Genus Terras

What is our Purpose?

**SKYLER'S POV**

As beautiful as Lily's kingdom is, I do miss mine. I mean, I don't hate the forest, but I would much rather be on the beach or in the water. Lily is so happy here. I can see it as we walk down the long hallways to the kitchen to get breakfast. She has had this stunned smile on her face ever since we got here yesterday. She was so comfortable with her parents. I tell her so many times not to trust to quickly. As amazing as my parents are, I can't bring myself to call them mom and dad yet. I have always had some trust issues. In fact, the only people I feel like I can trust right now are Lily and Josh. I really hate admitting this, but I'm scared. After the Ice Giant encounter yesterday, I've been totally paranoid. I feel like there are people constantly after us, and I have to protect everyone I love. I almost failed yesterday, and if people keep coming after Lily and I, I need to be ably to protect her at all costs. She almost died yesterday. I have to do better. We arrive at the kitchen, where Josh, Owen, and Leo are waiting for us. I see Leo give Lily a warm smile that lasts a little too long, and I look over at her and she blushes. I nudge her to go on. I'm still kind of shaken up. There is still an ugly cut on her cheek, and I can't help thinking that it's my fault. Josh looks at me and frowns. I look away before he can see the fear on my face. Owen comes over to me and says,

"I don't know if it's some sort of brother-sister telepathy thing, but I can tell something's wrong. Do you want to talk?" I nod and he leads me out, muttering "be right back" to the others. I feel Josh's concerned gaze on me as I leave. I really don't want him to see me like this. I blush as I remember how he cared for me when I was hurt yesterday. We walk down the hallway for a bit when I suddenly collapse against the wall. I'm seeing images of Lily and Josh dead, of people dead all around me, I see Owen, the brother I didn't know I had, screaming my name and then dying, I see burning. There's a terrible, deep scratchy voice, telling me there's nothing I can do, that it's all my fault,   and I'm thinking that it's all my fault, that I let them die. I start screaming. There's black smoke going through my brain. I see Lily dying repeatedly, and I'm screaming no, and my head feels like it's going to explode, and I can't do anything, and there's so much death...

"Skyler! Sky!" I hear Owen's voice. I slowly open my eyes. The smoke is gone. Lily's alive. Everything's okay. 

"Owen! What happened?" I ask. sitting up. I lean against the wall. 

"I dont know. I could see something was wrong when you walked into the kitchen, you looked pale and like you needed to talk. We were walking and you started screaming Lily, Josh, and my name, and you were screaming and clutching your head and muttering it's all your fault, then you passed out." He has a concerned look on his face. Suddenly, I start crying. I'm so relieved that it wasn;t real. I could've sworn I saw everyone dead. I cry and cry. He gathers me into his arms, and kisses the top of my head. I feel so close to him in that moment. I hug him tighter. "Shh," he mutters. "None of it was real. You're fine. I'll protect you. You can trust me, okay?" I nod and snifle. 

"Owen. It was horrible. I saw everyone I loved dying in the most terrible ways, I saw everything destroyed, I saw people dead all around me, and there was this horrible voice in my head telling me there was nothing I could do, that it was all my fault. You were yelling my name, and then you died. I started to believe what the voice was telling me, and then my head was going to explode, and then I blacked out."

"It sounds like someone poisoned you're mind. Probably Rogues. They know you're a badass fighter, but you're really hard on yourself. They probably used that. They're getting stronger, and I think it's time to find out this whole prophecey buisness. Cnances are, Lily could see you're mind being poisoned, and she could see you believeing what that voice heard, and she was probably trying to scream to you that it wasn't real. Let's go find out."