Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44544645-20191211195811/@comment-44544645-20191218234913

The reviews make me super happy. Hope you guys like chapter seven:

Chapter Seven

“So….how do we do this thing?” Biana asked.

'''The grass was still dewy and damp, the sun just peeking over the cliffs, and Sophie was glad she was wearing a coat. It was early morning—way too early in her opinion, especially given her restless sleep the previous night—but the secret couldn’t wait any longer. '''

'''Sophie held out the satchel. “I think we hold the hair up to the DNA sensor, and see what happens.”'''

'''She took out the bottles and uncorked them, making sure she had all twelve hairs held tightly in her fist before touching the cache to the hair. She could feel everyone around her, watching, hoping, waiting……..'''

'''The cache glowed, shining ice blue in the early morning light. Hairline fissures spread throughout the glass, and then it cracked at the top. The inner crystal shot up, hovering above Sophie’s fist.'''

“Password?” a voice whispered.

'''“Stellarlune,” Oralie whispered, her voice as clear and fragile as glass. '''

'''The tiny blue crystal grew and grew, becoming clearer and clearer, until it was translucent, flat, and the size of Sophie’s palm. It hovered in midair, as if it was waiting for something.'''

Oralie reached out and touched the crystal, and then it shrank again, like it was melting into her hand.

'''Sophie, Dex, and Biana waited….and waited…...and waited. Sophie counted the seconds, and at three hundred, she started to wonder. What was going on?'''

“Are you okay?” Biana asked.

Oralie didn’t seem to be able to hear her.

'''“I’m going to take a look,” Sophie decided. She pressed her fingers against Oralie’s temples and shoved her consciousness in.'''

'''There was one memory right at the forefront of her mind, which Sophie focused on. This had to be it.'''

'''All twelve Councillors were having an intense discussion, in a large, airy room. Sophie hadn’t seen this place before. There were floor-to-ceiling windows and wood-paneled walls, and a sparkling chandelier which hung directly over a round table and twelve chairs. Their meeting room?'''

'''“Let me get this straight.” Councillor Liora looked shocked and stunned, like she couldn't believe this was happening. “Stellarlune is a combination of all three Prime Sources hit with lightning, along with shadowflux and quintessence? And it’s stored in magisdan bottles?”'''

'''“Yes,” Councillor Darek said. “It’s extrordinarily difficult to make. And remember what happens when ethertine is ingested? Or magisdan?”'''

'''“The person goes into a coma, and the only way to pull them out of it is for either a Flasher or a Shade to use their ability to fix it,” Councillor Ramira finished. “What would happen if someone consumed stellarlune, then?”'''

'''“Well, the light and shadows would counteract each other, I suppose,” Councillor Terik said. “But they’d become a part of the person forever. And if the elements were activated, that could lead to a drastic change in potential. Maybe even trigger a new ability. All the elements trigger the heart, not the head—this could have an especially huge impact on Empaths. Their ability is the only one that stems from the heart, aside from enhancing.”'''

'''Oralie nodded. “It could enhance an Empath’s ability—or change it—or give them a new one. Some elves might be able to resist it, but an Empath would be especially volatile.”'''

'''“Why can’t we inform the people about this?” Kenric asked. “They deserve to know.”'''

'''“Because if they knew, there’s always a slim possibilty someone would try and test out, and that could lead to drastic consequences. Nobody can know about this new discovery.” Councillor Emery declared. “Our world is just fine without it.”'''

'''“But what about the rumors?” Councillor Liora whispered. “That this was being used to experiment on trolls, to make them faster and stronger and even more bloodthirsty?”'''

'''“They’re probably just rumors,” Councillor Noland declared. '''

The conversation went on, but Sophie caught four crucial things.

'''One: Stellarlune had been used by Luzia Vacker and Empress Pernille to create the trolls that had been hidden at Everglen. '''

'''Two: Gisela had most likely ingested it while she was pregnant—it could have been in the small black bottles. '''

Three: It could have an especially harsh effect on Keefe.

Four: The only way to pull Keefe out of his coma would require a Flasher and a Shade to use light and shadows very riskily to calm the stellarlune down and keep it from infecting him even more.

'''Finally, Councillor Emery called for order. “I see no reason the public should know about this,” he began. “In fact, all this secret can do is cause chaos and harm.”'''

'''“So you think we should lock it in a cache?” Councillor Zarina suggested. '''

'''“Yes. If the rumors become even stronger and we gain evidence, we unlock the secret and investigate. Until then, though, it’s safer if this secret stays buried.”'''

'''The Council voted, and it was unanimous. The secret was locked inside Oralie’s cache. '''

'''Instead of stopping or fading out, the memory looped back to the start. That was odd.'''

Sophie withdrew her mind from the memory, and that was when she noticed something……

'''Oralie’s mental landscape was quiet, and she couldn’t see any other memories. '''

'I should have resisted. It takes a unanimous vote to access something in a cache; I could have stopped it. It’s my fault that the trolls were experimented on. My fault that the scandal at Everglen happened. My fault that Keefe’s in a coma and we don’t know how to fix him….'

No other memories.

'''No other thoughts. '''

Nerves and fear and worry.

Guilt.

Too much guilt.

My fault.

'''Oralie’s mind wasn’t broken, but she was getting closer every moment. '''

Think, Sophie. This seemed kind of similar to a broken mind so maybe…..inflicting could work?

What would she inflict?

She started to search for a trail of warmth, which led her to a nook, a warm part of Oralie’s mind.

Oralie? she transmitted.

'It’s me, Sophie. Come back. Stop obsessing over that memory. You can do this. Please. It’s not your fault. '

'''She drew on images, thoughts, feelings. '''

Pride didn’t work.

Joy worked a little better—Oralie’s mind started to flicker, like a room full of holograms with spotty electricity—but it wasn’t enough.

'''And then Sophie remembered a conversation she’d had with Mr. Forkle. He’d identified trust as an emotion. '''

'''She started to fill the nook with images. Kenric, who’d been Oralie’s closest friend, and Bronte and Terik—she didn’t know either of them well, but they did support her on the Council, and Mr. Forkle—he was the leader of the Black Swan, he and Oralie had to trust each other. '''

'Come back. '

That memory isn’t everything.

It wasn’t your fault.

'''It was like Oralie’s mind was hovering, waiting, needing one final thing to break out of the loop and return to normal. '''

'''And then Sophie knew what she had to do, as much as she hated it and resisted it. But it was true….it had to be. '''

She added images of herself, and when Oralie had helped fix her enhancing, given her Kernic’s cache, arranged a meeting with Gethen……

'You’ve helped me a lot. You can do this. Please come back. It’s not your fault. I know you’re a good person. It’s NOT your fault. '

'''She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to transmit three words. '''

Three crucial words.

I.

'Trust. '

You.

The warmth bubbled up like a geyser, and Oralie’s mind came rushing back to life.