Dilara panicked as she saw her friend levitating mid-air. She had no idea what was going on or what was happening. One minute she was eating a sweet delicious cake with Nora and the next, she was left stranded by her. After a while, she decided to go look for her. It wasn't until she passed the big red carpet tent and noticed the drapes thrashing abnormally. She assumed it was the wind but she then remembered Nora had brought a ghost child.

She immediately went inside and saw Nora's body positioned horizontally as her back was slightly arched and her arms hung like the dead. Her black hair stilled in the air and scattered like thin claws.

Dilara shouted as she raced toward her, "Nora! Nora! NORA!" Her desperate pleas would not reach her.

As she stood below Nora's body she could see her eyes were closed. She looked as if she was having a nightmare, frowning as she normally did but with more distress. But as Dilara stared she knew her friend was in a trance and it would be impossible to wake her up. She began to think of the numerous spells she knew could bring her friend down.

Suddenly a rippling sound came from above. Dilara looked up, a barrier was building itself around Nora's body, and like a hot flash Dilara was beginning to feel Nora's magic, volatile and raging. She moved quickly.

She took a steady breath pulled her hands together and pressed her palms against each other. Her heart pounded until she was overcome with an electrical buzzing feeling between her fingers. Her blood thrummed like the crashing sea waves. Swiftly, she pulled her hands apart and sent a spherical flare toward her but when she did the invisible force blocked her magic, countering it back to her.

Dilara's body flung backward landing on the ground, she dropped like a fly. She wheezed painfully as her lungs clenched together. She gripped the dirt and pushed herself off the ground, her knees wobbled. She needed to hurry and think of another spell.

"Witch."

She turned her body quickly, too quickly as she felt lightheaded. But she saw him, clear as night.

Seamless blends of a black coat with the contour shape of a solid and tall figure. It was him, the man or the God of Death as Nora told her. He stood before her, exuding power and wickedness. Yet, his eyes showed something else as they looked toward what was behind her. His jaw was tightening. Whether he was a God or not, he was a man whenever he saw Nora. A hopeless man.

Dilara asked, "How are you here?"

"You know how I am here and why I am here." He said almost irritated.

He takes a couple of strides forward as he calls his demon, and without delay, Hans walks through the tent. His blond hair stands out from his black clothing, and those damning blue eyes, are cold and empty. She did not like him. Ever since they last spoke to each other Dilara hoped she would not see him again. Her distaste for the demon seems to grow deeper and more rapidly each time she sees him.

Death wastes no time. "Take the soul and come back quickly. I'm going to need you—" He swallows, briefly he looks in pain and defeated. "I'm going to need you to catch her when she falls."

He would've liked to be the one to catch her, Dilara thought. She knew about his wings and Nora's involvement with them. She is supposed to bring them back. Hans stood next to him, short by an inch but he was more muscular than him. He slightly lowered his gaze, and his iced eyes shifted into burning scarlet eyes. Dilara's eyes widened and momentarily lost all concentration.

The only thing Dilara could comprehend about Hans was that his loyalty to Death was unbreakable. He walked past him with his hand pulling what she assumed was the ghost child and walked out of the tent. He was gone.

"Witch," Death pulled her from her thoughts. She turned toward him, "I have a name and we've met before." She remembered the first time they met. He looked the same when she opened her door to him, holding a calm composure but beneath it, there were cracks of anguish and desperation. He looked to be someone who would break all laws of magic and nature to get what he wants. He was capable of it and each time he was tempted whenever Nora was in danger. 

She was his greatest temptation.

"Yes, I'm aware." He then said, "I'm going to give you an option, something I normally don't do but time is of the essence. I'll give you the chance to leave and never look back if you swear to me you don't say a word about Nora's existence." Dilara was confused. "Or you could help her."

His eyes flickered toward Nora, "When she wakes up, she'll need help. But she'll be different and more difficult than before." He knew what was happening to Nora, he must have known.

"What's happening? What's wrong?" Fear and impatience crawled on her skin.

He looked hesitant to tell her, Dilara turned around and looked at Nora's trance-like state. She always knew Nora was in constant pain, she felt it the first time they met in the funeral home. It was like a searing drowning torment but somehow Nora concealed it. This, however, was an agony that could no longer be contained.

"She is fighting for her life." He said quietly.

Dilara had made her decision before he asked the question. "What do I do?"

He almost looked surprised but hid behind his calm demeanor as he explained, "Pull a protection spell all over the tent. Block everyone from the outside from coming in and block everything that tries to leave this tent. Only let Hans back in." His voice hardened. "Can you do it, Miss Arslan?" She could do it and was planning to do a lot more.

Dilara maneuvered her hands, spacing her arms out, and closed her eyes. Her mouth moved rapidly as if she was spitting fire and yet, the incantations spilled like a flowing river. She thought about Nora and earlier when Dilara told her a bit about her past. She patiently listened to her until the end and didn't look at her as if she was damaged or horrible. She looked like a true friend and said she was brave and strong. She wanted her to be right.

Bursts of magic echoed against the carpeted tent, veiling and pulling a double-knotted layered barrier. She would protect Nora because even now as she wielded her magic, Nora's magic wafted in the air and she could feel the ripples of her magic begin to seep. Potent and hungry.

She opened her eyes seeing the disguised barrier she built. Dilara held her hands up as she vehemently pushed her magic out, the vibrations of the room hummed in ferocity, but she did not cower.

Toward her right, she could see Death's shadows slithering beneath him. They gathered around him like indestructible armor until he commanded them, making them spin fluidly into a circle where Nora's body levitated. Dilara had never seen power like his. She never thought darkness could be controlled.

With brute force, he pushed his hand out and the shadows emerged from the ground. They spun into a tornado enclosing Nora. The strong and heavy wind came toward her, and she nearly tipped over to the side. She planted her heels into the ground as her hair blew into her face.

The tent's lights dimmed and Death walked freely into his own darkness. Dilara never liked the dark, but she held herself together for her friend and murmured more spells. For the first time, Dilara was showing what House Arslan used to represent, bravery and fearlessness.

She remained untouched by the darkness and remained as strong as the heart that was beating in her chest. When Hans came back, she slightly lowered the barrier and quickly shut back when he entered. His demonic eyes met hers, they almost trembled back to blue. He marched forward toward the darkness with his head hung low. Dilara still didn't like Hans.

But she hoped they came back. She hoped Nora came back and that everything was going to be okay.

She would be wrong.