Overlooked Fate ~ Sequel

Chapter 34 ~ Once

Sophie's P.O.V

It was evening and Sophie was enjoying herself as she laid back in her bed and watched TV.

She had actually finished her duties early today and Carter had shown Sophie a secret button in her room that opened up to a TV.

Mai probably hid it to prevent Sophie from being able to enjoy herself.

As Sophie scrolled through the different channels, she came across one that stopped her.

It was an advertisement channel for local events and shows. She stared intently, finding something familiar about it and was about to skip to the next channel until a man spoke.

"Alright folks, coming up, we have such an exciting performance that will happen at San Diego's grand theatre this Saturday! The performer is a young man named Keefe Sencen that will sing opera!"

"WHAT!" Sophie shrieked out loud.

Sophie immediately jumped up from her bed and sprinted out of the room as fast as she could.

She ran through the familiar halls until she reached Mai's office. She was relieved when she saw that Mai was still there.

"Sophie, what are you doing here?" Mai said, quickly stuffing away some files.

"I can't believe it! We're in San Diego?! I was thinking this hideout was across the country but this whole time I was in my home city!" Sophie exclaimed, still not believing it.

Mai looked unimpressed as she asked, "it took you this long to figure it out?"

"Well how was I supposed to know? All you guys do is keep everything a secret," Sophie said, now getting mad.

"Well we can't trust you," Mai simply said. "Now please don't bother me and pack your things."

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked.

"We're leaving this place," Mai said, getting up.

"What?! Is it because I figured out we're in San Diego?" Sophie asked.

"No, I was going to tell you about this anyways. We are leaving very soon to Tennessee," Mai explained.

"Tennessee?! That's halfway across the country! Why would we go there?!" Sophie asked, not processing what Mai was saying.

"Remember when I told you to be prepared? Well get ready, your time is coming," Mai said, having a suspicious look.

Sophie internally screamed, hating how everything was a secret. She was about to continue arguing when she realized she had something more important to say.

"Okay, can I be able to do something before we leave to Tennessee?" Sophie asked.

"Like?"

"Keefe has an opera performance— a huge one. Back before everything had happened, it was all he would talk about and this could change his career forever. I promised I would go," Sophie explained, feeling herself tear up.

"Does it look like I care?" Mai asked, bored.

"Please! He won't even have to know! Someone can escort me— Carter or Pheonix can! And they will make sure I'm not seen and I won't run away!" Sophie exclaimed.

"What's the point? You need to leave your past behind and move on. We had a deal, remember?" Mai said.

"Please, Mai! I promise it's the only that I'll ask of you! I'll never think about or ask about them again! Once we move to Tennessee, I won't ever worry about my past and anyone in it again!" Sophie begged, not thinking too much about what she was saying.

"Hmmm fine, you will go and we will leave San Diego immediately right after," Mai said.

Sophie felt relief and excitement as she exclaimed, "thank you so much!"

"But Zach will be taking you," Mai added.

"Oh..." Sophie said, her smile dropping a bit.

"Either you go with him or you don't go at all. Your choice," Mai said.

"It's fine," Sophie mumbled.

"Good, now please leave me alone, I'm very busy," Mai said, shooing Sophie away.

Sophie obeyed and ran all the way back to her room, feeling excitement run through her.

All Sophie could think about when she was back in her bed was Keefe.

It felt like forever since she had been with him and things were all okay.

She hadn't realized how much she missed him and felt terrible for rarely thinking of him.

It was just that it was easier to forget him because the more she thought of him, the more it hurt.

But now she would be able to see him perform. He may not know but she would finally get to see his handsome face again and get to hold that in her heart before she would have to leave to Tennessee and probably never see him again.

Sophie still was clueless about the whole Tennessee thing but she decided she would just deal with that later.

But with Keefe's performance coming up, it was hard to sleep so Sophie kept tossing and turning in her bed.

She sat there, thinking of ways to pass time and that was when it hit her.

She never checked out that passageway in her room.

Excited, Sophie pressed the hidden button on her bed rest and let it rise her up into the air.

She hopped down and smiled when she once again saw the tunnel that was hidden.

She started to slowly walk through the dark tunnel.

After a few seconds, it hit her that she was really just walking into some random dark tunnel, not knowing where it would lead to.

Wow, it looked like she really had changed. Before she would always be so scared and would overthink everything.

Before Sophie could think much further, the tunnel ended with a door that had a note posted on it. It read:

It doesn't have to be so hard. I made this for when it's your turn to leave this life behind. I probably won't make it to use this but I hope it helps someone someday. There's also another one in the other hideout if you have to leave this place. Good luck.
- Nick

Sophie gasped and realized that this was an escape route. Nick discovered it and wanted it for others to escape the Neverseen.

He could never break free from them...

Sophie stopped those thoughts immediately, before she would start tearing up.

But this could mean everything. Sophie could escape.

But, she still had to see Keefe's performance and even if she escaped, the Neverseen would find her somehow and then punish her by hurting her family and friends.

It was so tempting but now wasn't the right time.

Nick also wrote in the note that there was another escape route in the other hideout— probably referring to wherever they were supposed to go in Tennessee.

Now wasn't the time to escape, but she would always have the one in the other hideout as a backup.

That's if she could ever escape.