Cast (in order of appearance):
agrifoglio Dobrev: Nina Dobrev
Rachel Leslie/Jaime Locksley: Lily James
Tyler Hale: Tyler Hoechlin
Aline Morrison: Dianna Agron
Irene Thorne/the Evil Queen: Eva Green
Fatemeh Tonkin/Persephone: Phoebe Tonkin
Elijah Mikaelson: Daniel Gillies
Maria Michele/Cinderella: AnnaSophia Robb
Nicolas Grace: Topher Grace
Rana Mitchell: Shay Mitchell
Atie Reed: Crystal Reed
Celine Portman: Natalie Portman
Paul Salvatore: Paul Wesley
Ian Salvatore: Ian Somerhalder
Colin Jones: Colin O'Donoghue
Richard Stark/Prince Robb: Richard Madden
Stiles Stlinski: Dylan O'Brien
Nadia Watson: Emma Watson
Theo Eaton: Theo James
Coma Guy/Prince Darren: Darren Criss
Ines Clarke: Emilia Clarke

Chapter 4: Lights Out

agrifoglio knew it was going to be a bad giorno the secondo she opened her eyes. For one, she had a headache. Two, as she looked out the window, she saw that it looked close to raining. And the night before the Mayor had gotten an inconvenient call from Fatemeh. Things were not looking good. agrifoglio got up from the letto and yawned. The first thing she'd have to do was to head to the city hall to do some damage control. She didn't really even understand what was so bad about John Doe's cuore almost stopping. Was he a relative of Irene's?
Another thing bothering agrifoglio was the insufferable Sheriff and her stupid Mayor candidate. agrifoglio wasn't a fool. She knew fear got people a long way, but the people seemed to Amore this Richard, at least più than Irene. And naturally people would rather vote for someone they Amore over someone they fear. Because what could Irene actually do to stop them? It was easy to make threats, but to actually put words into action, that was another thing entirely.

"What do te mean, te won't do it? te just promised yesterday!" Rachel shouted. But to her defense, the weather was horrible. The wind was awfully strong and cold, and it would rain in a few hours.
"But it's weird!" Tyler protested. He gripped hard at the campaign flyers in his hands to stop them from flying away. "You are taking this way too seriously!"
"Well, it's not te the Mayor is threatening to fire, is it?" Rachel snapped. "You listen to me. te made a commitment, te promised te would try to seduce that bitch, and that is exactly what te will do."
"Or what?" Tyler snapped.
"Or I'm gonna shove these flyers up your arse!"
"What's going on?" they turned around to see agrifoglio looking at them. Well, they had been arguing in front of her apartment building. Rachel smirked, grabbing the flyers from Tyler's hands. "You do this and I'll buy te a doughnut."
How very quickly Rachel went from extortion to bribery. Tyler rolled his eyes, but forced himself to smile at agrifoglio anyway as Rachel rushed away from the scene.
"Your name is Holly, right?"
"What are te doing in front of my house?" agrifoglio asked suspiciously as she walked closer. She took a glance at the one flyer left in Tyler's hand. "Spreading your campaign? A little insensitive, don't te think, considering that it's pretty clear if te win, I lose my job."
"You have two jobs", Derek said. "You're a teacher, too."
"Part-time."
"Well, if Richard loses, I lose my job", Derek said.
"Why would te think that? It's just Rachel we want out, not you", agrifoglio smiled.
Derek smiled back. Yes, Rachel was a pain in the ass, but she had been the one to hire him, and to keep him in the police force. He wasn't about to betray her. But agrifoglio didn't have to know that. "Maybe we should talk about this more. Can I buy te breakfast?"
"You can buy me coffee, that's all I have time for", agrifoglio said. "Come on, let's go."



