IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

48. End of All

Watching Cassius' recordings was harder than I thought. It was the first thing I did after coming back. It kept my mind busy, I wouldn't think now of what happened, how Hope and I said our goodbyes. How this was the last time I ever...
    I shook my head and laid my eyes on the holographic projection.
    „This world, our world... It needs changing. The people in power cannot see their flaws and errors and because of that, they will be our downfall. I know I can be the leader the people deserve and... what do you think? Rose?" He asked and then a familiar, oval face appeared next to the tall man.
Then, I didn't see Rose anymore, couldn't hear the words that were coming out of her mouth. I saw black before my body hit the ground, limp,  my consciousness fading.

The next thing I heard was a steady beeping, a shrill sound in my fine ears. Opening my eyes, I found myself looking at the ceiling of the infirmary, the clean, white marble tiles. I tried sitting up, but a hand on my shoulder pushed me back down. I lifted my head and looked into blue green, glowing eyes. Sophia had pushed me back down. My mom sat on a chair at the end of my bed and looked regretfully on her hands, twisting and turning them in her lap. Only my bed stood in the infirmary, the long hall completely cleared out besides a few monitors, IV bags hanging from a pole and all the machinery around me.
„There's something you should know," Sophia said and I pushed myself up to sit as Sophia walked to my Mom, putting a hand on her shoulder. My chest hurt, stinging and feeling hot.
„When you were," Mom spoke up and looked toward me, but cut herself off mid-sentence. She stood up and tears glistened in her eyes as she sat down beside me, taking my hand in hers. „When the Order of the Blue Moon kidnapped you, they performed experiments." I nodded and told her about the trip Astoria and I took to Earth, about the files I found and what happened to Selina.
„Your soul couldn't handle the excessive amount of experiments and began to falter. I'm sure you already know your magic is going more than just haywire." She said slowly and I looked down. „Just tell me, please," I whispered and looked up to her and Sophia. „Your soul detached from your body. It's incredibly rare but under enormous amount of stress, it can happen," Mom said and I inhaled a deep breath before sighing, „So, what do I do?"
„We reunite it with your body. It's actually a very simple and quick procedure, but there are side effects," Sophia said and walked me through the process. „Tell her the side effects," Mom said, her tone quiet. „There is a chance you'll lose your soul bond to Josie," Sophia said, also quietly and remorseful.
I let out a sigh, and nodded.
I knew they were expecting me to be heartbroken and crying, but in the few days I realized that life on Earth after New Orleans had made me a lot more tougher than anyone realized. I looked up from my intertwined hands and asked, „Anything else?" before starting to get up. I started to dress up in the clothes that were laid out for me and mentally prepared myself.
In the afternoon, Sophia had me lying down on my bed in my room, lying in the middle of a bed made of flowers and herbs, which caused me to sneeze. „I hate this," I said before I sneezed again.
„Losing your bond to Josie, as well as the ability to perform soul magic are the risks you're willing to take?" Mom asked as she stood at the end of the bed, looking down at me as Sophia prepared the spell.
„Yes," I whispered and closed my eyes.
„It will only take a moment. You will feel a tearing in your chest and a slight pinch after that," Sophia said as she began to hover over the floor using levitation magic and I squeezed my eyes shut as she began to chant words I didn't know the meaning to.
    Then before I realized it, a gleaming white light filled out the room as I opened my eyes and but it didn't blind me. I found comfort in the light, like it was guiding me. And all of a sudden, I thought about Josie. And how she guided me. Helped me.
    Then there's a tearing and ripping inside my chest and I was screaming before it was over again. And as Sophia'd said, there was a pinch, it was barely there, but it felt like my heart and soul were in the process of knitting themselves back up. And then I felt okay. Actually, I felt great even. I sat up and looked around.
    The blinding light and the pain was gone. Exhaling a trembling breath, I raised my hand to my chest and turned the flat hand into a fist, as a searing light flooded through my fingers. I sighed and let myself fall back.
    The light diminished until it was gone and I sighed again. „I'm okay," I whispered and laughed.
    I jumped up and sat upright, my arms bolting forward to hug the standing Sophia. Her arms came around me and hugged me back. My mother joined the hug and pressed a kiss on my head. „I love you," She said quietly and I put my head against her body and took a deep, reassuring breath. I felt great.