"Donovan and Mr. Evans said that they don't know what happened to that witch, who brought in the dark magic to this land. She can be dead or she's still alive," replied Julie, and her lips set themselves in a thin line.

  "I think she is alive," stated Cillian, and it grabbed Julie's attention.

  "Why do you think so?" there was a question in her eyes.

  "I think the answer is not why, but who knows about her in here," said Corvin, and Julie's eyebrows furrowed deeper.

  Julie wondered what Cillian's words meant. She shook her head before saying, "The Elders already know about her. Donovan was the one to explain it to us. Are you talking about Mr. Evans?" doubt coming to form in her mind.

  "No," replied Cillian, his lips setting into a firm line. "Before I fell weak, I came across something and it was mildly surprising. There are two people in Veteris, who might be able to have all the answers."

  "Who is it?" questioned Julie, holding her breath and waiting for the Corvin to reveal what he knew.

  "Roman's friend. The red-headed vampire," said Cillian and Julie's eyes widened.

  "Simon? Are you sure about it?" asked Julie and the Corvin nodded.

  Simon had been caught by the Elder's interrogated him, but she wouldn't have ever imagined that he had anything to do with this person. Cillian said, "I heard one of them speak to the person."

  "There's someone more than Simon in it?"

  "Yes," answered Cillian, and he said, "Like you already know, the spell of dark magic cannot be undone by the same person. Things don't work that way, so you are the next best person to undo the magic in here. Only that it won't be easy."

  After a few seconds passed, Julie asked him, "Do you think people can come back to life by the summon?"

  "You wish to see your mother," stated Cillian, and Julie bit her lip. "I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate it if you stepped foot into the forbidden side once again."

  Julie knew Roman would be more than pissed if he were to know about it. Since he had started to spend time with her, she had noticed how he had gotten less into fights.

  She knew Roman would bring hell to Veteris if something happened to her. She had hoped nothing had happened to her last time when she had stepped through the forbidden door, but it seemed like something had latched on to her.

  "Maybe we should get him here. Do it in his presence," proposed Julie, and Cillian wondered how that would go.

  He gave it some thought, as Julie seemed to be persistent with the idea of meeting her mother. He said, "I think you should know something."

  "What is it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  "Last night, when you were unconscious…"

  Back in the boy's Dormitorium, Roman was lying on his bed with his hand covering his eyes as the light seemed harsh when he heard someone knocking on the door. With a beating heart in the chest, there was only one person who dared enough to knock on the door.

  Sitting upright and moving to right, he got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, Julie looked worried, and she asked, "Are you alright?"

  Roman was surprised by the sudden question, and his eyes then fell on the person who stood behind her. Understanding what must have happened, he replied, "Fairly." Julie took a look behind Roman, noticing the cans in his room. "I was thirsty," he added, and Julie sighed.

  She put her arms around his waist, hugging him. "You cannot do that. You aren't just a vampire, but have witch blood in you. It is going to affect you just as much as it would affect me."

  Roman sent a glare at Cillian for worrying Julie about something she didn't need to know. It was only a matter of time before he would be perfectly fine, where his body would be able to consume and digest blood.

  Cillian wasn't scared of Roman's glare, and he responded with, "She wants to step through the forbidden door."

  "Cillian!"

  "What?" came Roman's response to it.

  "I should go speak to Evans. The glove isn't as easy I thought it would be. It's already tearing," he murmured in the end and started to walk away from there. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should perhaps mention to her about what he had done last night before coming to the girl's Dormitorium, but on second thought, he decided to let it be for some time.

  "What is the Corvin talking about?" questioned Roman, pulling Julie inside.

  "Did your blood thirst increase?" Julie questioned him back. "There's a way to summon people who are dead. Cillian said one had to go through the door again, to retrieve it."

  "Don't," replied Roman, his decision on it firm, and he wasn't going to let her pass through it. "Over my dead body." He had taken her pain and the darkness that she had brought from the other side but wasn't going to let her do that. He didn't even know how much more he could take in, as everything had a limit.

  Seeing Roman's refusal, she sighed, "I won't."

  It had just been a wish deep down in her heart, where she wanted to see her mother, where she wanted to resurrect Aunt Sarah. Maybe bring back the lost lives. To think the solution was right there, it quietly gnawed in the back of her mind.

  "Is this because of me?" she questioned him. Looking at the cans, before her eyes fell on a black liquid and she closed her eyes.

  "You didn't inflict it on me," stated Roman before she would blame his current state on her. They were both hopeless in this case. They wanted to save each other while causing harm to themselves. "Did you find anything regarding the unbinding spell for the lands here?"

  Julie gave him a nod, "But all of it needs the witch to step foot in—"

  "Forget it," Roman's clipped tone, and Julie smiled. "We will just need to find a way to lure people here than them luring us. Come let us get you to revise tomorrow's subject. I wouldn't want my student failing in the exam miserably."

  Hours passed, and they both stayed in the dorm, studying and preparing for tomorrow's exam. While Julie's eyes was concentrated on her book, Roman's mind wandered over what he heard from her. Summoning the dead and resurrecting them sounded alluring to his ears, and he couldn't deny that it made him want to try it himself.

  "There was something he mentioned. Cillian I mean," said Julie, and Roman's eyes shifted to look at her. "He said Simon knows where the witch might be. The one who once lived here." Roman didn't look too surprised by her words. "Did you know about it?"

  "I suspected it."

  Roman had tried to figure it out since the Elder vampires had tried to get an answer out of Simon, and there were only a few who knew that Simon would not open his lips even if someone decided to kill him. Such was his secrecy.

  He had connected the dots, or had tried to with theories because until now, no one knew who had actually turned Simon. It was obvious that it wasn't a rogue vampire. And maybe many didn't catch it, but Roman noticed how Simon let himself be hit at times, but at times, he knew how to deflect it before the opponent tried to get a hit against him. Sometimes even respond.

  "Simon has the ability of sight," said Roman, and Julie's eyes slightly widened.

  "Sight of touch or eyes…"

  "Sight of probably not too far where he can see the future, but you could tell roughly a minute or two," explained Roman, something he hadn't discussed or let anyone else know. "And a vampire holding an ability can only mean two things. Either the person has the stone of abilities handed by a witch. Or the person was handed down abilities once the person turned."

  Julie could feel her heart pumping loudly as she followed Roman's words. She asked him,

  "You think this witch turned him? But that would mean she would need to be a vampire."