"It's Friday", Rachel detto as she and Aline were putting up the flyers all around town. "Didn't te have a data today?"
"Since when do te care?" Aline snapped. She was in a bad mood, and the weather certainly wasn't helping.
"I don't, it's just that, well, I figured te might as well take a night off. I'm probably going to be planning the campaign with Richard, and-"
"And te don't want me there?" Aline asked in surprise. She'd never expected Rachel to be this inoltrare, avanti about something like this. Of course she'd never had any intention to butt in on their meeting, but she was still surprised to hear the request.
"What? No!" Rachel sighed. "I don't care, te can be there if te want. It doesn't matter, I don't... care. My point is that I think te should let yourself have some fun, you've been having sort of a hard time lately."
It was true, and Aline didn't even know why. "I don't even know him."
"From what I've heard, te go on dates to get to know people."
"Have te ever been on a date, anyway?" Aline asked.
"Not on any that meant anything. But te shouldn't compare yourself to me. I'm going to die alone."
"No, you're not, no one deserves that."
"Since when do we get what we deserve?" Rachel sighed. "I'll finish up with these flyers. te go and get some breakfast, and then seriously reconsider that guy's offer. This is your free night anyway."
"No, it's not."
"Well, now it is. Get out of here", Rachel shoved her friend and watched as she walked off.
"You must be very proud of yourself", Rachel rolled her eyes as she heard the Mayor speak. She turned around and gave a fake smile.
"I am, actually. Flyer?" she offered one of them, which the Mayor took, and ripped in half.
"That's not very neighborly."
"This is my last warning", Irene detto as she stepped closer. "Make that man step out of the competition, o I swear, I will destroy everyone te have ever loved."
"It's a good thing I don't Amore anyone, then", Rachel said.
"Then it appears I know te better than te know yourself."
Rachel decided to let that cryptic remark go. "Is this just about me? Do te really just want me gone? Because it's not like anyone can be Mayor forever."
"Yes, I can. And I will", Irene promised. "I hope your candidate knows what he's getting himself into."
"He does."
"Does he? Because te know, sometimes, accidents happen. People get hurt", Irene spoke very slowly to make Rachel understand, which she did, very clearly.
"If anything happens to him, I'm going to kill you."
"That's not very neighborly", with that the Mayor walked off. She had a meeting with agrifoglio and Fatemeh.



agrifoglio and Tyler were at the diner, sitting da a table, actually having a good time. Tyler had been wrong about Holly. She wasn't that horrible. She was gorgeous, funny, smart and intelligent, and they seemed to even have some common interests. They had just began talking about why Tyler had wanted to be a police officer when the door to the commensale, diner opened and Fatemeh walked in. She had to find Holly, they were going to be late.
"Hey", she rushed over to them, trying to hide her confusion. It wasn't often she saw agrifoglio with anyone, really.
"Hi. Oh, yes, we should go", agrifoglio rushed to say, standing up. "It was nice to meet you, Tyler-"
"Can I see te again?" Tyler had made a promise, and he had to hold onto it.
"Yes", agrifoglio detto before thinking. "I mean, yeah, probably. I'll call you, okay?"
Tyler nodded and watched as they walked off. He wondered how much of him asking her out actually had to do with the plan, and how much because he wanted to?
"What was that?" Fatemeh asked as they got out of the diner, trying to fight the wind on their way to the city hall.
"Nothing. Tyler's nice. It was fun talking to someone other than Irene for a change."
"Don't tell her te detto that", Fatemeh snorted.
"What exactly happened with the John Doe?"
"His cuore stopped while Maria was Leggere him some book. He's fine now. But it is still an abnormality. The guy has been in a coma as long as anyone can remember."
agrifoglio nodded.
"What about the Sheriff?"
"She's determined to ruin all our lives with overthrowing the Mayor."
"Can she do it?"
"Yes. She's got almost the whole town backing them up."
"So what do we do?" Fatemeh asked. She opened the door to the city hall, agrifoglio following close by.
"Well, there's a storm coming. Accidents happen."
"If we kill him, she's never going to stop", Fatemeh said, pointing out the obvious.
"Then we kill them both."



