Sentry of the Arcane: Befall

Chapter Thirty-Five: Sophie

After eating breakfast at around six in the morning, I come back to my room. Before I know it, I'm pacing back and forth across my bedroom floor, trying to guess where Fitz and Donovan are. I immediately assume that Jacob has caught them and is torturing them, but I shake it off, knowing that Jacob wouldn't risk coming back into the spotlight to kidnap two more teenagers.

My mind then drifts towards Fitton. He did sneak into Fitz's room and start a duel, in which he lost. Getting revenge on Fitz seems plausible, I think to myself. But why would Donovan be included as well? Is it because of his technological powers? I stop pacing to think more on that possibility. I then shake my head again. Donovan never told anyone about his abilities. How would Fitton find out while Mr. Wallace doesn't know?

"Hmm," I wonder out loud as I continue to pace across the bedroom. "But Donovan and Fitz left willingly, or that's what it seemed like from my perspective. Maybe Fitton caught them once left..?" I groan. "But why did they leave?!"

Suddenly fed up with the lack of concrete conclusions, I grab my pillow from my bed. Falling onto my bed, I smother my screams of frustration with the fluffy pillow. There may have been a few sobs mixed in with my screams, but I was screaming too much to actually care.

A few minutes pass before I pull my face back up again. Gently placing my slightly tear-stained pillow back on its rightful place on my bed, I climb off of my bed and stand in the center of the room. Fitz?! I transmit loudly, trying to transmit it as far as I can. Even though I know that I wouldn't have gotten a response anyways, my heart deflates as if I lost all of my hope at once.

Rubbing my eyes, I slowly make my way over to my desk. Swallowing, I open the third drawer and pick up Fitz's prostrator. I gently rub my thumb over the smooth metal as I absentmindedly stare down at the weapon.

Knocking on my door yanks me back to reality. Shaking my head, I put the prostrator back in the drawer. I then open my bedroom door and find myself staring at Benen, surprisingly."Um, Benen?" I ask, stepping aside to let the male Altruistic in. "It's really early for you to be up and about. Can I ask what's wrong?"

Benen smirks as I close the door. "If it's really that early, then why are you awake?" Benen points out, making me rub the back of my neck sheepishly. Shaking his head, he brings us back to our original topic. "Anyways, remember that memory that you sent me?"

I nod, raising an eyebrow. "Yes..." I begin. "But we didn't get to see if you got anything from it..." My mind makes a connection to why he's here. Forcing myself to keep my face neutral, I ask, "Is that why you're here?"

The male Altruistic nods. "Exactly," he says. Raking a hair through his auburn hair, Benen says, "Well, I actually... recognized that memory, if that makes any sense."

I shrug. "I doubt anything actually makes sense anymore," I say, earning some chuckles from the Altruistic.. "But anyways- I'll check your mind to see what your mind was reminded of when I transmitted that image to you."

Benen suddenly tenses up. "This is where you have to read my mind, right?" he asks uncertainly. "Will it hurt?"

I shake my head. "No," I say. "I don't think so..." I then touch two fingers to Benen's temples, going into the male Altruistic's mind. In the blackness, I stay silent for a few moments. Then I decide to transmit, Do you remember what I sent you?

Um... not really, Benen admits truthfully. It kind of... vanished, and I can't picture it at all. What was it about again?

I project the image of Benen leaving his room with Donovan and Fitz. Audrey, Laurel, and I were curious on what you three were doing, I explain to him. You three left, and after that, we couldn't find you. Any of you. We kept searching, but that was the last time we saw you three. That is, until you mysteriously showed up again.