Every little boat, every small isle, become so vague to the vision as the giant ship commences its maiden voyage, marking the beginning of the fearsome but powerful pilgrimage.

**

The journey from life till to death..

The journey from childhood to old age..

The journey from knowing nothing, to knowing a lot..

The journey from being a normal human to being a witch..

Perhaps, abnormality was the only normal thing in her life today.

The episodic transformation of the scenarios from one day to another had got Khushi thinking a lot and ultimately made her realize how she could no longer suppress that raw vengeance inside of her, which only coaxed her to run for that revenge, to finish that unfinished business.

.

.

Jazz had requested Khushi to let her stay in Verman Hills for a week more due to her impending exams this week, and only due to her compliance to her prior decisions regarding not interrogating on anything further, Khushi had followed her words and gave in to her request but only under the strict observation of Amy and Victor, who were two of the most trusted members of the Sciarrone's cult.

But Jasmine's stay in this town had to finally come to an end today as seven days were officially over and there was no way Khushi was going to make any amendments to her decision this time.

It wasn't the situation, it was her choice.

Her will to make everything better. Her wish to get their lives back to normal.

And for that, she was ready to compromise with anything and everything. Even if that meant, for the time being she had to let go of herself, her human emotions and let her powers and the dark world of Witchcraft overpower her completely.

For a change, Khushi didn't mind it consuming her.

She rather relished it.

It only made her feel stronger.

And that feeling was irresistible.

Deep down, she knew where to draw the line, but this time, she wasn't a newbie to this world anymore, who was just a naive young girl trying to find her stepping stone in the universe of Spellcraft.

She was the granddaughter of Amelia Vermount: Someone who had made their kind proud and she was also the one who was entrusted by her grandmother Amelia to put an end to the vicious cult of the Avizhas.

And there was no way she was letting that wish of her grandma remain unfulfilled.

''Whatever it takes.''

She repeated to herself yet again.

.

.

In this one week, the doctors stated that there was relatively a lot of improvement in Adrienne's health. If she continued to respond this way to the treatment, then perhaps the day won't be far that they would have her back with them.

Alas! Khushi didn't want to jinx it, by even thinking of her mom right now.

She was cold.

But she knew she had to be so if she wanted to win this.

She couldn't let her family and the tragedies of the past weaken her more.

She had to be strong.

And that came only when she channelled enough power from within, learning gazillion spells much to her own astonishment.

Her determination was boundless as her thoughts of winning by hook or crook soared in the halo of what one would call a witch's grace.

To make sure things didn't get distorted further, she used one of the spells mentioned in that giant book of Amelia to attain immunity around her mother, to keep her safe from any further attacks or compulsion.

It was as good as a shielding spell, keeping Adrienne away from the vision of any warlock or witch in the vicinity.

Khushi knew that the battle they were fighting wasn't against her mother or her sister, but it was simply against her.

But she also knew that when it came to Aloysius, he didn't abide by any rules, he played his own game, his own way, mercilessly.

And almost everyone knew the best way to hurt her was to hurt her family, and she couldn't let anyone leverage that.

Hence she considered, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

She was only too surprised to see Jasmine not affected by her eccentricities.

The vast and drastic change that she saw in Khushi's behaviour may have definitely taken her by surprise, but her immense faith in her only made Khushi anxious.

Anxious, that she was answerable to everything that was to take place right ahead, afraid that what would happen if she failed her faith.

Only Arnav made her fears irrelevant, assuring her time and again that they won't fail, they won't be defeated but rather defeat their enemies.

And that always kept Khushi grounded.

.

.

No matter how hard her behavior got on others after this unexpected change in her life, her devil always managed to bring out that soft side of her, the hidden emotions, which only craved for nurture in the hands of someone whom she loved unlike anything.

And that was him.

.

.

"Don't forget your promise Khushi."

Judith spoke as they stood inside the airport while Jasmine went ahead for the security check before boarding the flight.

Who knew that one day, Arnav's fake ex-girlfriend, turned Khushi's close friend, whom she once addressed as ''the blonde'' would also be her ally to fight the battle against the Avizhas.

So much had changed in their lives in all these months, that Khushi couldn't even believe the dynamics of all the relationships that she had right now, in her human world as well as in her world of Spellcraft.

And thinking of that, she simply sighed.

"Do you really think this makes any sense?"

Khushi replied nonchalantly.

.

.

"Huh? Don't back off from your words."

Judith said, pouting her lips.

For a second it reminded Khushi of Ree.

Judith had a lot in common with her best friend. The blonde hair, the chirpiness and the petite form.

'No, Judie is skinnier than Rebecca for sure.'

She thought to herself.

How Khushi wished things were normal today. Maybe today she would be hanging out with Rebecca at the Riverside Mall right now having some Italian delicacies which were favourites of both of them!

A surge of guilt flooded through her veins as she cursed herself for playing with Ree's emotions and making her oblivious to everything with her powers.

But when she knew it was for Ree's benefit, she only felt that was the right thing to do.

She missed her company, her silly behavior, her fashion obsession which she had transfused into her sister's system ever since they had started talking properly few years back.

Khushi missed everything.

But now wasn't the time to sulk over people who weren't around her.

If they weren't, it was for a good and logical reason.

That was the sole way she pacified myself mentally.

.

.

Jazz waved her hand at the duo as she proceeded to board the flight while Khushi lip synced to her, making gestures with her hand, saying,

"Call me as soon as you reach."

Jazz nodded as she understood, before turning back and heading ahead with her luggage.

Khushi never thought in her wildest dreams that turning 18 would quite literally make me handle things and execute responsibilities like an adult, but she guessed this was only the beginning, and she had a lot to fulfil.

A lot.

Unless and until she was sure that everyone she loved, everyone who mattered to her was safe and sound.

