Reclaiming Magic

Chapter 13: Shadows and New Beginnings

A few days later while sleeping next to Dev, a knock on the front door woke us up in a panic. The air was heavy with tension as the man stepped out of the shadows, his presence both unsetting and familiar. I could barely breathe as his eyes met mine, a mixture of regret and resolve flickering across his features. He was the one who had taken my memories after the car accident, the one who had plunged my world into confusion and fear. Now, here he was again, standing before Dev and me as if we were caught in some twisted narrative. “Evelyn,” he began, his voice low and trembling, “My name is Swiper. I heard you’ve been looking for me. I didn’t want it to come to this.” Dev’s protective stance tightened beside me, our fingers intertwined--- a lifetime in this dark moment. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, a reminder of the sanctuary he’d amidst this chaos. “What do you want?” Dev’s voice was steady, though I could sense the hurt beneath it.

The man glanced at me, his expression softening. “I was hired to erase specific memories, to protect something you stumbled upon. But I never wished to cause you harm. You found out things you shouldn’t know.” “What things?” I asked, my pulse quickening. My curiosity danced dangerously close to dread, and deep down, I wished I could retrieve those lost memories, if only to understand the echoes of my past. Before he could answer, he seemed to shrink back into himself, the shadows swallowing him whole. “I don’t know who hired me. I want no part of this war. I’m sorry.” And just like that, he was gone, retreating into the darkness that had birthed him. The quiet that followed was deafening, and as our hands fell apart, I turned to Dev. The look in his eyes mirrored my own confusion and fear. He reached out to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing gentle circles, grounding me. “We stay hidden, just a little longer.” His voice was steady, filled with a resolve I wished I could feel myself.

For the next five months, we lived in the shadows, adapting to a world where paranoia defined every waking moment. Somehow, we found pockets of joy amidst the uncertainty. Each night, we would talk, softly, huddled together under a blanket, sharing our hopes and dreams for our future we still dared to imagine. The love we felt for one another bloomed in the stillness, transforming our fear into something more--- into life. Then came the day I had both anticipated and dreaded. The sharp pangs of labor started in the early hours of the morning, sending waves of pressure through my body. Dev was instantly alert, his eyes wide with a mixture of panic and excitement. “It’s time,” he said, his voice low but urgent.

As the contractions intensified, fear mingled with exhilaration. We hurried to the secluded cabin Alice had prepared for our escape. The walls felt like a sanctuary, and I focused on the warmth radiating from Dev’s hand, intertwined with mine as we ventured into this new chapter of our lives. Hours passed in a blur of pain and determination, and soon, instead of just one, three tint cries filled the air. Tears streamed down my face Alice handed me our firstborn, a precious girl with soft features that mirrored Dev’s. “Lila,” I whispered, feeling her warmth against me. Then came Olivia, and finally Sophia--- my triplets. Each of them was a miracle, a testament to our love that flourished even amidst darkness.

We stayed in that serene bubble for a few days, the world outside fading in the cabin, filled with the sweet sounds of coos and soft murmurs. We were a small but mighty clan, our joy outshining the shadows that threatened us. However, that bliss was short-lived. I felt the weight of reality creeping back, burdens pressing on my shoulders. I hadn’t simply given birth to three beautiful lives; I had also welcomed into my heart the worry about Daniel’s relentless pusuit. After a few weeks, with Alice’s help, we made the difficult decision to leave the babies in her care for a short while, believing we needed to handle the Daniel situation before it spiraled further out of control.

The day we left felt heavy as I glanced back at the cabin, the sound of the triplets’ soft breaths echoing in my ears. Dev held my hand tightly, his grip reassuring as we approached the car. “We’ll be back, I promise,” he murmured.

