Chapter Text

He only hears the distant sirens ringing in the background of his pain as he's taken away somewhere. His eyes are heavy and closed, a red light burning through his eyelids. His hand falls down toward a side and lays out in the open. He thinks he's on a moving bed. 

That's a ridiculous thought. He must be delirious. 

Now he hears distant shouts. He must really be knocked up. He doesn't remember drinking though. 

Something is attached to his nose and mouth and it helps him breathe better but he loses all sense of consciousness. 

…

Sofian slowly opens his eyes and tries to adjust to the bright lighting around him. He panics, not recognizing anything until he realizes he's in a hospital room. He looks down at his body and sees a white, thin, paper gown. The inside of his elbow has a needle inserted and the open wounds he had were all stitched up. 

He tries to move his arms, but he only succeeds in wiggling his fingers. Sofian’s body is covered in bruises. Some of them big, some small, some dark, and some faded light. Trying to remember the last thing in his memory, he only gives himself a headache. He can't do this. He closes his eyes once more and tries to fall back asleep.

Not too long after, he assumes, he's woken by a nurse with red hair and some type of blue eyes. The lower part of her face is covered with a mask. “How are you feeling, Sophie?”

Sophie. He hasn't used that name in months. How could she know my name?

“It's Sofian…Foster,” he manages to croak. God his voice sounds awful.

A look of embarrassment plays over her features, as if she forgot something and quickly apologizes. “Ah, yes. You're Sofian! I must've switched records with another patient, right?”

She keeps talking in questions and it annoys him how much she wants to make him talk. He only nods his head in response. It doesn't really matter though, because he's sure they've realized who he is when they changed him into this hospital gown.

She explains that his neighbor called the ambulance for him because he saw Sofian lying on the floor of his porch with blood surrounding his body. Sofian doesn't remember any of that. She tells him that his neighbor, Mr. Forkle, he thinks, found him just in time because he might have died if he had found him just an hour later.

Maybe I wanted that extra hour.

Sofian closes his eyes while the nurse is still talking and tries to block the empty ringing pounding in his ears. Even if he doesn't remember what happened, he still knows that he would've preferred to have not been spotted so early.

“How long until I can go back?” he asks.

“About two weeks.”

That's sooner than he imagined. He opens his eyes and looks at his injuries again. They don't look too deep and there aren't enough places where they stitched to have caused him to almost die from bleeding out. Sofian feels as though he's missing something but he can't figure out what's wrong.

…

No one visited him while he was in the hospital, so it wasn't surprising that he was left alone to get home by himself. He can't even call that place a home, it's just a house with people.

His stitches were all removed the day prior and he was just released this morning. Since Sofian is documented to be 18 years old, he doesn't need a guardian to come take care of his medical bills or pick him up. He was simply shown directions towards the exit and excitedly ushered out. 

Sofian doesn't want to return to the house just yet so he's roaming the supermarket aisles, looking for packs of Buldak Ramen when he accidentally bumps into someone. He looks up to see a boy maybe a year or two older than him with brown hair and teal eyes holding a newspaper. He holds the newspaper up so Sofian can see it and smiles, “Is this you?” he asks. 

The headlines read “High School Student Becomes Fourth-Year Tennis Champion” and underneath is a picture of him standing at a small makeshift podium holding up his medal. “No,” Sofian denies. He begins walking away from him because even though he's a guy to him, Sofian doesn't trust men. 

But he grabs his shoulder and Sofian aims his elbow towards his gut when someone else pulls both his arms forward. He stumbles one step until he's glaring up only to see his math classmate. “I thought you were done with violence, Sofian?” she says accusingly. 

“So you are Sofian Foster. I knew it!” the guy says behind him. 

Sofian shrugs off Caitlyn and decides on leaving the market without his precious Ramen. This is too much of a fuss for his brain, and he needs to check up on his cat anyway. 

She's not necessarily his cat. She was just a mere kitten when he saw her rummaging through the trash cans in his backyard two years ago. He hasn't named her but he thinks of her as “Mitten” most of the time. She comes by often and he throws some leftovers from dinner towards her, and she leaves with a quick swipe of her food. 

Sofian doesn't know where she goes when she disappears behind the white fencing around his house, and he's never wondered enough to follow her. 

The bus ride home is as usual. People overcrowd the small space and constantly step on his feet, pushing him out of the way when they need to get out of the bus. 

Sofian feels a strange sort of relief from walking out at his neighborhood station, pulling up his red hood and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He slowly walks toward the house next to the front yard of Mr. Forkle's dwarf obsession. They sit in a strange pattern, something he can sense in the back of his mind but can't quite grasp. 

Hesitating at the front door of his house, Sofian hovers his hand over the handle of the door. The door is never locked unless he has the energy to lock it when he enters. It is just a small thing that is expected of him, and everyone just leaves it as his job. They don't care that we've been robbed before because of this, they blame it on him and guilt him into checking the lock of the door day and night. 

Finally, Sofian turns the knob and pushes open the door, quickly closing it behind him. The lights are off, and there are blood stains on the bottom of the stairs. The picture frame of Veronica and her friend with Dahl during their high school years is still lying on the floor in broken pieces. The glass was never picked up and has been like this for years. Sofian doesn't try to call out and tell anyone he's back, he knows they won't care.

Instead, he silently walks up the stairs toward his bedroom and heads inside, throwing some of his clothes out of the way as he reaches his bed. There's a human curled shape of a kid under his old blankets, and he's careful not to wake her as he lies down next to her. One of his legs and arms are swinging off the side of the bed as Sofian tries to fall asleep to her soft breathing and the start of rainfall from outside.

Chapter Text

Sofian is woken by the sound of a surprised gasp. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and smiles lazily at Amy, who's on the verge of tears. She throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing silently. She's a strong kid, so it's surprising to see her cry. He hugs her back and tries to calm her, patting her head and pushing her hair out of her face. 

She calms down after a while, sniffling and clinging to his arm. He felt terribly guilty for the time he was gone.

“You left me here,” she whispers. “They're so scary.”

Sofian plants a kiss on her forehead. “I know, okay? That was wrong of me and I'm a dickhead for that.”

She snorts a laugh. “You're not supposed to curse, I've never heard you curse.” 

“Well, I guess since you're getting older, I might allow you to say some bad words. Not always though, so don't test the limit.”

“I'm nine years old, I'm basically a grown up!” she objects.

He shakes his head, still smiling, and throws himself out of bed. He needs to take a nice long shower and then he needs to go to the shop to pick up something to eat. Sofian doubts Amy had a proper meal the past two weeks. 

The shower is burning hot and he lets the water sting his skin, rubbing at his arms and legs with a scrub until they turn hot pink. He steps out of the shower and throws on a robe, looking through the sink cabinets for his hairdryer. Although Sofian knows it doesn't take long for his hair to dry, and the hairdryer isn't exactly in a safe place, it saves him a lot of time and actually makes his hair look okay. It's probably the only thing he finds okay about himself. 

Amy isn't on his bed anymore when he finally steps out of the bathroom. Instead, the door is open and there's yelling coming from somewhere downstairs. Sofian hurries down the stairs, not bothering with his second sock as he dashes towards the sound. The only thing in his mind is that Amy is okay and that the shouting is for something else, hopefully just between his parents.

When he's finally close enough to figure out what is going on, he slows in his tracks because Amy is alright. On the other hand, Dahl is yelling curses at someone outside the door, and Amy is wiping the table with a wet cloth. 

“You need to leave my property right now before I put my hands on you, you little bitch! And believe me when I say I'm not scared of getting my hands dirty-” 

Sofian peers over Dahl’s shoulder to see who's at the door and is shocked to see the creepy guy from the supermarket yesterday. He's wearing a different color vest from last time, a blue one with intricate designs on the front. He seems horrified at the words coming out of Dahl’s mouth and steps back a little. “I only wanted to speak with your son-”

Dahl pushes him from the porch and steps outside to begin a fight. Sofian’s about to yell at him before the guy gets up from the ground and runs away, far from their house. Dahl returns, slamming the door behind him angrily, glaring daggers in Sofian’s direction. “Are these the type of people you have been seeing behind my back?!” He yells, grabbing a hold of his arm and throwing Sofian against the floor.

…

He's sitting on the plain grass in their backyard with Amy, the bruise still throbbing on his face. Amy tried her best to cover it with makeup but that didn't do much good, only lightened it. She beats him at Chopsticks for the fourth time before she says she'll go inside to fetch El Fudges from their hidden stash under their bed. She says she's been saving it from three weeks ago to eat it together, and that this is the only time they've actually spent time with each other in a while. She seems bright and happy to have them soon, so he doesn't object to it even though he doesn't want to eat. 

While Sofian waits for her, he picks at the hangnails on his fingers until he hears a strange sound come from the other side of the fence, his neighbors fence. His head snaps to the side to see the creepy guy with his head peeking up from the fencing. He's behind the white wood, squatting down so only his hair and eyes are visible. “Pssst,” he whispers. “Sofian.”

Sofian is hella weirded out. He's about to turn towards the house until he says something shocking. “I know you can read minds, Sofian.” He's frozen in his tracks. “There's other elves like you. You're not human.” This guy must be high. “You know you're not human, Sofian. So don't try to hide it with me. I'm here to take you to the Lost Cities.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

There is no way. Sofian doesn't want to believe him, so he doesn't. He gets up and runs towards his house almost to his back door when Creepy Guy grabs his arm and pulls Sofian backward. He doesn't know what happens but he suddenly feels a surge of anger rush through his veins. This causes his mind reading capability that he had barely gotten under control to lose its stability and stabs at his brain like needles. The pain is so unbearable and it takes him a while to get used to the thoughts that Creepy Guy is thinking. 

This is not going well. Maybe I should have just told my dad the truth and let him handle it. If she doesn't trust me right now, she won't trust me at all. I can't lose the only job that I was responsible for. I need to do this and get her to my world. Yes! If she sees Eternalia she'll know that I wasn't lying! I need to show her-

Sofian twists his arm and kicks him in the shin. He grunts and lets go of him, which is all Sofian needs to jab his elbow towards his stomach. He doubles over in pain and-

And Amy is in front of him, blocking Sofian from hitting Creepy Guy. She looks truly scared of him and Sofian trips over his own foot. When he looks back at her, she flinches away. Oh God, what has he done?

“Eternalia~” the guy whispers. He seems to still be trying to recover from Sofian’s hard blow, which he takes as a compliment. “I promise that you'll be safer there. You won't need to hide who you truly are~”

He focuses again on his thoughts.

Can't she believe me? She can read minds as far as I know! Or wait? Did I get the wrong person? No, but the store yesterday…I need to show her somehow.

“Show me then,” he demands. “If you're even talking about the truth.”

Creepy Guy looks up at him with wide eyes. “Were you able to read my mind? How? My defenses are one of the strongest!”

Clearly not strong enough, dipshit.

Sofian wills his power under the surface because he can't stand the headache and nods at Creepy Guy. “Do you have a name or should I just call you Creepy Guy?” 

He winces and gets up from the ground. “I'm Fitz Vacker.”

Ritz Cracker his ass.

Chapter Text

Sofian folded his arms as Fitz pulled out a slender silver wand with intricate carvings etched into the sides. At the tip, a small, round crystal sparkled in the sunlight.
“Is that your magic wand?” Sofian scoffed. Can someone that good looking really be that crazy?
He rolled his eyes. “Actually, it’s a pathfinder-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Sofian covered Amy’s eyes with one hand and then pulled his other arm for a punch. He stumbled back in a grunt and clutched his bleeding nose. There was no way Sofian was that stupid. And there was absolutely no way he was ever going to trust a crazy man. He kicked him in the knee, which sent him to the ground, and pulled his sister with him towards the house. Right when he opened the back door and pushed Amy inside, he was pulled back by Fitz with his bloody hand.
His emotions got the better of him and thought that the only thing he did was reach towards the chair in the back porch, not actually touch it. But the chair went flying to Fitz and crashed into his side. He lay on the floor, clutching his side while Sofian heaved heavy breaths. The door was closed where Amy was pounding on the door to be let out, and Sofian was blocking the doorway with his back.
As Fitz tried to get up, the chair levitated back to its original spot. “See? Is this a normal thing that humans can do?” he asked, clearly with a voice of pain and anger. “You’re an elf Sofian, you’re one of us.”
Elf. Riiight.
“I was caught off guard by your eyes when I first saw you, I didn’t know your eyes were brown,” he admits.
Sofian glares at him while still keeping a hold on the door behind him. “What’s wrong with my eyes? Honestly! You think you’re that much better than me?” He says angrily.
“No! That’s not what I meant! I mean-everyone in Eternalia has blue eyes, and I’ve never seen an elf with brown eyes before. It’s basically never even been heard of!”
Well, they must have high beauty standards then. Good thing he’s never been familiar with compliments. In addition, if he believed in what Fitz was saying, that wouldn’t necessarily mean he trusted the guy. Maybe it was worth a shot…
“Okay,” he said. “Fine. I’m an elf. Am I supposed to help Frodo destroy the ring and save Middle-earth? Or do I have to make toys in the North Pole?”
Fitz let out a sigh. “Would it help if I showed you?”
“Oh, sure—this ought to be good.” From the corner of his eye, Sofian saw Amy running from the side of the house. Ugh. She must have resorted to the front door.
She flailed her arms as she ran up the stairs of the back porch. “Stop!” she shouted. “I want to go with you!”
“I’m not going anywhere. This guy is just crazy,” Sofian suggested.
“No! I want to leave this place with you! I thought you said you wanted to be able to leave the first chance you got, right?”
Even though Sofian was registered as an eighteen year old, he wasn’t necessarily old enough to even drive a car. If he remembered correctly, he would be fourteen years old. Even if he wanted to run away from home, which he legally could, Amy is still in the custody of Veronica and Dahl. If he were to take her with him without their permission, he would be looked for all over by the authorities for kidnapping a child. And surprisingly, Veronica and Dahl always acted motherly and fatherly around child protective services, always seeming like a happy family.
“I–I guess so…”
“Please, Sofian! I want to go! I want to live with elves! I don’t care if I have to work for the North Pole!”
Sofian looked over at Fitz, who was spinning the wand in his hand anxiously. “What were you saying about that thing being a pathfinder?”
“Well, it can be dangerous. Do you guys promise you’ll do exactly what I tell you to do?” he asked.
Sofian frowned. “That depends. What do we have to do?”
“You need to take my hand and concentrate on holding on. And by concentrate, I mean you can’t think about anything else–no matter what happens. Can you do that?”
“Why?”
“Do you want proof or not?”
He wanted to say no–he couldn’t actually prove anything. What was he going to do–whisk them away on some magic elf land? But she wanted out of the house…
He willed himself not to worry about Amy as all their fingers laced together. Fitz glanced over his shoulder, scanning the backyard of the house. “Okay, we’re alone. We go on three. Are you guys ready?”
“What happens on three?” Amy asked.
“One,” he counted, ignoring Sofian’s sister, and he scowled at Fitz for being rude. He raised the wand, sunlight hit a facet in the crystal and a bright beam refracted toward the ground. “Two,” he tightened his grip. “Three.” Sofian closed his eyes.
Fitz pulled them forward, and the warm tingling in her hand shot through his body–like a million feathers swelling underneath his skin, tickling him from the inside out. Faster than a blink of an eye, the warmth faded, and he opened his eyes. His mouth fell open as he tried to take it all in.
Sofian, Amy, and Fitz stood at the edge of a glassy river lined with impossibly tall trees, fanning out their wide emerald leaves among the puffy white clouds. Across the river, a row of crystal castles glittered in the sunlight in a way that would make Walt Disney want to throw rocks at his “Magic Kingdom.” To his right, a golden path led to a sprawling city, where the elaborate domed buildings seemed to be built from brick-sized jewels–each structure a different color.
“This actually eats and leaves no crumbs…” Sofian heard Amy whisper. She only talks like that when she’s in a daze, otherwise she would have been scolded for not talking like a mannerly lady when they’re at home. “Where are we, mister?”
“Our capital,” he answers. “We call it Eternalia, but you might have heard it called Shangri-la before.” Sofian has no idea what Shangri-la is. Perhaps it is due to him not receiving education properly for a couple years, always two grades behind on people his documented age. He barely attends school even when he has the time, due to always being stuck doing work to earn money. And he doesn’t have enough to buy the higher textbooks he needs for his high school classes, occasionally winning an award for tennis and receiving a check for his skills. That’s the only time he allows himself to attend school, playing tournaments with his school tennis team, riding the bus to different parts of California.
“Shangri-la is real?” Amy asked. Amy is different from Sofian. She goes to school regularly, since it is only two blocks away from their house and she goes to school by herself everyday. She studies hard, much different from Sofian, who is too tired to spend his extra time on school work. Her grades are amazing, and she’s a grade ahead of kids her age.
“All of the Lost Cities are real–but not how you’d picture them, I’m sure. Human stories rarely get anything right–think of all the ridiculous things you’ve heard about elves.”
“Hm.” Amy replied, still gripping Sofian’s hand.
“Where is everyone?” Sofian asked, rising to his tiptoes to get a better view of the city. The streets were a ghost town.
Fitz pointed to a domed building that towered over all the others. It looked like a serious place, for serious things. “See the blue banner flying? That means a Tribunal is in progress. Everyone’s watching the proceedings.”
“A Tribunal?” Amy repeated.
“When the Council–basically our royalty-”
“Kinda egotistical,” Sofian muttered underneath his breath.
“-holds a hearing to decide if someone’s broken a law. They’re kind of a big deal when they happen. Laws are barely broken.”
Well, that was different. Humans broke the law all the time. “Is this magic?” he asked in a bored voice.
“No,” he said, frowning. “Magic is a stupid idea humans came up with to try and explain things they couldn’t understand.”
“‘Kay.”
“Anyways, we got here with light leaping. We hitched a ride on a beam of light that was headed straight here.”
“That’s a stupid way to travel,” Sofian concluded.
“But it’s…effective?”
Sofian huffed out a frustrated sigh.
“Concentrate harder this time,” Fitz said as he grabbed Sofian’s hand again. He closed his eyes and waited for the warm feather sensation. Except this time it felt as though someone turned one a hair dryer and sent the feathers scattering in a hundred directions. A second later, he was shivering from a cold ocean breeze whipping his hair back and forth.

Chapter Text

A castle stood in front of them. The bells chimed and Fitz yanked him and Amy behind a large rock as a gateway opened. Two elves with floor length velvet capes draped over their black tunics emerged, followed by dozens of bizarre creatures marching in military formation down the rocky path.
“Why are we hiding?” Sofian whispered irritably.
“We’re dressed like humans. Humans are forbidden in the Lost Cities–especially here, in Luminaria. Luminaria is where all the other worlds come together.”
“Why are humans forbidden?” Amy asked the obvious question. Sofian was too lost to understand much of anything, he would have to ask Amy again later.
Fitz motioned for them to follow him to a rock father away, squatting behind it. “They betrayed us. The Ancient Councillors offered them the same treaty they made with all the intelligent creatures, and they agreed. Then they decided they wanted to rule the world–like it even works that way–and started planning a war. The Ancients didn’t want violence, so they disappeared, forbade any contact with humans, and left them to their own devices.”
Oh yeah, leave the fucking humans to have most of the power. Smart choice.
War, crime, famine–humans had a lot of problems.
“This is who you are, Sofian. This is where you belong.”
Where you belong.
He had waited all his life to hear those words. “I’m really an elf?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
His head spinned in a hundred different directions. Like the many times it did when he felt alone. “Okay,” he decided. “I might just believe you.”
“What about me?” Amy questioned. “I’m not an elf, I don’t think. I’m smart enough to register that. What will happen to me?”
“Actually,” Fitz replied. “I wasn’t even supposed to bring you. But I don’t think Sofian would have come if you didn’t. Wait, I wasn’t even supposed to bring Sofian either.”
“Then why did you? Are you breaking a law or something?” Sofian wondered.
“Uhm…That’s not important. Ready to go home?”
“Absolutely not.” “Absolutely not.” Amy and Sofian chorused at the same time.
Amy continued, “You said that he belongs here, and I want to stay here too. You can’t make us go back! I’ll bite you! And my brother is more than capable of disposing your body-”
Sofian covered her mouth with his hand. “Let’s not scare the guy, Amy,” he said, glancing at the horrified expression on Fitz’s face. “He might not want to accompany us longer if it seems as though we are a threat to him,” he whispered, so only Amy was able to hear him.
“Well…” he continued, uncomfortable and shifting his position. “Don’t you guys have anything that you might want to bring from your house?”
“Maybe something…but we can get that later. What do I need to do to stay here permanently? Also, I’m eighteen so I need to know if I have to get a job-”
“First of all, we were informed that your documented age is a lie. Aren’t you thirteen?”
“Fourteen,” he corrected.
“Yeah, so you’re gonna have to get adopted.”
Sofian felt prickly about that idea. He and Amy never had any luck with good parents, and he didn’t want to know how much worse elves can be than humans. If laws were rarely broken, doesn’t that mean people don’t get caught in their acts? He doesn’t want to share another horrible experience with Amy.
“We’re able to take care of ourselves. We don’t need adults.”
“Or parents,” Amy added agreeingly.
“Uhm, I’m definitely gonna get into a lot of trouble for this but we can go to my house and tell my dad because this is unplanned and my dad doesn’t even know I found the boy we had been looking for for years-”
“Damn,” Amy commented.
“Anyways, yeah. Let’s go….” Fitz didn’t make any move to use his pathfinder.
“What’s the problem now?” Sofian asked, he tried to use his ability again to probe his mind but something blocked him off.
“I forgot my dad is probably at the Tribunal right now.”
“Oh,” Amy voiced aloud.
“Guess that sucks,” Sofian added. “Do you have a mother?”
Fitz looked at her in a dumb face expression. “Do I have a mother? Of course I have a mom! Death isn’t common for elves as it is for humans-”
Since Sofian was an elf, he was immortal apparently? Is this the reason for him not being able to die at whatever circumstance he found himself at? “So if you guys can’t die?”
“We can, but it’s really rare for us. We don’t have an age limit as humans do. But we can still die from other causes.”
“Oh.” Sofian felt super dumb.
“Why are you asking such ridiculous questions? Don’t you understand what I mean by most of this?”
Sofian’s cheeks flamed with heat from embarrassment. He wasn’t educated enough and it probably is shown by how much he is asking for the explanations.
Amy quickly changed the subject. “Take us to your house anyway. We’ll wait for your father to come back from the Tribunal. Your mother’s home right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Great then, we can wait.”
…
Sofian had to shield his face as he surveyed his new surroundings. The enormous metal gate in front of them glowed as bright as sunlight, nearly blinding him. “Welcome to Everglen,” Fitz said, leading them toward the doors. “What do you think?”
“It’s very bright,” Sofian observed.
Fitz laughed. “Yeah. The gate absorbs all the light, so no one can leap directly inside. My dad works for the Council, so he likes his privacy at home.”
This guy gives a lot of unnecessary information, Sofian realized.
A faint click sounded, and the gate swung inward. A striking figure stood in a small, grassy clearing surrounded by the same enormous trees he’d seen growing along the river in the capitol.
“Sofian, this is my mom, Della,” Fitz introduced.
She smiled warmly which made Sofian more suspicious of their hospitality and clutched Amy’s hand tighter. “Are you two girls Fitz’s friends?” she asked. Sofian glared.
“This is Sofian Foster and Amy Foster,” he said, pointing at each of them in turn.
Della’s eyebrows scrunched together, “Your dad didn’t say anything about having found him, Fitz.”
He flushed in embarrassment. “Actually, he doesn’t know I found Sofian, I acted repulsively.”
Sofian waited for the angry shouts, sobbing protests from Fitz, a hand ready to strike, instead Della sighed and reached out to ruffle his hair. “Don’t do anything without telling your dad next time, okay?”
Fitz smiled and Della placed a kiss on his forehead.
It’s hard to put it into words, how the holidays would always hurt. I watch the fathers with their little girls, and wonder what I did to deserve this…How could you hurt a little kid...
Della converted her focus to the two of them, she smiled and gestured towards the castle like house. “Come on, you guys must be hungry. You can wait inside if you like.”

Chapter Text

Della treated them to a substance called mallowmelt, a gooey cake that tasted like fresh-baked chocolate chocolate chip cookies soaked in ice cream and covered in frosting and butterscotch. It melted on Sofian’s tongue and was, hands down, the best thing he had ever tasted.

Not long after, a figure wearing a midnight blue cap fastened across his shoulders with a clasp that looked like a pair of yellow, diamond-encrusted wings bursted through the hallways. He was tall with the same vibrant teal eyes and dark wavy hair as Fitz—it was impossible to miss the family resemblance. When he spotted Sofian, his eyes widened in shock and quickly glanced at Fitz. “You found him?” he asked with an accent more prominent than Fitz’s.

He flushed. “Oh, uh, yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? This could go against the law, Fitz-” he kept talking, pointing out how he should have told him about having found Sofian.

“If it helps, I threatened his life if he didn’t bring me here. His thoughts were very clear and I was curious. And I don’t really care if you don’t want us here, me and Amy are not going back,” Sofian half-lied. Amy nodded next to him, stuffing her face with another helping of mallowmelt. Sofian only had one. 

“I’m not sure if you are joking about the threatening his life part-” Della added.

“Well then, Sofian, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I see you have…brown eyes?” He calmed down a bit. When Sofian didn’t answer, he kept going. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I think the color is quite handsome. Don’t you, Fitz?”

“I don’t require your flattery, nor am I embarrassed. So stop with your nice acts, all I want is a place to sleep for now,” Sofian replied.

He looked taken aback. “Okay, but we have to bring you to the Council, maybe they’ll let you complete the test right now. You can call me Alden, by the way.”

“You couldn’t hear her either, could you?” Fitz said.

Alden nodded, “You are indeed a fascinating boy.”

Sofian jumped up from his seat, his hands forming fists at his sides. “Were you trying to read my mind? Shouldn’t that be against your laws or something or is that just a minor problem that isn’t even addressed?”

“It’s not allowed but I believe I can be excused since you are a new child and I had to know if you were safe. It isn’t as if I found anything out anyway,” Alden responded calmly. 

“I don’t fucking care, don't probe my mind. Ever.” They all seemed horrified at his words, as if they hadn’t ever heard something like what he said come out of anyone’s mouth. “What’s the problem?” He demanded.

“There’s no reason to curse, Sofian-” Della started.

“Okay, fine, take me to your Council. I want to take the test to decide if I will stay here.” 

“The test is to decide if you will attend school or not, not your new home,” Alden corrected.

“Okay then. Whatever,” Sofian said, starting to get irritated. It was enough for a person to take so long to do something but it was something else to have to be stuck around people for more than needed. He wanted to sleep and take a shower, he felt dirty even though he had taken a shower just a few hours ago. 

“You need a nexus. Fitz wasn’t supposed to lightleap without it on you, yet another thing that he forgot-”

“How about me? What do I do?” Amy interrupted, pulling Sofian’s arm and urging her to sit. “You guys seem to be completely forgetting about my existence.”

Alden looked surprised. “Oh! I was so focused on Sofian I hadn’t even realized you were there! What are you doing here?”

“I’m Amy.”

“Amy….?”

“Sofian’s younger sister.”

“Oh, I’m afraid you can’t stay here. Only eleves are allowed and we might have to erase your memory of this interaction wholly-”

“I’m not staying here without my sister. She either goes here with me or I will stay in California,” Sofian countered. 

“You guys said you have been looking for my brother for years, he must be important for something. You need him.”

Sofian hadn’t thought about that fact, and it unnerved him how well Amy was able to persuade the three of the elves in front of them.

Alden looked perplexed. “I’ll–I’ll have to ask the Council. This decision isn’t mine to make…”

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

Sofian stared at his new accessory. The wide band had a single teal jewel into the front, a smooth gray rectangle on the back, and intricate symbols etched all around. He blinked when he realized they were letters. Letter that spelled out gibberish. Which seems like an odd way to decorate a bracelet. 

Alden twisted the band again and it clicked with finality. “There. All set.”

“What is it?” Amy asked, staring at her own bracelet.

“A safety precaution. Your body has to break into tiny particles to be carried by the light, and the nexus holds those particles together until your concentration is strong enough to do it for you. Fitz never should have let you leap without one—even with the life threatening situation.”

“Fitz doesn’t have one.” Sofian pointed his chin to his bare wrist.

“I got mine off early. My concentration is strong enough for three people–which is why we’re fine. Sofian’s not even a little bit faded, and you know it.”

“Only fools overestimate their skills, son. You’ve never had to watch someone fade away. Perhaps if you had, you would be more cautious.”

Son. What a strange word.

Fitz’s eyes dropped to the ground.

Amy tried to change the subject for Fitz, Sofian guessed. “What does it mean to fade away?” She asked quietly.

A second passed before Alden answered, and he looked like he was watching a memory. “It’s when you lose too much of yourself in a leap. Your body isn’t able to fully reform, and eventually the light pulls the rest of you away and you’re lost forever.” Alden cleared his throat. “It’s only happened a few times, and we’d prefer to keep it that way.” He shot a reproving look at Fitz.

Fitz shrugged. “Fine. The next time you send me on a secret mission to collect a long lost elf, I’ll be sure to put the nexus on before I leap him here.”

Alden’s lips looked like they wanted to smile as he motioned for Sofian and Fitz to follow him down the path. “We should get to the Council now.”

Amy and Sofian followed him down the narrow path lined with trees blooming blue and red and pink and purple–every color of the rainbow. “How exactly does this test decode my future?”

“They’re testing you to see if you qualify for Foxfire.” Fitz paused, like that was supposed to mean something.

“Isn’t that glowing fungus?” Amy asked.

Alden cracked up. 

Fitz looked a little insulted. “It’s our most prestigious academy.”

“You named your most prestigious academy after fungus?” Amy had a small smile turning her lips upward.

“It represents a bright glow in a darkened world.”

“But . . . the light comes from fungus.”

Fitz rolled his eyes. “Will you stop saying ‘fungus’? Only those with the strongest talent qualify for Foxfire, and if you don’t get in, you might as well kiss your brother’s future goodbye.”

Alden placed his hand on her shoulder. “You’ll have to excuse my son. He’s very proud to attend Foxfire—and it’s definitely an accomplishment. But don’t let him worry you. The earliest levels are more of a testing ground, to see who develops abilities that qualify them to continue with their studies.”

“Will I also be able to attend?” Amy asked hopefully.

“Only elves with abilities are able to, but I believe you’ll be fine. You seem to be speaking our language pretty naturally and can pass for an elf. If we’re able to convince the Council you are both fully biologically related.”

Alden must really need Sofian for something. Sofian just hoped it wasn’t going to end up in him or his younger sister getting hurt. 

One problem at a time.

“Is it going to be hard to get into Foxfire?” he asked. 

“Councillor Bronte will be difficult to impress,” Alden admitted. “He feels your upbringing and lack of proper education should disqualify you. Plus, he doesn’t like surprises. The Council had no idea you existed until today, and he’s more than a little miffed about it. But you only need two out of three votes. Just do the best you can.”

Before they left for the Council place or something, Alden had used some sort of elven object to communicate with the Council. He had rushed to another room so Sofian wasn’t able to hear what he had told them.

Soon, they arrived at another clearing, and all coherent thoughts vanished. Dozens of squat, brown-skinned creatures with huge gray eyes tended a garden that belonged in a fairy tale. Lush plants grew up and down and sideways and slantways. One of the creatures shuffled by, carrying a basket filled with twinkling purple fruit.

“What?” It was the only word Sofian could come up with.

“I’m guessing this isn’t quite how you pictured gnomes, is it?” Aldenasked.

“Um, no.” These definitely weren’t little old men in pointy hats, like Mr. Forkle’s lawn statues. “So . . . you have gnomes for servants?”

Alden stopped to stare at him. “We would never have servants. The gnomes choose to live with us because it’s safer in our world. And they help in our gardens because they enjoy it. We’re privileged to have them. You’ll get your first taste of gnomish produce during lunch, and you’re in for quite a treat.”

He watched a gnome dig slimy yellow tubers that looked like giant slugs out of the ground. He hoped none of those was on the menu. 

Sofian peeled his eyes away from the strange scene as Alden led him and Amy out of the garden to a meadow with a house in the center, one so large, so elegant, he couldn’t believe anyone could call it “home.” Part castle, part manor, it was made almost entirely of intricately cut crystal, and among the numerous turrets and gables rose a tower that resembled a lighthouse. They passed through two massive doors made of braided silver, and entered a round foyer, which sparkled like a prism in the sunlight.

“This way,” Alden said, reaching for his hand to lead him down the widest hallway, only retracting when Sofian flinched away. “You have nothing to be afraid of,” he assured when the hall dead-ended at a pair of extravagant doors.

He tried to make himself believe him as Fitz pulled the doors open and led them into a formal dining room. Sheer silk curtains covered the glass walls, drawing the eye up to an enormous chandelier—a waterfall of long, shimmering crystals—that hung over a round table set with domed platters and fancy goblets. Three figures in jewel-encrusted circlets rose from the plush, throne-like chairs surrounding the table.

He perhaps should have bowed, but he wasn’t going to bow to figures that didn’t rule him.

“Councillors, this is Sofian and Amy Foster,” Alden introduced with a quick bow. “Sofian, this is Kenric, Oralie, and Bronte.”

Kenric was built like a football player, with wild red hair and a big, toothy grin. Oralie looked like a fairy princess—rosy cheeks and long golden ringlets. And then there was Bronte.

“What’s up with your ears?” Sofian dead-panned. 

Amy snickered while Fitz’s whole body shook with laughter. Bronte did not look at all pleased to be left out of the joke. 

“I think she’s surprised that your ears are . . . pointy,” Alden finally answered. “Our ears change shape as we age. Eventually it’ll happen to all of us.”

“I’m going to get pointy ears? Cool shit.”

“We’re going to have pointy ears, Sofian,” Amy corrected out loud. 

“Not-not for a few thousand years,” Alden promised, sounding uncomfortable. “You’ll be disappointed to know that we don’t get our pointy ears quickly.”

“Kay.” Sofian sank into a chair and Amy grabbed the one next to him before Fitz could sit. Across, Kenric scooted his chair a touch closer to Oralie’s than he really needed to.

“Please, help yourselves,” Alden added, pointing to the domed platters in front of each guest.

Chapter Text

Sofian wasn’t particularly disgusted by what stood in front of him. He was used to eating things that weren’t necessarily appetizing and so was Amy, so they dug right into the black strips and purple mushy glop. When he took his first bite, it tasted like the juiciest cheeseburger he had once eaten when Veronica wasn’t high. What was that, six years ago? Eight?

“What is this stuff?” Sofian asked.

“That’s mashed carnissa root. The black strips are umber leaves,” Alden explained.

Sofian took a bite of umber leaf. “Tastes like chicken.”

“You eat animals?” Fitz asked in a tone that would have made more sense if he’d said he ate toxic waste.

Amy nodded, “I take it you guys are vegetarians?”

Everyone nodded.

Sofian silently scoffed. Meat wasn’t a common thing in their household, so whenever someone miraculously brought chicken and fish, everyone would fight over it. Not that Veronica and Dahl ever shared. It irritated him how the elves just took it for granted. Stop judging people for what they choose to eat just because you don’t eat it.
It’s not like Sofian ever even had the delicacy to nit-pick his food. He either had something to eat, or he didn’t. He and Amy never had anything to eat if they didn’t like their first and only choice. If you didn’t want to starve, you were going to have to force yourself through it. Whether it was found on the floor or picked up from the moldy cabinet.

“So, Sofian.” Bronte sneered his name like it bothered him to say it. “Alden tells me you’re a Telepath.”

“Yeah,” he replied through a mouthful of food.

“And when did you manifest your ability, exactly?”

“When I was four.”

Kenric’s and Oralie’s jaws dropped.

“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard,” Bronte argued.

“It’s unusual,” Alden corrected, looking a little bit shocked himself.

Bronte rolled his eyes as he turned to Sofian. “Let’s see how good you are, then. Tell me what I’m thinking.”

What a stuck up bitch.

Even with Bronte’s attitude, Sofian wanted a better life for Amy. If she could attend the prestigious school they were talking about earlier, Amy would be the happiest she has ever been. She would be away from all the trauma she grew up around, and maybe this could be a do-over for the horrible life Sofian was leading for himself. For a moment and a second alone, he let himself hope for a happier future.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax enough to concentrate.

He reached out with his mind like he had earlier that day for Fitz.. Bronte’s mind felt different from Fitz’s—deeper somehow, like he was stretching his mental shadow much further. And when he finally felt his thoughts, they were more like an icy gust than a gentle breeze.

“You’re thinking that you’re the only one at this table with any common sense,” he announced. “And you’re tired of watching Kenric stare at Oralie.” What a great leader that was chosen to rule over this Eternalia place.

Bronte’s jaw fell open and Kenric’s face turned as red as his hair. Oralie looked down at her plate, her cheeks flushing pink.

“I take it that’s right?” Alden asked, hiding his smile behind his hand.

Bronte nodded, looking angry, chagrined, and incredulous all at the same time. “How can that be? An Ancient mind is almost impenetrable.”

“The key word in that sentence is ‘almost,’” Alden reminded him. “Don’t feel bad—he also breached Fitz’s blocking.”

Fitz flushed red and Bronte grinned saying, “Sounds like Alden’s golden boy isn’t as infallible as everyone thinks.”

“It’s more likely that Sofian is exceptionally special,” Alden corrected.

“Fitz also saw him lift a chair with telekinesis yesterday. Considering the fact he was never educated on how to control his abilities properly.”

“You’re kidding!” Kenric gasped, recovering from his embarrassment. “At his age? Now that I have to see.”

Alden nodded, “Why not try something small?” He then pointed to the crystal goblet in front of him.

Sofian had found out he can move objects with his mind only a year prior, and he wasn’t able to carry anything more than twenty pounds. The last time he checked, the box of books fell right on his feet.

He imagined lifting the goblet with his hand, except his hand wasn’t outstretched and he was only doing so with his mind. Nothing happened for a second but then the familiar pull warmed his stomach and the glass floated off the table. “There.”

“That’s it?” Bronte scoffed, unimpressed.

“Give her a second. He's still getting used to his ability.” Alden almost put his hand on his shoulder but then took a step back when Sofian sneered. “Take a deep breath—relax—then see what else you can do. And remember, your mind has no limitations—unlike your physical body,” he explained.

At this, five other goblets rose like flying saucers.
Kenric applauded. “Excellent control.”

I don’t need your praise.

Bronte snorted. “It’s a couple of glasses. I would have thought he could lift ten times his body weight with how much Alden was determined to find him.”

Sofian used his anger to shove every ounce of the force he could feel in his core toward the three empty chairs next to Bronte.

A collective gasp rang in the air as the three chairs floated off the ground, including the one Bronte sat on.

“Incredible,” Alden breathed.

Sofian pettily let his hold on everything break.

Fitz screamed like a little boy as the goblets shattered against the table and the chairs crashed on the floor, knocking Bronte flat on his back with a thunderous collision. For a second no one said anything; they just stared in open-mouthed shock. But when Bronte hollered for someone to help him up, everyone burst into a fit of laughter.

For a second, Sofian felt relieved. His taut shoulders relaxed a bit and he almost cracked a smile. Almost.

Kenric clapped him on the back, pulling him out of his moment of bliss, he flinched under the touch. “I’ve never seen such natural talent. You’re even a natural at our language. Your accent is perfect. Almost as perfect as these guys’.” He pointed to Alden and Fitz.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, assuming he’d heard him wrong.

Fitz laughed. “You’ve been speaking the Enlightened Language since we leaped here—just like you did yesterday. Your sister too, of course,” he said with a side-long glance at Amy.

He was speaking a different language—with an accent?

“Our language is instinctive,” Alden explained. “We speak from birth—I’m sure people thought you were an interesting baby. Though to humans our language sounds like babbling.”

“I’m right here too, ya know!” Amy added.

“Oh!” Oralie looked shocked to see Amy there, sitting right next to Sofian. As if she hadn’t acknoledged her presence even though she had spoken a couple of times.

“And you are?” Bronte huffed.

Amy flushed. “I’m Amy. Amy Foster."

“And what would you have to add to this conversation?”

“I’m here because my brother is. I’m also an elf,” she lied. Sofian and Amy have always been amazing at lying. Growing up, it was probably the only thing that helped them survive and twist the reality around them. Veronica and Dahl would always find their own reasons to punish them anyway, sometimes the reason being that they needed something to take out their anger.

“You are? And how exactly were you in the Forbidden Cities?” Kenric asked, suddenly curious.

“Same way my brother was. I don’t know how, but we have always been together. Half blood related.”

Sofian quickly realized that the Council might just test their DNA to confirm that they were fully siblings. At this, he panicked for a bit until his sister tapped her chair in a three step rhythm.

Trust me. I know what I’m doing.

She was the smart one anyway, he thought.

“I guess we’ll have to see soon enough,” Bronte answered skeptically, his eyes squinting at Amy as if to spot the resemblance.

“I am able to speak the Enlightened Language, am I not?”

“I-I guess…”

“Then I don’t see the problem with anything. In fact, I believe you should apologize for your rudeness.”

With this final blow at his pride, Bronte angrily got up from his chair and stomped out of the room, leaving everyone in awkward silence.

“Well-” Kenric started to stay, before Amy interrupted him.

“Is there a word that sounds like ‘soybean’ in English? I know the language but I am not much sure…”

“Soybean?” Alden asked.

“Sofian used to say it when we were younger. Veronica and Dahl thought she was trying to say his name and mispronouncing it. They even turned it into a nickname for a while-” Fitz chuckled beside Amy who seemed to have lost her train of thought.

Veronica and Dahl were nicer when they were younger, calling them sweet nicknames like Soybean for Sofian and Peony for Amy. The Peony nickname came from her obsession with the flower when she was three, so invested in the plant that she made a soup mixed with Peonies and Coca-Cola. Somehow, she had convinced him to eat it and if Sofian were to be honest…It was genuinly not that bad. Even with the raw plucked flowers that were washed with the soda that was in the makeshift bowl.

Kenric shrugged. “I can’t think of what that would be.”

Fitz and Oralie nodded. But Alden looked pale.

“What is it?” Oralie asked him.

Alden waved the words away. “Probably nothing.”

“Share,” Kenric gestured.

Alden sighed. “It’s . . . possible she was saying suldreen—but it’s a stretch."

“What does suldreen mean?” Sofian asked.

Alden hesitated before he answered. “It’s the proper name for a moonlark, a rare species of bird. But most likely you were trying to say your name. You were hearing it all the time so it’s natural that you would try to repeat it.” Alden said it like he was trying to convince himself as much as him.

Bronte bursted into the room looking angry. “I came back to make my decision,” he states. “I vote against—and you will not convince me otherwise.”

Sofian wasn’t surprised, so he looked hopefully at the other two Councillors.

Kenric shook his head. “You’re being absurd, Bronte. I vote in favor—and you won’t convince me otherwise.”

All eyes turned turned to Oralie for the final vote. Oralia hadn’t said a word the entire time, so Sophie had no idea where she stood. “Give me your hand, Sofian,” Oralie said in a voice as fragile and lovely as her face.

“Oralie’s an Empath,” Fitz explained. “She can feel your emotions.”

Sofian sketptically extended his hand. Oralie grasped it with a delicate touch.

“I feel a lot of anger and suspicioun,” Oralie whispered. “But I’ve never felt such strong hope. And there’s something else…I’m not sure I can describe it.” She opened her huge, azure eyes and stared at Sofian. “You have my vote.”

Alden clapped his hands together with a huge grin. “That settles it then.”

“For now,” Bronte corrected. “This will be revisited. I’ll make sure of it.”

Alden’s smile faded. “When?”

“We should wait till the end of the year. Give Sofian some time to adjust,” Kenric announced.

“Excellent,” Alden agreed.

“Fools,” Bronte grumbled. “I invoke my right as Senior Councillor to demand a probe.”

“What’s a probe?” he asked Fitz as Alden led everyone else out of the room.

