𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒

" 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 "

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╰┈˚ · ° . STILES WAS HIMSELF AGAIN, at least that was a good thing.The Oni had tested him and as they had done with the rest of us, and fortunately, he had survived, leaving him with the kanji symbol that stood for 'self' branded behind his ear.

Lydia was still missing, the Nogitsune was blocking my magic from reaching her, we couldn't even find her by scent. There was nothing left to do but wait and find other ways to search for her.

In the first hour of the morning, the sun streamed from the windows showering the bed in golden light. Sleeping had not come, not for me and not from Alec. We stayed in comfortable silence, soaking up the presence of the other as our problem weighed on our minds.

"Ogni volta che ti guardo perdo il respiro." The italian words left Alec's lips in a whisper, mumbled as he played with the end of my hair.

"What did you say?" I asked him, losing myself in his chocolate eyes,

"I said." He started, kiss after kiss left on my skin. "Everytime I look at you, I lose my breath." He translated. "You are breathtaking Elizabeth. You and your stubbornness and your strengths. The way you look when you are drawing, immersed in your mind. The little nose scrunches or the way you can't hide from your face when you don't like someone. Your unwavering loyalty and heart. You are breathtaking with everything that is you."

Breath caught in my throat, words failing to express an adequate reply, I could only continue to look at him, falling in love with every second that passed."Mind, heart and soul."I whispered. "I am yours to love and hate."

───── ⋆⋅⋆｡ ﾟ☽𖦹☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋅⋆ ─────

╰┈˚ · ° . The urgent message from Scott telling us to meet him at his house made me spring into action. The boy was not there yet, his father, though, was. And that was why we spent more than thirty minutes in awkward silence with Rafael McCall.

After too long for anyone's sanity, Scott finally arrived. He swung open the back door in the kitchen, with him, Stiles and a woman— that from what the alpha message had informed us, was Meredith, someone from Eichen house, a banshee that Stiles was sure could help us.

Scott's eyes widened when he came face to face with his father, not expecting him to be there. "What are you doing here?" He asked surprised and slightly defensive.

"I could ask you the same thing." The FBI agent replied, shrugging his shoulders and staring expectedly right at his son.

"Free period. We're doing group study." Stiles said, quickly coming up with a not so good lie.

"Who's she?" Mr. McCall asked, looking at Meredith who definitely did not look like a high schooler.

A few seconds passed where we all exchanged slightly panicked looks until Stiles, with his own extraordinarily scary mind, ideated a new excuse.

Very stiffly, the boy wrapped an arm around the woman, "She's my girlfriend." He stated.

Meredith looked at Stiles, clearly not liking his words from the way she grimaced. "You're not my type." She said without any filter, weakening the already bad excuse.

"Oh." Alec silently mumbled, lips curling into the beginning of an amused smile. Isaac was not far better at hiding his amusement.

"Well, obviously we have a lot to talk about. We should maybe take this upstairs." Stiles said, trying to mend whoever he could the situation. Or probably just trying to escape it.

Not listening to what the boy had said, Meredith continued. Her eyes landed on Isaac, "He's my type."

"Oh my god." Alec couldn't contain anymore the laugh that bubbled inside of him. He slapped a hand on his mouth as if to mute the sound, only to make it worse. I had to agree, the situation was extremely amusing.

The way Isaac switched his smile to a mild concerned look, or how Sebastian went ridge, narrowing his eyes on the woman, was a very funny sight indeed.

"Okay. Isaac, you can come too." Stiles said, leading away with his hand Meredith as we all followed after him.

"That was awesome." Alec snickered speaking directly with the woman– who continued to send Isaac furtive glances.

We walked to Scott's room intending to find out what Meredith knew and how she could help us.

"Lydia?" Meredith asked. She was sitting on the bed while the rest of us crowded around her. "You mean the red-haired girl."

"Yes! Yes! Good." Stiles smiled thinking that she was actually going to say something that would help us. "Progress. Now, all you gotta do is tell us where she is."

"Okay." The banshee nodded, "If she tells me."

"If she tells you?" Isaac said. He cleared his throat trying to find a loophole to her words. "Can you ask her?"

"I already did." Meredith smiled proudly.

"Perfect, perfect." Feeling more hopeful, Stiles breathed out.

"And what did she say?" I asked.

"She said she doesn't want to be found."

Not losing hope, Stiles formuled another plan.

He crouched in front of Meredith and started to talk "Okay, just try to focus on the sound around you. On what you're hearing. Just focus on the silence." Stiles took the lead in the 'interrogation'.

