Keeper of the Lost Cities: Unlocked: A Fan-fiction

Chapter Seven - Sophie

Charging was a curious experience. Even Sophie's devastated mind couldn't quite call away the surprise – and the feel – of it.

Sophie had felt a lot of strange things with her abilities: cracking the void with teleporting, feeling other minds with telepathy, a tingly feeling in her palms with her enhancing, letting bottled up feelings out with inflicting. But still, the feeling of energy rushing out of her in a way her enhancing never had, pulsing, and writhing, and... alive, was something completely different.

When Mr. Forkle had told her what her ability was, she had been stunned. Charging was such a foreign ability – she had only ever heard of Councilor Zarina having it. And ever since the dangerous ability had practically blown up the room she and her friends had been in when they were in Exile, she had never exactly been a fan of it.

But if it would help Keefe, she'd do it. And so, when Mr. Forkle activated her ability by doing some mind trick, she didn't hesitate, when allowed, to take off her gloves and press her hands to Keefe's chest, hoping, hoping, hoping, that it would make a difference.

She felt sparks run through her body, down her arm, out though her fingertips, and into Keefe's chest – a bit like enhancing, but much more shocking.

He jerked, lay still, jerked again. Sophie hurriedly pulled back and put her gloves back on, not sure whether to be more grateful or worried. He was definitely alive, which was a miracle, and so, so amazing. But the way he was jerking, the way his body was convulsing, was really scaring her.

"Is he alright?" she gasped, turning to Mr. Forkle and gripping his arm so tightly her knuckles turned white.

He flinched, prying her hand off his arm as he said, "I don't know, Miss Foster. I certainly hope so."

A terrifying minute later, the convulsing stopped, and Keefe lay still. After a permissive nod from Mr. Forkle, Sophie slowly moved closer, leaning over him with a crinkle in her forehead. She took his hand, almost crying when it felt warm. Alive.

She let go and asked Mr. Forkle, "How long will it take him to wake up?"

He shrugged, looking sadly at the blond boy on the bed in front of them. "Again, I do not know, Miss Foster. I do have a theory, but it is just a theory."

Sophie nodded hurriedly.

"My theory is," Mr. Forkle continued, "that Mr. Sencen has not fully recovered. I think it's likely that he has been pulled back from... well, death, and is now in the same state he has been in since the start."

Sophie let out a shaky breath. "Wow. So we did nothing."

"Not nothing," Mr. Forkle said sharply. "You stopped Mr. Sencen from leaving us forever. Who would be our prankster then?"

"I mean, I'd try to fill in, but I don't think I'd be able measure up to the role," said a familiar voice from the doorway. Sophie turned to find Dex, Biana, Wylie, Stina, Fitz, Tam, Linh, Maruca, Marella, Grady and Edaline, and, to Sophie's surprise, Lord Cassius. They were all either a light shade of gray, green, or much paler than usual. Even Tam looked worried, and that was saying something.

"Hi, guys," Sophie said softly, giving a small wave. She couldn't bring herself to stand and greet them, but luckily, they seemed to understand.

Lord Cassius, moving slowly closer to the cot with the others, was paler than them all combined. He didn't speak, only stared at his son with a stricken look on his white face. Sophie rolled her eyes and turned to her friends.

"I'm really, really sorry," Dex said. He cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Sophie said, sniffling. "Why wouldn't I be? He's alive. That's all that matters." She kept repeating the words to herself as she caught another glimpse of the boy in the bed. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. And she was grateful. Her heart was lighter than it had been before. But she'd thought, for a brief moment, that she'd woken him up completely.

"Yeah," Biana said, coming to stand next to Sophie and pulling her into a tight hug. "but everyone knows how close you guys are. That must have been so hard for you. We came in just in time to hear Mr. Forkle say that he's still not up," she added when she saw Sophie's confused face.

"They're not that close," Fitz said under his breath as he and the rest of their friends came to stand beside Sophie and Mr. Forkle.

Sophie ignored him. She didn't want to know what he'd meant.

"Are you really alright, Sophie?" Edaline asked, pulling Sophie into a hug. "We heard about Keefe, but by the time we went out to the pasture, you and Sandor were gone. We came as fast as we could." She rubbed Sophie's back soothingly.

Grady turned the hug into a family group hug, and Sophie smiled soggily into Edaline's shoulder.

"Let's get you home, kiddo," Grady said, pulling back and smiling sadly into Sophie's eyes. "It's been a long day." It had, but there was something she needed to do first.

Don't you need to give me the whole new ability lecture? Sophie transmitted to Mr. Forkle. He smiled.

No.

Her eyes widened.

You have proven yourself trustworthy. With the information about your biological mother, the Councilor Oralie's cache, and the alliance with the trolls, you have shown great worthiness.

Sophie's heart filled with pride. That, at least, was an accomplishment.

The only thing I will tell you is that you should keep your gloves on until I am able to arrange lessons with a Charger. The gloves should stop the energy from leaving your body, like enhancing. Does that make sense, Miss Foster?

Yeah. But, I have a question.

Yes?

If you trust me so much, can you tell me another of you identities? Preferably your main one? She knew she shouldn't be focusing on such trivial things with Keefe still out, but her curiosity would never be satisfied until she knew it all.

Ah. I should have known you would have squeeze as much out of those words as possible. He hesitated for a long moment, then nodded decidedly. I will. Not now. But come to my office in school tomorrow, and I will reveal an identity to you and all your many friends I know you're going to bring along. Does this satisfy?

Sophie was frozen for a moment. She had not expected that answer. Yes, she hurried to transmit, yeah, yeah, that's fine.

Mr. Forkle nodded. Don't be late.

"You kids," Sophie heard him mutter to himself with an affectionate smile and shake of the head, "always so dramatic."

And as she, Grady, and Edaline stepped into the light to take them back to Havenfield, after saying her goodbyes to her friends, she finally felt like everything might, one day, be alright.

Credits to @writingfractures for letting me use their charging idea. Go follow them and check out their books! They're awesome! Thanks for reading; please vote and comment!

- Total_KOTLC_Fan