Disclaimer: I don't own KOTLC
So in this chapter, I tried to make Jewel explain the situation better, so I hoped it worked. Some parts are might still be confusing since it'll be explained later in the story so hang tight! Thanks again Reyna Kane for the review! Glad you like it! :)
Chapter 4- POV Keefe
Everyone was nervous. No one knew what to expect. And no one would just sit down and relax. Keefe sighed. Everyone just needed to calm down. Sure, he was also a bit overwhelmed but he can't just sit down all day and worry. Plus, it didn't seem like the mysterious girl would wake up soon. Keefe laughed at this, which earned him some weird looks but it's not like he cared. He never knew that there was going to be a day that someone could be just as mysterious as Sophie. But then again, he never thought that there was another elf that could teleport. Now that idea frightened him.
After overcoming the shock, they immediately took the girl to Elwin, who later called Alden, who then informed Grady and Edaline. Soon, Elwin's place became packed. The adults wouldn't stop asking questions. Fitz explained to them what happened while Biana and Dex added in detail from time to time. Though, Dex was only making sound effects and crazy expressions since he couldn't find the words to explain. However, he was better than Sophie, who was currently in a Zombie trance. Keefe knew that her brain was still processing the information. It was a pretty big shock when the girl claimed to be Sophie's sister. Whether or not it was true, no one knew. At least, not until the girl woke up.
Finally, the commotion had died down, allowing Keefe to have a chance to actually take a good look at the girl. He was sure she was another elf, like 99% positive. Otherwise, how else could she have the power to teleport? And the more he looked at her, the more she resembled Sophie. Not that they looked a lot alike. Just a few similarities. The girl had the same soft, shiny, light blonde hair as Sophie, but the girl had much longer hair. It was wavier as well. They both have a healthy, fair skin tone and very unique eye colors for elves. Not to mention, they were both really pretty. Oh god… did he say that out loud? He scan the room to see if anyone reacted but everyone was the same as ever. He let out a sigh of relief. Man, it would have been embarrassing if they heard him.
Standing up, Keefe did a swift examination around the room. Sophie was curled up on the couch, mumbling to herself. In fact, it seemed like she was about to die from her own worried thoughts getting clumped up in her head. She obviously needed to rest… or maybe be drugged. He knew how much she hated it, but maybe she won't notice until she's already out cold. Keefe smiled mischievously while a plan formed in his head. To be honest, he could easily slip in some slumberberry tea. He was about to leave the room before Fitz pulled him away.
"Keefe, whatever you're thinking of doing, please don't do it." Fitz said with a slightly exasperated tone. Keefe met his best friend's eyes, feigning innocence.
"Me? I'm not planning anything bad. I was just thinking how everyone needed something to drink to perhaps… calm them." Keefe replied smoothly, glossing over his true intentions with bitter sweet lies. "Now, will you please let me through?" Still, his best friend knew him too well. Fitz gave him a skeptical look.
"Riiigghhtttt. How about… hm… no." Fitz plainly rejected. "Look Keefe, I understand why, but, I don't think that it's the best solution." Keefe muttered an insult under his breath and turned around to check on the girl again. He strolled over to Elwin, who was currently examining the girl… again. As if this time, she'll magically wake up. Still, there was nothing better to do with the gloomy atmosphere hanging around.
"How is she?" Keefe asked. Elwin sat up to stretch, cracking a few bones here and there. "Careful, you don't want to break your back." Keefe joked.
"Please, I'm not that old yet." Elwin said with a laugh, but it was soon replaced with a stressed out frown. "But, um, still showing no progress. Although, I did learn that she was shot with a meddler and it was more than once. Maybe three times at most." Keefe's eyes widened at the news.
"Why would anyone shoot her? And that many times. Like ouch…" Keefe remarked, wincing as he imagined the pain she went through. Who would even have a meddler anyways? The question bothered him as he recalled all the times he's saw one. Then sudden realization hit him. Apparently, Elwin had come to the same conclusion too, judging by the face he made and with the dread Keefe felt from him. Or was that his own feelings? Keefe couldn't think straight anymore. His heart banged loudly against his chest as the blood rushed to his brain.
"It couldn't be… we… they… we finished them off though!" Keefe practically yelled. Elwin frowned as he quickly peeped over to Sophie.
"Well, there isn't any actual proof that they're still alive. But there is a possibility that they could still be around. However, I hope we're wrong." Elwin disclosed. But Keefe wasn't listening anymore. Does that mean his mother could still be alive? The room seemed like it was spinning and Keefe needed to get out of there. And he was about to leave, if it weren't for Sleeping Beauty, who at long last, decided to wake up. The girl's eyes fluttered open while Elwin made room for her to sit up.
