Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 25

Edaline grabbed Sophie's shoulder and shook it gently, snapping her out of her trance. "Biana needs you to enhance her to make everyone invisible."

A thousand worries fogged her mind.

She blinked to clear her head and reached for Biana's hand in front of her. "Are we going to leave Trix behind?"

She stared into his cobalt eyes, which held a deep vat of emptiness.

She still needed to figure out what happened to him. 

Why he said those words at the end...

Why was everything an enigma?

Sophie curled her hands into fists in frustration as she tried to plan the next course of action.

He probably needed help...

He deserved it. 

Would anyone be able to help, though?

"I could take him to Elwin," Blur offered. "Assuming... that Elwin's alright."

"I hope so," Mr. Forkle replied quietly. "Now... Ms. Vacker..." he prompted.

Biana scrunched up her face as she reached into the pool of energy Sophie was transmitting. The light around everyone bent and shifted until they were all obscured.

Sophie's consciousness felt the energy. It felt warm. 

But it also felt cold. 

Thump. 

Thump.

Her heartbeat thumped in her ears... 

Every beat felt like a painful bang of metal. 

Sophie pressed a hand to her chest. 

Her brain had a dull, numb feeling to it. It was impossible to think coherently.

She pinched herself. The pain made everything sharpen into focus. 

They needed to leave. Now.

Sophie carefully reached out with her consciousness and transmitted to Fitz, We're making our way back.

"Going up will alert the prisoners, and light leaping probably isn't an option," Mr. Forkle said in a low voice. "Sophie, can you teleport us out of here?"

"I hope." She reached for the strands of energy...

And cracked the void open.

This time, she didn't need to run or fall.

The portal leading to infinite darkness opened in the room.

A faint hum reverberated from somewhere.

She entered it and let her mind think of the sandy area where Fitz and her friends were waiting. She waited for the void to open and take her to her friends...

But she appeared in a dark room.

"I've been here," Sophie said to herself. She saw the mirror and her reflection.

"What's going on with the world?" she wondered to herself. "I'm going crazy, right?"

The darkness didn't respond.

And then, Sophie felt... a presence.

A consciousness.

Somewhere... 

Or was it her imagination toying with her?

"Where am I?" she asked. "Why have you brought me here?"

Nobody responded.