Dreambreaker

Fractured Loyalties

Jayde sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the small, round Clarity Capsule in her palm. It gleamed in the dim light of her room, a symbol of everything she was supposed to be—obedient, focused, aligned with the government's vision. It was the capsule that kept her grounded, that wiped away any trace of rebellion, of imagination, of dreaming.

For years, Jayde had taken it without question. She watched her brother, Simon, who once had the most vibrant imagination, fade into the mechanical shell he was now—conditioned and dutiful. And then there was her father, who had been taken away for dreaming, for questioning, for wanting more than the drab world they lived in. He was supposed to be dead. Everyone said so.

But after what Wes had told her... after learning about magic, about her father's involvement with the resistance, she couldn't just let it go. She couldn't let the capsule wipe it all away. Not tonight. Maybe not ever again.

Her fingers closed around the capsule, and for the first time in years, she made a decision: she wasn't taking it.

---

Jayde stepped outside her house, pulling her jacket tighter against the evening chill. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few scattered citizens hurrying home, their heads down, their thoughts aligned. She wondered if anyone else felt this... emptiness, this yearning for something more.

She walked slowly toward the library, her mind spinning. Thoughts of her father tangled with the memory of Wes standing in that hidden room, talking about magic like it was the most natural thing in the world. He believed in her, in her power, in her potential. And the way he had looked at her... like she wasn't just some obedient girl in a controlled society, but someone who could change things.

Her heart fluttered, and she hated how much it affected her. Wes had this way of pulling her into his orbit, making her feel like she could be part of something bigger. It was intoxicating, the way he made the world seem larger, brighter. The way he made her feel different—important.But then there was Kyle.

Her best friend. Her rock.

Kyle was steady, dependable. He knew her inside and out, had always been there when she needed him. But when he walked into that room earlier, the fear in his eyes had been real. He was scared—for her, for himself, for what Wes represented. And she couldn't blame him. The world they lived in didn't allow for rebellion or magic or dreams. It was dangerous to even think about those things.

But now that she knew the truth—how could she go back?

Jayde quickened her pace toward the library, needing to see Wes, needing to figure this out. The old building loomed in front of her, dark and quiet. She slipped inside, her footsteps echoing softly through the aisles.

Wes was waiting for her, leaning against one of the shelves, his usual mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

Jayde crossed her arms, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I had to think."