And so, the restlessness never abandoned her.

The decisions she was taking now, was to leave a huge impact, a mark in the coming future.

'Only if I have one, that is.'

She reminded herself.

"You didn't answer."

Judith said again.

Gasping for air, Khushi turned to look at her as they started walking towards the exit of the International Airport.

"Fine. But just for today."

She said in a soft voice.

.

"Yes!! That's like a good girl!"

She clapped her hands together as she said that, once again enlightening Khushi's mind with Rebecca's images.

The agreement though was completely out of the line.

Seeing the unusual change in her behaviour had worried everyone.

Especially Judith, Ezra, Aaron and Ralph, who only wished that Khushi didn't lose herself under this pressure of fighting against those demons.

Then what was expected from her?

To stay calm when her mother was in coma?

To behave as if nothing happened when she had to send her sister off, somewhere far to keep her away from the clutches of those beasts?

Perhaps, that was again the rage in her talking.

The rage that replaced her innocence radically in the past week, as her thoughts became more and more stringent with the passing time.

She had to unearth those unspoken words, unknown powers that could defeat those demons.

That could burn the Avizhas into ashes.

And Khushi was ready to do anything to achieve that.

However, it was only Arnav who didn't question her about anything.

Maybe because he knew the turmoil in her mind, the condition when you become so devastated when everybody you love is at stake.

After all who could know this better than him?

Judith was sailing in the same boat too, but her way of dealing with things was different.

She never weighed life on the basis of what she lost, which was her own family of course.

To cheer her up, she did everything in her limits and so did Ezra, but to no avail.

When nothing worked they made her have a bet with them regarding a silly football match on the television, putting their bets on who would win and who would lose without using any spell.

The condition of which was, if she lost, then she would have to agree to be back to her normal life for one single day and so would every one.

It meant not using any power, any spell, not even thinking about the Avizhas.

Yes, for the first time ever, people were using bets to make Khushi Vermount stop using her powers, when all this while, they had to constantly remind her of the existence of her powers in the first place.

Times had indeed changed.

Call it her bad luck, Khushi lost and here Judith was reminding her, her own words which she had given out of sheer disinterest.

But she had to agree, no matter how hard she tried, I couldn't give up her soul which still couldn't bear to hurt anyone and hence she agreed to act normal for these 24 hours, and not use any powers.

.

.

"So, now that it's a normal day, we would now go and have lunch outside."

She said happily as they reached the parking lot and she unlocked the car.

"Seriously, Judith? What's the use? We can just act normal but does it make any sense, when we know things are not normal at all?"

Khushi asked, her annoyance acclaiming new levels.

.

.

Judith let out a deep sigh as she said,

"Khushi, things are never going to be normal when one is cursed by the bane called Witchcraft. But does that mean, you would give away your soul? Your heart that was only born human?"

Khushi couldn't argue anymore with her as she hit her right at her heart with her words.

She was right after all, wasn't she?

Why was she hell bent on giving away every little human aspect of hers, replacing it with her alter self which she undoubtedly resented the most once upon a time?

Maybe, because for now it was the only thing that kept her going.

That assured her that she wasn't weak, she wasn't vulnerable..

And Khushi was ready to hold on to that other side of hers until this fiasco was over.

But yes, for these remaining hours of the day, she was also ready to give in to Judith's demands, seeing her genuine concern for her well being.

Giving her a smile, Khushi finally nodded slightly at her words as she grasped them with their true meaning and sat inside the car.

"Thanks."

She said while Judith reciprocated the smile before putting the key into ignition and driving off from that area.

**

Thinking straight was something that was never Khushi's forte.

And with the oh-so-good time that she was currently having in her life, it only seemed to have completely wiped off from her personality.

One wrong choice and it was a redemption for a life time and at the end of the day, no redemption could undo anything that was to happen as a matter of fact, in the coming days.

She didn't know which date would mark the end of this despair and she didn't ponder much on whose favour the ultimate result was going to be, but she did have the inkling, an idea of what was coming.

As they drove away, the isolated road through the glass of the car reminded her of the real scenario of her life, telecasting in front of her own eyes.

Everything was personified, and held a meaning of their own.

The roads- The fearsome pilgrimage, where she had to walk, given no choice, unaware of what was to come, unable to foresee what was to happen.

But the forewarning was as simple as that.

It wasn't going to be easy.

The battle was going to be fought mercilessly.

And there still existed things that she knew were veiled to her.

One of which was her grandmom's spell that was a riddle she had almost given up deciphering.

Letting out a deep sigh, Khushi traced lines with her forefinger on her bracelet, trying to keep herself distracted when suddenly she felt the car screech to an abrupt halt making her confused.

Judith frowned as she tried to restart the car but nothing was happening.

.

.

Confused, she looked at Judith who was equally surprised and irked by the sudden break down of the car in the middle of the road, under the afternoon sky, which had no sun but as usual the perpetual dark clouds.

Agitated, she quickly opened her side of the door and walked out while Khushi followed suit.

.

"What's wrong?"

She asked, looking at Judith's frustrated facial expression as she yelled in disappointment,

"Darn it! It's a puncture! That too 2 tyres! Shit!"

She swore as Khushi looked at her with narrowed eyes and then the tyres which were totally blown out of air.

The single stepney was of no use for now, of course.

Exchanging glances between her face and then the tyres for twice, Khushi looked at her with a confused look painted with a we know what to do expression, as she said,

"..Umm, aren't we witches?"

.

Judith chuckled at that remark getting Khushi further perplexed.

.

"What's so funny?"

She inquired, bewildered.

.

.

"Nothing, just the fact that you are a patient of amnesia."

Judith replied humorously as she placed her palms on her knees, bending down while she simultaneously examined the wheels.

.

.

"Excuse me?"