Fitz leaned on the back of Sofian’s chair. “Just a different way to read your mind. It’s no big deal. Happens all the time when you’re in telepathy training—which it looks like you’ll be. I can’t believe you passed. It looked bad for you there for a minute.”

“I know. Why did Bronte demand a probe?”

“Because he’s a pain. Well, that and I think he’s worried that my dad couldn’t read your mind."

“Worried?”

“I guess maybe ‘bothered’ is a better word. My dad’s really good. And so am I.” He flashed a cocky smile. “So if we can’t read your mind, it’s kind of like, who can?”

“Okay,” he said, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “But why does he care if no one can read my mind?”

“Probably because of your upbringing.”
Sofian didn’t want to elaborate on what he meant.

Alden swept back into the room. “Sofian, why don’t you come with me, and we’ll get you something else to wear. You’d better change too, Fitz.”

“Where are we going?” he asked as he and Amy followed Alden out of the room.

Alden smiled. “How would you like to see Atlantis?”

Chapter Text

For a place with such a fancy name, Sofian was quite disappointed. He doesn’t know what he expected, but all of Amy’s fantasies of the magnificent creatures that might’ve once lived in Atlantis made him think of something a little more…extravagant. 

The four of them were in the middle of nowhere, on a patch of dark rocks surrounded by white-capped waves. The only signs of life Sofian could spot were a few seagulls, and all they did was screech, causing him a headache. It had taken him a lot of will power to have dragged himself into this and now all Sofian wanted was to fall asleep and never wake up. Just stay in the dark void of nightmares and his past, replaying over and over. It was always the same dream, he would dream of her every night. It never occurred to him why, though. 

“This is how we get to Atlantis…” Alden was saying. But Sofian didn’t catch anything more as his mind drifted off someplace else, someplace darker. He’s acting like little kid again, panicking when she can’t find her older brother. There’s a bloody hand print on the wall of his room and a dirty shoe footprint on his bed sheets. The window is broken and shards of glass are all scattered across the floor. Droplets of blood follow out the frame…

Sofian stumbles on a slick rock and he’s back to himself. He shakes the uneasy feeling in his stomach and checks behind him. He can practically see Dahl standing there with the kitchen knife, waiting for the right moment to strike. Sofian quickly jobs up to the others and follows them from the side, looking back only to see him gone.

Alden had insisted he wear a long tunic from Fitz’s closet, but gave up when Sofian rudely refused. It wasn’t that he was against the outfits in his closet, he just didn’t want to feel like he owed Fitz something. And knowing himself, Sofian would go to high lengths out of the guilty feeling of returning a gesture.

To his left, Amy was wearing a long dark blue gown that matched her old pair of sneakers. It had an empire waist and a beaded neckline which made her look like a Disney princess. Sofian hated to admit that he missed wearing what he wanted to. Pants weren’t bad, they were comfortable and had a sense of style to it. But dresses had always made him feel pretty and noticed.

Amy tripped under her foot and Fitz reached out to steady her, retracting when Amy flinched away, walking a tad bit closer to Sofian. “Sorry,” she whispered, even though she had nothing to be sorry for.

Fitz shrugged. “It’s okay. My sister, Biana, is clumsy too.”

Amy nodded but didn’t say much of anything else until Alden opened a secret compartment in the side of a strange rock, revealing hundreds of tiny glass bottles. He grabbed one and joined the three of them on the ledge. Sofian glazed at the label on the bottle which read: ONE WHIRLPOOL. OPEN WITH CARE.

“Step back,” Alden warned before he uncorked the top and flung the bottle into the ocean. A huge blast of wind whipped against their faces, and the roar of churning water filled the air.

Sofian reached toward Alden with his mind and tried to fight back against his defenses. His thoughts raided him a moment later.

Maybe Amy could go first and after her we could all follow. I want to make sure they feel safe and can trust me. Atlantis is a big noble city and I don’t want them to get lost-

“We’ll go last,” Sofian said before Alden opened his mouth, grabbing Amy’s hand.

“Oh,” Alden chuckled. “Okay then.” He gave a quick wave before he jumped. After him, Fitz rushed over to the edge and jumped in right after his father.

“Apparently they weren’t joking,” Amy noted. 

Sofian sighed, “Come on then, Peony.” He dragged her toward the whirlpool and gestured for her to go first. “Ladies first.”

Amy glared, “That isn’t fair! I don’t want to jump! And that phrase doesn’t even apply to-”

Sofian pushed her into the maelstrom swirling beneath them and snickered when Amy screamed. Cold, salty water sprayed his face as he joined in after a moment.

This was likely the most fun Sofian had in a while, playing with his sister and participating in adrenaline rushed activities. He wasn’t drowning, which was a disappointment and a relief at the same time. The whirlpool formed a tunnel of air, dipping and weaving through the dark water like the craziest water slide ever. He enjoyed the ride right until he was launched out of the vortex and onto an enormous sponge. The sponge sprang back and left him standing on a giant cushion. 

That was not comfortable. But at least his clothes weren’t wet.

He jumped off the sponge to the slightly squishy ground that felt strangely like packed wet sand.

“Welcome to Atlantis,” Alden gestured to the gleaming metropolis ahead of them.

Sofian felt familiarly small to what stood in front of him. The city was wrapped in a dome of air, which faded into the ocean beyond. Twisted crystal towers soared into the skyline, bathing the silver city in the soft blue glow radiation from their pointed spires. The buildings lined an intricate network of canals, interconnected by arched bridges. 

It was nothing like Sofian had ever seen before. It was all new and overwhelming, the only clue that they were underwater was the muted hum in the background, like the sound that rings in his head when he’s bleeding in the bathroom.

“This looks like Venice in a way, and you guys build with crystal a lot,” Amy observed as they all followed Alden into the city. 

Alden offered her a creepy smile and Sofian tugged his sister closer to him. “Crystal stores the energy we use to power everything, and it’s cut to let precisely the right amount of light in. Of course, we had to make some changes when we moved Atlantis underwater. We plated the buildings with silver so they’d reflect the firelight we created in the spires and help illuminate the city.”

“Why did you sink Atlantis, and not the other cities?”

“We built Atlantis for humans. That’s why you know the real name of the city. A long time ago, humans walked these very streets.”

Sofian looked around, uninterested in the history of the Elven cities as much as he was in math. Elves wandered the shops everywhere, looking young and elegant. 

When they finally reached the main canal, Alden hailed one of the carriages floating along the water—a silver, almond-shaped boat with two rows of high-backed benches. The driver steered from the front bench, drawing the reins of s brown creature skimming the surface of the waves.

Sofian stared as the eight-foot-long scorpion with deadly pincers reared against the reins. “What’s that thing called?”

“A eurypterid,” Alden explained. 

“A sea scorpion,” Amy whispered in awe.

“Is it harmless?” Sofian asked.

“I dunno,” Amy said, and yet still leaned down and stroked the shiny brown shell along the scorpion’s back. When it didn’t slice her in half, Sofian poked her arm and nodded towards the carriage. 

“Come on.”

“Quinlin’s waiting for you, Sofian. It’s time to find out what’s in that impenetrable mind of yours.” Alden followed after Sofian, holding the door open for Fitz.

Chapter Text

Sofian wasn’t necessarily worried about the probe any more, since Amy told him with her thoughts that they wouldn’t be able to read his mind because of his defenses. He doesn’t know how Amy knows that, but she’s a smart kid and is hyper aware of her surroundings, always seeming curious when she’s actually trying to figure something out. Her mind is always turning in gears, working their way to a person’s personality. She’s strangely conscious of people’s emotions and feelings. She told him it was the slight and subtle expressions they make, the nervous habits they might be unaware of acting on. 

Sofian crossed over to the other bench when Alden sat next to him, patting the space next to him for Amy to sit. She grabs handfuls of her dress and steps in, crossing her leg over her other leg before sitting down.

“Where to?” the driver asked Alden with a laugh. 

“Quinlin Sonden’s office, please.”

The driver shook the reins, and the giant scorpion thrashed its tail against the water, pulling them along. 

"Who’s Quinlin?” Amy asked.

Alden smiled. Very suspicious. “He’s the best probe I know. If anyone can slip into your brain, it’s him.”

Amy must’ve sensed Sofian’s stiffness and subtly tapped her knee. 

Read my mind.

From what I know, Quinlin isn’t going to probe your mind, Sofian. It’s not like anyone else was able to and everyone seems a bit hesitant as to if he’s actually gonna be able to do this. But just in case, try to block his probe. Imagine your mind as a source of light, and then build walls around it so that the light isn’t seen from outside. I think that should do the trick. Also, try to be calm and relaxed, Sofian. 

“Why does he work down here?” Sofian asked to mask the advice Amy had given him. 

“Atlantis is our most secure city. Anyone and anything that needs added protection is here. Including your file.”

“I have a file?”

“A highly classified one.”

“What’s in it?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

If they already have my DNA, they’ll be able to tell I’m not a boy, Sofian transmitted to Amy.

I don’t think they have your DNA yet, and if they want it later, we can just give them Dahl’s and yours mixed up. I’m not sure how they’ll get it for now, but just leave it to me. Can I mix some of your blood with mine just in case it can be differentiated from human DNA?

Of course.

The carriage entered some sort of business district. The streets were packed with elves, all in long black caped, and the silver buildings stood taller than the other, with round windows tracing down the sides and glowing signs bearing their names. Sofian was too lazy to discern the blurry signs, they were barely readable.

“What’s with the random threads of letters?” he asked, nodding towards the gibberish for a sign.

Alden tried to follow where he was gesturing to. “The runes?”

“Is that what these are?” He held out his wrist, running his fingers along the nonsense writing on the nexus. 

“That’s their ancient alphabet,” Amy answered. 

Alden nodded, a little skeptical. 

“You understand it?” Fitz sounded a bit surprised, as if he didn’t know by now that Amy was an all-knowing being with attentive skills and hyper knowledge. Sarcasm is probably not Sofian’s strong suit.

Alden stroked his ugly chin. “Can you read it?”

Amy nodded, “Some of the signs read Nexus Adaptations, Vault, Register for Elite, International Services…”

“Is it going to be a problem for school since I don’t understand it?” How was Sofian supposed to go about his day if he wasn’t able to read? He’ll feel like an idiot if he has to keep asking his sister for meanings and translations.

“Nah, it’s rarely used,” Fitz said. “Only when they want to be fancy or something.”

“Reading is instinctive, but we had assumed that since you’ve been raised by humans that your human education must’ve affected you somehow. We’ve never had anyone with your upbringing, so it’s hard to say.”

It wasn’t just the fact that he was raised and brought up in a world of violence, which Sofian doubted elves knew anything about with all their childish innocence. It didn’t seem like anyone mistrusted each other. This world seemed like the dreams he used to have when he was younger, full of life. Something that he can barely remember by now. 

He also doubted anyone was raised with horrible parents. People who threw their empty beer bottles at their kids whenever they were drunk, or an adult that was always high. Two grown ups yelling at each other and throwing hands, dragging children into their arguments for fun. People who left all the bills and groceries to their kids, expecting them to pay for their substances and gambling addictions. 

This whole new world was different, nice. Kindness was something Sofian and Amy were never familiarized with, so they didn’t know how to properly act when someone was not looking at them with a malicious intent. Sofian still didn’t believe they weren’t dragging the two siblings into their world to harm them. It was all new to them.

“So we’re allowed to-”

“No reason to worry, Sofian. I’m sure we’ll figure it out with further testing.” 

They turned down a narrow, quiet canal lined with purple trees with thick, broad leaves like kelp. The water dead-ended at a single silver building, a square tower with no windows or ornamentation, other than a small sign with precise white letters that Amy states read: Quinlin Sonden: Chief Mentalist. All signs of life had vanished, and the small black door was closed tight. Sofian panicked and tried to look for a way back, trying to remember the turns they took to escape, run away maybe. 

Amy lightly held Sofian’s hand as the sea scorpion slowed to a stop, and Alden took a small green cube from his pocket. The driver swiped it across the cuff above his elbow and handed it back to Alden after it made a tiny ping.

Sofian followed after Fitz and Alden, silently asking Amy if she was okay. She nodded, just knowing what question was behind his eyes. 

Alden bypassed the receptionist in the dim foyer and headed to the only office in the back. The small square room smelled damp, and half the space was filled with a massive stone desk. A tall, dark-skinned elf with chin-length black hair jumped from his seat and gave an elegant bow.

“Please, there’s no need for ceremony, my friend,” Alden said with a wink. 

Ew.

“Of course.” Quinlin’s gaze settled on Sofian. “Brown eyes?”

“Definitely unique,” Alden agreed.

“That’s an understatement.” He stared at Sofian long enough to make him want to scoop those eyes out of their sockets. “You really found her–after all these years?”

And yet no one had offered him an explanation as to why they’d been looking for him.

“You tell me,” Alden told Quinlin. “Do you have his file?”

“Right here.” Quinlin held up a small silver square before handing it to Sofian. 

“You lick it,” Fitz explained. “They need your DNA.”

Sofian made a face. “I’m not licking this shit. It’s unsanitary as fuck.” Sofian wasn’t disgusted by it, it’s not as if he’s been hygienic but he needed an excuse in case they would have been able to tell he was not a boy.

Everyone looked uncomfortable, save for Amy. 

“Maybe it would be better if you stop cursing from now-” Alden started.

“You guys don’t have freedom of speech? And I thought the human cities were bad,” Sofian scoffed, casting a panicked glance at Amy. 

“You have something in your hair!” Amy exclaimed. She reached out and revealed a small, purple leaf in her palm. With her other hand, she handed something in his hand. He quickly took it while everyone was occupied by the leaf and slid it up sleeve. 

“Thanks.” Sofian looked over at Quinlin. “Can I use the bathroom first?”

“Me too! Where’s the girl’s bathroom?” Amy asked.

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Fortunately, the bathrooms were off toward the same side even if they were in wrong turns. 

“Just smudge it on the cube when you get to the bathroom,” Amy whispered. “Pretend to lick it when you get back, or wait. Maybe smudge it on your finger and then smear it on the screen when we get back.” She hopped off to the left while Sofian turned right. The guy’s bathroom was spacious, with a bath and shower over at two sides. It was singular, so only one person was able to use it at a time. The mirrors were intricately designed in gold carvings, the frame a striking golden reflection. 

He thoroughly washed his hands with soap two times before he opened the thin container. Inside seemed to be a gooey liquid in blue, which strangely represented old jello. He rubbed his thumb over it a few times before closing it with his other fingers. He slipped it into his pocket and exited the bathroom, passing a blonde boy with ice blue eyes who seemed very bored to be here. He glanced up once, smiled, and went into the bathroom. 

Weirdo, Sofian concluded. 

Chapter Text

Amy still wasn’t back from the bathroom when Sofian returned to Quinlin’s office. He pretended to lick it in front of the others when he actually just swiped his thumb across it. The metal grew warm, and Sofian nearly dropped it when a hologram flashed out of the center: two strands of DNA—rotating in the air with an unearthly glow. The word MATCH flashed across them in bright green.

So they didn’t get the wrong person after all. 

How the hell did Amy’s concoction work?

“So this is why Prentice sacrificed everything,” Quinlin breathed, staring at the glowing double helixes as though seeing a long-lost child.

What could have Prentice possibly sacrificed?

Alden answered before he could ask. “He definitely had his reasons. You’ll see when you try the probe.”

Sofian jumped when Alden squeezed his shoulders. Don’t fucking touch me, you creep. He reached towards Aldens hands and flung them off of himself, twisting them in different directions. 

“Woah! Woah!” Quinlin pulled Sofian off of Alden, who was rubbing his shoulders and looking accusingly at Sofian. “There’s no need for violence, Sofian!”

“Then let me make it clear so that you guys will stop trying to touch me and my sister. Don’t you ever put your hands on us.”

Everyone stared at Sofian in momentary shock, until Amy walked through the door and asked what’s going on. She could probably already tell what was happening, but her timing suggested she wanted to get Sofian out of this situation. 

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Alden mumbled underneath his breath. 

Quinlin sighed before dropping his hands to his sides. “I still need to reach towards your temples if I need to probe your mind, Sofian.”

“You can’t just reach with your mind?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Fine, then. At least you had the decency to ask unlike some people, ” Sofian stared pointedly at Alden and Fitz. 

“It’s no big deal, Sofian,” Fitz promised.

“I’ll be done in less than a minute,” Quinlin added.

Two cold, slender fingers pressed against his temples, and Quinlin closed his eyes. Sofian counted the seconds as they ticked by. Two hundred seventy-eight passed before he pulled away—so much for less than a minute.

Quinlin’s mouth hung open.

“That’s what I thought,” Alden murmured, almost to himself. He turned and began pacing.

“You can’t hear anything either?” Sofian asked, although he knew the answer. Amy was rarely wrong.

“What does that mean?” Quinlin asked quietly.

“It means he’ll be the greatest Keeper we’ve ever known, once he’s older,” Alden said through a sigh.

Quinlin snorted. “If he isn’t already.”

Alden froze midstep. When he turned to face Sofian, he looked pale.

“What’s a Keeper?” Amy asked.

A second passed before Alden answered. “Some information is too important to record. So we’ll share it with a Keeper, a highly trained Telepath, and leave them in charge of protecting the secret.”

“Then why would Sofian already be one?”

“Quinlin was joking about that.” Alden’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, which made it harder to trust him at all.

There were many secrets Sofian was keeping, too many to count. Yet they were all his and his sisters’, nothing he was keeping for someone else. How could he be a keeper?

“Perhaps we should talk upstairs.” Alden gestured to the foyer, where the receptionist was leaning toward them, making notes. Clearly eavesdropping.

Quinlin led them to the far end of the small office. He licked a silver strip on the wall, and a narrow door slid open, revealing a winding stairway. They climbed to an empty oval room with live footage of brush fires projected across the walls.

A cold chill settled into Sofian core when he recognized the city.

“Why are you watching the San Diego wildfires?” He pointed to the aerial view of Southern California. White fire lines formed an almost perfect half circle around San Diego.

“You know the area?” Quinlin asked.

“Yeah, I live there. I guess used to would be better wording.”

Quinlin’s gasp made his ears ring.

Thin lines etched into Alden’s forehead as he stared at the images. “Why didn’t you tell me there were fires?” he asked Fitz.

“I didn’t know they were important.”

“I didn’t ask you to tell me what was important. I asked you to tell me everything .” Alden turned to Quinlin. “Why were you watching the fires?”

“They’re burning white hot—against the wind. Like they were set by someone who knew what they were doing. Plus . . . doesn’t it look like the sign?”

Sofian had no idea what “the sign” was, but he didn’t like the way the lines on Alden’s forehead deepened. Little valleys of worry. Ugly man.

“I’m guessing this is how you found the article you sent me,” Alden murmured. “I’d wondered why you were looking there. We ruled that area out years ago.”

“Article?” Quinlin asked.

“The one about the child tennis champion in San Diego. Led me right to Sofian.”

Reflections of the glowing flames made Quinlin look even more haunted as he shifted his weight. “I didn’t send you any articles. Did it have a note from me?”

Alden frowned. “No. But you were the only one who knew what I was up to.”

“Not the only one,” Quinlin said quietly.

“What’s going on?” Sofian asked. When no one answered, he reached towards Quinlin’s mind and tried to read his thoughts. He was stopped when Amy shook her head. 

Great. Even my younger sister is in control of me now. I can’t even have fun!

Not being allowed to read minds was turning out to be more frustrating than he’d ever imagined. The answers he needed were right there—within his reach. But what would happen if they caught him taking them?

They haven’t caught me yet.

“There’s no reason to worry, Sophie,” Alden promised. “I know this all seems very strange to you, but I assure you we have everything under control.” 

“‘Kay.” After a moment, Sofian continued. “But what about the fires? Why are they white?” He didn’t have any loved ones there, but he needed some of his old things from that house and he didn’t want her to get hurt…

“The arsonist probably used a chemical accelerant. Humans do love their chemicals. I’ll look into it,” Alden promised. “I follow suspicious leads all the time, and they never amount to anything. Humans are always doing crazy, dangerous things. If they’re not lighting something on fire, they’re spilling oil in the ocean or blowing something up. Every time they do, I investigate to make sure things don’t get out of hand—but that doesn’t leave this room. The Council’s official position is to leave humans to their own devices. That’s another reason Quinlin works down here: The Council rarely takes the time to visit and find out what we’re up to.”

“Bronte has his babysitter sitting outside my office all day, taking notes though,” Quinlin grumbled. “He could’ve at least picked someone who’s a decent receptionist.”

Alden rolled his eyes. Then his smile returned. “At least she’s equally bad at spying. You should’ve seen Bronte’s face when he learned about Sofian. I thought steam might come out of his ears.”

Quinlin laughed. “Keeping that secret for fourteen years has to be a record.”

“Why didn’t the Council know you were looking for me?” Sofian had to ask. Why all the secrecy?

“Bronte had specifically ordered us to ignore the evidence we found of your existence,” Alden explained. “He thought the DNA we’d discovered was a hoax and that my search was a waste of time. That’s why he was so hard on you today. He doesn’t like being wrong. And he really doesn’t like knowing that I’ve been working behind his back. So can I trust you to keep this quiet?” Alden waited for Sofian and Fitz to nod.

“Do you promise you’ll keep me updated on the fires?” If she got hurt by the fires, he would never forgive himself. He had a strange feeling it was caused by elves, and that his existence might’ve led them to start it. He doesn’t know why he feels that way, though. 

Alden sighed. “I will, if there’s anything important. Agreed?”

Sofian nodded, keeping his last question to himself. How could they have my DNA?

Alden turned to Quinlin. “Send me everything you have on the fires. I need to get Sofian back home.” Sofian opened his mouth to argue. “Oh, I meant we’ll bring him back so he can take his stuff, he’s staying here in Eternalia after all,” he said hesitantly.

“The information will be waiting for you,” Quinlin promised with a slight bow.

“Thank you. Good to see you, my friend.”

Sofian might not trust them, or like them for that matter, but he definitely shipped them…a bit. He felt bad for that because Alden had a wife and Quinlin must have one too, well unless he already had a husband. He just gave off this father vibe.

Alden’s pace felt rushed as he led Fitz, Amy and Sofian downstairs, bypassing the receptionist without so much as a nod. He hailed another sea scorpion carriage, pulling them through the canals. He was no closer to an answer from Amy when the carriage slowed to a stop. They’d reached a small blue lagoon so far outside the city that the silver spires were nothing more than a tiny glint in the distance. Shimmery white dunes surrounded the small lake, and on the west shore stood a strange black statue—a narrow round base, which rose at least two stories high, topped with a wide hollow circle. An iridescent film shimmered across the center of the loop, making the whole apparatus resemble a giant bubble wand.

“Hold on tight,” Alden said as he moved between Sofian and Fitz and tried to take their hands. “Oh, uh, I need to hold onto you to levitate,” Alden corrected, waiting for Sofian to answer.

Sofian nodded, even though his touch repulsed him and made him want to cut his skin off. It wasn’t a huge thing, Sofian knew, but he couldn’t shake off the touch that was familiar to Dahl’s. And what he did to Sofian after his kind words and innocent acts. 

They weren’t innocent at all, Sofian thought.

Amy reached for Sofian’s other hand right before Alden’s feet lifted off the ground. He floated out of the carriage and Sofian gaped with amazement as the ground grew farther and farther away. Amy clung to Sofian for her life, digging her nails into his elbow.

What couldn’t elves do?

“Do I want to know what we’re doing?” he asked as Alden steered them toward the statue.

“You’ll see,” Fitz told him.

They passed through the center of the loop and the iridescent film stretched, forming a giant bubble around them. Sofian couldn’t resist touching the bubble’s side, which was warm and wet like the inside of his cheek. But a low rumble coming from beneath them demanded his attention.

He glanced down just in time to see a giant geyser shoot up from the lagoon, and it launched their bubble out of Atlantis.

Chapter Text

Five Months Ago…

“Come on, Sophie! Am I really the type of person to rat you out?” Lillian says, staring at Sophie expectantly. Her head was in Sophie’s lap and she patiently waited for an answer. 

Sophie sighed, playing with a strand of Lillian’s hair, admiring the black hair dyed with silver at the tips. “I don’t know,” she admitted. 

Lillian’s silvery blue eyes dropped to Sophie’s lips. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to…”

“My brother’s gone.”

Lillian jumped up, almost bumping their heads together. “What? Sophie what happened?!”

“Shhh! Lily, someone might hear you!” 

She looked around, “Right, sorry.”

“Look, I don’t know how. He just…” Sophie’s mind trailed back to the blood in his room, the ruffled bed sheets, broken window. “He was there…and then he wasn’t,” she whispered.

“Sophie, oh my god.” Lillian threw her arms around Sophie and held her. They sat there for a while, holding each other and offering company. “If you want to talk about it…”

"Lily, do I look like him?” Sophie asked, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

“What? Of course you do, Sophie. You guys are basically the same! Well, unless you count like the age difference-”

“Do you think I can pass for him?”

Lillian stared at her in question. “What do you mean?”

“I’m gonna…take his identity,” Sophie said, picking on her skin from her arm.

She looked shocked. “Why?”

“He’s old enough to get a job…He actually has one—wait he had one. And Veronica and Dahl always expected him to pay for everything and now that he’s gone we might not be able to survive and-”

“I can give you money!” Lilian offered, squeezing her shoulders.

“Your family’s also struggling and I can’t do that to you-”

“No! It’s okay-”

Sophie shrugged Lillian off of her as she got up. “Listen, Lily, I’m not doing that to you. You’re brother’s working really hard to provide for you guys, I’m not taking any fucking money from him.”

“Yes, but-”

“I know you care about me Lily but think about your brother, please. He’s trying to care for you and I’m not going to get in his way. I can sense a caring person when I see one.”

Lillian gets up and tries to reach for her hands. “Sophie, please, let me help you at the very least.”

“How? No one’s offering jobs for fourteen year olds around town and I don’t think any slots are gonna open up soon.”

“Sophie, how about I try to help cover up the story behind your disappearance? Someone’s gonna notice if Sophie Foster suddenly disappears-” Sophie looks up at Lillian, who watches her with pleading eyes. “I need to do something for you. I love you too, Sophie. It can’t just be one person providing and caring for the other.”

“You do so much for me-”

“No I don't! I’m not even sure what I do for you other than keep you company! And anyone who cares even a little can do that. I want to be more than just that. I want to love you as much as you do…”

Sophie stares at their intertwined hands. “Help me cut my hair? And dye it?” she whispers.

Lillian places a kiss on her cheek, pulling her in for a fierce hug. “I’ll do anything. Anything. ”

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Sophie’s hair is cut and dyed a dark blue. Lillian smiles at her from the small mirror holding up two fingers behind Sophie’s head. “You look pretty in anything,” Lillian giggles.

Sophie forced a smile and ran her hand through her short hair. With the new haircut and dyed hair, she and Clyde were indistinguishable. She looked exactly like him. 

“Does this mean you used to like my brother?”

“What?! That’s absurd! I only have eyes for you and you only!” Lillian leaned down and planted a lipstick kiss on the corner of her mouth. Sophie got up from her little green chair and turned to Lillian. 

She wanted a distraction, anything to get her mind away from her brother. Lillian stumbles back a step, her back bumping against the wall. “Sophie?” she breathes. Sophie lets her lips touch Lillian’s, lightly, twice. Her hands snake up to her waist. 

“Is it…okay?” 

Lillian gives a tiny nod, a blush creeping on her cheeks. Sophie kisses her tentatively, afraid to break the boundaries they’ve set. Lillian’s hands are in her short-cropped hair a moment later, kissing her back. Sophie’s arms wrap protectively around Lillian, afraid to let go. 

“I love you,” she says between kisses. 

“Tenfold,” Lillian replies, kissing her deeper.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Sofian knew by now that elves never did anything the normal way. He watched the waves crash far below, and their bubble bobbed on the breeze, high in the clouds. He was reluctant to admit that he enjoyed riding in a bubble above the world.

“Ready to go home?” Fitz asked, holding his pathfinder in the sunlight. 

Sofian barely had the time to nod before the bubble popped and the warm rush whisked them away.

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Sofian squinted in the glaring light, looking for Amy’s hand. “I thought you meant our human house,” he said as he stared once again at the enormous gates of Everglen. 

He was getting impatient, and he didn’t put it past Veronica and Dahl to destroy their stuff while they were gone. “So what are we supposed to–”

His question was cut short by a flash of light that made everyone shield their faces. When Sofian opened his eyes, a tall elf in a simple black tunic strode toward them. Sofian braced himself for a fight, pushing Amy behind him and reaching towards his boot for a knife. 

He was about to lunge at him before he shouted, “You’ve got some nerve summoning me,” he shouted, stepping right into Alden’s personal space. He was a couple inches shorter than Alden, but he didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the height difference. “I’d sooner be exiled than train anyone in your family.”

From the corner of his eye, Sofian saw Fitz’s hands clench into fists. Alden barely blinked. He took a small step backward, and smiled. “Yes, Tiergan—I’m well aware of your opinion of me. I can assure you, I wouldn’t have summoned you if I wasn’t convinced that it would be what Prentice would want.”

Tiergan’s fierce expression crumbled. He backed away, crossing his arms against his chest. “Since when are you the expert on anything Prentice wanted?”

Again with someone named Prentice.

“Meet Sofian Foster,” Alden announced. 

Tiergan spun toward him and his eyes did a quick inventory, widening when they locked with his. 

Fucking creep, get your eyes off me.

“Yes,” Alden said when Tiergan gasped. “Whatever you’re thinking, yes. Tiergan, I’d like you to meet him. Foxfire’s newest prodigy, who happens to need a telepathy Mentor.”

Tiergan swallowed several times before he spoke. “He’s the one, isn’t he? The one Prentice was hiding?”

“Yes,” Alden agreed. “He’s been living with humans for the past fourteen years. Sofian has already broken through Fitz’s and Bronte’s blocking without training. He needs the best Mentor we can provide. I know you’re retired, but I thought–given the circumstances–you might be persuaded to return to Foxfire.”

Anger and resentment danced across Tiergan’s features, so the last thing Sofian expected was for him to nod.

“You’ll do it?” Alden asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and relief.

“Yes. But only for this year. That will be more than enough to hone her abilities. Then you leave me alone and never ask for my assistance again.”

“That’s more than reasonable,” Alden agreed.

Teirgan turned to Sofian, “With proper training, you’ll learn to manage your ability. But you do have a choice. If you don’t want telepathy training-”

“I want it.”

Alden cleared his throat. “Well, that settles that, then. I’ll notify Dame Alina that you’ll be returning to Foxfire. But the name of your prodigy will be kept classified. The Council doesn’t want anyone knowing Sofian’s a Telepath until he’s older.” 

“Why exactly should I hide my abilities? I thought every elf here has a power or some shit. And I thought I was done hiding this?”

“You won’t have to hide it forever,” Alden said gently, as if he expected him to fall into his plan of full-trust. “Just for a little while, to give everyone time to adjust to you. In the meantime, the session will be listed as remedial studies on your schedule.”

Sofian silently scoffed. Alden talked to him as though people were going to have a hard time believing he was from there. That he was weird . So much for being considerate.

“I know this is all very confusing, Sofian, but I will do my best to explain everything when we get inside, okay?” Alden asked.

Sofian nodded, even though he cringed at how Alden phrased his words.

“Good.” He turned to Tiergan, who had backed a few feet away from everyone. “I’m assuming you don’t want to come in.”

“Finally, a correct assumption.” Tiergan’s voice was cold, but it warmed when he looked at Sofian. “I’ll see you Tuesday.” Then he raised a pathfinder to the light and vanished in a brilliant flash.

Alden laughed. “Well, that went better than expected.” He licked a panel on the enormous gates and it swung inward. “Come on, Sophie. Let’s see if I can’t answer some of those questions I’m sure are floating around in your head.”

He led him through Everglen’s sprawling grounds, explaining how his new school schedule would have two sessions a day plus lunch and study hall. He’d be a “prodigy”—their word for student—and he would carry eight subjects, two were taught one-on-one by a Mentor, who were members of the nobility. Sofian’s nerves skyrocketed at the idea of one-on-one sessions with adults. Talk about pressure to survive.

Not to mention how behind he already is. The school year had already begun and he was starting in Level Three, the proper grade level for his age. So he’d be starting over, relearning the bare stuff he’d ever been taught, and already behind.

Self-doubt weighed heavier on his shoulders with each step, pinching the skin on his arms, willing to have a blade in his hand. His head heated with an urge to bleed, and it was hard to fight against it even as he thought about leaving the house he grew up in. 

The sound of arguing distracted him, and when they all entered a wide sitting room filled with overstuffed armchairs and elegant statues, they found a dark-haired girl about Sofian’s age, who appeared to be shouting at herself.

Della appeared out of thin air next to the girl wearing an elegant purple gown and said, “You’re home.”

Amy squealed. Fitz snickered. Sofian stared in dumb shock. 

“Sofian, this is my daughter, Biana.” Alden’a cheeks were pinched–like he was trying not to laugh. “I don’t believe your sister is used to being around Vanishers.”

“You didn’t vanish and appear when we were here before,” Sofian pointed out.

“I don’t always do this. Sometimes I just like to have a little fun.” Her beauty was like a force, pulling every eye to her as she tossed her long, chocolate brown hair and pursed her heart-shaped lips. And Biana had all of her mother’s best features, combined in the best way possible. It was impossible for Sofian not to feel insecure in his own skin. He longed for his long hair, he wanted to hide behind it. Push it in front of his face and hide his ugly features. He nervously pulled out a loose eyelash.

“Is that my dress?” Biana asked, staring at Amy.

“Yes,” Alden interceded. “Amy needed to borrow it to go on a few errands with her brother.”

“I-I can go change,” Amy offered, fiddling with the hem of the dress.

“No, that’s fine,” Biana said, looking away. “You can keep it. It’s kind of frumpy.” 

“Oh, uhm….thanks.”

“Quinlin sent the files you requested,” Della told Alden. “I put them in your office.” Her smile faded. “And the Council denied our request. But they did approve Grady and Edaline.”

Alden ran a hand through his hair. “In that case, I’d better make a call.” He turned to Sofian. “Then we’ll go back and get your stuff.”

Sofian nodded and stared as Alden set off down the hall. He could just feel Biana’s burning gaze.

“The Council sent these for you,” Della said with a radiant smile. She held out two small parcels wrapped in thick white paper as she walked toward Sofian, blinking in and out with every step, like a strobe light. 

“She doesn’t realize she does it sometimes,” Fitz explained when Amy’s eyes widened. “Vanishers let light pass through their bodies, so they can turn invisible, even when they move.”

Della unwrapped the packages and clasped a thick silver cord around his neck. It fit like a choker, and Sofian felt a strong sense of panic for a moment.

His registry pendant, Della explained. Everyone had to wear one, so they could be easily found. It was kind of pretty, Sofian guessed.

Della handed Sofian a tiny green cube. “Anytime you need to pay for anything, just give them that. Your birth fund’s been activated.” 

It took a minute for the words “birth fund” to register. “I have money?” 

Della nodded. “The standard five million.” 

“ Dollars ?”

 “Lusters,” Fitz corrected, laughing. “One luster is probably worth a million dollars.” 

“What’s a dollar?” Biana interrupted. 

“Human money.” She crinkled her perfect little nose. 

“Ew.”

Rich brats .

“How about me?” Amy asked.

“Oh! Right!” Della reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out another one. “Here you go!”

“Wait . . . why does anyone work, then—if they already have money?” Sofian asked, ignoring the anger behind how everyone is just forgetting about Amy.

“What else would we do with our time?” 

“I don’t know. Something fun?” 

“Work is fun,” Della corrected. “Remember—we’re not limited to seventy or eighty years. Once you get used to that idea, I think you’ll find our way makes much more sense.”

“Hm.”

“All set?” Alden asked, coming back into the room.

Della nodded. “Were you able to change their minds?”

Alden shook his head, and Della’s face fell. In fact, everyone looked . . . sad—except Biana, who looked relieved.

“What’s going on?” Sofian asked. 

“Are we getting adopted by Grady and Edaline?” Amy added.

Chapter Text

One wall in Alden’s office was a large, curved window overlooking a silvery lake. A floor-to-ceiling aquarium wrapped the rest of the room. Sofian waited in an enormous wingback chair facing Alden, who sat behind a black desk piled with books and scrolls. Anxiety tightened his chest as the walls of water seemed to close in.

To calm himself down, Sofian pointed to the stacks of human newspapers piled next to his chair. Articles were circled in red and then crossed out. “Keeping up with the news?”

“Looking for you.” He removed another newspaper from a drawer and handed him the article with his picture circled.

“You don’t know who sent this to you?” he asked.

“I have a few theories. No reason to worry.”

“You keep saying that.” A hint of irritation crept into his tone.

“Because it’s true.”

“If you figure it out, I want to be the first to know.”

“Alright.” Alden shuffled in his chair. “Listen Sofian, you won’t be able to visit your parents since you are to move here. We call the areas where humans live the ‘Forbidden Cities’ for a reason. Access is severely restricted. Plus they’re going to think you’re dead.”

“You’re going to kill me off?” Well, it technically wasn’t him they were going to document as deceased.

“As far as your parents and the rest of the humans are concerned…yes.”

Sofian closed his eyes. “My sister as well?”

“Oh, of course. Right.”

He opened his eyes to see Alden avoiding eye contact with him. He thought for a moment. He and Amy were never going to be needed again in the Forbidden Cities . Not that they ever were.  “Okay.”

“Wh-what about you?” he said after a stretch of silence. “These are people you love, Sofian. If we kill you off, you won’t be able to see them ever again and you’ll miss them. Wouldn’t that be too painful?”

Sofian pretended to cry, covering his face with one of his hands. “Yes. But it’s the best thing for all of us.”

Seconds passed before Alden spoke again with obvious pain in his voice. “Let’s go get your stuff now. I can;t take you without risking a tribunal, but I can give you twenty minutes before I alert the Council to the change of plans and let Fitz take you. You’ll have to change clothes before you go, and get out of there before anyone sees you or it would be very bad for him. Can you do that?” 

He nodded, wiping away a few stray tears. “Thank you.”

Alden rushed to the door and called Fitz. Sofian couldn’t focus as Alden explained what was happening. He was too busy trying to figure out his conflicted feelings for Lillian. 

How was he going to tell her goodbye?

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“Where have you two been?” Dahl shouted as Sofian and Amy set foot through the door. His round face was bent and twisted into hard lines of furious rage. 

Veronica sneered at them with blood-shot eyes. She held an empty bottle of beer in one hand. 

Sofian had to be cautious of flying objects. 

“Are you just going to ignore me now?” Dahl shouted again. 

“We’re just going to go to our rooms,” Sofian answered, flinching at the slight tap of Veronica’s nail against the bottle. 

“Oh no no, young lady, you ain’t going anywhere.” Dahl reached forward and grabbed Sofian’s cheeks in a fierce grip, his nails digging into his skin. “Tell me where you were!”

From the corner of his eye, Sofian could see Veronica eyeing Amy like a desert on a display rack. 

“Nowhere that was your business,” Sofian replied, locking eyes with Dahl. His fingers now dig so deep they made blood drip down his cheek to his neck, soaking the collar with blood. Sofian winced when Dahl violently let go, wiping his bloody fingers on the front of Sofian’s shirt. 

“You’re lucky I’m tired right now, or else you would already be lying on the floor begging for forgiveness. You’re not getting off the hook this easily, though. Don’t leave the house tonight or you won’t see your sister again, Sofian. ” Dahl didn’t know that Sofian wasn’t actually Clyde. After what happened, ‘Clyde’ had changed his name to Sofian to mourn his sister’s death, Sophie. 

Sofian had only chosen to change his name because he didn’t want to hear his brother’s name every single time someone called on him. 

Sofian grabbed Amy’s hand quickly and dashed up the stairs, barely missing the flying beer bottle that shattered against the railing and fell across the steps and hallway. 

Amy and Sofian raced to his room and packed in a frenzy. They took a lot of stuff with them, stacking the bags that they were given with everything they could see. 

They took bracelets that Clyde had made with them, a quilt Veronica had made for Amy when she was a baby, old makeup they had used to hide bruises and scratches, a reusable mask that Sofian put on, a polaroid with the envelope full of pictures they had taken, a scrapbook, Amy’s school yearbook and stolen teddy bears. They took Sofian’s old hair accessories and the t-shirts from the back of their closets from summer, the dresses they only wore once, the little moon lamp that Amy turns on at night, three locks, a bat, Sofian’s medical kit, everything until all that was left in the room was rusty furniture. 

“I think we’re done, right?” Amy asked, looking at Sofian. 

“Wait.” Sofian went over to the bed and bent down, pulling a loose cupboard from the floor and hiding the little baggies in his pocket before he took the letters and showed them to Amy. “I almost forgot these,” he smiles, although she can’t see it with the mask.

Next to Amy, he ruffled her hair and clipped a strawberry hair accessory on her straight, brunette strands. He turned off the light and moved toward the door. 

Sofian tripped over something on his way. He freaked out and was three feet away from it when he heard a low meow. Mitten . 

“Sorry, girl,” he whispered, crouching next to him. He rubbed her soft fur, trying to resist the urge to bring her with him. She’d been his only friend —Lillian was his girlfriend and Amy was his sister. 

“I can’t take care of you,” he apologized as he stood up. 

Her pink mouth opened, releasing one tiny, pathetic meow.

“I’ll miss you too,” Amy mumbled, even though Sofian wasn’t sure how she knew about the cat that had never been inside of their house until today. 

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Fitz had given him a disk of sleeping gas to release if he couldn’t sneak out. He hoped he could use it, maybe make them sick at the very least, but Veronica and Dahl were passed out together lying on the couch with a stripper channel on the TV. 

In a fit of anger at the sight of them, Sofian threw the disk at the TV and rushed outside with Amy, closing the door firmly behind him and releasing a breath of air behind his mask. 

Fitz was waiting with his hands in his pant pockets, staring at them with a curious look in his eyes. He pointed to the bottom of his cheek, “What’s with the-”

“Can’t we just leave?”

“Okay, yeah, let’s get out of here before the Washers come.”

“Wait!”

Both of them looked at Amy. 

“I need to-to get something from our treehouse.” Amy looked at Sofian with a knowing glance. 

“Come on then!” Sofian grabbed her hand and led her to the backyard, stopping in front of an old tree. He let his bags and the suitcase lie on the floor as he climbed up the tree and propped himself up on the treehouse hidden from the tree’s grand leaves and branches. He looked around the small wooden makeshift room and found the green and brown painted jar at the bottom of a bookshelf. He grabbed it along with his notebook he had completely forgotten about on the way and jumped out of the square cut hole. 

He handed the jar to Amy and slung all the bags over his shoulders once again, grabbing the handle of the suitcase. “Come on, Amy, we have to leave now.”

Chapter Text

“What are Washers? Like, exactly? Tell me in a very simple and specific manner, please and thank you,” was the first thing Sofian asked Alden and Della when he saw them pacing back and forth in front of Everglen’s enormous gates. 

Della reached out and tackle hugged Sofian, while Alden looked confused as to why Sofian was allowing her to hug him. “Well, they’re Telepaths trained to erase memories. But they can alter memories as well. We made sure to make your parents think that a human authority figure came by their house earlier and informed them of your death.”

“And Amy’s?”

“I’m sure that the Council has sent them by now.”

“No one saw us,” Fitz assured as he handed over the black pathfinder to Alden.

“Thank you, Fitz. My dear, you might want to let her breathe,” he told Della, who released Sofian not a moment later.

“Are you okay?” Alden asked, deep shadows haunting his face.

“No,” he lied.

He nodded. “It gets easier from here.”

“I would hope so. What happens now?”

“Della and I are going to personally oversee your parent’s relocation. Fitz can help you get settled in here while we’re gone.”

Why would Sofian’s parents need to be relocated?

“Here? I’ll be living here?” 

Della wrung her hands. “Oh, Sofian, we would love that—we even offered. But the Council wanted you placed with other guardians.”

“I selected them personally,” Alden assured him. “They’re good friends of ours. You’re going to like them.”

