When I looked up at the sky to see what had frightened him, I froze, because hovering above me was...
Artemis!
But something wasn't right... she seemed nervous, as if she were afraid of something. Her gaze was fixed behind me. I wanted to turn around to see what was bothering her, but I couldn't because Artemis swooped down on me, grabbing me with her talons and lifting me into the air at great speed.
As Artemis pulled me away, I faintly heard the sound of something crashing into a tree. I tried to turn and see what had happened, and when I finally saw what it was, I felt like my blood ran cold.
Because rising up near the tree where I had been moments before was a humanoid creature with wolf-like features.
The creature got up, a little dazed, turning its head as if searching for something, until it seemed to hear Artemis's wingbeats and its gaze fell on me. The creature growled and ran in our direction, trying to leap and grab me. I felt my heart race, and suddenly everything seemed to slow down as memories of my family flashed before my eyes: those moments with Helena eating cookies when we'd sneaked into the kitchen;
those times with Mom practicing spells or when she comforted me after a nightmare; the first hug from Grandma; playing with Uncle Godric; Aunt Helga teaching me to bake cookies while we were both covered in flour; and the time Uncle Salazar patted me on the head when I successfully brewed my first potion.
All those memories with my new family flashed by one by one... I could hear my heart pounding... I was breathless... I didn't want to lose them... I can't lose them.
Suddenly, as if something clicked, I acted on instinct. I summoned my staff from my bracelet, pointing it at the creature's head. Its claws were inches from my foot. I channeled my mana into the staff's tip and launched it at the creature.
A sphere of energy the size of a tennis ball materialized at the staff's tip and instantly shot out, striking the creature's jaw. The impact sent it reeling backward, and the force of the blast sent it crashing to the ground with a loud thud, causing it to groan in pain.
I couldn't see anything. All I could think about was my family, getting back to them. My hand gripped the staff tightly, and I felt my mana slowly draining away in rapid, uncontrollable bursts.
When I could finally make out my surroundings again, I was kneeling in the middle of a crater. The smell of smoke and burnt hair surrounded me, mixed with something faintly metallic. I was having trouble breathing and couldn't get up. Artemis was rubbing against me, trying to lift me.
It took me a few minutes to stand, though I was still a little unsteady, but thanks to Artemis, I was able to stay upright while I tried to understand what had happened.
I scanned my surroundings... the earth around me seemed burned and was still smoldering... my gaze soon fell on an unrecognizable pile about two meters in front of me... I tried to get closer to see what it was... I had only taken a few steps when I suddenly stopped and turned around quickly as I began to vomit.
Tears streamed down my face. I stood up after emptying my stomach completely. My hands trembled. I wasn't sure if it was from fear, or because my mana reserves were almost depleted, or perhaps something else... I didn't know, and frankly, I couldn't identify the reason, nor did I want to.
My gaze occasionally lingered on that pile that looked more like a paste of minced meat.
I tried to remember what I had done, but my mind was blank. I couldn't recall anything. Since I couldn't remember anything, I decided to leave. I didn't know if there were more of those things, but if another one appeared, it was likely I would be the one to die this time.
I got up and used a little magic to cleanse myself. I couldn't do much since my reserves were dangerously low. I staggered a bit as I approached Artemis, and it was difficult to climb onto her, but once I was properly mounted, I asked her to return to the castle.
Artemis dropped me off at the tower where my bedroom was. During the flight, I tried to calm myself, telling myself that what happened was necessary, because if it hadn't happened, I would be the one dead right now. I repeated this over and over until the trembling in my hands lessened a little.
Being in the sky also helped me calm down somewhat, since ever since I learned to fly with Artemis, I always flew with her to clear my mind when I felt stressed or frustrated, when I couldn't make progress in my research, or when I couldn't cast a spell properly. This time was no different, and feeling the air on my face helped me stop thinking about what had happened in that clearing and what was in that crater.
When I arrived at my room, I felt cold and still had slight tremors, so I ran to the bathroom and tried to warm up with a hot shower. It only worked partially, as I was still trembling a bit. I felt strange. I didn't want to sleep alone for the rest of the night, so I went to Helena's room.
When I entered her room, I went to the side of her bed. She was asleep in the middle of the bed, looking like a little star with her arms and legs fully extended, the blanket bunched up at her feet.
I couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight. I took the blanket and tucked her in as I climbed into bed with her. My movements seemed to wake her, as she spoke to me half-asleep.
"Sister?
" "Shh, let's go to sleep, it's still night.
" "Hmm."
Helena closed her eyes and turned to hug me as she drifted back to sleep. I felt calmer with her beside me, and my trembling gradually subsided. Before long, I fell asleep too.
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