Khushi asked, arching an eye brow.

.

.

"Stupid! Hello!! Do I need to remind you? Today is we are so normal day!! So I'm not using any power to fix this and neither are you! That's what the bet was, and we should be honourable instead of breaking our own words!"

Judith said dramatically, gesturing quotes in the air with her fingers.

.

Khushi ran her fingers through her hair as she muttered to herself,

"Jesus Christ! You got to be kidding me!"

.

Ree would have failed to qualify in the list of America's Worst Situation Handlers today.

Khushi thought her dramatic best friend was the only one capable and eligible for that reward, but here she was, standing with the other and actual most deserving candidate of that nomination.

Judith.

"Don't worry I'm calling the tows."

Judith said in her normal voice as she quickly took out her cell phone and dialed the number, earning an agitated look from Khushi as expected.

*

''Any update?''

Arnav asked his foster elder brother Aaron for the second time, while the latter only shook his head as he concentrated on a spell with the rest of their cult to know the exact whereabouts of the Avizhas.

Arnav sighed as he walked out of the room, his senses telling him that something was coming very soon and he better be alert.

He knew Khushi's mom was safe for the time being and so was Jasmine, since they had a concealing spell cast on her as well as she left for NYC.

Yet there was this strange feeling he was getting since this morning, and he didn't know what it was trying to tell him.

Having lost his entire family at the hands of the demons that were Avizhas, the one and only person that mattered to him was Khushi, and even the thought of something happening to her evoked endless fear in him.

He couldn't believe he was the same guy, who had once hated every little line of her features, of her face, just because of her resemblance with Meredith.

But today, here he was, worshipping that same girl, who had given him a new life, a purpose to live once again.

He had known she wasn't the same Khushi anymore and the past one week had changed her drastically, and while everyone else kept trying to help her retain her old self, he was the only one who chose to not intervene her transition.

But truth was, he was worried for her too.

But by showing it to her, he didn't want to in any way cause her hurt or discourage her strength.

He had known about his world, his reality from the very beginning of his life, whereas for her, one fine morning it was thrown on her through ancient heirlooms and writings that she was a witch and not just any random witch, but a descendant of the evil Meredith, and also the granddaughter of the wonderful Amelia.

She was a Vermount witch.

The rational part of Arnav knew that Khushi had gotten only too less time to get acclimatized to everything that was happening to her and people needed to cut her some slack.

He knew she was initially taking it slow, like she was supposed to, but the sudden threat on her family had become her undoing.

And amid all this, he didn't want to be someone who weakened her further.

He rather wanted to be her strength.

And that's precisely why he didn't nudge her despite seeing how distinctly strong she was aiming to become with her powers, studying and practicing spells day and night.

He took a deep breath as he looked outside the window from his mansion.

It was yet another gloomy day.

But silently, he only wished that regardless of the dark clouds, Khushi's life should only have sunshine.

Just the way he called her.

And with that thought, he once again kept that one object in his hand, which was a symbol, a legacy of his family, the silver knife, inside the drawer.

Like Khushi, even he waited to know, what life was going to unfurl for them, the very next moment.

*

The dark forests on either side of the roads greeted them with pin drop silence.

There weren't any other vehicles on the road, neither moving nor stationary.

This wasn't the first time though that Khushi was encountering such an atmosphere, but the idea of standing and waiting, when all they could do was to utter Latin and get away with it, seemed way too absurd to her.

.

.

She continued to tap her feet in agitation, leaning against the car, while Judith leaned against the bonnet humming some random songs to herself.

"So, George Clooney or Johny Depp?"

She asked in an energetic tone, making Khushi quirk her brows.

Gosh, this girl was a complete carbon copy of Rebecca, and that for a change didn't let Khushi miss her best friend at all!

.

"Seriously? Right NOW?"

Khushi retorted, throwing Judith a well deserved annoyed look.

.

"God, you are such a boring persona! No doubt, Arnav and you make a perfect pair!"

She answered, resuming with her off tune humming once again.

'Ree is a good singer, she's not.'

Khushi mentally noted another difference between the otherwise similar personalities.

.

20 minutes had already passed and there was no sign of the Tows.

It was infuriating her to the core, but Judith's words kept her from doing anything as she said, "Let's wait for 10 minutes more and then you can do all the abracadabra, okay?"

Khushi reluctantly complied with her words as she closed her eyes, having her arms folded across her chest, reminiscing all the moments she had spent with Arnav in these same dark woods.

.

A chill ran down her spine as she recalled that dreaded adventure when she was trapped in that parallel reality by Andrew and chased by those locusts, leading her to fall from that cliff when the devil, her devil, had saved her from the fall, like always.

Even with eyes closed, she felt a small smile automatically tug at the corner of her lips as those precious moments flashed in her mind.

Time had flown so quickly.

Maybe those days were something Khushi would have loved to take to her grave. Although, it had scared her so much that time, made her restless, but now, she could do anything to live those moments again.

To be herself again.

.

.

She exhaled as she tried to subside those thoughts in her mind, the priority being totally different at this hour.

She slowly opened her eyes only to witness the most shocking sight in front of her.

.

.

.

Her breathing hitched as she saw that vaguely familiar figure standing in front of her with a crooked smile on her face, making her eyes grow wide in surprise.

.

"Hello Khushi."

She said in a low tone, as Khushi watched her tall cut, her long ebony tresses, dressed in an old fashioned outfit, she had a long overcoat draped on her shoulders.

.

.

"Alexandra."

Khushi whispered as she watched the crooked smile linger on the lady's face while she took a step towards her, making her gasp at the sudden intensity of meeting an immortal.

Khushi knew what was coming now.

Alexandra was the ferocious one after all.

.

She anticipated her move as she waited for the blow to come, which would ultimately end her forever but not before a fight, but to her utter surprise, she didn't even touch Khushi.