“Okay,” he agreed without enthusiasm. It was hard not to be suspicious about living with strangers, but he was too worn out to think about it.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow,” Alden said. “Right now we have to get going. Fitz, Elwin’s waiting to see Sofian.”

Della moved to Alden’s side as Fitz nodded and they disappeared not long after. 

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“Who’s Elwin?” Sofian asked as Fitz led him and Amy down another long, glittering hallway. 

“He’s a physician. He’s going to do a quick physical on the both of you.”

Would he be able to tell Sofian isn’t who he says he is?

“What’s wrong?”

“I hate doctors.” He knew it was childish, and he’s been in the hospital many times before. But Fitz didn’t know that, did he?

“You’ll be fine, I promise.” 

“What are you doing?” Biana asked from behind them. 

“Nothing,” Fitz told her, quickly taking a few steps in the right direction. 

“Where were you? I asked Dad, but he wouldn’t tell me.”

“That’s because it’s none of your business,” Fitz said.

“Will you tell me later?”

“Drop it, okay? I’m a little busy right now.”

“I can see that,” Biana grumbled, glaring at Amy and Sofian.

Fitz brought them to an arched, golden door at the end of the hall. “I’ll take your stuff to your room. Why don’t you guys go ahead?”

Sofian reluctantly handed over the bags of stuff, which Fitz used his levitating capabilities to lift half the stuff. He still didn’t make a move to open the door, though.

Fitz leaned his head closer. “I tell you guys what If anything bad happens in there, I’ll let you both punch me in the stomach as hard as you can.”

Now that sounded like a fair deal. “Don’t blame me if you can’t get up from the floor after I beat you.” 

“Hey! I said only if something bad happens!”

Sofian smirked and pulled the door open and nudged Amy inside first.

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The glass walls of the conservatory bathed everything in soft moonlight, and enormous plants grew in glowing pots around the room. Some of the gigantic flowers looked like they could eat him, but Sofian barely noticed them. He kept his eyes glued to the man—the elf—leaning over his low, cushioned cot, ready to bolt the second he thought something disgusting.

“This goes a lot faster if you hold still,” Elwin said as he adjusted the pillow. Sofian wasn’t lying down on the cot, instead his feet were on the ground while he sat on the side of the little mattress. Amy was waiting for her turn on the other cot.

Elwin reached for his right arm and Sofian let him, only because he hadn’t found any traces of harm intentions. He snapped his fingers and a ball of green light formed around his bare elbow, the cuff of his sleeve pushed up to show his arm. 

“Whoa, that is some serious damage. It’s not permanent,” he added when he tensed. “And it’s not your fault. Toxic food, toxic water, toxic air. Looks like you have a lot of scars too. What chance do your poor innocent cells have?”

“You can see my cells?”

“Of course. Did you think I was wearing these glasses because they make me look dashing?”

Amy laughed a little at that, and Sofian might have found it a little funny. 

“You can stand  up now,” he told him, holding a small silver square in front of his eyes when he did. He frowned. 

“Is it my eyes?”

He laughed. “I was expecting your eye color to be from the toxins. But your eyes are perfect. They’re just…brown.”

Jeez. Leave it to the fancy elves to make me insecure about my fucking eye color.

“Well, you need a major detox. Follow me.” Elwin led him to the cabinets full of different colored liquids in bottles, each labeled in words of gibberish. When he handed Sofian the bottles of medicine, Sofian expected them to smell the intoxicating smell he always dealt with in hospitals, instead they tasted like sweet syrups and nectar from unknown fruits. 

“Good bo-”

“I’m not a fucking dog. That phrase is fucking disgusting . Don’t you ever call me that again. Or my sister,” Sofian spit. His relaxed mood turned to an annoying rage. He was always called that around his parents, whenever he did something that he was forced to. Back when he was someone else and they made him work like a dog.

“I-I apologize,” Elwin said as he cleared his throat. “Uh…we all drink one of these every day, but I want you to drink two for a while, to make up for lost time.”

“Youth in a Bottle?” he read from the label.

“It has a few enzymes that are essential for our health.”

The water was cold and slightly sweet, and nothing like he has ever tasted before. He downed the contents in one gulp, praying that it wasn’t poisoned and handed the empty bottle back to him. He gave Sofian another, and he drank it just as fast.

“I don’t have a few of the medicines you need, but I’ll give Alden a list. I want you to come see me in a couple weeks for a follow-up.”

His face twisted into a scowl before he could stop it.

Elwin laughed. “It won’t be so bad—just a quick checkup. I work at Foxfire, so you can stop by anytime.”

Mention of his new school made him tug out a couple of loose eyelashes.

“What are you doing?”

“Nervous habit.”

“You tear out your eyelashes?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Still.”

Sofian rolled his eyes. 

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“So, you gonna punch me?” Fitz asked as he showed Sofian his room. 

“Yes,” was the only warning he gave before he swung his fist toward Fitz’s stomach. 

He grunted and stumbled back a few steps, his knees wobbling. He gasped for air, trying to hold on to the wall for support. “What,” he choked. “-was that for?”

“You offered.”

“I thought you knew it was a joke!”

Sofian smiled behind his hand.

“What was so bad that you had to punch me?”

“Well…It was because he gave me a bunch of stuff I had to drink which almost made me throw up,” he lied. 

Fitz’s expression perfectly displayed: !!??

“Show me to my room.”

Fitz regained himself and stopped in front of a bedroom fit for a king from fairytales–huge canopied bed, crystal chandeliers, and glass walls overlooking the lake. “This is you. If you need anything, my room’s just down the hall.

“Thanks, kid.”

“We’re the same age!”

Sofian raised his eyebrow.

“Well…If I count correctly, the difference is only in months…”

“So you’ve already turned fourteen?”

“I’m not much younger than you!”

Sofian grinned.

Fitz mumbled something incoherent before wandering off somewhere.

Chapter Text

“He’s alive!” Fitz teased when Sofian wandered into the living room with Amy by his side the next day. Fitz sat in an overstuffed armchair reading a book called Twenty-Five Ways to Catch the Wind. “You do realize you slept through breakfast and lunch, right?”

Sofian was aware he overslept, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty for it. It was the first time he had slept in a nice bed, and Amy only woke him up after she had finished her daily panic breakdown. Sofian looked around, trying to find a clock, but everything was covered in weird clothes. 

“You had a rough day yesterday, so we understand. Plus, your body needs rest while it detoxes,” Della said, materializing in the center of the room. “How are you doing?”

“Good enough.”

“Well, you look great. Not that you didn’t before, but I think that detox made a difference. You should see how shiny your hair is, and your eyes are so…exotic. You’re going to be quite the heartbreaker when you grow up.”

Sofian cringed at that line. 

“Who is?” Biana strode into the room in a fitted dress with intricate gold embroidery that shimmered with every step. She looked way more glamorous than any fourteen-year-old had the right to look. 

“Sofian,” Della said, smiling at him. “Doesn’t he look great today?”

The moment couldn’t have been more embarrassing, except Biana saved it with her little blush. “I wouldn’t know. He looks the same to me.”

“Oh! I almost forgot! Alden and I have been shopping all morning.” Della waved her arms at the explosion of clothes. “Behold. Your new wardrobe.”

Masculine clothes in the Elvin cities were much duller than what he had before. The only things he had worn from his brother’s closet to go outside were his dark color shirts designed with emo Mickey Mouse, Stitch with Angel, skeletal drawings, and intricate flowers. 

“That’s all for me?” Was Sofian going to be wearing five outfits a day?

Della winked. “We got you everything you’ll need, plus a few extras. The only thing I didn’t get was a new nexus. I figured you’d want to pick your own. Unless you want to keep Fitz’s old, beat-up one.”

Sofian stared at the cuff on his wrist. “Doesn’t look too bad.”

“If that’s what you want,” Della agreed with a smile. “I should be done packing all of this in a few minutes, and then I’ll get you some lunch.”

“Packing? Are you kicking me out?” He said it as a joke, but Della rushed to take his hands.

“Of course not. We thought you’d want to get settled into your new home. If you want to wait a few days, we’ll unpack your stuff right now.”

“No it’s fine, I don’t really want lunch. I’m not hungry.”

“I am!” Amy said.

Della smiled sadly at Sofian. “You’re going to like Grady and Edaline.”

His palms dampened from the soft affection Della offered him, he felt as though he was suffocating and begging his lungs for air. “What are they like?”

“They’re great,” Alden promised. “They run an animal preserve at Havenfield, so they always have all kinds of exciting things going on.” 

“Do they have any kids?” 

Della glanced at Alden who looked away. “Grady and Edaline lost their only daughter about fifteen years ago. Her name was Jolie. She was twenty when she died. It was . . . . terrible accident.” 

Della covered her mouth with her hand. 

Alden shook his head. “I’m not sure if they’ll mention it, so you might want to wait to see if they bring it up. That way you’ll know they’re ready to talk about it. And please don’t let that make you more nervous to meet them. I won’t deny that their loss has affected them, but they’re still two of the most wonderful people I know. You’re going to like them.” He offered him his hand. “Take my hand if you want. Let’s go meet your new guardians.”

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“What kind of animal preserve is this?” Sofian asked as a booming roar shook the ground. Fenced-in pastures spread as far as he could see, filled with creatures that looked like mutant, scrambled versions of animals.

“Havenfield is one of the rehabilitation centers for our Sanctuary,” Alden explained. “The animals are brought here first for training, before we release them into their protected home—and they’re not easy to catch. We’re still trying to trap Nessie. She’s quite the escape artist.”

“These things live around humans?”

“Where do you think the legends come from? Which is why it’s not safe for them. We’ve even had to collect endangered species—gorillas, lions, mammoths—”

“Didn’t mammoths go extinct?” he interrupted.

“Tell that to the thriving herd we have at the Sanctuary.”

“You have a herd of woolly mammoths?” 

“We have colonies of everything. Mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, dinosaurs. Every species exists for a reason, and to allow one to die off would rob the planet of the unique beauty and qualities it provides. So we make sure they all continue to thrive. Grady and Edaline train the animals to be vegetarians by feeding them gnomish produce; that way they won’t hunt one another once they’re moved to the Sanctuary.” 

Another roar interrupted their conversation. Whatever it was sounded like it wasn’t happy about its new diet plan.

The path they followed split, part of it winding down steep cliffs to a rocky beach lined with dark caves. Sofian knew it was paranoia that caused him to think about all the dangerous possibilities of living with new guardians even as he was shown nothing but hospitality.

 The path led to a wide meadow, where gnomes were using thick ropes to lasso what looked like a giant lizard covered in neon green feathers. The beast thrashed in protest.

Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” a husky male voice commanded from somewhere among the ropes and feathers. “Okay. Here goes nothing,” he called.

The gnomes tugged on the ropes, pulling the beast’s neck low enough for a blond elf to heave himself up—no easy feat considering the beast was twice the size of an elephant.

“I’m trying to help, you silly girl,” he yelled as the beast bucked and thrashed.

“Need a hand, Grady?” Alden called. 

“Nah. Almost got it.” He lunged and grabbed something black tangled in the feathers. It twisted and writhed, but Grady yanked it off, nearly losing his balance in the process. The fluffy lizard stopped struggling as Grady tossed the black thing to one of the gnomes and slid down the beast’s back. “Sorry about that,” he called to Alden, once he was back on the ground. 

“No problem, my friend. Verdi giving you trouble again?” 

“That’s why she’s our permanent resident.”

“Would you like to meet a tyrannosaurus, Sofian?” Alden offered.

“Not really. I’m fine with not introducing myself to a predator.”

“You must be Sofian,” Grady observed. He sort of reminded Sofian of James Bond and Robin Hood, very differing from the chubby, balding Dahl he grew up with.

“Yeah. And this is my sister, Amy.” He nudged Amy forward, who gave an awkward smile.

“Well, come on, Edaline’s probably waiting.” Grady’s voice sounded wary, and his steps were almost as reluctant as Sofian’s as he led them to a house overlooking the ocean. It was small compared to Alden and Della’s palatial estate but a castle by Sofian’s standards. The house was taller than it was wide, with golden columns breaking up the etched glass walls, and a glittering cupola rose from the center of the roof. 

There was no fancy entryway like Everglen’s, just a huge room with clear walls overlooking the ocean and scattered furniture breaking up the space. A wide central stairway curved to the upper floors, and a chandelier of intricately braided crystals cascaded from the domed ceiling. It was simple but elegant, and very, very clean. So clean it didn’t look lived in. 

Edaline swept into the room in a pale blue dress made of wispy fabric that floated around her as she moved. She had soft pink cheeks, wide turquoise eyes, and amber hair that fell past her shoulders in soft curls. Aside from Della, she was the most beautiful woman Sofian had seen—except for the purple shadows under her eyes. Veronica had similar dark circles permanently, since she was always on some kind of substance causing her some kind of stress. Sofian just hoped that it wasn’t the same case with Edaline. He didn’t want to have addict guardians.

Edaline frowned when she saw Grady. “You’re covered in dinosaur fluff! I’m sorry, I told him to be presentable,” she told Alden.

Alden laughed. “I’ve yet to see someone ride a T. rex without picking up a few feathers.”

“You’ve never seen Edaline in action,” Grady corrected with a smile. “Well, I’m going to wash up.” With that, he dashed up the staircase. 

Edaline nodded. Then she took a deep breath and turned to Sofian and Amy. “Welcome to our home.” Her shaky voice sounded more nervous than Sofian felt, which strangely made him feel better. 

“Thank you for having us.”

Edaline smiled, but sadness lingered in her eyes. “I hope you can stay for tea,” she told Alden. “There’s mallowmelt.” 

Alden’s face lit up. “If you insist.”

Tea was served in a nook in the kitchen, and even though Sophie could see orange, feathered dinosaurs grazing outside in one of the pastures, it reminded her a little of home. 

Actual home. 

“Would you like some lushberry juice?” Edaline offered Sophie. 

“Uh, sure.” 

Edaline snapped her fingers. There was a tiny pop and a flash of light, and a bright green bottle appeared on the table.

“Is your ability to create something from thin air?”

Grady laughed. “Guess you’ve never seen a Conjurer in action before.”

Edaline smiled for real this time, and it lit up her whole face. “If I know where something is, I can bring it here with my mind. It’s kind of like teleporting, but with objects.”

“What can you do?” Sofian asked Grady.

His smile faded. “Nothing nearly as fun, trust me.”

Alden rose. “I, unfortunately, must get going.” He dug a scraggly paper out of his pocket and handed it to Edaline. “Elwin wants him to take these medicines for the next few weeks. You should be able to find them at Slurps and Burps.”

All the color faded from Edaline’s face. “I guess I’ll take him tomorrow. Is there anything else he needs?” 

“Della took care of the rest. You know how she is when it comes to shopping.” 

“I do. I made the mistake of letting her help me shop for a gift for . . . a friend’s daughter one time. Four hours later I had a whole new wardrobe and still no gift.”

 Grady took Edaline’s hand and she turned away, staring out the window.

Alden fished a thin crystal square out of his pocket and handed it to Sofian. “This is an Imparter. It’ll allow you to communicate with anyone in our world. So if you need anything, or simply want to talk, say my name to the screen and you’ll reach me. Okay?”

“‘Kay.”

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Their bedroom took up the entire third floor. 

Star-shaped crystals dangled from the ceiling on glittery cords, and blue and purple flowers weaved through the carpet, filling the room with their sweet scent. A giant canopy bed occupied the center of the room, and a huge closet and dressing area took up an entire wall. Bookshelves full of thick, brightly colored volumes filled the other walls. He even had his own bathroom, complete with a waterfall shower and a bathtub the size of a swimming pool.

“I hope it’s okay,” Edaline said, biting her lip. 

Was she kidding? This alone was bigger than the whole house he used to live in, and it was only a room?

Half of the second floor was Grady and Edaline’s bedroom, and the other half was a long hall with three closed doors. Two were their personal offices. One they didn’t explain, but Sofian assumed it was Jolie’s room. They didn’t forbid him from going to that part of the house, but they didn’t give him a tour either, and with the way their voices strained as they spoke about it, he decided it would be best to stay away. 

After an awkward but delicious dinner of soupy green stuff that tasted like pizza, Grady and Edaline left Sofian and Amy alone to unpack—which turned out to be a good thing.

Amy wanted the bed closest to the door, and refused when Sofian insisted he could sleep there and she could have the better view and bed. Reluctantly, Sofian unpacked all the stuff they bought and carefully arranged them around the room. He hung up only one thing near his bed, a photograph of Sophie, Clyde, and Amy all smiling together near a christmas tree. He had many other things he could use to decorate, all of the things that he bought before Veronica and Dahl stopped working, but he wanted that singular frame hung up.

Over on the other side of the big floor, Amy was organizing the stuffed animals she had collected over the years on her new bed. 

Sofian smiled at the sight of her frustrated when a green dinosaur plushie kept falling off the edge of the bed. Maybe, there was a chance of starting over. But if Sofian wanted a new life, he was gonna have to start being nice to people. 

That doesn’t mean he has to trust them.

Chapter Text

Sofian woke to an amazing sunrise–pink, purple, and orange steaks blending the ocean and sky into mirror images. He enjoyed the view, but he would need to figure out a way to darken his glass wall, he wasn’t used to the strong light.

Grady and Edaline were in the kitchen finishing up breakfast when he and Amy came downstairs. Sofian hovered in the doorway, not sure if he should interrupt. 

“Either you’re an early riser,” Grady said as he moved the scrolls he was reading to make room for him, “or you didn’t close the shades.”

He sank into a chair next to him. “How do I do that?” 

“Just clap your hands twice,” Amy answered, whilst moving more of Grady’s scrolls from another chair.

“How about some breakfast?” Edaline asked. Her voice sounded tired, and the shadows around her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. At Sofian’s nod, she conjured up a bowl of orange glop and a spoon. Each bite tasted like warm, buttery banana bread, and Sofian was tempted to ask for seconds, but he didn’t want to seem like an animal stealing all their food, considering he had already greedily ate the food.

He didn’t know how to talk to them, so he stared at Grady’s scrolls. The sloppy handwriting was impossible to read upside down, but he did notice a symbol in the corner: a hooked bird’s neck, with the beak pointing down. The image tickled his mind, like he should know what it meant, but he couldn’t find the memory it belonged to.

Before Grady could catch him looking, he averted his attention to Amy and made it seem like he was asking her a question.

“If you’re ready to go, we should get those medicines Elwin prescribed,” Edaline interrupted before he had to come up with a random question, standing. Each word was drawn out, like the whole sentence was one long sigh, which didn’t exactly make Sofian eager to go. But he couldn’t really say no, so he rose, tugging down his blue tunic.

Grady nodded. “Say hi to Kesler for me.”

Edaline groaned. “This is going to be interesting.”

“Why?” Edaline didn’t answer, instead took his hand and Sofian only had a moment to grab Amy’s hand before they glittered away. 

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They leaped to an island called Mysterium. Small, identical buildings lined the narrow streets like they’d been cut from a mold. Street vendors filled the air with the scent of spices and sweets, and conversation buzzed around the crowded sidewalks. Sofian, Amy, and Edaline’s outfits stood out among the simple tunics and pants of the other elves.

“They don’t have to dress up?” Sofian wasn’t complaining about his clothes, he was grateful to have something new to wear, he just wished they had jeans or t-shirts.

“Mysterium is a working-class city.”

“Oh. But wait—doesn’t everyone get the same amount of money in their birth fund?”

Edaline nodded. “Money has nothing to do with social rank. Our world is ‘talent based.’ Those with simpler abilities work simpler jobs—and they dress correspondingly.”

Sofian was about to add to it when Edaline tripped over something and clung to Sofian’s army. 

“You okay?” he asked as he tried to help her steady herself.

“Yes, sorry. I’m just not used to being around so many people.” She kept her head down as she led them through the buddy village, avoiding the other elves they ran into. Everyone seemed to recognize Edaline, though, and whispers followed them wherever they went. 

“Look, it’s Edaline Ruewen—can you believe it?”

“I thought she never left the house.”

“She doesn’t.”

Edaline pretended not to notice, and they didn’t slow their pace until they reached the only building that was different: a store painted twenty different colors, with curved walls and a crooked roof—like it belonged in a nursery rhyme. 

SLURPS AND BURPS: YOUR MERRY APOTHECARY.  

The door belched as they entered.

The store was a maze of shelves filled with colored bottles of liquids and pills. Edaline went straight to the back, to a laboratory complete with beakers bubbling over burners with rainbow-colored flames. A slender man in a long white lab coat hovered over the experiments with a skinny boy at his side—probably his son, since they both had the same tousled strawberry blond hair and periwinkle eyes. The son radiated this strange sort of friendliness that brought Sofian a wave of deja vu. 

“I’ll be with you in two minutes,” he promised as he added a blob of orange slime to one of the test tubes. “Get ready to add the amarallitine, Dex.” 

The boy used a long pair of tongs to pick up a glowing yellow vial and hold it over the experiment from a safe distance. “Ready?” 

“Not yet.” He slipped on a pair of thick black glasses. “Okay. Now!”

He jumped back as the boy poured in the contents of the vial. The beaker sparked and released an enormous plume of smoke, filling the room with the smell of dirty feet. Sophie fought off a gag and hoped the concoction wasn’t on Elwin’s list. The man pounded the boy’s back and removed his glasses. “First one we haven’t exploded all day. Edaline!” he exclaimed, finally looking up. “Is that really you?” 

“Hello, Kesler.”

“‘Hello, Kesler,’” he repeated, with a convincing impersonation of her soft voice. “That’s all you have to say? Get over here and give me a hug!” Edaline moved across the room like sludge, but he wrapped her in a big bear hug anyway. “You look good, Eda—but what are you doing here? You never come to town.”

“I know.” She handed him the crumpled scrap of paper. “Elwin said I need to get these for Sofian.”

“And some stuff for Amy,” Sofian added.

Kesler scanned the sheet for half a second before his head snapped up. “Sophie?” His eyes found where Sophie was standing and his jaw fell slack. “Did I…miss something?” 

“Yes.” Edaline took a deep breath. “Sofian lives with us now.”

“So does Amy.”

Kesler’s eyes darted between Sofian and Edaline, like he couldn’t decide who was more fascinating. “Since when?” Sofian felt a familiar sense of dread pull over him, he didn’t like what Kesler could be implying.

“Since yesterday—it’s a long story.” She gestured for Sofian to join them. “Sofian, this is my brother-in-law, Kesler, and my nephew Dex.”

“Hey, this is Amy.” Sofian nudged Amy forward and introduced his sister, wanting them to acknowledge her presence.

“Sofian will be starting at Foxfire on Monday,” Edaline explained. 

“Cool,” Dex exclaimed. “What level will you be?” 

“Level Three.”

“Me too! Do you know your schedule al—whoa!” He leaned close to his face as Sofian leaned his head back and pointed to his eyes. “How’d you do that? I turn mine red sometimes —totally freaks everyone out—but I’ve never seen brown before. I like it.”

“My eyes are just brown.”

“Really? Excellent. Do you see them, Dad?” 

“I do.” Kesler studied him like Sofian was one of his experiments, making his skin crawl. “Where exactly are you from, Sofian?”

“I don’t know if that’s any of your business,” he snapped. 

“Oh-I didn’t mean to offend you, Sofian-”

Sofian’s face relaxed and he let out a deep breath. “Sorry. That was my fault. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I don’t know what’s up with me.” 

“Well, Sofian’s from the Forbidden Cities,” Edaline continued, ignoring the awkward moment.

Sofian cringed as Kesler asked, “ What ?” at the same time Dex shouted, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! Was it awesome? I bet it was awesome. Hey, are you human? Is that why you have brown eyes?”

“I’m not human. I’m…an elf.”

“Dex, I think you’re making Sophie uncomfortable,” Edaline said, before he could ask another question.

 “Am I? Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Don’t worry, you weren’t. I think you’re actually really brave for voicing your thoughts. Makes it easier for telepaths.”

“Is that a backhanded compliment-”

The door burped again. 

“You!” A tall woman in a dark green cape stalked through the store, pushing past Sofian, Amy and Edaline. A beanpole of a girl in a hooded pink cloak dragged behind.

“What’s wrong now, Vika?” Kesler asked with obvious annoyance.

 “Ask your son. This has his handiwork written all over it.” She whipped the hood down from the girl’s head, revealing a shiny bald scalp underneath.

Edaline, Amy, and Kesler gasped at the same time. Dex and Sofian, meanwhile, tried their best not to smile. Dex seemed to have not been able to help himself from saying, “Hey, Stina. Did you change something? ’Cause you look different today. Wait, don’t tell me…” 

“Mom!” Stina growled. 

Kesler’s cheeks twitched, like he was battling a laugh. “We don’t sell any balding solutions here, Vika.”

 “Just because you don’t sell them doesn’t mean you don’t make them,” she insisted. 

Kesler glanced at Dex.

“You know how to make them too,” Dex reminded him.

“I know it was you, you stupid sasquatch!” Stina screamed. 

Dex rolled his eyes and pointed to a spot behind her ear. “Did you know you have a dent in your skull right there?”

Sofian bit back a laugh as Stina lunged for him in a flurry of bony appendages.

“That’s enough!” Kesler shouted, pulling them apart. “Control your daughter, Vika.” 

“Why should I? It’s not like you control your children.” Kesler looked like he wanted to throttle her, but instead he gritted his teeth and said, “We have Hairoids in stock. Take some on the house, and she’ll have her hair back in a week.”

A week?” Stina wailed. “I can’t go to school looking like . . . like . . .”

“Like an ogre?” Dex suggested with a wicked grin.

Stina screamed.

“If my daughter misses any days of school because of your son, I will make sure he is held responsible,” Vika yelled. 

“You can’t prove anything,” Dex grumbled. 

“I won’t need to. They’d expect nothing less from a bad match!”

Kesler’s friendly features twisted with obvious rage, and he needed several deep breaths before he spoke. Sofian felt bad for Stina, but he couldn’t ignore the hilarious situation of the moment. He could also understand the mother’s anger, he didn’t know who was the jerk in this circumstance, so he didn’t want to make fun of the girl.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Kesler practically spat. “You two are going to get out of my sight, and when I finish helping these customers, I’ll see if I can make the Hairoids more potent. If I can’t, wear a hat.” 

Vika stared him down, but he didn’t flinch. “I guess we have no choice. It’s not like anyone else would waste their lives making ridiculous medicines in a useless shop.”

“If it’s so useless, why does everyone buy from me?” Kesler countered.

Vika couldn’t seem to find a retort. So she threw the hood back over Stina’s head and dragged her toward the door.

“I’ll get you for this,” Stina promised Dex.

“Oooh, I’m really scared.”

Stina’s bitter eyes focused on Sofian. “What are you looking at?”

Sofian looked away. “Nothing. I don’t know you, but I don’t think you deserved this.”

When he looked back at her again, her features seemed to have softened, but she stomped away angrily.

The door burped again, then slammed.

Kesler pounded his fist against the table, making everyone jump while Amy and Sofian flinched at the deafening sound. “Do I want to know what that was all about, Dex?” 

“Probably not.”

Sofian braced himself to watch Kesler strike Dex. Instead, Kesler sighed. “You need to be more careful, Dex. You know how some people feel about our family—especially Vika and Timkin Heks.”

“Well,” Edaline said quietly, “this store hardly helps the situation. Perhaps if you made it more traditional—” 

“Absolutely not,” Kesler interrupted. “Nothing brings me more joy than watching all the stuffy nobles squirm in here.” 

“Just like nothing makes me happier than a shiny bald Stina,” Dex added, grinning.

Kesler couldn’t help laughing. “Well, Dex, since you made the mess, you get to tweak the Hairoids. I need to help Edaline with Elwin’s list.” 

Dex scowled and stalked off to collect the supplies from the back. He returned a few seconds later with an armful of vials and spread them on the worktable with a sneaky smile. “This will make her hair grow faster,” he whispered to Sofian. “But it’ll also give her a beard.”

“What did that girl do to you?” Sofian snorted.

“She’s just evil,” he said as he ground black leaves with a mortar and pestle. “Trust me.”

That was for Sofian to decide.

Chapter Text

Edaline disappeared to her room when they returned to Havenfield, and Grady tried to teach Sofian how to light leap alone. Another thing to add to the list of stuff he was horrible at.

The first ten times he tried, he couldn’t feel the warm feather—no matter how many times Grady told him to concentrate on the tingle in his cells. After that he couldn’t hold on long enough to do anything except break out in a full body sweat from the heat.

On attempt twenty-seven, he finally made a solo leap to the other side of the property. He completed the next five in a row and felt ready to take down one of the animals from the backyard. He was relieved when Grady announced he’s practiced enough. But when he checked Sofian’s nexus, he frowned.

He pointed to the gray rectangle, which displayed only a sliver of blue.”That means  your concentration is at twenty-five percent. Everyone your age is at least forty percent by now.”

Mainly because they’ve been light-leaping their whole lives, but Sofian didn’t want to point that out. He was trying not to be difficult. “I’m trying as hard as I can.”

“I know,” Grady said, worrying the edge of his tunic with his hands. “But I don’t think you have any idea what you’re up against. Alden told me Bronte doesn’t want you at Foxfire, which means he’ll be watching you like a hawk. He’ll check with your Mentors. He’ll monitor your tests. And at the first sign of weakness, he’ll step in and try to have you expelled. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pushes for you to be transferred to Exillium—and let’s just say it’s somewhere you don’t want to go.”

“How am I supposed to pass if I’m so far behind?”

Grady forced a smile. “I know you’re struggling to adjust and have a ton to learn, but you’re going to have to push yourself as hard as you can. And I promise I’ll help you every way I can. Edaline will too.”

A flash of light radiated from the corner of his eye and two people appeared a few feet up the path. He recognized Dex from Slurps and Burps, and the woman he was with resembled Edaline, except her hair was messy and her yellow gown was wrinkled and plain.

“Had to come see for yourself, Juline?” Grady asked. 

“I’m allowed to visit my sister, aren’t I?” she asked, her eyes riveted to Sofian. 

Grady laughed. “Where’s the rest of the family?” 

“Home with Kesler. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.” 

“And maybe you wanted time to gossip without interruption?” Grady teased. “Sofian, why don’t you show Dex your room? I have a feeling the girls have a lot of talking to do.”

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Sofian made sure Amy wasn’t in the room before he let Dex inside. He seemed pretty comfortable, wandering his room, touching everything that caught his interest. He thought his human clothes were hilarious, to which Sofian had to calm himself before he seriously hurt Dex.

“Hey, is that you?” he asked, pointing to the frame Sofian had hung up.

Sofian’s eyes stung as he glanced at the picture. He could see himself with his blonde hair and joyful smile. His brother was there too. “Yeah. That was a couple years ago.”

“Are those your sisters?”

“Yeah. Well–um–one of them used to be my sister. The youngest one is here with me,” he corrected. 

Dex frowned, his curious expression deepening across his face. “What happened to her?”

“Fell in a lake. Drowned because she couldn’t swim.” The death wouldn’t have been a bad excuse if he had died. He never learned how to swim.

“Sorry. No one should go through that.” He shuffled his feet. “You guys seemed to be great siblings. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” He didn’t have the time to object when Dex picked up a notebook from atop the bedside cabinet and was flipping through the pages. He hoped he wouldn’t come across the page with the little bags.

“Why did you take your picture with a guy in a giant mouse suit? Actually—better question: Why would anyone wear a giant mouse suit?”

“We’re at Disneyland.”

His head snapped up. “I have my own land?”

“What?”

“My last name is Dizznee.”

Sofian laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s just a coincidence.”

He squinted at the picture. “Are you wearing a mask?”

Sofian didn’t remember that. When he looked at the photo Dex was looking at, it was his brother with a star wars costume on and a light up saber in one hand. “Oh-uh…yeah.”

He flipped to another page. “Is your sister wearing fairy wings? When was this? You guys look pretty young.”

“Everything in this scrapbook is memories from over six years ago.” He didn’t have any happy moments after that.

“Oh.”

“Okay, I think we’ve had enough fun with the photos.” He pulled the scrapbook away from Dex before he found anything else to ask questions about. 

“Sorry. I just can’t get over it. I mean, I’ve never seen a human, in real life. And you lived with them.” He shook his head. “How come you live with Grady and Edaline? Are you related to them?” 

His jaw tightened. “I’m not related to anyone.” 

“You’re alive. You must have parents.”

Not good ones.

He shook his head. “My real parents didn’t want me to know who they are, so as far as I’m concerned, they don’t exist.”

Dex didn’t seem to know what to say to that.

“Hey, this is one of those cool gadgets,” he said, picking up Sofian’s old phone. It was the present she had saved up for him, wanting to give him something nice. Sofian’s fingers itched to grab it from Dex.

“Yeah. How did you know?” 

“My mom’s into human movies. She doesn’t have many, but one of them had one of these things in it, and I’ve always wanted to see one. We don’t have anything like them.”

“Really? Why not?” 

“Elves aren’t really musical—not like dwarves. They have some awesome music.” He slid his fingers across the screen. “It’s dead.”

“No outlets here. No way to charge it.”

Dex flipped it over. “I don’t know much about human technology, but I bet I could make it solar powered.”

 “Really?” Hope flared in Sofian’s chest.

“Well, I can give it a try.” He slipped it into his pocket and went over to his desk, rifling through all his Foxfire stuff. He scanned Sofian’s schedule. “Sir Conley’s pretty cool, we have him together! But good luck with Lady Galvin. She has the highest fail rate of any Mentor—ever. I’m pretty sure she failed one of her prodigies a few weeks ago. I’m not excited to go to her class but at least you’ll be there!”

“What other classes do we have together?”

“Oh, I’m not sure who else I remember I have. But I could help you find your way around tomorrow,” Dex offered.

“You wouldn’t mind that, right?”

“Are you kidding? I can’t wait to tell everyone you were my friend first.”

Friend. Sofian likes the idea of it.

Dex’s smile widened, flashing his deep dimples. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Chapter Text

Sofian was still trying to figure out which of the strange gadgets from Della were school supplies when the chimes rang. Dex had arranged to meet with him at Havenfield so he wouldn’t have to arrive at Foxfire alone. And Sofian made sure to give his pocket knife to Amy in case something were to happen when he was gone. Amy was apparently too young to attend Foxfire at her age, and would need to stay home until she turned ten or eleven-ish.

Sofian smiled as he let Dex inside. “Guess we’re wearing matching bad uniforms.”

The uniforms for the guys consisted of an orange-yellow lace-up jerkin over a black long-sleeved shirt and orange slacks with pockets at the ankles. What needed to be added to the look was a waist-length cape to make them look like kid superheroes.

“What’s with the capes?” Sofian asked.

“I know, they’re stupid, right? But they’re a sign of status, so we have to wear them.” 

“Capes?”

“Yeah, haven’t you noticed that only the nobility have them? Foxfire is the only noble school—meaning you have to go there in order to be in the nobility—so we wear half capes to demonstrate that. At least next year we will get rid of the mastodon.” He pulled on the blue, jeweled bird that clasped the cape against his neck. “We’ll be dragons.”

He laughed when he caught Sofian’s confused expression. “Each grade level has a mascot. Level three is a mastodon, these really big orange elephants. But Level four is a dragon, so at the opening ceremonies on the first day of school we get to dress in these cool dragon costumes. Be glad you missed wearing the gremlin, halcyon, and mastodon costumes. We looked like idiots.”

Dressing like a dragon didn’t sound nearly as appealing as Dex seemed to think, but he could always skip the opening ceremonies and pretend to be sick.

“Hey, you’re wearing the Ruewen crest,” Dex said, pointing to the triangle patch sewn where Sofian’s cape hung over his heart: a scarlet eagle soaring with a white rose in its talons. Dex’s patch was square and looked like a bunch of chemistry equipment twisted into a tree. “We wear our family’s crest on our uniform. If Grady and Edaline are letting you wear theirs, they must be serious. Are they adopting you?”

“I don’t know.” He hoped if they were, that they were a good, trustworthy couple.

“Where are they, anyway?” Dex asked, looking around.

“A gnome ran in during breakfast and yelled something about a manticore stinging a stegosaurus, and they both ran off.”

“And people say my parents are weird.”

“It’s pretty crazy here. But they seem nice enough.”

“Grady and Edaline? Oh yeah, they’re great. They keep to themselves a lot because of what happened to Jolie. I never knew them before it happened, but my mom said they used to throw these huge parties everyone looked forward to all year. Now they never leave the house. So weird.”

Sofian shrugged. “A lot of people are never the same after someone they love dies.” 

“Really?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Death is a rare thing in the Lost Cities. Anyway, my mom thinks it’ll be good for them having you around,” Dex told him. “Maybe they’ll get over it.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” he said, frowning. “How do you know about adoption? I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of orphans around here.” 

“We don’t,” Dex agreed. “We had a big drama a few years back—some kid named Wylie whose dad was exiled had his mom die too. Something broke her concentration while she was leaping and she faded away, I guess. I don’t know much, just that Sir Tiergan adopted him and retired from Foxfire.” 

“Sir Tiergan—the telepathy Mentor?” 

“Yeah. Wait—how do you know about him?”

“Alden mentioned him.”

“Oh yeah, he hates Alden. Blames him for the dad being exiled or something. But I might be remembering wrong. Wylie’s a few years older than me, so I’ve never met him or anything. You ready to go?” 

Sofian slipped his satchel over his head. “Yep. How do we get there?”

He led Sofian up to the cupola and pointed to hundreds of crystals hanging in a round chandelier. “The Leapmaster 500. You’re lucky. My parents aren’t nobility, so they’re only authorized to have the 250—it’s missing tons of cool places. Foxfire!” he shouted. 

The crystals rotated until one lowered, casting a beam of light toward the ground. 

“You ready?” he asked.

“May as well get to school before we get detention.” Not that Sofian even cared about getting in trouble.

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“Damn.”

A five-story glass pyramid towered over everything from its place in the center of a wide stone courtyard. The main building wrapped around the pyramid in a sharply angled U and was made entirely of stained glass. Six towers—each a different color—separated the wings, and a seventh tower— another Leapmaster—stood in the center, taller than the others. 

To the left sat a domed amphitheater and two smaller buildings, all built from the same glowing stones as the castle Fitz had shown him in Lumenaria. To the right, two giant towers, one gold and one silver, twisted around one another. Combined with extensive fields of purple grass, the place seemed more like a small city than a school, and Sophie tried not to imagine how hopelessly lost she would be. 

Dex led Sofian into the bottom floor of the glass pyramid, which was packed with prodigies in uniforms the same colors as the building’s six towers.

“What are we doing here?” Sofian leaned in and whispered.

“Every morning starts with orientation. It’s no big deal. Dame Alina—our principal—just reads off any announcements while they take attendance.”

 “How can they take attendance with this many people?” 

He pulled his registry pendant out from under his collar. “They track us with these.”

Thousands of bells chimed an intricate peal, and everyone faced the far wall, which now showed a close-up of Dame Alina, a stunning beauty with porcelain skin and fragile features. 

She smoothed her caramel-colored hair and pursed her lips. “Good morning, prodigies. First and foremost, whoever put reekrod in my desk over the weekend will — It’s not funny!” she snapped as everyone cracked up. Her eyes narrowed. “Mark my words—whoever it was will be punished to the fullest extent of my abilities.”

She let the threat dangle before she continued. “Last week we had fourteen prodigies detect special abilities—a new record.” She clapped and everyone joined her. “And—last but not least—where is he? . . . Ah, there!”

A spotlight focused on Sofian.

His heart dropped to the pit in his stomach.

“Everyone, please welcome Sofian Foster—a Level Three prodigy, starting his first day at Foxfire.”

No one said anything and Sofian wished he had Della’s ability to turn invisible.

Dame Alina cleared her throat. “Is that how we welcome someone?” 

A second of silence passed before everyone clapped. Sofian looked around for a hole he could crawl into. 

“That’s better,” Dame Alina said. “That concludes today’s announcements. Have a wonderful day!”

Everyone applauded as Dame Alina flashed a brilliant smile and blinked off the screen. Then all eyes returned to Sofian.

“Get me the fuck out of here,” he begged Dex.

He uncomfortably laughed and led him out the nearest exit. 

What was up with elves and curses?

Dex led Sofian into the main building, which was divided into six different wings by the towers, one wing for each lower grade level. The walls of the Level three wing were the same color as his uniform, and the banners bore a mastodon in midjump.

Dex switched halls so many times Sofian lost count, and he was beyond confused when they entered an enormous quad with glittering crystal trees scattered throughout the room. A statue of a mastodon  filled the center, sparkling like it was carved from sapphire instead of stone. Prodigies chatted as they put books and supplies into the narrow doorways lining the walls, but everyone fell silent when they noticed Sofian.

“Okay, this is the atrium,” Dex explained, ignoring the spectacle they were creating. He checked Sofia’s schedule and led him toward the far wall, to a door marked with a rune Sofian couldn’t read. “This is your locker. See that silver strip?” He pointed to a shiny mirrored rectangle just underneath the symbol. “Lick it. The lock uses your DNA.”

“Ew. I’m not doing that.”

“Are you just going to carry your stuff with you the entire day?”

“Seems like a great idea.”

Dex’s locker was two doors down, and a loud croak sounded as he opened the door. Dex yelped and slammed it closed, but the whole room filled with the stench of rotten eggs mixed with morning breath and a dash of dirty diaper.

“She put a muskog in my locker!” he screamed. Sofian cringed at the loud sound.

A high, wheezy snicker erupted behind them.

They whirled around to face a girl towering over them like a giant stick insect. The girl’s head was covered with a mass of frizzy brown curls, so it took Sofian a minute to recognize her as the bald girl from Slurps and Burps. Two girls stood next to her cackling like disney villains. But Sofian couldn’t deny that they were pretty.

“How did you get in my locker?” Dex demanded, stalking up to Stina’s towering body. His head barely cleared her shoulders. 

“You left it open, idiot. I guess remembering to close doors is too hard for the son of a bad match to remember.”

Dex ground his teeth. Then his eyes lit up, and he pointed to a row of scraggly hairs along her jaw. “Nice beard you’re growing there. Hope you know how to shave.” 

Stina felt her chin and shrieked. She grabbed Dex by the shirt. “You little —” 

“That’s quite enough, Miss Heks!” a slender woman in a deep blue gown and cape ordered as she stepped through the wall and pulled them apart. “What’s going on here? And what on earth is that smell?”

“She put a muskog in my locker!” Dex told her.

 “He put balding serum in my lushberry juice on Friday!” Stina retorted. 

The woman shook her head, her long raven hair swishing behind her. “Such behavior—and in front of our new prodigy.” Her almond-shaped eyes darted to Sofian. “I’m sorry you had to see this, my dear.”

She turned back to Dex and Stina. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Apologize.” 

Dex scowled. Stina glared. But they both mumbled, “Sorry.”

“You two obviously need time to bond, so you can spend all week together in lunch detention.” 

“But, Lady Alexine—” 

“I don’t want to hear it. Dex, get that muskog out of here before it stinks up the whole place. And, Stina? You seem to have some strange hairs on your chin. You might want to have Elwin check them.”

Dex cracked up and Stina turned beet red. She covered her beard with her hand and stalked off, followed by her minions. Lady Alexine swept across the atrium, disappearing through the far wall. 

“See what I mean?” Dex asked as he kicked his locker. “She’s evil.” 

Sofian didn’t think so. “Didn’t you start it, though?”

“She bullies everyone! Especially me!”

Sofian sighed. “What exactly is a muskog?” 

It’s kinda like a frog, but it burps stinky gas when it’s scared. So you should probably get away from here—unless you want to smell like muskog fumes all day.”

He turned and walked away from the muskog infused locker. 

“Hey, you’re the prodigy Dame Alina told us about, right? The new one?” a small boy asked, catching up with him as Sofian set off through the halls. He was a couple of inches shorter than Sofian, with messy brown hair and a very round face.

“Sofian,” he corrected.

“I’m Jensi—whoa—you have really weird eyes—cool—anyway—so— everyone wants to talk to you—but they’re all afraid—so I decided to show them how it’s done.”

