( 1 )

Clock was ticking and ticking. I was sure it was not there when we first came. Time passed really slowly. I felt we had been there for ten hours, but the sky outside the window was still dark and miserable. My hands and feet were tight on an oaken chair. I didn’t know that Merle was a bad guy. He was wearing Ponneka indeed! We wouldn’t be like this if I’d known.

‘Well, I guess not all people in Ponneka are nice.’ Arnold joked. His feet were as tight together as his hands. He was standing beside the wall with Luinseer. Their weapons were taken away by Merle. Now, they just like two normal people who need me to protect them. ‘Can’t you just use a little magic to get us out of here?’

Again. ‘I guess you overestimated me. The ropes that held our hands and feet were made of Morro silk. Magic doesn’t work on anything that is related to Morro. Merle knows witch really well, we need to think of something.’ I looked at my pocket. Good. Merle didn’t take my wand, but it seems I’ve lost a diamond on it. It was purple. I needed to find it, because every diamond on a wand is absolutely worthy.

‘Where is Merle?’ Luinseer started talking after not speaking for a long time. He was still angry at us about walking into the house without thinking. And I just noticed that he seems to love to frown.

‘He has gone to fetch the witch in The Wichesese’s Housesese’s. To take power from me.’ I must have looked miserable. I don’t want to lose my power. Obviously not!

They looked at each other.

‘What do they mean by taking power from you?’ Arnold asked curiously. I didn’t know why he knows nothing and loves to ask questions in the meantime.

‘Oh it’s a rare experience in the witch's world. If you want power, you take it from someone. It’s very dangerous. Um……. I’ve never done that before.’ I felt a chilling breeze drilling into my chest.

‘Why is it dangerous……?’ Questionable Arnold questioned.

‘Errrrrr because if there is a tiny accident during it, the one who gets the power will die immediately, and the one who sacrifices himself will lose that power forever.’ Thanks Luinseer for answering for me, because I was annoyed by Arnold badly.

‘We need to get out of here!’ I glimpsed a letter on the tea table beside me.

They grimed.

‘Don’t cheer. This is very serious.’ I tried to touch the tea table, but I failed. Then I tried again. I wriggled my body to turn the chair forward. The stool legs swirled with my body. And—I was almost there!

‘Just a second……oh…Ah!’ But suddenly. The stool leg didn’t stand properly, then a small impact led me to the ground. ‘Ouch! Ouchy!’ I cried out.

‘Errrrrr what are you doing?’ Arnold asked with confusion. He jumped with two legs to my side. He held me up with two fingers.

‘Errrrrr thanks. I was trying to fetch that letter on the tea table. Can you?’ I twisted my body and shook my head. It was really not comfortable to sit on a chair with tight hands and feet. He took the letter between his thumb and forefinger. ‘Here. What does it say?’

I read the words on the letter. It was written in Donmi Witch language, the same as Mahanish. I can read it:

Vphenji! Jet shool gon ta ki. Gon a kunda jee! Jet linnp amįre re jatqgu doo ki. Lunban ra a re findea. He vansualin se vpħen ta jee a ki! Gush doo jee, ki bhwg long wat. Wellas ǔ!

Ki bhwg:

Sagar 1 dailloug

Candia 3 baawu

Wadala’k vasusa

1 Qesgalunba hu Hen Connaflahp

3 dődu dally

‘Livia? What does it say?’ Luinseer asked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

It said:

Very good! I shall come to you. Come and fetch me! I will take out the power for you. Keep her and her friends. Two humans benefit me and you. For helping me, you need some things. Find it!

You need:

1 spoon of sugar.

3 benches of straw.

Snake’s eyes.

1 diamond of the Second Wand.

3 normal stones.

I saw the stuff on the table beside me. And—my purple diamond that was supposed to be on my wand!

‘Why do they need those things? So weird.’ Questionable Arnold started questioning.

‘I don’t know. But we need to do something now! We've run out of time. I doubt Merle’s not going to fetch a witch for more time.’ I looked around. What should we do? ‘We need to think of a plan before she takes power from me but we don’t have time now.’ I stretched my arm so I could take my purple diamond back. My finger touched the purple diamond and then I held it up and put it in my pocket—if we got saved, I would fix it when I got the time.

