Fate: The Winx Saga: Shadows & Soldiers

01×01-Part Two:

𝚃𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚍:
❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

⚛︎𝓛𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥 ⚛︎

It's been a few hours since my last sighting of the Burned One and it's getting late. I plan on trying to pick up its trail again in the morning. Pulling my jeep up and around the back of an old cemetery (to give myself the semblance of shelter and privacy) I hunker down into the back of my vehicle and get as comfortable as possible on my makeshift bed.

I'm just about to dose off, when I hear a 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘 that disturbs the otherwise peaceful sounds of the forest. My eyes snap open and I listen intently, slowing my breathing and remaining as immobile as stone. Then I hear it. The unnatural rustling of bushes and shrubs.

Footsteps.

Moving carefully and quietly, I move to the back of my jeep and open the door, exiting the vehicle as soundlessly as possible. Following the sound of clumsy footfalls, I wrap myself in shadow, in order to blend in with the night. I spot a figure through the trees just ahead of me, approaching what used to be the front of the cemetery. Pressing myself tightly to the side of the tumbledown building- not wanting to take the chance of being spotted, however, unlikely thanks to my shadows- I watch as a familiar looking girl approaches the wooden door, my wolf allowing me to see better in the dark than most.

𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒂 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓?

My internal question is answered when she places a hand upon the old, dilapidated door and I observe her monstrosity of a ring glow yellow, the shine soon bleeding across the surface of the door. I recognise this for what it is. A gateway, connecting the Otherworld to that of the First World.

Moving swiftly, I course the red head- Bloom, I believe her name was- through the door, still encased in the safety of my umbrage. Slithering and scraping accompanied by low growling make me pause a moment, until I realise Bloom has already moved through the dingy space we find ourselves in and passed through a red door. I quickly tail her, the blare of distant sirens capturing my attention for a moment.

This is not my first adventure into the First World. I spent some time here many moons ago, thinking I could start a new life, safe from the memories of my horrific and tormented past. Alas, I was wrong. They never fail to find me, no matter where I run to or where I hide. I know all too well that the only thing thriving in a heart's darkness are the bitter personal demons that love too watch us bleed.

Staying a few paces behind her, I continue to follow the fire fairy, admittedly, curiosity has gotten the better of me. I wish to know her motivations for leaving the barrier and coming to the First World. Our reasonably short walk takes us to a house very similar to every other on the street, with a healthy green tree planted at the end of the garden, tucked into the corner by the fence. I spy Bloom take her phone from her pocket and unashamedly listen in to the conversation, my heightened hearing not missing one syllable.

"Whoa! Twice in one day. Hold on, I'm calling the news." A mans voice rings through the phone, causing Bloom to chuckle.

"Real Chatty Cathy here. All it took was moving across the world." Comes a women's voice next.