"Listen to the silence." Isaac said, echoing the last words that the Stilinski boy had said.

"Focusing on the silence."

"Listen to the silence." Once again Isaac echoed the words.

And to make it worse, Alec joined the two. "The silence."

"Are they for real right now?" Sebastian mumbled as we stared in disbelief at what they were doing.

"Will you two just let me handle this, please." Stiles told the other two boys with a slight shake of his head. "I have more experience with banshees."

"And mental patients." Added Isaac without shame.

"And unstable girls." I just knew that when Alec said that he was speaking about Lydia.

"Isn't anyone going to get that." Suddenly Meredith said putting an end to whatever Stiles was going to reply to the two wolves.

"Get what?" Stiles asked her.

"What are you hearing, Meredith?" I questioned, making sure to soften my tone.

"Your phone." She answered looking at Stiles.

"What phone?" The boy asked, confused.

"Your phone." With a pointed look and a light slap on the shoulder Sebastian told him, telling him with his eyes to play along.

"Oh, the phone! My phone, yes." He brought his phone out from his pocket, placing it on his ear mimicking the beginning of a call. "Hello. Yes, she is right here. It's for you." He passed the phone to Meredith.

A couple of seconds passed as we all looked at her hoping that she would have something for us. The banshee hung up on the fake call and spoke. "They say, 'Coup de foudre.' "

Oh god.

Stiles, Isaac and Sebastian tried to understand her words, spitting out any similar ons.

"Colpo di fulmine."

"That does not sound like the same word." Isaac said to Alec as he had been the one that had spoken.

"No, they are the translated words of what she said." My boyfriend replied.

"And what did she say exactly?" This time Sebastian spoke.

"It's french. It means love at first sight." I told them. "It was something that Noshiko Yukimura told us when she explained to us her story. We know where Lydia is."

Oak Creek.

───── ⋆⋅⋆｡ ﾟ☽𖦹☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋅⋆ ─────

╰┈˚ · ° . We were ready. Just outside the front gate of Oak Creek we met with Allison and Kira. The tension was high, everyone could feel it as we gazed between us and past the iron gates already opened.

"We've done this before, guys." Scott started, "A couple of weeks ago we were standing around just like this and we saved Malia, remember? That was a total stranger. This is Lydia."

Confidence was charging the air at the alpha's speech and for a second the bond between the pack felt clearer than ever.

"I'm here to save my best friend." Allison stated. Both Sebastian and I looked at the girl giving nods to confirm her words.

"I came to save mine." Scott glanced at Stiles.

"I just didn't feel like doing any homework." Isaac then said, adding comic relief.

"And I'm not one to decline a good fight." Following his best friend's example, Alec added.

It was time.

One by one we stepped through the threshold and entered Oak Creek. Shadows and darkness covered the place haunting every corner.

Coming between Allison and I, Sebastian lowered his voice to a whisper. "After this, we are going to have a major slumber party, eat a lot of junk food and shit talk everyone."

"And we are going to do a rewatch of all the Twilight movies." I added.

"I can't wait." The huntress chuckled, sending the boy a flicker of a genuine smile.

"Let's go." Scott commanded then.

It was time to split up. I squeezed Allison and Sebastian's hands. "I'm going to find Lydia. I'll see you later with her." I told them.

And with that, I joined Stiles and Scott.

"We can do this." The alpha said as only us three remained.

"We can." I said. But the feeling that everything was going to fall down, never left me.

Not as we started running, not as we found Lydia's scent and not as we started to follow it knowing that it would lead us to her.

"Wait!" I said coming to a stop.

"What is it? What is it Ellie?"

"The Oni." I said. "The Nogitsune did something. Now they are fighting for him."

"Alright." It was clear that the news was not good in the slightest. Nothing could stop an Oni. "We need to move. Come on!"

With those words we started running again, this time even faster. We followed the tunnels until they brought us to an opening in the center, and behind rusted bars, with mascara stains underneath her eyes and cheeks wet with tears, was Lydia.

"Lydia!" I yelled my best friend's name, a sigh of relief leaving my lips. "Lydia? Are you all right?"

"No. No, no, no." The girl panicked, fear showing in her eyes as they pooled with fresh tears. "Why are you here?"

"Lydia, we're here for you." Stiles answered her as we managed to get the gate open.

"You weren't supposed to be here. You didn't get my message?" Her fear was tangible with every word that she spoke.

"Lydia, what's happening?" Scott asked.

"Who else is here? Who came with you? Who else is here?"

