(Content/trigger warnings for this chapter: anxiety)
**Isabelle**
Powers, in a way, were like fear: controlling.
Clouds above me covered the Moon and stars, so shadows swallowed much. Yet, I could still see. I stood in the grassless clearing of a sparse forest. The dusty dirt wedged between my bare toes and stuck to them. Clusters of flowers and weeds bloomed right where the trees began, giving off a sweet scent. A few feet away sat a large, dark hole in the ground.
All was still except for the occasional rustle in the distance. The air smelled of coming rain.
I knew this was a vision from how I could make out each grain of dirt and rock and blade of grass, though it was while I dreamed. Was this my normal vision after using my powers?
A Fear Angel burst from the hole and landed crouching on the earth with a thump. It stood and towered over my fragile body. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, and I tried to scream, but my mouth was frozen. A normal vision. It was just a vision…
The Fear Angel bent again and plucked dandelions from the edge of the clearing. Soon, a fluffy white rabbit hopped onto the dirt, making the tiny brown particles puff up in a small cloud. The Fear Angel stared at the animal. Its face moved in what looked like a smile, opening its jaws a little wider. Somehow, the hollows in its skull looked a little more alive. The Fear Angel crept in the rabbit's direction, holding a dandelion out. But the animal zipped back into the forest. For a few moments, all was still again. Then the Fear Angel's arm sunk to its side, and it lowered its head.
The vision around me blurred, and with my heart calming at the disappearance of the Fear Angel, I wondered: could I push for a different vision? I thought: My powers. My powers, my powers… However, I couldn't close my eyes to concentrate, so what I saw distracted me.
The world reformed. I still stood in the same clearing, but now the sun's rays coursed down the dirt was rich and wet, and ten Fear Angels stood in a huddle, all holding little trinkets: weeds, shiny rocks, colorful bits of plastic. My heart pounded harder, and my concentration faltered even more. A buck walked into the clearing. The Fear Angels seemed to awaken for the first time. They practically climbed over each other as they ran to the deer and held their objects toward its face. It spun and fled.
Again, all was still, and then the Fear Angels' gazes sank to their skeletal feet. A couple drooped and sat on the ground with a squelch.
The vision blurred again. My powers, I continued with renewed concentration. My powers, my powers…
The world around me refocused. Now 20 Fear Angels crouched around the clearing and made collages with leaves, flowers, and twigs. My heart pounded harder again, and my ears rang. A scream was stuck in my chest.
Everything sped up, and night fell before it slowed back to normal. A family of foxes treaded into the clearing. The Fear Angels, holding out their collages, rushed them. And again, the animals darted away. Nearly half of the skeletal beings sank into themselves now. One shook as if it were crying.
The vision went dark, and I focused hard: my powers. How to get rid of my powers. Please.
My surroundings blurred and then formed into a small room. Dance posters and sparkly pink rose decals arranged in neat patterns covered the walls. A white vanity set appeared to one side, as well as a desk clear of everything except a laptop. Plain pink blankets and decorative flowery pillows topped the made bed at the far wall. Over the cushions formed shelves with many gold-colored trophies featuring dancing girls and stars. And above the desk, a window's white curtains were drawn. From the lack of sunbeams streaming through the cracks, I could tell it was night. The room smelled of flowery perfume.
Two people materialized in front of me. One, with his black cloak and golden light streaming from his face, turned away, was the Watcher. My heart pounded painfully as soon as I recognized him. The other was a girl who looked Ranya's age. Her skin was suntanned, and she was so tall she only stood a few inches shorter than the being opposite her. Her long blond hair fell around her white robe. Her corn yellow eyes widened. I could see every pore in her face.
"You can really do that?" she asked. Then her eyes narrowed until only a splinter of yellow was visible. "Give me vengeance for all Ranya's done to me?"
The vision darkened.
I blinked awake. I immediately realized the lights were off, and my heart pounded from the shadows' shifting forms. Leaping out from under my covers, I raced to the light switch and flung it up.
The Guardians stood and stared at me from various places around the room. I tried not to show how much waking to darkness bothered me as I sat at my desk. My cheeks were already tingling from running to the light switch.
Bunny stepped toward me. "Isabelle. You need to sleep, mate."
"I had nightmares," I said, which wasn't untrue. "I want to calm down first." He stepped back.
"You had nightmares?"
"Yes."
"Pitch is doing that again… Are you all right?"
"Yes. I just want to calm down."
"Well, if you want any help…"
I nodded.
The girl from the vision had asked the Watcher if he could really do something to give her vengeance… like what? Help her kill? Torture?
The girl looked… normal, not like an evil being like I'd expect the Guardians' enemies to be like. She looked like she could even go to school with Ranya.
Ranya. Was she safe? Had the Watcher kidnapped her yet? No one had said anything about it, but what if the Guardians were hiding it from me so that I would sleep?
I stood from my desk and ran to her room across the scratchy carpet, flicking on light switches as I went. Bunny, Sandy, and Jack followed close behind.
What if she was still here and would get mad at me for waking her up?
When I flipped on her room's light switch, I discovered North and Tooth unconscious in the far corner, lying beside one another. The three conscious Guardians ran to them. I rushed to Ranya's bed, but the forest-patterned covers were thrown back, empty. My chest squeezed. She'd gone somewhere alone? With the white mist-controlling being still lurking about?
The white mist-controlling being. The one who targeted Ranya.
Something fizzled softly behind me, and I spun. "Lotus!"
They shushed me. Their back was straight in the pink haze of the Time Rift. The cheek cut from last time had scabbed over.
But a different expression twisted their face. Their lips were pressed flat, eyes narrowed, and they kept glancing over at the Guardians. Their arms were tight against their body.
"Lotus, what's wrong?" I whispered.
"Nothing to be worried about, Isabelle," they whispered back. "You will be all right."
I didn't like the danger those words implied. Will be? I had to… "Lotus, how can someone like me get rid of my powers? Do you remember my talking about it?"
"Yes, Isabelle, but… You can't," Lotus whispered back. They reached a hand forward as if to set it on my shoulder, but couldn't reach through the Time Rift. "I'm sorry." Their eyes shone.
"But—"
"I came to tell you that the girl you saw in your vision's name is Caelum Zobrist. You must tell Ranya. She needs to understand, or the white mist will overtake her, and she will die."
"How do you know?"
"You told me, Isabelle."
The Time Rift folded in on itself and fizzed out.
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