I don't know how many minutes have passed, but every second made me want more of him. But soon I figured that I ran out of luck due to the sound of footsteps coming closer around us and Zephyr leaned back towards the source of the sound.

"Zephyr, everything's ready." Dylan stepped out from in between the trees and I looked at Zephyr while Zaphira waved her tail when she saw Dylan and he patted her head.

"The wolf's with you too, good. We should go now, Zephyr." He said to which Zephyr nodded slowly.

"Wait, go where?" I asked them, confused.

'Why do I feel like something is wrong?' I said in my head.

"As I said, we need to go deeper into the forest today," Zephyr spoke and I hummed in response before we slowly started walking in the said direction with Zaphira walking by my side.

"This kind of reminds me." Dylan started talking as we moved in between the trees. 

Zephyr helped me by giving me a hand whenever we had to cross over a place that had a bad footing but he was silent throughout the time.

"Of what?" I asked Dylan.

"It's just like the day we met. You, Zephyr and me. You remember, don't you?"Dylan asked and I smiled, nodding.

"Hmm...the only difference is the closeness between the two of you. If Jack was here, I bet he would be sad." He said, earning a scowl from Zephyr.

"Stop blabbering, we're almost there," Zephyr announced and I looked at him.

"There? But if we continue like this, we'll reach the exit of the forest." I raised my eyebrows at Zephyr and continued, "Tell me the truth, Zephyr. Where are we going?"

"Well, I guess there's no point in lying anymore. So yes, we're taking you back."

I widened my eyes to process what I just heard and shook my head in disbelief and anger.

"What?! You lied to me, Zephyr!" I shouted at him but he pulled my hand towards him. Zaphira growled to see us but was stopped by Dylan abruptly.

"Let go!" I tried to jerk away from Zephyr's hold with all my strength but he held it tighter.

"Dylan!" I glared at them both and Dylan looked down with a sad sigh.

 "I'm sorry Irina but I can't do anything about this. It's better this way. You should go back to your family and tell them about Damien and his coven. Then, run away as far as you can from there."

"Runaway?! I'm not a coward, Dylan! I'm not going there!" I exclaimed, angrily as Zephyr stopped at the exit and turned towards me.

"Ahead of here is Rosapast's main barrier. Once you go through that, there's no coming back." He took out a small vial from his pocket and nodded to himself.

"You said your sister is dying, didn't you? Give this to her." He swiftly cut his arm and poured his blood into the vial.

"Zephyr...please..." My eyes started getting teary.

"Now, you can return to your family with nothing to worry about." He smiled faintly and pushed me through the barrier while Dylan did the same with Zaphira.

"Wait no! Zephyr!" I said but I couldn't see them anymore.

"Zephyr! Dylan! Are you there?!" I called again and this time, Zephyr answered me back, sadly. I couldn't see him but he was still there.

"Irina...Be careful...I doubt we'll ever see each other again..." 

My heart ached like it was being crushed and I fell to my knees. Zaphira was growling from my side and complaining in her own way.

"Don't say that! Why do you never listen to what I want to say?! You said you love me, then why are you letting me go?!" I shouted towards the barrier.

"Be happy Irina...And I do love you still..." He confessed before his voice trailed off.

"Zephyr..." I held tight to the vial with his blood and cried my heart out, calling his name repeatedly. But all I heard back was my own voice echoing through the dark and empty forest. 

My knees must have started to tremble because the trees around me seemed to wobble. I could hear my heartbeat pounding faster than it ever did but still I tried to get up.

With shaking legs, I walked around the barrier to find an entrance, though I knew my actions were useless. There were no special markings or trees twitching or anything, but I still went on. My brain was not working right and nothing seemed alright to me. I knew there was nothing I could do to bring him back, yet I kept going.

Finally, something sharp caught my foot and I fell to the ground in pain. Though it hurt so bad, I didn't care about it as much as I hoped to find a way to get back to the mansion. I curled up on the paddy grass and stayed there, gazing at the moonlight above me.

 I couldn't even remember how long it had been since nightfall. Zaphira came beside me and whined sadly but I couldn't bring myself to comfort her either.

More time passed as I lay there and my thoughts were fully occupied by Zephyr and Rosario. Each and every smile and conversation with them reversed back in my mind and the thought of not seeing them again got me in agony. The bright moonlight sparkled like it was telling me something and I watched as the clouds around the moon got darker.

It started to rain, which kind of bothered my thoughts a little. The wetness made me shiver in the cold so I put the vial close to me and covered my face using my hands. The sky was getting shadier by the minute and soon everything started going black as my vision got blurry.   