Never before has Persephone been in a situation like this. She had lived in peace for many years, travelling from country to country, tricking men, women and children alike with her magic powers. She believed it was due to them that wherever she went, she had suitors following close behind. But it was partly because of her beauty, too, which was, to many, breathtaking. Especially when she visited countries where her tanned skin and dark eyes came as a foreign sight, making her the mysterious foreigner.
But now this specific suitor would just not give up. His name was Elijah Mikaelson, and on the outside he was the perfect husband. He was handsome and sophisticated as well as rich and powerful. But Persephone had heard tales of the gruesome things he liked doing to women. Some detto he chopped them to pieces after wedding and bedding them. Others detto he locked them in the dungeon underneath his mansion. Persephone wasn't about to fall for his charms, she was smarter than that. But he was very persistent, and it was difficult, nearly impossible, even, for her to get rid of him. And she wasn't about to flee. She was too proud for that.
"What good are your powers if te don't use them?" one of the women she'd befriended urged her. "Kill him."
It was tempting, Persephone knew as much. But when she'd gained her powers, she'd promised to never use them for something as dark as murder. Because if she would, her cuore would turn as black as the deed she committed. But she had another plan in mind, something almost as effective.
One night she'd called Elijah over to her house, had made him dinner, had sweetalked him, and just when he was ready to propose to her like he'd done many times in the past, she spoke:
"I should warn you, I do have a secret."
"And what secret is that?" Elijah had smiled in amusement, clearly not believing her.
"I'm a god."
The smile faded from Elijah's face. This particular land was very obsessed with the gods, religion, the meaning of life. And Persephone was going to use that to her advantage.
"You're lying. No god walks among men."
"I am the daughter of Zeus, the god of thunder and lighting, and Demeter, the goddess of harvest. te do not believe me? Why would my father send a storm, if not to prove my word true?"
Before Elijah could protest, a thunder struck outside the mansion. Persephone tried to suppress a smile. Her powers got her a long way, indeed. And the terrified look on Elijah's face was worth it. "So are te sure te want to ask me to marry you?"
"You...."
"I think te should go", Persephone said. "I think te should go and never come back. And I know what you've done. To all those women, I know what te did. And you're going to stop. Because if te don't, I will come after you."
She stood up, but to her surprise, Elijah stood up as well, gripping her arm. "I will not stand here and ingoiare, inghiottire threats from a girl!"
He was about to grab the sword he had strapped to his cintura when Persephone grabbed the coltello she'd used to cut her meat and stabbed him in the throat. She'd panicked. And as the blood came pouring out, and Elijah fell to the floor, lifeless, Persephone realized what she'd done. And what she would now become.



Maria was sitting in the diner, staring at her cup of coffee. She'd tried to come and see the John Doe in the morning, in hope to see some sort of change in his status, but apparently the Mayor had forbidden everyone from seeing him. In fact, visiting in general was now forbidden too, for the time being, she said.
"I just want to know if he's okay", Maria sighed. She was having breakfast with Atie, Rana and Nic before her shift would start.
Nic nodded. He had an idea, as he always did. "I know how you'll find out if he's okay o not."
"How?" Maria asked in suspicion.
"One of us needs to get into the hospital, as a patient. Like say te have a flu o something. And then te can take a sneak peek in the room where John Doe's at."
"Brilliant! I'll go right after my shift", Maria detto in delight.
"No, if te go, they'll know what you're really after", Atie spoke. "One of us should go."
"I'll do it", Rana said. "I'll go in, say I have a flu, have a doctor look at me and then take a quick look around. No big deal."
"Thank you", Maria detto in relief. "Really, thank you."



Celine was at the counter, working alone since Maria was still eating breakfast, when Paul walked over to him. She froze. He hadn't called her since their date, but in all fairness it had only been a giorno o so.
"Can I get te anything?" she asked uncertainly.
"No, I just... listen", he looked almost as nervous as Celine felt. "Our data didn't go exactly like I'd wanted."
"What do te mean?"
"No, I mean, the data itself was amazing, you're amazing", he rushed to say. Celine tried very hard not to smile at this. "But, well-"
"I think te should have kissed me good night", Celine pointed out. "Isn't that what guys usually do when a data goes well?"
Stefan smiled. "Yes. Which is why I want to take te out again. Make it up to you."
"And this time you'll make sure neither of us go home disappointed?" Celine smirked.
"I promise. I'll come pick te up around closing time."
"Today already?" Celine asked.
"Yes. So te won't back down", Stefan smiled, walking back to his table.
"Well done", Ian smirked as he sat back down. "So what are te guys gonna do, then?"
"I don't know. Maybe stay in, watch a movie? There is a storm coming."
Ian nodded. "You're più serious about this than the ones before."
"I know I am."
"Why? Besides the mushy reasons?" Ian asked.
"I don't know", Paul's gaze drifted back to Celine. "I feel like I'm just meant to be with her."



