You know the first day of school? But not the first day of school when everyone is new and stuff, she meant the first day of school when you were the only new kid. When it seemed like everyone's eyes were on you. The new kid. The new toy. The new piece of gossip. The one in the spotlight until something else came along and distracted them.
That was what she felt when she stepped inside the academy. Whispers and glances, and a million different faces and noises and sounds that seemed louder than they normally would have been.
A small part of her wanted to be back at the sanctum. She wanted to read the books in the library, talk to Bats or Wong and do the crossword on Doctor Strange's newspaper. Anything felt better than being ogled at for an hours by a bunch of strangers.
"I have nice spot for you. The best one in the library, just try not to open any doors." Zelma said cheerfully, walking through the halls. Sofia trailing behind trying not to stare or appear impolite. There was so much to look at, and she didn't just mean the building.
Like Rintrah, the friendly green minotaur, (which she had apologised profoundly too) The academy hosted students of all dimensions, whole new worlds. The thought itself was exciting, (and overwhelming) the potential and possibilities, all their ideals and customs and everything. She wondered how many worlds Doctor Strange had went too? How many new dimensions and places he'd been? How many people had he helped before her?
'No one can look after a child and do all that.' Sofia thought, turning a corner at a snail's pace in comparison to Zelma's near sprint. 'Not that it matters anyway.'
It doesn't. She was fine. She had no right to feel any animosity to him or Clea…she had no right to feel guilty or upset…she didn't. She didn't need them…or anybody…She had Vesper. If she ever found her again…if she was even alive…No, she was fine. Anger towards Clea and Strange would just be an unnecessary waste of time, she just needed to follow the plan.
Find Vesper. Steal as many books as possible and run. Somewhere, anywhere and learn, until she was ready…Ready for what? Still thinking about that. But she'd rather be a hunter than prey at this point. One thing of the plan was clear: remaining with Strange was temporary at best. No matter what.
"Sofia," Zelma called, waving her towards a group of people, one with familiar red hair and another with green fur. Sofia pulled her gaze from the dreamland, pulling a small smile, shoving the intrusive thoughts down.
Zelma placed a hand gently on her shoulder, turning to the group. "This is some of the others you didn't get to officially meet as yet, this is Doctor Voodoo, or Jericho Drumm," she said, gesturing to a dark-skinned, brown-eyed man dressed in a suit with a golden cane.
He had a marking of a V within a circle on his forehead, his hair was dark, except for the distinct white that ran down the middle. She remember him from before, the fight with the Zealots, before she passed out (of course) he seemed fairly nice then and that niceness seemed to continue.
"Illyana Rasputin, the Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo," Zelma said, moving her hand to the right, to a woman around Zelma's own age. Blonde, with little black wing-shaped things on the side of her head, with sharp no-nonsense blue-eyes, dressed in a pencil skirt, red blazer and heels.
"Agatha Harkness," Zelma continued, moving on to an elderly looking woman, with grey hair and eyes, dressed in a long purple dress and black shawl, holding a black cat in her hand, which Sofia guessed was her familiar.
"The Ancient One," Zelma said, gesturing to a bald elder man with a long white beard, dressed in brown shirt and pants with wise brown eyes, that like the rest of them, seemed to regard her with odd expressions.
She quickly tapped against her mental shields, more so as a reminder to herself that they were present. She felt oddly exposed under their gazes.
"And of course, you know Wanda." Zelma said, dropping her hand, when she reached the familiar red-haired witch, who gave a smile; the look dissipating some of her nerves.
"Nice to meet you all," Sofia said, bowing her head.
Illyana Rasputin chuckled, folding her arms. "I almost can't believe you're his daughter, you're so…pleasant." she said. Sofia unsure if she was meant to be insult or not. She said it very strangely, in a thick (she guessed Russian from Rasputin)accent.
