Narrator- Melissa

We stand in a row facing the main gate waiting for our last goodbye from father and mother. Ethel stands behind us with almost twenty guards behind him. We stand holding hands and when Ethel sees us he joins in too. Mother and father both emerge from the main door and walk towards us holding a sack in hand.

“What are they holding?” Alicia asks.

“Snacks?” Ethel whispers. Patricia suppresses her laughter and looks at him.

“Were you always an idiot?” She asks in amusement. Ethel still sticks to dropping another wild assumption. “Just an assumption. Besides, it might be. Because Hallsenberg is really a long distance away. We might end up reaching by dawn. We might get hungry on the way. I guess that’s a goose inside.”

This time both Erica and Catty look at him.

“Unbelievable Ethel! You’re more like a kid.” Erica shakes her head in disapproval.

“Did you go hunting all the way to a place that far away?” I have no idea what Catty is talking about.

“Well, Reno suggested! And even if it took us half a day to reach Hallsenberg, it didn’t matter. Because Reno was with me.”

“Half a day? Half a day!?” I try not to panic at my own fear. Half a day to reach Hallsenberg!? Where are we going exactly!?

“It’s going to be fine Melly! Besides, I assure you, you won’t even know how time will pass.” One thing for sure, never believe a word Ethel says!

Father hugs Catty as soon as he sees her. And mother hands over the sack to me. “It’s for you and your sisters. I made them when each of you turned fifteen. But I thought to give it to you when you would start learning how to hunt. Looks like you need them right now.”

She weeps. She still looks as young as us. No one will even believe it if I tell them she is more than 400 years old. I take the sack and untie it. Inside are five beautiful red silk long cloaks. Each with our names embroidered in black. We take the hoods and wear them. It's longer than I thought. Almost touching the ground.

“How do I look?” I ask.

“Beautiful. All of you.” Mother replies.

We hug both mother and father. I try my best not to cry. I can see Catty trying to hold her tears back as well.

“Stay safe. And we will be sending letters. Don’t worry.” Father says, finally breaking the hug.

“We need to leave. It’s getting late.” Ethel says, and with that we start heading towards the carriage.

Patty and I in one, Alicia and Erica on the other and finally Ethel and Catty on the last one. I turn around one last time to see mother and father. My eyes catch Catty doing the same. I feel sorry for Catty. She is too young. The only thing that comforts me is that Catty is the strongest one among us. Even a single spell of hers can get rid of our powers. She is even good at sword fighting.

She can do it. I tell myself.

Almost ten soldiers stand in front of our carriage with their horses. And the rest behind Catty and Ethel’s carriage. Ethel nods at the soldiers in the front and they get on their horses and start moving. Soon after them our carriages start to move too. I turn again to get at least a glimpse of mother and father. I can see father hugging mother. I keep staring until the carriage takes a turn and the forest covers my sight. All I see is trees and the tower of The Vampire Academy which then vanishes in the dense fog.

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Ethel was right. The Institutes are not as close as we thought. We keep taking turns and turns and then stop for the horses to rest. And just like I said, I wasn’t falling for his words of comfort.

“How long is it going to take?” Catty asks, pulling her hood off her head. “It’s almost dawn!”

“Just a little bit more to go.” Ethel replies, hitting tiny pebbles to a tree.

“You said that before and look at us, we are still here. How long? I wish I had this thing called ‘sleep’. Can’t Erica just teleport us to the Institutes?”

“I would have loved it if she could. But you’re not the only one here. And besides, father told us to not use teleportation in places where there are mortals. How would you feel if someone appeared in front of your gate from thin air? One minute you’re standing and then suddenly five Vampires appear in front of your eyes from nowhere. Ah. Gives me the chills. Can’t let that happen, sister.” Ethel says. And then he holds Catty’s hands.

“Sit.” He pulls Catty down next to him and makes her sit. She leans her head on his shoulders.

“Now close your eyes. And take deep breaths. Once you do that you will feel better.” He says, patting her head. And Catty does as he says. I smile seeing them. He is always by her side. Even after Reno left, no one but only Ethel could keep her happy.

“Hey! Have you seen Melly and Patty?” Erica walks in with a twig and ruins the whole scene.

“Ugh! Seriously? I was trying to make her feel better!” Ethel never liked being interrupted. “Go ask the guards.”

“Sorry.” She says, standing there quietly with her head drooping.

“I am here.” I walk out of the bushes. The scene was already ruined by Erica. It doesn’t matter if I show up as well.

“How long you- never mind. You always love eavesdropping.” Ethel for sure is getting more irritated.

“I wasn’t trying to. It was just… coincidence. And is she already asleep? I mean she isn’t even waking up. Not even before when Erica came nor did she even move.”

“Catty? Catty, you asleep?” Ethel starts nudging her with his elbow.

“I am not asleep.” Catty replies with her eyes still shut. “I am just resting. No time to reply to your talks.” She says and then moves her head from Ethel's shoulder to his chest. He smiles and leans towards the tree, closing his eyes and hugging her.

What an awkward scene to see!

“Let’s leave them alone.” Erica suggests, with a pursed lips

“Yes. Better.” I say, walking away with Erica.

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We start to move once again after the horses and the guards are done resting. The sky is slowly turning orange, which means the sun is almost up. We walk inside our carriages once again and resume our journey.

The forest keeps getting denser as we keep travelling further. Now the fog has started to disappear due to the sunlight. The sounds of the birds chirping keep getting louder. Suddenly the carriage stops and the horses start to neigh loudly. The rest of them start jumping and flipping the guards off their back.

What happened? I think. Patty looks at me confused. We both open the carriage door and step out. I can see Erica, Catty and Alicia standing outside their carriages as well. They come running towards us as soon as they see us.

“Ethel said something’s wrong. Someone is here.” Catty’s eyes scan the forest.

“Is it… Ku- Kruli- Krulisa?” Erica asks.

“I don’t know. He said the horses were getting scared because they sensed something wild.”

“Wild?’’ Did he say what it was? It’s not Krulisa for sure.”

“He didn’t.”

The five of us stand in a circle holding hands. We keep looking everywhere but nothing shows up. Suddenly Ethel comes running to us and says that the forest is not safe and that this is the forest where most of Krulisa’s army stays in order to hunt and eat both animals and humans.

“Why this specific forest? There are more than enough forests.” I ask.

Ethel looks at me and releases a sigh.

“Because this is not a normal forest.” He says. “It’s the forest of Hallsenberg.”

“The forest… of Hallsenberg. You mean the one facing-”

“The Institutes. Yes, you’re right.” He nodes.

“So we are almost near the Institutes?” Erica asks.

“The moment we get out of this forest, you will be able to see the Institutes.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” I ask.

“We are surrounded.’’ He keeps looking back and forth as if something is waiting for us. The panic on his face is making me scared.

“Surrounded by what?” Catty asks.

“Krulisa’s minions.”

As soon as Ethel says that, a beast-like figure jumps out of the bushes and grabs hold of one of the guards, releases a large shriek as he tears the guard apart.

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