Someone was calling me from a distance and I gathered up all my strength left in me to turn my head towards the source of the sound. I was thinking about whether to respond but the voice stopped soon and I closed my eyes. 

The rain continued, and I could feel it pouring down on my cheeks. It was then that I heard the voice again, but this time, it was too familiar that I recognized it.

"Mother..."

"Irina, you've returned. But why are you..." She began as she made her way to me but then she stopped with a worried look on her face.

"Yes, I look hideous, don't I mother?" I asked, trying to get up. 

Mother quickly came near me and gave me a hand to help me up. I gave her a small smile as I took her hand and got up, taking the vial in my hands.

"What happened?" She asked me and I shook my head, holding back my tears. She pulled me into a hug and patted my back slowly.

"It's okay, Ira. Let's go inside." She spoke softly and I nodded, gripping the vial tightly with Zaphira following after us with her tail down.

After we got inside our cottage, Zaphira went to my room which stood next to Shandris's while I went straight to Shandris's room. But when I entered the room, she wasn't there.

"Shandris?" I called but there was no answer.

"Shandris, are you here?" I called again but still, there was nothing. 

I looked back at my mother, confused only to see her crying with her face down in complete sorrow.

"Mother? What's wrong? Where's Shandris?" I asked and she covered her face with her hands.

"Irina...she's no more with us..." She informed me in a hoarse voice, making me fall to my knees in shock, along with the vial slipping from my hand. 

The silver glass vial broke into a thousand pieces and scattered all over the floor with some piercing through my skin. My eyes flooded up and tears started dripping onto my cheeks but I didn't bother to wipe them away. Everything felt so strange and surreal.

Where were the blue eyes of affection and love? Where was the laughter I held so much dear to my heart that I hoped to hear once more? Where was my source of smile and comfort?

I stood up and walked around, tracing my fingertips over the wall paintings which I had made with Shandris. Every memory with her flooded my mind as I touched them. I could feel my adrenaline rushing up and I clenched my fists.

"Irina." Mother called but I couldn't focus as the ground beneath me started shaking violently. I could feel my powers growing and I expanded them out of anger and grief.

"Irina!" Mother shouted and my mind started wandering. 

One side of my mind wanted to focus and retrieve back my powers while the other was distracting me from doing that. Zaphira barked fiercely but I couldn't concentrate on that either. My whole body was burning and the rage inside my heart grew on which fueled my powers.

"AGH!"

I closed my eyes and was about to let go when several vines came from beneath the floor and wrapped around my legs pulling me onto the floor. A familiar gust of wind brushed against me and from then on, I found myself fighting against my own powers.

"Lady Zahara, are you alright?" A voice asked and I opened my eyes slightly to see Rosario standing near my mother.

"AGH!!" I screamed out as my powers grew up constantly inside my body since I was fighting back at them.

"Irina! Conceal it!" Rosario shouted as he came in front of me.

"I can't!" I shouted back and screamed again as I felt my body quivering.

"Focus on your heart! Focus on the people you love! You can do it, fight back!" He said and I focused as he asked me to. I stretched my mind outwards and tried to forget all the pain that was killing me inside.

"Agh!"

"Irina..." A voice called from far away, distracting me.

"Zephyr?" I called back.

"What's going on? Why are you harming yourself and them?" His voice asked.

"Zephyr... I can't do this. My sister was all I had and she left me." I said and broke into tears while he just hummed in an understanding tone.

"Don't cry, it doesn't suit my Irina." He stepped out from the trees and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back and cried onto his shoulder.

"Zephyr...why did you leave me here?" I asked.

"It's for the best. You have to live as a human. Besides, you have a whole kingdom to look after." He exclaimed and I looked at him.

"I'm not-" I began but he placed his finger on my lips, shutting me up.

"It's alright, Irina. You just need some time, I know you'll figure it out. You always do, don't you, my love?" He kissed my forehead and smiled at me warmly.

"Zephyr... what should I do?" I asked.

"Right now? You have to go back to your mother and brother. Take care of them for me, hmm?" He advised and I nodded slowly, smiling slightly through my tears.

"Farewell, Irina. I love you." He said before he disappeared back into the trees and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"No!" I shouted and fought back my powers with all the strength in me.

"Irina, it's working!" Rosario exclaimed and I focused more. The pain started to fade and my powers gradually grew faint until they completely disappeared.

 After I got control over myself, the vines around my legs died down and I fell to the ground, weak from all the pain I endured. Rosario and mother, along with Zaphira came beside me and I smiled weakly.

"I did it." I said before I went unconscious.