.

.

She continued to stare at her in surprise, when suddenly Judith's yell made Khushi flinch a little.

"Alexandra??"

Judith was flabbergasted at the sight of the dusky woman wearing so many rings standing in front of them, fear totally evident in her eyes.

Her sudden appearance had kept Khushi so focused, that she had totally missed the sight of a scared Judith who was standing just behind her.

.

.

"Oh! Seems like I'm famously infamous, huh?"

The woman spoke sarcastically in a British accent while Khushi swallowed the lump in her throat, completely unaware of what she was intending to do with them, oblivious of her next step.

She was going to utter something, when Judith broke her resolution as she clenched her fingers into tight fists only to release it with the energy of the spell that she chanted in her mind.

.

.

"Judith, No!!"

Khushi yelled as she warned her not to do anything like that yet, but she was too late.

.

.

She exclaimed in terror, as she watched the wicked woman turn her sight at Judith, in a fraction of second throwing her entire body with an indefinable force as she hit the branch of a tree and fell down, her hands bleeding terribly.

.

.

"Tsk Tsk, not now little vixen. Later."

Alexandra uttered dramatically as she shifted her gaze back to Khushi.

Khushi was dumbfound and helpless, seeing Judith grimace in pain and she knew that one wrong move of hers can actually cause a lot more disaster than she could possibly think of.

.

.

"I'm here to talk."

Alexandra said in a low tone, simultaneously scanning Khushi from bottom to top, halting for long on her face, grabbing Khushi's attention instantly as she awaited her next words.

What game was this now?

From what she had heard of her, she was never the one to talk.

What was her strategy?

If she wanted to kill her, then here she was, right in front of her..

What was she waiting for?

Khushi was hit by the thoughts sporadically.

She knew Alexandra's gift of Witchcraft was immensely powerful as she had witnessed what she did to Judith in the blink of an eye.

She was dangerously fast.

And there was no question about what else she could do, with the gift of her immortality.

Then what did she want now?

.

.

"The Bracelet."

She said in a stern voice as she locked her gaze on Khushi.

As expected, she obviously came there to serve her purpose and certainly, it wasn't going to be an easy bargain at all.

She was no messenger, being equally involved with Aloysius, her partner in crime.

Khushi's thoughts weren't in equilibrium with her wish, but it was time she conveyed her agenda, regardless of what consequence she was to be cursed with.

If she landed up dead, what could be more worse?

She was anyway a living dead after all that was happening.

If she were to die, she would sure as hell die after serving her purpose.

Khushi was determined.

..

.

.

Khushi shook her head sideways, in no way giving in to her demand of having the bracelet, regardless of what aftermath she had to face this time.

She had the obvious fear in her, but now, she wasn't going to let Alexandra have her way with her, not at the cost of losing this ornament which was supposed to change the history of the world of witchcraft.

She was done letting others define her life.

Not anymore.

Khushi noticed that Alexandra's expression didn't change as she continued to gaze at her with those cat eyes, when she finally uttered after a brief silence,

"Give it to Aloysius and all will be back to normal."

She said politely as she listened to her carefully, analyzing each and every little word that came her way.

"I don't trust you."

Khushi said in a determined tone, and this time Alexandra's expression changed as her ego evidently came in the way.

.

.

She could see her inner rage building as she clenched her teeth and gritted,

"You will have to give it, Khushi, else be ready to face the consequence like Meredith."

.

"I'm ready for everything! You want it? Come take it."

Khushi replied with equal rage as she lifted her right hand casually, the ancient yet invaluable stones on her bracelet shining instantly, reflecting their aura on her face, while Alexandra only managed to stare at it with a disgruntled face.

Khushi could see the fury in her rising as she stretched her fingers and brought them forward, as if trying to snatch it away, but the spell of Amelia blocked her touch all the way, as the bracelet remained settled on its owner's wrist, while Alexandra looked at Khushi fiercely, her facial expressions suggesting the urge in her to rip her apart.

Khushi knew that she couldn't take away the bracelet from her.

No one could unless she herself handed it over to them.

It was a Vermount heirloom and it couldn't be taken away from her body without her consent.

Whoever wished to touch it against her will would only feel burns when trying to touch it.

.

.

Alexandra continued to throw that furious look on Khushi, when she saw Judith standing up on her feet and slowly approaching the scene.

Khushi was about to outstretch her hand, to hold her weak, injured frame with caution when suddenly that same British accent hurdled her thoughts and stopped her in her tracks.

"You will pay for this Khushi. Aloysius will make sure, you regret this BIG TIME!"

Alexandra gritted once again as Khushi turned to face her, about to protest with her words verbally when suddenly her fingers garnered her attention.

Khushi watched in bewilderment as she swayed her index finger in a horizontal motion once making Khushi startled at her actions.

"What are uo-?"

Khushi whispered incompletely, perplexed at that gesture when suddenly her eyes grew wide in horror as she glanced at the sky, the flock of birds flying away in one direction, as if alarming her about what was to come, and the thought of it made her shudder.

Khushi turned her face to look at Alexandra who had that evil smile taking over her face as she uttered,

"See you around."

She disappeared into the woods in no time, like the speed of lightening in the sky, as she stared into the emptiness, perplexed by what this meant and what was all this about?

The creases of tension still adorning her forehead, Khushi let the sudden silence sink in and sighed in relief at her disappearance when she suddenly turned back to the other side only to freeze at the sight of her.

.

.

.

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She yelled at the top of her lungs, almost choking on her own voice as she covered her mouth with her palm, unable to control the dizziness in her head, as she watched Judith's body hanging on the branch of the tall tree in the forest, upside down, blood dripping out from her injured hands, her eyes wide open as her lifeless body floated mid air.

