131 Chapter 130: Recounting the horror

The three of them were staying shut inside the academy infirmary ever since the past hour. Irina had advised Elize to skip her classes for the day, seeing her weak state. Agatha didn't have the mind to leave her in that state, feeling guilty about what had happened. Although Irina had reassured her that it was not her fault- that the spell had vanished into thin air before Elize had fallen, she couldn't stop crying. Elize watched her friend sniffle, sitting at the end of the infirmary cot with a smile. 

"Elize? Are you listening to me?" Irina pressed, looking pointedly at her. 

Elize sighed, turning to her friend. She didn't know what to tell her. If she were going to tell them the truth, then she would have to open up about what had happened at Aileen's place. Although her friends knew about her opening the Book of Lost Covens, they still didn't know what she had seen in it. And she didn't know if she was ready to tell them anything at all. Elize looked at her friends warily. Both the witches looked at her expectantly, waiting for her explanation. 

She bit her lips nervously. Maybe it was time that she had opened up to someone about it, she thought. 

Drawing a deep breath, she said, "You're going to think that I'm crazy."

She was scared that her friends wouldn't believe her. If it were her, she wouldn't have trusted her own words. What had happened was that ridiculous. Unless someone witnessed it firsthand, it would be hard for anyone to understand. She looked up as she heard the chair scraping against the ground. Irina had gotten up from her seat and was walking towards her, a kind expression plastered on her face. Coming to sit right next to her, she took her hand in hers and squeezed them lightly. 

"We're willing to listen, Elize," She said, leaning in with a soft smile, "I know for sure that it was not the spell. Let us help you." 

"Yeah. Tell us, Elize. We can help you." Agatha said, rubbing at her teary cheeks. The witch quickly scooted closer, huddling under the blanket next to her friends. 

Elize smiled at the earnestness reflected on the girls' faces. She drew her knees against her chest and leaned back against the wall. The coolness of the concrete surface helped ease her nerves. 

"Remember the day that you had caught me reading the Book of Lost Covens?" She asked, looking at Agatha. 

"Yeah." The blonde witch said with a nod. 

Elize bit her lips nervously as she continued, "Well, I saw some things that night- visions, I think." She said, looking back and forth both her friends. 

"What kind?" Irina asked, raising her brows in surprise. 

Her breath hitched as she remembered the incident. Her eyes rimmed with tears as a heavy sadness pushed its way into her heart. Her hands started shaking uncontrollably, despite her efforts to control it. Irina quickly put her hand across her shoulder, drawing her close, while Agatha reached out to hold her hands in hers.

"Hey, are you okay?" The blonde witch asked, with a concerned expression on her face, "Do you want to stop?"

Elize shook her head. She leaned on to Irina's shoulder as a single tear slid down her left cheek. 

"No. I have to let this out." She said, taking a deep breath. "I don't think I can live with such a burden buried inside my mind."

"Do you know who they were?" Irina asked, putting a warm hand on her head. 

Elize nodded. "Girls from the Ruah Yareach, all around my age."

Agatha's eyes widened hearing the reply. She looked at Irina with a shocked expression. The red-haired with sighed, her hand on her head suddenly turning cold. She cleared her throat, turning Elize's face towards her. 

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly. 

"Yes, it was horrible." Elize replied, her lips quivering in sadness, "When Aileen had mentioned Dara's name, it moved something inside me. I don't know how to explain it, but-" She paused, looking down at her hands as tears slid down her face. A slight sob escaped her lips. "I didn't mean to open the book at all. It just opened on its own, and I don't even know how it did. All I remember are the wretched screams of dozens of girls. And strangely, I felt that it was me who was screaming again and again."

Irina reached out to wipe her tears away. Elize let her, without complaining. The pain in her heart was growing as she remembered their helpless faces. What had those innocent girls done to receive such cruel fates? Why had the Island people wronged them in such a way? She couldn't find an answer in her mind. She had avoided thinking about it and had thought that by running away from the Island, it would all get better. But it seemed that her fate had no plans of going easy on her. 

"Elize?" Agatha asked, tapping her hand. 

"Hmm?" Elize asked, looking up.

"Irina was asking something." The blonde witch said, raising her brows. 

"Oh..." She replied, surprised that she had zoned out for a moment. "What is it?" She asked, turning towards her friend. 

"What did they say?" Irina asked, with a slight frown. 

Elize shrugged. "To find them," She replied blankly. 

"What? Find dead people?" Agatha asked, surprised. Turning to Irina, she asked, "Is that even possible?"

Elize turned to her friend with a curious expression. She wanted to know the answer to that question too. She didn't understand what the voices had meant by asking her to find them. Was it possible to locate dead people? As far as she knew about those incidents, even the dead bodies of the previous chosen ones were not found. How were they supposed to find them like that? And what would happen if they found the bodies? She wondered. 

"Was that the only time you heard the voices or saw visions?" Irina asked, ignoring the question. 

Elize shook her head. "No, I had heard the voices in my head even before. Sometimes they helped me with spells and strange emotions of loss pushed into my mind when I met Alex at times. But the visions and the feeling of an injustice committed- it only started after I had lost my magic." She said, thinking hard. 

"And when do these visions occur?" The red-haired witch asked, scrunching her brows together.

Elize thought about the question for a while before answering, "Till today, it only happened when there was some danger posed to me. But I don't know why it suddenly happened today." She said, licking her lips nervously.

"What did the voices say today?" Agatha asked, leaning in. 

"The same- to find them," Elize replied with a shrug.

The room fell silent as the three girls got immersed in their thoughts. Elize had stopped crying as the warmth from her friends radiated to her body, calming her down. She looked outside the window of the room towards the garden outside. A little blue-bird hopped from branch to branch, chirping excitedly. The tiny thing shook its tail with much energy, something that Elize herself felt deprived of. Suddenly Irina turned towards her.

"Have you told this to anyone else?" She asked with a frown. 

"Zack." Elize said with a nod, "He's the only other person who knows about this."

Irina nodded. "For the moment, let us not tell anyone else about this." She said, looking dead serious, "Let me figure out what this is about- until then, stay low. Don't do anything that makes you too emotional. Okay?"

Elize nodded in agreement, displaying a tight smile."Hey, guys?" She asked, looking at her friends. 

"Hmm?" Agatha asked, raising her head to look at her. 

"I'm scared," Elize replied sadly. 

She hadn't felt so unsure about something in her entire life. The knowledge of the injustice that had happened to the previous chosen ones filled her with insecurity. She was scared that the same thing would happen to her- no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. She remembered the creature that had chased her in the woods. Its wild eyes had haunted her thoughts every time she was alone. Irina patted her head lightly. 

"Don't be." She said, with a kind smile, "You just shifted. Focus on building your strength. Your pack needs a strong Luna."

"Yeah, and we'll always be here for you," Agatha said, drawing Elize into a warm hug. 

Elize smiled, momentarily distracted from her worries. She always had her friends whenever she needed them. She thought to herself, snuggling closer to the girls. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The two witches suddenly chuckled in unison, detaching themselves from her. 

"I think someone is here for you," Irina said, standing up. 

Agatha quickly slid off from the bed and went to stand by Irina. Elize looked at the two cluelessly as Irina raised her hand slightly. 

"Where-"

Before she could complete the question, Agatha shouted,

"We'll see you later!" 

And just like that, she was left alone in the room. The knock sounded once again, as Elize turned to the door, still dumbfounded by her friends' action.