‘Burn things.’ Luinseer said quickly. ‘They need those things to help them to take the power, don’t they? If we burn them, then we will have a longer time to think of a plan.’ He grinned. Then, he jumped Arnold to the side of the wooden tea table.

‘You are right! What a good idea! You two, burn the ingredients.’ I said delightedly to them. The fireplace was just near the table, I guessed they could burn all the ingredients before Merle and the witch came back.

‘Then what are you going to do?’ They had already started to burn things.

‘Think of a plan.’

( 2 )

Clock was ticking and ticking. When was the last minute again? Ah! I couldn’t remember. This house really stressed me out! And I didn’t feel any comfy any more, I even started to hate it. I could feel the chair that I sat on was hard. Luinseer and Arnold burned all the ingredients in time. But now. What’s the plan? I didn’t have any ideas. I felt too drowsy and lethargic to brainning my brain. I could feel my eyelids drooped, heavy with weariness.

‘Arn, do you have an idea?’ I asked with slow motion. Then he shook his head. He asked me instead.

‘Do you?’ I shook my head.

‘Luin?’ I found I was too lazy to speak. I couldn’t see anything properly, tiredness had spread all over my body. Luinseer’s face became blur in my eyes, in next minute, all I could see was his outline. ‘Arhhh!’ I yawned. ‘I wish I could sleep on that bed!’ I felt I should take a rest before thinking of a plan, and I should……sleep. I closed my eyes. When my heavy eyelids dropped on my eyeballs, I knew I would never want to open my eyes again until I woke up. I could barely hear the Luinseer trying to talk to me. ‘Livia? Livia! Don’t sleep—.’ ‘Errrr, too late.’ I thought. Then I fell into a deep sleep……

‘Lulalula, gigigi, koli ku? Ha! Da di!’

I opened my eyes.

‘Lulalula, gigigi…..’

Luin? Arn?

‘Lulalula, gigigi…..’

‘Wait, wha-what’s going on?!’ I frowned. Then some magic spell came into my ears and through my chest. Merle and the witch had already come back. We had lost our chance. My heart was pounding and I was sweating. I could feel a witch was flying on the top of my head. And my hand and my feet were loose. There was time for me to cheer until my eyes were back to normal. Luinseer and Arnold weren’t in front of my eyes. Confusion spreaded all over my body. But no one explained to me. ‘Lulalula, gigigi…..’ The witch was still saying the spell. No! The witches couldn’t speak, it was her wand! The spell I had never heard of before, I doubt it’s black magic. I had bad feelings. Of course. Suddenly, a Morro rope from the top of the ceiling dropped down and held my body so tightly that I could barely breathe. I wanted to call for help, but my voice didn’t listen to me, I had a sore throat and I hadn’t had water for ages! Merle’s voice appeared in my ears. He said hesitantly, ‘Livia, I had warned you not to live in this house, but-but it seems your friend insisted to. I wasn’t going to harm you, but when the magic wand glowed, I knew you were the right Mahania. And-and I couldn’t lose this chance to complete my wish. And after this, I mean if we succeed, I will give you anything you want.’ But what could he give me? He’s just a normal boy and nothing more. He was beside me. He didn’t want me to see him. He felt ashamed. That’s the idea, if I persuade him to release us, it would be an easier idea than any ideas. It’s good that my throat could at least make a little bit of sound. ‘Merle…..tell me your wish.’ He hesitated. ‘Well, if it could make you feel better.’ ‘My wish is to release Abyssion.’ He said hardly. ‘RELEASE ABYSSION? Are you crazy? We will all die if you release him!’ I just found that I can shout. I had thought of any wish that Merle may want. But not this one. It’s so unbelievable. I felt completely jolted and aghast. No one wants to release Abyssion, but if he did, no witch could release him at once, not even taking power from others! ‘Listen to me Merle! No witch can help you to release Abyssion by taking power from witches. She cheated you! She wants my power, and this power can’t help you to release Abyssion at all.’

‘Do you have any other ideas to release Abyssion?’ He said calmly.

‘No. There’s absolutely no way to release him.’

‘Have anyone tried this idea?’

‘Um……no.’

‘Then why can’t I try?’

I don’t think I could persuade him. I was so confused why he wanted to release Abyssion. We all know we were like death when he ruled the world.