He talked like he’d had buckets of sugar for breakfast. 

“See, I told you he’d be nice,” he shouted, making several kids around them turn bright red.

Sofian flashed a grin.

“I’ve never heard of you before—and I know pretty much everyone—so where have you been all this time?” Jensi asked.

He’d been hoping no one would ask that question. Alden had instructed him to be honest. “I was living with humans,” he answered.

“Humans!”

Everyone fell silent. Sofian nodded.

“Well—that’s weird—but cool—you’ll be ‘Human Boy’—it’ll be awesome!”

He cringed. “How about just ‘Sofian’?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Hm.” They hit a fork in the hallway, and Sofian took the right path on a whim. 

Jensi followed him. “Where are we going?”

“Elementalism.” 

He laughed. “Boy, are you going the wrong way. Come on. I’ll take you there.”

They backtracked, making so many twists and turns Sofian had to admit he never would’ve found it without Jensi. Finally, they entered a narrow hall that smelled like a storm, right before the first drops of rain fell. Jensi pointed to a warped wooden door. 

“Your session’s in there—oh— and be careful—I’d hate you to get zapped on your first day!” 

“Okay—wait!” he added as Jensi’s words sank in. “What do you mean, ‘zapped’?”

But Jensi was already gone.

Sofian squared his shoulders and pushed the door open. A loud thunderclap shook the floor, and a bolt of lightning shot out of the ceiling.

Chapter Text

Someone stopped the lighting from hitting Sofian, catching it in a tiny fluted vial at the last possible moment. Still, the hairs on his arm stood on end. 

“Sofian Foster. There you are!” announced the short, blonde man with a man bun. 

“Uh…yeah.”

“Well, take a seat! This is a group project so you need two classmates to complete this assignment.”

Sofian looked around the brightly lit room. He spotted Dex frantically waving at the seat next to him, and he walked over without hesitation. Next to Dex there was another blonde boy who looked to be maybe a few months older than Sofian. 

I think that’s the guy from Quinlin’s building.

His lips twisted into a crooked grin as Sofian sat down. He wore the same orange uniform as everyone else in Level three except he had his sleeves rolled up and his shirt untucked. His disheveled hair also added to his charm. “You’re the new boy, aren’t you?”

Sofian sighed and nodded. 

“I’m Keefe.”

“Sofian,” he tilted his chin down in a nod.

He laughed. “You may be the biggest news to hit the academy since the Great Gulon Incident three years ago—which, by the way, I had nothing to do with.” He flashed a slightly wicked smile. “But that’s not a bad thing. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed being the center of attention.”

“Quiet down class. Let’s get started with the assignment.”

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“How did you feel about your first session?” Dex asked as he handed Sofian a tray and made room for him in the lunch line.

“Oh, fine—except I was almost electrocuted.” Along with the fact that their group botched the project and he had caught Sir Conley making notes about it. Would he be sending them to Bronte?

“That’s elementalism for you,” Dex said. “Wait till they make you collect your first tornado. They’re not easy to catch.”

“Why do we have to learn to bottle that shit, anyway?”

Dex cleared his throat. “Mastering all the elements is one of the steps toward entering the nobility.” 

“Why?” 

“No idea. Neither of my parents are in the nobility, so I don’t know much about it.”

Sofian remembered something about his parents being a bad match and decided to change the subject. “Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you had detention?”

“I still have to eat,” he grumbled, filling his tray with brightly colored foods. 

The lunch line wound through a series of stalls, like a food court at the mall. None of the food was recognizable, so Sofian grabbed whatever Dex took.

“Sorry I got detention on your first day. Are you going to be okay without me?”

“No problem, man.” He always spent the time in the bathrooms, maybe he could eat in there today too.

On his way outside of the cafeteria, he caught a pair of teal eyes staring at him. Biana held his gaze for a few seconds before blushing and looking away. 

Right when he turned around, he bumped into a familiar short boy. Jensi flashed his perfect teeth up at Sofian. “Hey, my friends and I have a table—it’s only guys—and most of them are pretty lame—but you can totally sit with us.”

He might’ve rejected Jensi’s offer if he hadn’t been trying to be nice to people. “Thanks, Jensi.”

If Jensi’s friends were human, they would’ve been skinny, with acne and braces. Since they were elves, they were fairly okay looking—or they could’ve been if they hadn’t slicked their hair into greasy ponytails. They all stared at Sofian like they’ve never seen someone voluntarily come sit with them. 

“Sorry,” Jensi mumbled, setting his tray down with a bang. “C’mon, guys. I said be cool!” 

“Sorry, dude,” they all said in unison.

Jensi sighed. “So, how was the E?” 

“‘E’?” 

“Elementalism,” one of the greasy ponytails explained. “Dude, you don’t know that’s what we call it?”

 “Of course she doesn’t. She’s been living with humans,” Jensi explained before Sofian could say anything. He grinned like he’d just done Sofian a huge favor. But he had to fight the urge to physically cringe when all his friends leaned back in their chairs and said, “Dude.” 

Sofian barely held back his sigh. “Elementalism was good. I wasn’t zapped.”

“Well, duh,” the shortest one volunteered. “Your clothes would be all singed and stuff if you were.” 

Jensi rolled his eyes. “Anyway—what do you have next?” 

“The Universe ,” Sofian replied, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t you mean the U?” the short one asked with an exaggerated grin. The other guys giggled.

Sofian was really regretting his choices of accepting Jensi’s offer, even if it meant he would be alone forever.

Jensi shot them all death looks. “That’s not what we call it. Stop messing with him.” 

“Sorry, dude,” they mumbled.

 “Enough with the ‘dude’—you guys are killing it!” 

“Sorry, dude.”

Jensi looked ready to explode. Sofian covered his laugh with a cough. 

“Thanks for taking care of him, guys, but I’ll take it from here,” a girl’s voice interrupted.

All the greasy ponytails stared and drooled as a pixielike girl grabbed Sofian’s try and motioned for him to follow. Sofian wanted to smack the guys in the face for looking at a woman— anyone —like that. 

“What are you doing?” Sofian asked.

“Rescuing you,” she whispered, tossing her blond hair.

Relieved that he will get to escape from the greasy guys, Sofian tossed a quick goodbye and caught up with the girl.

“You can pay me back later,” she said without turning her head. Her uniform looked like it spent the night balled up on the floor and yet she looked pretty despite what she wore. Maybe it was the way she’d twisted some of her hair into tiny braids, or her huge, ice blue eyes. 

“Sitting with those guys is social suicide,” she explained.

“Jensi’s not so bad,” Sofian shrugged.

“Yeah, he’s fine, but those other guys . . .” She shuddered. “My name’s Marella. Not Mare. Not Ella. No nicknames.” She led Sofian to her table and set the tray down next to hers. “Most of the people here aren’t worth my time. But I figured anyone who got Stina to hate him in less than a day is my kind of person. Take a seat.”

Sofian obeyed. “Stina hates me?” What did he do?

“Oh yeah. But you’re better off. She’s evil.”

“So I keep hearing.” Sofian still wasn’t convinced that the Stina girl was as bad as everyone kept saying.

“Anyway, I saw you over there with the greasy boys and felt sorry for you, so I thought I’d try making a friend.” The way she said it was almost like Sofian should feel honored. “You gonna eat or what?”

Sofian took a small bite of a green puffy ball and felt his lips pucker. It tasted like sour licorice soaked in lemon juice. Sofian liked the weird taste. “Do you usually sit by yourself?”

“Sometimes I let boys sit with me, but I’m not a fan of girls. Girls are annoying.” She shot Sofian a warning look, like she was ordering him not to be obnoxious. “Like, check out Princess Prettypants over there.” She pointed to Biana and rolled her eyes. “I’d rather hang out with a bunch of goblins.”

That was not a great impression. What did she have against girls? Sofian was already tired of talking to her.

“Her brother’s cute, though,” Marella said, her voice turning dreamy. “What I wouldn’t give . . .”

It took all of Sofian’s willpower not to burst out laughing. He took another bite of the green ball.

“It’s too sour, right?”

“Not so bad. I kinda like it.”

“Why would you even choose it? Everyone knows that it’s way too sour.”

“I was copying Dex.” He took a sip of lushberry juice.

Dex . . . strawberry blond curly hair and dimples, right? He’s cute. His family’s a little”—she looped her finger around her ear—“but that’s not really his fault.”

“His parents seemed okay when I met them,” Sofian snapped.

“The Dizznees are nice, but they’re odd. I mean, they have triplets!”

 “And having triplets is . . . bad?” 

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know how it is in the Forbidden Cities, but here we have our kids one at a time. So to have three at once is weird. My mom says it’s because his parents were a bad match

“What exactly is a ‘bad match’?”

“A couple that was ruled genetically incompatible. Usually means their kids will be inferior—and if you’d met the triplets, you’d believe me. No way those kids will be normal.” She shrugged. “Even his aunt and uncle are superstrange.” 

“Grady and Edaline?”

 She nodded. “They used to be celebrities—like, more famous than the Vackers.” 

“Who?”

Marella shot him another warning look. “Fitz and Biana. Their dad’s superimportant—their whole family is. But Grady was even more important, ’cause he has such a rare special ability. Then their daughter died and they freaked out and cut themselves off from everyone.”

Sofian didn’t like Marella’s tone. There wasn’t even a hint of sympathy. “You guys really don’t understand how hard death is, do you?” 

“And you do?”

He nodded, terse. “My sister died half a year ago. And nothing was the same after his— her— death. 

“Weird,” was all Marella had to say to that. “Anyway, Dex seems okay. I know some people think he’ll end up in Exillium, but I doubt it.”

“What’s Exillium?” Sofian asked, trying to cover up the anger he felt at how Marella was being unempathetic. 

“The school where they send the hopeless cases. It’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll end up scooping mammoth poop at the Sanctuary when you grow up—and that’s if you’re lucky.”

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His afternoon session was the Universe, and it was as daunting as he’d feared. Every star. Every plante. Every possible astronomical object—he’d be learning them all. 

And Sir Astin–a pale blond elf with a soft, whispery voice–said he had never taught a prodigy who didn’t at least know the basics.

Every day ended with an hour of study hall on the first floor of the pyramid with the rest of the school. Dec waved Sofian over to a seat he’d saved for him.  “You survived,” he said as Sofian plopped down next to him.

“Kinda wish you also had the Universe.”

“I do. Just different times.”

Sofian smiled as he dug out his Universe homework, even though he knew he wasn’t going to be able to do any of it.

“There you are,” Fitz said, approaching their table. Sofian raised his eyebrow in question. “Why didn’t you sit with us at lunch?”

“Jensi invited me to sit with him, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“Ah. Well, maybe tomorrow then. Oh, and”—he handed Sofian a folded slip of paper—“my dad asked me to give you this.”

Inside the note were two short sentences in precise letters: The San Diego fires have been extinguished. No reason to worry.

Sofian smiled in spite of himself, he was glad that she was at least going to be safe.

Dex cleared his throat.

 “Oh, my bad. Do you guys know each other?” Sofian asked, stuffing the note in his satchel.

Dex said, “Yes,” at the same time Fitz said, “No.”

“We’re Universe partners!” Dex exclaimed.

“We are?” Fitz stupidly asked.

“Well,” Sofian said, trying to fill the silence. “This is Dex.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Right,” Dex snorted.

“What?”

“Nothing, apparently.”

Fitz frowned. Dex glared. Sofian watched them with interest.

“I should get started on my homework,” Fitz said after a second. “I just wanted to check on you. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“‘Kay.”

“Oh, and uh, nice to meet you, Deck,” he added with a hasty nod as he walked away.

“It’s Dex,” he hissed.

“That was shitty of him.”

“‘Nice to meet you, Deck, ’” he repeated in an uncanny impersonation of Fitz’s precise accent.

“Okay, that impression was so spot on. How’d you do it?”

“Actually, Elves are able to mimic other people’s voices. With a little practice, you can sound like anyone you want!”

That was concerning. But Sofian shouldn’t have been surprised considering how he was able to mimic his brother’s voice. He always thought it was some strange thing he found out of himself…

Chapter Text

Apparently the whole school had physical education together every Tuesday and Thursday morning–and of course Sofian wasn’t planning on sweating or spending time with other people more than he already did.

So he ditched Gym class and went around wandering the halls looking for his next class. 

“You must be lost.”

The familiar deep voice brought Sofian out of his trance. 

He blinked, noticing the hallways were stark white now. “How did you know?” he asked sarcastically.

Keefe smirked. “Guess I’m wrong. Are you ditching?”

“What gave me away? Me wandering the halls or the fact that it’s Gym class we’re both skipping?”

Keefe snorted. “You’re kinda funny.”

“I mean-who even likes P.E.?”

“I honestly have no idea. Who do you have next?”

Telepathy training. “One-on-one training with Lady Myleni.”

“Lady Myleni? I don’t think I’ve ever hear of her-”

“Who do you have next?”

“Oh. I have The Universe. I ditch whenever I can. Lady Belva has the worst crush on me. I mean, I can’t really blame her”--he gestured to himself–”but still, it’s awkward, you know?”

Sofian rolled his eyes as he took a seat near the nook at the window.

“I mean…I ran into the mysterious new boy,” he added. “So I’d say ditching paid off pretty well.”

“And why would that be a great thing?”

“Are you kidding! Everyone wants to be your friend! And now I get to say that I’m friends with the new guy!”

Friends?

“Uh…Thanks,” Sofian muttered, not able to help the fluster creep up his cheeks. 

“Oh come on now, it’s okay to say that you’ve got a crush on me now, Foster,” Keefe grinned.

“In your dreams, funkyhair.”

“You did not just insult my hair! You can call me dumb but you CANNOT say that my hair isn’t fabulous!”

“That’s debatable. Beauty is–as you should know–perceptive.”

Sofian laughed a little when Keefe looked like he was about to explode. 

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“Sir Tiergan?” Sofian voiced as he pushed the door open. 

The mentor startled to his feet and tugged at the edge of his faded black cape. “Please just call me Tiergan. I am not a member of the nobility—Mentor or no.”

“‘Kay.”

Sofian waited for Tiergan to start the lesson, but he just stood there, studying him superintently, like he was searching for something. His gaze made Sofian uncomfortable as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Uh, should I sit?” Sofian finally asked.

He shook his head, snapping out of his daze. “Actually, I prefer to probe thoughts standing up. I think better on my feet.”

Sofian was never not going to flinch under someone’s touch, especially an older man’s.

Sofian forced himself to hold still as he placed a hand on each of Sofian’s temples and closed his eyes. Sofian knew it was small contact, it shouldn’t matter, but it still did. Sofian wanted to retract, get the hands off of him, maybe punch something as his mind drifted off to Dahl unwillingly.

“I take it you can’t hear anything either,” Sofian mumbled, stepping back, away from Tiergan’s reach.

“If you weren’t so obviously alive, I would assume I was probing a dead mind.”

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How did Amy have the bottle for the DNA square? How did it even work? If they were looking for Clyde, why did Fitz say they knew I was documented wrong? They were given my brother’s description, looking for him for years , yet I’m the one who can read minds. Who were they really looking for? How does Amy know so much about this world? 

These were the questions that plagued Sofian’s thoughts as he tried to sleep. He was aware of Amy dozing off at the edge of the bed she had brought closer, connecting both their beds. Something about a nightmare in the middle of the night.

Sofian sighed and reluctantly got out of bed, slipping on the pair of Stitch and Angel slippers on his feet and walking to the bathroom. He turned on the light and twisted the faucet on, holding his hands out in front of him under the scalding water. He closed his eyes and felt the comforting feeling of the water running down his hands and the sound silencing the voices in his head. 

When he opened his eyes, he was horrified to see a dark figure stand behind him. He swallowed his scream and jumped back, away from the shadow-like creature. The creature had piercing red orbs for eyes while the rest of its body was pure, black smoke. It stood in its place, staring at Sofian with a glowing gaze. Its features were blurred, but when it smiled you could see all its sharp, pointed teeth clearly. 

It’s all in your head .

Sofian repeated the sentence over and over in his mind like a mantra, willing his frantic breathing to slow and his heart to stop beating so fast. The phantom shrieked, loud and clear. The sound reverberated through Sofian’s bones, deafening in his ears. He covered his ears with his hands, though it did nothing to help. He fell to the floor, tears streaming down his face. His eyes were open, staring at the ground watching the helpless situation. 

After a while, the only sound Sofian could hear was the loud ringing in his ears and the faucet still on in the sink.

Chapter Text

Five months ago…

Lillian grabbed the sponge from Sophie’s hand and started wiping down the blood from the wall. Sophie couldn’t bring herself to enter the room after she had found out, not wanting to look at all the blood and chunks of hair that seemed to be forcefully pulled from the scalp all across the room. Sophie thinks she even saw the tip of a finger somewhere before…

“If you’re not up to it, just leave it to me, Cl- Sophie . I can clean it all up for you,” Lillian offered, looking back at Sophie. 

She didn’t say anything, and instead puffed some air into the plastic bag she was holding and bent down to pick up the broken shards of glass. She swallowed the bile that rose up her throat and forced herself through cleaning the room. Careful not to touch the parts of the torn scalp from groups of hair and not step on any small pieces of glass. 

With Lillian’s help, Sophie was spared from wiping the blood from the walls and floor, along with washing the bedsheets. After the general cleanup, Sophie looked around at the room, realizing how they’d need a new window and cabinet. 

I don’t have enough for both. I don’t need a cabinet anyway. 

Lillian rested her arm across Sophie’s shoulders, pulling her lightly out of the room. “Come on, let’s not stay in there more than we have to.”

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Sophie was an excellent actress. She could convince someone that the sky was neon green if she truly wanted them to believe it. So for this performance, she had tears streaming down her face and her hysteria skyrocket in front of a group of teenage girls. They were all holding their hands toward Sophie, about fifteen feet away. Two were on the phone calling emergency services, and the other six were all trying to tell Sophie that there were people in this world that cared for her. 

“I can’t…do this…anymore,” Sophie hiccuped.

“Come on, please, you have so much to live for!”

“At least talk to us, we will understand you. We’re not judging, we genuinely want you to take a few steps away from that cliff…”

“Your parents care about you! They love you and they will always love you.”

That’s something I can be sure is not on my list of reasons to stay.

“I’m gonna come a bit closer, is that okay?”

Sophie shook her head. “No…no, get away from me! I want to jump!”

With that, Sophie swung her body forward, pushing all her weight off the edge and letting herself close her eyes. She could hear the horrified screams of the girls behind her, shrieking in terror. 

Part of Sophie felt bad for leaving them with the guilt, but she didn’t care, not fully. 

Sophie felt the freezing water of the ocean before she was aware of drowning. She tried to reach the surface, scream out for Lillian who promised she was nearby…

Her lungs filled up with water and her vision blurred, leaving only the quiet voices in Sophie’s mind urging her to give up. Right before she passed out, she saw a dark figure reach a hand for her and pull her, with no difficulty. 

Water quickly flung out of her system and Sophie gasped for air, trying to make sense of the strange bubble surrounding her and another figure. She realized it was Lillian, who had a worried expression on her face. 

“Where,” Sophie coughed, “-were you?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so so so so sorry, Sophie. I thought you were near the beach cliff, not this far away,” Lillian tried explaining. She rambled on, apologizing and trying to help Sophie float-

“Wait,” Sophie said. “What’s this bubble around us?” she asked skeptically.

Lillian stammered while trying to talk. “Well-uh, Sophie this is kinda hard  to explain-”

“I have all the time in the world. As you can see, I’m not dead.” Sophie hadn’t meant for the words to come out harshly, but she didn’t take back the words she had hissed.

“Sophie, I’m-it’s complicated.”

“I’m not that stupid!” Sophie snapped, pulling her arm from Lillian. “Just explain!”

“You were drowning and if I didn’t use my abilities you would have died- ”

“That doesn’t explain your powers!”

Lillian looked ready to cry, and Sophie almost apologized. Almost reached out to comfort her. 

“I’m not human, Sophie. I’m a hydrokinetic and I can control water to my will.”

Sophie stared at her, trying to make sense of what was happening. She couldn’t be mad at Lillian, she was keeping secrets too. “What-What do you mean?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you because you could be in danger if someone finds out you know about us-”

“You’re a different species?”

Lillian shut her eyes tight. “I’m an elf. Me and my brother aren’t supposed to be here but we had to come because our parents disowned us and our only other choice was to live near the ogres. My brother was worried we would be in harm's way if we lived anywhere near them so he risked it when he leaped us here.”

Sophie stared in disbelief. “When did you first come?”

“Three years ago. The day we first met. You were one of the only people that were willing to help me and my brother and you never seemed like a bad person.” Lillian still didn’t bring herself to look at Sophie. 

“Elves. Are you being serious?”

Lillian’s eyes shot open and she grabbed Sophie’s hands. “Yes, they are. Please, believe me! I wouldn’t lie to you…”

Sophie looked down at their intertwined hands and risked another question. “Anything… else …you were lying about?”

Lillian’s voice almost came out as a whisper. “My name’s not Lillian.”

Sophie waited for her to elaborate, but she never did. “What is your name, then?” she murmured. 

“I…can’t tell you.”

Sophie retracted her hands. “Why not?” she asked, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt.

“Me…uh, my brother and I are…going to leave.”

Sophie’s heart skipped a beat, she still didn’t look up, though.

“My brother wants a chance at the banishment school for elves, and said that at least there we can have consistent meals during weekdays. Said we’ll do something other than work overtime at random jobs.”

“You’re…never going to come back, huh?” Sophie tried to lighten the mood, playfully scoffing at the end of her sentence. But her burning eyes betrayed her. 

“What? No! I’ll come back someday for you, Clyde-uh, Sophie! ”

Sophie couldn’t take the heavy weight on her chest anymore, she also didn’t want to look at Lillian’s face when she had to say what she wanted to next. She closed her eyes. “You only see my brother in me.”

“Sophie-”

“It was never me you wanted, I looked like my brother. Who rejected you, so you settled for me. I always thought that maybe you will love me for me after a while…I should have known…”

“It was always you-”

“Stop lying to me. I don’t care anymore. I never cared. I was a reflection, you were a distraction. That’s all you ever were to me.” Sophie opened her eyes and averted her attention to the moonlight above. She could hear the distant sounds of sirens. “Let me out.”

Chapter Text

The wide, round Alchemy room smelled like burning hair, and the walls were lined with curved shelves. Half were filled with tiny pots of ingredients, and the other half were filled with what Sofian thought were trophies, but up close she realized they were just random gilded items. Hats. Books. Pieces of fruit. A pair of curved, pointy-toed shoes.

The center of the room held two empty lab tables—one gleaming silver, the other sleek and black—and the strangest experiment Sofian had ever seen. Lady Galvin wasn’t there, so she dropped her stuff on a table and took a closer look at the giant bubble hovering over a ring of fire on the floor. Milky liquid filled the bubble, dancing up and down to the rhythm of the flames.

“Step back!” Lady Galvin shouted, rushing over in a rustle of fabric. She yanked the poor student away. “Do you have any idea what this is?” She looked at the student in fury before she rolled her eyes. “I suppose you don’t or you wouldn’t have come this close.”

Lady Galvin was slender and wore her red-brown hair in an updo so tight and full of twists it gave Sofian a headache just looking at it. Her cape was hunter green, made of silky fabric decorated with emeralds sewn in elaborate patterns. It swished with the slightest movement.

“It’s alkahest,” she announced. “The universal solvent. It can only be stored in a bubble of itself because it dissolves everything else. Wood. Steel. Flesh.”

“Is that what we’re making today?” Sofian asked as he took a seat next to Dex. 

Lady Galvin sighed. “It’s the second hardest substance for an alchemist to make. Don’t you know anything about alchemy?”

“No,” Sofian deadpanned. “I’m new.”

“All I ask for is a decent prodigy class—and what do I get?” Lady Galvin stalked across the room to one of the shelves. “I should be teaching masters to turn living matter into gold, not little boys who don’t know the difference between a tincture and a poultice. Dame Alina probably thinks this is funny, forcing me to teach basic serums. Well, I won’t have it.”

She removed a yellowed card from a small box, grabbed an empty flask, a few jars of ingredients, and a long twisted silver spoon from the shelves and returned to Sofian. “This serum is the first step to turn glass into iron. I’ll have you transmuting metals if I have to walk you through it. Step. By. Step.”

Sofian might have felt embarrassed if he had any fucks to offer the teacher. He glanced at the recipe. He had always been great at cooking so it couldn’t have been much harder.

Lady Galvin fiddled with her cape and rolled her eyes as Sofian checked and rechecked each amount to be sure he wasn’t making any mistakes. When he felt confident that he had it right, he poured everything into the flask. Then he plunged the spoon in and whipped the liquid the same way he’d learned to whip cream.

Both Dex and Lady Galvin shouted, “Don’t!” and rushed forward to stop him while everyone else covered their faces with their capes.

The liquid fizzed and rumbled. 

Sofian jumped out of the way just as sticky gray jelly exploded all over Lady Galvin’s exquisite cape. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, while the smile on his face betrayed his words. He reached for the damaged cape to see if it was really burned, but Lady Galvin grabbed his hand to stop him. That’s when he noticed the red welt on the back of his wrist, where his experiment had caught him.

She sighed. “Better head to the Healing Center.”

Sofian nodded his head, and looked behind him to see Dex fighting the urge to laugh. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. 

Sofian grabbed his satchel. “Should I come back here afterward?”

“No!”

Geez. You haven’t even seen the worst of my problems, bitch.

“‘Kay. See ya next week.”

Lady Galvin’s face darkened, and she turned away muttering under her breath about incompetence.

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“Skipping again?” asked the blonde boy.

“No, but who in the world would want to spend more time with Lady Galvin?” 

Keefe snorted. “I never liked her. She’s always so uptight and everything.”

“What’s your experience with her?”

“Oh, she hates me. Maybe because I turned the lab table to silver. So I wouldn’t mention that we’re friends if I were you.”

Sofian scoffed. “Of course you would do something like that. I’m not even surprised.”

“Well, people like me have to uphold their reputation, you know? Or else, people might start to forget about me!”

“Oh, I doubt anyone’s gonna forget you, Keefe.”

“Well, what did you do? Did Lady Galvin kick you out or something?” he asked, and Sofian noted his change of voice. He was definitely trying to change the subject.

“Kind of.”

“Now this I have to hear.”

“You're going to laugh at me.”

“Probably,” he agreed.

“I exploded the serum I was making.” Sofian made sure to keep his eyes on the hallway ahead.

Right on cue, he burst into laughter. “Did you do any damage?”

“Only to her cape—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Do you have any idea how epic that is? That cape is her pride and joy! Did she send you to Dame Alina’s office?”

“No. I’m heading to the Healing Center. Some of the serum got on my hand.” 

Keefe studied the injury on Sofian’s hand, then shook his hand. “Why are you acting so cool about this? That’s a serious problem!” He hooked his arm with Sofian’s and dragged him backward. “You’re also going the wrong way. The Healing Center is that way.”

Sofian doesn’t know what about it felt familiar, but he could sense the strange moment of deja vu. He also didn’t find the urge to pull his arm free, push Keefe away. He felt…some sort of trust…like something he already went through. As if the feeling was burned into his core from the past…

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The Healing Center consisted of three rooms: a treatment area with four empty beds, a huge laboratory where strange alchemy experiments were brewing, and the physician’s personal office, where a familiar face sat at an enormous desk covered in paperwork. 

“Sofian?” Elwin asked. “I figured I’d have to drag you back here to check up on you.”

“I only have a small burn,” Sofian said, aware of the way Keefe had cocked his head toward him.

“Well, let me check it out.” As he got up, a slinky gray creature hissed and scurried across the floor. “Don’t mind Bullhorn,” Elwin said as Sofian took a tiny step back. “He’s harmless.”

Bullhorn looked like a demented ferret with beady purple eyes. “What is he?”

“A banshee. Adorable, isn’t he?”

“Uh, sure.” Bullhorn snapped at his ankles, but Sofian didn’t move this time. Keefe laughed.

“What brings you here today, Keefe?” Elwin asked.

“Just helping a fellow prodigy, sir.”

Elwin grinned. “I notice you’ve had to miss your session to do it.”

“I know. Such a shame.” He sighed dramatically. “But Sofian needed help, so what could I do?”

“What, indeed? And I suppose you’ll be wanting a pass to excuse you.”

“What a good idea.”

“You always have been one to seize an opportunity.” Elwin handed Keefe a slip of paper. “Session won’t be over for another half hour, so I’d walk slowly if I were you.”

“Oh, I can’t leave yet—not until I know Sofian will be okay.”

“Mhm. So, where’s the burn?” he asked Sofian.

Elwin put his weird glasses on and flashed a blue orb of light around his hand. 

Elwin frowned. “This looks like an acid burn. How did you manage that?”

“Slight problem in my alchemy session.”

Keefe mimed a huge explosion, complete with sound effects. “Destroyed Galvin’s cape.”

Elwin dropped Sofian’s hand, cracking up. “Wish I could have seen that! ”

“Looks like Galvin has a bad reputation with everyone.”

“I’m not sure I know a single person who likes her session! Actually, I think I heard that Sir Astin might be into her. Someone spotted them together, shopping , in Atlantis!” Keefe said.

Elwin had Sofian sit on one of the beds and grabbed a small jar from one of the shelves. “Can I apply it myself?” he asked. 

Elwin nodded and handed her the container.

“Out of curiosity,” Elwin asked. “How did you explode the serum?”

“I’m not sure. I measured everything twice, and added it in the order I was supposed to, but when I whipped it, it exploded.”

“Whipped it?” Keefe interrupted.

“Yeah. It said whap and I thought it meant whip so I whipped the shit out of the thing.”

Elwin and Keefe both burst into hysterical laughter. 

“WHAP means ‘wash hands and present,’” Keefe managed to explain between laughs.

“And how for the love of God was I supposed to know that?”

Elwin cleared his throat. “It’s an honest mistake. Could’ve happened to anyone.”

“Wait-What do you mean by ‘God’?” Keefe asked.

“Oh. I guess you guys don’t have religions here?”

“What’s a religion?”

Sofian shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“No! Wait! I want to know,” he insisted.

“It’s a deity that is worshiped by many people in the Forbidden Cities. Some of them don’t, some do. There’s people who believe in different kinds of deities, hence, religions.”

“Huh,” Keefe concluded. “You believe in God?”

“Saying the phrase ‘for the love of God’ doesn’t necessarily mean the person saying that believes in anyone. It’s just an idiom people use to show their frustration. But it can be used as a mock of anger for a joke as well.”

Keefe shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve learned that with humans, one thing can have many meanings. How can humans ever be sure if they understood something right?”

“They can’t. You can misunderstand something and hold someone accountable for a problem that never existed. You can express your gratitude for someone and they can either be oblivious to your friendship or assume that you are in love with them. Or, you can lie . Deception is the most dangerous thing a person can commit. The truth always hurts, but the lie can always cut deeper unless hidden.”

Chapter Text

The incident involving Lady Galvin’s cape burning spread like wildfire. By the next day, many kids had already asked Sofian to be their friend. They asked him to sit with them during lunch and complimented his strange eyes. 

All the attention, and all Sofian wanted was to hide. He liked that other people were pleased with the idea of him, but he was worried that if he said one wrong thing, the utopia dream would be ruined. 

“You seem quieter,” Amy noted, closing the book in her hand and fully facing Sofian on his bed.

“I thought that was a good thing. You want me to yell at everyone?”

“I don’t know. You just feel…disassociated somehow. Like you’re not yourself.”

“Maybe I’m trying to be nicer.”

“You barely have anything to say these days. You used to talk a lot .”

“Nothing exciting has happened I guess.”

“Tell me about school. You usually have something to tell me. Like who you find annoying and who’s fake. Who’s suspicious or has a crush on someone. Some type of gossip. You always talked.”

“I guess…I made a few friends?”

Amy beamed like she had the moon handed to her on a silver platter. “Friends? Who?”

“Well…Dex and Keefe, I guess. Maybe Marella but she was against women so I don’t know. I wanted to get to know Stina but Marella said she hates me.”

“What? Why would Stina hate you?”

“I don’t know, I think she blames me for being Dex’s friend, are they sworn enemies?”

“I don’t think Stina hates you, Sofian. She might even want to be your friend as well.”

Sofian shrugged. “I want a forever friend, you know? Like, I don’t think I’ll be happy with hundreds of friends if I wasn’t even close to one. I kind of…want her back…I don’t know. I just think I made a huge mistake that day.”

Amy jumps over from her bed and plops down next to Sofian. “Pushing away Lily was maybe a good thing for you, Sofian. You needed someone who saw you for you and she only saw our older brother. Your guys’ relationship was never going to end well, romantically speaking. You two would have been doomed sooner or later.”

“Maybe…but I could’ve played along for a little while longer. Maybe she could’ve come here with us.”

“She wouldn’t have. Didn’t you say she was banished and had to go somewhere out of the government's safety concerns? You thought she was lying about all of this and refused to believe that she was telling the truth about elves. Look where it’s gotten you. You find out you’re an elf and there are other people like you with powers and maybe if you had believed her, you would have insisted on coming. And then what? How would you have spent your life? Somewhere where people are not cared for and are pushed to the side? What about all of the crime that could happen there. Personally, I’m glad of what you did. Maybe you’ll see her again, maybe you won’t. But she shouldn’t be the reason you can’t find someone else to love. Lily wanted our older brother, not you. Maybe you guys could’ve stayed friends, but that’s not something you should think about anymore. Look for a best friend, a new sister, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, I don’t care. Just be sure that the person loves you back truly .”

Sofian chuckled. “Sometimes I forget you’re nine. You sound like such a mature lady.”

Amy looked almost lost deep in thought when she said, “I feel older than I am.”

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Sofian felt the pain in his stomach before he realized what was happening. He was in the middle of his session with Sir Faxon’s class when his stomach peeled itself from the inside out. He let out a harsh breath and clutched at his belly. 

“Woah there, Foster, you good?” Keefe asked, as if he was feeling exactly what Sofian was.

“Yeah. Yep. I’m fine,” Sofian huffed. Sofian’s eyes widened when he felt it. “Sir Faxon!” he shouted, standing up from his chair, hiding the back of his pants with his satchel. “May I go to the bathroom?” Sofian heard a few snickers around the room but didn’t give a fuck as he rushed out the classroom. 

When he found the male bathroom hallway, he slipped into the last one and locked the door behind him, risking a look at himself in the mirror. His pants were soaked in blood and part of his satchel too. 

Sofian silently cried. He fully forgot about his period. And he didn’t even bring a change of clothes!

Sofian took an annoyed, deep breath before peeling off his clothes and dumping the contents of his bag on the ground. He put the two under hot water in the sink while he washed his bloody skin with the bidet. 

When most of the blood was off the fabric, Sofian rubbed it with soap, washing it in burning water. When he was done with his pants, he left it to dry itself on the air dryer while he started on his satchel. The water turned red until it slowly faded to clear as he switched the pants and satchel. Sofian fanned the pants for a few seconds until he put it on, stuffing his underwear with toilet paper that was surprisingly thick. 

His satchel dried about ten minutes later, and he rushed to stuff his bag with his belongings. 

“Sofian?” a voice asked followed with a knock on the door. “Are you in there?”

Keefe .

“Yep!” Sofian replied.

“Session already ended and Sir Faxon asked me to check up on you-”

Sofian flung the door open and awkwardly smiled, the pain in his stomach slowly creeping back. “Class was boring and this was a great excuse to skip,” he lied.

Keefe didn’t look convinced but nervously nodded. “Okay, if you say so.”

When Sofian’s cramps didn’t get better the next class, he forced himself to go to Elwin. Hoping that a stomach ache elixir would help with the stabbing feeling.

“What brings you here, Sofian?” Elwin asked, looking up from his desk.

“Do you-uh-have anything for stomach pain?”

“I think I do,” Elwin answered, walking over to his supply in the cabinets. “Usually the girls come asking for the elixir so I’m not sure if I have much left but I can check.” While he fumbled through the bottles, Sofian came up behind him and peered over his shoulder. 

“What’s Lumenar ?” Sofian asked.

“That’s an elixir for older women who want to dispose of their uterus. Some don’t want to be pregnant or their periods are annoying. Elves don’t die because of old age and having to deal with it can be pretty tiresome for thousands of years. I only have this here because some of the female mentors here have emergencies at times. But young girls aren't allowed to use it. You have to be at least 20.”

“Are there any side effects?”

“Well…It can cause severe pain for about an hour but after that, I don’t think there’s any other negative effects. Ah, there it is!” Elwin pulled out a bottle with green, bubbly liquid inside. “This should do it.”

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Sofian pulled the hood lower over his face and fastened the button on his gloves. Amy was sound asleep when he left Havenfield, and no one would be guarding the Healing Center…right? 

It was difficult to levitate himself to the windows of the school but he had to do it if he didn’t want to trigger any sensors placed around the school. It was surprisingly easy after that. It made Sofian suspicious.

He quietly tiptoed in the room and looked around for the cabinet Elwin had shown him earlier in the day. It was difficult to see much in the room since it was dark and the only source of light was the moonlight shining in through the window. 

Sofian didn’t have any shoes on, so it wasn’t hard to silently walk to the cabinet. When he opened it, it creaked for a moment and Sofian almost had a heart attack. He wasn’t expecting it to make any sound and was worried he was caught. 

Looking through the various supplies inside, he grabbed the bottle with Lumenar written on it’s white sticker. Stuffing the bottle in his pocket, he turned around and jumped out of the window, feeling the thrill of the moment before taking out his stolen pathfinder and teleporting back to Havenfield.

The pain that the elixir caused Sofian was unbearable. 

He woke up Amy two times from her dreams because he was squirming around his bed too much. But he was grateful when he woke up to clean sheets the next morning, no bloody mess in sight.

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Sofian braced himself in front of the lunch room doors before he let himself go in. He spotted Dex and Marella first, sitting with Jensi on a table far off to the right side of the cafeteria. Sofian searched the room until he saw Stina, laughing along to what her two friends were saying. 

Sofian walked over, dipping his head slightly. “Can I sit with you guys?”

Stina looked up first, and Sofian noticed the slight way her navy blue eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Of course.” 

Sofian sat across from the three of them, taking out his homework inside his satchel. The work was due next session, and he had little time to finish. 

“Aren’t you gonna eat anything?” Stina asked.

“The line is long,” Sofian lied. He already felt dizzy from the lightheaded feeling his empty stomach was causing.

“Here. You can have some of mine. Calith and Zivara are also willing to share.” Stine moved to offer her tray to Sofian, stealing two servings of mallowment before passing it over. “Calith, give him some of your fruit. Zivara, you can add your soup.”

“Oh, I’m actually not that hungry-”

“Liar. If you don’t eat enough, you’re gonna stay skinny forever. And yeah, that’s great to be healthy but you’re way skinny. You need to eat or you look like you’re gonna pass out.” She pushed the tray closer after the two other girls added their share. 

Sofian stared at the serving of food and his stomach whined in longing. “Okay…but you don’t have to do this next time. I can survive the day pretty well without eating,” Sofian joked, although what he said was no lie.

Stina huffed but agreed. “Fine. But you have to promise to eat something . You look sick.”

Sofian nervously laughed, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to be a liar to who could be his new friend. “I heard-uh-that you might hate me?”

Stina looked shocked. “Why would you think that?”

“Someone told me-”

“People say all sorts of things. I don’t hate you. I would rather want to be your friend?” Stina added, posing the last one as a question.

“I would like that,” Sofian smiled.

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Two months had passed since Amy and Sofian had moved to Havenfield. And things seemed to change. Amy said she felt more at peace, like she could finally rest without worrying about being harmed. Sofian was three days clean, and no one asked about the scars that were all over his face and other parts of his body he didn’t cover with clothing. He could see the question plastered on their faces but they never asked, and Sofian was grateful.

Sofian hadn’t spoken to Biana or Fitz for a while, and started to think that he might’ve said or done something wrong and made them leave him. He thought about all the things he had said near the siblings, and came to the conclusion that it was because of his anger issues. Maybe if he had been grateful from the start he could’ve counted on their friendship. But Sofian didn’t mull over it much, focusing more on spending time with Stina, Dex, and Keefe. Hoping maybe one of them would stay .

There was a knock at the door of Sofian and Amy’s room. Amy got up from the floor where her and Sofian were playing UNO and answered the door. Sofian sneaked a peak at her cards and barely had time to memorise the cards before Amy yelled back, “Hey! I see you!”

“I think this is your cat,” Grady stated, holding Mitten in his hands, who was trying her hardest to escape. She jumped off from his hold and flung herself at Sofian, twirling around his body. “We got a letter from the council. Said the cat wouldn’t leave the house you grew up in and thought it would be better to just retrieve her to her owner.”

That’s weird. Mitten was mostly outside when I used to live in San Diego.

Sofian smiled at the cat bundled up in his hands, scratching behind its ears. “I’m happy they decided to give her to me…”

“Okay, good. I was worried you wouldn’t want to keep her and we would have to send her back or something-”

“I love cats. You can bring me fifteen strays and I would love them all.”

Amy scoffed. “And it isn’t even an exaggeration.”

Behind Grady, Edaine entered the room. “Grady wasn’t convinced that we should allow you to keep him, but I assured him you were responsible. You do want to keep her right? If you don’t-”

“Like I said, I love cats. They are amazing and I love my Mitten.”

Edaline walked over, bent down and petted the cat. “Mitten suits her so much. Where did you get the name from?”

“She stole my mitten a few years back. I know it’s silly but I thought it was cute at the time. My br-sister thought so too.”

“Sophie?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, his voice going quiet.

“Do you want to talk about her?”

“No. But…thank you, Edaline.”

Edaline placed her hand on Sofian’s shoulder, and Sofian straightened. “Sorry, do you mind?”

“No…it’s okay.”

Edaline used her other hand to brush Sofian’s short hair from his forehead. “You should get to bed.”

He nodded, a stranger to the warmth of someone else’s words. “Uh–do you guys have blue hair dye the same color as my hair? Amy wanted to carve and paint dolls in recreation of the two of us and she needed some coloring for my doll’s hair,” Sofian lied. He needed the dye because his stash of coloring had run out, and his blonde roots would appear soon. He would have asked for a new binder if he could, but what excuse could he come up for that?

“Of course, we’ll be sure to buy some tomorrow. I think my brother-in-law would have something for that,” Edaline said, smiling softly.

Chapter Text

Sofian was planning on skipping the next P.E. session but was later caught by Keefe and dragged into the gym. 

“What are you doing?!” Sofian hissed, firmly placing his weight on the ground.

“Come on , Foster! Today’s the Ultimate Splotching Championship! I hate gym but that’s the only exception!” he insisted. 

“What’s that?”

“Telekinesis,” he explained. “We push the splotcher at each other with our minds, and whoever gets splattered loses. The winners play each other until there’s only one left, and that person wins.”

“So I’m gonna get splotched?”

“Yes! And I’m certain I’ll beat you!”

Sofian sighed. “I guess I found out the real reason you want to play. You just want to throw something at me.”

“I never said that,” he argued, still smiling.

Next thing Sofian knew, he was awkwardly shuffling on his feet as everyone partnered up. 

“Foster!” Keefe said, surprising him from behind. He had his hands on Sofian’s shoulders and smiled down at him. “Let’s be partners.”

“Doesn’t look like I have a choice.”

He looked wounded. “You should feel honored, Foster. I’m an amazing partner.” His gaze shifted down to Sofian’s arms and his eyebrows scrunched up. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, how did you get your scars?”

Sofian jerked away from his touch. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Sencen .” His throat was closing up and his whole body was wrecked with anxiety.

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Everyone, on your marks,” Sir Caton ordered, as Lady Alexine handed Sofian a bright pink splotcher. “Get set!”

Sofian tossed the splotcher in the air and flung it toward Keefe with her mind, who wasn’t ready and got hit right in the face. He looked like he was still about to say something even as bright pink slime ran down his nose and cheeks. 

“Well done, Sofian!” Sir Caton interrupted, sounding more surprised than Sofian would’ve liked. “Go ahead and move up to the winners. Keefe can join those colorful prodigies over there.” He pointed to a group forming on their left.

