Shadow Beings

57. Atmosphere

"Have all the kids reached the room?" Ava asked in a collected tone, gathering the shadow-trappers in the main hall to lead them outside.

"Yes," Jay confirmed gently, his gaze darting to the entrance before he addressed the rest of us. "Mind-controllers, please go to the right corner of the room for a minute."

I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath as the mind-controllers gathered around me. Anne stood beside me, a shy smile on her face before I shifted to keep my back straight, addressing my friends.

Looking at them all well and alive brought such great relief to me. Their recovery came quick; their energy levels were ordinary even though it had only been days since the incident. I would be forever grateful to the Phoenexias for healing them.

"Hello everyone," I started, standing straight in a shy manner. "I'm sorry about what happened-"

I was interrupted by the protesting glares around me, a few shadows furiously shaking their heads. The gesture made me laugh and my mind eased with their smiles.

Mind-controllers... such compassionate auras. Swirling in the atmosphere, sweeping away any negativity to understand it. Am I like that, too?

"You haven't healed completely yet and you'll need as much energy as you can gather today. Come, stand in a circle."

They remained patient and followed my instruction. Anne walked to the centre, closing her eyes as she raised her hands sideways.

"This is Anne. She's a Phoenexia and came from the Land of Hearth only a while ago. There's some negative energy inside you that was caused by the explosion, but Anne can remove it.

"Please close your eyes and don't focus on anything. Follow only my thoughts; you may hear a gentle melody."

I nodded towards Anne as she closed her eyes, pausing for the others to do the same. As time passed I could feel the shift of energy in the room. She raised her hands to the level of her chest, lightly interlocking her fingers and they remained loose. A soft, yellow glow surrounded Anne, lightening the weight of the air. For a brief moment the glow turned a vile green and Anne's hand slightly shook. I wanted to help, but she had strictly told me to stay out of it.

Her hands held to each other firmly and the glow brightened, shifting back into its yellow tone. The negative aura flowed out of the room as if water were released from a dam, following only one path downwards, responding to the forces of Nature. Her braid swayed in the air as a soft breeze blew across the room. She stood confidently, a soft smile on her face, and her eyes remained closed in a calm concentration.

As soon as the breeze stopped, I took a deep breath. With my eyes still closed it felt as if I were outdoors, amidst the familiar green landscape, the looming trees and the cheerful flora. The soft sounds of nature and the living creatures, the warmth of the sun and the serenity of the wind. I promised to let nothing happen to Sylva Vita tonight; that was a part of my duty, too.

I opened my eyes to see every shadow's expression relaxed, mind-controller or shadow-trapper of Phoenexia. The waves seemed to have even reached the Nature outside as everything felt more fresh; perhaps it was just my perception, perhaps it was both. Whatever Anne did ended up generalising in the end, providing comfort without bias.

With a swift movement of her hand, Anne grabbed a small glass bottle as it appeared in the air. She took a long sip of the bright blue drink, sighing in relief when she was done. With another wave of her hand, she left the bottle hanging in the air and it faded into the atmosphere.

"I feel so much more comfortable now, ah. Almost all disturbance has vanished."

"It's like my windpipe was cleaned or something."