Nightmares at Everglade Falls

30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Ophelia

I wake up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. Gabriel is next to me, also wide-eyed and breathing heavily. “Did you…” I begin, my voice shaky.

“Yeah,” he says, cutting me off. “We need to get to the forest. Now.”

We scramble out of bed, adrenaline fueling our movements. “Owen and Aurora,” I whisper, the nightmare still vivid in my mind.

Gabriel nods, his jaw tight. “We had the same dream. Let’s go.”

We race through the woods, the cool night air stinging my lungs. When we arrive at the clearing, Owen and Aurora are already there, looking just as confused and on edge as we feel.

“What’s going on?” Aurora asks, her eyes wide with fear.

“I had a dream that you two were being attacked in the forest. Gabe had the same dream,” I explain.

“Us too. That is why we are here,” Aurora says.

“It’s a trap,” Owen says, pulling Aurora behind him protectively. “Stay close.”

Gabriel’s claws extend, his stance tense and ready. “We’re not alone.”

Suddenly, shadows shift, and Nephilim emerge from the darkness, their eyes glowing with malevolence. The fight begins immediately, a chaotic blur of claws, teeth, and magic. Gabriel and I move in sync, battling side by side against our attackers.

Owen fights fiercely, but he’s overwhelmed. One of the Nephilim manages to stab him, and he falls to the ground with a cry.

“Owen!” Aurora screams, her hands glowing with fairy magic as she tries to hold off their attackers.

I feel a surge of power within me, wild and uncontrollable. As I fight, bursts of magic erupt from my hands, disintegrating our enemies. It’s terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

“Ophelia, behind you!” Gabriel yells, slashing at a Nephilim lunging for me.

We manage to kill four of them, but the fight isn’t over. Just when I think we’re gaining the upper hand, two figures step out from the shadows. A man and a woman, their presence radiating power and malevolence.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lacroix!” Gabriel exclaims, his voice filled with shock and anger. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The woman smirks, her eyes cold. “You’re proving really difficult to kill.”

I realize with a jolt that she’s talking to me. “Why?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Why are you doing this?”

The man sneers at Gabriel. “You have no right to talk after what you did to Isabella.” With a flick of his hand, he uses magic to throw Gabriel against a tree. Gabriel crashes into it with a sickening thud and collapses to the ground.

“No!” I scream, feeling something break inside me. A torrent of magic bubbles to the surface, threatening to overwhelm me. I don’t know how to control it, but I can’t let them hurt Gabriel or anyone else.

Aurora is helping hold up a bleeding Owen, her face pale with fear and determination. “We need to get out of here,” she says, her voice shaking. “We can’t win this fight.”

“We’re not leaving,” I say, my voice firm despite the fear coursing through me. “Not until we know what exactly is going on. Why are you two against me? Why do you want me dead? Any of us?”

“You don’t know me, but I know all about you, Ophelia,” the woman says, her voice dripping with malice. She steps closer, her eyes cold and calculating. “I’m the one who put you in the orphanage. If I had known, I would have let you die with your mother.”

I stare at her, my mind racing. “What are you talking about?”

Gabriel struggles to stand, his face pale but determined. At least he’s alive. The man beside the woman sneers, his presence just as menacing. “My name is Kristoff, and this is my wife, Helene. Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, you need to die.”

“Why do you hate me so much?” I ask, my voice trembling with confusion and fear.

Helene flicks her hair back, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Back in our campus days, my husband and I were running a few experiments.”

“The Nephilim,” Owen gasps, his eyes widening in horror.

Helene nods. “Yes. We had joined forces with Glari Gade,” she says, glancing at Owen. “Your father. But he pulled out at the last minute. The plan was to create an army of supernatural creatures that could feed on blood, have claws like vampires, and wield magic like witches. We were so close to perfecting the experiment until two nosy classmates got in our way.”

“My parents,” I whisper. “Elias and Seraphina.”

