Saving the Nexus

The Waters Within

The following days at Varda Academy passed in a haze of tension and isolation. Sonia kept to herself as much as possible, retreating to the edges of classrooms and avoiding the dining hall at peak hours. She couldn't stand the stares—the whispered conversations that hushed the moment she walked into a room. Every glance felt like a judgment, every interaction a reminder of the widening chasm between her and the rest of the students.

Jermaih hadn't spoken to her since their conversation at the fountain. He still attended their joint training sessions, but his usual warmth and quiet encouragement had been replaced with cold professionalism. The distance between them was almost unbearable, and though Sonia wanted to reach out, she wasn't sure she could handle another confrontation.

It wasn't just Jermaih, either. Mariel had tried to stay close, but even she seemed to tread carefully around Sonia, as if afraid of triggering another surge of power. The silence that stretched between them grew heavier with each passing day.

By the end of the week, Sonia couldn't take it anymore. She needed an outlet—something, anything to ground her in a reality that felt increasingly alien. She found herself drawn to the old lake on the outskirts of the academy grounds.

The lake was a forbidden zone, a relic of a time before the academy had been built. Legends said it was haunted by the spirits of ancient Hydrari warriors who had fallen in a long-forgotten war. Most students avoided it, but Sonia felt a strange pull toward the water, as if it called to something deep inside her.

She stood at the edge of the lake, the moonlight casting silver ripples across its surface. The air was crisp and still, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves. Sonia took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs, and stepped closer to the water.

The moment her bare feet touched the shoreline, she felt it—the pulse of the lake, rhythmic and alive, mirroring the hum beneath her skin. She knelt by the edge, her reflection staring back at her, fractured by the gentle waves.

"What are you?" she whispered to the water, her voice trembling.

The lake didn't answer, but it didn't need to. Sonia closed her eyes and let the power inside her flow, her hand skimming the surface of the water. The connection was immediate and electric. The water responded to her touch, rippling outward in perfect harmony with her breath.

For the first time since the confrontation with Neptune, Sonia felt a flicker of peace. The power within her wasn't raging now; it was steady, calm, waiting for her to guide it. She concentrated, drawing the water upward in a delicate spiral that hovered between her hands.

But as she focused, a sudden voice broke through the stillness.

"You shouldn't be here."

Sonia startled, the water crashing back into the lake as she turned. Jermaih stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable in the moonlight.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, stepping closer. "The lake isn't safe, Sonia. You know that."

"I needed to get away," she said, her tone defensive. "I needed... space."

Jermaih sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You can't keep isolating yourself. Avoiding everyone isn't going to solve anything."

Sonia turned back to the lake, her hands clenching into fists. "It's not like anyone wants me around. Everyone's afraid of me, including you."

"That's not true," Jermaih said quickly, but the hesitation in his voice betrayed him.

Sonia laughed bitterly. "You don't have to lie. I can feel it every time you look at me. You're scared of what I might do. You're scared of me, Jermaih."

He didn't deny it. Instead, he stepped up beside her, his gaze fixed on the lake. "I'm not scared of you, Sonia. I'm scared for you. There's a difference."

She frowned, her chest tightening. "Why? Because I can't control it?"

"Because I've seen what happens to people who let their power consume them," he said softly. "I don't want that to happen to you."

Sonia's anger faltered, replaced by a deep ache she couldn't ignore. "I don't want that either. But I don't know how to stop it. It's like... it's alive. It's always there, pushing, pulling, trying to take over. I don't know if I'm strong enough to control it."

Jermaih turned to her, his expression gentler now. "You are strong enough. You just need to believe it."

Sonia shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've seen you fight for control before," he said, his voice firm. "You didn't let Neptune win. You didn't let the power win, either. You used it to protect yourself and everyone else. That wasn't instinct, Sonia. That was you."

She looked at him, searching his face for any hint of doubt, but found none. His belief in her felt like a lifeline, something solid to hold onto in the storm of her uncertainty.

"I don't want to be a monster," she whispered.

"You're not a monster," Jermaih said, his voice steady. "You're just figuring out who you are. And you don't have to do it alone."

For the first time in days, Sonia felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Jermaih was right. Maybe she wasn't beyond saving.

But as she looked back at the lake, the water shimmering under the moonlight, she couldn't shake the feeling that her journey was far from over. The power within her wasn't just a curse—it was a part of her now. And she would have to face it, one way or another.

The question wasn't whether she could control it.

The question was whether she could control herself.