Clara closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down with meditation. The heat of the fire danced on her skin as it colored her closed eyelids a blood orange, beckoning her to open them. She couldn't figure out anything from her previous vision so she decided to call upon another vision to see if she could see anything else. The flames flickered and gave off a slight roar as she knew that if she opened her eyes, it would give her something. She mentally readied herself before she opened her eyes and stared into the flames in the fireplace once more.
In the fire, she saw Magneto walking with a stone face towards a pyramid and he wasn't alone. Two women were beside him, one was hovering in the air as lightning erupted in the sky as a man with metal wings flew high above. Clara looked around the vision before she noticed that they were following what appeared to be a man in blue skin and felt so old that she could taste the age in her tastebuds. But with him being old, she sensed great, tremendous, and dark power from the man as his eyes turned white.
He lifted up his hands to the sky as the buildings, people, and anything that was an object quickly turned to ash as it circled around him. Clara watched in horror as a woman tried to run away with her child but then let out a shrill scream before disappearing. She gasped as she witnessed the catastrophe that unfolded before her eyes.
"Everything they've built will fall!" the man shouted to the heavens.
The fire exploded, making Clara fall back from the balls of her heels to her bottom as the fire came alive on its own. The strength of the vision seemed to have taken control over her own powers as she watched Magento levitate himself up into the sky with metal floating around him.
Reluctantly, Clara waved out her hand as the flames died down and disappeared from the fireplace just as the mansion started to creak and groan as if they were on a ship.
"Back to bed, please, my darling. Back to bed" She heard Charles' voice as students were standing around in the hallways.
"She's doing it again"
Clara called out, "Back to bed, everyone"
"Jesse, back to bed, please" Charles told a girl.
"Come on now. Spit-spot, back to bed" Clara ushered the boy inside his room and closed the door behind him.
Charles looked down the hall, "Carrie Anne, come on now. Back to bed"
Clara looked down to Charles as he gave her a nod before they both met up in front of Hank. He gave off a worried look before opening the door and showing them Jean Grey. She was experiencing a nightmare, no doubt, but it wasn't her tossing and turning that caught her attention. Clara's eyes scanned the wall as she noticed that they were burning from some sort of steam as they bubbled under the heat. Clara's mouth dropped open as she suddenly worried what Jean was seeing in her dream to make her experience this.
Hank whispered, "Never seen it like this"
"Nor I" Charles agreed, "Don't let any of the children come this way"
Clara watched as Charles wheeled himself in before she said, "This is going to make her feel powerless"
Hank only gave her a solemn look before he nodded to her. Clara sighed as she wrapped one arm around her body and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't help but feel like this was her fault in seeking Erik, she brought on a way worse future. Maybe Jean sensed it and started to feed off of the vision to create a nightmare.
Hank asked, "Are you okay?"
Before she could answer, Charles yelled out as he cupped his head, "Jean!"
Jean shot up from her bed as Clara barely made her way into the room, wanting to help but not knowing what to do. She's never seen Charles struggle like this when it came to waking up someone. Clara glanced over her shoulder to Hank as he shared the same worried expression on his face.
Jean stammered, "I saw the end of the world. I could feel all this death"
"It was just a dream" Charles waved it off.
"No, it felt real" Jean argued.
"I know" Charles told her, "Your mind is the most powerful I've ever seen. It can convince itself-"
Jean quickly stepped in, "No, no, it's not just the mind-reading or the telekinesis, it's something else. Some dark power inside and it's growing. Like a fire. I thought I was getting better"
"You are" Charles urged, "You will. You just have to be patient"
Jean shook her head violently, "No, no! You don't know what it's like to be afraid to shut your eyes. To be trapped inside your own head"
"Oh, I think I do" Charles said gently, "It wasn't so long ago that I was plagued by voices myself. All their suffering. All their pain. Their secrets"
Jean calmed down as she confessed, "I'm afraid one day I'm going to hurt someone"
"Lie back" Charles told her.
Clara watched as Charles grunted as he pulled himself from his wheelchair and sat on Jean's bed. Just the effort of being close to her made Clara feel how much Charles looked his students.
"Everyone fears that which they do not understand" Charles went on, "You will learn to control your powers. And when you do… you'll have nothing to fear"
Hank whispered to her, "Mind on telling me what's going on?"
Clara looked over her shoulder to Hank, "About what? I'm fine, Hank. I just was tired when Jean had her nightmare. Why do you ask?"
Hank stared at her, "Because you look like you've seen a ghost"
Clara stared at him for a little bit before she said, "Alright, I had a very big and bad vision just seconds before Jean had her episode. I can't help but feel she saw my vision in her mind and is reacting to it now. It was just so crazy because my fire went out of control for a split second too"
"Do you think it was Jean?" Hank nodded over into the room.
Clara shook her head, "No, it definitely was something else"
Hank folded his arms over his chest, "What was the vision about?"
"It looked like a new league of rebels that are going to do way worse than any of us can imagine" Clara told him.
"A new league, huh? Tell me, is Erik their sadistic leader too" Hank said darkly.
Clara rubbed her lips together as she remembered seeing Erik's face as still as a statue.
"No" Clara shook her head, "I didn't see him there"
"Well, that's good news at least. We should see what the professor thinks about this" Hank told her.
Clara straightened up, "Actually, let's just deal with Jean tonight. We don't want to be up all night worrying about every single problem"
"What problem?"
"Nothing, Charles"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, how's Jean" Clara closed her door, "Did she fall asleep on her own or was that you?"
"I brought forth happier memories in hopes that she will dream about those the rest of the night"
"Good, she needs it" Clara glanced over her shoulder to the closed door.
"Charles, there's something I need to show you that might require cerebro. It was in Cairo" Hank said.
Charles nodded as Clara felt her heart drop as she remembered a pyramid in her dream, "Of course, lead the way. Clara, are you coming?"
Clara turned to the boys and waved them off, "No, actually, I'm just going to go to bed. Tell me what you find in the morning?"
"Absolutely" Hank nodded as she could tell he wanted to ask more about her vision.
Charles nodded, "Suit yourself, my dear. Good night"
"Night, boys"