Kristoff’s expression hardens. “We tried to be benevolent. We offered them a chance to join us. Instead, they ratted us out to Principal Silvermoon. They couldn’t stand that we were using black magic.”

Helene’s eyes narrow. “So, we were expelled. But our experiments were already complete. We sent the Nephilim for payback. They killed Elias, but they didn’t know your mother was pregnant with you. She begged us to keep you alive. I showed up just in time. I took her, stowed her away until you were born, and then I killed her.”

I feel my knees weaken. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

Helene’s smile turns almost wistful. “I had a baby then—Isabella. My motherly nature stopped me. So, we bound your magic and dropped you off at the orphanage. Then we erased everyone’s memory of what happened, including the Principal’s. That was supposed to be the end of it. But then you came back to the school. What we didn’t know was that your blood had been contaminated when your pregnant mother was attacked. You had dark magic in your blood. Wolf magic. You’re a hybrid. And worse, you’re after the alpha we groomed for our daughter. You’re the enemy.”

Aurora’s voice breaks through the tension. “What do I have to do with any of this?”

Kristoff shrugs. “Collateral damage.”

Before I can react, two figures emerge from the shadows—Isabella and Principal Silvermoon. “Mom!” Isabella cries out, her voice filled with shock and betrayal. “You were responsible for all this? All this was a petty vengeance scheme?”

Helene’s smile falters for a moment. “It was necessary, Isabella.”

Isabella steps forward, her eyes blazing with anger. “You ruined lives for your twisted experiment!”

Celestia looks between us, her expression a mix of sorrow and determination. “Helene, Kristoff, this ends now.”

Kristoff sneers. “You think you can stop us?”

Gabriel finally stands, his eyes glowing with fury. “We’re going to try.”

Helene raises her hands, magic crackling around her fingers. “You’re all fools.”

Gabriel and I brace ourselves, ready for another fight. But before anyone can move, Aurora steps forward, her hands glowing with a soft, pulsing light. “Enough,” she says, her voice calm but powerful. “This madness ends now.”

Kristoff laughs, a harsh, grating sound. “And what do you plan to do, little fairy?”

Aurora’s magic flares, and a protective barrier forms around us. “Protect my friends.”

The battle erupts again, but this time, we’re ready. Aurora’s magic shields us from Helene’s attacks, and Gabriel and I fight side by side, our movements perfectly synchronized. Owen, despite his injuries, fights with a fierce determination, his eyes never leaving Kristoff.

In the chaos, I feel my own magic surging, wild and untamed. I struggle to control it, but every time I release a burst of power, it feels like I’m losing a part of myself. “Gabriel,” I shout, “I can’t control it!”

“You can,” he yells back, his voice steady. “Focus, Ophelia. You’re stronger than this.”

I close my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me. When I open them again, I see Helene advancing on Gabriel, her eyes filled with murderous intent. Without thinking, I launch myself at her, magic exploding from my hands. The force of it knocks her back, and she crashes to the ground, stunned.

Kristoff roars in fury and lunges at me, but Gabriel intercepts him, their bodies colliding with a sickening thud. They grapple, each trying to overpower the other. I turn to see Helene getting back on her feet, her eyes blazing with rage. Before she can attack, Isabella steps in front of her.

“Stop this, Mom,” Isabella pleads, her voice shaking. “Please, just stop.”

Helene hesitates, her expression torn. But Kristoff’s shout of rage snaps her out of it. “Finish them!” he commands.

“No!” Isabella cries out, but it’s too late. Helene’s magic surges, aimed straight at Gabriel. I throw myself in front of him, the impact of the spell knocking the breath out of me. Pain sears through my body, but I stay standing, refusing to let them win.

Gabriel’s arms are around me, his voice frantic. “Ophelia, no!”

“I’m okay,” I gasp, though every part of me is screaming in agony. “We have to end this.”

