Chapter 53: Open Your Eyes

I felt myself trace back to the past when I first met him in the forest after so many years and here we were again but in different circumstances. "Willow?" his spoke at me with despair while my facial expression said it all "How...how is this possible?" I slowly stood up off the ground shaking my head while he kept staring at me "Hayden! Hayden where are you?!" I looked up from above watching Kai fly above the two of us before my eyes sprung back on Hayden who stood there lost and confused "Don't...please." Just as the shadow from above us started to make a descend I looked back o Hayden pleading with every ounce in my body "Please don't tell anyone," my tone was soft and subtle while we locked eyes with one another before I clasped my hand tight turning invisible just as Kai landed with Hayden's dragon in front of me, I moved swiftly into the trees and watch the boys conclude in conversation. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Kai commented on the phased expression in Hayden's face while he tilted his head in every direction slowly trying to figure out where I vanished to before shaking his head at Kai "I'm fine, I thought I saw something I was wrong," he climbed on the back of his dragon with Kai while I watched the two of them set for the skies once again revealing me to be hidden in the trees invisibility turned off. I watched tightly as the two vanished high in the sky just as I fell down against the tree falling into the snow cupping my knees close to my chest holding my body in close suddenly regretting every decision I ever made. Shaking my head I pushed myself up out of the snow and plummeted up towards the air again thanks to the chaos magic inside me with a spin of my hand I created a portal leading me back into the cottage with Ash sat on the sofa staring at me as fell down next to him "What happened?" with my eyes widened staring into nothingness emphasised by my heavy breathing "He knows..." I stammered against my words while Ash just stared at me from the corner of my eye.

Even though I wasn't staring directly at him I knew he was slamming his eyes down on me hard with seriousness while I maintained my monotone in my voice while I spoke again "He knows...Hayden knows I'm alive," a moment of silence was caught between each of us with nothing to say. The only thing I could do was lean back against the cushion and let out a long exasperated sigh "I didn't want them involved and now that's exactly what they are, why didn't a be more careful?" a reply wasn't necessary from Ash and I think he knew it that's why he didn't say anything so the silence between us was carried on through. All I could feel and hear was the hammering of my heart yelling me in defeat, it may be true that I saved another village but I wasn't anywhere close in trying to find Liam but instead I've made it possible for Hayden to believe that seeing me wasn't in his imagination and it will drive him mad. I couldn't let that happen, what sort of person would that make me? I pushed myself up from the sofa and headed upstairs with a plan already in mind, when I got to my room I pulled out a piece of parchment from the drawer and immediately started writing. I rolled the parchment up placing it in my hands and let it spark into flames a little trick I stole from Alesandro so it could travel to Hayden. With everything planned I took off straight away heading to the abandoned cottage where we first met, the reason it was abandoned was because Yvette never went back to the place after everything went down. As I stood in front of the building I noticed its colouring to be dead, the berries circling the building through the vines and bushes used to be vibrant red but now they fell into a deep desolate black reflecting the mood and atmosphere the world had come to. The stone looked like debris; slowly it was crumbling down from how old it was however the glisten from the windows still looked fresh and appealing giving the cottage a welcoming state against all the wrong with it.

"I'm pretty sure this is where we made a promise Wilhelmina," I spun round to see him standing there, his tussled brown hair fell against his face but still through it I could see the hurt, lose and anger in his dark azure eyes. The bright colour that used to be there was gone and I knew the reason why which is why I had to talk with him no longer leaving him in the dark. "We made a promise, whatever happens we promise to protect each other and be there for each other through whatever comes our way and to never leave each other again, now you told me you could make that promise but you just broke it," he stepped forwards towards me while I stayed in my place "I know," my voice broke when I spoke while I let him carry on "I thought you were dead Willow, everyone believes you are dead and yet here you are stood right in front of me. How is this possible?" we stood face to face nowhere near touching distance highlighting there's distance in friendship between the two of us. I stood there looking at him not knowing what to say "I can't say I'm sorry because I know that will never be enough for what I've done, but I need you to know that what I did was for good reason," he didn't answer just stared at me waiting for the explanation so I started "When the light went off that day I thought I was dead but I wasn't, I woke up at Ash's cottage and with him I trained and engrossed in my powers because what he told me before I went in search of the gem was that I was a witch. And he was right so I practised with him," yet Hayden shook his head "That doesn't explain why you didn't come back," I sighed removing eye contact with him as well as myself. I moved across the fence along the cottage letting my hand trail across the rotting wood letting it skip the splinters that poked out at me "Because I finally understood what was going on and I didn't want you or the others involved.