After coming in for breakfast, due to Rachel's orders, Aline sat down successivo to Tyler, who was still at the same table, thinking about Holly.
"What's up?"
"Well, Rachel asked me to basically be a man-whore and spy on the Mayor's lackey."
"And you're doing it because...?"
"She detto she'd shove a bunch of papers up my culo if I don't."
"Holly?"
"Rachel", Tyler snorted. "What's up with you? te seem a little down."
"It's the weather. It's getting to me."
"Yeah. Are te working tonight?"
"No, and neither are you", Aline said.
"What? Yes, I am, I'm supposed to help-"
"Maybe we should let Rachel spend time with someone who isn't one of us for a change. Maybe she'll be less uptight, too."
"Fair enough. Speaking of uptight people, don't te have a data tonight?"
"She does indeed", they turned around to find Colin looking at them with a smile on his face. His clothes and hair were both soaked, indicating that it'd already started raining.
"Did no one tell te that it's not a good idea to sail a barca when it's raining?"
"Believe it o not, love, this happened on the way from my apartment to here", he sat down successivo to Aline in the booth and smiled. "Who is this?"
"This is my co-worker, Tyler. Tyler, Colin."
"I'm surprised te remembered my name", Colin smirked.
"I'm surprised te remembered me at all. te don't seem like the type", Aline said.
"Maybe I'll make an exception for you", Colin offered.
"Okay, this is obviously not a conversation for me", Tyler stood up. "I'm going to go on one patrolling ride before heading home."
"I'm coming with you", Aline stood up as well, anxious to get away. Colin made her nervous, but not necessarily in a bad way. "Listen, about tonight, it's a bad weather, and I have to work."
"I have a feeling you're lying. About the work part", Colin smiled. "Why don't te want to go out with me?"
"Because I really don't have time to be just one of the girls on your list. Now, if you'll excuse me", with that Aline and Tyler walked out of the commensale, diner and out into the cold weather.



Celine looked out the window and noticed that the weather was getting worse da the minute. When she saw a lightning, she knew she had to close early today. Turning around, she spotted Maria at the counter, looking rather miserably.
"Maria. Why don't te go home today?"
"Why" Maria said, standing up "Don't te need me here?"
"I'm afraid that with this storm approaching, I'll have to close the café for today. It's not sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza for people to be here, with so many electrical stuff."
"Oh okay. Do te need help to clean up?"
"No, it's okay. te should go. After what happened yesterday, te need to relax. Just go home, I'll be okay." Celine detto with a reassuring smile.
Turning to the customers, she added. "Alright everyone, because of the storm, I have to close early. It is best for te to go home and let the storm die down. Stay sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza and I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
As everyone was exiting through the door and heading home, she noticed Paul coming her way.
"I guess, we'll have to reschedule our date." she detto before he even had time to say anything.
"Actually, I was thinking I could help te clean. I mean if te don't mind me staying..."
"No, I'd Amore that" she detto with a smile and both started to clean up the client's leftovers. When they were done, Celine wasn't sure what she should do next. Should she ask him to stay o to leave? She couldn't make up her mind.
"So..." he started.
"So, thank you. For your help. It was nice of you."
A strand of Celine's hair fell before her eyes. Just as she was about to get it out of her face, Paul put it behind her ear and rested his hand on her cheek. She was blushing so much at the moment that she couldn't understand how she didn't combust right on the spot.
As the two were about to kiss, the lights went out, breaking the moment.
"Oh. I should go see if everything's good with the fuse box."
"Do te want me to go check?"
"No, that's okay. te stay here."
As Celine was heading towards the fuse box, she was cursing her bad timing. There was always something that seemed to stop them at the most crucial moment. It felt like they were cursed.



At the police station, Rachel was having so much fun with Richard. Not that she would ever admit it to herself, but she knew deep down that he was one of the most amazing men she had ever met.
"Okay. No, te can't print that." Richard detto while taking the paper where the billboard plan was on. It was a picture of Richard in a knight costume and te could read: 'Winter is coming. Vote for Richard Stark. The mayor in the North.'
"Why not?" Rachel snorted "Nic suggested there should be a bit of humor in it."
"But is the costume really necessary?" Richard asked, making a face.
"Yeah, te kinda fit the whole knight-in-shining-armor profile." Rachel detto with a smirk.
"Really?" he asked, unconvinced. "Anyway, this is clearly photoshopped."
"And... What's your point?"
"I look... ridiculous."
"Nah, you're fine. te look handsome even." Rachel said, trying to avoid eye contact da searching in some papers "Now, what about-"
She was interrupted da the lights going out.
"Shit. Must be the storm." she groaned while approaching the nearest window. Looking outside, she could see that the weather was completely raging and she could barely see through the rain. However, she didn't see any lights nearby. She hoped everyone was sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza indoors. Grabbing her jacket, she headed for the door.
"Wait, what are te doing?" he said, grabbing her da the elbow.
"The lights went out all over town. I'm the Sheriff, that's my job to see if there's no real damage. te just... stay here."
"You can't go out in the storm. Not now. It's dangerous." Richard detto with a firm tone.
"Try and stop me."
Richard did not reply as they were interrupted once again da the sound of something sparking, coming from inside the station.
"What the-" and again, they heard the same sound.
"Sounds like some kind of electrical problem."
"Must be the generator." she said, while heading towards the door where the sound was coming from.
"I'm coming with you." Richard said, catching her up.
When they entered the room, it was so dark that it took a while for them to be able to see anything in it. Every now and then, sparks were coming out of a fuse box in the corner. Rachel, taking her flashlight out of her pocket, approached the console.
There was cables coming out of the walls, as if someone had cut them out in purpose. Now, with the storm going on, they were sparking with each other.
Richard, grabbed her da the arm and lead her back to the exit "We shouldn't be there, this can burst at any mom-" As he was saying that, there was an explosion and Rachel felt herself being projected against a wall. When she could return to her senses, she saw that the whole room had collapsed and she was trapped under the rubble.
"Richard! Are te okay?" She waited for him to answer but heard nothing. "Richard! Richard! Where are you? Richard!" She tried to remove some of the stones that were trapping her, but her sides were hurting like hell. She must had some broken ribs. "Ugh- Richard!" she called one più time. Realizing that he still didn't answer, she feared for the worst.



