Author's Note- Thanks for reading! This is a special (kinda short) chapter from only Sophie's perspective. Hope you like it!
As soon as the name became a thought, Gethen staggered back, severing the connection. Sophie couldn't be sure if it had been the password, or if he had been so genuinely taken back by the name that he lost his focus. Either way, she was relieved to be alone in her mind once again.
Gethen was standing there with a dazed expression, and she took the chance to slip away. She sought out Keefe, with the knowledge that he was very likely facing his mother.
When she finally spotted him, he was on his knees.
He then flew backwards, and she began to run.
A single word escaped his mouth, somehow echoing through the field, "Surrender!"
Sophie was only ten feet away from him now, but every step was a struggle. She felt the overwhelming urge to just give up, to freeze and put her hands up. She soon realized that that was what all of her friends were doing.
It must've been a command. But why would Keefe force them into a retreat?
She pushed the thought aside and focused on just taking one more step at a time. She had no idea how, but she resisted the order.
When she finally reached him, he was barely conscious.
She collapsed, reaching for his hand. Suddenly, the weight of the command became much lighter, and she found the ability to think straight. The downfall was that she was no longer numb, no longer oblivious to the reality of the situation.
Her emotions were overwhelming. She felt hopeless, defeated, and wholly responsible for everything.
Lady Gisela advanced, along with Gethen and Echo.
Sophie felt week and powerless, but also determined.
Keefe must've felt the same way, because he somehow found the strength to stand. Sophie followed him, pushing herself to her feet, their hands still intertwined.
Gethen looked confident, like he had finally determined his loyalties, while Echo's expression was unreadable.
Keefe coughed and began to say something, but Lady Gisela thrust a a hand out and he stopped in the middle of the command, falling to his knees, writhering in pain.
Sophie suddenly felt a gut wrenching pain, almost causing her to collapse.
That's when she realized that he hadn't ordered the surrender, his mother somehow had control of him and his ability.
Sophie was filled with rage, and felt an irresistible burning sensation on her tongue. A word surfaced in her mind, but any attempt to stifle it just intensified the fire.
Her instincts seemed to kick in. Not unlike inflicting, she gathered every fueling emotion; anger, pain, desperation and guilt. So much guilt. All of this agony and destruction, was all her fault.
The emotions seemed to put immeasurable strain on her mind, like someone was taking a sledge hammer to her already fractured mind.
But she pushed through it, giving Keefe's hand a gentle squeeze before letting one word escape her mouth, "VICTORY!" And that was it, she collapsed, her mind seeming to shatter into a million pieces. This was it.
Swan Song.