**

hLCzƫEvery little boat, every small isle, become so vague to the vision as the giant ship commences its maiden voyage, marking the beginning of the fearsome but powerful pilgrimage.

**

The journey from life till to death..

The journey from childhood to old age..

The journey from knowing nothing, to knowing a lot..

The journey from being a normal human to being a witch..

Perhaps, abnormality was the only normal thing in her life today.

The episodic transformation of the scenarios from one day to another had got Khushi thinking a lot and ultimately made her realize how she could no longer suppress that raw vengeance inside of her, which only coaxed her to run for that revenge, to finish that unfinished business.

.

.

Jazz had requested Khushi to let her stay in Verman Hills for a week more due to her impending exams this week, and only due to her compliance to her prior decisions regarding not interrogating on anything further, Khushi had followed her words and gave in to her request but only under the strict observation of Amy and Victor, who were two of the most trusted members of the Sciarrone's cult.

But Jasmine's stay in this town had to finally come to an end today as seven days were officially over and there was no way Khushi was going to make any amendments to her decision this time.

It wasn't the situation, it was her choice.

Her will to make everything better. Her wish to get their lives back to normal.

And for that, she was ready to compromise with anything and everything. Even if that meant, for the time being she had to let go of herself, her human emotions and let her powers and the dark world of Witchcraft overpower her completely.

For a change, Khushi didn't mind it consuming her.

She rather relished it.

It only made her feel stronger.

And that feeling was irresistible.

Deep down, she knew where to draw the line, but this time, she wasn't a newbie to this world anymore, who was just a naive young girl trying to find her stepping stone in the universe of Spellcraft.

She was the granddaughter of Amelia Vermount: Someone who had made their kind proud and she was also the one who was entrusted by her grandmother Amelia to put an end to the vicious cult of the Avizhas.

And there was no way she was letting that wish of her grandma remain unfulfilled.

''Whatever it takes.''

She repeated to herself yet again.

.

.

In this one week, the doctors stated that there was relatively a lot of improvement in Adrienne's health. If she continued to respond this way to the treatment, then perhaps the day won't be far that they would have her back with them.

Alas! Khushi didn't want to jinx it, by even thinking of her mom right now.

She was cold.

But she knew she had to be so if she wanted to win this.

She couldn't let her family and the tragedies of the past weaken her more.

She had to be strong.

And that came only when she channelled enough power from within, learning gazillion spells much to her own astonishment.

Her determination was boundless as her thoughts of winning by hook or crook soared in the halo of what one would call a witch's grace.

To make sure things didn't get distorted further, she used one of the spells mentioned in that giant book of Amelia to attain immunity around her mother, to keep her safe from any further attacks or compulsion.

It was as good as a shielding spell, keeping Adrienne away from the vision of any warlock or witch in the vicinity.

Khushi knew that the battle they were fighting wasn't against her mother or her sister, but it was simply against her.

But she also knew that when it came to Aloysius, he didn't abide by any rules, he played his own game, his own way, mercilessly.

And almost everyone knew the best way to hurt her was to hurt her family, and she couldn't let anyone leverage that.

Hence she considered, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

She was only too surprised to see Jasmine not affected by her eccentricities.

The vast and drastic change that she saw in Khushi's behaviour may have definitely taken her by surprise, but her immense faith in her only made Khushi anxious.

Anxious, that she was answerable to everything that was to take place right ahead, afraid that what would happen if she failed her faith.

Only Arnav made her fears irrelevant, assuring her time and again that they won't fail, they won't be defeated but rather defeat their enemies.

And that always kept Khushi grounded.

.

.

No matter how hard her behavior got on others after this unexpected change in her life, her devil always managed to bring out that soft side of her, the hidden emotions, which only craved for nurture in the hands of someone whom she loved unlike anything.

And that was him.

.

.

"Don't forget your promise Khushi."

Judith spoke as they stood inside the airport while Jasmine went ahead for the security check before boarding the flight.

Who knew that one day, Arnav's fake ex-girlfriend, turned Khushi's close friend, whom she once addressed as ''the blonde'' would also be her ally to fight the battle against the Avizhas.

So much had changed in their lives in all these months, that Khushi couldn't even believe the dynamics of all the relationships that she had right now, in her human world as well as in her world of Spellcraft.

And thinking of that, she simply sighed.

"Do you really think this makes any sense?"

Khushi replied nonchalantly.

.

.

"Huh? Don't back off from your words."

Judith said, pouting her lips.

For a second it reminded Khushi of Ree.

Judith had a lot in common with her best friend. The blonde hair, the chirpiness and the petite form.

'No, Judie is skinnier than Rebecca for sure.'

She thought to herself.

How Khushi wished things were normal today. Maybe today she would be hanging out with Rebecca at the Riverside Mall right now having some Italian delicacies which were favourites of both of them!

A surge of guilt flooded through her veins as she cursed herself for playing with Ree's emotions and making her oblivious to everything with her powers.

But when she knew it was for Ree's benefit, she only felt that was the right thing to do.

She missed her company, her silly behavior, her fashion obsession which she had transfused into her sister's system ever since they had started talking properly few years back.

Khushi missed everything.

But now wasn't the time to sulk over people who weren't around her.

If they weren't, it was for a good and logical reason.

That was the sole way she pacified myself mentally.

.

.

Jazz waved her hand at the duo as she proceeded to board the flight while Khushi lip synced to her, making gestures with her hand, saying,

"Call me as soon as you reach."

Jazz nodded as she understood, before turning back and heading ahead with her luggage.

Khushi never thought in her wildest dreams that turning 18 would quite literally make me handle things and execute responsibilities like an adult, but she guessed this was only the beginning, and she had a lot to fulfil.

A lot.

Unless and until she was sure that everyone she loved, everyone who mattered to her was safe and sound.

