I once again wake up, sweating buckets as my heart is tossing and turning in my stomach. I look towards my hands and then my stomach, the same dream as last time repeating in my mind. Part of me loves seeing Mama again, but the other part of me can feel the pain that drives through my stomach, it hurts, it kills me every time. It is familiar and that is why it is scary.

I take in a deep breath and look around the room and toss the safety of the blankets that lie on me off. My feet touch the floor and I take a few steps near the window, peeking outside. The sun is down, and the stars are shining like individual little gemstones. It is beautiful, and part of me wishes that I could take a moment and sit out there, perhaps at the barn, without being impaled or captured. I want nothing more than to take a breath of fresh air and scream aloud, allowing every pent-up bit of anger and frustration out into the air.

My head shakes at the thought before I turn around, my stomach grumbling with hunger. I let out a quick 'tsk' as my mind flashes back to the murder I had before. I then think back to the doorway that Celia had shown me beforehand. My eyes trail their way to Celia's bedroom, and I am hesitant to take a few steps towards the doorway. I reach my hand outwards but then recoil it as I take in a few deep breaths. 

My feet make their way to Celia's study, and I soon enter. I allow my fingertips to trail along with the multitude of book spines, each one having a unique touch. Alas, I find the familiar black spine, and I pull it out of the bookcase. I hesitantly open it to the same page that Celia did and say aloud,

"Aperta Porta!"

There suddenly is a small flash of lightning and I can hear the groan of the bookcase splitting open. Before my eyes, the hallway appears, and my feet seem to trace the steps that I took only one day ago.

My heart suddenly throbs, and I must rub my temples to get it to go down. It is a single throb, then two, then before my mind even has a moment to comprehend what is going on, I am stuck in a full-blown headache. I let out a grunt and start my walk down the hallway.

When my feet touch the floor, it feels almost meant to be. Shoes... though I know I should probably put them on, it feels more natural, almost easier to go without them. I feel free, at home, like a natural predator ready to go without them. 

I walk down the hallway, making the same twists and turns from yesterday, and soon find myself looking at a large door with a handle. I can tell it leads to the outdoors as my ears pick up on the sounds of nature: water dripping, birds flying, beasts resting, just. . . everything. Perhaps I will never be used to it, but, in a sense, it is quite soothing almost natural. 

I open the door hesitantly and look upwards toward the towers that loom over me. I know my time is limited before the guards see me, so I must make haste and hurry over. My feet pick up on the dirt and I soon find myself flying, it is like I am skipping along clouds. Alas, I find trees surrounding me, and I take the moment to catch a breath of air. It is exactly what I need, what I dreamt of. Perhaps it is fate, maybe I just needed to break free of my restraints and do what I was born to do, hunt. 

Gala, that sounds so violent, mischievous. Perhaps I have come to terms that I need to relax and accept that this is who I am until I find my murderer and save Mama. If that ever happens. No, it will happen, I promise. 

I get out of my head and look around for any creatures. The hunger that gnaws at my mind is starting to drive not through my head, but it aches through my body. Yet, every time I sense another creature, every time the scent starts to tempt me, it flies away. I know my steps are quiet, but, perhaps, they are not simply quiet enough. 

I am fed up with the third time that the prey seems to slip away, and I can feel myself getting restless, my movements getting sloppier and my heart starting to pound against my chest. Pain echoes through my fingertips, and the veins that pump blood through my body start to turn black. My hands elongate into long claws, and I can feel my fangs grow. 

I know I do not have long before things go south. 

Alas, I come up with an idea. My eyes trail towards the trees and my mind perks up. I can feel my claws dig into the tree, and I make my way up, quickly may I add. Soon enough, I am on a relatively large branch, enough to support my weight without buckling down. My feet trail along the edge, yet my balance does not waver. It is natural, oh so natural. It is like I have been doing for as long as I can imagine despite it being, what, my second time ever hunting? 

My feet tiptoe along with the trees, and I can find myself skipping along branches at a rapid pace. The leaves brush by me, but I seem to avoid a face full of leaves. I let out a smirk as my feet come to a sudden stop, my eyes focusing on the darkness that surrounds me. I take in a deep breath and the scents that surround me are not as appetizing as. . . I need to forget that. For the idea of eating others is far too foul, too much of a taboo. Yet the taste, oh it was miraculous. I sigh and shake my head. 

I inhale the scents around me and suddenly my vision blanks out. I recall this, I recall this exact moment. For I know what is going to happen.

Without knowing what travels through my body, I leap through the air and feel the flight, the way the wind gushes past my hair, and the way it teases my limbs. I enjoy it, I savor it.  And, alas, in a few moments it is over. I land on the ground, with two feet, and I look around. A pond sits in front of me, and, to my side, I can sense the presence of another being. 

