TW: death, gore, severe injury.

"This is where you lived?" Dex asked as we walked up to the front door. I only nodded, silenced by how empty and lifeless it looked. It used to be so cozy, small but big enough for our family of four. Now it was gloomy with graffiti covering it and broken windows. The house of tragedy.

We had teleported to San Diego, right in front of my childhood home, as soon as Forkle told us we needed my parents' journal from there. He came with, which I wasn't too thrilled about but we need him.

I was shocked to find my home so abandoned and empty, but it made sense I guess. Almost an entire family was murdered there, and people are scared of ghosts. Scared they'd be vengeful, when my family never would be. Only against the Neverseen.

I walked up the front steps slowly, our seasonal welcome sign still on the door from that day. The only difference from then and now was the chipping paint, and the new spray paint spelling out different words. Many were in red.

We're still here.

I gasped at the three words written across the bottom of the door. The red paint dripped like blood, the blood of my parents and sister that the Neverseen spilled. My blood that the Neverseen spilled.

I jumped at the feeling of something touching my arm, turning to only see Dex with a worried expression.

"It's just some psycho's idea of a sick prank. Don't let it bother you." He reassured me.

After being reminded that he was with me, I turned to find Forkle, seeing him still on the driveway.

"Are you not coming in?" I asked. I didn't so much like Forkle at that moment, but I still wanted more people to go into my home with. I didn't want it to just be Dex and I.

He shook his head. "You kids can handle it yourselves. I need to make sure nothing happens out here."

I was confused, what would happen out there? Did he think someone would think we're breaking in? From the appearance of the windows, it looks like plenty of people have done it before. Or... did he think the Neverseen might show up?

I didn't wait around to ask, opening the front door with its broken lock and stepping in.

The layout was exactly the same as I remembered, the floorboard behind the door still slightly creaky when you step on the left side, even the furniture was still there, though it was definitely the home of many bugs and rodents.

I walked over to my couch slowly, the vintage wallpaper peeling off above it, square TV against the wall across the room. Still broken from that night, after my family died, when their killers—the Neverseen—celebrated by trashing my house.

Maybe it wasn't a celebration though, as I'd thought all my life. Maybe they were looking for the journal. The one I know they didn't get.

"Are you okay?" Dex asked next to me, his hand on my shoulder. I jumped slightly, wiping traitorous tears off my cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"Are you sure? If you don't feel comfortable doing this, you can just tell me where to look and go outside with Forkle." I appreciated his concern, but I need to do this. I need to face this myself.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I can do it." I squared my shoulders and continued on.

I walked down the hallway, passing by my bedroom. Seeing it was like walking through a memory turned into a nightmare. I just shook my head and continued on. I didn't want to see it, couldn't see it if I needed to stay focused. It would be hard enough to get the journal.

I closed my eyes as I walked through the door. I didn't want to see it, didn't know if I could. I blindly reached out for Dex's hand, he grabbed mine and squeezed. As soon as he was next to me I opened my eyes.

The bloodstain was still on the ground. Right next to the crib. I couldn't stop the tears from leaking out this time, the horrible feeling of my stomach getting torn apart.

I was standing in the center of the doorway, blocking Dex, but I couldn't move. My feet were weighed down to the spot, my eyes stuck on the stain. I didn't want Dex to see this, to see this part of my life, my history.

"It's okay." Dex whispered beside me, his voice blending with the thumping in my chest and silence in the air. "Take your time. I'm here for anything you need, Soph."

I hardly even managed to nod, the slight dip in my chin was a struggle. I just tried to focus on breathing, the shallow rise and fall of my chest, but that was a struggle too. I squeezed Dex's hand for reassurance, his presence steadying and grounding me.

Eventually I took a small step, then another, deeper into the room. Closer to the stain of my family.

I heard Dex gasp, but I just kept walking towards the crib. I braced myself before shoving it to the side, disturbing the memory of the room, the last place my family saw.

I moved the rug that had laid beneath it, covering the blood that felt like it was watching my every move. The floorboards were undisturbed until I pried one up. The ground underneath was empty, nothing there.

