At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the esteemed Lalia Azali serves as a dedicated teacher and is also this universe's Scarlet Witch. Endowed with formidable powers and a destiny she must face, Lalia confronts her fate amidst the school's hall...
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—Lalia
I closed the door to my room and leaned against it, the weight of the day pressing down on me. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow that did little to ease my troubled mind.
I couldn't shake the images I had seen when I looked into Logan's head. Glimpses of him being tortured and in excruciating pain flashed before my eyes, haunting my thoughts completely.
I walked over to the window, staring out into the night, but my thoughts were miles away. The raw agony I had witnessed was unlike anything I had ever seen. It made my heart ache for him in a way I hadn't expected.
As I sat down on the edge of my bed, I couldn't help but replay the scene over and over in my mind. Why had I seen those memories? What had Logan gone through to endure such torment? And why did I feel this inexplicable connection to him, despite the warnings and the doubts?
I sighed deeply, running a hand through my hair. The questions swirled around me, refusing to settle. I knew I needed to focus, to find a way to help him, but the emotional turmoil was overwhelming. I closed my eyes, trying to center myself, but the images kept intruding.
I don't understand why I'm reacting this way to someone I just met. I've mentored many mutants with similar issues, but Logan affects me differently. Maybe it's because neither of us has ever truly settled in one place, or because we both carry the weight of traumatic memories. Helping him, feels like a way of helping a younger me when I was going through those dark times.
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Simon came through the door into our room. His face was clouded with an upset expression, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. My heart sank with guilt as I realized he might have seen more than what was really there between Logan and me.
Simon stood there, his eyes searching mine for answers, and I felt an overwhelming urge to explain myself. But the words caught in my throat, tangled with my own confusion and guilt.
It wasn't what it looked like, but how could I make him see that? The weight of me & Logan's shared past and the complexities of my feelings for Simon seemed to crash down on me all at once, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.
Simon's voice broke the heavy silence, filled with a mix of hurt and confusion. "Lalia, what was that all about?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read my expression. "What happened between you and Logan in there?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "It wasn't what it looked like, Simon. He asked me if I could look into his head," I began, "I'm guessing he wanted to see if I could recover any memories he hasn't seen yet."
"And what did you see?!" he urged, stepping closer. "Because when I walked in there, I saw more than you just looking through his head," he continued. "And then Logan, with that smug grin, asking if I'm going to tell him to stay away from you. What am I supposed to make of that?"
