Arina Amastacia, born a witch and soon to be head of the coven, laid in bed one Sunday morning and thought of the life she had in the Quarter. She thought of the friends she grew up with and the memories she had made. She thought of her days spent practicing spells and perfecting potions. She thought of all the wonders of the world she explored through the pages of her books. She was no stranger to tales of powerful characters and the folly they faced, her favorites being those that spoke of legends and creatures she had yet to meet. Dragons were long gone before her time, and with them left the pegasus and griffins. Sirens were still here, especially further south, and even a few pixies flew their way around the bayou, their light bouncing throughout the night. Sure, not all were exactly correct in the way they interpreted those like herself and the other types of folk that made up the Quarter, but it was fun to see the fantasies imagined based off of the type of people she met in everyday life.

Arina sat up in her bed and turned away the covers. She ran her fingers over her face and thought of the love of her life. She thought of the way it felt for his fingers to card through her hair. She thought of the sun shining down as they laid in the grass, and picnics in the park. She thought of his laughter and his smile, and his thirst for knowledge. She thought of the promise he gave her, to be there forever, and the ring on her finger that served as a symbol for that. She thought of the purest of love that he felt for her and the warmth it formed in her chest.

She looked out her window to see the morning sun still lazily inching its away into the sky as life began to come back to the streets. The smell of coffee filled her nose as she leaned against the windowsill and she knew it was well past time for her to start her day. She took a look around her room, walls barren and her belonging packed away. The site of it all and what it meant nearly brought tears to her eyes but she would not cry. This was the day she would say goodbye to Quarter and her life here. It was bittersweet, truly. The Quarter had always been her home, even though she had spoke of someday leaving, she never thought it would be forever or that it would be under the circumstances she were in now. She placed a hand over her stomach, wondering what life was growing inside her and the type of person they would come to be.

She thought of the anxious excitement she first felt when she learned she was pregnant. She thought of the way it quickly turned into fear, the moment she had a vision. She thought of how much she hated this power of hers. Ever since she was young and first developed her ability to catch glimpses into the future of herself and those around her, everyone told her how fortunate she was. How fitting it was for an Amastacia, future lead of the coven, to have such an amazing gift. She hated it and the weight of the responsibility it forced onto her shoulders. Her visions were like a maze of possibilities that she had to decipher and figure out what actions lead to those outcomes. Usually, they were spontaneous and came in the form of dreams. But there were times where they were brought on by something happening around her and served as a sign for what would or could happen depending on her choice or action in that very moment. Sure, they were great when you only saw the wonders and glories of the future, but, this was not all of what she saw. She thought of the nights where she woke from visions of the death of destruction of those she held dear. She wished she were ignorant of what the future held.

She thought of the vision she saw when she went to tell Baz of her pregnancy. She had witnessed a future where he had become someone she no longer recognized. He had gone down a darker path, nearly crazed in a search for a power no one person should hold. She was scared of what this could have meant and worried that this had something to do with their soon to be child. They were both still so young. She thought of the fear she felt, wondering if she would be the reason for that to happen to him. She didn’t want to hide something like this from him, but she didn’t want it to be the reason he became the person she saw in her vision. She had always loved him, more than anything, and she always would. But now, she would have their child in secret and thought herself to be saving him from the future he would have if he knew.

Arina stood at her door and thought of the tears, in both of their eyes, when she told him she had to go. She thought of the confusion on his face and the way she swore she could hear his heart break. She thought of the way he questioned why and she thought of the way he held her goodbye,

So much time would pass and still, she tried not to think of the life they could have had, had she not had a vision that day.

She tried not to think of how things would have been different if she stayed with him in the Quarter, instead of moving so far away. She left her family, her friends, and her home to make a place of her own. She opened a store she always wanted, in a beautiful little town, and made a friend who would help her get settled. She put love and care and a little bit of magic in all that she did, hoping to make this new home just a great as the one she knew so well. She wanted this to be a place where her child could happily grow and practice their own craft without fear, just as she did. She wanted them to be proud, and stand tall, and hoped they wouldn’t be burdened with an ability similar to her own. She wanted them to live without any worry, from the moment they were born.

On August 20th, she met their little boy and held him for the first time. He did not cry, but instead stared up at her with his bright golden eyes. She saw him in their son, and felt her own tears begin to fall. She smiled at him, promising she would love and care for him until the end of her days, and hoping that she made the right choice in doing this alone.