Keefe scowled. “I wasn’t ready-”

“What’s the prize for this contest?” Sofian asked, throwing Keefe a smug grin.

“Usually a pardon from one punishment—but don’t get your hopes up. Fitz always wins—not that Wonderboy ever does anything to need a pardon.” He pointed to a brunette guy at the other side of the gym who didn’t look much like Fitz with gym clothes. “Anyway, I hope you win a few more rounds.”

“Thanks.”

Marella and Stina made it to the winners. So did Biana and Maruca. Even Jensi.

Sofian went against Stina, who seemed sure to win against Sofian. She teased his eyes until she too, had a slimy blue cheek.

“Ow!” Stina winced, trying to clean her cheek with her hand. 

“Sorry,” Sofian said, his eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

Stina laughed. “Yeah. I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated the new guy,” she said, smiling at him.

Sofian took out the other players in duel after duel, until he lost to Biana. 

“I was worried for a second that you were gonna beat me,” Biana huffed, out of breath.

“I guess I’m out of energy, you beat me fair and square,” Sofian replied.

Biana laughed quietly before Sofian set out to sit on the bleachers. Keefe waved Sofian, pointing at the empty seat next to him. On the other side, Dex was grumbling about having been bested by Wonderboy once again. Sofian sat in between them, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head back, resting it on the cool surface of the wall with his eyes closed.

“I thought you had what it takes to beat Fitzy for a moment,” Keefe said.

“Me too,” Dex added.

“Do any of you have water?” Sofian asked, his eyes still close, trying to slow his breathing. Telekinesis was much harder to maintain when it drained your energy after every try. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead and back.

“I think I have some,” Dex answered. 

Sofian held out his hand and a bottle was handed to him. He uncapped the top and downed the water in one gulp. “Thanks.” He handed the bottle back and pushed his sweaty hair away from his head.

Sofian opened his eyes to ask Keefe a question but noticed how both Dex and him were avoiding looking at him. “Guys?”

“Hm?” they both asked in sync, still avoiding eye contact, although Keefe glanced back.

“Nevermind. I’m gonna go change.”

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“Why aren’t you and Biana friends?” Fitz finally asked after the end of the championship. It was the first thing he had said to her in a while . “It seems like you guys would get along.”

“I don’t know if she wants to be my friend, Fitz.”

He frowned. “Since we’re friends, I can introduce you two-”

“Since when have we been friends, Fitz? You haven’t talked to me in two months and apparently you can assume that we are close? I don’t have any problem hanging out with you, I just don’t think we’ve talked enough to be considered friends .” Sofian needed to remember his boundaries, it was the only thing that kept bitchy brats away from him.

“Oh, sorry, I-” Fitz scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, that was stupid of me to assume…Uh, can you sit at our table at lunch? I wanna be your friend…”

“You can come sit with us, I’m not leaving my group of friends. I don’t know anyone else other than you and Biana at your table.”

“Okay,” he smiled.

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“Good morning, prodigies,” Dame Alina cooed during orientation the next morning. “Everyone ready for another exciting day?”

“Hey, check it out,” Dex whispered to Sofian. He pointed to the meter on his plain blue nexus. “I finally passed the halfway point.”

“Really?” He was happy for Dex, and Sofian had finally caught up with the average percentage for kids his age.

“Yep. Not much further till I can have my own Pathfinder. Maybe I’ll even get my nexus off younger than Fitz—man, that’d be awesome! I’d love to see Wonderboy’s face if a Dizznee broke his precious record.”

“We are now four weeks away from midterms. For those of you worried you won’t be able to score the required seventy-five percent to pass, I recommend seeing Lady Nissa in the Tutoring Center.”

“Maybe you should sign up for alchemy tutoring,” Marella whispered. “Not sure you’ll pass without it.”

Sofian rolled his eyes. He had an easy solution to this: read the mentors minds during the tests. He was a Telepath for God’s sake. He can use his ability to his advantage and the only thing he had to make sure was not tell anyone. And he was pretty good at that.

“That’s it for today. Everyone work hard,” Dame Alina finished, tossing her hair before her projection disappeared.

Sofian waited by Dex’s locker for him to pick up his books. 

Dex looked a little green as he said, “I think the taste is reekrod. Elwin must’ve picked the flavor today.” He glared at the silver strip on his locker.

“Good thing I don’t do that unsanitary shit.:

“Very funny.” Dex grabbed a small silver box and tore it open. “Prattles usually get rid of the taste.” He popped one into his mouth before he handed the rest to Sofian. “Want some? They’re delicious.”

For once Dex had good taste in candy. It was sweet and chewy—like caramel mixed with peanut butter and filled with cream. 

“Which pin did you get?” Marella asked as he pulled out a small velvet pouch, like a Cracker Jack prize.

Sofian removed a tiny horse with a glittering mane. 

Marella gasped. “A Prattles’ unicorn? Please tell me you want to trade.”

“Trade?”

“Let Sofian have it. He needs to start his collection and a unicorn is a great way to start,” Dex interjected.

Marella snorted. “Of course you do.”

“What?”

“Whatever you say.”

“Are elves homophobic?” Sofian asked abruptly. 

“What’s that?” Marella asked. 

“Like, when you dislike gay people?”

“Gay people?” Dex questioned.

Sofian stared in disbelief. “Is everyone here attracted to the opposite gender? Everyone? ”

“Who else are you supposed to like?” Marella asked. “People are usually matched by the system. If you’re a girl, you’ll get a whole list of guys and if you’re a guy, you’ll get a whole list of girls. You just have to pick your soulmate from that list.”

“That’s…restricting.”

“Why?” Dex asked. “I mean, I don’t like it at all but I don’t understand the term gay .”

Sofian sighed. “It’s when a person is attracted to the same gender as them.”

Marella and Dex’s eyes both widened in unison. 

“That exists?” Marella said.

“How does that even work?” Dex added. 

“It just does. HUmans fall in love with whoever their heart wants. Not what the system judges you on…”

“I don’t think anyone here has ever been…like gay before, Sofian. Are you gay?” Marella asked.

Sofian shook his head. “No, but I was just thinking. I heard about the matchmaking system and wondered what happened to people who like the same gender. I don’t know, I just think it’s weird of the government to do that, you know?” If elves were homophobic, Sofian was not about to reveal himself. He didn’t want to be harmed because of his sexuality, like the many articles he had read.

Both of them looked relieved. 

“I don’t know, the system seems pretty fine to me.” 

Dex glared at Marella after her comment.

“Hey, Sofian?” a vaguely familiar voice asked behind her. “Can I talk to you?”

Sofian spun around to see Biana fiddling with the bow in her side braid. “Uh, sure,” he stammered.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over after school today?”

“Why?”

Biana looked at her hands, twisting her fingers together. “I don’t know. I thought it might be nice if we could . . . try to be friends.” The last words came out barely louder than a whisper.

“Oh, yeah,” Sofian nervously smiled, unsure if this was a trick of some sort. There Biana was, one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen, wanting to be friends with him. He wanted to faint dramatically in her arms.

“So . . . what time should I come over?” Sofian eventually asked.

“Um, why don’t you go home and change and come over after that? You know how to get there, right?”

“Yeah. I have been there before.”

“Well, good. I guess I’ll see you then.”

Sofian watched Biana walk away, replaying the conversation in his mind, trying to catch a bluff in her words. It wouldn’t be the first time someone lied about something like this to make fun of him.

“Are you going to tell us what that was all about?” Dex asked, already at Sofian’s side. 

“She invited me to come over after school today.”

“What?” they asked simultaneously.

“She said she wanted to be friends.”

“Why?” they both asked.

Sofian shrugged. “She didn’t say.”

“Please tell me you told her to go sniff a gulon,” Dex begged.

Sofian looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

“Aw, come on!”

“I didn’t know what else to say.”

“You could have told her she’s a stuck-up snob and you don’t want to be her friend,” Marella offered.

“Look, I know you guys aren’t going to like this, but my life would be a lot easier if Biana and I got along. If it doesn’t work out, then I wasted one afternoon of my life. So what?” 

“How do you know this isn’t a trap?” Marella asked. “Invite you over, then humiliate you. You could be walking into an ambush.”

 “That’s not what this is.” 

“What? You think she isn’t capable?” Dex sneered. 

“No, but she would never do it at her house. Not with Fitz there. I don’t think…”

“You know what I think this is about? I think you have a crush on her!” Dex said, a little too loudly.

A few heads turned their way. “Dex! What? No, I don’t!” Sofian objected, his anxiety skyrocketing.

Dex gasped. “You so do!”

“I want details about your guy’s little date later,” Marella agreed. 

“And you’d better not leave anything out,” Dex added, sounding a little unsure about himself.

Chapter Text

“Hey,” Biana said as she opened the gates of Everglen to let Sofian in. “You made it.”

“Yeah.” Sofian managed a half smile. Despite his earlier eagerness, he was having second thoughts about whether he should trust her. The gate clanged closed. “What are we going to do?”

Biana stared at the ground as she shrugged.

“Is your family around?”

“Yeah, my brother’s friend is also here. I know what we can do! You can give me a makeover. I saw how you styled the little girl’s hair when you first came here and it was gorgeous !”

“Amy’s?”

“I don’t know, but it was pretty.”

Sofian’s shoulders relaxed, just a little bit.

“A makeover?” Keefe scoffed behind them. “You sure know how to have fun, Biana. Sofian wouldn’t even like that type of stuff. He’s a boy. ”

“Just because I’m a guy, shouldn’t be the reason why I’m not allowed to like the same things that are socially considered ‘girly'. Maybe I do like sitting down and braiding someone’s hair. You don’t know that.”

“Oof. Sorry there, Foster. It’s just a bit weird-”

“There’s nothing weird about it. And girls are allowed to like what is usually associated with the male gender. No one is restricted to societal norms and stereotypes.”

Keefe held up his hands in surrender. “My bad,” he said, grinning. “Maybe we can steal Foster from you, Biana. Get the dirt on him, find out which girls he likes and make his heart go pitter-patter.” Keefe’s arm swung across Sofian’s shoulders. “We can have a real girl-talk.”

“I’m not doing that with you guys.”

“Why is his arm on you?” Fitz asked, eyeing their contact. “Last time, you wouldn’t allow anyone to touch you.”

“Guess he’s grown on me,” Sofian replied, shrugging Keefe off of him.

“What are you guys doing here?” Biana asked, shooting Fitz a pointed look.

“We came to see if you guys want to play base quest,” Keefe answered for him.

“What’s base quest?” Sofian asked, grateful for the subject change.

“Only the most awesome game ever. I call Foster for my team,” Keefe announced.

Fitz explained the rules. One team guarded its base while the other team launched a raid. If the questers made it to the base without getting tagged, they won. 

“Light leaping isn’t allowed, but special abilities can be used,” Fitz added, looking right at Sofian, like he was saying it for his benefit.

“That’s fair. We’re the only ones with abilities and we’re on opposite teams,” Keefe said.

“What’s your ability?”Sofian asked.

Keefe winked. “You can find out for yourself.”

Fitz rolled his eyes. “Me and Biana will quest first.”

Sofian chose to be sentry at the vivid red tree they’d picked as their base. He didn’t like being the last defense, but he didn’t know the grounds, so it made more sense to let Keefe hunt them down. Either way, Sofian knew how to keep tabs on everyone.

Tiergan had taught him how to track where thoughts came from. Most Telepaths could only isolate a general area, but Sofian could nail down the exact spot. He’d never tried it on moving targets, but it was worth a shot. So as soon as Keefe ran off, he opened his mind and listened.

Fit’s thoughts were soft–he must be trying to block him–but Biana’s were loud and clear. She was thinking about the lake, so he listened in that direction and instantly felt their presence.  He couldn’t think of a better way to explain it—even Tiergan didn’t understand. His mind somehow touched them through the air, telling him exactly where they were.

He needed a tremendous amount of concentration to stay connected as they snuck through the meadow, but he didn’t lose them, even when they dashed into the forest to slip by Keefe. Sofian followed them through the trees, until their thoughts focused on the base.

Sofian took off, not sure if he was seeing with his eyes or theirs as he plowed through the trees. He didn’t know where he was, or how long he ran, or if he felt anything—until his hands connected with skin and his vision cleared. 

Fitz and Biana stared at him with wide eyes. He gripped their arms, letting them go a moment later, though his fingers lightly rested on Biana’s a second longer.

“How did you do that?” Biana demanded. “You ran straight to us, like you knew where we were.”

“I heard you. You guys ran like fucking elephants.”

“You guys are just jealous you lost,” Keefe said from behind. His eyes held a question.

Sofian shrugged. “I gotta go back to Havenfield now, see y'alls later.” He held up the home crystal Grady and Edaline had given him.

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A hand crawled up to her ankle, gripping it like iron chains. Sophie was too terrified to move. The hand was caked in grime and streaked with blood, the broken nails jagged and sharp, digging into her skin like tiny knives. She doesn’t even know how that could've been possible.

The dirt shifted, spilling upward as another hand clawed its way through, planting itself on the opposite side. Then came the head—snapping out from the ground with a sickening jerk.

Veronica .

Her body dragged free of the earth, her head twisting unnaturally to one side. Her teeth were missing, and her eyes were consumed by a milky void. “Sophie, come here, child ,” she rasped, her voice breaking with each word.

Sophie’s legs finally obeyed, and she bolted. She fled into the woods that had materialized from nowhere, leaping over jagged rocks and roots, her chest burning with every breath. When the sea shimmered into view ahead of her, she didn’t question it. She only ran harder.

She slowed when she glanced back, her pulse pounding in her ears. The trees were gone. The rocks, too. Nothing followed her but silence. Turning back toward the sea, she found herself standing in a boat, its wooden frame creaking beneath her feet as it glided toward an unfamiliar shore.

Her fingers clutched the wheel, steering it away from the looming island. Relief was short-lived. A bloodied hand slammed onto the wheel, stopping it cold.

Her breath caught as she looked up, her stomach twisting. Dahl stood there, a grotesque smile stretched across his face. His left eye was missing entirely, while the right dangled from its socket by a thick, sinewy thread. Half of his head had been crudely shaved, revealing mottled skin, and his crooked teeth glinted as he grinned.

“Got somewhere to be, Soybean ?”

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Sophie jolted upright, her breath caught in her lungs. Her chest tightened as she tried, and failed to regain her senses. She looked over at Amy for help, reaching a helpless hand toward her shoulder. Bright flashes of light played over her vision, making it hard to separate the hallucinations with reality. Amy’s body disappeared and reappeared, her position changing. 

No no no no no he’s gonna be back he’s gonna be back he’s gonna be back wake up Amy Amy Amy

A rough hand grabbed Sophie’s  arm, pulling her back. Sofian shut her eyes but that couldn’t stop her from sensing . Dahl’s breath on her cheek, the smell of alcohol, the press of their bodies.

Sophie silently cried, and her voice wavered when she tried to refuse.

“You want this.”

Sophie violently shook her head, pushing Dahl off her, only succeeding in getting forced back toward the wall.

“Don’t move, soybean. You asked for this when you wore that skirt. Your legs looked nice. That’s why I’m doing this. It was all your fault,” he spit.

One of his hands held Sophie’s wrists tied while his other hand traveled slowly down Sophie’s neck, lingering at her chest and finally stopping at the crotch of her pants. 

“No-” Sophie begged.

To silence her, Dahl crashed his lips to Sophie’s, pulling her pants down and scratching with his nails-

It took all of Sophie’s power to push Dahl off of her, relieved to see him evaporate into thin air. 

Amy was still sound asleep.

Sophie couldn’t stop the tears that quickly slid down her cheeks. She was gasping for air, clutching her short hair and gripping her own arms until they drew blood. She violently sobbed, her breaths coming in short heaves. 

She was stupid for thinking that she could get away with a better life. She was stupid, so so so stupid.

She was never going to be normal. She was the only one in this new world that was fucked up and she was never going to change. Her past was always going to be a part of her and she was never going to fucking forget, no matter how hard she tried to be someone else. 

Grady and Edaline would change, too. Just like Veronica and Dahl. They’ll realize that she is good for nothing except to be their little toy and they will start with yelling at each other, then her, and then they’ll start touching her. Whether it was to hit her or worse. Maybe to top it all off they’ll throw their empty beer bottles at her head and make her watch as they abused Amy.

Sophie hates them already.

She wasn’t going to go through with it this time. She was going to make sure they drop their adoption.

Chapter Text

Sofian decided to visit Della on Monday, skipping a school day because he barely got enough sleep and looked like he teleported from a zombie movie. The doors opened and a gnome smiled at him before closing the gates and leading him to Everglen. 

“I’m sure you can find your own way from here?” the gnome asked. 

Sofian nodded. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

He found the gigantic living room empty and skipped up the steps to the bedrooms. When he rounded Fitz’s room, he heard shouting and yelling echoing from somewhere further down the hall. Following the sound, Sofian found himself leaning against the door, listening to the argument. He heard Della and Alden’s voices shout from the other side.

“-couldn’t you at least think about the kids?! Forget me, why would you do that!?” Della shouted, a churn of emotion taking over her voice.

“You wouldn’t understand! You’re just a kid and you couldn’t satisfy-”

“ Satisfy?! Is this what this is all about?! Just because I didn’t want you to touch me yesterday-”

“Calm down, Della, he chose me-”

“Shut up , Alina!”

Alina? As in Dame Alina?

“You’re acting so childish, Della-” Alden’s voice rises, his anger showing. 

The sound of a slap follows his words. For a moment, Sofian is worried and mad that Alden slapped Della and he’s about to head in when Della pulls the door open and storms outside with her face wet. Behind her, Alden has a red welted cheek and Dame Alina is on the bedsheets with her hand covering her chest, part of the blanket covering her hips. Alden doesn’t have anything on. 

Disgusted by both of them, Sofian follows Della. She rushes down the stairs and Sofian quickened his pace to catch up with her. She takes out a pathfinder and corrects the facets to a coordination. When the beam of light appears, Sofian reaches out just in time to grab Della’s sleeve and just in case, he wraps his concentration around both of them. 

The place they were teleported to is a small room with burgundy walls. There’s a fireplace at the other side of the wall and a couch facing the open window. Through the glass, you could see the wide landscape with snowflakes raining down from the sky. Everything is coated in white outside.

“Della-”

She doesn’t seem to care as she falls down on the couch with her hands covering her face. Her sobs are silent, and it breaks Sofian’s heart to see her like this. Men are worthless, and Sofian feels stupid to have ever thought that maybe Elves were different. 

Della curls into a ball. Sofian tries to comfort her, but stops himself when he realizes he’s not someone Della wants right now . 

Sofian retracts his hand, instead taking the moment to look around the place. There’s a wooden door near the left side of the wall, and curiously, he opens the door and steps into the other room. 

The room has the same burgundy color as the other one, except the window doesn’t show the snowy mountain tops, instead it presents the grassy plains with flowers. Confused, Sofian goes back to the other room, staying in the middle of the doorway and looking back and forth between the two windows. 

“It’s a hologram,” Della explains, sniffling. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this, Sofian.”

“There’s nothing wrong with this, other than the fact that Alden is a bitch.”

Della chokes out a laugh at that. “I always thought you were a troublemaker for always cursing, Sofian. Sorry about that.”

He shrugged. “I give that impression to people a lot. It’s not that weird for me.”

“Uh…I’m sorry to ask but Sofian? Do you know how to bake human treats?” Della asks, drying her tears. 

Sofian understands how she wants a distraction. “Of course.”

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Sofian awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for Della to grab the ingredients from the cabinet. Della explained that this place was a large cabin somewhere in Canada, and that they were completely alone from human discovery…which if Sofian had to admit, scared him a bit. But…he trusted Della?

Della returned to the kitchen with baskets floating behind her. She placed them on the countertop and pulled out some tools from the cabinets. “How do we start this?”

Sofian grabbed the large bowl and mixed in the flour and salt first. “Here,” Sofian said. Handing over the stick of butter wrapped in paper to Della. “Rub it into the mixture.”

After that,  they added ice water and gently mixed with a fork until the dough came together. Dividing the dough into halves, Sofian instructed Della to wrap them both in plastic wrap and let them refrigerate for half an hour. 

While they were waiting, they combined diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and lemon juice in another clean bowl. 

The time flew by as Sofian taught Della how to bake apple pies, and by the time they were finished, they ended up with 12 mini pies. Impatient, Sofian dug right in. 

He held up another pie for Della, “You should try this, it’s so good.” Sofian realized a little too late that he had forgotten to change his voice, but was filled with relief when Della didn’t notice. She grabbed it from his hand and took a bite.

Della nodded. “This is amazing.”

Sofian smiled. “Can we make macarons next time?”

“Of course we can! It will be so much fun! We can even ask Biana and Fitz to help us next time.” Della winked. “You know, Biana is currently single and she talks so much about you-”

“Uh-yeah. I’d like to get to know Biana better…”

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Sir Conley was monitoring over detention the next day, and Sofian dreaded the siren song.

The day after that, was Lady Belva and she had the idea to have them all ballroom dance.

When the bells finally chimed, Sofian was thanking God on his way out. 

“I hope you know that Vae is in love with you now,” Keefe teased when he caught up with Sofian in the hall.

“And you would know that because…?”

“Please. You could see the stars in her eyes all the way across the room.”

Sofian shook his head. “You’re terrible.”

“I know.” He grinned wickedly. “But I’m serious. I bumped her arm on my way out the door, and she was crushing hard. The Sofian Foster Fan Club has a slobbery new member.”

Sofian felt so stupid to have not realized sooner. “You’re an Empath, aren’t you?” He posed it more of a statement rather than a question. 

He winked, reaching for Sofian’s hand. “Want me to tell you what you’re feeling?”

Sofian jerked away. “I think I would know what I feel.”

“Sure about that? Cuz I really can’t get a feel on you sometimes. Your emotions are always so…quiet. Numb almost. Except those few times when I could feel your anger. Your anger’s pretty strong-”

“I’m not an angry person!” Sofian spat. He tried to take it back when he saw the hurt expression on Keefe’s face. He wasn’t, though. An angry person…right?

Keefe tried to lighten the mood. “See you tomorrow in detention, we have Lady Galvin.”

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It has been two weeks since Sofian decided to annoy Edaline and Grady into dropping their adoption. He didn’t want them to do the things that Veronica and Dahl did to him and Amy…and Clyde.

“I don’t want it,” Sofian hissed, glaring at Grady. 

Grady looked taken aback. “Is everything okay, Sofian? You’ve been acting really different lately and if something’s wrong, you can always talk to me-”

“Maybe I just don’t like you guys?”

Amy kicked Sofian’s foot under the table. Her voice came angry and irritated into Sofian’s mind. 

What the fuck is wrong with you, Sofian. This is so stupid they are obviously just trying to help us-

Sofian intercepted. What were Veronica and Dahl like before they turned like that? They were normal parents who loved us. Look where that got us and how they change. Everyone will change, Amy. It’s better to be alone that go through that again-

They won’t fucking do that! Just trust me, please, Sofian-

You always fucking say that as if I’m just supposed to believe everything you say, you little bitch. I’m older and I would know what’s the better choice.

Shut the fuck up, Sofian. You sound like Clyde.

Take that back-

I would know! Okay? I just do and I can’t tell you why-

Why the fuck not? If you want me to believe you, you have to tell me why. You have to give me a reason. If I don’t have any context, I can’t trust you blindly like this.

Amy looked ready to burst. “I will tell you okay?! I’ll tell you if you fucking stop!”

Edaline came into the dining room. “Girls, is everything okay?”

Amy retracted. “Sorry, I…sorry.” 

Sofian sighed. “Grady, Edaline, I’m sorry. I know I haven’t really been nice to you both recently and it’s just the workload of school. I don’t know if any of my friends even like me. It…just feels like everyone wants to get to know me because I came from the forbidden cities. I guess…I’ve just felt…lonely,” he half lied. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it off his face to continue the act. 

That brought him instant sympathy. They serenaded him with comfort the entire time, and when he headed up to his room for the night, Edaline offered to take him somewhere fun the next day. 

“Want to tell me what this is all about, Amy?” Sofian asked, locking the bedroom door. 

Amy fiddled with the end of her dress. “It’s complicated.”

“I have all the time in the world.”

Amy took a deep breath before she started. “You died…three times. And I went back in time…three times.”

Chapter Text

“Stop messing around with me, Amy!” Sofian sneered. “This isn’t fucking funny.”

“I’m not lying! How else do you think I know everything else about this place? Why would I ask you to trust me if I didn’t have a reason-”

“You’re only nine Amy-”

“I turned ten last week, Sofian. Did you forget about that? And that’s not the point. I’m way older if you count every time I had to go back-”

“Are you still sticking to that lie? Amy, if you’re going to make a stupid reason or an excuse, at least make it believable.”

“I know the future, Sofian. Or should I call you Sophie? Who’s idea was it in the first place for you to take on Clyde’s identity? I knew it was gonna help us! And I gave you the liquid for the cube in Quinlin’s office, remember?”

“Where did you get that anyway?”

“Forkle gave it to me.”

Sofian choked out a laugh. “Forkle? As in our fat human neighbor? Yeah, next you’ll tell me that Clyde’s alive.”

Amy sucked in a breath. “Forkle is an elf. He’s not human. And he’s the only one that trusted me when I told him what I needed from him.”

“Why should I believe you, Amy? What have you done to make me trust you?”

“I’ll tell you something that will happen soon, but I can’t go in much detail.” Amy grimaced. “The first time I went back, I tried explaining everything to you and you just…Whatever it doesn’t matter. But Sophie, you have to promise me not to go near the cave.”

“What cave? The one near here? Havenfield?”

“Yes! Please, Sophie you need to trust me please-”

“I’m still not convinced with your little act.”

“All those times I saw you die, it was because you weren’t careful. And you didn’t listen to me the last two times I went back!”

“What the fuck are you on, Amy? Did you find the drugs I keep?”

“What? No! I’m not high, Sophie-”

“And what do you mean, ‘ stay away from the cave? ’ What’s going on there?”

“There’s nothing going on there right now but something will happen to you if you go there the next time! You can’t go, Sophie please-”

Sofian reached toward Amy’s mind, searching for truth in her words. But was pushed out when he tried, his head throbbing and his vision blurring. “What-”

“You can’t access my memories of this! You could get hurt, Sophie.”

He couldn’t do it. His mind slowly drifted off to unconsciousness. “I’ll take your word on it, for now…I just want to-” His vision darkened completely.

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He woke up with Amy a few feet away from him, a pillow under her head. Sofian wasn’t surprised to find a blanket draped over him, just the fact that Amy had blonde streaks in her usual dark hair. 

Quiet enough to not wake her up, Sofian slipped out of the room. There was a note from Grady and Edaline waiting for him on the table: On errands. Be back later. 

He was about to grab his watch from the kitchen counter when the front chimes rang. He slowly walked to the door, cautious of the visitor, only to find out it was a messenger, delivering a scroll from the Council. 

It clearly wasn’t addressed to Sofian, but the second that the messenger left, Sofian couldn’t resist the urge to carefully open the scroll. He knew how to reseal it; he'd done those with many of the scrolls that came to Havenfield while Grady and Edaline were away. Except this time they weren’t about their job and data from their work, it was a canceled adoption paper. 

“In accordance with your request, adoption proceedings for Sofian and Amy Foster have been canceled.”

Canceled .

Just as Sofian wanted.

But now, he wasn’t so sure of himself.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be away from Grady and Edaline. 

The unfamiliar feeling tugged at his chest, settling deep in his stomach. He closed his eyes to stop the room from spinning, but there was nothing he could do for his burning throat. Sofian tried to control his breathing, but when his lungs failed him, he rushed out the back door to get some air. 

Run.

Running always made things better.

Hisbreath hitched the farther he ran, his thoughts clouding together like the gray sky. When he finally reached the cliff, he climbed down and wandered deep into the cave. Searching for a place where he won’t be found. Gloomy, dark, isolated. It seemed like the best place to stay forever. 

He sat down on the ground, hugging his knees close to his chest and closing his eyes, listening to the distant sound of the waves crashing against the shore nearby. 

He thought he was safe, which was something he should’ve never felt. He should’ve been more careful.

A pair of arms pull him to his feet and block his kicks, only slightly grunting at his punches. He doesn’t scream, he knows it’s useless. He’s out here all alone. 

The adrenaline rushes in quickly, and he can’t see much except the black cloaks. All he knows is that he’s punching and kicking and hitting with all his strength, but when a cloth is shoved over his mouth and nose, his senses start dulling even as the adrenaline wears off. The pain hit him in an instant, a trickle of blood running down the side of his forehead. 

How did that happen?

“Sofian?”

1. No, no, no, no, no. Amy RUN.

That didn’t help Sofian. Right after the transmission, Amy ran inside the caves at full speed, attacking the first one in her way. She pounded him on the head and the guy was already unconscious with blood spilling out of his mouth when Amy was also knocked out. 

“Drug them now!” A guy ordered. 

“Both of them?” the figure holding Amy asked. “I thought we only wanted the boy?”

“We can’t leave any evidence!” He turned to the figure knocked out on the ground. “That idiot said he only came here alone!”

Bitches .

Sofian swung his head back and hit his captor in the nose with his head. He grabbed the gun from his belt and pointed it at his head, his movements a bit slow from the drug. 

The guy held on to his bleeding nose as he stared at the gun in Sofian’s hand. Sofian angled the gun to his head and flipped him on the ground, making sure no one was taking out their weapon before he continued. 

“Let…go of my sister.” The sedative was strong.

One of the cloaked figures laughed. “That melder isn’t gonna do much but stun him, kid.”

In fear, Sofian shot the gun at the guy, stricken with shock when all he did was grunt in pain. 

“Get his pendant,” the one holding Amy ordered. 

There was an ominous snap as Sofian’s registry necklace came free and another guy from behind shoved a cloth in Sofian’s mouth. “Let’s try this again,” he sneered in Sofian’s ear. 

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Help my sister. I’m begging someone, please save her. I promise I’ll be a better person. I’ll wake up early and feed the birds. I won’t skip classes. I’ll treat people nicer. I’ll stop being a jerk to everyone. I’ll compliment people more, share my things. I’ll stop lying. 

I promise. Please. Take my sister out of here.

Chapter Text

Sofian’s senses blinked into consciousness to the feeling of his nose burning. It made him want to sneeze and gag with every breath. When he realized he had tape wrapped around his head to cover his eyes, he started panicking. Not only worrying about Amy but himself, too. He didn’t want them to touch him, or Amy, or even come near them . 

They were going to hurt him. 

That was for sure.

There was no other reason they would’ve kidnapped him for anything other than torture…the rough hand snaking its way around Sofian’s neck. 

“Are you sure this is necessary?” A voice loomed over Sofian, sending the hand away.

“It’s either this or give up.” Another voice joined.

A very loud sigh. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

His chest tightening in fear–a cloth blocked his mouth, keeping the frantic shouting muffled. His body thrashed in pain.

“The gag is choking him.”

“He’ll live,” a gruff voice insisted. “I don’t want him talking.”

“This better work,” someone else added.

He couldn’t contain the tears even as he stopped himself from imagining the things they would do to him if only his clothes were removed…or if they cared at all if he was a girl or boy. He choked against the gag and started hyperventilating. 

He didn’t know where Amy was.

“Wonderful. Well, go ahead–before he suffocates.”

It felt like they pulled off his lips when they ripped the gag away. His throat was dry and a sick, sour taste coated his tongue. He gulped as much cool air as he could, his sobs turning into hacking until his chest calmed down…a bit.

“Don’t even think about screaming, Sofian. No one will hear, and you will not like how we’ll punish you. Nod if you understand.” 

His head felt like lead, but he managed a weak nod. 

“Good. Now let’s get this over with.”

Rough hands pressed against his temples, squeezing his throbbing head. Sofian held his breath, afraid that they were going to hurt him. It would be a quieter death if they killed him instead. 

“Is it working?” the gruff voice demanded. 

“No.”

Something heavy hit the wall. Then a sweet cloth pressed over his mouth, and his protests died out when the drugs pulled him back to the darkness.

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They would try to get into his mind every so often, pulling him out of his unconscious state only to send him back when they didn’t get what they wanted. Sometimes they would do it only to laugh at him, someone traced his skin with their hands made of literal fire. The burns leaving Sofian numb for a long time. 

Time isn’t something he can keep up with, each second feeling like an hour. He’s only given food once every…four burning sessions? Sofian still doesn’t know where Amy is, her name only echoing back to him whenever he mentions his sister. 

If she died, I hope she died without being hurt. If she’s alive, I hope she’s saved.

Questions.

So. Many. Questions.

All they do is ask him why he’s alive. 

Why he has the impenetrable mind when he was supposed to be a failed experiment.

The fluke. The first test subject gone wrong.

“ I don’t fucking know .”

His body was used to the pain after a while. 

He couldn’t even remember who he used to be before they took him. 

H

 E

 L 

  P 

     m            e    

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For the first time in a long time, he was on the move. Strong arms were carrying him somewhere far..far..far. 

He couldn’t even bring himself to ask what was going on…

A      m

              y

Later.

My                          si    ster

“I’ll go back for her later.” 

That was the moment he found the strength in himself to hope his sister was okay. He used his voice for what seemed like the first in forever. “I’m not leaving…without her.”

“I can’t go back right now-”

“I don’t care. My sister-”

“You kids. Always so damn stubborn.”

The person made a sound that may have been an exhausted sigh as he spun Sofian around, jostling him more than he probably needed to as he ran. When they stopped, he shifted his weight and pulled a body over his other shoulder. Sofian’s heart leaped when he felt Amy’s warm breath against his cheek. She still seemed drugged, but she was alive—and they were being rescued?

He couldn’t hold himself awake and woke up to find himself being slapped on the face. 

“Wake up, Sophie.” Someone ordered, shaking his shoulders violently. He forced Sofian to choke down a disgusting sludge and when Sofian heard Amy’s coughs, he knew she was being force fed the same medicine. “Take care of yourselves from here on out.”

What? What?!

When Sofian finally peeled the tape free from his head and looked around, he didn’t find anyone nearby except for his sister next to him.

Chapter Text

Amy was the first to suggest they get up and get a move on. 

Sofian threw his arms around her, sobbing. “I…I haven't seen you in so long-”

Amy’s arms hugged him back, weakly. “Do you trust me, Sofian? You need to know that what I was saying was true .”

“What do you mean?” Sofian asked, his confusion drying his tears.

“I told you, remember? That I’m from the alternate future?”

Sofian’s head throbbed as his memories slowly came back to him. “You must know how long we were there for, then.”

“The first time, it was only a week or two, and you didn’t go there with me. The second time, I went there with you and it was a month. I think the third time it was a little over a month. Each time, it takes longer, so I think this time we were there for two months, maybe?”

“Fuck. Shit.” Sofian ran his hands through his now long hair. His hair color was the same, courtesy to the permanent hair dye Edaline had gotten him. Sofian rubbed his arms. “Maybe even longer? It feels like fucking winter right now.” 

Amy pulled the torn sleeves of her dress farther down her wrists. “It is strangely cold…”

“It didn’t seem like we were there for long.”

“We were barely even awake most of the time, Sophie.”

Sofian winced. “Don’t call me that. We don’t know if our kidnappers are around.”

Sofian turned around and headed to the exit of the alley before Amy caught his shoulder. 

“Sofian…I know this is your first time and I get that you don’t remember all the other times you were kidnapped but…I do. I can’t keep going through the same things over and over each time. I’m… scared. I’m so fucking scared and I can’t do this one more time. Please, please, don’t die this time. I want to live in a timeline where you’re alive and happy.” Amy hung her head, trying to hide her wet cheeks from Sofian. 

Her words cut a sharp piece from his heart, and tugging her closer, he pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll try not to die this time, Peony.”

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Sofian’s skin was smooth, save for scars. He meant there weren’t any fresh cuts or burns. Amy seemed to be relatively okay as well. 

They rounded a corner on the street, looking for an ATM machine when Amy plowed into an old man sweeping the front of his store. 

“Watch where you’re going!” the man shouted as he struggled to regain his balance.

Sofian would have shouted in anger if he didn’t remember his pleas. He promised he would be better if Amy survived. “We’re sorry,” Sofian apologized.

He waved his broom at them. “You should be more careful. Someone could get hurt.”

 “We will.” He pulled Amy away before the man drew more attention to them.

“We’re in Paris. And you just spoke French,” Amy stated.

“What are on about?” Amy blinked as if that were to answer Sofian’s question. “We’re actually in Paris?!”

Several heads turned their way. Sofian nervously laughed. 

They headed down a wide park and Sofian froze. A hundred yards in front of him was a landmark so recognizable he had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure he was really seeing clearly.

Amy clicked her tongue. “Told you. Now let’s find something to wear cause I’m really fucking freezing.”

“Okay, but what did you mean about me speaking French? I never learned French,” Sofian asked as Amy led the way to a row of shops. 

“You’re a Polyglot.”

“I’m a Telepath, though.”

“Yeah. But you have four other abilities other than that.”

Sofian's mouth dropped open. “What are you talking about?!”

Amy smiled mischievously. “I can’t elaborate.”

Amy’s words rushed back at him, telling him that her attempt at explaining everything didn’t result in anything good. 

Amy pointed to a small store. “I see an ATM inside. Come on.”

The warm air inside the shop was welcoming and an amazing feeling when they had been wandering the streets for half an hour in the cold. 

Sofian’s fingers brushed over the buttons, entering Clyde’s credit card information in hopes that the card hadn’t yet been cancelled. Sofian was relieved when he found out he had a few hundred dollars in savings. He took all the money from the credit card and when the receipt of the transaction printed out, he was in pure horror. 

“What is it?” Amy asked, looking over his shoulder.

Sofian handed the paper over to Amy, his mind still reeling. 

A year. 

A year and five months. 

That’s how long it has been since he was kidnapped. 

Amy gasped behind him. Sofian looked back to see her hand covering her mouth. “But…it wasn't supposed to be this long-”

All that time didn’t feel like a year and five months. Five months itself? Maybe. But that was already pushing it. Add another year to that and see just how much of his life was wasted. He would have been 15 in October…And now he was 16? The receipt shows the date to be the 3rd of November, a year after.

Sofian laughed in frustration. “At least you’re turning eleven at the end of December, Amy.”

Amy shook her head in disbelief. “We need to move. Forget the coats. Let’s get something to eat and then let’s head to the lanterns.”

Sofian chased after Amy who dashed outside. “Why? What’s so important?”

“Lanterns.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first fucking time, I’m not deaf. What about a lantern?”

Amy suddenly halted, knocking Sofian behind her. She turned around. “We need to go back, don’t we?”

Sofian stuttered. “Well-Of course we need to! But how is a lantern supposed to help us?”

“You’ll see.” Amy pointed to a cafe. “We can get hot cocoa. I’m starving .”

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They both finished their panini and chicken sandwiches with the hot cocoa in a matter of minutes and were heading outside after paying. 

Amy guided Sofian somewhere farther away, a total of fifteen minutes of walking before famous golden statues came into view. Ornate lanterns lined both sides. 

“Is that the Pont Alexandre III?” Sofian asked in awe. 

“Yes. Now shut up and walk faster.”

“How about you shut up,” Sofian mumbled. 

Amy grabbed Sofian’s hand and pointed to a crystal-like lantern, the tip of the highest lamp. “That’s a leaping crystal. Don’t ask questions, we need to leave before they come.”

“Doesn’t it need to be at least dawn for it to work?” 

Amy looked lost in thought. “I…forgot about that.”

Sofian sighed. “Come on. Let’s find somewhere to rest for the night.”

“Preferably back at the hideout,” a gruff voice said behind them. Sofian and Amy whipped around to find three figures cloaked in black pointing a silver weapon at their heads.

The kidnappers had found them. 

“I wouldn’t scream if I were you,” the figure with the weapon warned them. “I’m not afraid to use a melder, and you will not enjoy it.” He pointed the metal gadget at Sofian’s forehead. “A few seconds will only stun you. Any more will cause permanent damage. Do you understand?”

“You’d do that with people around?” Sofian sneered, hating himself for letting his voice shake. He couldn’t even pretend to be brave, they had tortured him for a year and a half! The bridge wasn’t crowded, but there were a few people out for evening strolls. One of them would notice the three figures in black hooded cloaks…right? Someone had to be human and decent enough not to ignore them…right?

All three figures laughed, and the one with the weapon—who appeared to be the leader—moved a step closer. “They have no idea we’re here.” He pulled a small black orb from his cloak. “This is an Obscurer. It bends light and sound around us like a force field. All anyone can see or hear right now is wind and a slight distortion in the air, like heat waves radiating off the ground.”

Sofian reached for Amy, pushing her behind his body. 

“I don’t know how you escaped,” the leader hissed as he handed a coil of silver rope to one of his goons. “But you can rest assured it won’t happen again.”

They advanced slowly toward the two of them, and Sofian took the chance to swing his hands forward, focusing all of his strength and concentration on pulling the two lamps without the leaping crystal toward the attackers. Surprisingly, the lamps left their places stuck in solid ground and hurtled toward the three hooded figures, knocking out two of them. 

The last one lunged at Sofian in full speed and Sofian didn’t have the time to fend him off before he shot his melder at Sofian’s leg. Sofian grunted in pain, not letting himself take another hit before he kicked the guy at his balls. The figure doubled over and fell down to his knees, the melder falling out of his hand. 

Sofian grabbed it the second it fell out of his hold and pointed it directly at the guy’s head before he took many shots directed at him. He fell backward with his eyes empty, a dark pool of blood spilling out of the gaping hole in his head. 

Sofian fumbled through the heavy set cloak and grabbed his pathfinder. He spun the crystal and locked it into place on the facet it stopped on, hoping it wouldn’t take him to one of their secret hideouts. He didn’t have any other options, so he just had to take the chance. It didn’t matter where they went, just so long as there were other people to take them back to the Lost Cities.

Sofian grabbed Amy’s arm, took a deep breath, and imagined his concentration wrapping around Amy’s body. When he had a hold on her, he held the pathfinder up and stepped into the light with Amy, letting it pull them away.

The pain was almost unbearable, but he held on, refusing to let the leap beat him. The light was a force, battering him—pulling and pushing in so many different directions he couldn’t tell if he was being ripped apart or crushed. When he was nearing his breaking point, the rushing slowed, the tug-of-war lessened, and the scenery glittered around him. He forced the last ounce of his concentration around Amy as the light whisked away, not allowing it to take any part of her with it. 

The pain faded, and for one glorious second he thought they might actually be okay. Then his legs collapsed.

He hit the ground hard, and Amy rushed to his side. 

At least they were both alive. That was what mattered most.

Sofian tried to reassure Amy, tell her he was okay. But he couldn’t move his mouth or form the words on his tongue. He couldn’t feel his body. It was like his brain wasn’t connected anymore, and he had an overwhelming urge to let go, but resisted the thought when he remembered how many times Amy had to go through the worst of situations to keep him alive.

He was most likely fading. 

Sofian summoned every last bit of concentration and transmitted as far as he could. 

It’s Sofian, please. Amy is hurt and I’m too weak to help her. Please come. I can’t hold on much longer…

For some reason, Sofian could see Fitz with his mind’s eye, in his room. It was a place he’d never seen, and when Sofian called his name he turned and looked at him.

Please, Fitz! Thank god! I need you help-

He turned away and his hands grabbed something. A small blue elephant with a Hawaiian shirt. Sofian must’ve left it when he first came to the Lost Cities, no one told him they had it.

I went to your funeral, Fitz thought.

I’m not dead–not yet. I need you help, for fuck’s sake-

His mind grew weak from the effort, but he fought against the weariness overtaking him and clung to the connection. 

Please, Fitz. You have to come. Before it’s too late.

His hazy eyes scanned the scenery, searching for a landmark that might explain where he was. He was relieved they were out in the open, with no signs of the kidnappers. But that also meant they were on their own, and if Fitz didn’t come . . .

There’s a tree here, Fitz. Part of it has green leaves and part of it has flowers and part of it has snow. It’s huge. If you know where that is, please hurry. Sofian projected the image to him. I’m so fucking tired. Please help us. We don’t have much time.

