Sophie's POV:
"Glimmer" Sophie nodded, keeping her calm composure.
"So," Glimmer said, sitting down on her chair as she motioned for them to sit down on the bed. 'What do you need my help for?'
"How do you assume that we need your help?" Sophie asked, not sitting down.
"Well, you wouldn't bother coming this long if it wasn't something important, would you?" Glimmer questioned.
"Maybe I just came here to talk to you" she said simply.
"Okay then, talk" Glimmer crossed her legs, leaning back on her chair.
Sophie sat down on the bed, Tam beside her as she looked at her calmly. She had long ago learned that it was not good to rush what you wanted, instead taking your own sweet time to get it.
But unfortunately for her, she didn't have much time, so she needed to rush it as slowly as she can.
"I want to know what exactly happened to Keefe and how to wake him" She said
Glimmer cocked her head to one side. "And why do you think I would tell you that?"
"Because I believe you said that you've left the neverseen, joining the black swan instead, but yet you withhold information we seek," Sophie said calmly, leaning in to stare at her as she added, "I hope you know what switching sides really means. And keeping that hood on isn't helping you gain out trust:"
"Are you really gonna trust me if I tell you that?" She asked; and even though Sophie couldn't see her face it seemed as if she had raised her eyebrows
"Perhaps" Sophie replied
Glimmer was quiet for a while before she spoke, "Ok, I will tell you what happened to him"
"And how to wake him up" Tam added, but Glimmer ignored that part
"The shadowflux when mixed with the ethertine caused a chain reaction as such that will transform him, mainly his mind, and until he doesn't accept what is happening to him, he ill feel only pain," Sophie cringed at that but Glimmer continued, "and when he does accept it, it will send him into a deep coma"
"Oh" she breathed. It made sense now
"And how do we bring him out of this?" She asked
"Are you sure you wanna know that part?" Glimmer asked
Sophie nodded, bracing herself for the worst
"It will require a big sacrifice from you" Glimmer said
"Yes, just tell me" she replied
Another long pause from Glimmer and Sophie was starting to lose her patience when she finally started speaking
"You'll have to enter his mind and suck out the shadowflux from him as you inflict positive emotions while I do the same with the ethertine. Then Tam will have to extract the shadowflux from you after all of it is out of Keefe's system. It will be a very painful process, and you'll be unconscious for sometime after it, but it will awaken Keefe from his coma" Glimmer explained.
It took a few moments for the words to sink in, and when they did, that's when she fully understood what Glimmer was saying
"It will trigger her echoes!" Tam said
"Isn't there any other way?" Sophie asked, meeting Glimmer's eyes
"Do you really think that Lady Gisela would keep a way that is 'simple and easy'? I thought that after all this time you would've learned that that isn't her style. Its more like 'life-changing', 'game-shattering', and 'destructive'" she replied
"So its the only way?" Tam asked
"Yes" Glimmer replied curtly "Take it or leave it"
A million thoughts were running through Sophie's mind right now, but a few were louder than the others. She was snapped out of her spiraling thoughts by Tam standing up and grabbing her by the arm, leading her towards the door before she could react, yelling a quick "Thank you, Glimmer. Bye" over his shoulder.
Sophie exited the big metal door with that one thought repeating in her mind:
The process would be complicated, and take a huge toll on her, but she would do it
For Keefe
Sophie rubbed her temples trying to block out all the arguments going on around her. They had returned home that night after easily leaping back to Havenfield and had called an immediate meeting. Right now, Sophie, her parents, the Vackers, the Dizznees (minus the triplets, of course) Tam, Linh, Wylie, Marella, the collective, and the entire council was assembled in Havenfield's living room, debating on how to wake Keefe up.
So far Alden, Fitz, Councilor Emery, Councilor Alina, Councilor Velia, Councilor Ramira voted completely against it, saying it was unnecessary, while Granite, Biana, Dex, Wylie, Juline, Blur, Councilor Bronte, Councilor Terik, and Councilor Zarina thought that it was necessary and Edaline, Linh, Tam, Mr. Forkel, Marella, Kesler, Councilor Oralie, stood silently around the room, the other speaking in between only.
It was like watching a debate in between a society where they were trying to decide on weather to plant more tress for reducing global warming or not when the right option was clear but still they were 'voting' on it. Two opposite groups, shouting and yelling at eachother with a few people on neutral adding stuff in between for a completely logical and obvious thing all the whole while Sophie was sitting there on the stairs with her head in her hands. no joke.
She had already made her statement final, stating she will be going to the healing center tomorrow to try and wake up Keefe along with Tam and Glimmer, but no one seemed to want to hear what she had to say, arguing on and on instead.
The more she thought about what Glimmer said about waking Keefe up, the more sense it made. Of course, Lady Gisela wouldn't just keep it easy and simple, no, she will make it extremely complicated and have major consequences. She'll make it big. And Sophie was also pretty sure that this was the only possible way of waking Keefe up, so no matter what it took, she would do it. She knew that it will trigger her echoes, and she also had a feeling that something bad was going to happen during the process, but she had to do it. she had to wake him up.
Because he's a really good friend, she added in her mind, nothing more (someone help I'm dying by how oblivious she is!)
As the arguments grew louder, she got fed up and finally yelled, "Stop! just stop! arguing isn't gonna get us anywhere right now. and plus, we've gone over this already;" everyone stopped and looked at her as she continued, "I'm going to the healing center tomorrow, and waking Keefe up along with Glimmer and Tam no matter what and that is that." upon seeing that many of them were opening their mouths to argue again she added, "I know that you are concerned about my safety, and doubtful about this, but I've given a lot of thought about this and my decision is final. Do you think that I don't know the consequences of what will happen? Trust me, I do way more than any of you. I know that it will trigger my echoes, and I'm ready for it. Look, even if it was anyone else present in this room lying there in the healing center on a bed unconscious, I'd do the same. Please, I need you to trust me on this." she pleaded
For two whole minutes after this there was silence, and when she finally thought that they'd agreed with her, arguments broke out all along again. Sophie groaned, sitting back down.
Is this going to go on all night? she thought just as Edaline made her way towards her.
"Hey mom" she mumbled, giving her a small smile which she returned.
"sweetheart, are you sure you want to do this?" Edaline asked, sitting down beside her.
"Yes, mom, I do, and I just need you all to trust me this once" she turned around to face her mom fully, and Edaline just nodded in understanding.
Sophie winced as the arguments grew louder, and as Edaline reached for her hand, her mind flashed back to that moment just before the battle in Loamnore when Keefe had held hers the same way.
"I'm here for you" her mom whispered, squeezing her hand gently, to which she responded by squeezing back.
"Okay!" Edaline said loudly. "I guess we all agree that Sophie, Tam and Mr. Forkel have had a rough day and now need to rest. So why don't we wrap up this conversation for tonight and all go home and sleep?"
Sophie shot her a grateful look as everyone murmured their agreements and started taking out their leaping crystals.
Don't do anything tonight. We'll go tomorrow morning, understood? Mr. Forkel's voice transmitted into her mind from across the room, and she gave a small nod, averting her eyes from him, as he leaped away.
Biana and Dex came up to her and Edaline respectively left, giving them some time to talk alone
"So are you really going to do it tomorrow?" she asked. And as Sophie knew better than to lie, she just nodded
"Yeah, I have to" Biana nodded in understanding, giving her a small hug and whispering "Be careful. Goodnight" "I will. Good night" she replied as Biana joined hands with the Vackers and leaped away
"Will you be okay? Do you need me there tomorrow?" Dex asked
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't worry" she gave him a small smile and hugged him goodbye before he leaped away too.