Stiles was nervous when he went to pick up Nadia. So nervous, that he actually came one ora early. The storm was getting stronger and stronger and he hoped it would calm down da the time they would head out. Nadia had sent the last remaining customers home due to the storm, when she turned around to look at him.
"Hey there."
"Hey. So are te going to tell me your name?"
Nadia laughed a little at this. "Are te always this straight forward?"
"Sorry. To be honest, I don't really know how to behave in front of people. Especially pretty girls... like you." Stiles detto while rubbing his head nervously.
Nadia laughed a little and blushed. Stiles, on the other hand was mentally slapping himself. I'm going to scare her of, like other girls that I liked before, he thought with resignation.
"Nadia."
"What- That's your name?" he said, eyes wide
"Yeah. Why would I say a random name?" Nadia detto with a little laugh. She found him amusing actually.
"I don't know. It happened before actually." Stiles admitted sheepishly. "You know, someone telling me a fake name..."
"Oh. Well I'm telling te the real one." She joked, smiling at him.
"It's a beautiful name. It Suits you." Stiles detto making her blush again. "So shall we go out for our date?"
As Nadia was about to answer, the lights went out.
"Oh. Must be the storm."
"What do we do then?"
"I'm afraid we can't get out, not until the light's back on. Our door... it works electrically."
"So, we're trapped... That's not exactly what I had in mind for our first date. Mine kind of involved food." Stiles detto with a sigh.
"Well, I have some crackers upstairs... We could eat that."
"Sure. Do te have any candles?"



Nadia smiled at the prospect of this unplanned date. "I'll be right back."
When she came back with everything for the date, she noticed Stiles sitting at one of the Leggere tables, waiting for her. After putting up the supplies, they started eating the crackers in complete silence. Stiles was unsure of what to say whereas Nadia enjoyed this quiet moment.
"So, you're a librarian... te Amore Leggere then?"
"When te do this job, te better at least like it. There's plenty of that." Nadia couldn't help smiling at his awkwardness.
"Obviously. How many of the libri in here have te read?"
"A lot. But there are so many più to read. A lifetime of Leggere actually."
Stiles noticed the gleam in her eyes when she talked about books. He never met someone as passionate about something as Nadia was in that moment. "Tell me your preferito story."
"Hum... There's that one story that I find incredibly beautiful. But it's not something I've read. I think someone told me about it. It's about a young man, a prince. Something went wrong and he became possessed da a Japanese demon. A kitsune. It's a trickster spirit which is usually nor good o evil. However this one was a nogitsune. A dark trickster spirit that feeds on misery, chaos and pain. So it was bad situation, te know."
Stiles nodded, somewhat thinking that story was a bit familiar.
"Anyway, the man knows he's cursed, so he decides to live in seclusion. He banished everyone in his castello and forbid anyone to enter it, in order to protect them from the demon. Except that little da little, the demon found ways to take control over the man's body and made deals with evil forces nearby. In one of the kingdoms, close to the prince's, there was a king who had two daughters. After his Queen passed away, he remarried a woman, who herself had two daughters. The king however was dying, and the nogitsune tried to destroy his kingdom. The queen, who was an horrible person made a deal with him. She would give him one of the king's daughters as a bargaining chip. He would get a prisoner to torture and she would rule the kingdom, without the demon's threat. He agreed and the older daughter was dato to him.
However the demon couldn't possess the young man all the time, so there were moments when the prince was himself again and tried to warn the princess. He told her the story and tried to help her escape but the demon always was one step ahead, always impeding them to find a way out. But what the demon didn't plan was that the prince and the princess fell in love. And with True Love's kiss, the man was able to break the curse. The end."
Stiles was a bit taken aback. "The story's is somewhat unusual, why do te Amore it so much?"
"I don't know. I think the fact that their Amore was strong enough to break the prince's curse makes it beautiful, as if Amore is all we need in life to be happy."
"You know, while te were telling me the story, it felt like I knew it already. Are te sure, it is not in a book here?"
"No it's not. I tried to find it but it's not here. I think it's a story I've heard as a child so maybe te heard it the same way I did."
"Maybe... Do te know the princess' name?"
"I don't remember actually. Something like Bella o Isabelle."
"What happened to the princess' sister?"
"Oh. She becomes the house slave of the Queen and her daughters. But she's not mentioned in the end... I guess she has a story of her own." She saw that Stiles was a bit distracted "It's just a story, te know."
"No yeah, I know. It just seemed... Anyway, tell me più about you. Do te have any family here? Parents, siblings?"
"No. I'm da myself. I would have loved to have a sister though."
They kept talking until the lights came back, Nadia's story long forgotten.