My mind flashes out, and I remember this exact moment. It will be a hog, the Yehema hog. I peek over a few trees and, low and behold, the hog sits there resting. One eye's sleepily is open whilst the other is closed. It is exhausted. I must be quick. 

My eyes focus in, and I can feel my teeth eagerly await the taste. Suddenly, I lift forward from my position, and just like clockwork, I find my fangs penetrating the tough skin of the boar. It lets out a familiar squeal before passing away. I suck the blood, and it, to my dismay, is not as flavorful, but it will do. For I am thankful, the hunger that once was overcoming my every movement is gone, and now I am full, leaving the little nightmare horrors to tear this beast apart, inch for inch. 

---

I quietly enter back through the staircase entrance and whisper, “Aperta porta." The entrance closes, and I cringe at the loud sound. Goodness, if Celia were not already awake, then she sure is now. I let out a defeated sigh and pray to the gods that maybe, just maybe, she is a deep sleeper. 

I look at the door and hesitantly reach for the handle, my fingertips touching the cool metal. I proceed to open the door and it creaks open. Yet, what I find is nothing short of shocking. It seems to be a massive tea party, Asmodeus, Celia, and Kyler all chatting in the kitchen whilst drinking something. I assume it to be tea, though Asmodeus drinking blood of some sort would not shock me.

I close the door behind me, and all three suddenly look at me, each one with a different expression. Kyler lets out an embarrassed look as he says quietly,

"You have blood on your face." 

I let out a quiet gasp and head to the powder room. From there, I see some blood tasked along my skin. I am quick to use the waterhole's fresh, cool water to wash off the blood. In a few moments, I look back in the mirror and am content when I see no splots patched along my face. 

I exit the powder room and make my grand entrance back towards the kitchen. Asmodeus lets out a hum and stands up, his towering figure only noticeable now. He is tall and very intimidating if I might add. Yet, at the same moment, he does not really scare me. I feel powerful, and, to me, he is nothing more than a pest. 

Suddenly he holds something out, and I notice that is the necklace. My eyes look at every little detail in the necklace, making sure things look the same as they were when I brought it to Mama. And, as though he promised, things look the same besides a new emerald seen in the middle. It sparkles beautifully, glimmering with magic. It is not noticeable unless you look deeply at it, but the way it sparkles, there is a small green glow to it. 

"Can you put it on?" I ask and he nods his head. I turn around and he puts the necklace on, clasping the little lock. Instantly, I feel at ease. It is like having a little piece of Mama with me; however, I do not have that cloak-like feeling on me. I know it is supposed to hide my fangs, but they are still there. I look towards Asmodeus and questions mound in my mind,

"Why isn't it working?"

"Well, I figured you would like to wear it sometimes without hiding your fangs, so, tap it three times in the middle and it should make the fangs disappear. Give it a shot."

I nod my head and tap the middle three times on the emerald. The same feeling seems to come over me, like that of the ring, and I can feel a mask, a cover on my teeth. I lick my teeth, and they feel normal alas. I give a big smile and Celia appears to nod her head with joy in her eyes,

"You outdid yourself with this one, Asmodeus. Now," her face turns serious before she takes a deep breath. “We have more information."

"Well, spill it." I cross my arms and lean my weight back on one foot. 

"I looked through the records and have narrowed it down to a few types of magic users: light, particle, and wind."

"Well, that's good! How do we know that, how many users are there that specialize in one of those?"

"Glad you ask," Celia says before letting out a sigh, “there are five people I suspect. One of them being," she hesitates.

Kyler looks down at the table and shakes his head in disbelief. This means nothing good,

"Well, one of them is Aiden." 

"You mean the one that saved me the other night? Come on, he wouldn't do anything like that." 

"You never know, Alice." I let out a laugh and shake my head; they are crazy. If it were Aiden, he would have killed me on the spot, and Kyler would not question it. They would have called it an accident, and, perfect, they would not have to worry about me. Though, perhaps, there would be more issues because I would find out who he was rather easy. It just does not make sense. 

"Okay, well, Kyler." His head turns to me, and I can see the dread hidden deep in his molasses-colored eyes. They are pain-filled, worried. "Did you find out anything?"

"Well, yes." He pauses before looking down at his drink, cupping his hands around it," your mom is being held captive in the dungeons. I am able to sneak her food and water, and I have been able to get dungeon duty quite a few times to aid her, but they are hurting her, Alice."

My jaw drops open as my fists clench themselves. That bastard, that fucking piece of shit. He knows, he must. Why would he dare tease me, hurting Mama purposely? I hate him; I will kill him. Even if I go to hell, I will kill him. 

"There's another thing, the king is in hiding. I think he knows, Alice."