"Illyana." Dr Voodoo chided. Sofia smiled slightly, unclear exactly how to answer, swallowing the automatic quip that had jumped out at her. 'There's still time, Illyana'. Not that she'd want to be anything like Strange. That thought was scarier than his basement of horrors.
"Don't mind her," Dr Voodoo said, resting his hands on his cane. "You're arrival was something of a surprise to us all."
'Me too.' Sofia thought, her eyes flickering to each of them, she could feel their magical auras, strong, defined by each one, each different than the other, just by a little. She could also feel their eyes, piercing into her very soul. No big deal. If whatever Strange was doing that forced her out of sanctum, better have been serious before she killed him herself.
"We are all close friends of Stephen, and quite used to the unusual, that surprising us is something quite rare. But you definitely surprised us." Dr Voodoo said, fixating his eyes on her. Sofia met them calmly, trying to keep them as empty as she could.
"Innocent eyes, indeed, don't you agree?" Agatha Harkness said to the Ancient One. Sofia glancing at them. "Yes," the Ancient One said slowly, his voice was thick with experience. and knowledge, the kind that deserved respect. "I wonder what they expect of you, child." he said gravelly. His words sending a shiver down Sofia's spine.
"I should be getting on to my class," the Ancient One said, his doom and gloom tone vanishing, giving Sofia a kind smile. "A pleasure to meet you, child." he said, inclining his head to them. Sofia and the rest of the adults doing the same. She was sure she swallowed her tongue for a second.
"I should be heading back too," Illyana Rasputin said, turning to Dr Voodoo. "Jericho, you wanted to discuss the Calvin situation?"
"Yes," Dr Voodoo said, breaking his gaze of Sofia, the girl letting out a silent breath. "Wonderful to see you again, Sofia." he said, turning down the hall. "See you, Sofia," Illyana Rasputin said, drawing out her name, enunciating each syllable, before following Dr Voodoo.
"We should get going too," Wanda said, lightly touching Agatha's shoulder, the older woman nodding in agreement. "Lovely to meet you, dear, I'm expecting great things," Agatha Harkness said, stroking her cat, her heels clicking as she left.
Wanda touching her shoulder, Sofia turning to her, Wanda's green eyes looking almost troubled. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"
"No, I've got a clean bill of health." Sofia said brightly, hoping it would dissipate the woman's worried eyes and furrowed eyebrows. "Alright," Wanda nodded, licking her lips. "Take it easy though, take time to heal. You're still vulnerable, for now, just be careful. "
"I will." Sofia said, for once completely and utterly meaning it. Wanda smiled, glancing at Zelma the two seeming to have a quick telepathic conversation, before she gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'll see you soon." she said jogging to Agatha, who was waiting at the end of the wall.
"I think that went well," Zelma said, lightly touching her shoulder. "Let's go, best spot in the library is calling you're name."
He never liked liars. Lying? He disliked that even more, however he also knew it was a necessary evil. Opening the boxes from Sofia's house and looking through everything, from the confides of the sanctum?
One of those, necessary evil times.
He'd rather not have tricked Sofia and Zelma into taking the younger to the academy, but having Sofia catch him looking though her (so-called) aunt's things may have added to the occasionally hostility she gave him.
Vesper however didn't have many suspicions things concerning Sofia, despite the alarming amount of books around dark magic. A few charms for potions, a couple of tea leaves and Weirdworld slug or two, nothing however connecting her to the Zealot's…Yet.
He'd gone through about five boxes, before he reached it. The photo album. It was disguised as a book, and had been heavily warded until Sofia's spell. Saved by Sofia hiding place under the floorboards when she'd went to go look for Vesper.
Opening it up, resting it on the table, he flipped through the pictures. There weren't many, Vesper seeming to have been incredibly cautious, but they were something. They were Sofia.
The first two were baby photos, with a tiny and chubby, and clumsy Sofia dressed in various baby onesies, with tufts of white and black hair, sitting in a crib with a sliver and purple baby blanket that he had caught sight of in her blue bag, upstairs.