"Guys! She woke up!" Keefe announced. Everyone rushed over, eager to meet the newcomer. The girl, still in daze, blinked a couple of times before eventually realizing where she was. She gasp loudly and gripped Elwin's sleeve.
"Where's Sophie?!" She asked frantically. Everyone stepped aside, clearing a path for Sophie to walk through. The girl instantly relaxed after seeing her face. But before the girl could utter another word, Sophie exploded with questions.
"Who are you? Are you really my sister? What happened to you? Why can you teleport? What other things can you do? How come I've never seen or met you? Where did you come from? How—" Sophie ranted but was shortly cut off by Alden.
"Sophie, first, get a hold of yourself. You need to take it easy." Alden advised, soothingly. After taking a deep breath, Sophie composed herself. But that didn't stop the rays of fear radiating off her. Keefe laid a hand on her shoulder for support. She tensed up but relaxed after realizing that it was Keefe. Still, Keefe could sense that she was scared.
"Sorry… um what's your name?" Sophie tried.
"Jewel Parisi," the girl replied. Sophie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Wait, how come we don't have the same last name? Since supposedly, you're my sister." Sophie asked. Jewel looked at her with a blank expression.
"What do you mean? Our last names were inherited from our human families. I lived with a French family, hence having their last name, Parisi, as mine." Jewel replied, matter-of-factly. Keefe peered at Sophie, who looked like she wanted to slap herself.
"Right, of course." Sophie cooed. "So who exactly are you?" Jewel looked confused for a second but was quickly replaced with a poker face.
"You don't know?" She asked.
"Obviously, not." Keefe scoffed. Fitz gave him a pointed look, putting a finger against his mouth, signaling for Keefe to shut up. Jewel ignored his comment.
"I'm the second Moonlark project created by Black Swan. I was created as a backup plan for you." Sophie only got more confused.
"Why though?"
"You were born to be able to feel guilt. But not just that. You could be broken by it." Jewel paused. "Black Swan didn't want to take that chance of it actually happening, even though they knew it probably won't, since you were supposedly created with an impenetrable mind. But just in case, they created me. Tweaked my gene to be identical to yours, but with a slight alteration. Unlike you, I can't be broken by guilt." It was as if the whole world froze at that moment. Alden shook his head in disbelief.
"That's not possible. All elves can be broken by guilt. That's everyone's weakness." Alden argued. His hand brushed through his hair as he tried to comprehend the new information. Jewel shook her head.
"Not me. Although, everyone has a weakness and I know that includes me. But mine is different." Jewel said. Confusion flickered her face for a second. "Something I'm forgetting," Jewel muttered to herself. Sophie frowned.
"What do you mean?" Sophie questioned. Jewel was pretty good at hiding her emotions, but it didn't matter, Keefe could feel them. Even if it didn't appear on her face. What she felt was confusion, then fear.
"A glitch," Jewel said abruptly. "Something I'm forgetting. Important. What is it?" She no longer paid attention to anyone else. She paced around the room, desperately trying to figure it out.
"Inflicting. Between mine and yours… it's different…" Jewel whispered. She sat down again, this time, feeling defeated. Now it was Keefe's turn to be confused.
"Wait what? A glitch? Sorry, but, is it just me or is this girl like freaking anyone out?" Keefe said, his eye's meeting Sophie's. She returned a stern look at his rhetorical question.
"What do you mean by glitch?" Sophie asked, ignoring Keefe. Jewel started to fidget, playing with her hands as she squeezed her eyes shut to think.
"I don't know. Something's wrong with me. They did something to me. I don't remember. They somehow locked my memories up, seemed like they didn't want me to remember something very important. My weakness, I think, but also my strength… about inflicting." Jewel replied, rubbing her temples, her eyes still shut. "The glitch, in my head, is like this blank space between my memories of the past few years. I can't remember what I was doing or anything from that time period. Only bits and feelings. None of which were good."
"Wait… whose they?" Fitz asked, expressing the question everyone wondering about. Jewel stared at her feet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, avoiding looking at anyone.
"I was with them... captured." Jewel started. She told us of how they kidnapped her as a kid, triggering her memories. She recalled most of the detail she could remember from before the glitch. Skipping the glitch period, she talked about the day that they defeated Neverseen. She explained how she awoke in the encaged room and how she got here. The room went completely silent, everyone was too numb to speak. Dread filled Keefe's body, knowing the worse has already come. He and Elwin were right.
"So you mean—" Alden started. The answer was already confirmed by Jewel's dark expression. A shadow casted over her face as she stared at the ground.
"Yes." She answered. "Neverseen is back."