They looked like...dried up wolves because of how their legs looked like hind legs and their hands still being somewhat near to how they were before this new transformation. Their faces looked different and strange, unlike anything anyone had seen before. 

When one of the black witches turned to look at them, Damien yelled at her, "Run!"

The black witch moved her hand and the land that was beneath their feet started to crack and break as if it were dissolving right now. Penny ran with all her might, using the ability of the wind to make way for them as the wind moved in the opposite direction trying to stop them. 

"I think the black witches have almost similar abilities when it comes to elements," Penny said whilst she ran with Damien who was much faster but he didn't let go of her from her sight, keeping her close to him. 

"How sweet. I think they are much more powerful than the white witches," Damien said and just when Penny was still running, the ground turned loose, making her miss her step and fall. The trees were being swallowed by the ground and everyone ran away from the forest, "Come on!" he urged her. 

At the moment, the entire forest and the ruins appeared to be chaotic. One was with the elemental ability and then was the black octopus looking black witches who had not given up on killing them. As if the previous version wasn't enough, the witches were breathing fire through their mouths. 

Right now Penny was having doubts when it came to the chances of survival. 

"How much time do you think we have?" Damien asked her, pulling her to the right as he saw the left side of the forest floor crumbling down. 

"They have only opened the portal, they need to close it back for it to take full effect."

"What do you mean full effect?" Damien gave her a look not liking how things were proceeding right now. 

Penny who was huffing for air, said in between her breaths, "Right now the black witches are only in their half potential."

"Then we should run faster, mouse," Damien encouraged her.

Penny was already exhausted and her body wasn't used to yet when it came to managing the wind and water element. Hoping to make it work, Penny used her wind element by raising both of them from the ground and away from, taking them away from it but that didn't go long as both of them fell flat on the forest bed. 

She had to find out where the land had no spilled magic. 

"Wait, the black witch used the girl for sacrifice. What are the other villagers for?" 

Her eyes moved around when she said, "As easy as it is to close the gates to retrieve the black magic back, to close it, the sacrifice is necessary but the law doesn't hold the same when it comes to the white witches."

They continued to run away far enough when Penny caught sight of Damien's features turning. The corrupted side of the pureblooded vampire was showing up and when she looked down at her hands as they moved back and forth, Penny found the skin there turning to scales. 

Why was this happening?! She wasn't a black witch yet but the gate or portal being opened was affecting her as she was in the transformation of a black witch and the process was moving quickly and it was bad news. 

If Penny's body completed the transformation successfully from being a white witch to a black witch, then she would never be able to bind the black magic again because the spell worked only when it was cast by a white witch. If she wasn't panicking before, she was panicking now. The weight of responsibility on her shoulders felt heavy that was weighing on her right now. 

"You're turning," Penny commented looking at Damien as his eyes had turned pitch black and his fangs turned thicker and much more animalistic with his face changing features along with hers. 

This was something they had not signed up for, "Opening the portal must have allowed other things inside this land which is blowing our current on hold appearances. If we don't close it on time, the air is only going to spread and pollute further," Damien shot right at the witch hunter's head who had started to head towards them.

She continued to run as fast as her legs could take, not caring about her legs that felt like they were going to give up any time and they would if she were to stop but this wasn't the time to stop. She wanted to curse for falling into the line of chosen alignment of stars. 

When the ground stopped moving considerably, Penny raised her hand to find the light appearing right above her palm. Letting go of it, she said, "This part isn't affected," and her knees finally gave out and she fell on the ground. Huffing, she pulled out the knife from her pocket but when she positioned it on her hand, she wasn't able to do it. 

Her hands were trembling because of the rushed adrenaline coursing through her blood and body that made it difficult for her to cut. 

Noticing this, Damien stepped down close to her and took the knife that she had been holding, "Breath, Penny. The spell won't work if you aren't calm," he knew as easy it was to advise her right now, she was slightly swaying, her body almost reaching the limit where she was trying to hold her consciousness without giving it up. 

Penny took in a deep breath, in and out and in and out again when Damien asked, "How much blood?" 

"More than twenty drops," she replied, she met his pitch-black eyes and as time was ticking away both Penny and Damien were struggling to keep their former selves in the present as they fought the transformation that was taking place. 

Damien tore her sleeve and then found the area which hadn't been scaled yet. Not waiting to see if she was ready, he ran the knife deep enough to have blood drops drip down her hand to fall on the ground. 

"Go," Penny whispered to him as his corruption was moving in rapid time.

The man struggled to keep his senses sane in the presence of the rich blood he saw dripping down her hands and the smell that felt like it was going to be his last meal. His fangs were itching to take a bite. With great difficulty, Damien tore himself from there and ran far away from her but also close to make sure she would be alright.