When Celine headed back to the room, she hoped Paul would be still there.
"There's nothing I can do. Apparently the problem is not coming from here." As soon as she stopped talking, she noticed that the room was filled with candles and there was a cake waiting on one of the tables with some plates and glasses da its side. However, she couldn't see Paul anywhere. As she was moving towards the set table, Paul re-entered the room with a bottle of champagne in his hands. Celine couldn't believe her eyes, this was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her.
"What-" she began to ask him.
"If we are stuck here, we might as well have our date." he explained with a smile. "I actually took one of your cakes. I hope it's okay."
"Are te sure te didn't plan this storm in order to do that?" she said, teasing him.
Paul laughed a bit and pull out Celine's chair so she can sit down. "I know it's not much and definitely not what I had in mind but-"
"It's perfect." she said, smiling widely.

Rachel was about to lose it. Richard couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Not when I just found him, she thought. Trying to calm herself down, she knew she had to get out from under there if she wanted to find Richard alive. Gathering her strengths, she tried to lift the stone that was crashing her. She wasn't able to as it was too heavy. The best she could do was crawling out of there. After many efforts, she was able to break free. Not wasting anymore time, she started looking under the rubble in order to find him. She was in the middle of the room, when she spotted him under some bits of the roof. Not bothering slowing down because of her pain, she started lifting the bricks that were trapping Richard. When she could see him, she started to shake him so he would wake up.
"Richard. Richard. Can te hear me?" Rachel was in total panic mode and didn't know what to do. She just kept on shaking him. "Oh my God, don't die. Please. Just don't die."
Suddenly, she heard him cough and then he opened his eyes. Rachel couldn't believe it, he was alive. While relief was washing over her, she hugged him. Richard was a bit surprised but surely not complaining. However, as soon as she noticed what she was doing, she let him go and punched his arm.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Richard complained while sitting up.
"I thought te were dead, te idiot. Don't ever do this to me again."
"I won't. Aren't te my knight in shining armor." He detto with a smile.
"Shut up. Let's get out of here before it all blows up again." she detto while helping him stand up. Noticing that she had couldn't walk properly, Richard took her arm and let her lean on him. Even though Rachel hated to be considered a damsel in distress, she let him help her this time as the two of them got out of the station.



