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𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓, the manic laugh still seemed to resonate between the walls of the room. The group could never forget that voice as it echoed merciless between their ears.

The source of the blue light above them had disappeared and they could barely make out each others' silhouettes in the suffocating darkness.

Peter and Caspian struggled to get their torches going, and when the warm orange light danced over the Stone Table, everyone breathed out in relief as it drove back the lingering fear.

The two young men used their torches to light the other ones as well, but Caspian did not dare to set the oil ablaze again; afraid the mist would return.

Noelle stroked the wrinkles out of her green tunic with trembling hands while she tried to slow down her irregular beating heart. She could still see the ominous swirling strings of fog whenever she blinked, and she crossed eyes with Darkan.

Even he appeared to be rattled as he glanced around the room and his fingers nervously tapped against the leather sheath of his sword.

Caspian spun around on his heels, causing everyone to turn their attention at him instead on the cracked table. 'We have to go back to Cair Paravel,' the King said, sounding out of breath with a hoarse voice.

'What? Now?' Phoenix asked. The muscles in his legs still throbbed with exhaustion from the journey towards the How, but he jogged a few paces to catch up with Caspian's long strides.

'Yes, now,' Caspian answered, leading the group back towards the entrance as fast as he could.

The maze-like tunnels, however, felt dark and threatening, the peaceful ambiance from before had been whisked away like a leaf on a gust of wind.

'Did you not see the mist?' Caspian continued, halting for a moment to glance around a corner. The tunnel was empty, and he waved his free hand above his shoulder to sign to the others the coast was clear.

'Jadis wants to attack Cair Paravel. We have to go back, now,' Caspian elaborated when he looked back and noticed the confused expression of the newcomers.

'I don't understand,' Vittoria said, her voice barely a whisper. 'Who is Jadis?' She was pretty sure she hadn't heard the others mentioning that name before and the tips of her hair started to turn white; the anxiety affecting her metamorphic powers.

George took her hand, pulling her closer and giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. 'It's going to be alright, darling,' he said, murmuring against her hair and she took a few deep breaths. The white colour faded away before any of the others could notice it, and she gave him a grateful smile.

At the other end of the group, Elodie carefully touched Peter's upper arm to get his attention.

He snapped out of his thoughts, his grim expression wavering for a moment as he looked at her.

'What happened back there,' Elodie started, 'was that Aslan reaching out?' She suppressed a shiver as the dread that flowed through her veins reminded her about a few nights ago; when Voldemort's voice had rang through everyone's mind; demanding Harry Potter's surrender or more would die.

'I'd expected Aslan to have a somewhat more friendly aura,' Ella added, and she almost squeezed the living life out of Oliver's hand when her torch's light fell upon an unexpected carving of a massive minotaur.

'No, that wasn't Aslan,' Peter said. 'Aslan is a lion. I fear that it was Jadis' magic we witnessed.'

'Aslan is a lion,' Giulia repeated slowly. 'Somehow that makes perfect sense.'

Nevada fought back a snicker but then she remembered the first image of the fog. 'You mean the lion we saw getting imprisoned by the mist?'

Peter clenched his jaw, giving a sharp nod, but he sprinted towards Lucy when she stopped a few paces ahead of them.

She had heard everything, diminishing the last spark of hope she had left. Her body trembled as she tried to suppress a sob but the sound still bounced off against the earth surrounding them. Her auburn hair had a red glow in the light of the dancing flames and her face was unusually pale.

Peter hugged her tightly while Elodie took over his burning torch, laying a consoling hand on Lucy's shoulder as well.

'I don't understand what is happening,' Lucy whispered, embracing her oldest brother just as strongly.

'Me neither,' Peter said, 'but we will figure it out. We always do.'

Lucy took a few shaky breaths and nodded, letting go of him again.

The group continued to make their way back, their senses heightened and dreading whatever could lurk in the shadows of the tunnels. To their relief, they reached the entrance area without anything else happening.

Caolán jumped up from his spot on the ground between the horses as he had stayed behind to take care of them, and his eyes immediately searched for Lucy. His heart dropped when he noticed she was on the verge of tears.

'What happened?' Caolán asked in a worried tone, quickly closing the distance between him and Lucy. He wanted to hug her, but instead, he stopped awkwardly in front of her. Lucy tried to smile up to him, but she couldn't.

'Jadis,' Caspian answered Caolán's question. 'Peter, Darkan, help me,' he continued while trying to push away the round and solid entrance stone that shut the How off from outside and its wintery cold.

'I do not think it was Jadis, though,' Edmund said, his dark eyebrows furrowed as his brown eyes stared at something in the distance only he could see. He had thought about it long and hard, but now he was sure about it.

Peter and Caspian immediately stopped pushing the stone ─ and Darkan too when he realized he was the only one trying at the moment ─ and along with June and Lucy they turned their gaze on Edmund.

'What do you mean? You don't think it was Jadis?' June asked.

'Exactly how I said it. The voice didn't sound like hers.'

Peter shook his head. 'Of course it was Jadis. Who else could it have been? We all saw the blue light, and let's not forget the raging winter outside. It is happening all over again.'

Edmund rolled his eyes by hearing Peter's stubbornness. 'I know her voice better than anyone else here, Pete,' he said. 'It has been haunting me for years, and I know this voice we heard, was not hers. Besides, the mist does not add up. Jadis never used mist.'

Peter observed his younger brother, pondering about his words but he started to realize Edmund was right.

'All right, not Jadis then,' Peter admitted, and Lucy reached in an instinct for Caolán's hand to seek comfort.

If it had been Jadis they would've known which threat they would have been facing, but this unknown foe made the danger seem dozen of times more terrifying.

Caolán startled for a moment by the sudden touch before relaxing into it and giving Lucy's hand a gentle squeeze.

Caspian ran a hand through his dark hair. 'All right. Jadis or not, it does not change the fact we need to get back to Cair Paravel as fast as we can. The castle and everyone inside it is in danger.'

Peter nodded and along with Darkan, the three of them started to roll the massive stone to the side.

'Is no one concerned this is exactly what the Voice might be aiming for?' Noelle spoke up, unable to keep her thoughts and worries to herself anymore. 'Perhaps the Voice wants us to hurry back? There could be a trap outside waiting for us. We don't even know if what the mist showed us is true at all.'

Noelle's voice got cut off though when the three young men managed to push away the stone and a harsh cold wind stormed through the opening. A whirlwind of snowflakes shot through it as well and their clothes flapped in the unmerciful current of air.

Darkan tried to look up the path leading towards the How, but all he could see was a dark grey haze of tumbling snow.

The snowstorm had already started and who knew how long it would last. . .

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𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓:

𝑵𝒐𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑶𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒃𝒚 Detective_Pevensie
𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒚 @ 𝒎𝒆
𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒙 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒚 Avengers14
𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑭𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒚 gracelikeaWave-
𝑬𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒚 @ 𝒎𝒆
𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 𝒃𝒚 -MoonlightRose-
𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒅𝒂 𝑺𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒃𝒚 roaringsuns
𝑮𝒊𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒂 GwynethStarks
𝒂𝒏𝒅
𝑪𝒂𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒚 zukkkas

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