Sulfur poisoned the wind, screams following soon after. A bloodstained ritual, held by a maniacal succubus. She watched again as the ritual completed, her body weak from the losing battle. Blood stained her face, and claws punctured her throat.
Amber eyes, piercing through the darkness.
---
She shot forward, sitting up in a panic as the nightmare finally ended. Labored gasps filled her bedroom and sweat ran down her face. With a guttural shout, she slamd a fist into the wall next to her.
"Fuck!"
A small indent remained, a specter of where her impact had landed. It wasn't the only one.
Once her breathing had cald down, she grabbed the glass on her nightstand and swallowed another few caffeine pills. The clock read 4:58. She had finally broken 5 AM, yet another twisted accomplishnt she could attribute to her nightmares.
Making her way to the bathroom, she summoned a ball of light to give herself vision. It hovered over her fingers, flickering slightly as she started the shower.
Inside, as the freezing water cascaded down her body, she thought about everything she needed to do. She still hadn't found any more leads on the Succubus, and she was close to finishing her initial survey of the main campus. Perhaps it was ti to start placing tracking runes? If she tagged the exits and entrances of the major buildings, she might be able to chart its movents.
She sighed.
I can't keep going like this. Maybe... maybe a small break, just this once.
The thought filled her with a brief mont of stolen joy, and she eagerly finished her shower so she could get dressed. She pulled out her running clothes, pocketed her phone, and left the house.
Starting down the familiar route, she forced herself to leave her worries behind. Breathing in the morning air, she found a familiar pace and kept running. Skirting around the cafeteria, she soon hit the quad and made for the tall stairs at the south end.
She noticed that she had more energy, and her steps felt lighter than usual. That wasn't surprising, given how much she'd been practicing her magic. Channeling divine energy wasn't easy, and the more she practiced, the more her body adapted to the stress of the magic. She reached the top of the stairs quicker than usual and looked back in surprise before continuing.
Soon enough, she found a familiar tree and started climbing its branches. This, too, was much easier, and she reached the top in re monts.
The sun hadn't hit the campus yet, which was perfect. She settled in, took a deep breath, then exhaled.
The view hadn't changed, though so of the branches had started crowding her window. She let them be, her eyes wandering the buildings surrounding the quad. It felt like it had been ages since she'd co here last, yet the view was always the sa. Lysander Hall lorded over the quad, its noble architecture setting it apart from the other buildings. She'd always thought it felt like a crown sitting atop the center of campus.
As she waited for sunrise, in no rush to return ho, she summoned a small ball of light once again. It bounced between her hands slowly, and she practiced hovering it around the tree, enjoying the way its radiance illuminated the leaves.
As much as she'd tried to ignore her magic, she couldn't deny it had so perks.
A sudden noise pulled her back to reality, the sound of a nearby door opening. She snuffed out her light imdiately, then turned to see soone leaving the building next to her.
Who would be in the Science Building at this hour?
She held her breath, watching as the figure looked up into her tree. Her light had definitely caught their attention, and as they turned towards her, she got a good look at their face.
The girl staring up into the tree had dium length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was sowhat taller, seed to be in decent shape, and was lazily yawning. Her clothes were baggy, to the point that they seed ant for soone else.
That... that's not possible. What the fuck is going on?
Vee was staring at an exact copy of herself.
The succubus!
A thousand thoughts flooded Vee's head. Fear gripped her, and she had no idea how to react. She couldn't risk confrontation, not like this. Even if she managed to summon a sword, there was no way she would win a straight fight with a demon.
She kept watching, and soon the demon shrugged. It continued walking away from the Science Building before jogging down the tall staircase.
Why here? Why now?
There had to be a reason for this. A fight was out of the question, but this might be a good ti to figure out the demon's plans.
Once Vee knew she was alone, she dropped out of the tree. Approaching the glass doors nearby, she opened them with a quick prayer and moved in. The building was quiet, and she had no idea what she was looking for.
"What twisted ga are you playing, Hellspawn..." She muttered.
Checking her phone, she realized she only had an hour or two before classes started. Though it wasn't the best idea, she tried to cast the tracking spell from mory.
