(A/N: SORRY FOR THE WAIT SCHOOL STARTED SADLY SO I CAN'T UPDATE LATE AT NIGHT ANYMORE!)

"There is light, and there is darkness." Mr. Chor pointed to the sun out the window, and he pulled the shades, turning the room completely dark. "The whole world started as darkness, a compacted ball of nothing. There was absolutely nothing, with no life, hope, or future, until He thought 'create life', and a week later there was light." He paced around the room, opening the shades slowly, letting in the light. He closed the shades again, and reached over and grabbed his candle.

"Thousands of years ago, people depended on natural light for their light, but one day they were tired of it. They couldn't bottle sunlight, so how would they work at night? So one day ancient Romans created wicked candles by dipping rolled papyrus repeatedly in tallow or beeswax, creating a possibility to see at night, to aid travelers, and to use something new in their religious ceremonies." He took a match from inside his pocket and lit it, gentle lighting the wick of the candle. A little orange flicker soon turned yellow-orange as it devoured the wick.

"Why are you telling us this?" Someone asked. Sophie had to agree. She didn't see the point in this history lesson, especially if this was English class.

"I'm getting there," Mr. Chor answered, walking back to his desk to grab the famous long stick that gave him his reputation of being so short he had to use a stick for everything. "Do you all see this light bulb?" He asked, pointing to it.

The class groaned.

He laughed and reached over and turned off the light. "There was a time, years ago, when light bulbs didn't exist. People used candles and natural light to see. Thomas Edison, much like the Romans, wanted light. So he invented the light bulb." He flicked on the light again. Sophie was on edge, wanting to know what his point was. What was this? It wasn't a history lesson, and it most definitely wasn't the English lesson she had come to this class for. Was this was older kids learned? She was still young enough for fourth grade, yet here she was in high school, completely lost.

"What is the point?" She asked out loud without noticing before she saw her classmates nodding along with her. For once, they actually had something to do with the freak who skipped all those grades.

Mr. Chor nodded. "I know some of you might not understand this, but what's the common denominator in this lesson so far?" He asked. Sophie brightened. She loved math. She raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Foster?"

"First there was darkness, and then there was light," She answered, looking around at her fellow students, who glared at her again. She suddenly felt very insecure and sank in her seat.

"Correct! Do any of you know what I'm trying to say?" Mr. Chor looked around, locking eyes with every student but without getting an answer, he continued. "Many of you are going through some problems, and I'm not asking to hear them, but what I'm trying to say is this: There may be darkness in your life, and you may feel like there is no hope, but remember, after darkness always comes light. You just have to be willing to wait for it," Mr. Chor looked around the room, seeming to pause on Sophie, and continued looking. The bell rang, and Sophie sprang from her seat. She hadn't understood that lesson at all, but she knew, just knew, she would remember it later. So Sophie continued her life, completely forgetting the lesson, even when finding out she was an elf and so, so much darkness later, she still didn't remember.

(Note: There was supposed to be a break but the website was being a real pain in the butt so here we are, pretend there's a break lolz)

That black, dreary, darkness was back again. Sophie didn't remember passing out when Fitz found her, and she most certainly didn't remember drinking all those elixirs, but she knew she had from what little she could tell. Her eyes were still closed, and her brain was still mush, but she could tell. Elwin had been here again, mark her word, because of some disaster or another. Fitz's body heat was still on the bed beside her, and she felt sure Biana was watching her. But for now, it was still this darkness that followed her.

Soon, it faded into a grey, and soon a soft white, until she slowly, carefully opened her eyes, blinking at the bright light in front of her.

"Oh good, she's awake!" Elwin's voice sounded, but Sophie couldn't see him, or anyone really. She could only see Keefe's scarred, bloody face as he was dragged away by the Neverseen.

"Is she?" Biana's tender voice piped from the corner, and Sophie heard movement as Biana wandered over. "Her eyes are open but I don't think she's seeing us,"

"And you found her just before she passed out by your gates?" Elwin asked someone, probably Fitz, as he flashed light around Sophie. Red, orange, and blue orbs flew around her as her eyes adjusted and she could finally see.

"SHE LIVES!" Biana yelled dramatically, almost pulling a laugh from Sophie's broken self.

"Sophie, are you really okay?" Fitz asked as he sat down on the bed beside her.

Sophie tried to summon the strength to speak but all that came out was a sound that resembled a dying walrus' final wail. Tears welled in her dry eyes as she turned her head to cringe.

"Her vitals appear to be strong, and she only has a few bruised ribs, but I think there's something else at play here…" Elwin nodded towards Biana and Fitz, then pointing with his eyes to the photo of Keefe with Fitz, Biana, and Sophie on the wall.

"Oh no, Sophie…" Biana quickly sat down on the bed next to Fitz, massaging Sophie's outstretched leg. "Is he…" She tried to say.

Sophie managed a small nod and a croak before she let the tears fall. She had managed to lose one of her closest friends and would probably never see him again, all because of her stupid abilities.

"We'll get him back," Fitz promised, reaching for Sophie's hand.

"We have to," Biana added.

"Is that all you've got?" A voice screamed through the pounding silence and blood-rushing through his ears. His eyes groggily opened, revealing a blindingly bright courtyard and three men, all fighting with each other. Each one had scars and bruises across his face, ruining the otherwise-handsome faces. One had dark-blonde hair, another had black hair, and the third had such deep brown it struck a memory.

He couldn't see much, but from what he could see was a terrified, shaking, beautiful young girl whose eyes were the color of the man's hair, except with little flecks of gold. He was being pulled in the opposite direction, all his limbs being ripped apart slowly. Blood ran from a deep gash down his left hand and he had a feeling there was a long scratch down his handsome face.

Suddenly, he was brought back into the present, where a fist struck between his eyes. The boy felt a scream try and rise but fell backward unconscious.

"Was it worth it?" A long-robed man leaning casually against the wall asked. The boy's ice-blue eyes stared in confusion.

The man turned towards him, showing lifeless white eyes. "You got the girl and everything you ever wanted, but you're in for eternal torture. You lost your family, your inheritance, and everything you ever had, for two brief days." The man turned his head back, looking downwards, away from the boy.

"Was it really worth it?" He asked again and everything began to spin and swirl until the boy woke up.

"I'll never give up!" He found himself screeching at them, and he fought their control, trying to stay alive in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, he could see his friends again, and live his happily ever after. That was his goal, and he would make it.