I grabbed the white wooden stick from the bottom of the crib, the one placed there by my parents for the last time so many years ago. I lowered it, then my arm. I reached toward the door under the floorboards, until the stick brushed against something. I moved the tip to the other side of the object, then started dragging it back until it was close enough to grab and pull out.

The leather bound journal was exactly the same as I'd remembered, I noticed as I put every ring back in place, perfectly.

I could still hear Amy's cries when my parents showed me this. They told me it would be important for me to know, but to never, ever, touch it without their permission. And never tell anyone. So I didn't. I kept that information hidden.

Guess they were right, that it was important for me to know. The journal would've been lost without it.

And all of my dad's training, he knew I would need it to be stronger, be ready for when they died.

They prepared me for everything. Everything but these powers.

I flipped through each page, not reading them, just looking. Looking at my parents' handwriting, their sketches. When I went through the entire book, I flipped it closed, staring at the cover.

My Moonlark

I traced my finger against the engraved words.

"Do you want to stay here for a bit?" Dex asked. I jumped, forgetting that he was there.

"No." I cleared my throat when the word hardly came out. "No, let's go. We need to get this to Mr. Forkle."

I let him lead the way out, back to our manager's side.

"We got it." My cousin announced. Mr. Forkle perked up.

"Can I see it?" I passed it over and he traced the cover just as I did.

"This is it." He told me. He looked really, truly happy. Happier than I'd ever seen before. "All of your parents' hard work and research. Everything they did for you, for this world. Their Moonlark."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, my throat dry. I didn't even know if I wanted to know.

"Sophie." I turned to my cousin, where his voice sounded strained.

Panic clouded my senses as I saw him. Saw them.

The Neverseen.

"Let him go!" I shouted. One of them, I didn't know which one, couldn't remember, was holding my cousin, a knife pressed to his neck. The figure just laughed and put it closer.

I tried to use my powers, do anything, but it wasn't working. Right when I actually needed those stupid powers, they didn't work.

I felt something nudge into my side. The book. I grabbed it, and faster than I could blink, Mr. Forkle had a gun pulled out and had it aimed. I screamed as he moved to the trigger. Only, he didn't get to pull it.

The gun fell to the ground as Mr. Forkle got grabbed, as he got a knife to the throat as well. I backed up from both, not able to breath, not able to think. Because, despite it all, despite everything I went through, everything it took to escape, they found me again. And not just me, but Dex, and Mr. Forkle. Now they would both die because of me, because my dumb powers weren't doing anything for once.

I screamed as I backed into something, turning to see another Neverseen member. I scrambled back before he could grab me, turning to see more behind me, more everywhere. I was surrounded. I turned as one of them spoke.

"Nice to see you again, Sophie. Now, we've actually been looking for that journal of yours. Care to hand it over?" Alvar. I backed away, only to scream again as two familiar arms wrapped around me, holding me in place. The arms from the cave, I was sure of it.

I struggled and kicked and flailed as Alvar walked over and pried the journal from my fingers. I kicked at the guy holding me, kicking his knees and shins and trying to hurt him in any way possible. He slammed his fist into the front of my neck, making me cough and gasp for air.

"Hold. Still." He growled into my ear. Gethen.

My head turned wildly, looking, scanning for anything to help, when I noticed a couple of people across the street. I screamed as loud as possible in their direction.

"Help!" I shouted. "Help us, please!" My eyes widened as they kept walking. Why did they keep walking? Why didn't they notice us?

Alvar only laughed.

"They can't see, or hear you, Sophie." He said it like I was stupid.

"How? That's not possible." My voice cracked from the hit to the throat I'd taken.

"But it is. I'm not dumb enough to explain it to you, but our technology is much more advanced than you know." I could practically feel his evil grin from under his hood and mask.

They couldn't see us. Nobody can see us. Nobody is going to help us, and my powers still aren't working, and I'm trying to fight against a grown man who's holding my hands to my sides and there's nothing I can do to stop them, nothing I can do to save my cousin, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing-

My breathing was too rapid, I was aware enough to notice that, but I couldn't slow it. Not when I knew they were going to take me again, and this time I wouldn't get away, this time I wouldn't escape. I was subjecting my cousin to these horrors, this pain. They would kill him. Kill him to hurt me. I can't see him die, I can't see anyone else die. My vision is fuzzy, I can't see, why is it fuzzy? I need to save him, I need to save him.

