Page 135 of Academy of the Wicked, Year Two

The world goes black.

Wicked Karma And Reclaim Your Throne

~GWENIVERE~

"IHATE YOU! I hate you, you, YOU!"

I stare in disbelief, my eyes watering despite trying not to cry. The words cut deeper than any blade, slicing through whatever composure I'd managed to maintain.

I stand there, taking every ounce of hate, while my body is drenched with water that forces me to keep trembling. The liquid seeps through my clothes, cold against my skin, mixing with tears I refuse to let fall.

El is mad at me again. I'm not as close to perfection as I should be.

The familiar ache of inadequacy expands in my chest, a hollow pain I've grown accustomed to carrying. No matter how hard I try, it's never enough.

Never perfect enough.

Never strong enough.

Nevergoodenough.

I'm not able to move faster than I should, and the magic isn't working as I'd wished. The intricate patterns I'd attempted refuse to take proper form, energy sputtering and fading where it should blaze with power. I'd drawn all these painful runeson my flesh, each one burning as I carved them into my skin, hoping to show that I could do better.

Be better.

But it only made El angrier.

The disappointment radiating from that gaze feels like a physical weight pressing down on me, crushing whatever fragile hope I'd foolishly nurtured.

The screams and shouts continue, words blurring together into a storm of condemnation that hits me from every direction to the point I'm not sure I can stand still in my spot.

My muscles ache with the effort of remaining immobile. If I move, I'll be punished, but how much longer can I hold onto this level of patience? How much more can I endure before something inside me simply shatters?

I wish Mom and Dad were here. The thought surfaces unexpectedly, bringing fresh pain with it. Why did they have to die? Their absence leaves a void nothing can fill, certainly not this pitiful attempt at measuring up to impossible standards.

"Gabe?"

I frown, confusion momentarily overriding fear as I lift my little head. Through tear-blurred vision, I see two breathless individuals behind El, their faces twisted with horror at the scene unfolding before them.

My little hands tremble uncontrollably as recognition dawns, impossible and overwhelming.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

Their presence makes no sense —they're gone, have been gone—yet here they stand, looking at me with expressions of mingled fear and desperation. My heart stutters in my chest, hope and terror battling for dominance.

As if the words trigger El, I watch the way realization clocks in, fury raging through the aura that grows stronger like it'sinflamed with rage. The power building in the air feels electric, making my skin crawl with warning.

"No. No. NO! YOU WILL NOT RETURN. Not until PERFECTION! Not until I CLAIM what's mine!"

The voice changes, something ancient and terrible bleeding into the familiar tones. The transformation is terrifying to witness—something inhuman wearing the face of someone I know.

"Elena, STOP THIS!" Mother screams, fighting to reach out. Her fingers stretch toward me, desperation making her movements frantic. Whatever she sees in El's expression triggers genuine fear in her eyes.

"IT'S EL!"

The declaration erupts with supernatural force. My body is pushed backward by invisible hands, making me gasp as my feet leave the ground. I see my parents' eyes widen in horror, their mouths open in twin shouts I can't quite hear over the rushing in my ears. Mother's scream echoes as her hands extend, tendrils of wind that take on a physical manifestation seek to cushion me before I drop to whatever oblivion is below. The magic she summons swirls with desperate intent, trying to form a net to catch me.

But I'm forced to look up, as if some invisible hand has grasped my chin, tilting my face toward the sky. The clouds above have gathered into an ominous spiral, darkness coalescing into something that makes my stomach clench with primal terror. Through the swirling mass, I see the dark bolt of electricity forming, gathering power before plunging downward to strike its sole target.

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