And so, the restlessness never abandoned her.

The decisions she was taking now, was to leave a huge impact, a mark in the coming future.

'Only if I have one, that is.'

She reminded herself.

"You didn't answer."

Judith said again.

Gasping for air, Khushi turned to look at her as they started walking towards the exit of the International Airport.

"Fine. But just for today."

She said in a soft voice.

.

"Yes!! That's like a good girl!"

She clapped her hands together as she said that, once again enlightening Khushi's mind with Rebecca's images.

The agreement though was completely out of the line.

Seeing the unusual change in her behaviour had worried everyone.

Especially Judith, Ezra, Aaron and Ralph, who only wished that Khushi didn't lose herself under this pressure of fighting against those demons.

Then what was expected from her?

To stay calm when her mother was in coma?

To behave as if nothing happened when she had to send her sister off, somewhere far to keep her away from the clutches of those beasts?

Perhaps, that was again the rage in her talking.

The rage that replaced her innocence radically in the past week, as her thoughts became more and more stringent with the passing time.

She had to unearth those unspoken words, unknown powers that could defeat those demons.

That could burn the Avizhas into ashes.

And Khushi was ready to do anything to achieve that.

However, it was only Arnav who didn't question her about anything.

Maybe because he knew the turmoil in her mind, the condition when you become so devastated when everybody you love is at stake.

After all who could know this better than him?

Judith was sailing in the same boat too, but her way of dealing with things was different.

She never weighed life on the basis of what she lost, which was her own family of course.

To cheer her up, she did everything in her limits and so did Ezra, but to no avail.

When nothing worked they made her have a bet with them regarding a silly football match on the television, putting their bets on who would win and who would lose without using any spell.

The condition of which was, if she lost, then she would have to agree to be back to her normal life for one single day and so would every one.

It meant not using any power, any spell, not even thinking about the Avizhas.

Yes, for the first time ever, people were using bets to make Khushi Vermount stop using her powers, when all this while, they had to constantly remind her of the existence of her powers in the first place.

Times had indeed changed.

Call it her bad luck, Khushi lost and here Judith was reminding her, her own words which she had given out of sheer disinterest.

But she had to agree, no matter how hard she tried, I couldn't give up her soul which still couldn't bear to hurt anyone and hence she agreed to act normal for these 24 hours, and not use any powers.

.

.

"So, now that it's a normal day, we would now go and have lunch outside."

She said happily as they reached the parking lot and she unlocked the car.

"Seriously, Judith? What's the use? We can just act normal but does it make any sense, when we know things are not normal at all?"

Khushi asked, her annoyance acclaiming new levels.

.

.

Judith let out a deep sigh as she said,

"Khushi, things are never going to be normal when one is cursed by the bane called Witchcraft. But does that mean, you would give away your soul? Your heart that was only born human?"

Khushi couldn't argue anymore with her as she hit her right at her heart with her words.

She was right after all, wasn't she?

Why was she hell bent on giving away every little human aspect of hers, replacing it with her alter self which she undoubtedly resented the most once upon a time?

Maybe, because for now it was the only thing that kept her going.

That assured her that she wasn't weak, she wasn't vulnerable..

And Khushi was ready to hold on to that other side of hers until this fiasco was over.

But yes, for these remaining hours of the day, she was also ready to give in to Judith's demands, seeing her genuine concern for her well being.

Giving her a smile, Khushi finally nodded slightly at her words as she grasped them with their true meaning and sat inside the car.

"Thanks."

She said while Judith reciprocated the smile before putting the key into ignition and driving off from that area.

**

Thinking straight was something that was never Khushi's forte.

And with the oh-so-good time that she was currently having in her life, it only seemed to have completely wiped off from her personality.

One wrong choice and it was a redemption for a life time and at the end of the day, no redemption could undo anything that was to happen as a matter of fact, in the coming days.

She didn't know which date would mark the end of this despair and she didn't ponder much on whose favour the ultimate result was going to be, but she did have the inkling, an idea of what was coming.

As they drove away, the isolated road through the glass of the car reminded her of the real scenario of her life, telecasting in front of her own eyes.

Everything was personified, and held a meaning of their own.

The roads- The fearsome pilgrimage, where she had to walk, given no choice, unaware of what was to come, unable to foresee what was to happen.

But the forewarning was as simple as that.

It wasn't going to be easy.

The battle was going to be fought mercilessly.

And there still existed things that she knew were veiled to her.

One of which was her grandmom's spell that was a riddle she had almost given up deciphering.

Letting out a deep sigh, Khushi traced lines with her forefinger on her bracelet, trying to keep herself distracted when suddenly she felt the car screech to an abrupt halt making her confused.

Judith frowned as she tried to restart the car but nothing was happening.

.

.

Confused, she looked at Judith who was equally surprised and irked by the sudden break down of the car in the middle of the road, under the afternoon sky, which had no sun but as usual the perpetual dark clouds.

Agitated, she quickly opened her side of the door and walked out while Khushi followed suit.

.

"What's wrong?"

She asked, looking at Judith's frustrated facial expression as she yelled in disappointment,

"Darn it! It's a puncture! That too 2 tyres! Shit!"

She swore as Khushi looked at her with narrowed eyes and then the tyres which were totally blown out of air.

The single stepney was of no use for now, of course.

Exchanging glances between her face and then the tyres for twice, Khushi looked at her with a confused look painted with a we know what to do expression, as she said,

"..Umm, aren't we witches?"

.

Judith chuckled at that remark getting Khushi further perplexed.

.

"What's so funny?"

She inquired, bewildered.

.

.

"Nothing, just the fact that you are a patient of amnesia."

Judith replied humorously as she placed her palms on her knees, bending down while she simultaneously examined the wheels.

.

.

"Excuse me?"