A feminine scream rang out, but it wasn't from me. I was shocked it wasn't from me, and it was enough to snap me out of my spiral in time to watch the lady holding Dex explode. Explode. She... exploded.

Dex got thrown forward to the ground as her skin splattered onto the ground, spreading about twenty feet from where she was standing. Her guts and insides were next, painting the sidewalk with her blood as her bones shattered and muscles tore apart to be thrown in the mess. I could only see Dex because of the obvious lump on the ground, but he was covered in that lady. She exploded.

I can explode things. And I lost control, which leads to me losing control of my powers. I can explode things, and lost control. I made her explode. I killed her.

"UMBER!" The man holding Mr. Forkle roared. Suddenly, too quickly for me to comprehend, I was against the outer wall of my house, pain spreading throughout my body as I dropped two floors onto the cement of my driveway.

I cried out, hardly able to move from the pain in my bones and skin and muscles. My head pounded as lights and objects swirled above me.

It felt like wind. It felt like wind blew me from Gethen's arms and into my house. But that wasn't possible, wind wasn't that strong. Not unless... he controlled it.

I tried to move, but I couldn't feel my hands in order to push myself up. When I tried to get my legs under me, they only shook in pain. I tried to even just twist my head, look to the Neverseen, see if Dex and Mr. Forkle were still safe, but all it did was make me want to throw up.

My body became incredibly light as I felt the wind lift me off the ground, My limbs fell to my sides. I let the calm of it wash over me, the exhaustion flood me, as I let my eyes close.

What was I doing? Where am I?

I gasped as my body was thrown aggressive into something hard, as my back and head connected first. Wetness dripped down my cheeks uncontrollably as my body was lifted off the wall—my childhood home's wall, I remembered—then slammed into it again. I slid down it gently to the ground, my head being held up by whatever force kept hold of me.

"SOPHIE!" I heard a familiar voice shout loudly, too loud as I winced, then winced again at the pain of the movement. I opened my eyes slowly, and remembered everything.

"Dex." I hardly even whispered, pain coursing through my shattered body. His feet, they weren't on the ground. He was up in the air, clawing at his throat. His face was turning purple. But nothing was holding onto him. I saw the same guy who threw me into the wall standing in front of him, hand extended towards my cousin.

He wasn't letting go.

My arm was suddenly out in front of me, and that man was flying away, straight into a light pole. Straight through the light pole. He didn't get up.

I was tired again, my arm roaring in pain as it fell back to the ground. I had no strength left, only enough energy to watch as Mr. Forkle started attacking everyone.

That can't be right, he's too fat for karate.

Everything went black as Dex ran toward me.

Lights were really, really, bright.

It was all I could focus on as my eyes opened, but they were quickly blocked out.

"Sophie?" My cousin asked. I tried to prop myself up but couldn't, my entire body wasn't able to move. It was like my limbs weren't connected. I wanted to worry about it, but I couldn't find the energy. My eyes shut again, but I didn't pass out.

"How are we going to get back?" My cousin asked. Get back? We must've still been in San Diego, meaning I wasn't passed out for long. But there was no way I'd be able to teleport. "She needs help. She's bleeding all over."

"I have an idea, but you're going to have to carry her a little ways." I listened to their clothes rustle, opening my eyes a bit as my body was lifted off the ground by my cousin's arms. He held me gently to his chest, but I still whimpered in pain at the movement.

"It's going to be okay." He told me softly. "We're going to get you home and get you help." I only blinked once, unable to talk or move. I felt him start to walk as I drifted off again.

"What is this place?" I heard my cousin's voice as I woke up again. This time, I was able to open my eyes and keep them open. I saw Dex's face above me, and a ceiling. I was able to turn my head slightly, with pain but it still moved. It looked like we were in some warehouse. There were boxes all over, no windows, and a set of stairs across the room going up.

"Blackswan headquarters. At least, in San Diego. Our best doctor, who you will call Physic, is located here. She'll arrive soon to help Sophie. Although, Sophie might be helping herself already." They both turned their attention to me, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I turned my head to Mr. Forkle, with less pain.

