C7 Chapter 1: Like it was back then

The world is colorful and the lush green leaves in the treetops move slightly in the wind. It’s warm and the sun tickles my nose – almost too cheerful for my taste, but I still enjoy the warmth. I greet it like a friend I haven’t seen in a long time.

When I open my eyes, everything is grey. I’m shaking and slowly climbing out of my bed. It’s freezing cold in the room, but there’s still the sweat bubbles on my forehead as if the dream had been true.

A carriage passes in front of the window and the chimneys are already spreading their grey haze in the sky – people are following their daily routines. Because they don’t know they’re in the wrong time. Because they have no idea what Elizabeth has done to Salem. Right in front of our eyes, history is changing. I wonder how the rest of the world sees us. Are we off their radar? Or is Elizabeth making sure that happens everywhere?

Last night Emily asked me to sleep in her room, but I refused. I appreciate her concern, but the last thing I need is pity.

Corvus and Elizabeth. I can no longer get this sight out of my head, although I try to banish the scene from my thoughts.

Numbly I trot down the stairs. In the living room I hear voices – the others are already awake. How long did I dream?

“Good morning, Abi”, Ling happily sings to me as I enter the room. “We have exciting news!”

“Oh, really?” I try to suppress my sarcasm, but I fail. Right now I can’t really imagine anything exciting. She doesn’t respond to it.

“The streets have calmed down. The struggle between the ravens and the Inquisitors seems to have come to a standstill.” She grins like a Cheshire cat. This is indeed good news, but as always I can’t help but get suspicious. There must be more to it than that. This certainty has long since become an everyday occurrence for me. I can’t remember the last time I had a quiet minute.

Yet I say, “That’s good.”

At that moment the door suddenly opens and Wilbur enters the room.

“What are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough with your army,” I bark at him, but Emily holds me calmly by my arm.

“I just wanted to warn you that the ravens are targeting the villa,” he replies in a calm voice.

“Why? We're not the ones who attack with an army. And also, since when have you cared about our well-being?” That man makes me so angry, I can’t help but react like that. Especially since he is also partly to blame for this whole situation.

“There’s no time for rivalries, Abigail. They’re on their way. And as for my actions, you would do well to help me. Sitting here twiddling your thumbs won’t solve your problems!”

He may be right, but I don’t think that’s the answer. There must be another way out than war. I can’t think of a wise answer to that.

Instead, I’m thinking of how we could fight off the threat that’s coming. Wilbur may have his faults, but I don’t think he’d lie to us about that. Anyway, the risk is too great to take.

If the ravens are really on their way to destroy us and the villa, we should not lose time!

“So what do you suggest?” Emily asks her father. She let go of my arm and crosses her own in front of her chest.

“We must fight. My Inquisitors are waiting outside protecting the house as best they can. You stay in here and protect yourselves from the inside with spells.” It seems that he has thought this plan through very carefully. Is there more to this? Why do the ravens want to attack us now ? After all, we are not responsible for the Inquisitors and Elizabeth has promised us a truce.

“The villa is your only retreat. You don’t know your way around this new Salem and without a safe haven you can’t do anything anymore,” Wilbur explains with a thunderous voice.

Jacob and Jeremiah join us; they seem to have overheard our conversation.

“I thought things had calmed down again,” Jacob asks desperately. After all he’s been through, I can understand his resignation. I’d like to give him and Jer the time off they’ve earned, but it’s far from over.

“I thought so too”, Ling says for the floor, “I was just telling Abi when Mr. Stoughton came in.”

“They’ve been gathering their strength all night,” Wilbur tries to explain the situation.

“But then how do you know they will attack us?” Jeremiah asks skeptically. Good thinking, Jer!

Wilbur emits an unnerved sigh; his annoyance can be clearly felt. “Won’t anybody listen to me?! They’re already on their way! I’ve seen them. They’re headed straight for us!”

“If that’s really the case, I’ll give you some advice, dear father.” Emily approaches him resolutely, “Get out of here and take your pack of Inquisitors with you! You lure them here with your army!”

He takes a deep breath to contradict her, but at that moment the whole house trembles and we hear something landing on the roof. They’re already here! Didn’t we just have that very situation? It seems we’ll never get any peace.

There’s no time to get upset about it any longer. With a serious voice I command: “Jacob, Jer, Ling: You get to safety. Emily, help me get rid of these things!”

And then it starts all over again. A bitter fight begins and we stand once again between the fronts. I have to protect my friends. That’s top priority.

Wilbur disappeared in the tumult of the battle somewhere. Meanwhile the raven creatures have invaded the house and now the Inquisitors are also storming the villa. Shots are fired and I and Emily try to push back the ravens with combat spells. But there are just too many. Behind me another window breaks and … does it just feel like it or do I smell smoke?!

Not a second later, I can already see how the first flames on the upper floor are turning the villa to ashes. This time we won’t make it. I just know! There are too many ravens and the Inquisitors with their weapons do the rest to completely destroy our only retreat.

“We have to get out of here!” I yell at Emily. She nods as if she understands my concerns. “We grab the others and get out of here,” I say, but when I turn around, my three other friends disappeared. Damn it, we don’t have much time left. I hear pillars yielding and ceilings collapsing on the upper floor.

Suddenly Jacob and Jeremiah come running towards me. “Abi, it’s Ling, she …” Jacob starts, but then he already bursts into tears. Oh, God, it can’t be. I can’t lose anyone else. Not Ling!

“We were in the library when a pillar collapsed,” Jeremiah tells me. Tears have also formed in his eyes. “Ling got trapped underneath and … it looked really bad, Abi. She begged us to leave her behind and take us to safety.”

Before I can process all this, there is a loud bang and the ceiling crashes down threateningly. We’re only inches away from being buried alive!

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Emily screams. We run as fast as we can. The tears in my eyes blur my vision, but I have to think of the others now. At least them I have to save.

As we stand outside the villa, it completely collapses. It is lost forever. Injured ravens fly away, Inquisitors chasing them. After all the noise, the sudden silence is even more uncomfortable.

Ling is dead. I can’t believe it. How many people do I have to lose?

We stand there together, in front of the rubble and ashes of what had once become our home. We hold on to each other so as not to break, but all these wounds will never heal. Why Ling? Just why?!

Wilbur has disappeared with the others. It seems that the raven beings have achieved what they wanted and now they leave us alone. I have no idea what we should do now or where we can go.

With my knees in the mud I sit there for a while and stare at the mountain of rubble. Suddenly the silence is broken by flapping wings. I look up and, against the sun, I only see a black silhouette of a winged being. Corvus?

But then she lands before us with an elegant last flapping of her wings: Elizabeth!