Episode Seven, Part 6:
G o o d b y e

So what's the past for? I'll need it if love don't last long. 
You can run around infinite in my head. 

Wynn eventually made his way over to the Quarters, struggling with his balance for the first few steps after having been motionless for so long. He could feel the somber gazes from everyone he knew as walked inside: Joren, Bianca, Fenn - but he couldn't get caught up in what they were all thinking. 

He turned into the map room, knocking on the open door to get the attention of the two Sovereigns. 

"Wynn," Dreea breathed out into a smile, relieved to see him there. "Come in," she said, gesturing for him to shut the door behind him. 

"...You alright?" Kodiak was nervous to ask, slowly drawing his eyes upwards at the boy, showing him that all three of them were carrying around the same emptiness. 

Wynn shrugged. "Are any of us?" 

"Understood," Dreea murmured, gathering that they weren't ready to confront their feelings. "I'm guessing that if you're here, you've figured it out?" She looked at Wynn. 

He nodded - the silence encouraging them to continue. Truthfully, he just didn't want to give too much away. He was worried that they would be furious at him for leaving or blame him for what happened to Sol, but they couldn't have been more gentle towards him. 

"You know you were Riv's Nominated and what that constitutes," Kodiak said. "If you're willing to honour her decision in choosing you by rightfully taking her place, then we'll back you up one hundred percent. We'll make sure you get everything you need to be able to do this: the best training, all our knowledge and the history of Basilisk - whatever you need." 

"But if you don't feel like you can do it, if it's too much to bear after everything that's happened to you these last few weeks, then that's okay," Dreea said. On the table in front of them, she grabbed onto his hand briefly - squeezing to show her sincere communion. Knowing how impassive and unfeeling she always was to everyone except Kodiak and Sol, Wynn understood the weight of her action - how she truly would allow herself to repose around him. 

"They'll be no judgement either way." She assured him. 

"Thanks," Wynn nodded earnestly. "But I want to do it," he confessed. "For Sol." 

Kodiak smiled tenderly, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. 

"Then I guess..." He glanced over at Dreea as if for confirmation to say it. She nodded, doing her best to return the smile. 

"You're a Sovereign, Wynn." 

///// 

Sol caught a glimpse of the room she was in, trying desperately not to let her eyes close and pull her back into the visions; the only reason she knew that it was real was because it was a place she had never been before - one that her memory couldn't possibly have fabricated. 

She could feel the serum as it travelled through her veins, pulsing waves of fear and terror throughout her body, causing her to jerk suddenly against the cold, metal surface.  But there was something else she could sense - a set of warm hands that continuously pulled her raven hair out of her face, seemingly stroking her head, soothing her as she thought against the Phases. 

"It'll be over soon," the person whispered to her. It was a voice that was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't latch onto a strong enough memory to realise that it was Chessca. 

"This pain you're feeling," the girl said, "you won't remember it. Just let the vision in and let it consume you. It's the last one, I promise you." 

Willing to do anything to get the visions over with, Sol listened to the girl's words, letting her eyes roll back and drifting into the final state of The Alteration. 

/////

Sol woke up feeling empty - like there was a part of her missing. She groaned, raising a hand up to her head as she tried to force her eyes open. They were almost stuck together - like dried tears had tried to keep her from seeing again, but she managed to open them nonetheless. 

There was a bright light shining down on her, blinding her as she pushed herself to sit up. As she moved to run her hands through her hair, one of them felt a sudden tug, and she looked down to see that she was chained down to the metal table. Unable to come up with an explanation, Sol began to panic, looking around the room to see if anyone was there. 

But amid her hurried breaths, she came to a halt, trying to figure out who she was looking for... There wasn't a single name reaching her tongue; not a face she could picture in her mind except her own, but she wasn't even aware that it was her. 

"What the hell am I?" Sol muttered to herself, scanning the room for anything that could answer her question. There was a tray-table a few feet away from her that had several objects that she thought could free her hand from the restraint. Struggling at first to figure out the best way to reach it, Sol turned so she was on her hands and knees, stretching her leg out and pulling the tray forward with her foot. 

She almost knocked it over as the turned back around, but she managed to keep it stable, hurrying to reach for the scalpel and twisting it through the lock on her chain. Her panic wasn't making it any easier for her to get herself free, and she managed to pierce her skin several times, causing blood to trickle down her arms. 

"Damn it," she muttered, refusing to let the sting interrupt her. 

There was a sudden click that caught her attention; she couldn't determine whether it came from the lock on her wrist or the door that was several metres away to her side, now opening. 

Afraid at who might be coming in, Sol tucked the scalpel under her leg, covering her bleeding skin with her other hand as she watched three people enter. 

"You're awake," one of them said. She had long, black hair that was dead straight - seemingly not a hair out of place, and a cold look in her eyes despite the relief on her face. 

There was a man following behind her; he seemed tired, but like it was a permanent feature of his, and the beard on his face was unkempt and heavily greying. Behind him, the second girl walked in. She seemed nervous in their presence, but there was something comforting about the way she looked at Sol. 

She couldn't help but wonder if she knew her, or if she was here to help. 

Knowing that they were waiting for a response, she asked the words that kept running back to her mind; the words she knew she shouldn't have ever had to ask... 

"Who am I?" 

Seven // Part Six
You're a Sovereign, Wynn.

I'm so excited what this revealed for both Sol and Wynn! 1 chapter left.

30/04/20