"What?" Was all I managed to get out, the word scratching my throat.

"I was right." His eyes widened in surprise, in awe. I'd never seen Mr. Forkle be positively surprised by anything.

"Right about what?" My cousin asked, saying what I had wanted to but couldn't.

"Her parents gave her the ability to heal quickly, among her other abilities, along with being able to heal injuries that wouldn't typically be able to be helped. Such as that shattered spine you got."

I felt my face go numb as Dex stiffened. Shattered spine, that would paralyze me in a best case scenario. I... I was paralyzed. But now I can move. Slightly, and with pain, but I can do it.

"Shattered spine?!" Dex exclaimed. "Is she going to be okay? I don't think we should trust your 'Physic,' Sophie needs a real doctor." I could feel him start to freak out. My hand shook as I lifted it, and it took a while to raise it all the way, but I rested it on his shoulder.

"Breathe, Dex. It's okay. I can move. It's going to be fine." I turned to Mr. Forkle hesitantly. He only nodded, all that I needed. "We can trust them. My parents did, we can too." I felt the rise and fall of his chest slow against my side.

"Okay." He agreed, continuing to follow Mr. Forkle.

We walked farther into the warehouse and reached a table, where Dex was instructed to lay me down. I shivered against the cold metal surface.

We didn't have to wait long before footsteps thundered down the stairs.

"I'm here! I'm here!" A smooth, feminine voice exclaimed. "I got here as fast as I could, there was construction on my usual path-" She cut off when she saw me. "Oh, dear, so many are broken."

Dex and I both side-eyed each other in confusion at her behavior.

"Sorry!" She quickly perked up again. "I'm Physic, it's so nice to see you again, Sophie, even under these circumstances. It looks like you're healing already though, because Forkle told me it was much worse." She walked closer until she was right beside me, examining my limbs.

"See me again? I don't remember you." I said, wondering how I knew her. I'm sure I'd remember someone so... eccentric.

She had warm brown skin with long box braids that looked like they had glitter weaved in them. She was wearing a mask that was very Mardi Gras styled, and also had a lot of glitter on it. Her clothes didn't at all match, like she threw on the mask in a hurry without having planned it, so I knew it was to disguise her identity.

She dug in her bag for something. "Yes, I helped with your creation. And, I also helped you get over a severe allergic reaction when you were... nine, I believe. Ah, I found it." She pulled a vial that looked like it had diarrhea in it. "Drink this."

I felt my nose scrunch in disgust. "No thanks, I'm good. Not really thirsty, or hungry, or whatever you need to be to consume that." She rolled her eyes playfully.

"You need to drink it. Trust me, it's not nearly as bad as it looks. The texture is weird, but otherwise fine. And it's to help you heal. Although your cells and bones can regenerate very quickly, it will also be very painful for you when it progresses more. This is to take away the pain, and give your cells more energy to get this going quicker. I also need to set some of your bones before they heal like this, so I'd strongly recommend taking it for that pain."

I hesitantly reached for it, then plugged my nose and chugged it as quickly as possible. As soon as it was all down, I wanted to vomit. It was disgusting. Not only did it look like diarrhea, but it tasted like it, too.

"I thought you said it wasn't as bad as it looked?" I coughed and sputtered, trying to get the taste off my tongue.

"Yeah, it's not as bad as it looks. It's still bad though. I had to get you to drink it some way." I glared, but my face eased as pain that I hadn't even noticed went away. I relaxed all my muscles and took a deep breath, giggling slightly at the feeling.

"What did you do to her?" Dex asked as I turned to him with a lazy smile, giggling again at his serious face.

"It's like giving her hospital drugs for pain, so she's going to be a little loopy for awhile. Like she's tipsy. If I could get rid of that side effect, I would, but it would take away from its desired effects."

I screamed at a sudden pain and pop in my leg. It wasn't too bad though, more just an unexpected and unpleasant feeling

"Sorry!" Physic exclaimed. "I find it's usually better to start without warning."

I braced myself for the next pops that shook away the giddy, drunk feeling. But not entirely as I giggled at the funny crunching sound.

