The room remained cloaked in suffocating silence, broken only by the occasional hiccup of Samaira's sobs. Scarlett sat rigid in the chair opposite her, every muscle in her body taut as if bracing for an unseen impact. The storm of emotions raging within her—anger, confusion, pity—had subsided just enough for her to ask the one question that had been gnawing at her since she stormed in.
"Start talking, Samaira. Everything. Don't leave a single damn thing out."
Samaira wiped her tear-streaked face with trembling hands. Her usual haughty demeanor was stripped bare, leaving only vulnerability and guilt. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a plunge into icy waters.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she began, her voice cracking. "I didn't… I didn't want her dead."
Scarlett leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Then why did you do it? Why did you go to the Black Web in the first place?"
Samaira looked away, her gaze fixating on the floor as if it held all the answers. "I was… jealous," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Shellie... she was beautiful, confident, and... everyone liked her. Even the professors. And then you—someone like you—took her under your wing. Do you know what it feels like to be forgotten in the shadow of someone else?"
Scarlett's jaw tightened, her fists clenching. "You're telling me you ruined her life—ended her life—because you couldn't handle a little competition?"
"I didn't mean to!" Samaira's voice rose in desperation, her tear-filled eyes meeting Scarlett's. "I thought... I thought they'd just scare her. Maybe make her leave the university. That's all I wanted, Scarlett. Just for her to be out of my way."
Scarlett's glare was icy, but her curiosity kept her rooted. "So, you went to the Black Web. How? And why didn't you think twice before using something you didn't understand?"
Samaira swallowed hard, the weight of her confession crushing her. "It started when I overheard someone talking about it... a senior who said it could make all your problems disappear. They called it a... secret network, something that doesn't belong here."
"'Doesn't belong here'?" Scarlett repeated, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Samaira hesitated, her hands trembling as she wrung them together. "The Black Web isn't just some hidden part of the internet. It's... it's not from Earth."
Scarlett froze. For a moment, she thought she'd misheard. "What?"
"It's... a bridge," Samaira continued, her voice trembling. "A network that connects Earth to other realms. There are four others—realms beyond anything we can imagine. The Black Web isn't meant for humans. It's controlled by... entities from those realms. They're the only ones who can handle its power, its... consequences."
Scarlett's mind raced, the room suddenly feeling colder. "And you thought it'd be a good idea to use it?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through Samaira's stammering explanation. "Didn't it occur to you that maybe—just maybe—you shouldn't mess with something you don't understand?"
"I was desperate!" Samaira shot back, her tears spilling over again. "I wasn't thinking. All I cared about was being perfect. Being the queen. And Shellie... she was ruining that for me."
Scarlett leaned back, shaking her head in disbelief. "So, what exactly did you do?"
Samaira's breath hitched. She looked at Scarlett as if pleading for mercy. "I logged into the Black Web... I found an access point—someone selling 'solutions.' I paid them, and they said they'd take care of Shellie. I didn't ask how, I didn't care. I just wanted it done."
Scarlett's hands tightened into fists, her knuckles turning white. "And that's when you summoned her, isn't it? The witch."
Samaira nodded slowly, her face pale. "Iqia. I didn't know what she was... not at first. She said she'd handle Shellie. That she'd make her 'disappear.' But... when I realized who she was—what she was—it was too late."
Scarlett's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "What is she?"
Samaira hesitated, her eyes wide with fear. "Iqia isn't human. She's a... a witch from another dimension. One of the realms connected by the Black Web. She feeds on life—on souls. And... and when I summoned her, I broke the rules."
"What rules?" Scarlett demanded, her tone sharp.
Samaira looked down, her voice barely audible. "Humans aren't supposed to access the Black Web. It's forbidden. The entities who run it—they don't want us meddling. And now... now that I've used it, they'll come for me."
Scarlett stared at her, disbelief and fury warring within her. "So, let me get this straight. You were so insecure about Shellie that you risked summoning a literal monster? And now, because of your stupidity, Earth is in danger?"
Samaira's tears fell freely. "I didn't know it would go this far! I just wanted her gone... but now, I've broken the dimensional barrier. If more entities cross over, Earth could... it could collapse. Or worse."
"Worse?" Scarlett repeated, her voice trembling with barely contained rage.
Samaira's face crumpled. "If too many entities cross over, the dimensions could fuse. Earth would cease to exist as we know it. I... I didn't mean for this to happen, Scarlett. I swear."
Scarlett sat back, her mind reeling. The weight of Samaira's revelation pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe. She thought of Shellie, of her vibrant smile, of the life snuffed out because of one person's insecurity. And now, the stakes were even higher than she'd imagined.
"This is bigger than you, Samaira," Scarlett said finally, her voice cold and resolute. "You've endangered everyone—everything. And you're going to fix it."
Samaira looked up, her face stricken. "How? I don't know how to undo this!"
Scarlett's eyes burned with determination. "Then we'll find someone who does. But first, we're going to make sure Iqia and her kind don't set foot on Earth again."
As Scarlett stood, her face set in grim resolve, Samaira whispered, "Scarlett... I'm sorry."
Scarlett didn't turn back. "Sorry won't bring Shellie back. But maybe, if you help me fix this, you can at least make up for what you've done."
The room fell silent as Scarlett walked out, leaving Samaira alone with her guilt. But the words that lingered in Scarlett's mind as she stepped into the cold night air were chilling: The dimensions are breaking.
And she was determined to stop it before it was too late.