Enemy Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [3]

F O U R

Living alone is overrated. While she can munch on chips in bed and stay up as late as she wants, Stella still can't completely get over the emptiness of the small apartment around her. She wants someone or something to just be there with her, but it's just too dangerous.

She lies in bed with the blanket gripped in her hands as she watches her laptop, giggling wildly at the cat videos. A candle suddenly flickers to life; Stella pauses the video and sits up. "Hello?" She calls out, turning on the light as she walks over to the candle. "I'm warning you, I'll kill you."

"Please don't, I just woke up."

Stella spins on her heel to see Hope standing behind her, a wide smile on her face. The astral projection makes Stella squeal in glee. "You're awake!" Stella exclaims, jumping up and down. She tries to give Hope a hug but ends up falling through the body onto her bed. Stella simply sits down and laughs. "I was starting to think you weren't going to wake up."

Hope shrugs. "Me too." She sits beside Stella, her smile fading. "Isaac filled me in. Are you doing ok?"

A lump forms in Stella's throat. "Yeah, why not?" She chuckles, scratching her neck. "I'm taking some classes, I've got a great job at this cool music cafe serving coffee. I'm all good."

The older girl purses her lips. "You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not. Everything's fine."

Such a fucking lie.

"You know, aside from the constant fear of the dark, the paranoia. The feeling of knowing I abandoned everyone I care about and not knowing how they're doing. Plus, the anxiety that seems to spike every time someone talks to me." She lets out a strained chuckle. "Just the usual."

Sighing, Hope reaches out but falls right through Stella's hand. "We're going to get through this, Stella, ok?" She says. "I promise. Soon enough, you'll be back here where you belong with all your friends—"

"Who I manipulated and possibly killed." Stella bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to take blood. "Those friends, you mean. You know, I don't think they really want me anymore, so..."

"We all know it was the black magic, Stel. It wasn't you."

"Hope, I killed Lizzie." She clenches her jaw, hoping the tears building up in her eyes don't start slipping down her cheeks. "I hurt you. I-I took everything my mom held dear and destroyed it. I went to the tree."

Hope's eyes widen.

"You'll never know how sorry I am." Something wet trickles over her skin. "For almost destroying that Nemeton. I just thought...I thought if the bond was gone, everything would be ok again, but it's not. Everything is worse, and I am so so sorry."

As Stella drops her head into her hands, her body shivering in the cool air of the apartment, Hope reaches out once more. "I forgive you," she whispers. "I'm sorry I didn't notice it wasn't you. That is on me, not you. But, listen to me." Stella looks up, her eyes puffy and red. "None of this is either of our faults, do you understand? Ragnarok is not our fault. We will find a way, we always do."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I do." Suddenly, her image shimmers. "W-what is that?"

"Hope?" Stella shouts before her body is replaced by another—one Stella was most definitely not expecting.

"Our room is so much better," Alyssa Chang says as she looks around the room in disgust. "I'll never understand how people can live like this."

"Alyssa, what the fuck?!" Stella exclaims.