Physic was done in only a few more minutes, which was such a relief. She left after telling me to rest until I could move without pain.

Naturally, I waited for about ten minutes. I used them to answer my questions.

"The journal?" I asked first, needing to know more importantly than anything. I knew my answer as I saw their faces.

"I'm sorry, Miss Foster. We weren't able to get it back. But that's alright, because we'll figure it out. You're our first priority anyway. We needed to get you to safety." I nodded gently.

"And, are you two... okay? Were you hurt bad?" Dex shook his head.

"Not at all, thanks to you." He turned to Mr. Forkle excitedly. "Did you see the way she flung that guy into the light pole without even touching him?! That was awesome!" His eyes gleamed, and I wish it were for anything but this. "What even was that?"

"Telekinesis." Mr. Forkle answered. Dex continued to rant about my powers, and how Mr. Forkle beat up and karate chopped all those Neverseen members, but I tuned him out.

So, after those ten minutes, I was bored out of my mind. I stood up, faked being pain free, and hid my limping and stiffness as we walked out of the warehouse. As soon as we were outside, I levitated us up then dropped us down into the void.

It was nerve wracking, doing it without being in that trance and unsure if it would work, but it did. I just pictured Mr. Forkle's hobbit hole, and that crack split open then we were there.

As soon as I dropped him off, I left without a goodbye, just wanting to get Dex and I home. Safe. Because I put him in danger today. He could've died, he was choked and suffocated, because of me. Because I took him with me, because he's my friend and cousin. Because I hurt everyone around me.

I almost got him killed like my parents. My fault, all of it. That he had to experience that, that he had to know that fear. That he had to watch me injured so harshly. I just knew he felt that helpless feeling of not being able to stop them from hurting me, and I knew that was worse for him than any pain they caused him.

He hated seeing me hurt, and hated even more not being able to help. I hated myself for everything I put him through.

I controlled our landing, making our feet hit softly on the grass in front of our houses. But I was so tired. As I walked outside from the warehouse, I felt exhaustion pulling me down. Then, after teleporting Mr. Forkle, it got even worse. I had barely had enough energy for the final trip, for that soft landing.

I dropped to the ground, my head spinning with the rest of the world.

"Sophie?" Dex knelt next to me. I whimpered at a pain shooting down my spine.