When it didn’t seem like Fitz was even listening anymore, Sofian couldn’t do anything but watch as Amy fell down next to from exhaustion. She tried pulling him, but she was weak and didn’t have energy. 

The warmth painted across his mind and he sank into it, to a world of blinding lights. Freedom. Death.

A faint sound yanked him back to reality. 

Steady pounding, close by.

Someone was coming.

Somehow Sofian managed to pull his eyes open. The world was blurry, but he could see feet approaching him. Three pairs of feet, in dark clothes.

NO. Not again. Not this time. 

Sofian released his last tiny hold on reality and let the blinding light sweep him away.

Chapter Text

Sofian drifted with the warmth. Sure, he promised Amy he would survive this time, but he couldn’t help it. The peace was too tempting, and no amount of love was going to force him to keep fighting. Not anyones. 

A ghost of sound wove through the darkness and heat. He tried to ignore it as much as he could, he was supposed to be promised silence. But the noise persisted, and it sounded familiar. The same word over and over.

Sofian .

Awareness tugged him away from the quietness, and the only thing he fought was to stay in the dark void. He didn’t want to go back to the light. But he wasn’t able to tune out the voice. 

Sofian. Sofian, can you hear me? Sofian.

The darkness turned teal and sparkled like a jewel all around him. The voice was crisp and soft, an accent that took him an embarrassingly long time to remember.

Fitz.

The darkness was forced out of Sofian’s grasp and pulled back to reality. He gasped as pain rocked his head so hard it felt like his mind cracked, and a thousand different aches splintered through his body. 

He tried to move but only managed to panic before something strong and warm wrapped around him. 

Sofian couldn’t do this. 

His breaths came out haggard and his mind was reeling. He didn’t feel this type of pain when he escaped. Maybe it was the adrenaline of surviving that situation, he wasn’t sure, but he felt everything . 

He couldn’t stop himself from crying, sobbing so hard he was sure he was going to die. His stomach twisted and his lungs closed, forcing him to gasp for air. He gripped someone’s arm, he was aware of that, because the person yelled in pain. 

Sofian’s body racked in hysterics, his emotions spilling out. Was he having a panic attack? He thought he was better…

His vision blurred with his tears as two pairs of arms tried to calm him down. 

“Sofian,” Fitz said again, clearer now, right next to him. “Sofian, you’re okay now.”

The other person let out a choked gasp, something between a sob and a sigh or relief. 

Sofian forced himself to swallow down his nauseous feeling, “Amy-” Sofian stopped himself. He wasn’t using Clyde’s voice, he couldn’t use it. “Amy. Where is she?” he whispered, hoping that his low voice would be an excuse for the change in his voice. 

They both laughed, and tightened their hold on him. “Amy is fine,” Fitz promised. “I leaped her to Everglen, and Biana left to get Elwin. We didn’t leap you here to the Healing Center because we weren’t sure if it was safe, we had to carry you all the way.” His voice hitched at the end.

Their hug didn’t feel predatory, and for the first time in a long while, he enveloped them back in genuine relief. His arms felt numb, but he didn’t care.

He was safe. He was safe. He was safe. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I didn’t want to believe you could still be . . . get my hopes up if . . .” He choked on the words. “I finally told Keefe and Biana about it, and they convinced me to come. If I’d come sooner, maybe . . .”

“Thank you,” Sofian whispered. 

Looking to his left, Sofian was able to distinguish Keefe’s features. Messy blonde hair, piercing, ice, blue eyes…happy smile. 

Keefe’s face brought a strange sort of comfort to Sofian, turning Sofian’s cheeks a pink shade. He looked away. 

Could the Deja Vu be related to time traveling? 

“You-you okay…Foster?” Keefe’s voice was shaky, and he hesitated before saying Sofian’s last name, as if he was worried that Sofian might disappear any second. 

Sofian nodded. Pointing to his throat as another lie he had to make up, he swallowed hard and rubbed his neck. 

“It hurts when you talk?” Keefe asked, a plague of worry crossing over his expression. 

Sofian nodded, a small smile spreading across his lips. 

Elwin rushed in through the door, Sofian finally took in the room he was in. He wasn’t paying attention before, and like Fitz had said, he was in the Healing Center lying on a cot. The cot was the only one in the room. 

Elwin looked like he could die from joy, his eyes lit up and he didn’t waste any time before shoving a bottle of liquid in Sofian’s hands. 

“You’re awake! You’re alive! You’re-”

Sofian squinted at the label reading ‘Bottle of Youth.’ He gulped down the contents quickly, craning his head to search the room for more bottles. Elwin handed him another one when he realized what Sofian was looking for. 

Someone sniffled from across the room. Looking up, Biana stood awkwardly in the middle of the room with tears in her eyes. Swallowing, Sofian looked expectantly at her. She didn’t waste any time rushing to him, throwing her arms around his neck as Keefe and Fitz both pulled away. Returning the hug, Sofian let the rushing feeling in his stomach bloom. 

“Sofian?” Someone whispered, their voice quivering. 

‘They won’t fucking do that! Just trust me, please, Sofian-’

Normal parents? Loving ones on top of that? 

Sofian forced his legs to work as he dashed upward from the cot and tackle hugged Edaline. Her embrace was warm, Sofian’s height almost matching hers. 

How had he ot noticed this when he first escaped? His longer hair? Even with Amy?

Edaline pulled back only to cup his face in her hands, bursting into tears when Sofian didn’t pull away. 

Grady joined, Della came over, Dex and Marella burst in. Alden tried. 

Sofian shook his head. 

Fitz rubbed his arm from across the room. “Is everything..okay, Sofian?”

Sofian first talked to Della, his telepathy still working. She said it was time. 

Allowing his voice to warp around everyone’s mind was a bit challenging, considering how he was so exhausted. But he wanted to do this for Della. 

How about you go back to your affair, Alden? Or are you that fucking egotistical that you think it’s okay to show your bitchass face here.

Alden paled. “Sofian. What. Are. You. Talking . About.” He looked around the room, looking for someone to back him up. Everyone was shocked.

Fitz and Biana shared confused glances. 

“Let’s talk in private, Alden. I think it’s finally time to divorce you. I don’t know what I stayed with you for that long,” Della grabbed Alden by the collar and took out her home crystal, glittering away into the light with Fitz and Biana following right after. 

Sofian felt guilty for how Fitz and Biana might handle the situation, but Della deserved better. And she had stayed with him for almost a year and a half, it was in her right to leave him. He was a lying dick, after all. Della stayed with him all this time for her kids, she had to think about herself, too. 

As always, Keefe tried to lighten the mood. “All right, enough drama,” he said, shoving his way to Sofian. “ You’re a Telepath? I think that proves once and for all that you’re definitely the Most. Mysterious. Guy. Ever.” His face dropped. “My dad was very smug when he heard you’d been training with Teirgan. He always has to be right. And this time he was.”

Sofian rolled his eyes. 

“Just get better, okay?” Keefe ordered. “School wasn’t the same without you. No explosions or emergencies. Boring.”

I’ll try, he promised. Wait, what happened to my exams and stuff? Am I going to be held back a year?

“The Council still hasn’t decided,” Grady answered. He held this faraway look in his eyes, as if he was in a dream and he was scared to wake up. 

“I think Amy is going to explode if I don’t let her in,” Elwin interrupted.

Amy burst through the door, stomping past everyone to hug Sofian. Her hold was strong, especially for someone who was kidnapped for a year and a half. All because of Sofian.

She pulled back a moment later, looking a little embarrassed at herself to have cried. She quickly wiped her tears. Amy had said that Grady and Edaline were nice, but what if they changed their mind about keeping them now? They had filed the papers to send them back, what if they still thought that?

Do you guys…not want to adopt us, Sofian asked, peeking a glance at Grady and Edaline.

They blinked back their tears. “Of course not, Sofian,” Edaline whispered. “Losing you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever endured, but the worst part was knowing that you had no idea how much you mean to us.”

Grady squeezed both of their hands, Amy looked shocked to have been included. 

“We never wanted to love anyone again after we lost Jolie,” Edaline whispered. “But we love you both, Sofian and Amy. You’re just as much our children as she was our daughter. We need you to know that—not because we want you to forgive us, but because you deserve to know.”

“Canceling your adoption was the worst mistake we’ve ever made,” Grady added. “You’ll always have a home with us at Havenfield, but we understand if you don’t want to stay with us-”

“We do!” Amy chimed. “We want you to adopt us! We promise we won’t be a problem to you-”

Edaline stroked Amy’s hair. “You were never a problem to begin with,” she whispered. Under the light of the sun shining in through the window, Sophie could see her mom smiling sweetly at Amy. Edaline resembled Sophie’s mom from years ago. She seemed so sweet-

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Grady pulled a tiny furball out of his pocket. 

Mitten! Sofian exclaimed. 

Mitten fitted to his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. He scratched her fuzzy head, and her melodic purr filled the room. 

Elwin ushered everyone else out of the room except the Ruewans. 

Edaline sniffled. “She came and found us. Took us a while to figure out what she wanted, and by the time we got down to the caves there’d been a huge wave and . . .” Her voice vanished.

How did Mitten know where I would be?

“I thought she followed you to the caves?”

“I don’t remember her-”

Edaline looked relieved. “Your voice is back! Except you sound a bit different, does your throat still hurt?”

Sofian nodded and whispered, “Might be better if I don’t talk for a while.”

Chapter Text

Elwin ushers everyone out, telling them that Sofian needs to rest. After half an hour of medicine, Sofian speaks up.

“So…you know I’m not a boy.”

Elwin stopped in his tracks, his glasses falling to the bottom of his nose. He stammered, looking for an explanation, an excuse. 

Sofian sighed. “Don’t even try. I’m wearing different clothes than I was before, and I was told that you treated me.”

“I swear! The moment I saw your binder I called in a female physician and they treated your wounds under your clothes,” he defended.

Sofian’s mental hands reached toward Elwin’s mind, trying to check if he was telling the truth. A bright light flashed through his head, blinding him for a moment. Sofian closed his eyes, his mind a spinning mess. 

“You’re not…going to tell anyone, right? Is the woman you called over to treat me even allowed to be trusted?”

“I don’t think I have a reason to tell anyone, and yes. She can be trusted. I understand if you’re not comfortable with that, Sofian, but…is it okay if I ask if you’ve been pretending to be a boy ever since you were born?”

Sofian opened his eyes, focusing on the person in front of him instead of the hand creeping on his shoulder. “I’m not Clyde. I didn’t change my name to Sofian because I missed my sister,” he whispered. Elwin waited patiently for the rest of the answer. “I’m Sophie Foster. I’m the girl that I said died in a lake, my brother’s the one that’s dead. I pretended to be him because…I needed to support Amy.” The hand on his shoulder evaporated. 

Elwin’s eyes widened, and he stared at Sofian with shock. “Sofian-I mean-”

“There’s something wrong with my mimicking. I can’t change my voice for some reason,” Sofian interrupted. 

He blinked a few times before he answered. “I’ll try to look for something, try not to talk when you’re in front of others for a bit, okay?”

Sofian scoffed, “Haven’t I heard that enough for a lifetime.”

“What-”

He shook his head. “Just a joke.” He smiled, bringing an uncomfortable expression on Elwin’s face. “I’m trying to get in the habit of jokes now.”

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Sofian sat next to Amy on a pedestal facing the twelve councillors in Tribunal Hall. 

“Mister Foster,” Emery said, his voice warm. “On behalf of the entire Council I’d like to express our relief that you made it home safely. We’d also like to assure you that we will find whoever was responsible for your kidnapping and make them see justice for their actions.”

Sofian nodded.

“Bringing the matter to your Foxfire admission,” Emery shouted over the din, his words like a giant pin bursting the bubble Sofian had been floating in. The room fell silent. “Mister Foster, you were admitted to Foxfire on a provisional basis, and the matter was to be revisited once we’d seen your performance in your sessions. Due, however, to the aforementioned unfortunate experiences, you missed all of your final exams and are currently failing all of your sessions. And in order to preserve the integrity of our testing process, we cannot allow the exams to be made up at this time. So we’re at a bit of a loss as far as how to proceed.”

Bronte opened his mouth and Emery cut him off. “Your suggestion has been noted, Councillor Bronte. We are, however, hoping to hear a few other suggestions before we decide. I open this up to Mister Foster’s Mentors. Can any of you see a solution to his grade issues?”

Whispers hissed through the auditorium as all of his Mentors rose from their front row seats and bowed their respect.

“If I may offer a suggestion,” Tiergan said, smoothing his intricate blue cape as he stood and bowed. He’d dressed up for the occasion—it looked fancier than Lady Galvin’s. 

“Ah, Sir Tiergan,” Emery said, his voice with a harder edge. “It’s been a long time since you’ve stood before us.”

“Yes. And I hope this time my appeal will be more successful,” he murmured. 

Emery waved his hand, signaling that the floor was his.

Tiergan shuffled his feet. “Sofian is the most talented Telepath I’ve ever worked with, and I cannot imagine failing him for any reason. If you need proof that his skills hold up under test, well, I can’t think of any better proof than the fact that he managed to transmit halfway across the world to Fitz and send a mental image to guide him to his location—all while his body was fading away. For that alone I’d give him one hundred percent, if the Council would accept it.”

There was a moment of silence before Emery nodded. “We would. But if he were to continue his studies at Foxfire, he would require a Mentor, and our records indicate you aren’t planning to return.”

“I would be willing to extend my stay as Mentor, provided Sofian could remain as my prodigy,” Tiergan agreed, looking only at Sofian.

Sofian swallowed down the knot in his throat.

“Excellent.” Emery turned to the other Mentors. “Anyone else have anything to add?”

Lady Anwen stepped forward. “Sofian knows more about the human species than any prodigy I’ve had, so I’ll gladly give him one hundred percent in multispeciesial studies. He was already passing with flying colors.”

Sofian had skipped a lot of his sessions, and he couldn’t help but feel grateful for everything that the mentors were doing to help him with this. 

Several of the Councillors nodded their agreement. Bronte scowled.

“The fact that he was able to pull himself back from fading away settles the mind over matter debate quite nicely,” Sir Faxon added. “And should definitely count for one hundred percent in metaphysics.” He bowed, and stepped aside to let Lady Dara forward.

She dipped an elaborate curtsy. “Sofian didn’t just learn history, he made history. Textbooks will be written about him someday, and I’ll not have them saying he received anything less than one hundred percent in my session.”

Sofian held his breath as Lady Alexine stepped forward.

“I think the fact that Mister Foster was able to leap an injured friend without a nexus and both of them survived to tell the tale is more than enough to earn him one hundred percent on his physical education exam.”

“He was doing quite well in his classes before he disappeared,” Sir Astin added. “He deserves one hundred percent in the Universe.”

All the Councillors were smiling at this point—except Bronte. He turned his murderous glare on Sir Conley as he bowed and cleared his throat.

“Same situation as Sor Astin.”

The room seemed to hold its breath as all eyes turned to Lady Galvin.

She stood behind the others, fingering the jewels on her dark purple cape.

“Anything you would like to add?” Emery asked when she didn’t say anything.

Lady Galvin cleared her throat. “This will not be a popular decision, but Mister Foster barely passed his midterm and has struggled with my session all year. He even skipped my class half the time. There’s no way I can justifiably pass him.”

Fuck you motherfucker, Sofian thought. You’re my number one opp.

Silence throbbed through the room as Emery frowned. “Nothing will change your mind?”

She turned to Sofian as she shook his head. “I’m sorry.” She sounded like she meant it. 

You’re a good actress.

The crowd buzzed with murmurs of displeasure.

“That is most unfortunate,” Emery said through a sigh. He glanced at the other Councillors, who were shaking their heads—except Bronte, who was smirking like a spider with a trapped fly. “It appears our hands are tied. We cannot allow Mister Foster to advance if he does not qualify for eight subjects. Perhaps we can agree to let him retake the year?” He turned to the other Councillors.

“If I may propose an alternative solution?” Amy interrupted, rising with an elegant bow. Sofian admired her courage, but this was definitely not the time for heroics. He tried tugging her down, but she didn’t budge. “The rules state that he must qualify for eight sessions to advance. Not that he must pass eight sessions. And recent events have revealed that Sofian has developed a second special ability.” Amy paused for the murmurs in the crowd to quiet. “Obviously, that would qualify him for a session training him in his new ability. Therefore, it would seem not only practical, but prudent, to replace his alchemy session—which he obviously has no future career prospects in”—she flashed Sofian a smug smirk—“with a session studying inflicting.”

Inflicting?

Inflicting?

What in the fuck was Amy talking about?

Everyone’s confusion mirrored Sofian’s, many shifting in their seats and whispers breaking out in the audience. Sofian wished his hair was just a bit longer than it already was so that he could hide his face with it, instead he just pulled out a loose eyelash. Two more, not loose.

The councillors broke into questions. Emery silenced them all, holding up his hand. “What do you mean, inflicting? ”

“I mean that he is an Inflictor. Back when we escaped from the kidnappers, Sofian inflicted upon all of them and they all fell to the ground in pain,” Amy answered. 

That did not fucking happen.

“Really? How long did their dose of pain last?”

“We’re not too sure, Sofian grabbed the pathfinder from one of their pockets and leaped us away before they were relieved of the pain.”

Dammit, Amy. I promised the Universe I would try and be a better person! Telling people that I can torture them with a mere thought does not make me look like a nice guy. Maybe I can start tomorrow? Would anyone care if I wasn’t able to inflict even after Amy’s statement?

Emery stroked his chin. “I guess it would be logical to allow Sofian to continue his studies.”

“Absolutely not,” Bronte barked, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “I refuse.”

That’s not your decision to make,” Emery informed him with a smile. “An ability as volatile as inflicting qualifies for a majority vote decision and”—he closed his eyes—“we have it. Eleven to one in favor. That settles it. Mister Foster will continue his studies at Foxfire, and an inflicting session will replace his alchemy session.”

Two people cheered–both Dex and Keefe–and the whole audience followed their lead, erupting into applause.

Sofian didn’t even care that Amy told him Bronte will be his mentor, he was going to try his best to pay the Universe back for helping Amy. He didn’t have a lot to offer, but he had made a promise. And he doesn’t want to break it in case the Universe takes back their offer of a peaceful life.

“There’s one more matter we must address before we close,” Emery announced, calling the room back to order. “It’s a delicate-”

“Sofian and I already decided that we want to stay with Grady and Edaline Ruewan,” Amy interrupted, not waiting for him to finish his sentence. “They’re lovely parents.”

He wasn’t sure who cheered louder, Grady and Edaline—or Dex

Amy dipped another curtsy as Emery concluded the tribunal, and the Councillors glittered away. Waiting outside for him were his friends and family. Sofian walked out last agreeing to trust Amy for the time being.

Edaline strangled them both in a hug. “You won’t regret that decision,” Edaline whispered, kissing Amy and Sofian’s cheek. “I promise.”

Amy’s eyes looked misty, as if she hadn’t expected to be included. 

What is up with that? Could I be related to the time traveling thing? Everyone ignored her before she got kidnapped.

“We know we won’t,” Amy whispered back. “ I love you guys.”

“We love you too.” Grady crushed her with a hug, and when he pulled away his eyes were wet with tears.

Deja vu. At a time like this.

“For the record, I’m really glad they didn’t exile you,” Dex said as he gave Sofian an awkward hug. “And I’m really glad you aren’t going to be a Vacker,” he whispered in his ear. 

Thanks Dex, Sofian transmitted. 

He shook his head, a smile spreading across his lips. “Still can’t believe you never told me you were a Telepath.”

Next time I find out a big secret, you’ll be the first to know, Dex.

He beamed, but his smile dropped into a sneer when Fitz walked closer. 

“So you don’t want to live with us?” Fitz teased, nudging Sofian’s arm. “I see how it is.”

“I know,” Keefe agreed. “You save a guy’s life one day and the next day he trades you away like a Prattles’ pin.”

You’re right, Keefe. I should've repaid you properly. How does ‘naming my first-born after you’ sound? Too much? Too little? Sofian transmitted.

“Since when do you make jokes, Foster? Anyway, I think Keeferina if it’s a girl and Keefster if it’s a boy,” he answered. 

Sofian rolled his eyes. At least nobody seemed to be treating him out of pity. 

“Those are horrible names. Why would anyone want to curse their kids with that name?” Stina said, an unwanted smile appearing on her face. “If it wasn’t obvious, I’m trying to joke around with you guys. I dunno, I feel like I got to know you guys better when Sofian was–well you know–and I don’t feel like you guys are that stupid.”

Marella rolled her eyes. “Same old Stina. But you know, 2.0 is a nicer version. Many more models to come.”

“This is the last time I’m being nice to you.”

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“You were wrong, ya know” Amy said, twirling her long hair around her finger. “I'll be turning eleven, not ten.”

Embarrassed, Sofian apologizes. “Sorry, I’m not great with math.”

Amy looked back, the reflection in the mirror disappearing for just a moment. Sofian rubbed his eyes, blaming it on his lack of proper sleep. “This isn’t even math, Sofian. Just the matter of remembering how many years I’ve been alive.”

“Technically-”

“Shut up. I meant in this timeline. I’ve been alive for almost eleven years. Looks like I’m starting my first year of Foxfire soon.” She looked back at the mirror, gathering the front strands of her hair to clip them together at the back. “And you’re starting level five.”

“I missed so much. Almost two fucking years of my life was wasted down the drain. I don’t think I would’ve been this upset about the time I have if I had just died . But no, I’m alive and my teenage years were all wasted being kidnapped. At least the kidnappers had the decency not to touch me weirdly while I was conscious. Anyway, soon, everyone’s going to expect me to be mature and older and I’m just going to be the adult who is too focused on the past to grow up.” Sofian stopped talking, realizing he just spoke back in Clyde’s voice. “Looks like I’m back to speaking like him.”

Amy wouldn’t meet Sofian’s eyes. She cleared her throat. “Elves have fragile minds, Sophie. Not all of them are good people but they’re not like him .”

Him. As in Dahl.

That fucker will never leave the room, will he? He’ll always be standing in the corner, waiting to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Chapter Text

“Still can’t believe you’re making me track a unicorn or some shit,” Sofian numbled as he stared at the hoofprint in the muddy soil.

“We need to find Silveny! If she’s still here…” Amy continued, walking through the trail.

The tall goblin that the Council assigned Sofian was walking behind them, a wave of confusion crossing over his features. Surprisingly, he doesn’t say a single word to object.

“You keep talking about this Silveny thing as if I’m supposed to know what it’s supposed to be.”

“Like I said,” she replied, pushing a few low branches out of the way. “She’s a unicorn. And you initially found her with Dex, way before. I think you were thirteen. Well, now you’re sixteen and Silveny might just be gone forever.”

Sofian sighed. He was never going to get any information that actually made sense from Amy. She always spoke like what she was saying was supposed to be common knowledge. Amy doesn’t even seem to care that Sandor is listening to everything that they have to say, claiming that he’s safe. 

What was that supposed to even mean?

Amy snapped her fingers like they do in comedies. “Why did I forget about this? Sofian! Try listening for Silveny’s thoughts!”

Sofian was going to lose his nuts, which he conveniently didn’t even have. 

“I swear, Amy. If this is another one of your ‘You have more potential, Sofian,’ kind of moments I’m going to throw myself into the nearest ravine.”

“Do you want to find Silveny or do you want to just whine? Because I can do this without your award-winning negativity.”

“Couldn’t we have at least brought one of my friends and made it feel like we were just taking a walk? You’re so boring, plus you’re my annoying little sister.” Sofian stepped over the basketball-sized rock in his way.

“Who would we have even brought here? And I don’t think anyone’s going to believe the fact that we went out all the way here to just walk and chat.”

“Dex and Keefe are amazing company. Stina and Biana wouldn’t mind either.”

“Oh for fucks sake, Sofian.”

“What?”

Amy looked back, a mocking expression taking over. 

“Amy, what?”

She looked away, walking a little quicker ahead. “Can’t say much but the last person you were with in the future is the person that I ship you with the most .”

“WHAT?” Sofian’s face lit up with different shades of pink. “What are you talking about-”

“You know exactly what, Sofian. In each timeline, you dated different people in a different order but somehow you always ended up with that same person in the end. Well you guys didn’t get married before you died but you were dating for like two years. I think?”

Sofian quickened his pace, catching up with Amy. “Who? Please tell me.”

“I kinda can tell you this, but like, I don’t want to. It’s gonna ruin the tension .”

“Amy-”

“To find Silveny, you need to push your mind as far as it can go, Sofian. Wait…”

“What? And don’t think we’re done with our conversation just because you changed the topic-”

Amy groaned. “Noo, this is so annoying.”

“Do I have to ask what it is again or are you going to tell me?”

“Your telepathy weakened.”

“Am I supposed to know how that works?”

“Whatever, I don’t need your attitude right now. Just try and listen to animal thoughts the same way you used to navigate people’s thoughts and where they were.”

Tugging on a loose eyelash, Sofian pushed his mind as far as he could go. Spots of lights flashed across his vision, each one paired with a relieving stab of pain that ripped his breath away. The misery was worth it when he caught the vaguest whisper of a thought. A fuzzy image of a river with mossy green rocks and white, trickling water. It felt soft, yet the thought was far too complex to belong to normal forest animals.

“I may or may not have just found the love of your life,” Sofian whispered, pointing ahead of them. “Your magical unicorn Silveny might just be up this way.”

Amy sprinted off in that direction, and Sofian complained even as he ran to catch up with her. Sofian’s muscles burned as the ground became steeper and the cold drizzly air stung his lungs. But he was in much better shape than Amy, only because he had started working out to become stronger, and his stamina also improved. 

The path grew narrower as they moved through the mountains, and after several more minutes of climbing, it curved west and ended in a gurgling steam. White puffs of mist hovered above the rocks, giving the water a ghostly feel as it snaked up the rocky foothills. 

Amy paused to catch her breath and Sofian bent to stretch his legs. Sandor caught up as he was checking on Silveny’s location. 

“You’re supposed to stay by my side,” Sandor complained.

Sophie ignored him, pointing toward the snow capped mountains. “It’s up there.”

The thoughts felt sharper now, filling his mind with a shockingly vivid scene. Every tiny leaf on the lacy ferns was crystal clear, and he could almost feel the cool water splashing against his skin and the breeze tickling his cheeks. But the really strange part was the warm calm that wrapped around his consciousness. He’d never experienced a thought as such a pure emotion before—especially from a creature so far away.

Squishy green moss coated the ground, muffling their footsteps. It was also slick, and the third time Amy slipped, Sofian didn’t let go of her arm. She mumbled something about how she remembers Sofian always being the clumsy one. 

Hurrying forward, Sofian accidentally stepped on a fallen branch. 

Goosebumps erupted all over his body, and even though he knew the emotion wasn’t his, Sofian couldn't ignore the shivering terror. He had no idea what that meant, but he didn’t have time to think about it. It seemed like Silveny was important to Amy, so he jerked his hand, releasing Amy from his grasp, and took after it. 

The beast ran so fast its thoughts turned to a blur. Sofian concentrated on channeling energy from his core into his legs, but even with the extra strength he could still feel the unicorn pulling farther ahead. It was going to get away.

Sofian shoved the warm energy humming in the back of his mind into his legs and felt his muscles surge with a tremendous burst of power. His feet barely touched the ground as he raced over the soggy soil, leaving Amy and Sandor far behind. 

Silveny’s thoughts turned clearer again. 

The extra energy didn’t last as long as he’d expected, though, and as his strength drained he found himself barely able to stumble forward.

It’s okay , he transmitted, desperately shoving the words into the creature’s mind. I’m not going to hurt you.

The unicorn froze.

Its thoughts were a jumbled mix of emotions, and Sofian couldn’t make sense out of any of them. But he took advantage of its momentary stillness, rallying the last of his energy to fumble toward a narrow opening in the thick wall of foliage. He could feel the creature on the other side of the trees.

Waiting for the others would be the safer thing to do—but who knew how much longer the creature would wait around? And the creature felt calm at the moment. Curious.

Sofian padded into the clearing.

Chapter Text

Four years ago

The wind howled outside as the front door creaked open, sending a gust of icy air into the dimly lit house. Sophie flinched, wrapping her thin arms around herself as Clyde stepped inside, kicking off his soaked boots with enough force to send them skidding across the floor. Snow clung to the ends of his dark blue hair, melting into cold droplets that ran down his neck. His hair was messily cut, only thanks to Sophie who Clyde had impulsively had given scissors to when he was drunk. 

His coat, too big for him, sagged heavily with dampness as he yanked it off and threw it over the coat rack, his movements sluggish and irritated.

He didn’t look at Sophie. He didn’t say anything.

Sophie hovered near the door, swallowing hard. Her stomach ached with hunger, the gnawing pain making her feel dizzy. The last thing she’d eaten was half of a bowl of snow with a small cracker.

And their parents were still gone.

Clyde stomped past her, heading for the stairs. Before following, Sophie hurriedly locked the door and wiped at the wet footprints he’d tracked in with a balled-up rag. She threw it onto the shoe rack and scrambled up the stairs, her small feet barely making a sound against the creaking wood.

She hesitated before her little knuckles knocked on the door.

“Clyde?” she whispered.

No response.

She pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, her feet parting the piles of dirty clothes and discarded blankets that littered the floor as she walked. The room smelled like damp fabric and sweat. Clyde lay on his bed, face turned away, still wearing his stained work uniform.

She crept closer. “Clyde?”

He groaned, dragging a pillow over his head as if that would make her disappear.

Sophie sniffled, her nose raw from the cold. “I’m really hungry—”

“Shut it!” Clyde snapped, his voice muffled against the pillow. His hand gripped the edge of it, fingers digging into the fabric. “I’m so fucking tired right now, and I don’t care! Eat the snow, we have plenty. I haven’t eaten either, so I don’t know why you’re complaining so much!”

Sophie flinched, her breath catching in her throat. The sharpness in his voice hit harder than the hunger pains.

She hesitated, but Amy was still sick. Clyde was the only one left to ask.

“Mom and Dad haven’t been home in days, and Amy—Amy is really sick—”

“I’m not your parent,” Clyde spat, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. He threw the pillow aside and sat up, rubbing his face. His bloodshot eyes burned into her, his expression twisted in frustration. “I don’t need to take care of you. Be glad we still have a roof over our heads.”

Sophie’s throat tightened.

She wanted to argue. Wanted to tell him he wasn’t the only one who was tired. That Amy was getting worse. That she was scared. But Clyde wasn’t listening.

So, instead, she turned and left, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She didn’t cry.

She just went back downstairs, curled up next to Amy on their tattered couch, and prayed that she wouldn’t wake up hungrier than before.

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Clyde stepped onto the porch, his boots caked in slush and ice, the cold biting at his exposed skin. He shifted the small plastic bag in his grip, its contents rustling faintly. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he reached for the lock, twisting it shut with a quiet click before brushing the fresh snowfall from his coat. The wind howled behind him, slipping through the cracks in the door as he finally stepped inside, shaking off the last remnants of winter’s chill.

The house was silent except for the distant creak of pipes and the occasional shuffle of movement. Sophie sat on the floor, her small fingers working carefully as she folded a thin sweater, smoothing it out silently. The pile beside her was uneven, mismatched clothing stacked haphazardly—but she kept going, hoping that if she stayed busy, if she looked useful, maybe this time he wouldn’t be angry.

Clyde’s footsteps were heavy as he entered, exhaustion weighing down every movement. His face was pale, lips chapped from the cold, and the dark circles under his eyes were deeper than ever, staining his skin like ink. Without a word, he crouched beside her, the scent of cigarette smoke and stale air clinging to his clothes.

“Sophie,” he murmured, his voice rough but not unkind. He set the plastic bag in her lap before he pulled away. “I know I yelled at you earlier, Soybean. But I promise I didn’t mean it.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his gaze flickering away. “I got ramen. Can you boil the water and get it ready while I help Amy wash her hair?”

For a second, Sophie just stared at him, her hands tightening around the bag as if afraid it might disappear. Then, without thinking, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his middle. Relief swelled in her chest, so overwhelming that it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs. Food. Real food.

Clyde hugged her back, patting her head before pulling away, ruffling her hair lightly before pushing himself upright. Sophie wasted no time, scrambling to her feet and hurrying to the kitchen.

She worked quickly, her fingers trembling with excitement as she tore open the packages. The dry, crinkly noodles clattered into the pot, followed by the spice packets—one for Clyde, none for Amy, and only a little for herself. The scent of broth filled the air, rich and salty, making her stomach ache with hunger.

A few minutes later, Amy stumbled in, her black hair damp and clinging to her forehead, her chubby legs tinged pink from the hot bath. She wobbled slightly as she walked, her balance unsteady, but her face was relaxed, content. Sophie reached out instinctively, steadying her before guiding her to the table.

They ate in silence, hunched over their bowls, slurping greedily. The warmth of the broth seeped into Sophie’s bones, chasing away the dull ache of hunger that had lived in her stomach for days. It wasn’t much—just instant ramen, the kind Clyde could afford with whatever money he scraped together—but to her, it might as well have been a feast.

Clyde finished first, his movements sluggish as he rose from the table. He tossed his empty bowl into the trash, rubbing a hand over his face. Without a word, he trudged upstairs, disappearing into the dim hallway.

The moment of peace was short-lived.

Two minutes later, a heavy pounding rattled the front door, the force of it shaking the frame. Sophie’s heart leapt into her throat, and before she could think, she grabbed Amy, pulling her down behind the couch.

The pounding turned to kicking. A muffled voice slurred through the door, thick with impatience and irritation.

The lock clicked. The door swung open.

“What took you so long, kid?!”

Dad’s heavy footsteps thudded against the floor, followed by the sharp snap of Mom’s heels. The scent of beer wafted through the air, mixing with the cold draft seeping in from outside.

“I said I needed the beer, where is it?!” Mom’s voice was shrill, sharp. She moved toward the kitchen, barely sparing Clyde a glance. “And where are those other kids?”

“They’re at school,” Clyde said, his voice flat, detached.

“You’re not smart, kid. We know it’s winter break—” Dad’s voice rose, a warning edge creeping in.

Clyde didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, well, you’re wrong. They have school.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, you little—”

Sophie pressed her hands over Amy’s mouth, but it was too late.

She let out a wail, high-pitched and panicked.

A second later, the couch was yanked away. Cold fingers tangled in Sophie’s hair, ripping her upward with a force that sent pain searing through her scalp. She barely had time to react before she was being dragged toward the door, her feet scrambling against the floor.

Somewhere behind her, Clyde was shouting. Glass shattered.

The door swung open again, and the next thing she knew, she was airborne.

The porch steps rushed up to meet her. Pain exploded through her ribs as she hit the ground, snow scattering around her in a soft flurry.

She barely had time to curl into herself before a heavy boot struck her stomach.

The air whooshed from her lungs, leaving her gasping, dizzy. The world spun.

The door slammed shut behind her.

The yelling inside grew muffled, swallowed by the quiet of the outside world.

Sophie lay there, the cold seeping into her bones, numbing the pain. The snow around her was soft, gentle, clinging to her eyelashes like tiny frozen kisses. She could barely feel her fingers.

Maybe that was a good thing.

She closed her eyes.

And for the first time in a long time, she hoped she wouldn’t have to open them again.

Chapter Text

Sofian’s gasp startled the creature before him, sending it whinnying and stomping in alarm. Before he could even call out, the beautiful horse vanished in a burst of radiant light. It was as if the unicorn, Silveny , had soared straight toward him, only to dissolve into the glow, slipping away like a fading star.

Amy’s hand clamped onto Sofian’s shoulder, yanking him out of his bewilderment. “What?—How—I’m never—running again,” she panted, struggling to catch her breath.

“Was that thing an actual unicorn ?!” Sofian shouted.

Amy shot him a glare. “Did you think I was lying? And that ‘thing’ is an alicorn. She has feelings, so stop saying such things. Anyway, where is she?”

“Oh well… I may or may not have startled her—”

“WHAT?” Amy shrieked. “No, no, no.” She shook her head furiously, her hands balling into fists. “Sofian, we need that alicorn!”

“For what, exactly?” he scoffed. “Doesn’t seem very useful when it literally disappeared because someone gasped a little too loud.”

“You wouldn’t understand—”

“Let’s just go back,” he interrupted. “Maybe we’ll find her another day. Doesn’t seem like she’s returning anytime soon.”

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They didn’t see the alicorn that month, or the month after. Every day, Amy grew more restless, her frustration mounting with each failed attempt to track Silveny down. She dragged Sofian out at sunrise, forcing him to trudge through forests and fields in search of a single shimmer of silver among the trees. By now, her determination had morphed into something borderline obsessive—she sketched Silveny in the margins of her notes, muttered theories about where the alicorn could be hiding, and even argued with herself about what they should’ve done differently that day.

At this point, Sofian was starting to think she was more emotionally invested in this creature than any human relationship she’d ever had. At this point, Sofian wouldn’t even be surprised if she ended up dating the damn creature.

“How fucking stupid does someone have to be to startle such a creature, tell me how fucking dumb you were to not approach it with caution, Sophie!”

“ Why are you blaming it on me?! As if you’ve never made a fucking mistake before!” Sofian snapped back, whirling around to face her. Sandor was back in Havenfield, helping set up a system to detect unfamiliar prints around the house with Grady, and Amy had dragged Sofian along to search for Silveny. 

Amy crossed her arms, her glare sharp enough to cut through stone. “Yeah, I haven’t messed things up this much, Sophie-”

“Shut your fucking mouth up, Amy.” His voice dropped, dangerously low.  “ Don’t call me that, someone might overhear you-”

“Is that shit all you ever think about?! No one cares , Sophie, and I may as well just tell everyone who you actually are because this is just frustrating at this point.”

“Why do you even need that unicorn so much-”

“It’s to save you-”

The words hit him harder than he expected. Without thinking, he grabbed her shoulders, gripping them tighter than he should have. Amy flinched at the sudden aggression, but he didn’t let go. “I don’t need saving,” he said, his voice cold and steady. “I’m your older sibling, and it’s going to stay that way. Not the other way around. I have no obligation to listen to your little tantrums, and you have no right to yell at me. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”

The fear in Amy’s eyes didn’t bother him at the time, but it would haunt his mind later when he thought about what he was becoming. The setting sun cast long shadows across the ground, but something about Amy’s shadow wasn’t right. It flickered, like a glitch in reality, its edges shifting unnaturally.

Amy finally managed to form the words that looked like they were forced from the lump in her throat. “I’ll tell Edaline I want a private room. You can keep everything there, I don’t need anything…Clyde.”

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Sofian walked alongside Keefe and Dex as they made their way to Multispeciesial Studies, the usual swarm of students filling the hallways with chatter and shuffling footsteps. Dex groaned, looking through his backpack before letting out a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, forgot my textbook. Again." He muttered something under his breath and veered off toward the lockers, disappearing into the throng of students.

Keefe barely gave Dex’s departure a glance before nudging Sofian’s arm and pointing toward a different hallway. “Let’s go this way,” he said casually. “It takes way longer if we keep going through the main hall.” His tone was light, but there was something deliberate about the way he led them away from the busiest parts of the school.

As they rounded a quieter corner, the usual background noise of laughter and conversations softened to a distant hum. The shift in atmosphere felt almost intentional. Sofian noticed the way Keefe hesitated before speaking, his usual playful energy dimmed just a bit.

“Are you okay, Foster?” Keefe finally asked, his voice lacking its usual teasing lilt. “You don’t seem like yourself…”

“I’m fine. Why?” he answered, not making eye contact. 

Keefe huffed, crossing his arms. “Oh, come on, Mister Mysterious. It’s obvious something’s up.” Then, almost immediately, his expression shifted, and he raised his hands in surrender. “I—I didn’t mean to pry or anything! I was just worried about you, okay? If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s totally cool! I just wanted to say that, y’know, if you ever need someone—”

“Thanks for the offer, Keefe, like really, but I’m okay! I promise you-”

Keefe’s usual brightness faltered, his eyes softening as he studied Sofian’s face. “I feel like you forget I’m an Empath sometimes,” he murmured. “I know something’s up.” He let out a breath, shaking his head. “Either way, I was just checking in. I’m always here, Foster.”

Sofian turned his head away, instead focusing on the intricate details drawn on the walls of the semi-empty hallway. Then Keefe grabbed his arm, pulling him forward as if that would speed things along. The sudden contact sent a sharp sting through Sofian’s arm, and he sucked in a breath before he could stop himself. Keefe must have felt something, too, because he instantly let go, rubbing his own arm like he was trying to shake off an unfamiliar sensation. A brief flicker of confusion crossed his face before he instinctively reached for Sofian’s arm again.

He didn’t seem to realize that his empathy extended beyond just emotions.

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Sofian contacted Fitz the next day, asking if they could meet up. Amy might have still been furious with him, but she made sure to mention—perhaps in passing, perhaps as a warning—that Fitz could now transmit thoughts into his mind. Apparently, Sofian’s mental blocking had faded or weakened, or something along those lines.

When Fitz stepped into the room, he greeted Sofian with that familiar movie-star smile. He could definitely take up acting someday. Probably wouldn’t even need to try.

Sofian didn’t waste time. “Hey, how are you? Good? Okay, can you try transmitting into my mind?”

His words tumbled out, rushed and uneven. He needed to know. As much as the idea terrified him—someone else’s voice inside his head, someone digging around where they didn’t belong—he had to be sure. No one was supposed to know what was going on in his head. They were his thoughts, his secrets, and they needed to stay that way.

Fitz blinked. “Okay, wow. No ‘How have you been these last few months, Fitz? Sorry I ghosted you even though we’re supposedly friends?’ Nothing?” He gave a small laugh to soften the remark, but it didn’t quite hide the sting in his voice.

Guilt coiled in Sofian’s chest. He sighed, running a hand through his freshly-cut hair. “I’m sorry, Fitz. These last few months have been… intense. And weird. I haven’t felt like myself since…”

 Sofian knew it was a bad topic to bring up, especially considering how he had gone missing for over a year and his friends had thought he was dead all that time.

Fitz’s smile vanished. “Sofian—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up like that. I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s fine,” Sofian interrupted, waving it off. It wasn’t fine, not really, but what was the point of digging into it now? He needed to bring it up even if it was a sensitive and petty thing, he needed Fitz to feel a sort of pity right now. Fitz wasn’t really his friend. Not anymore. None of them were. If they knew even half of what he’d done, of what he was becoming, they’d turn their backs on him in a heartbeat.

“Can you just try transmitting into my head? Like, telepathy. And… wait.” His eyes narrowed. “Can you read my mind?”

Fitz raised his eyebrows. “I—I can try? I mean, I know I can transmit to you, but I’m not sure I can read you.”

“You can transmit?”

“Yeah. I sort of… tried when you were unconscious. It was actually what woke you up.”

“Oh, right.” Sofian faintly recalled a voice when he was unconscious, but he had brushed it off as when Fitz was physically calling to him, not through telepathy. “Okay…try transmitting to me, then.”

Can you hear me? 

Sofian winced, Fitz’s voice loud and clear ringing in his mind. “Yeah, I can. But next time try not shouting?”

Fitz took a step back. “Sorry.”

Sighing, Sofian rubbed his temples. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what’s up with me lately.”

“It’s okay. If that’s all, I think I need to go back to Everglen. I just remembered my mom told me I had to help her with something.”

Sofian knew he was lying, but what point was there? 

“Alright.”

Chapter Text

Sofian needs a place to think, and he can’t do that anywhere else but the Forbidden Cities. Everything has been rushing back to him, unanswered questions, his revealed secrets, his un revealed secrets. Even the problems that he threw on everyone.

He had promised that if Amy was out safe, he would be better. 

But he physically couldn’t help himself—he avoided everyone, their questions, and their problems, focusing only on his own. Even Elwin’s confession—that he knew about Sofian’s identity—had been plaguing his mind, not to mention the vivid dreams that kept returning.