Persephone had run away. What could she have done? She was doomed now, destined to a life of misery and darkness. Once te killed someone, there was no way back. She could never go back to the woman she was. So she decided that the best way to protect people from her was to isolate herself.
After a long voyage, she reached a kingdom where lived the most beautiful princess: she had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as the night. Persephone didn't plan on staying there but she was so exhausted that she decided to sleep in the local tavern for a night. As she was eating dinner, she caught the attention of a few drunks. When she was heading to bed, some of the men followed her. But it was only when she arrived at her door that she noticed them. Afraid, she ran towards the door and went out in the street. When she was outside she was relieved. She knew what these men wanted from her but now she felt safer. This feeling was soon gone, when she spotted one of them at the end of the street, waiting for her. She tried to go the other way, but there was also a man at the other end of the street. She was trapped.
Tears started rolling down her cheeks as the men approached her. Her back against the wall, she started begging
"Please, just walk away. Please! I don't want to harm you."
"Harm us?" At that the men started laughing.
Persephone knew that these men deserved a punishment worse than death but she didn't want to kill them. The più she killed, the più she would lose herself. However, she didn't have a choice.
As one of the men grabbed her, she used her magic to break his neck. The moment she killed him, a wave of anger was triggered within her and she started to kill all of them as they were trying to escape. Some died da fire, some just had their necks broken. After she had killed the last man, Persephone returned to her senses. When she saw what she had done, she break down crying.
"There, there." she heard a voice behind her. "There's no need for that."
Persephone was ready to hit once again when she turned around. But what she saw surprised her. There was the queen, all dressed in black, smiling to her. Her smile has something disturbing.
"What do te want from me?"
"Well, my dear. I just had a glimpse of the mightiness of your powers and I have to say I'm impressed."
"You're impressed? I- I killed them!"
"Oh, I know. But look at them. There couldn't be a most beautiful mostra than the one I just witnessed. Your powers are... truly magnificent."
Persephone didn't know what to say. This woman was clearly deranged. But could she help her?
"Please. Can te take them? I don't want magic anymore. I just want to be normal again."
"But it's who te are, dear. Why would te give them away?"
"I don't like who I'm becoming. I can't control my powers."
"Well, that can be easily fixed."
"How?" Persephone stood up, full of hope.
"There's just one problem. How far are te willing to go?"
"I'll do anything." The evil Queen smiled at the young girl.
"Then, let's make a deal. I'll teach te how to control your powers, and when the time comes, you'll help me in return." she extended her hand, as a way to foca, guarnizione the deal.
Persephone didn't trust the Queen but what was her alternative? She couldn't keep running and she couldn't control her powers da herself either. She looked at the queen's hand before taking it. The moment she did, a thread of red light encircled the two hands and quickly vanished.
"Now, we are sealed da magic. There's no way back. Come Persephone, your destiny awaits."
"How do te know my name?"
"Oh. I know everything." The Queen detto with an devilish smile and Persephone felt this feeling of fear once again.

Celine and Paul had finished the cake hours fa and were now sharing childhood memories.
"Ian was always the turbulent one. My father used to refer to us as the Angel and the demon."
"You as an angel. I can definitely see that." she detto with a smile.
"Wait until te see the Halloween pictures."
Celine laughed at this. "Yes. te have to now."
"What about you? Any embarrassing childhood memories?"
"Not really. I was an only child so my parents treated me like a real princess. I had everything I ever wished for and I had the most wonderful parents."
"Well, I'm sure it was well deserved. Surely, te were really lovely."
"I was... okay." Celine stood up and took the plates away, in order to hide her red cheeks.
"Well te are really lovely now." Paul detto standing up as well.
As Celine turned around, she noticed that Paul was behind her. He took a step inoltrare, avanti and stroked her cheek. Then he kissed her.
The moment his lips touched hers, there was a lightning and Celine had a flash.
She suddenly felt dizzy and pushed Paul away.
"Are te okay?" he asked immediately.
Celine couldn't answer, her mind was a total mess. The moment she had kissed him, immagini of spindles, thorns, swords and red rose came to her mind, giving her an headache. Paul's voice, however brought her back to reality.
"Celine. Celine! Are te okay?"
"I- I don't know."

Even though the weather was downright awful, Rana had made a commitment, and the hopeful look on Maria's face was what got her to walk all the way to the hospital in the pouring rain, walk to the reception and claim she had a flu, and then get walked into a examination room.
"You know, it's not surprising te would get the flu for walking in the rain without an umbrella", the doctor who walked in said. Rana smiled to herself. He was rather handsome, and young, too. Rana felt like a bad cliche from a hospital soap opera o something. The name tag he had on him detto his name was Theo Eaton.
"Well, hey, I didn't have an umbrella, but this was an emergency."
"Clearly", Theo smiled. "What's your name?"
"Rana."
"Okay, well, let's take a look...", just then there was a knock on the door and Ines quickly walked in, whispering something in Theo's ear. He seemed to become a bit distressed da this, but he merely nodded. "I'll be right there."
"What's going on?" Rana asked innocently.
"Nothing", the smile he gave her was reassuring, but Rana knew he was lying. But she knew she shouldn't ask questions, it would just arouse suspicion.

