* trigger warning: part of this chapter isn't pretty *

I woke up with a start, sucking in air as all my muscles contracted. I shuddered, my breath fast as I shivered from the cold rush that had overtaken my body. Shifting my weight, I blinked while staring up at the dark ceiling, my heart hammering in my chest as though I'd run a marathon.

Finn stirred in bed beside me, letting out a deep breath. His arm was resting softly across my waist, loose enough for us both to be comfortable but ready to pull me against his bare chest at any moment.

My skin itched from whatever dream had raged through me, and like a turtle I slowly managed to slide out of Finn's grasp after taking the time to shift his arm by his side.

Sitting up I got out of bed, grabbing one of Finn's t shirts resting on a neat stack of his clean laundry. It felt particularly chilly, and with my brain buzzing, I walked out of the bedroom to the living room.

Flipping on a light, I took a seat on the couch, wrapping my arms around myself. My heart was still pounding, my lungs burning as my head swirled. What the hell had I been dreaming about?

Shaking my head, I stood up again and walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets, filling it with water. After taking a long sip, I turned around and headed back for the couch.

My meraki electrified me at once, the sensation so intense that I couldn't breath. The cup slipped from my fingers, glass shattering everywhere around my feet as I was plunged headfirst into another world entirely.

A flash of light blinded me before a multitude of color more beautiful than I'd ever seen before surrounded me, a melody playing in my ears that nearly brought tears to my eyes. In a single second that rainbow of existence fled away just as quickly as it had come, and I was standing alone in an overflowing thicket of trees and berry bushes.

It was evening wherever I was, the last flickers of light from the sunset licking the foliage of the trees to turn them to gold. Not a single bird sung or a branch stirred, the quietness of the place making goosebumps rise on my skin.

I walked forward, looking around the woods that appeared utterly empty. Why was I here? I didn't choose to come here on my own. Or perhaps my dream had related to this place and I didn't realize it?

A yell made me stiffen, a woman's scream of utter terror followed by more of her cries and shouts along with other male voices. My blood went cold, my heart racing in my chest as I broke out into a sprint.

Dashing through tree branches and over roots, I listened for the sound of the girl's voice, hearing her crying out for help as I slid down the muddy terrain. The forest wasn't like the one in Gabrian, wilder and thick with trees that made it harder to navigate through. I swallowed; if that girl was being chased it wouldn't be hard to catch her.

"Help me! Someone! Please!" Her voice became clearer and through the trees ahead I finally could see her. She ran straight in front of me, darting around bushes like a wild animal as she clawed through the leaves.

I couldn't help her I realized with a sickening twist in my stomach. In the trail of her wake, two men charged after her like hounds at her neck.

One grabbed a hold of her, the two of them tumbling onto the ground as she only screamed louder. The second man rushed towards them, on his knees as he tried to grab hold of one of woman's legs while the other man tried to pin down her shoulders.

"Help! Help me!" The girl yelled before a hand was slapped over her mouth, only making her struggle against them harder.

I was crying before I knew it, desperately trying to yank one of the men off her but when I went to grab him, my hand went through his body just like regular air. I wasn't there; she was alone to fight them.

Both men were working on their belts and trying to unzip their pants. The woman kicked one man away with her foot only to receive a vicious punch in the face from the other, her cry of pain only making me sob for her.

My meraki was stirring inside me and I tried to send it out to her, but nothing helped. The light from my palms only flowed around her but it didn't change anything about the situation. I was powerless, and I hated myself for it.

I prayed to Fate mercilessly; why was she showing me this? Why was I here when I couldn't do a thing to help her? Someone needed to save this woman, and why wasn't I allowed to help her? The goddess was making me watch and wouldn't let me touch any of them, and I begged for her to let the girl's pain end by getting rid of those men.

One man held the girl's hands above her head as the other compressed her legs into the dirt with his own, fingers busy at unbuttoning her jeans as she lied unconscious. They'd hit her again, this time harder so that she wouldn't struggle. I didn't know what to do, to look away or watch or try to leave. I couldn't leave her, but I didn't want to watch what I knew was coming.

A rustling in the trees made the two men stop, both turning their heads. I looked as well, watching as a dark figure emerged from the bushes. I couldn't tell what the person looked like, but they were of a medium height and the cloak around their shoulders hid any indication of their build.

The person was dressed in all black, watching the scene in front of them as their hands balled into fists.

