#monikasjournal

Why am I marching straight to the devil's lair? If I wanted to die, a gunshot would be less painful and faster than what I think would happen to me now. I searched for an answer. It didn't appear before me until I was already standing in a dangerous territory, scarier than Kastila's.

I know that it would only take seconds before my scent would reach her house, which is a few meters away, and I could be torn to pieces easily. The answer I sought presented itself: I don't want to die. I want to be like her and possess the same power she has always been feared for. Then I could rip apart the Kastila who killed Tomas.

"Do you know this boy?" Dmitri's voice made me leap. The room felt colder as he closed the distance between us, but he was not looking at me as he approached. His gaze was locked on Caleb.

I will recognize this face even if you cut my eyes out.

"Absurd of you to assume," was all I said. It occurred to me that Caleb might have attempted to scale the wall in order to get here. One wrong move, and both of us might not come out of this place alive.

Caleb started to stir, and his face is now more visible under the limited prison light. I realized I was holding my breath this entire time. Although his face is coated in grime, with scratches from god knows where, he still looked angelic to me. When he groaned in pain, his dimples showed.

I almost smiled.

I turned to face Dmitri, but he had been studying my face the entire time. "You know, I've always been suspicious of you." He started to pace around the room. "A lost fifteen-year-old all alone, unscathed. Only magic can do that."

The animosity in his tone made my blood boil. People like him are the reason my kind is being hunted down. I was about to square him up when he suddenly went limp and fell face-first on the floor. Dust flew around him, dancing on impact.

"That's what you get for being cocky." Caleb stood there with a huge grin on his face, his hands glowing faintly. "Come, I'm here to take you home."

"Do you know this boy?" Dmitri's voice made me leap. The room felt colder as he closed the distance between us, but he was not looking at me as he approached. His gaze was locked on Caleb.

I will recognize this face even if you cut my eyes out.

"Absurd of you to assume," was all I said. I figured that Caleb might've tried to breach the wall for him to end up here. One wrong move, and both of us might not come out of this place alive.

Caleb started to stir, and his face is now more visible under the limited prison light. I realized I was holding my breath this entire time. Although his face is coated in grime, with scratches from god knows where, he still looked angelic to me. When he groaned in pain, his dimples showed.

I almost smiled.

I turned to face Dmitri, but he had been studying my face the entire time. "You know, I've always been suspicious of you." He started to pace around the room. "How did you survive the wilderness? A lost fifteen-year-old all alone, unscathed. Only magic can do that."

The animosity in his tone made my blood boil. People like him are the reason my kind is being hunted down. I was about to square him up when he suddenly went limp and fell face-first on the floor. Dust flew around him, dancing on impact.

"That's what you get for being cocky." Caleb stood there with a huge grin on his face, his hands glowing faintly. "Come, I'm here to take you home."