The next two were toddler, one depicting Sofia terrorizing a Siamese cat, labeled Sofia and Eden, another with her reading a book on the couch. It jumped again to preschool age, with Sofia holding up a finger-painting of a house with four people. And one where she was playing with a teddy bear that she had in her room, that she pretended not to sleep with, by tucking him deep underneath the covers.
After that, came a first day of school with Sofia dressed in a neat uniform in front of a door, staring at her shoes, looking quite nervous. Then a came a birthday photo, Sofia blowing out candles.
It jumped again to an older looking, Sofia dressed in jeans and t-shirt, the white in her hair replaced with pink streaks, a butterfly on her finger, which she was looking at in awe.
He turned the page again, the last photo being Sofia, as she was now, reading a book on a swing, looking like she was scribbling notes in it with a pen in her hand.
Better than nothing…
Stephen sighed, about to close the book, when spotted it. A small white triangle, out of place with the rest of the photo's tucked away at the very back. Flipping to the end, sliding his fingers under the paper, feeling an indent. He found the slit in the paper, opening it out, tipping it onto the table two more pictures tumbling out.
"Clea." he mumbled, picking it up. It was taken on Earth, as far as he could tell, and like most of the pictures, were candid shots. Clea sitting on a couch, holding a small bundle in a blanket, a sliver and purple baby blanket in her arms, looking down at it. He knew what he was looking at, this was the moment, before she said goodbye…
He took a deep breath, gently stoking the picture. He wondered if she knew it would be the last time she held her…he wondered if Clea had kissed her head and tucked her in. If she waited and stayed as long as she dared before she walked out the door.
He wondered if she thought about him after she left…If she stopped halfway or ran back before forcing herself teleport away…He wondered if Clea just left. No muss no fuss. Like dropping off a parcel at post office.
He wondered how long Sofia cried for her mother until she realised she wasn't coming back…he wondered if Sofia thought of her, before she forgot her completely.
He wondered how long it was until Clea became nothing but a ghost of an impossible memory. He wondered how long she'd suffered alone…if she'd even suffered at all?
Setting the photo down, unable to look at it any longer. He picked up the other one, turning it over. "What?" he whispered, adjusting closer to the light. It was impossible. It had to be-
'Stephen?' Clea's voice called out. He turned, Clea astral form materialising in front of him. 'Can we talk?'
The library was quiet. Even for a library. In a normal library there were at the very least sounds of life. Books closing and opening. The one constant 'cougher' who you wanted to strangle, the one person who always tapped extra hard on the computer keyboard. The sounds of whispered chatter amongst groups and the occasional burst of laughter, that would be quickly 'shushed' by the librarian.
She'd always wondered what those groups of people talked about. She'd never been a part of groups or had anything to discuss with anyone in a library. Which was fine. She was perfectly alright on her own. However with all the other students off to their various classes, the morning had been silent, besides the sound of her page turning and the occasional time she got up to get a new book and when Zelma half shoved a toasted cheese sandwich in her mouth.
The library in the Academy was glorious, almost as good as the one in the Sanctum, with shelves that reached the top of the high ceilings. There were a few large tables, one of two smaller ones and a lot of beanbag chairs and sofa's scattered around. Along with the dimensional doors, that Zelma had strictly told her not to touch, saying that Doctor Strange 'would have her head' if she did.
While she doubted this, she listened all the same. Instead opting to take some of the spell books of the shelves, using her magic to make a copy of the pages of the spells she wanted to learn on her small pocket notebook to practice on her own.
At around 1 o'clock, the library began to fill, life entering it slowly. Sofia curling up in her small sofa near the window, with just the right amount of sunlight, with a book on her lap.
She wouldn't have heard him if not for the wooden floors. The light thump of footsteps, approaching her, making her look up. Red eyes, not intimidating, but warm. His body was blue and crystalline, dressed in normal school clothes, not exactly a uniform, but fairly close. He gave her a wave. Sofia waved back, the crystalline boy gesturing to the beanbag near her.