"Wanna taste too, Sir?" One of the men joked, their two laughs ringing in my ears enough to make me wince.

Remaining still, the figure said nothing, only this time moving one hand underneath its coat to pull a long sword from their sheath. The blade burned orange with the setting sun, the metal fine and sharp as the person twirled in blade in their hand.

Both men jumped onto their feet, yanking out their swords as well. "Easy, buddy. Let's be smart about this. Two against one has low odds for you. Just back away and we'll forgive you."

"Don't you dare walk away." I said though I knew the figure couldn't hear me. "Don't you fucking dare."

As if the person had indeed heard me, they surged forward much faster than I thought possible. Blade slashing through the air at the speed of light, I watched in shock as with a single swipe both men were struck across the necks.

They choked, falling onto their knees as blood spilled down the front of their clothes. Their swords lying in the dirt, both eventually toppled face first onto the ground. One gave a final groan before going silent as the other managed to roll onto his back, gasping for air.

The figure stepped forward, flicking the blood off their blade onto the ground before coming closer to their kill. Sinking onto one knee, the person looked over the dying man without a word. Finally the figure reached up with their hand, yanking back the head of the cloak.

My eyes widened as I looked at her, under the thick jacket a stunning woman. She was beautiful, lovely in a strong, confident way that was different than anyway I'd seen before. Her dark hair was twisted up into a bun on the back of her head, brushed back cleanly so that only a few strands by her ear remained unrestrained. Her bright blue eyes looked down at the man without remorse, sliding her sword back into the sheath at her hip.

"Enjoy hell." She said before rising to her feet, her face like stone with her high cheekbones and strong nose.

The man shuddered before he slipped away, both men now dead on the ground and the powerful woman hardly looked phased.

She walked over to the unconscious girl, her jaw clenched as she crouched to take hold of both of her slack arms. With a grunt, the woman managed to haul the girl over her shoulder, standing to her feet while supporting them both.

"I've got you." She said under her breath, gritting her teeth as she began to walk the way she'd come. "Let's get you home."

As the woman walked away with the girl over her shoulder, my vision swirled and the scene around me began to evaporate. The forest started to bleed away, the sunset only blossoming into a brighter, more radiant light.

Trust her, a voice said inside my head and it rung through me like a booming bell. The world became watercolor around me, all shades of every color churning like a colorful ocean. I could practically smell the salt in the air, the rainbow sea rushing over me before it left me.

I was in darkness now, my eyes shooting open as I let out a cry of shock. Warm light ran over me as I shot up straight. I blinked, Finn's face hovering near mine as he kneeled in front of me.

"Kate? Baby? I'm here." He said, hands cupping my face. I shivered, closing my eyes as I rested my hands on the back of his. "You're ok. You're with me; you're safe. Honey, where did you go?"

I opened my eyes, looking into his as I sucked in a breath of air. With my heart hammering in my chest, I managed to nod my head, Finn's hands slipping down my body to wrap around my waist. He slid me off the couch onto his lap, cradling me against his chest.

"I'm fine..." I said, relaxing into Finn's strong embrace.

"You're shaking, Kate." He replied as if to challenge me on my statement.

"I don't know where I was. In the woods somewhere. Two men were chasing this woman... they tried to rape her."

"I'm sorry." Finn said softly, running his hand up and down my back.

"She was unconscious... it was so awful." I shuddered, "but they didn't... go through with it. A woman saved her, someone I didn't recognize but I know she's important. Finn, I think I'm going to meet her soon."

"Why do you think that?"

"A voice in my head that wasn't mine said I should believe her, whatever that means. But, why bother with showing me her or saying something like that if she wasn't going to become a part of my life? I don't know her name or where in Ordinem she is, but sometime soon I'll find her or she'll find me. What could Fate possibly have in mind for me now?"

Finn only shook his head as he took a breath, placing a kiss on the side of my temple. Still holding me, he stood up on his feet before letting me stand on the ground as well. After waiting a moment to see if I was steady on my own, he held my hands in his. "I can't tell you what Fate has in mind because she's the only one who will ever know. I think that this is only the beginning for you, Kate. There's still Noxia and Lucifer left to deal with now with Penelope. We have more work to do, and form your demonstration the other day, Fate has you front and center. I'll be beside you the entire way no matter what."

I gave him a soft smile as he kissed my forehead, walking around me to see to all the glass that littered his kitchen floor.