9. Phase One

Phase One

I flip through the empty pages of the fake grimoire, my mind racing with plans—small, simple things at first. Enough to make Kyla squirm. Nothing too drastic, not yet. I don't want to hurt her. Just… disrupt her life. Make her question everything, the way she's made me question myself. Fear is a powerful weapon, and right now, it's the one thing I can control.

I glance over at Derek, who's watching me with quiet intensity. "Look," I say, closing the book, "if you're not on board with this, you need to leave. I can't have you half in, half out."

Instead of leaving, Derek walks over to my bed and sits down, stretching out and making himself comfortable, as if he's settled in for the long haul. "I'm not going anywhere."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised by his calm acceptance. "Thanks," I murmur, genuinely grateful. I didn't expect him to stick around, but here he is, making himself part of whatever this is going to become.

Derek nods. "I'll help in any way I can. Even if it's just being here, being a shoulder to cry on." He pauses, his gaze meeting mine. "But on one condition."

My eyes narrow slightly. "What's the condition?"

"We don't tell Sam."

His words hit like a punch to the gut, and I blink, confused. "What do you mean, we don't tell Sam? She's my best friend. Why would I keep this from her?"

Derek sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Before I came here, after the assembly… I told Sam I was done. We're done."

The room feels like it shifts for a second, and I stare at him, trying to process what he just said. "What do you mean, done?"

"I mean, I don't love her. Not the way I've been pretending to. No matter how hard I've tried, she's just… not the person I thought she was. I'm exhausted, Zaria. I can't keep pretending anymore." I sit down on the edge of the desk, still trying to wrap my head around what he's saying. Sam and Derek breaking up wasn't on my radar. At all. And now, I'm caught in the middle of this tangled mess.

"I'm sorry, Derek," I say, and I mean it. Sam's my best friend, and I never wanted to see her hurt, but at the same time… I get it. Relationships aren't always what they seem from the outside. "But I don't know what to do here. Sam's my best friend. I can't just—"

"I'm not asking you to take sides," Derek interrupts, his voice low but steady. "But I can't be involved in this revenge plan if Sam knows. She wouldn't understand, and she'd try to stop us. I don't want to make things more complicated than they already are."

I bite my lip, torn between loyalty to Sam and my own need for revenge. Sam wouldn't be on board with this, that much is clear. She's too good, too sweet for this kind of thing. But Derek… he's offering to help. To stand by me when I need it most.

And, deep down, I know I need someone in my corner right now. Even if that means keeping this from Sam.

I nod slowly. "Okay. I won't say anything to her."

Derek looks relieved, though there's a flicker of something—maybe guilt—in his eyes. "Thanks." I stand up and pace the room, my mind already racing again with ideas. "So, what's the first step?" Derek asks, watching me closely.

I stop, turning to face him, a smirk pulling at my lips. "Oh, I've already got that figured out." The plan is already forming in my mind, piece by piece. It's not just about getting back at Kyla—it's about showing her that I'm not someone to mess with. And this is just the beginning. "Let's just say," I add, "Kyla's about to have a very bad week."

Derek sits up a little straighter, clearly intrigued. "How so?" he asks, leaning forward slightly. His eyes are focused, like he's already in this with me, fully committed.

I cross my arms, pacing the length of the room as the plan solidifies in my mind. "Kyla loves herself. I mean, really loves herself. She's got a list of things she adores, things that make her feel like she's untouchable. So, the goal is simple—tear those things down. One at a time."

Derek nods, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Okay. What are the top five?"

I stop, turning to face him with a sharp grin. "Glad you asked."

I hold up a finger. "Number one: her hair." I roll my eyes, remembering how Kyla constantly flips it around like it's made of spun gold. "She's obsessed with her perfect blonde waves. Always talking about how she's got ‘the best hair in school.' A little spell, and maybe that hair isn't so perfect anymore."

Derek chuckles. "A bad hair day to start with. I like it. What else?"

I raise a second finger. "Number two: her social status. Kyla thrives on being at the top of the food chain, surrounded by people who adore her. She feeds off it, like it's her lifeblood. If her little minions stop seeing her as perfect... well, that's gonna sting."

He nods. "So, we isolate her, knock her down a few pegs with her so-called friends."

"Exactly." I add another finger. "Number three: her grades. I know she cheats. Everyone knows. But somehow, she's been passing all her classes with flying colors. Messing with that could cause her a few sleepless nights."

"And some well-deserved panic," Derek adds, grinning.

"Right." I lift a fourth finger. "Number four: her boyfriend, Sebastian. He's a whole other mess, but Kyla thinks she's got him wrapped around her finger. If we can shake that up a little…"

Derek raises an eyebrow. "You think you can turn Sebastian against her?"

