Cinnamon - KOTLC

01. | THE THIRD STEP

"I am Elysian, and I am the the power source you're all here looking for."

Sophie's jaw dropped. A clatter on the ground told her that Keefe must've dropped her dagger. But at the moment, Sophie didn't care. If her life was a book, Sophie was sure that the readers would be yelling, "PLOT TWIST!" Sophie honestly felt like doing the same.

Half of her was really angry. She was this close to finally defeating Lady Gisela for good. 

This. 

Close. 

But then her abilities suddenly switched off and another random, mysterious person chose the worst timing ever to reveal themselves- as always. But. . . on the other hand, she couldn't help but wonder if this Elysian was another piece to the puzzle Sophie had somehow overlooked- and if she could really change the game.

"Wait, what?" Keefe asked, so surprised he didn't even notice Lady Gisela who slipped away from him quickly and darted to a corner of the magical stained glass dome-thing.

Sophie looked around at her friends and saw that their expressions mirrored hers. Shock, confusion, and disbelief.

"What did you do to our abilities?!" Fitz shouted, angrily, "I can't transmit to anyone!"

Sophie was wondering the same thing. She was trying to push her thoughts out to one of her friends, but it just bounced back into her brain. 

"I didn't do anything to your abilities," stated Elysian, "They are simply forces of nature that only listen to the greater command. In this case- me."

"Yeah, that didn't make any sense at all," said Keefe, rolling his eyes. Sophie could tell that Maruca, Marella and Fitz all felt the same way- even if she wasn't an Empath.

"It's not supposed to," retorted Elysian, "But you seem to get worked up over things like that."

"Yeah, well, sorry for being a little upset, but you just ruined our chance to finally stop the evil psychopath!" Marella yelled. Turning to Keefe guiltily, she added, "I mean, not that evil, I guess."

Keefe just shrugged and his expression made Sophie want to run over to him and wrap him in a giant hug- which was not what she should be thinking about right now.

"I don't care who's 'evil' and who's not," Elysian snarled, "And I also don't care who any of you are- so let's skip all the introductions and keep it simple. Who do you want to see?"

"What do you mean 'who?'" Sophie asked, startled at the sudden and confusing change of subject.

"Which spirit- which one you want to visit," Elysian said, her tone making it clear that this was supposed to be obvious.

"Wait- spirit?" Sophie clarified, sure she hadn't heard right. "But how is that possibl-"

"Like a dead thing?" interjected Keefe, "Ooooh, I've always wanted to see a dead thing! Or touch one. What do they look like? Do they smell? Oh I bet they smell. But how can we visit one? How does that even work?"

Sophie shot Keefe A Look. He smirked back.

"You don't know?" said Elysian incredulously, "Then, why are you here? How are you here?"

"My son needs power from the seventh element, the one that comes from the star that only rises here and now for his legacy," said Lady Gisela. Sophie had completely forgotten that Keefe's mom was still there. It was kind of surprising how Gisela hadn't said a single thing this whole time. "But he simply cannot see his full potential and brought his friends here to destroy the source before I obtain it," Gisela continued.