WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)
The Twenty-Third Chapter

I stand beneath the steaming shower, allowing the scorching water to cascade over my body as I attempt to rid myself of the haunting remnants of a past life that entwined me with Axel. The memory of his tender lips on mine and the deep love I once felt for him resurfaces, along with the pain of witnessing his death and the subsequent death of a part of myself. What the hell? It's incredibly rare to experience such vivid dreams about past lives.

Suddenly, my heart skips a beat and I nearly lose my footing as Silas startles me by joining me in the shower.

"You could have at least coughed or something! Don't sneak up on me!" I exclaim, my voice filled with irritation.

"Uh, sorry. I just wanted to be with you. I didn't think about it. Are you alright?" he asks, his gaze filled with suspicion.

"Yeah, just a bad dream," I lie to him, attempting to downplay the turmoil within me. "But that doesn't matter because spring is here and you're going to be my date for the Hocus-Pocus Fair," I divert the conversation.

"What the hell is that?" he questions, his body pressing against mine as he wraps his arms around me, the hot water cascading over both of our naked bodies.

"It's an underground carnival. There will be rides, carousel animals that come to life, and cotton candy that screams when you eat it and...!" I trail off, realizing his confused expression, mindful that he doesn't belong to this realm or time era. "Just trust me, it'll be a lot of fun. The Sisters organize it every year."

"I trust you, Mo Chridhe," he murmurs, drawing me in for a passionate kiss. I allow myself to indulge in his embrace for a moment, but the vivid dream from the previous night suddenly flashes through my mind again, causing me to abruptly pull away and step out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel. I try and shake off the guilt, it's not like I can control my dreams or past lives.

He follows closely behind me, completely naked with no towel in sight. His physique is powerful and muscular, but the scars that mar his skin always catch my attention. "Are you ever going to tell me the stories behind those?" I inquire with genuine curiosity.

Approaching me, he gazes down at me with his piercing blue eyes. Tenderly, he takes my hand and guides it to the scar above his breastbone that I had once asked about. "This one is from a battle against the ogres. I fought their king and emerged victorious, but not without receiving this near-fatal wound from his blade," he explains.

"Ogres? They actually exist in your world?" I respond in awe.

"Oh, indeed they do. Wretched creatures, they are," he affirms.

"So, nothing like Shrek then?" I playfully tease, causing a puzzled expression to cross his face. "It's a movie. We will watch it together."

I dress myself in a short, sleeveless black dress embellished with sparkling details, while Silas opts for a pair of blue jeans and a gray t-shirt. Once we are ready, we make our way to the boys' dormitory to meet up with Juniper, Ethan, and Andrew before the carnival begins.

"I have a surprise for you all!" Juniper exclaims with excitement as we enter the room. She extends a flask towards us, and I eagerly open it, inhaling its aroma.

"Is this what I think it is?" I inquire, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! It's an Illusion Elixir!" Juniper replies, her vibrant red curls bouncing with enthusiasm.

"What's an Illusion Elixir?" Silas asks, his curiosity piqued.

"Their way of showing how much they hate me and enjoy causing me stress," Ethan jests.

"We don't hate you," Juniper interjects.

"But we do love stressing you out," I add playfully, taking a long sip before passing the flask to Silas, who follows suit.

As the door swings open, I am taken aback to see Axel entering the room.

"What is he doing here?" I inquire cautiously, noticing the glare he directs towards Silas.

"We told him that the next time we make an Illusion Elixir, he could join us," Juniper reminds me, taking the flask from Silas and handing it to Axel.

As Axel's eyes briefly meet mine, a rush of heat floods my face, causing it to turn a bright shade of red. Flashes of the dream I had last night, where I kissed his lips in a past life, flicker through my mind, causing me to quickly avert my gaze. Sensing my discomfort, Silas instinctively wraps his arms around me protectively, glaring at Axel as he takes a sip of the elixir.

"Does this mean we'll be babysitting them all night at the carnival?" Andrew asks curiously.

Ethan lets out a sigh and pulls Andrew closer, wrapping his arms around him. "That's exactly what it means, babycakes."

We pass the canteen around once more, emptying its contents. To my surprise, Axel stays and hangs out with us until it's time to leave for the carnival, undoubtedly accompanying Sophia as her date.

Exiting the dormitory, we descend the staircase and make our way towards the underground basement on the opposite side of the school. The carnival is already in full swing when we arrive, and the effects of the elixir are just beginning to take hold.

"Alright, guys, I'm assuming you're all tripping right now, so we need to stick together. I don't want to have to search for you later," Ethan declares, holding Andrew's hand.

"What about Axel?" Andrew inquires.

"He can take care of himself. He's a big boy. It's these three I'm concerned about," Ethan reassures him. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Ethaaaannn," I say dramatically. "We want to ride the carousel."

"Of course you do," Ethan replies, leading the way with Andrew towards the carousel, where the animals come to life through magic.

"I want to ride the lion!" I exclaim, rushing onto the ride and taking a seat on the back of a lion that feels incredibly real and alive, except for the metal pole in its neck. I giggle and run my fingers through his mane.

Juniper joins me and takes a seat on the life-like giraffe behind me, while Silas settles onto the elephant beside me. Andrew and Ethan also find their own animals to ride, positioning themselves behind us to keep an eye on us.

As the carousel starts, the animals come to life, and everything becomes vibrant and colorful. I glance at Silas, and in that moment, his face is the only thing that matters. We can't help but burst into laughter together.

"I think I really like this carousel thingy," Silas remarks as we step off the ride.

I glance over and see Axel kissing Sophia as they both hold onto some screaming cotton candy. A pang of jealousy briefly surges within me, but I quickly shake it off.

We ride a few roller coasters, play games, and enjoy the trippy effects of the elixir, having the time of our lives. The night passes by in a blur of excitement, until we hear a piercing scream, unlike the screams of thrill on the roller coasters.

Silas, Juniper, Ethan, Andrew, and I make our way towards the carousel to see what's happening. Sophia is lying on the ground, her complexion pale, her eyes frozen open in terror.

Axel pushes through the crowd, his face contorting into horror as he sees Sophia lying motionless. I can sense that he's frozen in shock, and while I want to reach out to him, Silas grips my hand so tightly that I don't dare move.

The Sisters appear amidst the crowd, and Melody kneels down beside Sophia to check for a pulse. "Shut down the carnival and instruct everyone to return to their rooms. She's dead."

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