what happened after unlocked

chapter fifty-nine ~ father

Her vision was blurry, but through her heavy eyelids Sophie was able to see the faint outline of a familiar pudgy elf and another one behind him.

Memories came flooding back all at once. She sat up, banging her head on a stalagmite, and blinked couple of times, directing her eyes to the exact spot where Gethen had been.

He was gone.

Her eyes then flashed to the rock in the center of the cave. It was also gone.

"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked no-one in particular. The familiar buzzing of her friends' voices filled the space.

"A half hour," a quiet voice next to her said. "Are you okay?"

Sophie looked around to her other side, noticing Keefe sitting there. "Yeah, I'm fine...but what happened to the sword? And Gethen?"

"Gethen sorta...um...well, it was really weird, but when the light from that dagger went into him, it literally broke him," Keefe cringed. "So I guess you could say he's dead."

Sophie wiped her brow. "Lady Gisela and Gethen, in the same day, were both killed. Yikes."

"Indeed, Miss Foster," Mr Forkle said from in front of her. "I'm glad you used the dagger correctly."

"Nico and Izabella helped," Sophie rushed. "I just did what they said. And got help."

"But it takes great strength to achieve such a feat, even if you had help," Mr Forkle said, in an encouraging way – or at least she thought it was encouraging.

From behind Mr Forkle, the other elf spoke up. "Hi, Sophie. My mom is crying again."

Sophie rolled her eyes, and Aurora stepped out from behind Mr Forkle to smile at her.

"Maybe she should just go off, live with Kenric, and they can both live their sad little lives together forever," Sophie suggested. "She's not going to accomplish anything if she sits around like that."

"So, you're okay, right?" Aurora asked her. "Because I have to do another fancy Councillor speech and present another law change, et cetera. You're supposed to come, your parents got an invite for the three of you."

Sophie rubbed her eyes. "Are you the spokesperson now or something?"

"No, but they like me," Aurora said smugly. "It's probably something to do with the fact that my ideas are original and interesting. I mean, so are a few of theirs, I suppose, but they think the community will listen if I'm the one who's doing the talking."

She fiddled with the amber stone pendant she had around her neck.

Keefe took Sophie's hand gently. "Come on, let's go. If this is another one of Aurora's life-changing laws then I think you'll want to be there for it."

"Life-changing laws. Yes," Aurora said uncertainly. "Sorry I sound so weird – it's the nerves. I've hardly ever spoken to crowds before."

"You're a natural!" Sophie beamed, standing up with Keefe. "And everyone thinks you're fantastic. So just focus on the happiness you deliver and let that drive you."

"You sound like me," Aurora laughed. "Everyone, you are ordered to attend my speech!"

She spun on her heel, and disappeared back into the tunnel. Sophie took one last look around at the cave, and her friends, and followed behind Aurora and Mr Forkle.

Now that the fight had been won, she felt somehow so much more elated. Even the darkness couldn't dull anyone's mood, though there was something at the back of her mind that she'd forgotten to think about.