THE CRY OF SWAN SONG - sokeefe

Chapter 25 : Ashleigh POV

TW: Mention of blood and death

Wow, this story is getting darkkkk

I sat down quietly as the group was conversing loudly with Mr Forkle. Some were even yelling. I tried to block out the loud sounds with my hands but the sounds seeped through. The evil things. The fact that Sophie had been kidnapped, was at the least traumatising.

Sophie looked close to collapsing on the spot. I've felt that before. Multiple times.

I looked over to the group, my arms resting on my knees. I felt like I couldn't move. My eyes darted to the floor as Fitz looked over to me. I really didn't feel like confrontation right now. I rubbed my eyes of tiredness.

Sophie came over and collapsed on the lounge chair next to me. I weakly smiled and went back to processing my overwhelming thoughts. They were buzzing loudly around my head. The pounding in my head getting all the more prominent. I hadn't slept in 48 hours. Not when I couldn't go to my real home.

Sophie snapped me out of drowning thoughts but softly whispering. "How did you end up here?" 

I sat silent for a few seconds looking around to the group who had walked away and went to the conference room in our new base Winterlake.

"It's complicated." I pulled my lips into a grimace and covered my face with my hair. 

"It's okay, if you don't feel comfortable." She smiled softly and returned to thinking her own thoughts. 

I sat there overwhelming myself with worries that I didn't notice my mouth open slightly. 

"I ended up here when I was 8." I said softly. "My parents were killed by the Neverseen. They-" I said stopped stumbling over my words. Sophie looked at me comfortingly. "They- wanted me to join my cause. I'm a mesmer- and a guster and they wanted me to join their cause. They slaughtered my parents- because of me." I said my voice breaking. "There used to be a monarchy in the Lost Cities, my parents were King and Queen. But that system- after my parents were killed- it faded. Me and mybest friend and my brother and younger sister ran. There was a ball that night. Everyone was invited, everyone." My eyes shone with the excitment of the memory. "It was a beautiful night." My smile faded as I went on. "But then- they were killed. And me and my best friend Theodore, and my brother Mateo we had to run- we lived-" My voice broke as tears threatened to fall. "we lived on the streets- for the longest time." Tears started to spill over and Sophie reached over to give my hand a quick squeeze. "And it was all because of me." I paused for a minute, 

"You don't have to finish." She said sympathetically.

I shook my head. "No. I need to do this. And then Mr Forkle found us. Taught us to be agents. But my little sister-." I broke down. "she got sick. Because of me-" I put my head in my hands. "she made it but- she was so close Sophie. She was so close." 

I paused. "I'm sorry I shouldn't put all of this on you-" I turned away. 

She grabbed my hand. "No. it's fine." 

"And now I'm here- but I never wanted to be. I never wanted to be part of this mess. I just wanted to- be normal. And my parents-"

My tears slid down my cheeks and my neck, swallowing me up, they were drowning me in my own guilt.

"I'll never see them again. Because of me-" I finished. "I never got to say I love you one last time." 

Sophie was now deep in thought. She looked troubled. Her head snapped up suddenly.

"Never-" I said softly. "Take advantage of someone. Tell them you love them-" I couldn't breathe in the pool that was now was my tears. "Because one day it may be the last time- to tell them to hold on to this hope. If only I had just joined the neverseen- I would- they would still be alive."