I shrug. "Maybe not turn him against her, but definitely mess with that illusion of control she's got. Besides, it'll be fun watching her squirm if she thinks she's losing him."

Derek nods, still clearly invested. "And number five?"

I smirk, lifting my fifth finger. "Number five: her reputation as a witch. She's been passing off my spells as her own, right? So what if we start planting the idea that she's a fraud? That she's not half the witch she claims to be."

Derek's eyes glint with something dark, a shared understanding that this isn't just about petty revenge. It's about breaking down the things that make Kyla feel invincible. "You're planning to destroy her."

"Not destroy," I say, my voice cold. "Just show her what it feels like to have everything ripped away. One piece at a time. No scars. At least... not yet."

He lets out a low whistle, shaking his head slightly, but the grin on his face tells me he's fully on board. "You've really thought this through."

"I've had time to think," I reply. "She took everything from me, Derek. I'm not just going to let her get away with that."

He stands up, crossing the room until he's standing right in front of me. "I'm in. Whatever you need."

I nod, feeling the anger inside me cooling into something sharper, more focused. "First, we start small. A subtle spell for that perfect hair of hers. Nothing too obvious—just enough to make her panic."

Derek grins. "When do we start?"

I meet his gaze, my voice steady. "Now."

I sit at my desk, staring at the scattered ingredients, my fingers tapping the edge of the potion book with growing frustration. As much as I'd love to come up with a snappy spoken spell to mess with Kyla's perfect hair, it's proving way more difficult than I expected. Every spell I think of could easily be reversed, and that's just not the point. I want something that'll last, something that'll make her freak out every time she looks in a mirror.

Spoken spells are too temporary, too easy to undo. A potion, though? A potion is reliable. But there's one catch—a specific ingredient that makes all the difference.

Mermaid hair.

The unique properties of mermaid hair mean it can't be altered, no matter what spell or counter-spell is thrown at it. Use it in a potion to change someone's hair, and you're looking at an irreversible situation. Perfect for a little magical sabotage.

I glance at the clock and realize it's almost time for dinner. I pull out my phone and shoot a quick text to Skylar, hoping she's still on campus. She's my best bet right now, and if I can convince her to part with a strand of hair, Kyla's perfect blonde locks are going to be in for a rude awakening.

Almost instantly, my phone buzzes. Skylar's still on campus and hanging around the main hub. Perfect.

I turn to Derek, who's been lounging on my bed this whole time, watching me with mild curiosity. "I need to go get something for the potion. You stay here and make sure it doesn't bubble over."

His eyes widen slightly, panic creeping into his expression. "Wait, what? What do I do if it does bubble over?"

I chuckle, grabbing my bag and heading for the door. "You'll know. Just… don't let it explode, alright?"

"Zaria!" Derek calls after me, but I'm already out the door, grinning at his panic. He'll be fine. Probably.

I sprint down the hall and through the campus, heading for the hub. When I get there, Skylar's seated at one of the outdoor tables, casually scrolling through her phone. She looks up as I approach, raising an eyebrow at my slightly breathless state.

"Hey, Sky," I say, trying to sound casual, though my heart's racing. "I need a favor."

Skylar looks at me, curious but nonchalant. "What kind of favor?"

I hesitate for a second, then launch into a mini rant. "Okay, so, I can't tell you what's happening or why I need it, but I need a strand of your hair. Just one. I promise it's for something important, but also, if I explain the whole thing right now, you'd probably think I'm crazy or involved in some ridiculous scheme. Which… okay, I am, but it's not as bad as it sounds. I just really, really need the hair."

Skylar blinks at me, her expression unreadable for a second. Then she shrugs, like this is the most normal thing she's heard all day. "Alright."

I stare at her, momentarily stunned. "Wait… seriously? Just like that?"

She nods, already reaching up to pluck a strand of her shimmering mermaid hair. "Sure. Sounds fun. I'm guessing I'll find out what this is about eventually?"

I grin, feeling a huge wave of relief. "Oh, you'll definitely know soon enough. Just, uh, maybe don't ask too many questions until then?"

Skylar smirks, handing me the strand of hair. "My lips are sealed. Whatever you're up to sounds like a good time."

I beam at her, carefully tucking the strand into a small pouch. "Thank you, seriously. You have no idea how much this helps."

Skylar leans back in her chair, still smirking. "Just promise me I'll get to hear the whole story later."

"You will," I say with a cheeky grin. "And trust me, it's going to be worth it."

With a quick wave, I take off back toward my dorm, clutching the mermaid hair like it's the key to Kyla's downfall. When I return, Derek's still in my room, looking only slightly panicked.

"Well?" he asks as I walk in, holding up the pouch. "Did you get it?"

I smirk, tossing the pouch onto the desk. "Oh yeah. We're all set."