The battle is won, but the war is far from over. With his new powers on the loose, Oliver must find balance between good and evil - before the world dies.
*****
"The old world walks the earth once again."
Something big is comi...
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-Oliver-
I couldn't sleep that night. The orphanage was silent, but I could feel Natalie downstairs with another caretaker. And the spirits outside my window. The town around me was peaceful, mostly unaware of the danger we were in.
I couldn't fall asleep because of the thousand things swirling in my mind. Instead, I sat next to the window, covered in blankets, wishing Jaden was there with me. His presence would've given me strength, maybe even calmed me down enough so I could sleep.
But it was just me and my thoughts. Cedric was awake as well, but he stayed quiet. We didn't need words to know what the other one was thinking. I could feel his worry over me, and the fear.
Even I was afraid of myself. I still wanted to go back to Anthony and force him to talk. It would be so easy... I could make him spill all his little secrets.
Cedric shifted, so I turned my attention to him.
"Yes?" I asked quietly.
'Do you think he actually knows anything useful?' he asked.
"What do you mean?"
'I don't know... The way he was taunting you... It didn't feel right. Why would he want you to find out about their secrets? It just feels like a stupid thing to do.'
"You think he was just trying to turn me mad?"
'They need you to give in to the corruption,' he reminded me. 'I don't think he knows anything important. If he did, wouldn't his master or whoever the hell he's working with had tried to save him before we lifted the protections?'
"Maybe..." I muttered. He did have a point. "My head hurts... I wish we could go back to normal..."
'I know...'
I let out a deep sigh, turning my eyes out the window. I really wished Jaden was there... I needed his strength.
"I wish none of this had happened..." I murmured.
"But it did."
I nearly jumped out of my seat when I heard the familiar voice – or voices. I turned to look to my right.
"Gaea," I whispered, and Cedric tensed up.
The god of Earth sat down on the seat in front of me, looking more human than before, but still very strange. I peered at the other boys sleeping in their beds, but none of them woke up.
"Only you can see me," Gaea said. "Only you can feel my presence."
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"Because you let us out," they said with a smile. "And I had the feeling you could use reassuring words."
"I'd rather have reassuring actions," I said. "But words are good too."
"Yes. I know what happened today. I saw every aspect of it in all the realms."
