Keeper of the Lost Cities Oneshots!

Nightmares (Tam x Reader)

I still felt the numbing sensation that came from the dark force. I prayed the price of being one of the only elves to control the 6th element. I never really slept, I was too afraid of the nightmares that came with sleep. The echoes left the most gruesome nightmares. I moved away from my family at a young age. I couldn't deal with their judgemental stares. They were both flashers, they didn't understand the pain I have to go through every day. But I don't need them anyway.

I hid in the shadows as I walked to school. I pulled my fingers through my messy h/c locks. I entered through the school doors and stayed in the shadows to my locker. I took out the books I needed and went to class.

At lunch, I took my food to the corner of the cafeteria to eat. I glared at anyone who dared to come to sit at my table. The echo made me see people as evil snakes, ready to strike. I flinched when someone sat down across from me. "Hey, y/n right?" The girl across from me asked. I nodded slowly, eyeing the girl. She had long straight black hair with silver tips. She had kind and sincere blue-grey eyes and she looked trustworthy. Only one way to check. I quickly grabbed her wrist tightly and closed my eyes to sense her shadowvapor. She was as trustworthy as she looked. "S-sorry I had to check something..." I mumbled letting go of her wrist and tucking a strand of my h/c hair behind my ear. What was the point of explaining? She wouldn't understand. She nodded and smiled. "I know, my brother can't trust anyone without a reading." She laughed. I blinked and looked at her. "My name is Linh by the way, it was nice meeting you." She said and walked off to the table she was originally sitting at. I was confused. Was her brother a shade?

Weeks later my shade mentor Lady Zillah asked me to come into her room after school, was I in trouble? I walked in to find Lady Zillah shouting at a boy that looked exactly like Linh, but for a guy. He was grunting as he struggled to control the shadowflux. I stared wide-eyed at the boy, he was a shade just like me. The shadowflux disappeared, refusing to be controlled by the boy. Lady Zillah sighed and looked at me. "Ah y/n, your finally here." She said and I walked closer to her. "This is Tam, he is struggling to control shadowflux. I am obviously not helping him since shadowflux never let me control it so I was hoping you could help him." She said. I looked at Tam and nodded. "I'm going to leave you guys alone so you could have someone on one time, be responsible."She said eyeing us. Why was she going to leave me alone with a boy I never met before. I gulped and nodded. She left and it was just me and Tam in the darkroom.

"So...." He started. I cracked my knuckles, a nervous habit I picked up and kicked the ground awkwardly. Well if I was going to teach him I might as well show him first. I called the shadowflux and it came down to my fingertips, ferociously dancing on top of them. He looked at me and then back at the shadowflux. "I'm sure you already know what t-this is," I mumbled. He nodded. "W-well, erm, it's kinda hard to tame you have to act confident a-and force it to give in to you," I explained quietly. "Well then why did it give into you?" He asked sarcastically crossing his arms in front of his chest. I stuttered and flushed. I let the shadowflux sink into my skin and become apart of me. Since I was sad when I let it sink into me now there is another sad shadowflux tattoo into my brain that will cause even more nightmares. "I-I don't k-know." I stuttered embarrassed. We sat in awkward silence for quite a bit of time. Tears welled in my eyes but I didn't dare let them spill.