort to change, they nodded.

"Go ahead. Just be sure you both come back to the campsite afterwards. Deal?" Jaxon softly said as Jesse hugged them, which they took as his way of thanking them. "You're welcome. Now go on," they said, softly smiling before backing away to give the two space.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alone with Aliya, Jesse lightly nudged the girl, who had looked in his direction. When he finally got her attention, he gesture to his notebook. "You want to take me on a surprise to cheer me up?" she asked, reading his response as he stood up, holding out his hand to her with a bow.

"Hmm, I don't know. We should be heading back now," Aliya insisted as she stood up but as she stared into his deep, adorable brown eyes, she gave on. "Okay, you win," she said, taking his hand as Jesse took his opportunity and grinned. "Alright, so where are we—" she began, only to cut herself off from his sudden speed.

"Jesse!"

A few moments later, the two found themselves on the other side of the area where a empty, wooden boat remain unoccupied. As Jesse gently tuck a lily in her hair, he held out his hand for her to take.

As she took his hand and enter the boat, Jesse starts rowing the boat towards the lake while Aliya took the time to admire the scenery. When he got to a resting point, Jesse placed the oars back inside the boat, taking into account the perfect angle of the moonlight reflecting on Aliya, where her hair appear to glisten.

"Jesse, this is beautiful. Thank you," Aliya genuinely told him, though her look seem puzzled. "Is everything okay?" she followed up to which he slowly nodded, slightly confused by the question. "You're looking at me weird," she noted as his eyes widened, to which Aliya playfully giggled.

"I hope you don't plan on staring at a human like that or they might just take your look the wrong way," Aliya lightly teased, but the thought of Jesse moving on to someone else had never crossed his mind. For the longest time he loved Aliya and he loved the idea of being human, but this was the second time he found himself faced with the possibility of losing the girl he loved.

Jesse frowned at this realization before writing in his notebook. Once his thought came to mind, he quickly jotted down his words before tapping on her shoulder. "Jesse? What's wrong?" she inquired as he gesture to the notebook.

"You want to tell me something? Did I accidentally offend you about the stare?" she began as Jesse grinned, shaking his head. "No? Then, what did you want to tell me?" she asked, half curious and half concern to know what was on his mind. As he scribbled onto the notebook once more, Jesse then held the page for her to see.

"Jesse..." she hesitated as her smile fell, much to the boy's disappointment. "Jesse... I... this is sweet, but you'll find someone else in the human world," she insisted but stopped when she saw his next response. "I'm the only one that matters to you? Jesse, what are you...." Aliya began before her eyes widened. His lingering stares were the same ones Castor gave her and he's always so keen on spending time with her alone...

At first, she thought about rationing these moments and chalking it up to coincidences, but then she thought about the earlier incident when she had kissed Jesse to reverse the siren effects by Iris and everything clicked for her.

"Oh, stardust. You are in love with.... With me," Aliya said with a tender fondness before realizing that there was the possibility of Castor loved her too. As she stared at Jesse, she felt torn and slightly confused.

She always thought her and Jesse's relationship was nothing more than friends, only recently did she find herself considering the idea of being more than friends with Jesse. But even then, it's not like Aliya took the concept seriously. She knew Jesse would deny their relationship or keep her a secret and Aliya didn't want someone who couldn't embrace their relationship in the open.

Besides, she didn't even know what would happen once Jesse became human. Would he forget his memories? Would he remember her? Did he want to remember her? Aliya has never even been on a long distance relationship, much less an actual relationship with someone else.

Worse, her thoughts went back to Castor, who has done so much for her in the short amount of time they met than compared to the years she spent with Jesse. She couldn't deny the connection she had with Jesse, but their time here was nothing more to her than simply... superficial.

She did love Jesse, but he would never profess his love for her back in Avalon and Aliya knew this.

But Castor? She felt more confident in saying she loved him because she could see herself being in love with him. After all, he had risk his own chances of safety to protect her from Jesse's parents and took her side when Jesse always got pit against her. Still, she was getting to know Castor, so it was possible things could change but as for Jesse... it was clear where she stood.

Aliya opened her mouth, but stopped when she saw Jesse closed his eyes and leaned toward her direction. "Jesse... I..." she began, struggling to let the words out and once she finally got her thoughts together, the boat began to rock. Not long after, the boat flipped over and Aliya found herself holding her head up.

"Jesse!" she called out, frantically panicking until Aliya spotted his head popping out. As she held onto Jesse and swam towards the shore, Aliya did her best to keep Jesse from drowning. So when she managed to pull him up towards higher ground, Aliya didn't think much about her situation.... That was until she felt a tug on her leg.

"Jesse!"

As she tried to reach for his hand, Aliya found herself pulled towards the deeper parts of the lake where she barely managed to make out two eels. One of the eels held onto her leg, while the other eel wrapped itself fiercely around her throat.

"Where are your friends now?" the first eel taunted as the second sneered. "It seems like no one is here to save you. What a shame and to think you were special. You're nothing more than replaceable," the eels continued as Aliya tried to free herself but the two eels made it a challenge for her.

Worse, she felt the water rising in her lungs and Aliya didn't know how much longer she could keep her eyes open. Once again, she was going to drown, only instead of being shoved into the water by other Avalonians who bullied her, she was pulled into the water by talking eels, who also chose to taunt her.

She tried to call out names, but by now, Aliya knew each attempt to free herself only made it that much harder to breathe. So when she began losing her willpower to fight and heard the eels laughing, Aliya knew she had lost, silently listing the names of those she had failed.

When Aliya's eyes had reopened once more, she found herself back on the grassy tuff and coughed as her vision refocuses. Her head spun and she could hardly think without the added pressure from the water weighting her down. Worse, she had stumbled and nearly fell when she felt someone catch her.

Once her vision got readjusted, Aliya saw Jesse's clothes were soaking wet and noted he was cold to the touch, but the tight hug told her he didn't care. "J... Jesse, y... you saved me?" she asked, pulling away as she saw Jesse proudly nodding. "Thank you," she sincerely told him, holding the love fairy closer.

Once the two made their way back to the campsite, Aliya and Jesse were greeted by a frantic Lillian and a concern Jaxon. "Where have you two been and why are you both wet?" Jaxon curiously asked as Aliya and Jesse stared at each other before looking back at them.

"Long story but what happened?" Aliya asked, leaning onto Jesse as Jaxon felt a pit in their stomach at the sight. "Didn't you hear?" Lillian asked as Aliya and Jesse shook their head.

"The heart of purity — it's missing!"