Just then, Principal Celestia steps forward, her presence commanding. “This ends now,” she says, her voice echoing with power. She raises her hands, and a brilliant light fills the clearing. The light intensifies, forcing Helene and Kristoff to shield their eyes.

When the light fades, the principal stands tall, her eyes blazing with authority. “You will not harm another student at this school,” she declares, her voice firm and unyielding.

Helene snarls, her eyes filled with hatred. “You can’t stop us.”

“I already have,” Principal Silvermoon replies calmly. “Your power is broken. Leave now and never return.”

Kristoff glares at us, his eyes burning with fury. “This isn’t over,” he growls. “We will return, and next time, we won’t be so merciful.”

Principal Silvermoon steps forward, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. “Enough!” she commands, and the intensity of her voice makes everyone freeze for a heartbeat.

Kristoff snarls, his eyes wild as he lunges forward, but Owen steps in with incredible speed. He meets him head-on, his powerful body shifting mid-leap into the hardened skin of a vampire. The impact is brutal, and they tumble across the ground in a flurry of fur, claws and teeth.

Isabella’s scream pierces the air. “No! Dad!” Her voice is a raw mixture of pain and desperation.

Helene’s eyes widen at the sight of her mate being attacked, and a feral growl escapes her lips. “You’ll pay for this!” she snarls, her body beginning to shift into her wolf form. The Nephilim around her follow suit, their snarls and growls filling the air.

Gabriel tenses beside me, his eyes flicking between the advancing wolves. “Stay behind me,” he says, his voice low and protective.

Helene, now fully transformed, locks her gaze on Gabriel. “You hurt my daughter,” she hisses, leaping towards him with deadly intent.

But just as Helene closes in, Isabella throws herself between them. “Mom, stop!” she cries, her voice cracking with desperation.

Helene’s momentum is too strong. She can't stop in time. Her claws slash through the air, meant for Gabriel, but instead, they strike Isabella. The sickening sound of flesh tearing fills the space as Isabella gasps, blood spilling from the deep wound. She collapses to the ground, her body limp.

“Isabella!” Helene’s scream is filled with unimaginable grief as she shifts back into her human form and drops to her knees beside her daughter. “No, no, no!” Her hands shake as she tries to stem the flow of blood.

Isabella’s eyes flutter open, just barely. “Mom… I’m sorry…” she whispers, her voice so faint it’s almost lost in the wind. Then her eyes close, and she goes still.

Helene’s sobs echo in the clearing, raw and heart-wrenching. “Isabella… my baby… I’m so sorry…” She cradles her daughter’s lifeless body, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sorrow.

The Nephilim, who had been ready to strike, now hesitate, their aggression replaced by uncertainty. Helene looks up at them, her face streaked with tears, her expression one of utter devastation. “I did this,” she whispers, her voice broken. “I killed her.”

Slowly, she stands, her movements stiff, as if every muscle in her body has been replaced with stone. “I can’t… live with this,” she murmurs, her eyes dull and void of the fierce light they held just moments before.

Before anyone can react, Helene turns, walking back towards Kristoff’s lifeless body. She sinks to the ground beside him, pulling him into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.

The Nephilim, seeing their leader broken and defeated, slowly retreat into the shadows, their forms disappearing into the night, leaving only silence behind.

Helene releases the magic, and her body crumples to the ground, lifeless like Kristoff’s.

The Nephilim vanish, their forms dissipating into the night. Silence falls over the clearing, heavy and oppressive.

Gabriel pulls me into his arms, holding me tight. His grip is strong, but I can feel the slight tremble in his hands. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice thick with emotion.

I nod, though the words catch in my throat. “Yeah… I think so.”

Aurora and Owen approach us, their faces pale and shocked. Aurora’s voice is small when she speaks. “Is it over?”

Principal Silvermoon steps forward, her expression weary but resolute. “Yes,” she says softly, “it’s over.”

The fight has ended, but the cost is written in the bodies left behind, in the grief that hangs heavy in the air. There’s no victory in this. Only loss.