"Tired." I whispered to Dex, letting all my muscles finally relax, letting my body drop. I knew Dex would take care of me as I went unconscious. He always has.

~~~

My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light. I leaned into whatever was stroking the side of my head, like it was brushing away all the pain. I closed my eyes again, calm and happy. At peace.

"Foster?" A familiar voice whispered. "I know you're awake." The caresses stopped, moving to my neck where I started getting tickled. I jolted, opening my eyes and smacking the hand away from me.

I rolled over to where Keefe was sitting upright in my bed, next to where I was laying down. I nuzzled my face into his side, throwing my arm over him and curling my legs up. I closed my eyes again.

I dozed off for a while before Keefe woke me up with gentle whispers and a kiss to my forehead. I begrudgingly opened my eyes, lifting my head up so another kiss that was directed for my forehead instead met my lips.

Keefe cupped the side of my face with his hand, rolling over slightly. I flattened myself into the mattress as he hovered slightly above me. I trailed my fingers up his neck, across his cheeks and into his hair.

We broke apart slowly, both smiling and staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"Dex told us that you teleported." I snapped out of my kissing frenzy immediately at my cousin's name.

"Oh. So that's one way to change the topic." He laughed at my disappointment.

"Sorry, Foster, but I'm afraid we can't kiss forever." I shrugged from where I was still under him.

"Sounds pretty great to me." He laughed again and my heart warmed at the sound. I let them get to Dex, and it won't happen again. But I'll never, ever let them have the chance to get to Keefe. Or any of my other friends.

After a moment, he asked what happened after I teleported, since Dex didn't tell him, so I explained the entire story. Except, without Alvar. I also left out some details of my injury, making it a lot less dramatic than it was. I just didn't want to worry Keefe. I also left out how I killed Umber. I made her explode into just some mush on the sidewalk. I killed her, I killed someone. Actually, truly killed a person.

His only response was to wrap his arms around me, his hand holding my head to his chest. He kissed my forehead again, which snapped me out of my spiral.

"I'm so glad you're okay now. Please, don't ever do that again." I could hear the roughness in his voice, the sadness he was trying to bury. So I nodded, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that promise.

We decided to go downstairs after a couple minutes, where Keefe told me the rest of our friends were. They heard the thunder from my teleporting and ran over here from the Vackers' house as quickly as possible.

"Sophie!" Biana shouted, launching out of where she was sitting on the couch next to Tam. Seeing his glare made all my memories of what had just occurred early that day resurface. It didn't feel like it was still the same day, but it had hardly even been a few hours.

I backed away when she got near me, my blood turning cold. My powers work to hurt my friends, but not protect them. That's what I'd learned. They flow out of me so easily when I'm upset and it's just people I care about nearby, but when I actually need to take somebody down, when I need to stop someone from hurting people, they don't work.

I can't control it. I just don't want to hurt her again.

She noticed my step back and instantly stopped approaching.

"I don't blame you, Sophie." She told me, a small smile on her face. "I'm not mad at you, I don't blame you. I know this has to be hard, everything you're going through." I didn't even notice that she started walking towards me again until I was wrapped in a tight hug. My muscles and bones tightened painfully. "I just want you to let me in. Let me know what's happening, let me help."

I let out a sob as I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I whispered. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough, but it was all I could say, all I could manage to get out.

"It's okay. Don't apologize." She told me, gently stroking my back. I lifted my head up as Dex walked over.

"I only told them about the teleporting part." He told me. "So if you want, you can tell them the rest. If you don't want to, you don't have to." I shook my head, wiping my face.

"No, I need to. I want them to know everything, not just what happened today."

We walked back over to the couches and chairs. I sat down, in between Keefe and Dex, and told them almost everything. I still couldn't bring myself to talk about Alvar. Not after the threats, not with what it would do to my friends. Not yet.

They just sat and listened through everything. Through the details of my kidnapping, the events of today. They didn't talk through any of it, and I kept my head down, not wanting to see their faces of pity. I felt Dex elbow me slightly as I glossed over the details of my injury, but he didn't correct me.

"I'm sorry." I turned to the voice that said it, surprised to see Tam with shiny eyes. "I shouldn't have been so rude to you earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you." He turned to Biana, who nodded before he kept going. "You've gone through so much already and I just made it worse. I'm really, really sorry, Sophie."

"I don't blame you." I said. "You didn't know about the powers, I had just... hurt Biana, you had every right to yell at me."

"No, I didn't. Don't try to put me in the right, you didn't deserve me making you feel like a monster. You didn't mean to hurt her, so I shouldn't have yelled at you." I only nodded, not knowing how to respond.

I felt Keefe's hand snake around my waist, tugging me into him gently.

"Can we stop talking about this now?" I asked. "It's been a really long day, I just want to hang out and relax now." All my friends agreed, so we turned on some old romcom.

I cuddled in closer to Keefe, throwing my legs over his lap. He pulled me even closer, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my hairline.

I smiled. It felt rare for me, these days. Having a real, genuine smile. But I felt peaceful and happy. Safe and comfortable with my friends.

I heard the front door open and close, with the jingle of keys as Grady and Edaline got back from whatever their job was. My mom peaked in.

"Sophie." She said gently, walking obed and shoving Dex out of the way to sit next to me. "I heard the news, how are you feeling?" I felt all the blood drain from my face immediately.

"What news?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Did you not hear? People think that your... kidnapping was a publicity stunt." I felt relief was over me, but then I panicked again.

She didn't know about my little trip today, but I had forgotten about that. And if my mom saw the news, that meant it was spreading quickly, getting a lot of views.

Why does everything have to go wrong?

I groaned and slumped into my mom's side, covering my face with my hands.

"It'll be okay." She told me. "We'll figure it out."

Screw my life.

okay so as promised, a nice long chapter. i hope you all enjoyed it, and threw in some sokeefe after depriving you for so long. the next chapter is pretty much sokeefe entirely, so get excited for that!

Avery, out ->

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