The night eases away and the sun is starting to rise. Brandon has given Ulysee two hours to herself, as she has been lying on her side without any signs of true rest. It was obvious that his acknowledgement to her death mark, had attacked her on a mental scale.

  Brandon makes a statement.

  “Does this normally happen?”

  “What?”

  “You being restless.”

  “Yeah.”

  Her voice sounds emotionally drained.

  “I’ve always had insomnia,” she added. “Though tonight…tonight I know exactly why my insomnia is acting up.”

  Brandon gets the hint.

  “I’m sorry. But this is the future of all remaining witches. Even the other witch we faced last night hinted at someone close to him, going through the same thing. Even if I wouldn’t have gotten to you in time, this is a fate I will have to face as well. ”

  Ulysee simply listens as she lies with her back facing the wall and her head resting against her pillow.

  “If you would have said no to the whole ritual, then I would have gladly accepted my future ahead. I would have lived my life to its fullest during those times, and then…”

  Brandon hesitates to finish his sentence.

  “Hm. I would have been reunited with my grandfather soon after.”

  “Did you witness your grandfather’s death from this curse?”

  “Every stage of it. One day he was healthy, and then another day he could barely maintain standing on his own.”

  Ulysee gives Brandon time before saying anything else.

  “Why don’t you speak on your father as much as you speak on your grandfather?”

  This is simply another question Brandon hesitates to answer. It’s to the point that he doesn’t want to answer this question. Still…he does.

  “My father was never really around. My grandfather raised me.”

  Ulysee has no further questions for him. Her sympathetic facial expression shows this.

  “You should get some rest now – the sun is coming up.”

  Ulysee lightly grunts, fixing her mouth to respond.

  “I’m scared to go to sleep now.”

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  “I can assure you that I will be here with you. You can sleep without worry – I won’t let you perish.”

  She nods, with her face slightly lighting up. Ulysee softly closes her eyes, as if she was waiting for Brandon’s assurance. He thinks nothing of it at the moment.

  ***

  Brandon slept for two hours before waking back up. It couldn’t be no later than seven or eight in the morning, though he couldn’t go back to sleep.

  He watched Ulysee sleep, sitting in the same corner across from her, that he once rested in. I wish there was another way. He told himself.

  No witch should live without their magic, believing that this was like stealing a witch’s identity. He knew all of this. Still, the risks of not taking away Ulysee’s magic outweighed her way of living. Brandon knew he was doing this for a greater future. But this didn’t stop the high level of guilt he felt.

  There was a nearby location that he saw on the train. A smile diner of such. His mind was made up. He would go get them both breakfast and two cups of coffee.

  Brandon wasn’t quite sleepy. He had survived off less. He left the apartment, leaving Ulysee alone. He made sure to be as quiet as possible, trying his hardest to avoid waking her.

  ***

  More time passes, though still in the morning. Ulysee does wake up, but it isn’t too soon. Her head immediately scans the small room, not seeing Brandon.

  “Brandon?” She calls out.

  She hears nothing in response.

  From her bedside she can see that the bathroom light is off, and the door is open. She knows now that her supposed ally is gone.

  “I knew I couldn’t trust him,” she says aloud to herself. “What did he take?”

  Ulysee gets up and begins to search her place. She sees nothing out of the ordinary but searches anyway. She wants to reveal something negative at this point.

  “He lied to me.” She continues. “He said he would be here when I woke.”

  She stops to assess her reality. She flicks the bathroom light on before slowly turning it off. Her sadness takes over in the form of her voice.

  “He’s said he wouldn’t let me perish.”

  Her words sink in deeper, and her mind begins to fight back at her last statement. She starts to second guess the situation, wanting to believe in a better reason.

  “Maybe something else happened to him. Maybe…maybe he went out for a walk or something, or sensed a threat nearby, and was attacked.”

  All outcomes Ulysee had come up with, only deepened her depression. She headed back to her bed, not knowing what else to do. But before she could reach her bed, the front door behind her opened. She turns around, only to see Brandon entering the home, with a bag of food and two sealed coffees, stationed in a cup holder. She struggles to contain her excitement.

  “Breakfast?” He holds the bag up.

  The two sit on her bed and eat together. During the silence of them eating, Brandon speaks.

  “I’m sorry for being gone when you woke up. I know I told you I would be here, and I was trying to hurry back before then. I didn’t want to use magic though in this small town and draw any unwanted attention.”

  “No, I understand. In fact, i’m sorry. I’m not going to lie, I thought the worst. But to see that you only stepped out to get us breakfast…”

  Ulysee almost hesitates.

  “Was really sweet.”

  Brandon slightly smiles.

  “All is forgiven. I know there’s a lot on you at the moment. I don’t expect your mind to maintain any form of stability.”

  Brandon halts eating his food. He seals it up and speaks once again, only having eaten a fourth of his plate.

  “Actually, I thought of something while I was out. I want you to be able to protect yourself, just in case I didn’t come back.”

  Brandon’s caution doesn’t sit right with Ulysee. He notes this but goes on.

  “Not to say that I ever won’t come back, but until the ritual takes place, I want you to learn more effective magic. More offensive magic.”

  “Against the witch you faced? Do you think I can even…”

  “He might not be your only threat. Just because witches are nearing extinction, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other forms of danger out there. People alone are dangerous. There is also still the presence of mystical creatures. Just because you haven’t run into anything, I have. They are hidden. Scared. Just like witches. We are minimal in this day and age.”

  Ulysee nods.

  “Ok.”