Bound by Magic

Family Reunion

As Alicia shared the story with Lia, the young girl witnessed her mother's transformation, resembling an older version of herself. Overwhelmed, Lia struggled to comprehend the revelation: her family was not truly her family, and her beloved grandmother was her mother in disguise. The shock and complexity of her emotions finally found expression when she called Alicia "mom" for the first time. Mother and daughter held each other, tears of joy flowing freely. This moment marked Alicia's happiest day in a long while, and Lia was equally elated, grateful for the sacrifices her mother had made on her behalf.

Alicia then revealed to Lia that witches' powers fully activated at the age of thirteen, and her upcoming birthday would make her immune to those who had sought her death since her birth. Lia was stunned to learn that her life had been endangered from the moment she was born, with the only threat to Alicia being her daughter's demise. However, Lia was determined to protect her mother and refused to let go.

Alicia explained that going against the elders' decision was a crime punishable by death. However, once Lia could protect herself, she would willingly surrender. The only thing that terrified Alicia more than death was the thought of losing her daughter. Lia, in turn, was unwilling to lose her mother, their bond stronger than ever.

They planned to free Alex from the spell, reunite their family, and face whatever challenges lay ahead together. They also strategized on how to free Alex from the spell. Alicia sensed that her mother's reign was drawing to a close. Her powers appeared to grow daily, and she knew she was next in line due to her cunning maneuvers when others had attempted to strip her of her title and powers. Returning to their previous world was effortless thanks to Alicia's teleportation abilities.

Two weeks passed rapidly, and finally, Lia celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Her initial transformation manifested as a change in her hair color, which turned blonde like her mother's. This transformation brought relief, dispelling her fears, and reinforcing her determination to protect her mother at all costs. They were prepared to act, and within seconds, they found themselves in a new, unfamiliar environment. Lia didn't feel fear, instead, she felt like she was home.Their first destination was the magical forest, where they headed straight for the queen's castle. The unusual silence in the forest raised alarm bells. So far, they hadn't encountered any other witches, and Alicia began to feel a sense of unease. Something was amiss. She rushed to her mother's chamber and found the queen bedridden and strangely sick—a condition uncommon among witches. Typically, when a queen's reign ended, they simply faded away.

As Alicia attempted to reach her mother's side, a formidable force halted her progress. It was then that she saw her mother's elder sister, Mona, who had cast a spell ensnaring Alicia as well. Alicia managed to communicate with her mother, who revealed that Mona had turned all the witches against the queen. Mona accused her of being unfit to rule because she failed to enforce the rules she had imposed, even with her own daughter breaking them. The witch community's respect for the queen waned, unaware of Mona's hidden agenda to steal their powers and become the most powerful witch ever. Mona couldn't strip the queen of her powers, so she imprisoned her under a weakening spell, planning to rule eternally after her demise. Mona had been searching for Alicia, but her daughter remained protected by a powerful spell.

Fortunately, Lia concealed herself when her mother was ensnared by Mona's trap. When Mona finally departed, Lia approached her mother, managing to free her from the restraining force. She repeated the process for her grandmother, who had also been held captive. While Alicia quickly regained consciousness, her mother remained weak after being under the spell for an extended period. Alicia began chanting spells to protect and restore her health, placing her in a room that once belonged to her.

Alicia followed her daughter, joining the battle against her evil aunt. Although Lia was a powerful witch, she was inexperienced and unaware of her full capabilities. Alicia connected their minds, a talent reserved for the royals, informing her daughter of Mona's actions and encouraging her to persevere. Mona adjusted her tactics, teleporting Alex's statue to their location and confining the powerless witches.

Mona cast a spell intended to culminate in ten minutes, designed to kill one of them. Without hesitation, Lia grabbed Mona and teleported them to an isolated area, maintaining a tight grip. Mona panicked as she realized the imminent danger. Lia harnessed all her power to restrain Mona, determined not to let her escape this time. The spell culminated in a deafening explosion.

To their astonishment, both survived. Lia had created a massive protective shield around them, sparing their lives while obliterating everything else in their vicinity