Sofia glanced between him and the beanbag before realising her was asking if he could sit. "Oh, yes, of course." she said, awkwardly gesturing to the beanbag, giving him a thumbs up. 'God, why can't I be normal?'
The boy gave her a thumbs up back, resting his bag down, sitting down on the beanbag cushion with a light 'thump'. Sofia returned to her book. After about an hour, she got up, setting the book on the pile of ones she read, picking up a new one.
Sitting back down, book in her lap, she felt something light hit her head. Looking around, she glanced at the crystalline boy, who waved ecstatically, holding up a pad of paper reading: HI I'M TOTH
He flipped the pad of paper over: ARE U NEW HERE?
He flipped the pad again: WHAT'S U NAME?
"No, I'm not new, just…visiting." she said, watching Toth set the pad of paper in his lap, flipping over the pad. "I'm Sofia S-" she started, pausing. Could she still say Sanders anymore? No? She wasn't sure…She definitely wasn't going to say Strange, not while she was alive in anycase.
"Sofia." she said, resting her hands on the opened book. "Nice to meet you, Toth."
Toth smiled, scratching hard with his pen, holding up the pad: NICE TO MEET U TOO SOFIA!
Sofia smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
'How is Sofia?' Clea asked, the concern in her eyes. "She's fine." Stephen said cordially, a new wave of anger towards his estranged wife flushing over him, that had overcome the pity and self-hatred he'd felt just moments ago. He refused to argue with her again. "She's with Zelma at the Academy."
'She is not with you?' Clea said, an unmistakable edge in her tone.
"She'll be safe at the Academy, you don't need to worry." Stephen said, watching Clea shake her head.
'She shouldn't be there, she has to be hidden and—'
"You can't hide her from world forever, Clea." Stephen said sharply. Clea scoffed. 'I can damn well try, Stephen. Hiding her is what keeps her safe.'
"No it doesn't. If it did, she wouldn't have nearly died." Stephen snapped. Clea freezing, her face contorting in fury. 'How dare-'
"I don't understand," he said, taking advantage of her silence. "Why you of all people are so adamant to have her isolated from her world, from her family. Why are you acting so afraid-?"
'I am afraid!' Clea shouted. 'For good reason. We are Sorcerer Supremes, Stephen. How many times have we suffered because of it? How many times have we had to make a hard choice and live with those consequences? How many times do we have to pay the price of magic?" Clea said darkly. 'Dormammu is a threat to Sofia. But so are we. I need to protect her from us.'
"Is that what you tell yourself?" Stephen asked, glancing up at her. "Is that what you thought when you left her there?"
Clea sighed, taking a breath. 'Do you honestly think, if I had told you about her, things would have been better?' she asked. 'Do you think you wouldn't have died? That we wouldn't have made the mistakes we did?'
He paused. "I don't know. But I would have had my daughter." Stephen said, stepping forward to her, his hand passed though hers. "We would have had our daughter, Clea. Doesn't that mean anything?"
She glanced down. 'You don't think I wanted that? A room for her in the Sanctum? To do all the things my own mother never did for me. I couldn't. I would not put my daughter through the tyranny of my mother and Dormammu and your enemies. I would not make her the price of our sins, Stephen.'
"We can protect her."
'Do you honestly believe that?' Clea said, deathly calm. 'We can't even insure our own protection! Our lives aren't fit for parenthood, as much as we want them to be.'
Stephen sighed. "What do you want to do? Abandon her again?" he guessed. Clea folding her arms over her chest, so she was considering it. He almost laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion.
"I won't do that, Clea. I won't do that to her again."
The library really kicked to life at 3'o clock. All the classes had finished, teachers go to their respective homes and lairs, leaving Zelma, Rintrah, the Ancient One, Doctor Voodoo and the Mindless Ones to manage the kids for the evening.
