Chapter 17 – Breaking

• I found a free spot in the small meadow between the trees, sat down, crossed my legs and sighed deeply. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. I began to mutter a spell to create an ice circle around me. Slowly, I released energy from my hands and completed it. It was the first time I used this spell, but it felt strong enough, and somehow it had sharp prongs all around. Carol mentioned that the more I want to protect outsiders, the stronger the spell becomes. Its shape could vary depending on the user of the spell.
• I took a deep breath and began the enchantment. At first, I felt waves of energy forming and flowing through my body. Then it got warmer and warmer until it started to burn me from the inside. Soon it felt like drops of acid were falling onto my skin. My breathing became irregular, but I didn't let it get me down. Now I wasn’t so sure I could keep it up until I broke the eternal frost spell. The pain kept alternating between the sharp daggers cutting my body and the burning acid. After some time, which seemed like an eternity, the pain intensified. I felt the metallic taste of blood in my mouth as small windstorms formed around me, cutting through my skin like sharp blades. My body was covered in cuts and bruises, blood dripped through my nose and in a moment, I saw black dots in my vision. I closed my eyes and concentrated again, but for the first time in my life after the nightmare from my childhood, I wanted to scream in pain. The words of enchantment burned in my throat, as if testing me to see if I dared to continue. I felt the salty taste in my mouth and realised it was tears running down my face. I hadn’t cried since the day I had cast a spell. That little emotion kept me going. I heard a scream in my head, but I couldn’t recognise it. I knew I couldn’t stop now because I would collapse. Sometime later, I heard a small cracking sound, but I didn’t dare open my eyes, I felt like I was suffocating and I knew that if I didn’t break it now, – I would die.
• Suddenly I felt a touch. Arms wrapped around me and sparks shot through my body, soothing the pain I was in. That warmth gave me a little more strength, which I needed, because the last time I repeated the enchantment, I felt like a wall of ice was about to explode around my heart with another strong wave of stabbing pain. Then it stopped.