text: As the morning sun shone through the windows of the apprenticeship building, Emily could feel her heart pounding with excitement. It was her first day as an apprentice chef and she couldn't wait to get started. She had always loved cooking and had dreamed of becoming a world-renowned chef since she was a little girl. Emily had spent months researching and preparing for this day, and she was ready to make the most of it. As she walked down the hallway, Emily noticed that the door to the room that was her cooking classroom was slightly ajar. She peeked inside and saw that the room was filled with tables covered in strange objects and ingredients she had never seen before. Emily couldn't help but feel curious about what was happening inside, so she wandered closer. Suddenly, the door swung open and Emily was grabbed by a tall, imposing figure dressed in a long robe. She was dragged into the room, and before she could even protest, the door slammed shut behind her. Emily's heart was pounding in her chest as the tall, handsome man held her against the cold brick wall. Emily had never seen a man so handsome before. He had dark, short hair, bright blue eyes, and a muscular body that made her blush. His strong hands pinned her arms above her head as he leaned in closer to her. The dark room was lit only by candlelight. The flickering flames cast shadows on the wall and created long, sinister figures that danced along the floor. The man's long robes brushed against her thighs, the soft fabric caressing her legs. The man wrapped his arms around her waist, his strong hands grabbing her hips and pulling her against him. The man was wearing a long, black robe and a tall pointed hat. His muscular form was dressed in loose-fitting clothing, with a long strap around his waist, a belt, and a small pouch attached. The classroom smelled of smoke and spices, mixing with the heat of the flames and the heat of the man's breath. Emily couldn't help but notice that the man's robe was thin and airy. Emily could taste the adrenaline in the back of her throat. She tried to struggle against his grip, but he was too strong. Emily sucked in the moist air of the room, tasting the faint sweetness of the candle wax. As she looked up, she noticed that he was bleeding from a gash on his forehead. His dark hair was matted with blood, and his face was twisted in pain. Emily couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man who was holding her captive. "What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear. The pounding of Emily's heart echoed against the wall, mixed with the scrape of the man's robes as he moved against her body. The man looked down at her, his eyes intense and searching. "I need your help," he said, his voice hoarse. "I need you to help me get out of here." Emily's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know what to say or do. Was this man dangerous? Was he going to hurt her? She "Let me go!" The figure chuckled, the sound deep and menacing. "I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear," he said, pulling her closer. Emily could feel his breath on her neck and she shuddered in fear. "Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you want from me?" The figure leaned in closer, his lips almost touching her ear. "I am the leader of a secret society, my dear," Emily struggled against his grip, but his strength was overpowering. She winced as he held her tightly, feeling trapped and afraid. "Please," he pleaded, desperation in his voice. "You have to help me. You're the only one who can save me now." Emily tried to shake her head, to tell him that there was nothing she could do. But he pressed a hand over her mouth, silencing her protests. Suddenly, there was a sound from outside the room. It sounded like someone was running, and Emily's heart leaped with hope. Maybe it was someone who could help her. But before she could react, the man tightened his grip on her even further. Emily struggled against him, feeling trapped and helpless. With a burst of energy, Emily let out a scream. But before the sound could escape from her mouth, he silenced her with his hand. As she caught her breath, Emily looked into his eyes, trying to find some spark of humanity there. "how did I get in this mess?" Emily wondered in silence. still looking into his deep blue eyes. The smell of death was all around him, coiling from his body like a serpent, reaching out to her. She could smell expensive leather and designer cologne and could barely breathe. Emily felt her jaw drop as the guy finally released her mouth. She stepped back and rubbed her sore lips, glaring at him with a mix of anger and confusion. He looked genuinely sorry, but that didn't change the fact that he had just forcefully silenced her. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and urgent. "I had to make sure you wouldn't scream." "Who are you?" Emily demanded, eyeing him warily. He took a step closer and held out his hand. "My name is Draco. And right now, someone is trying to kill me. I need your help to get out of this building alive." Emily stared at him in disbelief. This had to be some kind of joke. But the desperation in his eyes and the urgency in his voice made her heart race with fear. "Why me?" she asked, unable to keep the tremble out of her voice. Draco paced back and forth in front of Emily, his eyes trained on her face as he tried to figure out whether or not he could trust her. Emily met his gaze coolly, her expression betraying nothing. "I've been at the Witchery School for years, and I've never seen you there." Emily shrugged nonchalantly. "I just started a cooking apprenticeship," she said, her voice low and even. "I'm still getting settled in." she was confused since she was still trying to understand how from cooking school she ended up in a witchery school. Draco studied her for a long moment, trying to decide whether or not to believe her. "Cooking? he asked "We don't have a cooking apprentice program here" he was trying to understand "You must have gotten the wrong address" he added "Or are you lying?" "No," Emily said almost too loud "I'm not lying, this is the right place, I got an invitation in my mailbox two months ago. Some chef called De Lauret invited me" "There is no De Laurent chef here, this is a witchery school, no human is allowed, or even knows the way here without being invited by one of our principals" he crossed his arms "I'm not lying I can show you the invitation" She spoke too fast, worried that he would change his mind and kill her in seconds. "You don't look too shocked by the fact that I just told you that this is a witchery school and that I am a wizard" he crossed his arms trying to figure her out. "I'm more concerned about the fact that my life depends on you deciding to trust me or not" She backed up a couple of steps. he kept looking at her, it was a weird story, impossible actually, she was a full human, and someone, or somehow she found her way to the most powerful witchery school in New Hampshire. There was something about the way she held herself, something in the way her eyes flickered when she spoke, that made him think she was telling the truth. Draco sat across from Emily in the dimly lit room, his eyes fixed on hers. "I can tell," he said, his voice low and intense. "I can tell you're not from around here." Emily shifted uneasily, unsure of how to respond. Draco leaned forward, his gaze never leaving hers. "And right now," he continued, "I can only trust you." Emily's heart raced as Draco's words sunk in. She had always been a cautious person, but this was different. There was something about Draco, something in the way he looked at her, that made her feel safe. Draco reached across the table and took her hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. "You're different," he said softly. "You don't belong here. And somehow, neither do I." Emily looked into Draco's eyes and saw something there that she had not noticed before. Emily nervously approached Draco, who was sitting in the corner of the room, his eyes darting around as if he was expecting danger to burst through the door at any moment. "Draco," she said softly, "I want to help you. I feel that for me to be able to get out of here in one piece. I'm gonna have to help you survive whatever you're involved in. So what can I do?" Draco looked at her, his expression guarded. "You'd be taking a huge risk by getting involved," he warned her. "But if you're sure, there is something you can do." "What is it?" Emily asked, her heart racing. "You need to learn a spell," Draco said, his voice low. "One that can help me escape." Emily's eyes widened. "I...I don't know anything about magic," she admitted. "That's okay," Draco said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'll teach you." He beckoned her closer, and Emily knelt down beside him. Draco began to whisper instructions, and Emily strained to hear him. she didn't understand most of the words, but she could mimic them. "Iculopus energen,tranforem" He said multiple times explaining something about energy, a wand, and dark magic. but somehow, Emily kept losing her mind in his blue deep eyes. "Focus, Emily," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "You need to channel your energy into the wand." She nodded, trying to concentrate on the task at hand, but her eyes kept wandering to Draco's muscular biceps. Suddenly, she noticed a small trickle of blood running down his arm. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a deep gash on his bicep. "Draco," she said a little too alarmed "What happened to you?" she looked up, and with her hand, she cleaned the blood now dry in his forehead. "Let's just say, that I played the wrong cards" He laughed. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Don't worry about that, it will heal" he said acting tough. Draco grunted in response, his face twisted in pain. Emily quickly ripped a piece of fabric from her sweater and pressed it against his wound. "Here, let me help you," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Draco winced as she applied pressure to the wound, but he didn't push her away. Emily couldn't help but notice the way his muscles tensed under her touch. "We need to get you out of here," she said. "Just repeat the words, concentrate on the wand, and visualize a circle moving in front of you. open a portal. accept my magic as if it was yours" his words made no sense to her, but at the same time, they did. "How can you tell me all these things, I'm just a human, what makes you so sure that I will be able to absorb or manipulate your own magic as if it was mine?" she asked tired of so many failures in just so little time. "Because even humans can possess magic. they just don't believe that they can" his hands held Emili's tight. "I think I won't be able to help you" She closed her eyes. Emily was feeling frustrated as she stared at an empty space. She could feel warmth moving from his hands to hers. moving inside her veins, as if her blood had been frozen and suddenly it wasn't anymore. She practiced the hand gestures countless times, but the portal refused to budge. