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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE lost and found
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
WHEN SOME STARS DIE, they explode, creating a shockwave that propels the materials they are made of out into the universe. This occurs when the star runs out of fuel—otherwise known as the end of its lifespan. The pressure drops, and some of the mass flows into the core. Because the core is now so heavy it cannot stand its gravitational force, it collapses so quickly it causes the explosion. Called a supernova, it's the largest eruption humanity has ever witnessed. And it also happens to not only be so bright that it has the potential to outshine its galaxy, but also so large that its remnants are around a million times larger than the already uncomprehendingly gargantuan star it erupted from.
When Nadine Vidal woke up in the alleyway behind Commerce and Knox, it was as if she'd experienced her own miniature supernova; one that had occurred in her mind instead of in the universe. Something in her had exploded, and her entire body—not just her brain—had felt its effects.
Although this supernova had finally finished its devastating detonation, it had, like real stars, left something behind in its place. In real stars, what became of the supernova depended on the original mass of the core. If a star was less than fifteen solar masses in life, it would become a neutron star: the smallest and densest known class of stellar objects. If it was fifteen solar masses or above, it would end up as a black hole: a region in space with gravity so strong that not even life can escape. And though Nadine's mind hadn't made either when it had finished its detonation, it had, just like real stars, left a remnant behind.
Her head pounded like drumsticks were crashing down on her skull. Fissures formed there, cracks spreading out and threatening to take over. It was such a heavy pain that it was all she could feel for the moment—it was as if the pain was all she was.
Then, slowly, it all came back. Awareness, consciousness, cognitive thought. Her eyes were practically plastered closed, stuck together as if by glue. She strained them, trying to pry them apart, because there was something inside her that thumped with the knowledge of wrongness.
Where was she, anyway? It was strenuous work, but after a moment, flashes came back. She'd been outside of her own body. She'd been turned inside out. And then she'd collapsed against a dumpster right before everything faded.
She wasn't against a dumpster now, though. Now that she could feel, she knew her head was resting on something soft. A hand carded through her hair with gentleness, and there was both comfort and familiarity from the touch. That was—that was Molly, wasn't it?
Her eyes fully opened.
Nadine was still in the alleyway, but now she was propped in Molly's lap, her hair fanning across the span of her legs. Luther—who Nadine specifically remembered being present—was gone, and so was Five. Now, other than Molly, only Klaus remained, though he was no longer groaning on the ground. He was on his feet, hissing curses to empty air. Another bothersome ghost.