Khushi asked, arching an eye brow.

.

.

"Stupid! Hello!! Do I need to remind you? Today is we are so normal day!! So I'm not using any power to fix this and neither are you! That's what the bet was, and we should be honourable instead of breaking our own words!"

Judith said dramatically, gesturing quotes in the air with her fingers.

.

Khushi ran her fingers through her hair as she muttered to herself,

"Jesus Christ! You got to be kidding me!"

.

Ree would have failed to qualify in the list of America's Worst Situation Handlers today.

Khushi thought her dramatic best friend was the only one capable and eligible for that reward, but here she was, standing with the other and actual most deserving candidate of that nomination.

Judith.

"Don't worry I'm calling the tows."

Judith said in her normal voice as she quickly took out her cell phone and dialed the number, earning an agitated look from Khushi as expected.

*

''Any update?''

Arnav asked his foster elder brother Aaron for the second time, while the latter only shook his head as he concentrated on a spell with the rest of their cult to know the exact whereabouts of the Avizhas.

Arnav sighed as he walked out of the room, his senses telling him that something was coming very soon and he better be alert.

He knew Khushi's mom was safe for the time being and so was Jasmine, since they had a concealing spell cast on her as well as she left for NYC.

Yet there was this strange feeling he was getting since this morning, and he didn't know what it was trying to tell him.

Having lost his entire family at the hands of the demons that were Avizhas, the one and only person that mattered to him was Khushi, and even the thought of something happening to her evoked endless fear in him.

He couldn't believe he was the same guy, who had once hated every little line of her features, of her face, just because of her resemblance with Meredith.

But today, here he was, worshipping that same girl, who had given him a new life, a purpose to live once again.

He had known she wasn't the same Khushi anymore and the past one week had changed her drastically, and while everyone else kept trying to help her retain her old self, he was the only one who chose to not intervene her transition.

But truth was, he was worried for her too.

But by showing it to her, he didn't want to in any way cause her hurt or discourage her strength.

He had known about his world, his reality from the very beginning of his life, whereas for her, one fine morning it was thrown on her through ancient heirlooms and writings that she was a witch and not just any random witch, but a descendant of the evil Meredith, and also the granddaughter of the wonderful Amelia.

She was a Vermount witch.

The rational part of Arnav knew that Khushi had gotten only too less time to get acclimatized to everything that was happening to her and people needed to cut her some slack.

He knew she was initially taking it slow, like she was supposed to, but the sudden threat on her family had become her undoing.

And amid all this, he didn't want to be someone who weakened her further.

He rather wanted to be her strength.

And that's precisely why he didn't nudge her despite seeing how distinctly strong she was aiming to become with her powers, studying and practicing spells day and night.

He took a deep breath as he looked outside the window from his mansion.

It was yet another gloomy day.

But silently, he only wished that regardless of the dark clouds, Khushi's life should only have sunshine.

Just the way he called her.

And with that thought, he once again kept that one object in his hand, which was a symbol, a legacy of his family, the silver knife, inside the drawer.

Like Khushi, even he waited to know, what life was going to unfurl for them, the very next moment.

*

The dark forests on either side of the roads greeted them with pin drop silence.

There weren't any other vehicles on the road, neither moving nor stationary.

This wasn't the first time though that Khushi was encountering such an atmosphere, but the idea of standing and waiting, when all they could do was to utter Latin and get away with it, seemed way too absurd to her.

.

.

She continued to tap her feet in agitation, leaning against the car, while Judith leaned against the bonnet humming some random songs to herself.

"So, George Clooney or Johny Depp?"

She asked in an energetic tone, making Khushi quirk her brows.

Gosh, this girl was a complete carbon copy of Rebecca, and that for a change didn't let Khushi miss her best friend at all!

.

"Seriously? Right NOW?"

Khushi retorted, throwing Judith a well deserved annoyed look.

.

"God, you are such a boring persona! No doubt, Arnav and you make a perfect pair!"

She answered, resuming with her off tune humming once again.

'Ree is a good singer, she's not.'

Khushi mentally noted another difference between the otherwise similar personalities.

.

20 minutes had already passed and there was no sign of the Tows.

It was infuriating her to the core, but Judith's words kept her from doing anything as she said, "Let's wait for 10 minutes more and then you can do all the abracadabra, okay?"

Khushi reluctantly complied with her words as she closed her eyes, having her arms folded across her chest, reminiscing all the moments she had spent with Arnav in these same dark woods.

.

A chill ran down her spine as she recalled that dreaded adventure when she was trapped in that parallel reality by Andrew and chased by those locusts, leading her to fall from that cliff when the devil, her devil, had saved her from the fall, like always.

Even with eyes closed, she felt a small smile automatically tug at the corner of her lips as those precious moments flashed in her mind.

Time had flown so quickly.

Maybe those days were something Khushi would have loved to take to her grave. Although, it had scared her so much that time, made her restless, but now, she could do anything to live those moments again.

To be herself again.

.

.

She exhaled as she tried to subside those thoughts in her mind, the priority being totally different at this hour.

She slowly opened her eyes only to witness the most shocking sight in front of her.

.

.

.

Her breathing hitched as she saw that vaguely familiar figure standing in front of her with a crooked smile on her face, making her eyes grow wide in surprise.

.

"Hello Khushi."

She said in a low tone, as Khushi watched her tall cut, her long ebony tresses, dressed in an old fashioned outfit, she had a long overcoat draped on her shoulders.

.

.

"Alexandra."

Khushi whispered as she watched the crooked smile linger on the lady's face while she took a step towards her, making her gasp at the sudden intensity of meeting an immortal.

Khushi knew what was coming now.

Alexandra was the ferocious one after all.

.

She anticipated her move as she waited for the blow to come, which would ultimately end her forever but not before a fight, but to her utter surprise, she didn't even touch Khushi.