"Oh my god." I breathed out. Lydia was a banshee. Banshee predicted death. I knew her, I knew that there would be only one thing that would send her in this state. She had a premonition. Nature sang through whispers in the wind, my gut coiled as with every second that passed I could feel the urgency in the air. "We need to get the hell out of here."

"Okay, okay. Come on!"

Once again we began to run.

With no energy left, tired to the bones, Stiles fell down, sliding down on the wall trying to support himself in vain. "I can't- I can't."

Scott anawere, continued to run, leaving us alone behind. We made only a couple more steps with me helping him walk, "I can't do it."

"Shut up. We are getting out of here."

But I was more than sure that it wouldn't be all of us the more time passed.

"Go." Lydia said. "I'll help him. But you need to go." Her eyes were desperate, tears falling to her rosy cheeks. "Go, Flora."

I didn't want to leave them here alone but I knew that I had to find the others. Like a gut wrenching sensation pulling me away. And so, I made my decision. I wrapped my arms around my best friend as the first tear fell. A sob rocketed her body but never escaped her lips.

We had no idea if we would both still be alive after this.

Breaking away from her I looked at the boy, whose eyes were half closed, skin paler than ever. I left a kiss on his temple, my hand reaching for his, squeezing it twice.

And then I stood up, not knowing if that had been a goodbye forever. I didn't look back as I started running.

The tunnels were long and narrow, the air suffocating, making my lungs ache. I used everything that my genes as werewolf gave me to arrive as fast as I could to the others, but nothing could ever prepare me from when Lydia scream echoed further behind me, dispersing through the tunnels and out in the world. A single word, a name. Allison.

I felt my heart stop, hands trembling as I reached for the wired gate to help me support my weight as my legs gave out from underneath me.

In the arms of her first love, Allison Argent bled out. Her blood stained her lips, the hands of both her and Scott, the ground beneath her. An Oni sword had pierced right through her, flashes of how the exact moment played in my mind, imagines gifted from nature.

She had killed an Oni.

Whispered words of a dying girl to her first love. The person that she will always love.

"I'm here, Amore." They were words said to my ear as arms wrapped around keeping me upright. It was Alec, I knew it was him, I could always recognize him. But I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, my eyes would not strain away from the girl, Allison, Musa, my best friend as she exhaled her last breath. [Love]

And as her chest stopped moving, my legs gave out. If it hadn't been for Alec, I would have crashed hard on the hard concrete. He lowered us to the floor, keeping me tight against his chest. But I couldn't move. I could only let silent tears trail down my cheeks that felt like they would never stop coming.

Time. I don't know how much time had passed when Lydia stepped outside the tunnels with a very unstable Stiles with her.

Eye red and swollen still producing more tears. She was the first that approached Allison, who was still being held by Scott as he cried. She fell onto her knees with a sob right next to Allison, taking her hand in her own. On trembling legs, not knowing if I could even make the small distance, I followed after Lydia. My knees slammed against the cold cemented floor. Taking her quickly growing cold hand felt like hundreds of knives being stabbed into my heart. Seconds passed before the last piece of our group joined us. Sebastian caught Allison in his arms, given to him by Scott, who cried in Stiles' arm now.

It was us. Us four. Bloom, Flora, Musa and Stella. Stupid nicknames born from kids' dreams. A friendship that was branded into the soul.

Oak Creek. Stained forever in our grief that now mixed with the horrors of the past branding the earth beneath.

She was dead. Allison Argent was dead.

The clash of swords.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!!

I'm not someone that cries easily, but Allison Argent's death will never fail to not make me bawl my eyes out.

I hope I gave that moment justice. And hopefully, you are crying as I did when I wrote this. (And tbh while I was editing too)

I love this chapter. It completely changed from the beginning to the end. The first part is romantic, a declaration of love, the last part, is the death of a major character, one that was very close to my OC.

Elizabeth is someone that has seen so many people that she cared about die that she had made the decision to not get close. In the beginning it was just Lydia and her grandmother. Then arrived Allison, she was the one that showed her that she could open her heart to someone else. That she could have more than just one friend, that she could care.

It's because of Allison that Elizabeth cares about the rest of the pack (Yes, even Alec)

Allison is not a character that many people like but I have to be honest, I always loved her. She is a complex character. She was manipulated and brainwashed by many people in her family. To my eyes, that was abuse. And from the scened with her mother, it's clear that Victoria Argent wasn't a good and caring mom.

Let me know your thoughts!!

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Tuesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