It was never your fight at the end of the tunnel; it's mine that's why I never came back." I stopped and looked back round at him as he stood right behind me "Have you been setting the fires around the villages?" I stared him dead in the eye seeing not one sparkle lit up inside instead it was hollow and dark setting an off atmosphere inside my chest "No...It was Liam," Hayden stumbled backwards, eyes widening crossing his arms staring curiously at me "The dude that was inside your head how is that possible?" That's when I filled him in on all the factors about the gem and how Liam was locked inside it after I caused the explosion when we were ten. I knew explaining it all to him didn't make any sense but it was the truth and he could believe it if he wanted to. His expression said it all and I didn't need an answer from him the same as with Ash earlier on and with everything out in the open it was time for me to go. "Liam's been looking for me and I think he's also looking for the shards of the gem and I'm trying to find him before anymore damage can be done. He wants me Hayden and that's what he's gonna get so please just stay out of it," I turned away from him and started back for the forest, just because I had to tell him the truth that doesn't mean I want or need his help. It's as I said, it's my fight so I'm the one who has to finish it and that's final. "Wait just a second," the first piece of contact we had with each other he grabbed my arm and spun me back around so we were breath on breath "You can't just walk away, not now, not ever." I glared at him as he held me in my place so I had no option but to stay in my place "I don't care if you're trying to protect us but you've hurt us as well for your own selfish needs. We said we'd do this together but you lied and that's your problem. I felt lost having to think that you were dead for Thor's sake Kai almost lost his mind knowing you were gone as did Yvette, Corinne and Nathan but here you are. You need to tell the truth maybe not to the rest of us but to yourself. I'll keep your secret but you need to start figuring out what's best for you and your friends."

He let me go and we stood there both we determination and regret in our eyes before we headed in our separate ways but I turned back to see him go "Hey Hayden," he stopped to turn back round at me "It was nice to see you," he nodded in respect before jumping on his dragon and disappearing into the night while I did the same returning back at Ash's cottage lying down on my bed. I closed my eyes and let sleep take over my body introducing me into some recurring dream I've had ever since the next part of this adventure.

The grass was fern and it tickled against my skin while I crossed my arms above my head looking up at the blue sky. By my side he led with me doing the same thing; the moment was peaceful as both led there listening to the tweeting of the birds and whistle of the wind, it was a beautiful and peaceful sight and I enjoyed watching the moment because my time as a child almost proved to be the best time of my life. That was when no horror was happening and I could just have fun. Our heads tilted to look at each other with smiles plastered on our faces "How'd you find this place anyway?" I let my hand trail across the spiky grass and the fruitful flowers blossoming from the roots "When mom isn't looking I like to go and explore and one day I found this place. I knew you'd like it too so that's why I brought us here today and besides no one can find us here, it's completely exclusive and private," I smiled brightly at Liam as he wrapped an arm round me and we cuddled in the moment. I sighed heavily with the smile plastered on my face enjoying the peace and quiet. When I looked on him his vibrant crimson hair sparkled against the sunlight as did his green, blue eyes which seem mesmerising but to me, I'd always seen him as my closest friend, my ally. He lifted his hand and spiralled the electricity between his fingers while I watched. It always caught my attention and I always wondered how he controlled such a power when he wasn't part of the element families. At this moment in time that's what I thought, not knowing he was actually part of two element families and that's why his power always inspired me and at the same time it did make me jealous because I wanted something similar or I wanted to be special as well but now in the present I knew that's not what I wanted at all.

"Like what you see?" Liam smirked at me while I nodded touching it delicately. I'd touched the material so often the spark had no affect on me which only increased my fascination further "Liam?! Liam where are you?" the scream of Yvette's voice was what always pulled me out of the dream as that was the moment between Liam and I over, for some reason I always hated it. I let my eyes flutter open to bring me back to the present so I could feel the emptiness inside my chest once again; the reason I always felt like this is because it was the only piece of good I could find in my past so watching the world fall to pieces because of what I've done just made me feel angry and alone. I wanted everything to go back to how it used to be but I know that would never happen which is why when it comes to the end I don't know how it's going to play out since my emotions and thoughts are all over the place. I sat up in bed to see a small envelope sat on the side table next to the bed. It was folded neatly on the table with neat calligraphy writing; delicately I picked it up and gently opened the paper pulling out the parchment that was inside. Unfolding it I read what was inside:

Dear Willow,

I think it's time we finally met face to face once again. Meet me at Ice Crystalline Cove alone in the hope of saving your friends.

Liam

Anger didn't flood through me, instead I felt nothing. Grabbing the shards of the ruby I made an exit for the third time today. It didn't take me long to travel to Ice Crystalline Cove since it was close to Ash's cottage. I crept round the trees looking below inside the cove seeing all my friends pinned down inside an electronic circle. Knowing what would happen if they tried escaping wasn't hard to imagine because I remember what would happen from Liam telling me when we were kids, something he'd been considering when the fiasco was happening when we were kids he wanted protection and that was one way of doing so. I looked down at one person who was pacing back and forth but it appeared a conversation was happening down there about what I was unsure but the red haired pacing appeared to be getting agitated and with the sparks brightening up in his hand I flew down there immediately just as he was aiming towards Hayden and the others. "Stop!" I cried out in front of him, the electricity stopped in his hands as I let the chaos magic level me down to the ground with the red flame evaporating from both my hands. I lifted my head as my hair fell in front and over the sides of my shoulders so Liam and I stared at each other while I stood in between my friends and someone who used to be my ally "Hey Liam."