.

.

She continued to stare at her in surprise, when suddenly Judith's yell made Khushi flinch a little.

"Alexandra??"

Judith was flabbergasted at the sight of the dusky woman wearing so many rings standing in front of them, fear totally evident in her eyes.

Her sudden appearance had kept Khushi so focused, that she had totally missed the sight of a scared Judith who was standing just behind her.

.

.

"Oh! Seems like I'm famously infamous, huh?"

The woman spoke sarcastically in a British accent while Khushi swallowed the lump in her throat, completely unaware of what she was intending to do with them, oblivious of her next step.

She was going to utter something, when Judith broke her resolution as she clenched her fingers into tight fists only to release it with the energy of the spell that she chanted in her mind.

.

.

"Judith, No!!"

Khushi yelled as she warned her not to do anything like that yet, but she was too late.

.

.

She exclaimed in terror, as she watched the wicked woman turn her sight at Judith, in a fraction of second throwing her entire body with an indefinable force as she hit the branch of a tree and fell down, her hands bleeding terribly.

.

.

"Tsk Tsk, not now little vixen. Later."

Alexandra uttered dramatically as she shifted her gaze back to Khushi.

Khushi was dumbfound and helpless, seeing Judith grimace in pain and she knew that one wrong move of hers can actually cause a lot more disaster than she could possibly think of.

.

.

"I'm here to talk."

Alexandra said in a low tone, simultaneously scanning Khushi from bottom to top, halting for long on her face, grabbing Khushi's attention instantly as she awaited her next words.

What game was this now?

From what she had heard of her, she was never the one to talk.

What was her strategy?

If she wanted to kill her, then here she was, right in front of her..

What was she waiting for?

Khushi was hit by the thoughts sporadically.

She knew Alexandra's gift of Witchcraft was immensely powerful as she had witnessed what she did to Judith in the blink of an eye.

She was dangerously fast.

And there was no question about what else she could do, with the gift of her immortality.

Then what did she want now?

.

.

"The Bracelet."

She said in a stern voice as she locked her gaze on Khushi.

As expected, she obviously came there to serve her purpose and certainly, it wasn't going to be an easy bargain at all.

She was no messenger, being equally involved with Aloysius, her partner in crime.

Khushi's thoughts weren't in equilibrium with her wish, but it was time she conveyed her agenda, regardless of what consequence she was to be cursed with.

If she landed up dead, what could be more worse?

She was anyway a living dead after all that was happening.

If she were to die, she would sure as hell die after serving her purpose.

Khushi was determined.

..

.

.

Khushi shook her head sideways, in no way giving in to her demand of having the bracelet, regardless of what aftermath she had to face this time.

She had the obvious fear in her, but now, she wasn't going to let Alexandra have her way with her, not at the cost of losing this ornament which was supposed to change the history of the world of witchcraft.

She was done letting others define her life.

Not anymore.

Khushi noticed that Alexandra's expression didn't change as she continued to gaze at her with those cat eyes, when she finally uttered after a brief silence,

"Give it to Aloysius and all will be back to normal."

She said politely as she listened to her carefully, analyzing each and every little word that came her way.

"I don't trust you."

Khushi said in a determined tone, and this time Alexandra's expression changed as her ego evidently came in the way.

.

.

She could see her inner rage building as she clenched her teeth and gritted,

"You will have to give it, Khushi, else be ready to face the consequence like Meredith."

.

"I'm ready for everything! You want it? Come take it."

Khushi replied with equal rage as she lifted her right hand casually, the ancient yet invaluable stones on her bracelet shining instantly, reflecting their aura on her face, while Alexandra only managed to stare at it with a disgruntled face.

Khushi could see the fury in her rising as she stretched her fingers and brought them forward, as if trying to snatch it away, but the spell of Amelia blocked her touch all the way, as the bracelet remained settled on its owner's wrist, while Alexandra looked at Khushi fiercely, her facial expressions suggesting the urge in her to rip her apart.

Khushi knew that she couldn't take away the bracelet from her.

No one could unless she herself handed it over to them.

It was a Vermount heirloom and it couldn't be taken away from her body without her consent.

Whoever wished to touch it against her will would only feel burns when trying to touch it.

.

.

Alexandra continued to throw that furious look on Khushi, when she saw Judith standing up on her feet and slowly approaching the scene.

Khushi was about to outstretch her hand, to hold her weak, injured frame with caution when suddenly that same British accent hurdled her thoughts and stopped her in her tracks.

"You will pay for this Khushi. Aloysius will make sure, you regret this BIG TIME!"

Alexandra gritted once again as Khushi turned to face her, about to protest with her words verbally when suddenly her fingers garnered her attention.

Khushi watched in bewilderment as she swayed her index finger in a horizontal motion once making Khushi startled at her actions.

"What are uo-?"

Khushi whispered incompletely, perplexed at that gesture when suddenly her eyes grew wide in horror as she glanced at the sky, the flock of birds flying away in one direction, as if alarming her about what was to come, and the thought of it made her shudder.

Khushi turned her face to look at Alexandra who had that evil smile taking over her face as she uttered,

"See you around."

She disappeared into the woods in no time, like the speed of lightening in the sky, as she stared into the emptiness, perplexed by what this meant and what was all this about?

The creases of tension still adorning her forehead, Khushi let the sudden silence sink in and sighed in relief at her disappearance when she suddenly turned back to the other side only to freeze at the sight of her.

.

.

.

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She yelled at the top of her lungs, almost choking on her own voice as she covered her mouth with her palm, unable to control the dizziness in her head, as she watched Judith's body hanging on the branch of the tall tree in the forest, upside down, blood dripping out from her injured hands, her eyes wide open as her lifeless body floated mid air.

**

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