The air in the room was heavy with apprehension. She could feel eyes on her, watching, waiting…but what for? It was silent aside from the dull throb of her pulse and the faint sound of someone tapping their finger across the room. It was difficult to focus on anything else; the consistent beat carried on like a metronome, ticking the seconds away. The more it beat, the more she thought herself mad.
In all her thinking she had failed to notice what lie before her. Desperate to make sense of what was happening around her, Cordelia outstretched her arms and found a warm body. The instant she grazed the layers of lace and silk, she knew it was her beloved. She wrapped her arms around Misty and held her close. Her hands frantically searched her face for signs of life. None. She leaned in closer and was grateful to feel soft breath upon her cheek.
"She's alive," Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief, "but something is not right. She's not conscious," she thought.
She felt more anxious the more she roused. There was something she was missing. Something she should know. It was right there in the back of her mind. She scanned frantically, praying for a solution, but how could she succeed when she didn't know what she was searching for? Her throat tightened as saliva pooled in the back of her mouth.
"Cordelia, you know this. Help her."
"You can't." another voice whispered in the back of her mind.
Heavy. Everything was heavy. The weight of Misty's body was becoming too much to bear. Cordelia pulled her closer, inhaling her locks. Suddenly, Misty's body evaporated in her grasp.
"This isn't happening. This isn't real," Cordelia told herself.
Cordelia groped the floor, searching for some sign of Misty. When she found the pile of ash before her, it became all too real. Her mind went blank, her body numb. She was gone—the light of her life, Misty Day, was gone. From the depths of her soul, Cordelia cried out to curse the world that had stolen from her its most precious of gifts.
"Her time is up," Myrtle casually exhaled.
"No, there's been some kind of mistake. This is my fault."
Cordelia's head spun and her stomach began to heave. Each spasm was a nail in Misty's coffin, causing her body to lurch and shudder. She awoke in a pool of sweat and disarray. She jumped out of bed and managed to stumble to the bathroom before emptying her stomach contents on to the floor. Breathless, Cordelia rested her head on the cold porcelain.
Misty rushed in to cradle her lover.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Misty cooed.
The sound of Misty's drawl was enough to bring Cordelia back to reality. She leaned in to her embrace and sighed.
Her hand grasped Misty's face, "You have to fail the Seven Wonders."