Elysian- After Stellarlune

Chapter One- Sophie

"My name is Elysian. And I am the power source you're all here looking for."

A chorus of reactions spread through the group.

Maruca snapped her fingers in an attempt to create a forcefield, only succeeding in creating a flash of light. Marella's face twisted in concentration as she tried to summon a flame to her hand, scowling when nothing happened. Sandor jumped in front of Sophie, unsheathing two swords, one in each hand. Keefe and Fitz also moved in front of Sophie.

Sophie pushed through them, ignoring Sandor's protests. She rubbed the knot of emotions under her ribs, taking a few deep breaths before she spoke, making sure to keep Gisela in her line of sight.

"What are you?" Sophie couldn't think of anything better to say.

Elysian chuckled, a surprisingly sweet sound. "Sophie Foster, pleasure to finally meet you. And to answer your question, I'm an elf. Much like you."

Sophie's brows furrowed. "An elf? Then how come you're in here?"

"We're all in here aren't we?" Her voice was soothing, like honey. Sophie felt like she would do whatever Elysian said if she only asked. Sophie shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"I mean, what were you doing in here previously, if you're an elf? And how come we can't use our powers?" Sophie added after she had tried- and failed- to break into Elysian's mind.

"Oh Sophie, I could tell you my whole life story right now. But sadly, we only have a few hours to figure out how to escape before we're trapped in here for another century." Elysian spoke calmly, though her words inflicted anything but calm.

"A few hours?" Sophie asked in confirmation.

Elysian nodded. "Oh, and Gisela, we need to be able to work together. So please, put down the shard."

Everyone simultaneously whipped their head around to face Gisela, who was clenching one of the explosive shards so tightly her hand was bleeding. Gisela's jaw tightened, and she lowered the shard, but maintained a grip on it.

Elysian sighed tiredly as she raised a delicate hand and snapped, the shard disappearing into the void. All eyes immediately focused back on her.

Fitz spoke up. "How do we know we can trust you?"

Sophie could practically hear Elysian's smile, though her features were still hidden under the hood of her cloak, so Sophie couldn't be sure. "You don't have to trust me, you just have to work with me, if only temporarily, if you want to get out of here."

"How come you can't get out on your own, since you seem so powerful?" Marella snipped.

"Because, I am weaker here. I may be able to mute others powers and maintain control over the void, but I am not physically here." Elysian swiped a hand through her arm, her hand swishing right through.

Sophie thought for a moment, glancing at each of her friends' faces. Her expression must've conveyed what she wanted to do, because they all nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Now, how do we get out of here?"

Elysian waved her arms over her head, gesturing to the stained glass dome. The sleeve of her cloak slipping up only slightly, to reveal slightly tanned skin. "This, this is all an illusion. A powerful one, but an illusion. If we don't find a way to break it, we are all trapped."

Sophie pursed her lips, trying not to get frustrated. "We kinda figured that already. Any ideas on how to actually get us out?"

"Focus. Focus on the dome. Do you see anything abnormal? Don't look for hidden things, or complicated things that one would only see with a special tool or ability. Look for it in plain sight."