Magnus Chase and the Wrath of Morpheus

Chapter 18

Alex's POV

When I woke up it was still dark outside. I didn't really know why I woke up until I realized that Magnus's warming body had left my side. I looked around the tent to see if he was still there, but he wasn't. Confused as to why he had left the tent, I sat up and put on my jacket over the t-shirt in which I had been sleeping.

Carefully, I pulled on the zipper of the tent, cautiously trying not to make any noise that could wake the others. As soon as I stepped outside I stretched my back, closed my eyes, and breathed in the cold air. My headache stopped for a second because of the sudden rush of fresh air and I didn't concentrate on all my problems.

If I can be honest with you, the mare really got to me. My insecurities got stronger, my fears more intense, my anxiety more difficult to bear.

It was this one short moment of silence and relaxation that made me realize that better times will come.

But the moment didn't last long.

From deep inside the forest I heard Magnus's voice calling out for his mother. My protection instinct kicked in, and when I realised that his mother had died years ago, all the alarm bells in my head were ringing, sadly making the headache worse again.

Without hesitation, I walked into the woods trying to follow his voice.

My sudden movements startled a mouse in the grass. It ran away from me but out of nowhere an owl took off from a tree nearby and grabbed the mouse in a nosedive.

All this went by within seconds and I was already walking so I didn't really have time to take in the brutality of nature. The ability to transform into animals maybe sounds really awesome but it could be scary sometimes.

I must've walked for almost two whole minutes until I heard Magnus again. This time however, he didn't say anything. I just heard him gasping for air.

I wanted to call him but when I opened my mouth someone next to me said my name.

I jumped and turned around to see who it was but the only thing I saw was the black silhouette of a little child.
The weirdest thing about it was that its feet...were backwards...

I decided not to think about it. The fact that a child who was walking around the woods at night knew my name was confusing enough.

Before I could say anything in return (things I had in mind were, "what the hell are you?," "why do you know my name?" or maybe just scream at its face) it started grinning, showing me its big pointy teeth and held its index finger in front of its mouth.

I knew it wanted to tell me to be quiet but I wasn't planning to take orders from a feet-backwards-alone-in-the-woods-creepily-smiling-child.

I wanted to make a step towards the child-although at this point I was pretty sure it was some kind of monster-but I couldn't. My feet were somehow stuck to the ground, bound by an invisible force. I could still open my mouth so I tried to yell at the monster in front of me, but all that came out was a quiet creaking noise.

The monster grinned even wider and slowly pointed towards a tree to my left with it's long bony fingers.
When I turned my head to look for what he was trying to show me, I saw Magnus, stumbling around and reaching out for the tree. I wanted to call him and help him, but my voice was still frozen, and my feet still stuck to the ground.

A mere ten feet away from me Magnus fell to his knees, his hands on his throat squeezing it tight.

The more I tried to get to him, the stronger the strange bonds became, and when I had figured out an idea how to escape the spell of this monster, it was already too late. Magnus fell to the ground. He was shaking heavily, he tried to breathe but nothing helped. His upper body suddenly started to glow, his whole body began to levitate. A small light escaped his chest.

Trying to put all energy into my transformation I finally managed to leave my human body and shapeshift into a squirrel. I ran towards him, my tiny body allowing me to take only very small leaps. When I reached him I transformed into the male version of myself again and kneeled down beside him.

"Magnus, what the hell is happening to you?" I hate to admit it but I was hysterically crying.

When I looked behind me I saw the silhouette of the little child running away from me. I silently cursed it and my inventiveness.

With tears in my eyes I turned back to Magnus.

"Don't leave me, Maggie. You're all I have left."

I bowed farther down and grabbed his face.

My warm lips met his cold and shivering mouth, and I kissed him for one last time.

Magnus's POV

I died and nothingness surrounded me for what felt like an eternity. It's really hard to describe, because how do you describe a literal nothing?

As I said, I didn't know how much time passed but suddenly I heard Alex's voice saying my name. I don't know how but in the void around me shapes appeared. Slowly they started to change and I was able to make out some trees and rocks until after a while my vision was fully restored again.

I still don't know how to describe what I felt in that exact moment, but it was a good feeling. Not overwhelming and amazing... just...generally good.

Next to me a voice whispered, "I thought you were dead..."

Alex laid his head on my chest and hugged me tightly.
I sighed when I heard his familiar voice and put my arms around him.

"Me too," I whispered back trying to hold back the tears. "Me too."

For at least ten minutes we were just lying there in the middle of the forest, and we held each other and thought about what would be if one lost the other.

The whole night was a rollercoaster of emotions and I didn't know how to handle it. I especially didn't know what to say if the rest of the group would ask me about what had happened here.

"Can we please not tell anyone about this? I know it's hard to understand but I'd rather not talk about it with the others and..."

Alex gently patted my arm with his hand. "Don't worry, I get it. But if you ever want to talk to me about it I want you to know that I'm here for you. We're family."

I'm sure he said even more, but I didn't hear it because I had closed my eyes again and after seconds I was sleeping in the middle of the forest after having died a second time with Alex lying on my chest and a nasty stick poking me in my side.

I had never in my live had such a relaxing sleep. If I wouldn't have known better I would've said that maybe Tutu was watching over us, protecting us, and helping me gain the physical and emotional strength I needed the following day.