He quickly scribbled on a piece of paper, hesitant to leave Havenfield without telling Edaline and Grady why he would be gone for the next few days. He didn’t want them to think he was kidnapped again. At the end of the note, he wrote that he would be back before Amy’s training for the Elite Towers started.

Grabbing the old, tattered, beat-up clothes from the very back of the closet, Sofian quickly changed, taking off the binder and slipping on the shirt without anything underneath. His chest had hurt like hell for months after the kidnapping; he could go without the binder for a few days and avoid the constant pain. It wasn’t like his chest would make him a woman—not when it was covered in scars instead.

Just for a little change, he stole the eyeshadow and mascara from Amy’s room, applying some black eyeshadow under his eye to make it smokey. Kind of like how he saw Tanner, Lillian’s brother, do it so long ago. It made his eyes pop out a little, and it reminded him of that time Biana tried to add sparkles over his eyelids.

He took off his registry pendant and took out the pathfinder he had stolen from Grady’s room about two years back, the same pathfinder he had used to sneak into the Healing Center and steal a bottle of Lumenar . He turned the facets on the pathfinder and stepped into the beam of light that appeared in front of him, making sure it faded into nothing before he took in the view in front of him.

New York. 

A city he always wanted to visit. 

Not because of the attractions that tourists came here for, or the views, or the famous bridges. He came here to visit a graveyard, one that he was never allowed to come near. Veronica and Dahl and specifically made arrangements to bury her body in Brooklyn, just so Clyde, Sophie, and Amy couldn’t visit. 

Sofian didn’t know how he would find it, but he needed flowers first. He couldn’t show up to a grave empty-handed.

Even as he walked slowly to the gate of the graveyard with a bouquet of peonies and daffodils, he found himself hesitating. Before the crowd rushing in could pull him along, he stopped just outside, feet rooted to the ground, standing off to the side. The people inside seemed to be gathering around a single grave, and it wasn’t long before Sofian realized they were holding a funeral for someone already buried. Straining his neck to see the name carved into the stone, he squinted at the letters: Evelyn Foster .

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It didn’t take most of them long to leave, save for the last person lingering at the grave. A tall guy in a bucket hat, hoodie, and jeans. When he didn’t move for quite some time, Sofian walked over, unfazed by the stranger crouched beside the headstone. He didn’t know anyone who came to mourn Evelyn—the little girl killed at two. He assumed the visitors were distant family: grandfathers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, cousins.

He placed the bouquet beside the others, mostly roses and lilies. His own flowers—peonies and daffodils—looked out of place.

The stranger looked up, eyes hidden behind sunglasses and a mask. The side of his face was streaked with tears, though he quickly rose to his feet. Sofian instinctively stepped back.

“I have a knife, and I will use it if you try anything—”

The guy backs away, clearing his throat. “That’s not it, my apologies. I’m a cousin of hers. And I- thought you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead.”

This seems to break Sofian out of his daze, drawing him back to what happened three years ago. “My…sisters are dead, but I ran away. I wasn’t going to spend another minute in that house.”

He takes off his sunglasses, and the eyes hiding under the shadow casted by the bucket hat look familiar, and Sofian can’t find the memory where he once saw those eyes. Then the mask came off.

Clyde .

They stared at each other, both frozen in disbelief.

“Is that you, Sophie?” Clyde asked, his voice cracking.

There is not another hesitation in Sophie’s mind as she rushes to throw her arms around him, engulfing him in a body-crushing hug. He hugs her back with some uncertainty. 

After her cries wash away the lump in her throat, she manages to speak. “Where have you been ?”

He brushes Sophie’s cut hair away from her forehead, taking off his hat and gently placing it on her head. “I’m still trying to figure out whether or not this is a dream,” he whispers. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“Please. Please, just answer me Clyde, you owe me that. Where were you?”

“Here, in New York. I’ve been here.”

From his words, something in Sofian snaps. “What you’re telling me is that you left? ”

Clyde didn’t look hurt. He just looked... defeated.

“I thought you died. Where’s Amy?” When he says Amy’s name, there’s an unusual spite in his voice—a sharp, bitter edge laced with something close to hate.

“ I asked you a question. ”

Clyde hangs his sunglasses on the collar of his hoodie and stuffs the mask into his pocket. “Did you guys escape Dahl and Veronica?”

“Why are you avoiding my question?” Sofian’s voice rises louder, staring at the stranger with resentment.

“Of course you did, you were always meant to.” He caresses Sofian’s face. “I knew you would be able to do it. Tell me though, how are you?”

Sofian jerks away, pushing Clyde’s hand aside. He can’t take this—can’t take the pretending, the dodging, the half-truths. He needs answers. And if Clyde won’t give them, he’ll take them.

He doesn’t even have to dig deep.

Clyde’s thoughts are already surfacing—loud, frantic, unfiltered.

Everything he’s been hiding is already there, waiting.

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Clyde grabbed the vase from the cabinet, setting it gently on the floor before pulling out his painting supplies. From the kitchen, he could hear Veronica's laughter and the deeper, unfamiliar voice of a man. Dahl was out at a bar somewhere, and Veronica had just returned with another stranger on her arm. Trying to drown it all out, Clyde slid on his headphones and blasted The Taxpayers , the punk melodies helping to muffle the noise bleeding through the house’s thin walls. He settled down beside the vase, painting it carefully with peony patterns. Sophie’s birthday was coming up, and he didn’t have money for anything big—but he knew she’d appreciate the thought. Even if the flowers were just stolen from the neighbor’s garden, she’d smile.

But the headphones started glitching, buzzing in and out. After several seconds of static and frustration, he yanked them off to inspect the wire. A cloth suddenly covered his eyes, something sweet and sharp pressed against his nose. Panic surged through him. He kicked out, reaching behind him blindly and grabbing the person’s arms. With a burst of adrenaline, he flipped them over his shoulder, hearing a sharp grunt—soft, light, too light. A child.

Before he could process it, a hand yanked his hair, hard. He reached up to pry it loose, something tearing at his scalp, and then—release. Warm liquid trickled down the back of his neck. Blood.He threw a punch behind him. The hit missed, grazing air, but the sound of shattering glass told him his knuckles had made contact with the window instead. The skin on his knuckles started bleeding, coating his fingers with a warm feeling. 

“This is taking more energy than it’s worth,” someone muttered nearby.

Suddenly, stubby fingers wrapped around his hand—tiny but strong. Pain seared through his pinky. He couldn’t move it. Couldn’t feel it. In pure desperation, Clyde groped for the vase, fingers brushing the plastic rim, and hurled it with all the strength he had left.

The last thing he heard before he was drugged was the voice of his sister cursing at him. “Fucking hell, Clyde.”

Amy .

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“You’re so full of shit,” Sofian sneers. “Amy wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Clyde smiles, a gesture that shows how sad he is. “I forgot you could read my mind. You are the successful experiment, after all.”

Sofian should have walked away then, not talk to him anymore than he already had. But he couldn’t let go of the little respect he still had for his brother. “Please tell me you’ll come back. I don’t care if you’re lying about the situation with Amy or not, I just want to go back to being a family…”

He stares at Sofian in resignation, “I can’t, Soybean. I really can’t.”

“Why? Why not? What is so important here in New York that you can’t come back to your sisters?” he spits, letting each word sink. 

“I have a job-”

“That's it? That’s all it took for you to leave us? Money ?” Tears stream down Sofian’s face, blurring his vision, but his anger is burning bright in his head.

“It’s not so simple-”

“Tell me then! Explain to me what’s so important. I have all the time in the world.”

“I’m part of something big, Sophie.”

The tears dry from his eyes as he stares at his brother in confusion. “Am I supposed to know what that fucking is?”

“You only need to know of the Black Swan.”

Sofian pushes Clyde out of anger, forcing him to take a few steps back. “Can’t you explain anything? What is going on, Clyde ? ”

“You’ll meet them soon, Sophie.”

Just as Sofian opens his mouth to say something else, Clyde interrupts. “I have a better question, Sophie. Why are you playing as me?”

“I have no obligation to answer your questions when you won’t answer mine.” Sofian reaches his consciousness out to Clyde again, but this time, it’s blocked by a blinding light that gives him a burning sensation in his temple. 

When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself alone in the graveyard with nothing but the flowers decorating the grave of his long-gone younger sister. The sister whose death led to Veronica and Dahl’s maladaptive behavior. They sent Evelyn’s body to New York, going out every night after her death to the bar and drinking to the point they couldn’t remember anything from the night before the day after. They would throw their empty bottles at the remaining three children and force them to strip so they could please themselves. Pour boiling water down their shoulders, giving them second degree burns. 

“I possibly couldn’t have imagined something like that…” he whispers, waiting for something. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just something that would reassure him. 

The pain in Sofian’s chest burns deeper than the sensation in his temple. His legs feel too weak to stand, yet too restless to sit. The graveyard is quiet now—so quiet that even the flowers seem to grieve in silence. Evelyn’s grave stares back at him like a wound that never closed, never scabbed, never even tried to heal.

Chapter Text

Running.

Running for so long.

My hallucinations are getting too real.

It was easy to buy vodka with a fake ID, and maybe it was also his time in the Lost Cities that made him age a couple of years. Maybe it was his tired expression that made him look older than he actually was. Whatever it was, the cashier didn’t pass him a second glance before handing it over and letting him leave the store with the bottle in his hand.

Wandering drunk through the streets of New York was far from safe. Sofian was lucky he hadn’t been snatched off the sidewalk already. His vision spun as he looked up at the man helping him to his feet.

“Sir, do you need me to call an ambulance?” the man asked. He didn’t seem much older than Sofian, concern lining his face.

Sofian blinked hard, trying to steady the world in front of him. He offered a loose smile and corrected him. “I’m a woman, mister. Just a little drunk.” Sophie dragged her hand lazily up the guy’s chest, leaning into him. “Got a place I could crash?”

“I can help you get a motel room,” he offered gently.

The rest of their time blurred. Sophie barely registered the flickering neon sign outside the run-down building or her heavy steps up the stairs. The man paid for the room, and the clerk behind the desk—after a pointed exchange—confirmed she wasn’t being trafficked.

“Come on, Sophie, you’re better than that.”

“Am I, though?”

“You need to stop this disgusting thing of yours, I can’t have you sleeping around.”

“What would you know, Clyde.”

“Are you drunk? Goddammit, Sophie. Get up and put something on before I get back, I’m having you get tested.”

“Tested for what?”

“Just fucking get up, whore .”

Sophie had just enough clarity to shove her bag beneath the cabinet while the man was distracted, fumbling with the buttons of her shirt.

Everything after that blurred into static. When she woke, her head was pounding and her body ached. The sheets were tangled around her legs, and she was naked. She didn’t remember undressing. She didn’t remember anything.

Forcing herself to move, she pulled on her clothes with shaking hands, retrieved her bag, and crept out of the room. The man was still asleep.

She didn’t stop to breathe until she’d made it two blocks down. Then she tripped, catching herself before she hit the pavement, but the pain didn’t matter—only the rush of blood in her ears and the thunder of her heart.

this was stupid this was stupid so fucking stupid

It was different during it but now all she wanted to do was carve her body and morph it into something that was never touched. 

“It’s not true, right? Sophie?”

“Do you have that little faith in me, Lillian?”

“Why are you smiling, this is serious.”

“If it’s serious you wouldn’t be smiling over it, too. Besides, I didn’t sleep with him. I’m better than that. ”

Liar. Liar. Liar. A fucking liar .

The memory of Dahl’s hands faded when Sophie was with someone else. With them, she didn’t have to hear his voice or see his face—she could pretend he never existed. This time, she was in control. She could stop it if she wanted to.

I can stop if I want to.

That was the best part—she had power now. If she didn’t want to mess around, she didn’t have to.

Hotel.

She needed a hotel.

She spotted a group of teenage girls and asked for directions to the nearest library. Luckily, they didn’t ask questions. She stumbled down the blocks, eyes low, weaving away from anyone who got too close.

At last, she reached the library. She rushed to the computers but froze when the screen asked for a login card. With a groan of frustration, she turned and made her way to the front desk.

“I need a library card,” she told the woman behind the counter.

“Do you have an ID with you, sir?”

“Yes, I do.”

The woman blinked, startled. “Sorry—I thought you were a man,” she said with a polite smile.

“It’s okay. I get that a lot.” Sophie returned the smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

A few minutes later, she had the card in her hand. Sophie Foster. Seeing her name printed like that—it settled something inside her. Like maybe she hadn’t lost everything. Like maybe there was still a version of herself she could return to.

She was relieved the fake ID passed inspection. No questions, no police, no raised eyebrows.

At the computer station, her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She fumbled at first, hitting the wrong keys, stumbling over the layout. It had been a long time since she’d touched one.

When she finally got the computer to work, Sophie quickly booked a reservation at the nearest hotel, whispering a silent prayer to Amy—hoping elven money still passed for human. The card she’d crafted with only five lusters was worth more than most humans would earn in a lifetime of sweat and survival. And yet, the price for just four nights? Nearly four hundred dollars. Not even counting the extras. She winced. No matter how much she had, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel comfortable spending like this.

It was hard to forget Veronica rotting away in her room, letting her three children go four days without food—surviving off rainwater they’d collected in old buckets.

Sophie had just started typing in a search for news from the past two years when the screen blinked black. Her session had ended. The machine didn’t care that she had questions. It never did.

Annoyed, she grabbed her bag and stepped outside, waiting on a bus she wasn’t sure would come. She pulled out the beat-up phone Dex had managed to fix and powered it on.

The first thing that flashed across the screen was Lillian’s smile—wide and blinding, all teeth and no lips, aimed at the camera. At her. Mittens was curled on Lillian’s lap, and one of Sophie’s hands, streaked with dried paint, covered a corner of the frame. Her other hand was clasped in Lillian’s.

But the photo wasn’t what made her pause. It was the bracelets. In the memory, she could recall every detail—where they were, the summer heat, the time of day, even the smell of Lillian’s velvet shampoo—but not the matching bracelets. They didn’t exist in her memory. And that made it worse.

It wasn’t just forgetting a moment. It was forgetting something that had clearly mattered.

About five people stepped off the bus all at once—one woman carrying a child on her shoulders, chatting about her daughter’s new friend. A sharp wave of jealousy crashed into Sophie, pulling her deeper beneath the surface. Before the doors could shut, she rushed forward and slipped inside, taking the empty seat at the front. She tossed her bag into the spot beside her and hurried to change the wallpaper on her phone, fingers shaking.

A guy came over and waited until she glanced up before motioning toward her bag. Sophie rolled her eyes, grabbed it, and shoved it under her seat, tucking her legs around it to keep it out of sight.

But he didn’t walk away.

A few seconds later, he tapped her shoulder. Sophie turned, clearly annoyed. He didn’t speak—he signed something. Then opened his palm to offer her a hair clip.

Why is she looking at me like that? Am I doing something wrong?

His inner monologue threw her off. The fact that he had one at all meant he’d lost his hearing later in life, not at birth. Sophie flushed and took the accessory from his palm with clumsy fingers, embarrassed. She didn’t want to be rude to someone who appeared to be trying to help. 

She signed one of the only things she knew: Thank you.

His face lit up. He immediately started signing back, his hands moving fast. Too fast.

Sophie felt a stab of guilt before slipping into his mind—just enough to catch what he was saying. She hated using her ability like this, but it was the only way to keep up. When she replied, she stuck to the basics: simple letters, one by one. Actual signs were still too hard to memorize.

When he finally got off at his stop, Sophie watched him walk away from the bus, his figure getting smaller as he moved farther down the street. But when her gaze shifted to the other side of the block, her heart plummeted to her stomach.

There, standing together in a tight huddle, were Grady, Edaline, and Amy. They were talking to someone Sophie couldn’t see, their backs turned to the window. Her parents, along with Amy, seemed to be questioning this stranger.

Sophie dropped her head lower than the window’s line of sight, trying to keep herself hidden. Her heart pounded in her ears, a frantic rhythm that made her feel like she might suffocate. She waited, and only when the bus had moved far enough away from them did she dare peek out again.

But even then, she was cautious.

I thought pathfinders weren’t traceable.

The pathfinder tucked safely in her bag was the only thing that could have given her away. Unless… Sandor had planted something else.

After a few more stops, Sophie hurriedly stepped off the bus. She made her way to the hotel where she had reserved a room, taking a few wrong turns along the way.

The line at the front desk was unusually long, and Sophie nearly drifted off to sleep while waiting for it to move again. When she was finally handed the keycard to her reserved suite, she nearly cried with relief. Her feet, aching from the journey, finally found rest as she sank onto the hotel bed. Exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep almost immediately, her body demanding a break, pulling her into a deep slumber.

She awoke sometime later, with the digital clock flashing 5:00 PM. Forcing herself out of bed, she dragged herself to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and set up a bath. Dropping a bath bomb into the water, she watched it fizz, turning the water a soft, pink hue.

Just as she relaxed, a distant knock echoed through the room. She jumped, rushing to the door and peering through the peephole. No one was visible in the hallway. Hesitantly, she extended her telepathy, sweeping the area for any signs of life. She sensed people in the rooms nearby, but no one was standing by the door.

With a cautious breath, she slowly opened the door and stepped out, her eyes scanning the empty hallway. A small box was left on the welcome mat. Sophie picked it up, locking the door behind her, and carried it over to the bed.

Sitting down, she placed the box on the white sheets. The red velvet cover was soft under her fingers as she lifted it, revealing a luxurious dress inside, along with a small note. The handwriting was messy, almost childish, familiar in a way she couldn’t remember. She read aloud, her voice barely above a whisper:

Come to the private hosted masquerade ball in Manhattan.

Before Sophie could spring a colorful string of curses, the doorbell rang, followed by the soft sound of an envelope sliding under the door. Frustration boiled over as she pushed herself to her feet, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. She stormed over to retrieve the envelope, tearing it open. Inside, nestled among a few dried petals, was another letter, accompanied by an entrance ticket.

She unfolded the letter that read:

Dear Miss Foster,

If you choose not to meet me at the ball, I will have no choice but to reveal your location to your family. And, dear Sophie, rest assured, there will be no measure you can take to remain hidden for much longer. I’m sure you understand how much you crave the freedom to stay out of their reach—how much you desire the peace of mind that comes with being unseen. But know this: I can take that away with the mere drop of a word.

Be cautious, Miss Foster, for the next step you take will determine how I proceed. Understand, your actions will not go unnoticed.

Put on the dress tomorrow at 8:00 PM sharp. At that time, I will have someone waiting to escort you to the ball. Your mask, the final piece to complete your ensemble, will be given to you once my chauffeur has confirmed your identity.

I trust you will not disappoint me.

With best wishes,

Someone You Used to Know

Sophie’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure whether to feel more terrified or insulted. The familiar sting of being hunted, being trapped in a game, surged inside her chest.

I need to get back to the Lost Cities.

Chapter Text

The sun hadn’t even set when Sophie returned to the hotel room with her new bags of clothes. She went shopping for clothes and other accessories to take back with her to the Lost Cities. Even though they had the most gorgeous gowns known  to man, they didn’t support men wearing anything feminine. Sophie hoped that she would be able to sneak off some days to Atlantis and try out the new dresses and things she got at the store, wandering around for something pretty to buy.

She also bought a couple of things she could gift her family and friends when she returned, along with a cute cat outfit for Mitten. 

She bought Amy headphones and a laptop, she could ask Dex to fix her with the human wifi later.

She bought: Edaline molding clay, Grady a vintage typewriter, Sandor a bag of nerd clusters, and Dex a whole bag of CD’s along with a Disney keychain. She got Biana a sheer fabric she could design along with an antique belt, Keefe a huge frame where he could display his artwork plus  a hello kitty plushie, Fitz a detailed book of human history and another book about dinosaur traits, Stina a retro camera with a cute charm, Della with two cookbooks (one of cultural dishes and another of human sweets), and despite her better judgement, she bought Elwin a small collection of jellycats.

She tied as much of her hair as she could into a tiny ponytail and started to spread out all the things she bought. She decorated the many gift boxes she bought and wrote each of their names on the white label in as much of a fancy writing as possible. For the first time in months, Sofian felt at ease, even when he remembered that he was sort-of being stalked and followed. He wasn’t going to the ball the next day anyway, and would return back to the Lost Cities before it was time. 

A knock sounded at the door, and Sofian quickly went over to open the door. “I don’t need housekeeping at this moment-”

“Sofian?”

Sophie stared at the tall girl in front of her, confusion rising in her mind. 

“Sofian! It is you! Are you okay? How have you been? Is something wrong? Are you sick? Your voice sounded a little high-”

The girl went on and on fussing over Sophie, asking so many questions right after another Sophie didn’t even have enough time to process the question before she was already off to something else. It took Sophie less than two minutes to find out that Clyde had a girlfriend. And this girl, Evelyn , used to be his girlfriend. 

“I told people that you wouldn’t have run off with Amy illegally but no one believed me-”

“E-Evelyn, I really need to know what you’re doing here.” Sophie changed her voice, sounding deeper and more angrier than she’d intended. Eveelyn didn’t seem to care.

“I work as a housekeeper here, of course, you know that. I told you I was going to take up a job here after graduation?” Her face dropped. “Did you forget me?”

Sophie panicked, “No! No, of course not. I didn’t,” she sighed, dragging a hand over her face. “I’ve just been really worked up, do…you want to come in?”

Evelyn looked unsure. “I’m not really supposed to, I’m only here clean up and leave, and since you don’t need help-”

“Oh, okay-”

“But since you offered I could just say that I helped you clean up the mess you made on the floor over there,” she interrupted, pointing to the mess of crinkle and cut construction paper. Without another word, she stepped in, taking her cleaning cart with her. 

Sofian closed the door behind him as he went over to where Evelyn was staring at the gift boxes. 

“Who are these to? Oh! I see Amy’s box,” she noted, before picking up the box with Amy’s name on it. “It’s really pretty, how’s Amy doing?” She put it back down and then bent closer to observe the other names on the boxes. “Who are all these people?” She squinted. “I think I’ve heard the name Keefe somewhere-”

“They’re just the people who gave me money after I left,” Sofian offered.

Evelyn looked up at him then, a look of confusion crossing her features. “Why would you need money? Didn’t you take up acting the last two years?”

Sofian stared at her. Her thoughts told him exactly what he needed to know. Clyde was alive, the other day when he thought Clyde was a hallucination might’ve actually happened. And Clyde was playing large roles in several movies while Sofian was away. He earned money, huge money, and he was making a living. 

Sofian tried to readjust what he said earlier, forcing himself to fix his composure and worry about his brother later . “That was before I got any money from my acting jobs, when I was getting smaller roles and didn’t have enough money for a place to stay at the time.”

Evelyn nodded, looking reassured. “Well, you remember Haizen, right? He was the only other person besides me that defended you after you left, and we both missed you, Clyde- Sofian ? Sorry, I’m not so used to your new name, especially since you still go by your old name online. I was really upset when you didn’t contact us after you left, I mean I get why you did. I know that you couldn’t stand another day in that house and I guess it was harder for you after Sophie, but it would have been nice if you texted us from time to time.” Her voice turned to barely a whisper at the end. “Well anyways, if you want to keep contact, I could maybe give you my phone number?” 

“Sure-”

“But I don’t mean this in a romantic way!” she corrected. “I’d like to stay friends from now on, I started dating Haizen about a year after you left, we’re thinking about getting married when we’re older.” Her smile was nervous this time, as if she wasn’t sure how Clyde would react to the news.

Sofian gave her a smile of his own. “I’m happy for you two, Evelyn, I wouldn’t expect you to be waiting for me. Is Haizen with you in New York?”

“No, he’s in the UK right now. We’re doing a long distance relationship, it’s kinda hard and I really miss him but he’s a smart guy-” she tosses her hair behind her shoulder, “-and he’s studying at Oxford. He’s gonna become a lawyer.” 

“Tell him I said congratulations.”

Evelyn got up. “I have to go now, I think I need to help another guest.” Without any warning, she threw her arms around Sofian and hugged him tightly. 

Out of all the hugs he received, her embrace felt as though she genuinely never wanted to let go. He found himself hugging her back, and even though he didn’t know Evelyn, she cared for Clyde in a way that Sofian thought was impossible. How could someone still love a person after every bad thing that they threw their way?

Evelyn finally let go and Sofian could see her red, puffy eyes. He almost reached out to smooth out her hair but let his hand fall to his side at the last second. 

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Even before his body fully appeared in his room with all the things he bought, he was swarmed with people hugging him. Dex, Biana, Fitz, Stina and Sandor were already waiting for him in his room.

Sandor didn’t come close enough to hug Sofian, but his expression showed him that he was relieved to finally have Sofian back. The bags of things all flew out of Sofian’s hands and were left on the floor as his friends began pummeling him with questions.

“Were you kidnapped again?

“Was it something we did to make you run away?

“Are you okay?

“Do you need help with anything?

When they all calmed down, Sofian finally cleared his throat to speak. “I just needed some space, that’s all. I promise it wasn’t anything against you guys.” 

Stina started, “You worried me enough to be near these damned people, Sofian where were you? ”

Sofian picked up the bags. “I went shopping,” he choked the words. “I wanted to get you guys something but I figured you guys already had everything from Atlantis.”

At that moment, Amy appeared with Edaline, Grady. Keefe and Della bursted into the room a few moments later. Before another group hug could happen, Sofian loudly spoke up. “I know you guys are upset right now, and I don’t have much of an excuse. But I really needed to get away and this was the only easy thing I could think of, and I’m sorry I broke the Elvin rules, but I couldn’t help myself.” He held up the bags. “I bring gifts?”

That didn’t stop any of them from hugging Sofian, and Amy was the only one who stayed behind. After everyone backed away, and Sofian was sure no one else would throw their arms around him, he took out the boxes from the bags and handed them out. Sandor and Keefe seemed to be the most surprised to receive one. 

“What does this do?” Stina held up the camera, holding it upside down. Sofian showed her how to use it, taking a photo of her to show her how it worked. She smiled, taking another picture this time of Sofian. “Thank you, Ellie.”

“Ellie?”

“I used your middle name to make a nickname for you, your first name is impossible to make a nickname for.” She rolled her eyes. 

Biana had the belt around her waist, and although it didn’t match the dress she wore, she made anything look pretty. Dex was shuffling over the CD’s and Della was flipping through the pages of the cookbook. Keefe was changing the accessory on the Hello Kitty with another extra add-on, and Sandor was furiously eating the cluster of nerds. Grady was trying to read the instructions on the box of the typewriter and Edaline was doing the same with the molding clay. Amy just stared down at what she was holding. 

“Do you guys know where Elwin is?”

“He’s busy caring for a wounded animal right now, he said something about not being available for the next week or so. I think the animal is trying to run away and that’s why he has to make sure to keep an eye on it,” Grady answered. “Why?”

“I got him something, too.”

“I can send it to him for you?” Edaline offered. 

“Is that okay? Wait, why would Elwin be caring for an animal? Isn’t he a physician for elves?”

Grady cleared his throat. “It was a confidential request given directly by the Council, I don’t know more than that.”

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After everyone had already left, Amy knocked on Sofian’s room door. He didn’t even need to open the door to know it was his sister. 

Amy walked in, already having that apologetic face on. 

“Well, is it true?”

“Sophie-”

“Are you going to answer the question or not? Is. It. True.”

She looked resigned, as if she was tired of defending herself. “Yes. I didn’t want to admit it but yes, it’s true, Sophie.”

“So you lied.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, and Sofian already knew what she was going to say next. 

“Clyde was always the problem between us, Sophie.”

Chapter Text

“Clyde was always the problem between us, Sophie.”

Sophie couldn’t speak, there was a huge lump in her throat she couldn’t swallow down. Amy took this as an excuse to continue.

“You have to understand that I had to, you only ever looked up to him no matter how much he was hurting you. You always went back to him and forgave all the shit he did, and it was pathetic to watch, Sophie. He made you cry, and just because he apologized for it didn’t make him a better person.”

“He-was a child, just like us-” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

“So what?! He treated us both like we were a burden to him!”

it’s not true it’s not true it’s not true

“You saw him again, you saw him. And what did he do? Did he come with you? Did he help you in any way? Was he relieved to find out you were alive?”

The room seemed to close in around her, suffocating her to a tiny place in her mind she thought she had escaped from. There was no sense to the things that happened there, and the only thing that fueled her way to rationality was anger. If she was angry she could let out everything that she wanted to get rid of, force people to listen to her, and stop ignoring what she wanted to say. Amy was choking Sophie, pressing hard into her throat and digging deep into her neck. She couldn’t breathe as her face got closer and closer.

But Amy was still in front of the door, and the one who got closer was Sofian. 

He let go of Amy’s shoulders as he realized what he was doing, backing away, putting as much space between them as he could. 

Amy had tears in her eyes as her clothing was being pressed against the open wounds on her shoulders, the fabric staining a deep color of red. She looked up at Sofian with genuine fear, a hand snaking around her neck and pulling out a chunk of her flesh. The creature stared at Sofian with its glowing red eyes, flashing the smile Sofian wished would hide.

“Get out.” Sofian was talking to the monster hanging on to Amy, but maybe Amy couldn’t see the body behind her. She tripped over her feet as she tried to leave, dragging the shadowed figure with her, leaving Sofian in a room covered in a deep red.

The walls were covered with red spider lilies, each one drawn with blood. The floor was flooding everything with the same thing that Sofian couldn’t wash off his hands. When he looked over to the mirror, he saw Sophie.

Sophie staring at the blood in her hands.

Sophie who hadn’t cut her hair.

Sophie who had a broken shard of glass in her hand.

Sophie covered in the oozing substance that smells like metal.

Sophie who is still smiling at the gaping head wound the body at her feet has.

Maybe there was no point for Sophie to have lived after that.

Maybe it would’ve been better if her own life was thrown away.

Maybe the people around her would be happier.

Sofian’s feet dragged him to the window.

His fingers trembled as they opened the frame.

His feet were yet steady as he climbed out. 

He put one foot in front of the other.

And he let go.

He fell for a long time.

His eyes closed and his mind traveled back to his older brother.

His body slammed against something solid.

He was alive.

He didn’t hit the ground.

Chapter Text

Sofian woke up in a room lit only by a single crystal hanging over his head.

“You’re awake,” a deep, raspy voice called.

Sofian almost began to panic until he realized he knew who the voice belonged to.

A heavyset figure stepped into the light. “You kids and your internal screaming.” A few beats of silence passed before he cleared up the question in Sofian’s head. “Your mind is impenetrable, if I don’t count. However, you’re not the only one with an impenetrable mind as you’re wondering right now. I brought you here because your abilities are weak.”

“What do you mean?”

“You wouldn’t have noticed because you have been…quite busy lately.”

Sofian didn’t know much about him, but he decided to trust Amy and reminded himself that Mr. Forkle wasn’t dangerous to him.

A vivid image of a black swan popped up in his mind, along with Grady’s angry voice.

Sofian brought a hand up to his temple to massage the pain away, but all it did was give him another image of an alicorn, Silveny, flying over a vast ocean, and someone whispering behind her ear.

Mr. Forkle looked at him with a confused expression, probably reviewing the images that were in Sofian’s mind along with him. 

“This is a first…” he whispered to himself.

“What is?” Sofian asked, irritated. The images that were rapidly etching into his mind felt so real that he could've mistaken them for his own memories.

Mr. Forkle shook his head. “Nothing, I just thought-”

“Did the Black Swan murder Jolie?” Sofian was shocked by what he had asked, having no idea as to who the Black Swan is and what Jolie had to do with them. It had felt to him as if the question was formed by the thoughts made by someone else, not his own head.

Mr. Forkle fell silent, analyzing Sofian through his slightly squinted eyes. “How do you know about the Black Swan?” he demanded, his voice taking on a stern tone.

“I don’t?” Sofian hissed as another sharp pain hit his temples.

Mr. Forkle let out a long sigh before he answered the question. “No, Sophie.”

Sofian flinched at the sound of his name; no one had called him by his actual name besides Amy for years.

“Either way, Sophie, your mind is broken.”

“Broken how?”

“Damaged. It was a miscalculation on our part. I should’ve expected that something happened when you faded–especially since I did think it was strange that the Vacker could transmit to you after that. But I wrongly assumed he’d found the way through.”

“Wait.” He rubbed the temples of his still pounding head. “There’s a way through my blocking?”

I’ve been able to, haven’t I? he transmitted.

“I thought you were just special. Maybe the only one who could enter my head.”

“It’s a secret way that only I’m supposed to know,” he said out loud, “but he’s a talented boy and I thought that maybe he’d figured it out when your mind was weakened by the leap. But that was my mistake. If I’d checked, I would’ve realized there are two gaps in your barriers now. And the new gap has absolutely no defenses. It’s like a chink in your armor. A weak spot where things you should be able to block push through—some easier than others. Like Fitz’s transmissions. Or Bronte’s inflicting. Or the dark shards of the broken minds you were meant to heal.”

“Heal who?”

“You’ll find out later.”

Sofian waited in a few seconds of silence until he asked another question. “So, can you fix me?”

“In theory.”

“That’s not what you said earlier.”

“We can fix you, Sophie. But the only thing that will fix you is limbium.”

“Am I supposed to know what that is?”

“You’re allergic to limbium, Sophie,” he explained, sounding tired.

“I…didn’t know that.”

“Now you do.”

“So, how allergic am I?”

“What?”

“Will it kill me?”

“I’ll give you an antidote right after so you’ll be safe–”

“Alrighty,” Sofian agreed, nodding his head in sarcastic enthusiasm. 

Mr. Forkle took out a huge syringe from his pocket.

“Do you just carry that thing around in your pocket?”

Mr. Forkle walked closer toward Sofian, and he couldn't help but gag at the scent of smelly feet plastered to him. 

“Are you sure that you want to–”

“Yes, yes, I’m very sure. Please, let’s get this over with so that I won’t be able to smell whatever I’m smelling right now.” Sofian held out his arm, but Mr. Forkle pushed it back down. Instead, he held out a green vial and handed it to Sofian. 

“The syringe is the antidote, the liquid is the limbium.”

Sofian pulled back the crystal stopper and poured the salty, metallic liquid down his throat. The second the limbium hit his tongue, it started to swell, and Sofian barely managed to choke the liquid down before he started to gag. Breathing became impossible, and the more seconds ticked by, the more his lungs screamed for air.

The room dimmed and the sounds dropped to a hum—but his consciousness didn’t fade away. He felt every second as the liquid burned through him like he’d swallowed something hotter than fire. Like he’d swallowed the sun. His stomach heaved, and his limbs flailed, and he tried to think through the pain, count the moments passing, search for some sign that relief was on the way. But the agony was too all-consuming.

White light burst behind his eyelids, and for a second, he felt the pressure ease.

Was it all over?

He couldn’t tell—the relief was too fleeting. Cold and thick and empty, and he could feel himself sinking into it, following it somewhere much deeper and blacker than unconsciousness, and he knew with every fiber of his being that he’d never come back. He was shutting down. Slipping away. He almost wished for this to be the end.

Then something stabbed his hand, and the new pain dragged him free. His body thrashed, and his insides wanted to explode from the pressure as a soft gray mist swelled inside his mind. He latched on to it, using it to float above the shadows as his insides heaved again, and the pressure in his chest grew so unbearable he wanted to scream. But as he opened his mouth, a rush of air filled his body.

His first breath.

Followed by another.

And another.

His next breath of relief carried him to sleep.

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“I leave you out of my sight for a couple of minutes, and you go and almost die again,” Keefe said, his words like a hammer pounding on Sofian’s brain.

Sofian forced his eyes open–and immediately closed them as the light burned too bright. He tried to speak, but all he could do was cough and hack, which made him realize his body ached in about a million places.

“Hey, easy. I’m not joking about the almost-dying thing. Some wrinkly dude brought you here and said he’d almost lost you—twice—but he thinks you’re okay now. Well, other than a truckload of pain, which he said he can’t help you with because your mind needs to stay ‘unaffected’ by any medicines for at least twenty-four hours. Any of that sound familiar?”

“Bits and pieces,” she managed to rasp between coughs.

“You sound a bit different, Foster. Are you sure that the smelly dude didn’t take away your beautiful, deep voice?” He raised his eyebrow.

Sofian’s panic was almost immediate, and Keefe seemed to notice. 

“But I’m sure he didn’t! He didn’t seem like that kind of smelly dude!” he stammered, trying to make Sofian feel better. 

At least he didn’t think anything else.

Sofian almost laughed at him, and what he interpreted his panic as. It made him forget the pain in his head for a moment.

“So the dude lost me at he almost died . Pretty sure Grady’s going to kill me when I bring you home like this.”

“Keefe,” he rasped.

“You got your voice back!”

“Where are we and what are you doing here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes before taking in his surroundings. They were in a field of dandelions, surrounded by nothing but flowers for what looked like miles.

“I’m not fully sure, I saw an alicorn for the first time in my life and it kept chanting Keefe! Keefe! Keefe! And obviously, I couldn't just ignore one of my fans, so I went over to it and then suddenly I may have perhaps accidentally tripped and landed on its back. But after that, the alicorn was flying, and then we somehow teleported here, and then it dropped me off and disappeared again. Good news! Someone brought you to me! Bad news! I didn’t bring my home crystal or anything that could help us get back. Good news! I still have my Registry Pendant on! So we’ll be found…hopefully soon?”

Sofian stared at him dumbfoundedly. “Am I supposed to believe the story about the alicorn, Keefe?”

He put his hands up to feign innocence. “Listen, I know it’s hard to believe, but that’s truly what happened!”

Sofian almost reached his consciousness to Keefe’s mind, but thought better of it. Keefe felt like a friend to him, and it didn’t feel so great to look through his mind when he was trying so hard not to displease the Universe in return for saving his sister. “You’re leaving something out.”

Keefe’s eyes widened. 

“You looked like you would be a great liar, and maybe you are, but I’m just the one who’s great at telling when someone’s lying.”

Keefe rubbed the back of his neck before he said anything. “You’re one tough person to lie to, Foster.” He coughed into his hand and looked uneasy as he continued. “The alicorn was also chanting Sophie, over and over again. I didn’t want to bring it up in case…”

“My sister is dead, Keefe. She’s been dead. I won’t break down if someone mentions her.”

Keefe offered a sympathetic smile.

“I actually appreciate it when people talk about her; it helps me remember the times that we were happy.” 

Clyde popped up in her mind at that time, holding three bouquets, offering them to Sophie, Amy, and their mother. His young smile was the brightest that Sofian had ever remembered in his memories. 

A sharp pain shot up his arm from his hand, and he looked down to focus on the huge bruise that he acquired from the needle. 

“Aside from the bruise, your skin is weirdly green.”

“I’m fine. They had to give me limbium to fix me, and then a shot of some medicine to stop the allergy.”

“Sounds . . . fun.”

“You can join me next time.”

“Ahah! You’re so funny, Foster! Why would you need medicine for limbium, though?”

“I’m allergic.”

Keefe nodded along. “I see.”

“Did Mr. Forkle give you any other instructions when he brought me here?”

“He gave me a tiny, sealed scroll—said it was for Grady or Elwin. Who was that guy, by the way?”

 “The guy who posed as my old next-door neighbor to keep tabs on me around humans. And Amy had said that he’s the guy who made me.” 

“Made you? So, like . . . he’s your father?” 

“I hope not? He’s wrinkly and smells like feet.”

“Right. So are we just supposed to sleep here?”

Sofian felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and Keefe also put a hand on his stomach. 

“Foster, I don’t know if it’s you or me, but one of us hasn't eaten in days.”

“Probably me. Wait–you can feel pain?”

“It’s fine.” He stopped Sofian from scooting away. “I only feel a tiny glimmer. Nothing on what you’re feeling, which must be unbearable. Seriously, how are you dealing with that?”

“So you feel the same pain in your hand right now?”

“A little bit? It's not much to worry about, though. I don’t feel the full extent of what you’re feeling so-”

Sofian smacked his shoulder. “There’s your personal pain, now stop feeling mine.”

Keefe rubbed his shoulder, and before he could say anything, there was a loud banging sound from above, and both of them looked up to see a shimmering pale horse with outstretched wings. This alicorn looked exactly like the one that Sofian had searched for with Amy.

Chapter Text

The alicorn had wavy silver hair that trailed up its neck and parted around a horn of swirled white and silver that jutted from its forehead like a unicorn. Silveny gently placed her hooves on the field, slowly jutting toward Sofian and Keefe. Stopping two feet away, she transmitted a long line of chants.

Sophie! Sophie! Found! Safe! Keefe! Friend! Keefe! Friend!

I’m not Sophie, he transmitted back. He wasn’t entirely sure if Keefe was able to hear the chants that the alicorn was making, since he wasn’t sure if she was transmitting to Sofian only or both of them.

Yes! Sophie! Silveny friend!

“She must know your sister, do you guys look alike?” Keefe asked, stepping closer to Silveny and brushing her mane with his fingers. 

“We’re identical,” he whispered, his eyes transfixed on the creature. How could an alicorn know who he truly is?

“Not that identical, right? You guys would look different as a boy and girl, wouldn’t you?” Keefe said it with no hidden meaning, yet it felt as though Sofian’s heart was about to burst in guilt. “Whoa, Foster, I’m sorry if it was rude, I was just joking! You don’t look like a girl, well, not  too much–”

“I look like a girl?” Sophie asked, her voice still hidden behind her brother’s words.

Keefe must’ve sensed how his comment made her feel somewhat hopeful, which is why he kept up the charade after. “Sort of, if you had longer hair, I wouldn’t have ever guessed you would have been a boy.”

Sophie didn’t smile, but her heart felt a thousand times lighter. All this time, she thought her own identity was going to burn away pretending to be her brother for all this time. She thought that she would soon even start to forget who she used to be, forever stuck as her brother.

“Are you happy because you can use looking like a girl as an excuse to flirt with me, Foster? Sorry to say, but I’m already heavily in love with my girl, Gulon, and I won’t be dating anyone for the time being.” He winked at Sofian, who scoffed at his suggestion.

“Who’s Gulon?”

“Why, are you jealous?”

“Since Silveny brought you here, she can take us back, right?”

“Silveny’s her name? She looks more like a Keeferina to me.” He patted her head, then, grabbing onto her mane, he jumped on her back and gestured to Sofian. “Get on, we need to get home sooner before everyone thinks you’ve been kidnapped again.”

Sofian held on to Keefe’s shoulders, and before he could transmit to Silveny to take them home, loud clangs shattered the silent field, and some sort of strange, black net was thrown over and covering them. Silveny reared back, but gleaming metal orbs on the edges of the net weighed it down, pinning them to the ground as five black-cloaked figures repelled from above, surrounding them. 

The memory of them appearing in Sofian’s dreams, haunting him with what they had done when they were burning his flesh for a year, was his only thought as the black-cloacked figures grabbed the net, pulling it tighter around them. His breaths shortened, and his eyes blurred from the panic. Keefe shouted something he didn’t hear as he closed his eyes, waiting to feel the fear swell inside his head so that he could get himself out of this situation. He hadn’t had the power to do anything against them then, and he didn’t want to go through it again. He didn’t want to be tortured and kept away for years. 

Sofian was terrified .

All Sofian cared about was what they might do to him if they got a hold of him this time.

But his fear didn’t help him this time, as his infliction didn’t project anything that could help him. 

Sofian held onto Keefe with his life, burying his head into his back so that he wouldn’t be able to see what was happening. He thought of Clyde and desperately wished he was there to save them from what was happening. Like a kid begging for their parents, Sophie begged for Clyde. 

Keefe’s voice was louder and clearer as Sofian opened his eyes to someplace entirely different. They were in a dark, lonely forest with a pond reflecting the bright moon. Sofian’s hold on Keefe loosened as he recognized the man with shadows hiding his face. 

Sophie could recognize her brother even if he didn’t have a face, even if he had entirely different memories. 

“Sofian, I can’t tell if that man is dangerous, and Silveny is scared, we need to run-”

Sophie’s eyes were fixed on her brother, and she only started to breathe again once she saw his hand outstretched toward them. He flicked his hand, and with just that motion, Sophie’s entire view changed. She was no longer across the pond from her brother, but rather she fell onto the hard ground with clear skies above. 