Sofia had reached her ninth book by this time, with her little notebook filled with spells to practice back at the sanctum. Toth had continued reading his own book, scribbling down notes in his notebook.
"Hey, there you are!" came a bright excited voice, a pink blur flying past her eyes, to Toth, nearly crushing him in a hug. "Oh, I missed you all day today, you wouldn't believe what Ms Harkness had us do—" the voice said, going a mile a minute.
Sofia smiled to herself, returning her gaze to her book. The aura of the pink blur, which on closer inspection she guessed to be a fairy was a bright and happy as her voice, the aura noticeably brightening when she talked to Toth. It was sweet.
"Take it easy, Shaylee, you're going to strangle him. Oh-" said another voice, two more figures walking towards 'Shaylee'. The girl who spoke, stopped catching notice of her, adjusting the strap of her backpack. She had warm brown eyes, with a red scarf wrapped around her neck, jeans and a t-shirt with a denim jacket over along with her backpack that was on one shoulder. "Hi." she said, giving Sofia an odd look.
Sofia gave a small smile. "Hello." she said, the second figure poking her head from behind the girl with the red-scarf. The second figure was red-skinned, with thick redish-black coloured hair and horns on her head, dressed in a skirt, blazer, jersey and tie with a backpack her opted to carry in her hand by both straps.
Sofia glanced back to the first girl, blinking. Soft skin, turning hard and rocklike, eyes turning white. Interesting. She could sense the dark magic around her; dead, yet alive, but not exactly a zombie either. Very interesting.
"Oh! I didn't even see you!" said Shaylee jumping up, floating a few feet above her head. "Hi, I'm Shaylee Moonpeddle," she said, sticking out her hand. Sofia took it, giving it a shake, hoping one was acceptable.
She never shook many people's hands. Most of the new people she met, she ended up hitting.
"And that's Zoe Laveau and Dessy. What's your name? Are you new? What are you doing here? Have I seen you before? Have you seen her before? You look so familiar!" Shaylee asked all at once.
"Nice to meet you all." Sofia said, deciding that breaking the conversation down was the easier way to answer this. "I'm Sofia. I'm not a student, but I guess you can say I'm new."
"Wait," Zoe said, dropping her bag on the floor. "You're the one that blasted Mr Rintrah though the upstairs dorms, aren't you?" she said, turning to Shaylee and Toth. "A couple weeks ago. The kid that Ms. Maximoff and Ms Stanton saved."
The four looked at her expectantly.
"Yeah…that was me," Sofia said, fiddling with her fingers. "But to be fair…it was an accident. Mostly. There was just a…huge misunderstanding."
"Okay." Zoe said suspicion still laced in her voice. Nevertheless, she dragged her bag across the floor, pulling two beanbag chairs. Throwing one to the silent Dessy, who sat down on one, Zoe throwing herself down on the other facing her.
Shaylee and Toth, pushed their own beanbag closer, creating a circle around Sofia's chair. The girl in question feeling like the shiny new toy, or a trapped prison escapee. She didn't know who to talk to people her own age. She didn't know when she was in grade school, and after that she didn't need to.
Toth made a gesture with his hands. Shaylee nodding. "You're right, she does." Shaylee mused, somehow edging closer to her. "So, is it true then?"
The small group instantly leaning forwards. Sofia licked her lips. "Is what true?"
The group shared a look. "You didn't hear?" Shaylee said, glancing at Zoe with a smirk. "Hear what?" Sofia asked, wondering if they we're going to accuse her of high treason or something.
"The girl that they saved, is Doctor Strange's daughter!" Shaylee squealed. Zoe shushing her loudly. Sofia paused. She was never comfortable with lying. But she didn't exactly know how to answer this either…
"So if that girl is you…" Shaylee said, floating higher above the ground. "Are you?"