"What's going on?" one of the nurses asked as Ines walked out of the examination room.
"Someone from the mental ward has escaped. Don't tell anyone, we don't want the patients to be afraid", Ines said.
"Which patient was it?"
"Someone called Jessica Day. I'm going to go call security", with that Ines walked off.

Aline finally managed to get back to her house. It was already getting late and the weather was still terrible. As she got out of the car, the wind almost blew her over to the ground, but she managed to hold onto the car door.
"Need some help?" she turned around to see Colin looking at her with an amused smile on his face.
"Are te like my stalker, now?" Aline snapped as she slammed the car door closed. "You should go home, this is not a good time to be outside alone."
"So are te worried about me, then?"
"No. Well, yes. I'd rather not have to pick up your fried-up corpse in the morning."
Colin smirked. "You're a tough woman to land, aren't you?"
"Especially if te use pick-up lines like that."
Colin merely laughed. "Fair enough. I'll have to come up with better ones."
"What part of 'I'm not interested in going out with you' did te not understand?" Aline sighed. She was really exhausted.
"I understood it, but I think that your reasons for such rude words were not entirely because of me", Colin said. "Maybe te haven't done this in a long time, maybe you're afraid of getting hurt."
"Maybe I'll hurt te if te keep talking crap like that", even Aline smiled a little at this.
"Okay. But I'm just saying that maybe te should consider taking a leap of faith."
Aline smiled. "What, now? Don't te think this is a pretty damn bad time for a date?"
"I'm not saying now. But one of these days I'm going to ask te out again, and you're going to say yes", Colin said.
"I will?"
"You will. Because you'll want to. Have a good night", with that he walked off, leaving Aline with a smile on her face.

Persephone didn't know what to think about the Queen's curse. She didn't exactly understand her motivation behind it, but she knew she had to help her. She owed her a debt. The Queen would use her own magic combined with Persephone's, with help from a few others, and together they would create the curse that would bring the land to an end.
"I only have one thing I ask for in return", Persephone spoke as she and the Queen were in her royal chambers, discussing the outcome of the curse.
"I thought this was the debt you're paying me", the Queen detto sharply.
"I've paid my share and te know that", she was referring to the multiple things she'd done for the Queen over the years, how she'd turned into a completely different person while helping her. "In this new land you're sending us to.... I want to know."
"Know what?"
"I want to remember. I want to remember what happened to us, I want to be aware of all those cursed souls that have no idea what we've taken away from them."
"You'll still serve me. te do understand that, right?" the Queen asked.
"I'm prepared to live with that."
The Queen nodded. "Very well. Anything else?"
"I want her to remember, too." They both knew who she meant.
"Why?"
"Because she's my only friend", Persephone shrugged. "Why else?"
The Queen nodded. "As te will." And yet another deal was struck.

Fatemeh and agrifoglio were in the Mayor's office. They were using candles for light since the power was out.
"Did te do it?" Irene asked.
"Yes. With luck, they're both dead."
"And no one will be able to trace it back to us", agrifoglio promised.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that. That deputy of hers is rather nosy. But it won't matter. As long as she's dead, we're good. We killed her father once for asking too many questions, I suppose it's only fitting she dies for the same reason."
agrifoglio and Fatemeh changed a look. They both remembered that particular event.
"Now te two can go home, I don't need te anymore today."
As Irene watched them walk away, she smiled to herself. When she'd made the deal with Persephone, she had promised to let them keep their memories. And she had done so. Almost. But both of the girls had once been in love, and Amore would have been the thing that destroyed their alliance in both worlds, so of course she'd had no choice but to take away their memories of their loved ones. It was for the greater good, of course.

Rana had been left alone in the examination room for a minuto o two, during which she'd sneaked into where they were supposed to keep John Doe. She looked inside the room and suppressed a gasp of surprise. He was awake and sitting on the bed, Leggere the book Maria had left there. He had a somewhat distressed look on his face, as if he was remembering something.
Rana quickly sneaked back into the examination room, eager to tell Maria the news. Theo walked back into the room with a smile on his face. "Since it's just a passing thing, I'm not going to give te any medication. But if te feel light-headed o te have any aching, te should take a painkiller. o call me."
"You, personally?" Rana chuckled.
"Here", Theo gave her a note with his number. "Just in case."
Thanks", Rana smiled before walking out, rushing out of the hospital. She couldn't wait to tell Maria and Nic the news the successivo morning, if only the storm would clear.