Her eyes closed, quiet lodies escaping her lips. Her magic stirred, and she pulled from her own reserves rather than the Enochian Texts. Though incredibly taxing, she was able to hold the spell long enough to find a solid lead. It seed as if the demon had been in the basent.
Vee dropped the tracking spell, opened the door to the basent, and pushed on. Her light appeared once more, illuminating the darkness as she checked every nook and cranny. Content that the stairs were clear, she moved on to the basent proper, and was pleased to see she wouldn't need much ti. She only saw a small handful of old classrooms, and the thick buildup of dust revealed that the demon had been elsewhere.
The last place to check was a strange maze of ancient plumbing. Vee groaned when she saw it, but took solace in the assumption that this was the last place to check.
Although it took longer than she had wanted, and she was now sporting so new bruises, she eventually found the other side. Following the darkened walls, she eventually found a small room tucked out of sight. It wasn't hidden, necessarily, but the placent certainly kept it out of the way.
Vee's eyes went wide when she stepped inside. The floor and ceiling were covered in strange runes, clearly drawn in blood, and a table across the room lay in pieces on the floor. She kneeled down, inspecting the runes closely, and cursed the fact that she'd never bothered to learn more about witchcraft.
These... almost look like summoning runes, though they've definitely been damaged.
Things still didn't add up, but Vee felt like she'd found another piece of the puzzle. Pulling out her phone, she snapped pictures of all the different runes.
After another quick search of the area, she decided there was nothing else to be found. She made her way back upstairs, stepping into the morning light as she left the building.
This has to be how the Succubus arrived. Maybe... soone summoned her, and she broke free? A fight would explain the broken table.
Vee jogged down the long staircase, an eerie sense of déjà vu washing over her. She had just watched her doppelganger do this sa thing, and it felt wrong to walk in that thing's footsteps.
If another demon were to show up, they would either have to fight for control over the campus, or share the spoils, and no demon would want that. So, she returns to the circle, makes sure it can't be used again, and cents her hold here.
As she turned a corner outside the cafeteria, the sll of alcohol washed over her, followed by a loud crunch under her shoes. Pulled away from her thoughts, she looked down and saw a broken bottle of so kind, its contents spilled all over the sidewalk.
Rolling her eyes, glad she missed whatever drunkard had been here last night, Vee sidestepped the glass and kept walking.
But why was the demon disguised as ? Is it just a disguise while she wanders campus? She clearly didn't know I was there with her...
As Vee arrived ho, another groan of frustration filled the empty halls. Despite seeing the actual demon, and finding how it arrived, she was still no closer to her goal. All she'd managed to do was lose yet another morning of peace.
---
It took Amara and Tessa quite a while to copy the whole circle. Tessa needed frequent breaks, each one longer than the last, but she was determined to get everything finished in one night. By the ti they finished, it was already close to five in the morning.
Eager to get so sleep, the girls packed everything up and started the trek ho. Backtracking through the piping, they soon found themselves at the main entrance, but had to say their goodbyes there. They lived in opposite directions, and it was easier for Tessa to use a different exit. After a long hug, the two parted ways to finally get so sleep.
Walking outside, Amara imdiately noticed the sunlight reflecting into a nearby tree. The sun hadn't quite peaked over the buildings yet, but she assud it was hitting so strange angles to be visible here already. She yawned slowly, waiting for the door behind her to close, then kept walking.
The path ho was quiet, and pretty much the entire campus was hers. She didn't bother putting her beanie on, the wind in her hair felt amazing.
As the sunlight slowly filled the quad, Amara let herself wander around, tracing lines in the morning dew. She even considered climbing so of the trees, but realized that the earliest risers would likely be rousing soon. She opted to head straight ho, deciding it would be best to get what little sleep she could at this hour.
Soon enough, she put the quad behind her and started the last leg of her trip. Walking along the long side of the cafeteria, she rounded a corner and accidentally bumped into soone.
"Oh! Sorry!" She mumbled, moving to sidestep the stranger.
He turned around quickly, and Amara froze when she realized who she'd run into.
"Well well, lookit what the cat dragged in..." Derek said. His words slurred together, their unnatural cadence betraying why he was still awake at this hour. "What'r'you doing out? Coming from... from a party?"