The journey felt long and fraught, but I focused on the mission ahead. Our first encounter with Daniel--- his brutality and arrogance--- was something that haunted me, like the specter of a nightmare that refused to fade. Dev and I had devised a plan, hoping that this time, with our newfound strength, we could confront him together. But as we arrived at the abandoned warehouse that served as his hideout, we found ourselves swallowed by darkness. The stillness felt like a trap, a prelude to the chaos that was about to unfurl. We entered cautiously, each step echoing in the vast emptiness. My heart raced in my chest, a staccato drumbeat that mirrored my fear. “Stay close,” Dev whispered, his arm brushing against mine, a reminder that I wasn’t alone. But our teamwork fell apart in a split second in the shadows, Daniel lunged from his hiding place, his expression a twisted mask of triumph. “You thought you could hide from me?” he spat. My body froze, instincts pushing me to bolt, but I couldn’t leave Dev behind.

Daniel’s chaos swirled around us, and Dev and I fought fiercely, our love igniting our powers. But in the heat of the moment, Daniel was cunning and cruel. With a swift move, he created a rift of shadows, forcing Dev and me to separate. I could hear his frantic calls, but the darkness enveloped me, cutting us apart. Panic surged through me as I was thrust into a smothering void, surrounded by dull whispers that mocked my fear. “You have no idea what you’re up against,” Daniel laughed, his voice slicing through the silence. “You think love is enough to save you?” In that harrowing moment, I understood his intent--- he wanted to use me, to wield my powers as a weapon against Dev. He reveled in the torment, placing obstacles between us, feeding off the despair swirling around me.

Just when I felt crushed beneath the weight of my hopelessness, I realized the triplet were my anchor. My heart swelled with love as I thought of them, the light that guided me through the shadows. “You won’t take me from them,” I hissed, summoning the last ounces of my strength. The magic surged within me, a flicker of light that fought back against the darkness it was too late. In an instant, before I could fully harness my power, Daniel lunged at me, capturing my arms in a tight grip, placing a collar around my neck. Everything went black as he pulled me into the depths of his world--- the shadows became my cage. When I regained consciousness, I was alone, bound to the wall in chains, almost completely naked. “Dev!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the emptiness. But there was no answer, only silence mocking my fear. Hours turned into an eternity. As I stood in the depths of my confinement, my heart ached, not just for myself but for the small lives I had brought into the world. And Dev--- my love, my partner--- was still out there, likely struggling to find me.

Footsteps approach and I begin to feel the panic. There's nowhere to go. Daniel opens up the door to the cell that I am bound in. Someone brings in a tray of different weapons and a tall floor lamp in behind him and sits them down on a table beside me. "Before you left, you told me you were pregnant with someone else's child. I know now that it was my own brother, Devon. That much is clear. You're obviously not pregnant now, so you either had the baby or lost it. That makes me happy." His eyes glanced down at the tray of weapons beside him as he finished speaking. "Some may call me obsessed and I guess it's true because I don't let anyone have what's rightfully mine. You left, thinking you could live happily ever after with my brother. Not a chance. So, what should I torture you with first?" I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my magic, but it was as if it was gone. It must have been the collar that's still around my neck.

“Daniel,” I whispered, as it was hard to talk. “Please, let me go. You’ll never see me again,” He looked up from the sharp knife he was twirling around in his hand. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re never going anywhere ever again.” He put the knifes sharp edge on my thigh and pulled in upward. The pain coursed through my entire body. I felt every bit of the skin peel, and then I heard it hit the floor. He stood there, skinning piece after piece for about an hour but it seemed like much longer. The first piece, I still had enough strength in me to yell. “Dev!” I was only greeted with silence and Daniel’s laughter. After the first 3 pieces of flesh that he peeled off, I grew too weak to move. After the hour of constant pain, my vision blurred and I welcomed the darkness as it engulfed me. Letting my unconscious mind take over, I could hear a woman’s voice. “You need to find out where she hid the key to the phoenix,” I tried to keep listening as I faded in and out. Darkness consumed me. All I felt was peace.