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, feeling defeated. Draco noticed her distress and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" "I can't seem to activate the portal," Emily replied, her voice tinged with frustration. "I've tried everything, but it won't budge. I just don't belong here maybe that letter was just a prank or a mistake" Draco gave her a reassuring smile. "Just because the portal won't open doesn't mean you don't have magic, Emily. Sometimes it takes time to find your power." "You don't have time. I don't have time. I want to get out of here too" She looked at him "And somehow cant just walk out of this room and leave" She crossed her arms. Emily looked at Draco skeptically, unsure if she truly had the gift of magic. Or if he was just trying so hard because somehow he needed her. But something in Draco's eyes made her believe him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing all of her energy on his eyes. As Emily looked deeper into Draco's eyes, everything around her began to fade away. She could feel the energy swirling around them, pulsating with a force that was almost overwhelming. The magic between them was intense, and Emily knew that this was what she had been searching for all along. Suddenly, she felt a powerful surge of energy coursing through her body. Emily's body began to glow with an otherworldly light, and Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "What is going on?" Emily screamed "Don't let go" Draco said "This is amazing" he added "Are you doing this?" Emily asked "Is not me" he smiled "Who are you?" he looked confused while his eyes looked at her. As he watched in awe. "Why do I feel like this" She could feel the rush of power moving in her body. It was as if she had opened a floodgate, releasing a tidal wave of magic that she couldn't control. The air around them crackled with electricity as Emily's power surged out of her in waves. And then, it happened. The portals began to open, one after the other until there were five of them swirling around them in a dizzying display of magic. The portals were all different sizes and colors, each one leading to a different place and time. Emily had never felt so powerful before. The energy from Draco must have been more potent than she had anticipated. Draco stepped closer to Emily, and she felt her body respond to his touch. The two of them were lost in the moment, completely consumed by the magic that surrounded them. But before Draco could explain what was happening, a sudden gust of wind caught their attention. They both looked up, only to see a swirling black vortex materializing before them. Out of the portal, emerged a group of black hooded figures, their faces obscured by the shadows of their hoods. Draco immediately recognized them as dark wizards - the most dangerous kind. "Time to go little human," Draco said. spinning Emily protecting her with his back without letting go of her hand. Without warning, the dark wizards lunged at them, brandishing their wands menacingly. Draco knew he had to attack quickly. Draco stepped forward, his wand already drawn, and cast a powerful shield charm. The dark wizards' curses hit the shield and bounced off harmlessly. But the dark wizards were not easily defeated. "Time to go, Emily," Draco said Draco was quick to react, hurling hexes and jinxes at the wizards with skillful precision. But it was too many attacking them, they couldn't move or reach one of the portals. "What do we do?" Emily screamed. Draco pushed her behind him letting go of her hand. Draco's heart raced as he tried to defend himself with spells, but the dark wizards were too strong for him. "Delubux incantante" Emily heard a voice in her head, soft and gentle yet commanding. It whispered a spell. Emily closed her eyes and repeated the incantation, feeling a surge of energy flow through her body. She wasn't sure of what she was doing, but stepping forward, with her hand in the air, she knew what she had to do. "Emily step aside" Draco demanded, but she couldn't hear him " Emily" he screamed again. But she kept walking, and without hesitation, Emily pointed her wand at the dark wizards and shouted the incantation, feeling a powerful surge of energy flow through her body. The air around her crackled with electricity as a bright light emanated from the tip of her wand, engulfing the three dark wizards in its radiant aura. She heard screams, her name, and a warm energy surrounding her body. When she opened her eyes again, the world had changed. The air crackled with electricity, and the wizards were frozen in their tracks. in her ear, all she could hear was a deep high peach sound, and her head spinning. her mouth dry and in a blink of an eye, she felt the strength of Draco dragging her across a portal. When the portal closed on the other end, she was in a forest, it was night, and Draco was right in front of her screaming. "How you do that?" he screamed "That is not something a simple human could do" he looked mad. "I don't know," she said Draco looked at her in despair, confused. "I don't know what happened" Emily looked a her hands, they were red and hurting. "What happened to me?" she said in tears. but Draco didn't have an answer all he could say was. "You are not human" he stepped aside "Then, who are you?