Amara took a step back, her body tense. Her heart was racing, desperate to get away, but her feet were frozen. "N-nothing like that. I just need to get ho, Derek."
Derek matched her steps with his own, then quickly overtook her. He pushed her back against the brick wall, one arm propped over her shoulder. "What's this... this fuckin' outfit? You're a hot little bitch, aren't you? But you know that, always teasing ... Showing off your hot fucking body..."
His breath washed over Amara, heavy and poisoned with alcohol.
"Please, I just want to go ho, I'm tired." Amara said. Her words were shaking, and she was desperately looking for a chance to escape.
"Well I don't. Y'know what I want? So fuckin' company, but all the hot chicks're ignoring ." His other hand ca into view, taking a drink from the large bottle he was holding. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Eyes wide, Amara noticed that the bottle was almost empty. Her mind raced, cycling through options as she tried to find a way out. The sa thought ca up, over and over; She'd just learned to fight, but without her tail she felt defenseless.
Derek was massive, and the bravado she had felt during their last encounter had vanished. She wondered if, being drunk, she'd be able to outrun him, and took a deep breath.
She ducked under his arm, attempting to stay low, but only managed to get a few steps in. His arm closed around her wrist, and he threw her back against the brick wall.
Her breath left her body, and her head started spinning from the impact.
"Don't you FUCKING run from !" Derek shouted. He smashed the bottle against the wall, just shy of Amara's head, showering her with glass and alcohol. "I'm sick of your little gas... so we're gonna play a new one."
Her ears were ringing, and her vision was still blurry from hitting the wall. She desperately scanned the area, looking for anyone that might be able to help.
She stopped moving her head when she felt cold glass on her neck. Derek was staring at her, eyes mad with power, holding the broken bottle against her throat.
"This ga's called Stay. Fucking. Quiet." He was practically growling now, his mouth twisted into a horrific grin. His other hand moved down, his heavy fingers starting to fumble with his pants. "I've waited too long for this, Vee..."
Vee.
Derek's attention was slipping, and the bottle pushed even harder against her. She could feel its jagged edges scratching her skin as she strained to keep away from it.
He thinks I'm Vee.
The thought snapped Amara out of her fear. Her thoughts began racing, taking a step back to look at everything that was happening, and her panic turned to white hot rage.
"No."
Amara grabbed the bottle against her neck and started pushing it back.
"The fuck was that, bitch?" Derek pushed the bottle harder, but seed surprised that he couldn't overpower Amara anymore.
"I said NO!" Amara pushed hard, moving Derek's hand further away from her neck.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled his other hand away from his pants, and tried to grab her throat. Amara t that hand with her own, and they stood in a stalemate as each attempted to overpower the other.
Amara could feel her blood racing, boiling with anger as she fought back. She could feel her rage building, growing hotter with each second, desperate to burst out of her.
And then it did.
Flas appeared at her fingertips, lingering for a mont before roaring to life. Soon both her hands were completely ignited, their flas casting terrifying shadows on the bricks behind her. She watched as the fire grew hotter, its red glow developing shades of purple in a fraction of a second.
Derek started panicking, screaming in surprise. The alcohol on his arm ignited, sparks and embers dancing across his skin. His eyes wide, he surrendered control and fell to his knees, then doubled over.
Without thinking twice, she started running. Each step felt heavier than the last, but she had to get ho. Her vision blurred again, not from blunt force, but from tears. They clouded her vision, yet when they left her eyes, they evaporated on contact with her skin.
She felt as if she'd been running for hours by the ti she made it ho. When she pulled out her keys, she tried to open the door, but dropped them imdiately when she saw her hands. Flas still lingered on her skin, their pale light filling the hallway. She tried to pat the fire out on her pants, then grabbed her keys and opened the door. Once inside, she slamd it shut with her tail and fell to the floor, her back against the entrance.
Amara reached into her pocket, desperate to call Nick. She tried to breathe deep, to count the way he had shown her, but she kept losing focus. Nick wasn't answering, and Amara tried again.
And again.
And again.
She had no idea how long her phone would survive the heat, and she swore the fire was getting hotter. Miraculously, Nick answered while her phone was still working.
"Amara? What's--"
"Nick, I'm on fire! I can't stop it!"
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