"Am I what?" Sofia said, deciding that playing dumb (for once was the best solution). Shaylee dropped her voice to a whisper, but she still made the words sound like a high-pitched sqeal. "Doctor Strange's daughter?"
Sofia made a 'pff' sound. "Who told you that anyway?" Sofia said, hoping that would distract them.
"Iric said he saw Ms Maximoff and Ms Stanton bring her in that night," Shaylee said quickly. "He heard them say something about calling Doctor Strange and then he heard Ms Stanton say that: "She really looks like him, doesn't she?"
"Maybe its coincidence," Sofia mused. She couldn't really look that much like him, could she? Then again, she herself asked him why she looked like him…Bats said that too…but that was mainly because of the hair, it was quite…unique. Not exactly grey, but pure white.
"No way," Zoe said, squinting her eyes slightly, before leaning back against her cushion. "I mean you look just like him. And doesn't he have a wife?" she asked, glancing between Shaylee and Toth and Dessy.
Toth made another gesture with his hands. "Yes!" Shaylee chirped. "Toth thinks, she's the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension, right?" she asked, eyes staring once again at Sofia. Sofia hummed, biting her lower lip.
"The one related to," Zoe started dropping her voice slightly. "Dread Dormammu, Doyle's dad?"
Toth nodded.
"Is that why you're sad?" Dessy said, her dark eyes almost looking into Sofia's very soul. "You smile, but your heart is very sad. It runs deep…I know this sadness." Dessy said quietly, but her voice seemed much louder now that the little group had gone silent. "You've had it a long time," Dessy said thoughtfully. "I hope you find peace with it."
Sofia glanced down at her hands.
"Sofia!" Zelma called, jolting everyone out of their sombre silence. "I need some help with some boxes. Do you mind?" she asked, poking out from one of the long bookshelves.
"No, I can help." Sofia said, setting the book down on a pile, waving her hand over the pile; the books floating to their designated places on the shelves. "Um, nice to meet you all…Goodbye." Sofia said, giving them a wave.
"You really think she's his kid?" Shaylee asked, watching Sofia half run after Zelma, disappearing from their view. "Definitely." Dessy said opening up her notebook.
"You okay?" Zelma asked, setting more books into her arms. Sofia blinking, returning her attention back to Earth. "I'm…alright, I guess. This place is…overwhelming."
"It can be," Zelma said, taking some books form her hand. "But you'll find everyone here is quite nice. Maybe you can make some new friends. Toth and the others are nice kids."
"I never had friends before." Sofia said, tucking some books into a place on the shelf. "I don't really know how to make them."
"Well, I've found that by being yourself, the right friends will find you." Zelma said, picking up a book of a table, handing them to Sofia. "All Ancient Magical History, is being moved to Mr Rintrah's classroom, just gather them up."
"Got it."
"So, are you?" Zelma said coyly, tucking some of the books in her hand into a higher shelf. "What?" Sofia asked, looking up at her.
Zelma licked her lips. "Cool."
"This again?" Sofia snapped. "Has he been complaining to you?" she said. Zelma's snort being evidence enough. "I—What was I supposed to say? Really?" she said, pouting, her face screwed up in annoyance. Zelma chuckling under her breath.
"Seriously? I mean, first he's all weird, then he decides to not talk to me, then he yells at me—"
"For good reason." Zelma added pointedly.
"And then out of the blue, he tells me something that apparently everybody in a twenty mile radius knows, except for me!" Sofia said, all in one breath. "What was he expecting me to blow a party popper and give him a gift basket?"
Zelma bit her lip, sliding down the ladder. "I don't know…but, try to remember…he didn't know either." she tried, despite her words being true, they didn't seem to help.
"I know." Sofia said, stacking the Ancient Magical History into two piles on the table. "I'm not upset. But it doesn't mean we're going to become Phil Dunphy and Haley or something."
Zelma nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"Think this is everything." Sofia said, checking both the bookshelves. Zelma looked around, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that's everything." she said, taking on stack, walking to the door. Sofia picking up the books, following her down the halls.
