"Not today, Satan."
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
― Roald Dahl
*Cover made by...
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ECHO WOKE UP STRANGELY REFRESHED the following morning. Her eyes looked around the room and a confused feeling settled in her mind. I thought I was back home? She wondered. She could've sworn that it was the weekend and she just went to sleep in her own bed back at home, yet here she was, back in the Academy.
Shaking her head, Echo discarded the thoughts and pushed her duvet off her body. A sudden feeling of coldness engulfed her.
Something just didn't feel right.
Yet, she couldn't put her finger on what it was.
Taking in a deep breath, Echo stood up and walked off to her wardrobe. She grabbed hold of her clothes before entering the bathroom. Everything in there seemed normal. Well, at first.
The sound of whispers penetrated her ears. It was hard to miss them due to how quiet the room had been; something that she didn't even notice until now.
The whispers seemed to be getting louder, sounding as if they were coming from inside the sink. With her heart beating a million miles, Echo rushed out of the bathroom, she let out a loud yell when she bumped into someone.
"What on earth is going on with you?" Prudence questioned, raising one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows as she looked at the black haired witch.
"I-I don't know," Echo breathed out, she could feel her palms beginning to sweat. When she noticed the strange look Prudence was sending her, she shook her head, "Nothing. I'm fine," Echo lied.
"Well, get dressed. We all need to go down to the hall for an announcement," Prudence stated, still looking at Echo strangely, but nevertheless, Prudence turned around and walked back out of their dorm room.
Echo almost didn't even notice that neither Agatha and Dorcas were even there. But when she did, a sick feeling rose in her stomach. What on earth was going on with her today?
After finally getting dressed in her usual black skinny jeans, white shirt with a leather jacket on top as, with some ankle boots. Echo walked through the corridors of the Academy; which were eerily quiet. When she finally reached the hall she could hear voices inside, muttering incoherent things.
The booming sound of the double doors being pushed open caused everyone - literally everyone - in the hall to turn their heads around. Their eyes instantly landing on Echo as she stood there sheepishly. Feeling extremely uncomfortable under the stare of so many eyes.
Father Blackwood was the first one to smile -he was stood up on the stage in front of all the students and staff - however, the smile wasn't comforting at all. It didn't even look like it was him that was smiling, "We were just waiting for you, Echo," He said, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"Me? Why?" She asked, glancing at the faces. Her eyes spotted Nicholas, but he didn't smile, causing her heart to drop down to her stomach.
"Less questions, more actions," Father Blackwood replied, however the response she received was even more confusing that if she didn't ask, "Come up here, dear."
Echo gulped. It felt as if she wasn't in control of her body since her legs began to move. Her heart felt like it was in her throat as she stepped closer to the stage. The eyes were still on her every move and the only thing that could be heard was the echoing sound of her ankle boots.
"Perfect," Father Blackwood said, before he moved out of the way of a large wooden upward plank-like stick; in a way, it reminded Echo of a cross, "Stand here, Miss. Spellman," He instructed.
Echo looked confused, but nevertheless, she did as he told her. She stood with her back to the plank, her eyes focused on the students sitting in their seats in front of her. In a blink of an eye, three males she had never seen before stormed over to her, tying her body to the large wooden plank.
"No! What are you doing?" She asked, her voice laced with panic as she frantically tried to get the men off her, "Stop!" Nothing seemed to work, and within seconds she was tied securely. Her arms tied around the plank as if she was hugging it from behind. Even her feet were tied. The only thing she could move was her head.
Father Blackwood signalled with his hand and to Echo's surprise, Nick stood up. She watched him - tears pooling in her eyes - as he walked up to the stage. His face emotionless. He grabbed hold of a large branch. Echo's eyes widened in shock and fear when he began muttering something under his breath, causing the stick to catch on fire and with a determined look on his face, he stepped towards her.
"No! Nick, please!" She cried. The tears now fully streaming down her face, "Please, don't do this!" She yelled.
Nick didn't listen. Instead, he placed the fiery stick at the bottom of her feet. Within seconds the flames started to get bigger, engulfing Echo in them. She screamed at the top of her lungs as the pain from the fire lasted for far too long; it seemed to be burning her, but not actually killing her.
The pain was unbearable. Even more unbearable than the pain in her throat from the screaming. Tears streamed down her face as pain radiated off every part of her burning body. Nick's face was visible through the flames. His eyes were dark as he watched her burn.
"Nick, please!" She screamed, not being able to bear it any longer.
"Tell me the spell that unlocks this house and the fire will be gone," Nick said. His mouth moved but his voice didn't sound like his own.
"What?" Echo asked, confused.
Suddenly, Nick's face began to morph, Echo's eyes widened in shock when through the fire she spotted the Sleep Demon.
"I'm not going to tell you," Echo spat. She was in excruciating pain, but not even that pain could get her to reveal the spell to un-trap that demon.
"Fine," The Sleep Demon replied, "Have it your way," It lifted it's hands up and the flames got higher.
Echo screamed in pain for what felt like the thousandth time. Her cries were filled with anguish, but she wasn't going to break.
Suddenly, she heard a different voice. A voice that was much more gentle and soft, "Echo?"
