The battle is won, but the war is far from over. With his new powers on the loose, Oliver must find balance between good and evil - before the world dies.
*****
"The old world walks the earth once again."
Something big is comi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
-Oliver-
Early in the Saturday morning, I woke up feeling happy and excited – something I hadn't felt in a while. I was also nervous whenever the evaluation crossed my mind, but I forced myself to not think about it. The caretakers came in to wake up the kids, and I waited in my bed for them to leave the bathroom before I went to take a shower alone. After that, I joined everyone else for breakfast.
I couldn't help thinking about the apartment Natalie and Mike showed me yesterday. I also couldn't help picturing myself living there. I was still scared it was too good to be true, but I still couldn't stop myself from dreaming...
A home...
I tried to focus on the noise around the tables in the dining room. These kids had been my family for a long, long time now. I'd miss them all terribly. Gecko was sitting next to me, chatting away cheerily. I was sad since the bond we used to have wasn't as strong anymore, but maybe that was for the best. In the past month, three of the kids had gotten new homes, and Gecko would have his soon as well.
I took a better look at each of them. The kids that used to be here when I moved in were all long gone now, happy with their new families, or so I hoped. None of them had stayed in here even half as long as I had, and hopefully these kids would leave soon, too. They all would forget about me soon.
Now I knew why I never got a home of my own, but it didn't make things any less sad. On the contrary... Now I knew there had been a home waiting for me this entire time, but the shadows had taken that opportunity from me.
'Careful now..." Cedric muttered inside me. 'The Echo is getting tickled.'
Tickled...? I nearly laughed at his words, but somehow managed to keep myself neutral. Goddamn Cedric was getting me in trouble just before the evaluation! If I randomly started laughing now, I'd get marked down as a lunatic.
'Sorry,' the spirit chuckled. 'Just making sure you're not letting the Echo get a hold on you.'
He was right. There was no reason to wallow in the past, anyway. I'd had a good life in this place. I'd had people watching over me, making sure I was all right. People who had secretly cared about me.
And if I nailed that evaluation... All I had to do was to not be crazy.
'Might not want to tell them about Hades, then.'
I suffocated another laugh.
An hour later, I was standing outside in the snow, eagerly waiting for Natalie. She had a day off and had promised to take me with her to see my werewolves. She was going to help out with the infestation the Thorns were still suffering from and go through the wards in their lands. Which meant I got to spend the day in their territory!
I really needed that.
She arrived shortly after, and I sat down next to her with a happy smile on my face.