"It also doesn't mean you're not going to." Zelma added. "Maybe." Sofia mused, thinking quite the opposite, but not wanting to keep taking about it.
"צו וועמע מיר לאָזן ן דאַוו מיר לאָזן נען האַרץ מיר לאָזן די קאַנסאַ וועמע"
Weaving in and out of the crowd, passing students and Mindless One's alike. She turned another corner, pausing slightly. She felt like she was looking out of a clouded window in the rain. Slightly blurred images and faces. She blinked again, sighing, when it returned to normal.
"מיר לאָזן קווערבינדןנסאַז פון דעם פאַרפּ עסטיקונג פאַרב ינדן ווענסאַדיין האַרץ"
"Sofia! Come on!" Zelma called out. "Coming!" Sofia called back, muttering a few 'excuse me's' jogging lightly to catch up with the fast-paced librarian. "Hi, Rintrah," Sofia greeted, inclining her head to him. The minotaur doing the same, continuing his conversation with Zelma.
"דיין נשמה אונטער די קרויןגעבן די בלויז אמת יורש אַ געלעגנהייַט"
The blur came again, Sofia violently shaking her head. 'Get out. Out, out, out.' She just got out of her healing period, she didn't need to collapse or faint and get herself stuck back there.
"I marked out pages one to five on the Merlin," Zelma said, handing him one of the books, pointing to each section. "Lady of the Lake. But I suggest we add some more information about the whole cursed Chalice situ-"
"מיט דעם מעסער װעט ער אונדז שנײדן האַנדל, לאָזן עס זיין די נשמה פון די קרוין"
Sofia blinked rapidly. The room was spinning, shapes and colours inverting and changing. The sounds and whispers of a rasping voice in her ear, making her wince.
Zelma's turned dark, her words not sounding like anything she'd ever heard before. A distorted kind of words in a language she couldn't pinpoint or understand.
'געבן די בלויז אמת יורש אַ געלעגנהייַט'
Sofia sighed, the dizzy spell fading as fast as it came. "Thanks Rintrah," Zelma said, her voice returning to normal in her head.
Maybe she was just tired. Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her. Maybe it was some kind of magical reaction that Wong and Strange would talk ab-
"טויטן!"
Hot, burning, flames. It burned at her very core, turning her blood to ice. Her body stiffened. The paralyses deafening for a second. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream.
She could only burn.
"Sofia?" Zelma said, glancing at her. She was stiff. Frozen, eyes wide, her mouth slightly ajar. The books in her hands fell to the ground. Sofia going with them, her eyes rolling back, hitting the floor.
"Sofia!" Zelma cried, dropping to her knees, taking her pulse. Rintrah bending down, gently lifting her head up. Zelma touching her forehead, drawing back, touching her neck. "Sofia? Can you hear me?" Zelma asked, giving her a shake, snapping her fingers in front of her eyes. "Sofia!"
Whispers surrounded them, the students crowding around, which Rintrah began to shoo away.
"Sofia!" Zelma said, giving her another shake, panic beginning to fill her stomach. "Sofia!" she said, waving he hand over her eyes, checking her pulse. She could barely feel anything.
"Call Stephen. Call him now." she said to Rintrah, giving Sofia another shake. "Sofia! God dammit, Sofia. Wake up!" she snapped. Sofia jolting awake, sitting straight up.
Zelma stumbled back, landing on her rear. The hallway going silent. Sofia remained still, her eyes unfocused, almost clouded over.
"Sofia?" Zelma said, reaching out, gently touching her shoulder. "Sofia? Are you okay?"
Sofia's eyes snapped to hers, the clouds vanishing, tears falling from her eyes. "Sofia?" Zelma said, touching her cheek. Sofia sharply gripping her arm and screamed.
Thoughts?
Thank you all for reading!
Don't forget to review, follow, fav, exct!
Till next time...