Mage Chronicles: The Journey.

GRATUITOUS OPINIONS.

"Let me get this straight...You want to go back to school?" Axel repeats staring at me like I had spoken in a different language.

He was lounging on the couch next to the bed where I woke up alone still cradling Blue. Everyone else had left before I woke up to attend to different responsibilities. Rhian had left last reluctantly according to my brother, with stern instructions to be called back once I woke up. I had woken up from my bizarre 'not' dream to find Axel hovering on the barrier staring at it intently while trying to push past it.

"Why?" Axel asks bringing me back to the present.

"What do you mean why?" I ask nonchalant while running my fingers through Blue's hair. "I'm still a student, aren't I?"

I was asking the question as a deflection but the silence prompts me to sit upright focusing intently on Axel. "I am a student, right?" I ask again and he gulps eyes shifting around.

"Spill Rathe."

"Well, dad kind of signed off on your leave of absence after...after everything...uh...happened." He blabs out rubbing at his neck.

"Oh, that's it?" I ask relaxing again, "He can just revoke it or something, right?"

"Revoke what?" the man in question asks walking in with the Rhian and Killian following close behind.

"Little one, you are awake! How are you feeling?"

Guess this was Rhys then I think offering a soft smile in answer.

"My leave of absence from school," I answer.

"What?" asks Rhys.

"No." Commands Killian.

"Why?" asks dad.

The range of answers from the men now staring at me like I was dancing in a tutu in the middle of a rainforest almost makes me smile, almost.

"Nice imagery," Rhys mutters and I slam my mental shields up glaring at him.

"Why do you want to go back to school Mahina?" Khalil asks again switching from shocked confusion to moderate concern and curiosity.

"She can't go back!" barks Mr. Sunshine ever so delightful.

"Killian," I start irritated, "Forgive my bluntness but what gives you the idea that your opinion is required in this discussion?"

"You...!" he starts moving closer and I wince covering Blue's ears.

He blanches moving back, noting the movement everyone does too staring at me suddenly cautious.

"What?" I ask.

"Your eyes..." starts Axel before our dad cuts him off.

"Perhaps it would be better to move this somewhere else, my dear?"

I gently place Blue back on the bed, smoothing back his hair, "See you later baby," I whisper voice cracking. It was really hard to shove everything down and turn it off.

With a goodbye kiss, I get off the bed and stumble through the barrier clutching onto Rhys's outstretched.

"Can we walk?" I ask as we all move towards the door.

"It's quite a distance here, but we could portal to the park and walk from there," dad suggests ushering me into the portal room. I go in Rhys's hand burning a hole in my lower back. Axel follows with Killian bringing up the rear. As we stand around the portal, I ignore his pointed stare. Choosing to stare intently at the faery painting behind him instead.

We walk through the portal in the same order coming out on the shores of the lake. I had been to the lake once, right before the alarms started blaring on that day. We were sitting by the lake while Blue was...while Blue was...

Turn it off.

I take deep breaths trying to fight the avalanche of guilt and pain assaulting me.

"Mahina?" Rhys calls from beside me and I glance around to find everyone had walked further from us and they were now watching to see what was holding us back.

I sniffle wiping at my nose, "Let's go," I rasp.

We walk across the park into the academic area going past all the buildings until we get to the colosseum. Right as we are about to move past it, a twinkling sound fills the air and the quiet place is suddenly a hub of activity. It takes a moment for anyone to notice us but when they do it's like all movement comes to a standstill.

"Shit, I forgot it was almost lunch time," starts Axel looking at me in concern.

Everyone stares as we walk through the crowds that seemed to multiply by the minute.

I thought she was dead.

She's back?

What would happen now?

And the baby?

She shouldn't be here.

He killed her, she's the reason he killed her.

I had been tuning out the murmurs but those last words have me alert and turning to the speaker in a heartbeat.

A hush sounds as everyone notices I had stopped and was staring back.

There. I find her nestled in between other students. Ashley was it? I muse advancing on her a smile on my face. The crowd takes a step back, including her friends. She hesitates before squaring up to face me.

I'm still smiling at her as I feel everything I had bottled up rising to the surface. "Did you know?" I ask her.

"Mahina," starts Rhys having followed me too but I hold up a hand stopping him.

"Did you know?" I repeat again taking another step closer. She tries to step back but I grab her hand holding on firmly until she winces.

"Did you know what your friend was going to do?"

She starts stammering tears in her eyes. She was scared. Good.

"You're hurting me, let me go!" she yells trying to free her hand. I glance down to find me nails had grown longer and sharper. Weird.

"Did you know!" I yell now getting into her face.

"Does it matter?" asmug voice I had almost forgotten about says from behind me.