She sat there on the ground until she remembered Keefe and quickly sat up, frantically looking around for him and Silveny. They were only a few feet away from him, Keefe also staring into the blue sky. Silveny was trying to fly, but one of her wings was bent the opposite way. 

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“I  think I'm maxed out on adventure for a while,” Keefe said as Elwin flashed a red orb around his chest. Thick scratches covered his arms, and his chin had a gash almost as deep as the one over his eyebrow. “Now I know why you need a physician on standby, Foster.”

Sofian wanted to feel guilty, but he knew that if he did, Keefe would sense his emotions and try to comfort him instead. Which is not what he needed at the moment. 

Grady and Edaline had rushed outside the second they’d heard Silveny’s agonized screeching. They’d helped Keefe and Sofian pull themselves away from the thrashing, wounded horse, and they’d hailed Elwin and sedated Silveny before she could hurt herself further. But Sofian and Keefe had both insisted on being treated outside, in case Silveny woke up.

Sofian winced as he tried to shift to a more comfortable position on the grassy ground. The instructions Mr. Forkle had sent explicitly forbade elixirs, serums, or sedatives of any kind. And it had taken a lot of convincing to get Edaline, Grady, and Elwin to understand his situation. They didn’t understand most of what he said, but for some reason, they had decided to trust him, making him promise he would explain what happened once he recovered.

All Elwin had been able to do was clean his wounds—which Elwin was not happy about.

“I should’ve been there with you,” Sandor grumbled, slashing his sword at the air like he was slaying imaginary attackers.

Grady nodded as he paced back and forth across the pasture, wearing a groove in the soft ground. He’d let Sofian answer his questions later, but that didn’t stop him from wondering too much, Sofian guessed.

Sofian didn’t know if he’d teleported—or how he’d done it if he had— but he didn’t want anyone to know either way. He didn’t want another reason to be closely watched. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Grady said, crouching and wrapping his arms around him. The hug was gentle, but tight, too—like he never wanted to let go.

Sofian almost cried right then, but once he remembered how Dahl used to be, his body went stiff.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Sofian told him instead. 

“Thank you for coming back.”

He heard Edaline sniffle and glanced over to where she was busy tending to Silveny. When their eyes met, Edaline whispered, “I love you.” 

Sofian couldn’t bring himself to say it back.

“I haven’t been able to reach your parents,” Grady told Keefe. “I tried hailing your father, but he hasn’t responded yet.”

“Yeah, and it’s not like you’d expect him to notice I was gone the entire night or anything.”

“We can share Grady, his worrying is too much for one person, half the wrinkles on his face are because of you at this point,” Sofian said, trying to change the subject.

“My face is not wrinkling,” Grady argued.

This brought a small smile to Keefe’s lips. 

“I asked them about Jolie,” Sofian admitted.

Grady’s back went rigid. “You what?”

“I think the guy who healed me was the Black Swan, and he let me ask one question. The question I asked was about Jolie, and he said that they didn’t have anything to do with her death.”

Grady wobbled and leaned back to bury his face in his hands. When he looked up, tears had pooled in his eyes, and his arms were shaking. “So it wasn’t my fault?” he whispered. “Did he know anything about the fire?” Grady asked, drying his eyes on his sleeve.

Sofian had no idea what fire he was talking about; he wasn’t even sure why he told Grady this, even when he had no clue about the specifics. 

Grady came to this realization once Sofian didn’t answer. “Sofian, how did you even know I was blaming the Black Swan all this time, did you-”

“No! I didn’t, I swear . I know I do that a lot, but I haven’t tried to go through your mind, and I know you might not believe me, but I really didn’t, and I’ve been trying to get rid of this habit, and I know–”

Edaline sniffled, “Sofian, you already said that you didn’t. It’s okay, we believe you. How did you know, then?”

Sofian tried to come up with an excuse; it wasn’t as if he could just say that it was his mind spiraling out of sanity. “The Black Swan guy, he mentioned a fire, and he also said that they weren’t on good terms with Grady, and I suddenly thought of Jolie. My friend had told me about her when I first started living with you guys, and I had a weird thought. It was pure coincidence, I didn’t fully understand it, but I wanted to make sure for you, so that I could get you to understand why I need and trust the Black Swan.”

Grady heaved a heavy sigh, then he strangled him with another hug. “Thank you for asking, Sofian. I’m sure there were lots of other things you wanted to know.”

They believed that? 

“Explain to me more about these attackers,” Sandor interrupted. “I would like to better understand my enemy.”

Sofian went still as he tried to recall the moment. All he remembered was feeling scared and not doing anything to save them from the situation. 

Edaline interrupted, saving Sofian from having to answer. “We promised to let him answer once he’s recovered, he needs rest right now.”

“They had a patch on their sleeve,” Keefe added as Elwin flashed more light around his face. “A white circle with an eye in the center, like it was staring at you. Totally creepy.”

“Can you draw it?”

Keefe nodded. “I got a good look as I was aiming those star-blade things. And I sliced one of their shoulders pretty deep. Maybe it’ll leave a scar we can recognize.”

“Where did you get ninja stars from?” Had Sofian missed out this much because of fear?

“Ninja stars? Is that what they’re called? I carry them around with me all the time. They weren’t real blades, but I threw enough core energy in my throws to cut them even with the fake metal. I’m a real hero, Foster.”

Sofian rolled his eyes.

“How did you guys escape?” Edaline asked, picking up the cloak that had flown off of Sofian when he fell to the ground. 

“It’s kinda strange, but we were teleported to a dark forest, I think Silveny made us go there. She knows how to teleport, she’s shown me her magical skills already, trust me, and there was a strange man there-”

Keefe’s voice drowned under the hundreds of voices that now filled Sofian’s head. He could picture Clyde’s face at that moment, even if she hadn’t seen his face. He was angry and annoyed. He had no reason to go back to being a brother when he had a life of riches and freedom from Sophie and Amy being a burden to him. She was happy for him, she thought; he deserved to have fun after spending all those years taking care of her. She wasn’t an easy thing to handle, but he’d always been there for her. But a selfish part of her wished that he had returned as her brother the moment he saw her in that graveyard. A part of her was angry at her brother for leaving her and Amy when he had once promised that the day he was no longer there for them would be the day he died. 

Chapter Text

“They seemed to want Silveny, I think Sofian and I were just involved by accident,” Keefe explained. 

Grady turned pale as he processed that. “We’d better warn the guards to be on high alert.” 

Sandor nodded.

“I don’t understand why they’d want her,” Sofian admitted.

“Power.” Grady went back to wearing a groove in the soil with his pacing. “Silveny is the only one who can reset the timeline. Whoever controls her has the Council at their mercy—to some extent. Which means I’d better alert them immediately.” Grady looked back toward Sofian. “I know I promised to ask questions later, but do you think you can still answer a few?”

Sofian nodded.

“How did you guys find an alicorn?”

“We didn’t find her; she found us. She came to get Keefe at his house, and then she brought him to me, where the Black Swan left me. They probably had something to do with her teleporting to help me, how else would she know I was there?”

Grady looked down at the ground before he pulled out his imparter and moved far enough away that they couldn’t listen to what he said. Which was just as well. Sofian didn’t want to be held in a tribunal again. 

“Is she going to be okay?” Sofian asked as Edaline rubbed a thick black balm into the part of Silveny’s wing where bits of bone poked through the skin.

“It’s hard to tell. She’ll definitely live. But . . . she may never fly again. This is a pretty bad break.”

Sofian looked away as Edaline set the bone.

“Speaking of breaks,” Elwin interrupted, “congratulations, Keefe, you’ve cracked four of your ribs.(neil josten core) First time I’ve ever seen that around here.”

Keefe gave a weak smile. “I’m sure I’ll be proud in a few days—but for now, the whole stabbing pain in my chest is killing the triumph.”

Elwin handed him four tiny vials in all different colors. “Drink those and you’ll be back to causing trouble in a few hours.”

“Wow—really?” Keefe poured them all into his mouth at once. “That’s almost too easy.” He glanced guiltily at Sofian. “You really can’t take any?”

“You broke your ribs, all I have are a few scratches here and there. I probably don’t need all that,” Sofian lied. The pain in his ankle might as well scream that he broke his bone.

“I still can’t believe you willingly took limbium. And not just a drop. An ounce. Sometimes I think you really do have a death wish, Sofian. And this”—he lifted Sofian's hand and pressed gently on the needle’s bruise—“is downright barbaric. I don’t know what this guy gave you, but he should be ashamed of himself.” 

“It was the only way to fix me,” Sofian admitted.

“You weren’t broken, Sofian,” Grady interrupted, rejoining them.

Sofian looked over at Elwin. “Can you flash the light around my face like you did last time, when it went wrong?”

“When did it go wrong?” he asked, a confused expression taking over his face.

Now it was Sofian’s turn to be confused, because he definitely remembered feeling pain that time that Elwin had flashed the light next to his eyes. 

Am I confusing my reality with the images that went through my mind when I was with Mr. Forkle?

“Sorry, it might’ve just been a dream.”

“Something must be really wrong with you if you’ve started to confuse reality with your dreams,” a sharp voice barked behind Sofian.

Bronte stood at the front of the other Councillors, his arms folded across his chest and a cold glint in his gray eyes. “You all may be exiled.”

“Why would we be exiled?” Sofian demanded, ignoring the pain as he stood to face the Councillors.

Bronte pointed to Sliveny’s prone form. “Look what you’ve done to the alicorn—do I need to remind you how important she is?”

“You already knew about Silveny?” 

“What we also know is that you harmed the precious creature,” he retorted.

“The cloaked guys did that—not us!” Keefe shouted.

“Yes, and the only reason they had the chance is because you took the alicorn away from the safety of her pen and the protections we’d put in place, and brought her somewhere incredibly dangerous,” Bronte snapped back. “Do you have any idea what chaos it will cause if we have to inform the populace that the rebels struck again, this time injuring the only creature who can reset the timeline?”

“So don’t tell them,” Keefe suggested, earning himself an icy glare from Bronte. “She escaped by herself, I didn’t take her from anywhere!” he snapped.

“We have already promised them promising news that has not been heard in centuries. How do you suppose we do that, Mr. Sencen.”

Sofian glanced at Silveny. An ugly red stain had seeped through the bandage on Silveny’s broken wing, and he felt a surge of anger overtake him.

Grady ran a hand through his hair. “If anyone should be held responsible, it’s me. I gave Sofian permission to go to the Black Swan;I also knew about Silveny because I was previously informed by one of their members.”

Why is he lying? Or is he really telling the truth?

“It’s not like I did it for fun, my brain is messed up, and they helped me.” Sofian held out his bruised hand. “Unless this is your definition of fun?”

“No,” Councillor Emery agreed, looking away from the wound. He turned to Silveny’s unconscious form. “But you must understand how serious this situation is.”

Kenric stepped forward. “I think perhaps we’re focusing on the wrong concern. Sofian, do you remember how you were taken to the Black Swan?”

The last thing he remembered was trying to fall through a window, which is not something he should openly admit. “I was sleeping, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was already at their place.”

Grady cleared his throat. “I’m sure the Black Swan didn’t want anyone finding out where their hideout was. How did they find you, by the way? Do you think they followed you?”

“How?” Sofian asked. “Silveny teleported us.”

Councillor Emery rubbed his temples, and Sophie could only imagine the headache of arguments that must be raging in his mind as the other Councillors debated with each other.

“I think perhaps it is too early to make any decisions,” he finally announced, holding up his hands. “To decide if punishment is necessary before we know the full extent of the alicorn’s injuries would be foolish. My recommendation is that we reconvene tomorrow, after Mister Foster has been treated and Silveny is awake.”

The other Councillors murmured their agreement.

Bronte rolled his eyes. “What time can Mister Foster finally take her medicines?”

Elwin stepped forward. “Not until after sundown tomorrow.”

“Then we’ll be back at sunset.” Bronte raised his pathfinder and glittered away.

“You need to get some sleep. You have to be well rested for tomorrow’s celebration of epic proportions. And I guess I should probably go home too.” Keefe fixed the cuffs of his tunic.

“Will you be okay?”

 “Yeah, I’ll live.” He dusted himself off as he stood. “Try not to die while I’m gone, okay? And no ‘almost deaths’ either.” 

He winked as he held his home crystal to the predawn sunlight and slowly glittered away.

“I’d better help the gnomes get Silveny somewhere safe, and you need to rally the other goblins, Sandor.” Grady glanced at Sofian. “Think you’ll be able to get some sleep, even with the pain?” 

“I’ll be fine,” he promised.

Grady sighed and turned to leave.

“Come on, Sofian,” Edaline said, gently draping an arm across his shoulder. “Let’s get you cleaned up as much as we can, and then you need to rest. You have a big day ahead of you.”

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Sofian joined the councillors waiting outside Havenfield, a hushed discussion coming to a halt once they saw him approaching. 

“We have decided to negotiate whether we should hold a tribunal regarding your exile,” Bronte announced as Sofian stopped in front of them. 

Sofian had to bite back his string of curses. “You can’t be serious, Bronte .” It was better to use his name in this situation than the name that Sofian gave him.

“Oh, but I am. Treason is a very serious matter.” 

“Treason?” he repeated.

“Bronte, we are not going to exile this family when we haven’t even made sure if they set free the alicorn or not,” Councillor Emery said firmly.

“Don’t you remember that Grady admitted to granting permission for this treasonous act—and before you go arguing that he was trying to help ‘fix’ his son, need I remind you that when he was reinstated as an Emissary, he swore an oath to put the good of our world above his own life? It’s the same oath we’ve all sworn and all made tremendous sacrifices to uphold. Are we going to allow Grady to subvert it with no consequences, especially given that his actions led to the likely crippling of the most important creature in our world?”

“Hey—it’s just a broken wing,” Keefe argued as he ran over, backing up when Bronte reeled on him.

“Just a broken wing? That wing is the primary method of transportation for this creature—not to mention there will surely be psychological effects as well. Animals lose their instinct to breed—even, at times, their will to live—when they suffer so serious an injury. And I doubt I need to remind any of you how vital it is that this creature thrive.”

“Her name’s Silveny, and if you want to blame someone, track down our attackers,” Sofian snapped. “They’re the ones who hurt her.”

“Oh, we intend to,” Bronte told her. “But Grady still allowed her to be in harm’s way.”

Edaline reached for Grady’s hand as several of the Councillors murmured among themselves.

“Even if we do concede to your point—which has not been decided,” Councillor Emery said after a second, “I hardly feel such an offense merits exile. Especially considering the alicorn may very well recover.”

“ ‘May very well’ and ‘will’ are not the same. And the timing must also be considered.” Bronte had the gall to smile as he folded his hands and said, “Grady gave his word that he would have the alicorn ready to present to the Sanctuary during the Celestial Festival amid great fanfare and spectacle. In light of that promise, we announced a tremendous celebration. What message will it send now when we not only cannot deliver—but present them with a wounded alicorn who could very easily never recover?”

So Grady did know about the alicorn? Did Amy lead him to it when I couldn’t get a hold of her myself?

No one seemed to have an answer, and each second of silence felt heavier as it passed.

“Silveny might still be able to fly,” Sofian mumbled, knowing even as he said it that the chances were slim. How many weeks away was the Celestial Festival anyway?

“Might, Mister Foster? You expect us to hang our hopes on might?”

“He’s right,” Councillor Emery said—though he didn’t look happy about it. “We’ll need to cover with an alternate spectacle, and find a way to make it clear to the people that the change is not a sign of our incompetence.”

“In four days.”

Four days?!

“And the best way to do that is to be able to inform them that the person responsible is being punished to the fullest extent of our laws. It’ll send a message to the attackers, too, hopefully deterring any further attempt.”

Kenric stepped forward when no one else did. “I will not concede to a Tribunal, Bronte. No matter how you try to twist it, there’s nothing about what happened that would merit us locking Grady away in Exile like a murderer.” He turned to the other Councillors. “That’s not justice. That makes us just as cruel and reckless as the rebels we’re trying to prevent. And if that’s the kind of action we would consider to try and prove our worthiness, then we deserve every bit of criticism we’re getting.”

A stunned silence followed, until Oralie moved beside him. “I agree.” 

“As do I,” Councillor Emery said before closing his eyes. “And it appears all the others agree as well.”

Bronte’s frown looked more like a snarl. “So we’re just going to let him go unpunished? That’s the precedent we’re going to set?”

Councillor Terik sighed. “Perhaps we can come up with an alternative punishment.”

That sparked an enormous debate, where the Councillors suggested everything from a public scolding, to relocating Grady to a permanent position at the Sanctuary, and everything in between.

“Shouldn’t I be the one punished, because I’m the one who Silveny was trying to help and ended up injured?” Sofian interjected, trying to distract them from punishing Grady. Even with the memory of Dahl’s old self, Sofian wanted to at least give him a chance. He trusted Amy, and Amy had trusted Grady. Was there hope for Grady to not change?

“Don’t think we haven’t considered that alternative, Mister Foster,” Bronte snapped.

He glanced at Grady, reminding himself why he was doing this as he said, “I can make sure that Silveny still makes a dramatic appearance during the festival.”

“How?” Bronte demanded. “Light leaping doesn’t count, and last I checked, flight was a key element to her teleporting.” 

Then how did we teleport to the dark forest last time? Sofian wondered. Maybe they aren’t aware of her teleportation extents?

“I can give you guys a far bigger ‘spectacle’ than you ever imagined,” he said. “And if I do, everything will be exactly the way we promised it would be, so no punishment would be needed.”

“And what is this alleged spectacle?” Bronte demanded.

“It’s . . . a surprise,” Sofian stalled, not ready to reveal Silveny’s abilities. 

Bronte snorted. “You expect us to just blindly trust you to surprise us with some phenomenal thing—” 

“Yes. I do. And if you don’t believe me, test me. Make me do something that an ordinary elf wouldn’t be able to do. I can show you that I am capable.” Sofian had been told that his abilities were far more impressive than what could’ve been physically possible for elves, and if Amy had been right, which she usually was, then Sofian would be able to prove himself no matter what the taskwas. 

Several of the Councillors murmured in agreement. Bronte rolled his eyes.

Sofian turned to Councillor Emery. “But I’d need your word that there will be no more discussion of punishment—for any of us. Grady. Edaline. Keefe. Sandor. Me. We’re all safe if I prove myself trustworthy.”

“Even if you somehow do manage to complete the task we prepare, why do we need your spectacle?” Bronte snapped. “We’re perfectly capable of making one on our own.”

“Maybe. But mine will deliver on the promises you made and save you from looking bad, which I thought was the whole point.”

“It is,” Kenric agreed. “I say, deal.”

“Deal,” Councillor Terik agreed, along with several others.

Bronte’s scowl was so deep it looked like his face had sunken in. But he knew he was trapped. “Fine, I’ll agree to this deal—for now. But if anything goes wrong . . .”

“It won’t.” Sofian sounded way more confident than he was. If anything went wrong, he could easily live as someone else, right?

Chapter Text

However many years ago…

Tanner slammed the bag of chips down on the table. His jaw was tight as he stalked around the room, scooping up the half-empty bottles of alcohol scattered near Lillian and Sophie. He didn’t care if they were drained or unopened—he hurled them all into the trash and ignored Lillian, who was trying to deny what happened.

“I didn’t drink!” Lillian slurred.

“I didn’t either, my dearest brother,” Sophie teased, a lazy grin tugging at her lips. Tanner had always been more present than Clyde ever was, more of a brother in the moments that actually mattered.

Tanner spun around, glaring at both of them. “If both of you don’t wash up and go to sleep, I will throw each of you out of this house.”

“This is my house, Bangs Boy,” Sophie mumbled, her words slurred as her eyelids drooped shut. She heard the chair legs scrape against the floor as someone stood, then Lillian’s muffled grumbles echoing up the stairs. A moment later, heavier footsteps came back down. Someone lifted Sophie onto their back. She was too far gone to protest, too sleepy to care, though she vaguely noticed the way they stumbled halfway up the steps. She didn’t realize it was Tanner until the next morning, when she woke up with her head pounding.

Clyde was home that day, taking a day off the work that usually kept him busy. He rarely had days off, so Sophie felt weird seeing him on the couch instead of getting another call that he wouldn't be home. Sophie pulled out a bag of chips from the bag Tanner had thrown on the table the other day and handed it over to Clyde, who looked like he was about to fall asleep.

“Where’d you get this? I thought you already used up the money I gave you on alcohol,” Clyde drawled, his tone sharp yet dragged down by fatigue. Still, he tore the bag open without another word, and Sophie figured he was too tired to waste the effort on yelling at her this time.

Clyde always thought himself to be pure—never drinking, never smoking, never doing anything that might drag him down. 

“Have you showered yet? I can take you and Amy to the museum near here,” Clyde suggested.

“The one with free admission? Amy and I have gone there a hundred times already. There’s nothing to look at.”

“Oh.” 

“Your coach called,” Sophie muttered. “Said you’d be off the team if you missed four more days without a ‘notable reason.’”

Clyde dragged his fingers through his hair, exhaling sharply through his teeth. “I get the most money from my tournaments, but they’re too far apart to make a real salary. Should I just quit?”

“That’s your business, not mine.” Sophie rolled over on the couch, pulling a pillow over her head, shutting him out. She wanted the weekend to pass in silence. She was only fourteen, already in eleventh grade, and school was the only thing that she had to work for. Clyde was seventeen, repeating twelfth grade for the third time. Brilliant but absent, always falling short. He swore every year this one would be different—that he’d finally get enough tournaments in, finally get that scholarship, finally land an internship in software engineering. His dreams always sounded so certain, but he was part of a family that wouldn’t let him hope for too long.

“Is Amy still sleeping?” Clyde asked after a pause.

“She’s on an overnight school trip. She’ll be back before the evening.”

Sophie felt Clyde sit up. “Why did you send her on an overnight trip? It’s dangerous for her to be around kids six years older than her.”

Amy was a prodigy, too. A family of kids who were all too smart, growing up too fast, legally owned by parents who could never even remember how many days were in a year.

“If you’re so worried, maybe you should look after her. You’re the one who left her with me, expecting me to do everything for her. I don’t want to babysit that kid. I want to do something else.” Sophie spat.

“Do you really think I want to work my whole life?” Clyde snapped back. “I’m doing this so we can have enough money to survive, Sophie—”

“Am I supposed to be thankful? No one asked you to do that. You work because you want to feel like you’re a savior. Like you’re the hero who takes care of two kids who apparently can’t even feed themselves. You’re a joke, not my hero.”

Chapter Text

Sofian readjusted the satin sash he’d worn around his neck and wondered if he should change. He felt weird going to a cemetery wearing something other than black, but Edaline had told him that the tradition was to wear green–the color of life.

“You look great,” Grady said as he peeked his head around the door to his bedroom. His presence startled the shit out of Sofian.

He offered a nervous smile. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” It didn’t matter if Amy had deemed him to be harmless, Dahl also used to be like that and changed after he started to notice the way Sophie looked.

“Thanks. But I truly hate these things.” He tugged at his green velvet cloak as he stepped into the room. “Whoever decided we should wear capes was an idiot.”

Sofian agreed. He’d hated the capes from the moment he’d seen his ridiculous school uniform with its stupid elbow-length monstrosity. But capes were the mark of the nobility, and even though Grady and Edaline had tried to separate themselves from that life, the Council would never let Grady fully resign. His ability as a Mesmer was too rare and important. He’d seen just what Grady could do that one time Sofian had wondered about it and begged Grady to show her. He’d been reluctant, but seeing how excited Sofian looked was what made him cave in.

“Need help with yours?” Grady offered.

Sofian shook his head, and grabbed the silky green cape from where he’d left it on his bed. He draped it across his shoulders and gathered the ends at the base of his neck. He reached for the red tiger clasp he used for school, but Grady stopped him, holding out a yellow-diamond encrusted eagle soaring with a ruby nose in its talons–identical to the broach securing his own cape. 

“The Ruewen crest,” Sofian whispered as Grady placed it in his hand.

“It’s so embarrassing to be related to you, everyone at my school keeps asking me about your doping scandal on the news. Some bitch even threw their lunch at me.”

“What do you want me to do about it? I didn’t dope before the competition and if you care so much you can change your last name for all I care, Sophie.”

“Why can’t you? Everyone’s bothering me even though it’s your problem.”

“It’s not like I chose for us to be related, whore. You’re not so perfect either.”

Grady cleared his throat. “Are you sure you want to go? You should rest up instead, your injuries haven’t fully healed yet–”

“I’m sure.” They've been doing this for nineteen years. They’ve been mourning their daughter properly, and still have enough love to share with other children. They weren’t Veronica and Dahl, Sofian reminded himself as he formed his next words. “We’re family now, aren’t we?”

“We definitely are.” Grady opened his arms for Sofian, and he felt safe enough to hug him. Grady stroked his hair as he whispered, “I love you.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I guess we should probably get going. I’ve already informed Sandor that he’s not coming with us—”

“He’s not?” 

“Only elves are allowed near the Wanderlings. Even the Councillors leave their bodyguards behind. So he’s agreed to entrust you to our care for the next few hours.”

“I can’t believe you got him to agree to that. Especially with what happened.”

“He protested. A lot. But I reminded him of what I can do.”

Sofian was almost jealous of his ability, sometimes he wished he had that instead of telepathy so that it would’ve been easier for him to get out of the situations he was put in.

“And, I agreed to carry this, in case I lose my focus,” he added quietly, removing a small silver weapon from the inner pocket of his cloak.

The melder brought up the time from when he was trying to escape all those months ago, his leg almost paralysing at the sudden stun of the weapon.

“Where did you get a melder?” Sofian hated seeing it in Grady’s hand.

Grady shoved it back into his cloak. “The Council insisted I keep one in the house as a last resort. Don’t worry, I have no plans to use it.”

“Where are Edaline and Amy?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

Shadows seeped into his features, and he closed his eyes a second longer than a blink.

“Oh. I’ll get her,” Sofian offered.

Grady didn’t protest as he moved past him and headed down the curved staircase to the second floor. Even with the sunlight streaming through the crystal walls, the hallway leading left seemed to be shrouded in grief. Sofian hurried to the end, where there were three narrow doors. Doors that were always closed.

The center door was slightly ajar.

“Edaline?” Sofian whispered, not wanting to startle her as she tiptoed into the quiet bedroom. 

Amy was crouched next to Edaline, who sat on the edge of the canopied bed. She held her hands as Edaline quietly cried, holding onto her so that she wouldn’t collapse.

Sofian had never been in this room, but it seemed as though the room was stuck in time. He guessed the room had been in this state for nineteen years, though the room felt dim and dusty–like someone desperately needed to flick on the crystal chandeliers or pull back the faded lacy curtains and let in some light.

Edaline didn’t say a word as Sofian crossed the soft carpet and sat next to her.

“We’re ready whenever you are.” Sofian’s voice echoed through the silent room.

Edaline swallowed as she nodded, then turned to face Sofian. She sucked in a breath when she spotted the broach.

“I don’t need to wear it if–”

“No, you should wear. I’m sorry, it just surprised me because it makes you look even more like her.”

Sofian would have been grateful to look like a girl in any other circumstance, but her words pierced him directly. He didn’t want to be a replacement for someone they couldn’t have.

He followed Edaline’s gaze to the framed photo on the desk across the room.

A carefree Grady and Edaline stood with their arms around a slender blond girl—Jolie, when she was about Sofian’s age.

Jolie had Grady’s light hair and Edaline’s bright turquoise eyes. She was striking and graceful and smiling, with rosy cheeks and gleaming white teeth.

Sofian walked over to the floor-length dressing mirror in the corner and tried to see the resemblance.

“My goodness you have strange eyes,” a high-pitched voice announced. 

Sofian whipped around, the voice sounded familiar.

“Vertina.” Edaline gave a sad smile and made her way over to Sofian. “I guess you’ve never seen a spectral mirror before?” 

Sofian turned back to the mirror, surprised when he noticed a tiny face in the upper left side. A girl with shiny black hair, pale skin, and sapphire blue eyes. She looked like she was about fifteen, and she had the look that said I am cooler that you even though I’m younger. 

“What is she?” Sofian whispered. He reached up and touched Vertina’s face, half expecting the girl to slap his hand away. But she didn’t, and all he felt was smooth, cold glass.

“Get your smudgy fingers away from me!” Vertina huffed, ducking under Sofian’s hand. “It’s bad enough I’m up here alone all the time, gathering dust like some common piece of furniture.” She turned her tiny face away, her glassy eyes staring somewhere beyond them as she whispered, “I miss Jolie.”

“Me too,” Edaline said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Sofian pulled Edaline back, and when they were far enough from the glass for their reflections to disappear, Vertina vanished.

“What was that? Is she alive?”

It took Edaline a second to answer. “Spectral mirrors help you get dressed or style your hair. They’re a clever bit of programming. A novelty that never caught on because people realized they didn’t want their mirror to tell them they looked tired or out of fashion. Jolie loved hers, though. They became friends. She even used to come back to visit Vertina on her rest weekends from the elite towers. They were that close.” Her voice broke again

“Come on,” Amy said, grabbing her hand from behind and leading her toward the door. “Grady’s waiting for us.”

Edaline wiped her eyes, casting one last glance over her shoulder at the now silent mirror before she followed Amy out to the hall. Sofian followed a second later.

They climbed the stairs to the fourth floor at a crawl. Edaline seemed in no hurry to get where they were going, and scaling the stairs was always a challenge for Amy, especially in the low heels she’d decided to try. She was twelve now—which she must’ve thought wa sthe perfect age to start more mature footwear. The only shoes Sofian had worn when he was twelve were cheap sneakers you got from donation boxes. Amy almost tripped on the last step if Sofian hadn’t grabbed a handful of hair.

Amy screamed as she was pulled back. She looked back and glared at Sofian.

“I’m sorry, my little sister. Did that hurt?” Sofian said, pretending to mock her by letting his magic voice changer drop. It was a strange thing that he never got tired from mimicking her brother’s voice.

“Amy, are you okay?” Edaline rushed to her side, fixing her hair and fussing over her.

“She was about to trip. I was trying to help her but accidentally grabbed her hair. I’m deeply sorry,” Sofian cooed. He walked around her and just as he walked in front of her, a strong blow of wind knocked him down to all fours. He looked back to see Amy smiling. She blew him a kiss and skipped ahead. 

Amy climbed onto the platform under the glittering chandelier in the center of the cupola. Five hundred intricately faceted crystals hung individually from silver cords, forming a sparkling sphere. The Leapmaster 500.

Edaline helped Sofian get up and Grady walked over, handing a red satchel over to Edaline.

Edaline fidgeted with the satchel she’d slung over her shoulder and Grady stared at the ceiling, neither seeming ready to give the command.

Sofian cleared his throat. “What’s the name of the place we’re going to?”

A few seconds passed before Grady whispered, “The Wanderling Woods.”

The Leapmaster sprang to life, twisting until a single crystal lowered enough to catch the sunlight streaming through the windows.

Nobody moved toward the beam that refracted to the ground

Slowly, gently, Amy and Sofian pulled Grady and Edalie into the light.

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The silence of the Wanderling Woods was suffocating. There was no chirping or tweeting. No branches creaking or rustling. It was like all sound–all life–had been sucked out of the scenery, leaving nothing but a thick, almost tangible emptiness.

Even the silver pebbles didn’t crunch under his feet as he followed Grady and Edaline with Amy down a winding path, which seemed to glow as he moved, shining the way to the narrow gateway ahead. A vine with white star-shaped flowers trailed up two gilded columns to an arched golden sign with looping, intricate letters that spelled out:

Those who wander are not lost.

“I’ve heard that before,” Sofian said, mostly to himself. “That’s from The Lord of the Rings. Well— not exactly. But it’s close.”

Amy cracked a smile. “God, that series took me so long to read. I don’t even know why I read it.”

Sofian ignored her. 

“The Lord of the Rings?” Edaline repeated.

“It’s a series of human books. And it has elves in it.” Elves that had some similarities to what elves really were, now that he thought about it.

“Are the books older?” Grady asked.

“I think Tolkien wrote them during the Nineteen Thirties or Forties.”

“That’s back before the Human Assistance Program was banned.” Grady smiled when Sofian’s eyebrows shot up. “We used to send members of the nobility in disguise to try to teach humans our ways. The treaties had fallen apart, but we still hoped to guide them, bring them out of the darkness and into a new age of light. In fact, most of the great human innovations of the last few centuries happened under elvin tutelage. Electricity. Penicillin. Chocolate cake. But too many of our gifts backfired, and a few decades ago the problems escalated to a point where the Council had no choice but to terminate the program and ban all human contact.”

“What does that have to do with The Lord of the Rings?”

“Let’s just say there were some who couldn’t resist manipulating the legends about elves a bit.”

“So . . . you’re saying J. R. R. Tolkien met an elf, and that’s where he came up with some of the story?”

“You always complained about being the dumbest but look at you, Soybean, solving mysteries and everything,” Amy teased.

Grady lightly blew on Amy’s hair, sending the yellow petal scattering into the wind. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Though I’m sure he was only told bits and pieces. Do the books talk about the Wanderlings at all?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then he didn’t know what the statement meant.” Grady motioned for them to follow him. Edaline trailed silently behind as they crossed under the arch and entered the woods. “These are the Wanderlings,” Grady whispered.

It was unlike any forest Sofian had ever seen. The glowing path wound through a sea of carefully arranged trees, each one surrounded by meticulously groomed shrubs. No two trees were alike. Some were short and broad. Others tall and slender. Some had graceful branches that swayed in the silent breeze. Others looked stout and strong. There were leaves in every shape, size, and color. Some had flowers. One even had thorns. And at the base of each tree was a round white stone with a name carved in plain black letters.

Grady led Sofian to the nearest tree, which reminded him of a weeping willow—if weeping willows had red leaves and bloomed with thousands of tiny purple flowers.

“Each Wanderling’s seed is coiled with a single hair from the one who’s been lost,” he explained. “When it sprouts, it absorbs their DNA, taking on some of the attributes of the life they now share. Letting the lost live on.” 

“Cyrah had straight auburn hair,” Edaline whispered, running her hand through the swaying red leaves. “And flecks of violet in her eyes.”

Sofian caught a falling petal, holding it between two fingers. “Did you know her?”

Grady brushed the bits of flower off his cape. “Not well. She was Prentice’s wife.”

The petal slipped through Sofian’s fingers. How many times was Prentice’s name going to be mentioned until someone told him who he was?

They moved slowly down the path, Edaline and Grady’s glassy eyes staring straight ahead. The path twisted through the quiet forest, leading them through patches of shadow and light until they rounded a large bend and entered a small sunlit clearing.

Elevated on a small hill and silhouetted against the sky was a fragilelooking tree with pale bark, dark green leaves, and slender limbs that fanned out toward the sun. Soft yellow leaves draped off the end of each bough like Spanish moss, making the tree elegant and wispy. And large blossoms the exact same blue as Edaline’s eyes blanketed the branches, filling the air with a scent like honey and berries and sugar.

The graceful tree blocked the early afternoon sun as they approached. Sofian couldn’t take his eyes off the inscription on the white stone marking the grave.

Jolie Lucine Ruewen.

Without a word, Edaline opened the satchel she’d been carrying and removed a clear fluted bottle filled with a deep purple liquid.

“A special tonic the gnomes make,” Grady explained.

Edaline popped the cork and drizzled the thick syrup along the base of the tree. When the last of the liquid had drained, she smacked the bottle against the tree’s trunk. The glass shattered into a million tiny flecks, sprinkling the wet grass. And as the sparkle-coated syrup sank into the ground, a bright green vine sprang from the dark soil and slowly coiled its way up the bark of Jolie’s tree. Ruffled purple flowers bloomed along the stem, and every inch of the vine gleamed, like it had been covered in glitter.

Grady wiped his eyes as he took Edaline’s hand. “The vine only lasts a few weeks, but it’s the best gift we can give her.”

“Plus this.” Edaline’s voice was barely audible as she gently pulled one of the branches down, revealing a silver charm bracelet tucked between the blossoms. She removed a tiny crystal star from her pocket and added it to the already full chain. “We gave her this bracelet when she started Foxfire, and we bought her a new charm every year on the first day of school. She used to wear it every day, but we found it when they gave us her things from the elite towers, so we brought it here, and give her a new charm every time we come.”

Sofian was never good with words. “She was loved here, and she’s loved even after she’s gone. I’m sure that all the love you’ve given her made her heart lighter and more beautiful,” was all he could whisper. He held his hands up as if in prayer, though he didn’t believe in any divine entity. “I’ll give you guys a minute,” he mumbled, backing away. Amy followed suit.

He slipped quietly down the path, trying to remember which way would take him to the entrance. He’d wound through the trees for several minutes before he realized he didn’t recognize any of them. Turning back didn’t help, and as he turned around yet again and still didn’t recognize anything, he was forced to admit that he was lost. 

Would Amy call him stupid again if he asked her?

Instead, he raced up the nearest hill, hoping he would be high enough to get his bearings. But two small trees planted side by side at the crest distracted him.

Saplings.

Clyde Foster

and

Amy Veronica Foster

Chapter Text

Just the thought of Clyde being acknowledged once again over herself, Sophie felt sick. If she was the one who almost died, why was his name the one written on the grave that was supposed to be for her. She knew she was pretending to be him, and that they didn’t know that she wasn’t Clyde, but what right did they have to change the name that she chose for herself to a name that she didn’t wish to be associated with?

The tree was tall and had only a few flowers that bloomed under the dark essence of the flowers that instead lay dead on the floor. There were way more dead ones than ones that were bright and colorful. It almost reflected her life, Sophie’s life, yet it was the tree under Clyde’s name. The trunk of the tree was a twist of black and a light blue. The colors merged together as it ascended towards the leaves of the almost white branches, leaves that were the color of Sophie’s hair, not Clyde’s.

A glint of silver at the base of the thickest branch caught Sofian’s eye and he reached out to unclasp a silver charm bracelet with two charms; a red mitten and a black cat forming a heart with its tail. 

Grady’s hushed voice shattered the silence, Amy trailing not far behind him. “They kept the trees.”

“Why didn’t you put my name on there,” Sofian quipped. He hadn’t meant it to be harsh, yet he couldn’t help himself from feeling as though no one would remember Sophie. At least if his name was written to be ‘Sofian’, there was still a connection to his so-called ‘sister.’ 

“We know you changed your name to remember your sister, Sophie, but we assumed you would at least want to be remembered by your own name-” Grady sighed.

“Who gave you the right?”

Grady blinked. “What?”

“I don’t like the name Clyde, you could’ve let me die with the name Sofian. What was so hard about that? Don’t you think I know that if I were to die that Sofian would be the name I died with? Who gave you the right to decide that, because it definitely wasn’t me.” Sofian felt horrible. Even as the words slipped out of his mouth like he had rehearsed them, he felt horrible. This was their daughter’s anniversary, her death date. They were here to mourn her, not put up with his childish tantrum. Why did he care so much about a name anyway?

This time Edaline spoke. “Sofian, we assumed-”

“You assumed wrong.”

Even Amy, who usually stood up for Edaline and Grady whenever Sophie had something to say about them, remained quiet. Even the wind seemed to hush, waiting for what happened next.

Sofian was never patient, so he decided himself.

“I want to go back. Back to Havenfield, and I’ll go alone. Mourn your daughter the way you would have if I hadn’t decided to come.”

Edaline and Grady both rushed at the same time. “Sofian-”

Sofian didn’t just need somewhere to get lost in, he needed something that would make him feel lost. He had a stash of things that could do that, right under the mattress of his bed. 

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Sofian could tell by the look on Amy’s face that she knew what he was trying to do by getting home, but even she didn’t want to stop him. She knew, from what Sophie told her years ago, that nothing could stop her from losing herself. Not even Clyde, who Sophie would try to please no matter the circumstance when she was younger, could make her listen to reason. It was hard to seek help, and it was easy to just choose the path for yourself that made your life a mix of memories and hallucinations of things that felt real. 

Sofian couldn’t tell half the time what was going on, and confused things that actually happened to what didn’t. He was high the night he found Clyde gone and Lillian helped clean up the mess in his room, he was high that time he decided to get the Lumenar from Elwiwn’s infirmary, he was high that time he ran away to New York for a break, and he was high that time he ran to the cave. 

Sofian only remembered all the times he was under the influence once he was under the same situation again. The room was way too colorful and the books on the shelf were way too bright. The room was covered in spirals, all distorting in shape as Sofian tried to focus on one. Time was slowing down, and the bed was getting farther and farther away from Sofian, who was sitting on the desk near the window. His head hit the wall, and his hand that held the packet of powder fell to the desktop, the powder falling all over his pants. He tried to close his eyes, but they seemed to open on their own accord, and even his lips formed a smile without Sofian knowing. 

This was freedom. This was happiness. This was peace. 

It wasn’t a strange feeling to him the way comfort was. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was a sweet feeling of forgetfulness. It was when he was lost that he couldn’t even recall how to move his limbs, so what could possibly make him remember all the things going on. 

Something fell to the floor, the desk vibrated and the sound left a ringing sensation in his ears, and someone gasped. The voice was loud, very loud, and then there was a red ball of fur that clung to his pants. 

“Sofian-Sofian, what is going on-”

Sofian? Have I heard that somewhere before?

“Can you hear me-”

Yes, yes, yes, you’re all I hear. Please stop, you’re so loud.

“Okay can you nod, can you do anything, can you move-”

I don’t want to.

“But you can? You really can? Please do something I don’t have my Imparter right now, you’re really scaring me-”

Is that a cat why is it red were cats always red why it is scratching me 

“I’ll go get help just stay here-”

Sofian grabbed his sleeve. “I’m fine, Dex, nothing’s wrong. I’m just really sleepy, I’ve been tired all day.”

“It’s not even afternoon, Sofian, I’ll get help-”

“Do I keep interrupting you? Why do I feel like I’m always interrupting you? Dex, the only way you can help me right now is to forget about it. I’m okay, I’ll be fine by tomorrow, I promise. Have I broken any promises before? No, have I even made any promises before…”

Sofian’s train of thought trailed towards Veronica and Dahl, and Sofian couldn’t let Dex go. He wouldn’t tell anyone, would he?

“I promise I won't tell anyone, Sofian…tell me what's going on?”

His face was blurry, and Sofian could barely make out the words he said. Every word he heard seemed to all be one big mix of letters, and it took Sofian a while until he could form the sentence he wanted to say.

“Dex, how would you feel if someone you trusted was lying to you?”

“What do you mean? Sofian, I wouldn't care if you were lying to me. Sure, I'd be hurt, but not enough to ruin the fact that we're friends.” Sofian still couldn't make out the expression on Dex's face, and the drug was pulling him deeper into delirium.

Sofian pulled Dex's sleeve, burying his face into his shirt. He smelled like cinnamon and chemicals from the Alchemy lab that he thought he wouldn't have ever recalled. His eyelids grew heavier the more Dex patted his back in comfort, and he wanted to fall asleep right then, but a strange feeling wanted him to tell Dex about everything. Out of all the people he was surrounded with, Amy, Edaline, Grady, Keefe, Biana, Marella, Stina, Sandor, Della, Sofian only felt a sense of security with Dex. He was the first friend he had made, when he first arrived in the Lost Cities, and the first to stick by. Although Sofian had pushed him away, Sofian couldn't ignore how safe he felt with Dex. They shared no important moments, yet Sofian thought that they knew each other for way longer than what time they spent together.

“Dex?”

“Yeah?”

“My head's clearing up. It's never done that before.”

“Do you mind if I'm confused?”

“Do you think I’m weird?”

Dex’s hand laid flat on Sofian’s shoulder, and he took a deep breath before he answered. “Sofian, I would be lying if I said you were normal. I would also be lying if I said I ever liked normal things.”

Sofian looks up at him, at Dex, who gives the sweetest smiles to people who need it. 

“Dex…can I tell you something that I’ve been keeping from everyone?”

“Of course you can, I wouldn’t rat you out, Sofian.”

“You need to promise you’ll keep it a secret, even if it’s something really big,” Sophie insisted.

“I promise, and why’d you change your voice?”