Chapter 4: Back from the Dead

Lacey inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply as she quickly sat up on her bed. She looked around. The place seems familiar. She's finally in her room in the newly designated staff quarters.

"Look, she's awake!" Jack said drawing the attention of her twin sister and Monica who were all waiting patiently for Lacey.

Ruby was also in the room leaning on the wall. "Thank goodness." Ruby made a sigh of relief.

Jack and Clara in excitement rushed toward Lacey. They both hugged her at the same time. "It's good to see you're okay, sis," Clara said.

Lacey tried to fight through the firm hug. She finally breaks free from them. "What happened?" she glanced around with nervousness in her eyes.

Monica approaches. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. "It's good to have you where you belong, body and soul…" she paused and emits a soft sigh of relief. She glanced at Ruby and continued. "All thanks to Ruby, she saved you."

Lacey did remember all that happened but she still can't fathom how she cheated death. She cast a searing gaze on Ruby and opened her mouth to speak. "I did remember what happened in the hallway back at my campus. Prof. Wong is dead and not quite long I woke up in a strange place…" she paused for a while and stared around to be sure she was home. "How am I even here? No one can cheat death."

"You were never dead," Ruby cuts in sharply as she approaches. "You were in a state of coma."

"For how long?" Lacey stared with wide-eyed surprise.

"For a week now," Monica whispered.

"A week?" Lacey exclaimed expressing disbelief. To her, she was only dead for a few hours. "How's that possible?"

Ruby clears her throat as she opened her mouth to speak. "Sorry to break it to you this way, I'm a witch and am not here because I needed a hotel to stay in. The Sisters of Light send me to you to keep you safe. When I learned about what happened at your campus and you were rushed to the hospital; I convinced Monica that I could save you with white magic if only she would agree to pull you out from the hospital."

"So that's it?" Lacey still can't believe she wasn't dead. She knew what she experienced and everything seemed so real to her. She switched her focus to Ruby. "Then how did you manage to come where I was?"

Ruby grinned. "You have been in this room all this while."

"How did you explain the fact that I saw you in that strange place and you took me by the hand and disappeared into thin air?"

Ruby thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out an amulet with its centerpiece made of crystal and bail of gold. She raised it toward Lacey. "This is called 'Tora' and it gave me access into your soul and memory to be able to pull you out."

Ruby comes from the line of witches known as the 'Sisters of Light.' It's a bloodline emanating from her ancestress known as 'Tora.' Every Sister of Light possesses the amulet of Tora which they believe holds the spirit of Tora, an ancient witch who stood against darkness and tore its veil ripping it to shreds so that light will triumph over darkness.

With the amulet of Tora, she gained access to Lacey's soul and memory. This explains why Nyx wasn't able to see Ruby when she came to save the day.

"So you gained access to my memories?" Lacey asked without hesitation.

Lacey never knew witches exist. Now her major concern is a witch invading her memories. The only thing she could see in Ruby is being a threat to her and now that Ruby has gained access to her memories, she might use them against her.

"Just to haul you out from the grasp of Nyx who took hold of your soul."

"That doesn't answer my question." Lacey lashed out in anger. "A simple yes or no would do."

"Yes, I did," Ruby replied with a low crackling voice like one with hesitation in her voice.

Lacey snarled as she sprang to her feet. She thrust her hand toward Ruby and tightened her hand into a fist. She punched Ruby.

Pain exploded through Ruby's right cheek. A ringing sound echoed through her right ear as she became momentarily stunned by the force of Lacey's punch.

"Lacey, Behave!" Monica growled in her ear.

Ignoring Monica, Lacey clutched Ruby's hair in a tight hold. Since her parents were murdered alongside his older brother, she's having a trust issue. The only persons she trusted are Detective Jones and Monica. Anyone that comes around her with mystic powers or abilities is nothing to her but threats.

"That's enough, Lacey!" Monica yelled once more. "She saved you from darkness and you should be in debt to her."

A whimper of pain escaped Ruby's lips, as Lacey released her hair.

"I'm in debt to no one and never will be." Lacey blurted out.

Jack and Clare were spellbound. They have no idea why their sister would behave in such a manner instead of being grateful to the one that rescued her from the darkness that almost swallowed her up.

She cast her gaze at Ruby. "I want you out of my hotel before sundown."

"But she was only trying to help," Clara spoke up in a tiny little voice.

Before Lacey would say, "I don't need anyone's help… I help people!" The doorknob jiggled for a while like a scene from a horror movie.

With their gaze drawn to the door, they were frozen in fear except for Ruby. Something isn't right. It was as if darkness is near. Lacey could feel a bit of what she felt in a strange place.

The door opened with a loud bang, startling Jack and Clara. Jack's eyes glowed blue. Still terrified in fear his fingers grew into claws wanting to arm himself against the intruder.

A veil of darkness rolled over the entire room as a chariot pulled by two dark horses became visible.

"Oh no, she's here!" Lacey cried out. Her hands trembled, her body shaking with the force of her deep groans that words can't utter.