It was over.
They were gone.
Of all the moments in time she wished she could reverse, this one surpassed them all.
A chilled November wind sent a shiver down Avery York's spine, and she hugged herself tighter, trying to ignore the pain.
Which pain? The biting cold on her hands where she could no longer feel her fingertips? Or the throbbing within her chest that was slowly tearing her heart apart?
What have I done?
If she was smart, she would've already changed into something furrier by now, but the mere thought of shape-shifting made her physically ill. Not only was she suffering from what was likely hypothermia, but her mind was trapped. Stuck in a void that was the moment she couldn't return to.
There was no going back.
It was done.
Her boots slowly shuffled along the cement sidewalk as she dragged her body forward. A frost-tipped leaf twirled in front of her arms, floating in the air before a breeze pushed it sideways towards the edge of the lake. It dropped suddenly, catching in a crevice between two large boulders, before another breeze lifted it up and carried it over the water. The leaf sank through the air, landing on the surface of the lake and sending tiny ripples to the shore.
Where am I?
Lifting her azure eyes, Avery couldn't recognize her surroundings. How long had she been walking? Heavy clouds rolled overhead, a gust of frozen wind marking the coming of winter. Her normally acute nose was stuffy and cold, and her eyes were blurred with tears. The plume of white air in front of her mouth was the only sign that she was warm enough to keep breathing.
It's my fault they're gone…it's my fault.
The anthem played over and over, giving her no relief from her thoughts. Her trembling body was moving. To where, she didn't know, but her weary mind could at least focus on that – movement. Away from there. Away from that place, from that tower.
The Tower.
Everything had started and ended for Avery in the Titans Tower. The place she had found a real family. The place she had called home. The place she had discovered what falling in love felt like.
But now?
It was gone.
All of it.
I knew I couldn't trust him, but everything he said sounded so true…
"That liar!" Avery screamed, her curled hand slashing at the air in front of her body. A spark of fury lit in her gut, calling forth the powers within her veins. The motion brought a gust of air sweeping against the cement and any debris nature had left behind was immediately ignited. Startled, Avery jumped back. She had momentarily forgotten that her powers extended beyond normal shape-shifting. Wind and fire were also at her beck and call.
She shook her head.
No…not ever again. I'm never using those powers again.
Try as she might, Avery could not erase the images from her mind. The flames surrounding the base of the Tower, a fire she had put there…the windows shattering as the flames climbed higher…the screams from her teammates trapped inside…the monster that had convinced her to –
Avery halted, her hands grasping the sides of her head.
No! No, stop, please…
"Please make it stop," she sobbed quietly, the tears freezing as soon as they left her eyes. Her whole body shuddered as Avery collapsed to her knees. The cold air was welcoming, and helped numb the pain that coursed through her.
"I'm sorry," she cried, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I'm so sorry."
Slowly, her vision faded to black.