Chapter 38: Impossible

DANICA

My eyelids were heavy, shut tight, yet I could still perceive something. A shadow, a presence, looming over me, pulsating with an energy that was almost tangible. It wasn’t a physical form, but more of a sensation.

I could feel another consciousness invading my own. Suddenly, I wasn’t the sole occupant of my body anymore. The pain had subsided, replaced by a numbing sensation that wasn’t exactly pleasant.

I felt immobilized, unable to command any part of my body. I wanted to convince myself that this was just another ordinary day, but it wasn’t. My senses were heightened.

I could smell things with an intensity I’d never experienced before, like the aroma of Celeste’s morning tea that filled the room. I could hear the faintest whispers, conversations that I shouldn’t have been able to pick up.

Gossip about a girl named Grace—irrelevant to me, yet impossible to ignore. I felt a wetness on my face, as if fresh water was cleansing my body, washing away the exhaustion and grime from the ordeal I had just endured. I knew I was alive, but I didn’t feel it.

Hugo was there, whispering words of love and pleading with me to stay. Hugo, always the more rational one, knew the implications of his confession. Yet, I loved him too, perhaps more than he could ever comprehend.

The notion that love conquers all seemed like a cruel joke. There were forces far more powerful that could make us forsake love. It was ironic, considering we lived in a world that supposedly valued peace above all else.

What kind of peace was it where love was forbidden? I felt the cold wetness beneath me. I tried to open my eyes, only to be assaulted by the heavy rain.

I was partially shielded by Hugo’s body. I turned my head slightly, causing Hugo to recoil. He’d probably thought I was already gone. With great effort, I managed to move away from him and look up at the stormy sky.

A voice echoed in my mind, the voice of the other entity within me. ~Do it~, it urged. I stared up at the sky, letting the rain flood my open eyes.

Sometimes, you just know what to do when the time comes. This was one of those times. I felt a connection to nature, a bond that was strengthened by the celestial entity within me.

I focused my thoughts, willing the rain to stop. The downpour gradually subsided, dwindling to a drizzle before ceasing altogether.

The only remnants of the storm were the droplets clinging to the leaves, slowly dripping down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Astra approaching.

Hugo’s grip on me loosened, his gaze dropping to the ground, filled with guilt. Not for the love he felt, but for the consequences that were sure to follow. Yet, he remained by my side.

“Impossible…,” Astra murmured, breathless. How had I survived when those who had been trained from birth had perished so easily?

“You need to rest now,” she said, a smile gracing her face for the first time.

“You did good, Miss Moore,” she added, turning to leave. But I had to correct her.

“It’s Murrell,” I rasped, my throat raw. “Danica Murrell,” I added, earning a smirk from her.

She glanced at Hugo and me, her expression hardening.

“And… there will be consequences,” she warned before disappearing into the dark woods.

I turned to Celeste, who seemed taken aback by my declaration. She looked down at her feet and turned to leave. I was a Murrell, not a Moore.

That was a fact I couldn’t change, nor did I want to. But that didn’t mean I didn’t care for Celeste.

Hugo pulled me closer, his voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I didn’t have a clear answer. I felt okay, but the sensation of sharing my body with another entity, something far more powerful, was unsettling.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, slowly rising to my feet with his help. I was soaked to the bone, the cold starting to seep in, causing me to shiver.

He offered to carry me. He was poised to lift me off my feet, but I stopped him in his tracks.

“No need,” I replied, glancing at Hugo, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“What’s so funny? She’s in on our secret…” I tried to rationalize his amusement.

He gently took my hand and pressed his lips to it. “You’re alive, and that’s all that counts,” he said. “But you need to rest now,” he added, and we left, leaving Daisy more stunned than we were.

I insisted I was okay, but the moment I hit the bed, I realized I was far from it. I had survived the transition. I felt like a celestial being, but this new part of me felt like it was consuming me.

Maybe it was just unfamiliar, maybe my body was just adjusting to this new addition. But I wasn’t alone in my body anymore—the star that struck me had given me another self.

Perhaps this was why Eudora ended her life. Maybe it was too much for her to bear. There was no explanation as to why she took her life so prematurely, or why Elena did the same.

In her letter to Daisy, she didn’t mention unbearable pain. Now, more than ever, I began to wonder if this was never about pain at all…

For the first time, I felt a sense of pride. I felt like I had achieved something monumental, something beyond my ordinary life. I didn’t know the extent of my powers yet, but I had a hunch they were far from ordinary.

I had stopped the rain earlier. The real question now was, how could I prevent the sky from falling?

Sleep eluded me, so I switched on my small night lamp. My gaze fell on my star-studded hand, which to anyone else would look like an intricate tattoo.

The silence was deafening. Everyone else was asleep, but sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.

I rose from my bed and ventured into the dark hallway leading to Hugo’s room. His room was at the very end.

I never understood the need for such a large house with so many guest rooms. It wasn’t like we ever had guests. Hugo was the first.

I arrived at his door, noticing it was slightly ajar. A faint light was emanating from his room. I knocked, pushing the door open a bit more.

I glanced at his bed, but he wasn’t there. I stepped inside, finding the only source of light to be three small candles on the table by the mirror.

I took a seat on the stool by the mirror and candles. My dark hair almost disappeared into the background in my reflection, making it seem like my head was floating, with my dark robe enveloping me.

The reflection was eerily haunting. I had read somewhere that if you stare at yourself too long in the mirror, your mind starts to play tricks on you.

But something told me this wasn’t my imagination. It felt more like déjà vu. The reflection didn’t seem flat anymore, but rather like a portal.

It felt like someone was standing in front of me, not just a reflection. My vision started to blur, but I was still there, my hair glowing with stardust, stars, and a moon symbol on my forehead.

I was floating in the sky, my hands reaching up as if holding the sky aloft. All I could think of was Eudora’s words: “Live as Atlas.”

He lived to carry the sky on his shoulders. The mirror’s image shifted, causing me to startle, but I stayed put.

I saw a field teeming with people. Hundreds of creatures—werewolves, vampires, and other strange or even normal-looking people.

I spotted my sister, whom I had only seen in a vision before. Creed’s group was there too, along with many others, a large, angry mob armed with weapons standing behind him.

It looked like a war zone. But the sky was the most unnatural, filled with lightning and glowing in an odd pattern.

The war between humans and the mythical. I saw myself stepping out from the mythical crowd.

I wore a crown of stars and a dress of deep blue adorned with stars and moon prints. Could this be the war Creed planned to wage tomorrow?

Everyone around me vanished, leaving me in a swirl of mist until it dissipated, leaving a dagger in my chest. I pulled it out, letting the blood flow.

Suddenly, the mirror shattered, causing me to jump up as all the candles snuffed out.