Unbroken (kotlc) (DISCONTINUED)

Part 4

{Unedited}

Sophie didn't know how much time had passed since she was taken. She couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. All the pain felt real but when she woke up, some things weren't there- like the pieces of jagged bone splitting out at her elbow.

She vaguely remembered the searing pain but yet when she looked at her functioning right arm, it was only bruised like the rest of her body.

"Up again so soon?" Vespera's eerie voice asked from outside the cell.

Sophie silently swore.

"You know Sophie, all you need to do to stop this is give in," Vespera taunted. "Just a few little words and this is over."

Sophie shook her head, tears leaking out. Never. She would never let herself give in. Never, never, never.

You will not yield, she told herself.

She told that to herself over and over like a prayer. She clung to the words and focused her attention on them as Vespera tried to scare her into submission by threatening to do monstrous things to her.

Her tears stung over the cuts on Sophie's face as she bore it. She kept her eyes shut and tried to block out the threats.

"Sophie..." A distant voice she hadn't heard in so long called. "Sophie."

 Sophie opened her eyes and saw a faint image of Calla, the small gnome sitting beside her in the cell. More tears rolled down Sophie's cheeks as she took in Calla's kind face.

This isn't real, Sophie thought.

"Yes it is, my brave moonlark," Calla told her softly. "You have been so brave, my Sophie. You just have to be brave for a bit longer."

"Be brave for a bit longer, Sophie," Another voice said.

Sophie turned her head and almost yelped when she saw another figure with her in the cell as Vespera drew her knife across the bars.

Councillor Kenric smiled warmly at her.

"You've been so strong, Sophie," He told her. "You've grown so much from the girl I met at Everglen."

"Do you hear me, girl?" Vespera shouted. "I'm going to cut you real good this time."

"You do not yield, Sophie," Kenric reminded her. "You never have. Don't start now."

As Vespera began unlocking the cell, another figure appeared beside Kenric and Calla.

"You have to be strong for a little bit longer, Sophie," Jolie told her. "Be strong for your friends, for mom and dad, for everyone. For yourself, moonlark."

Vespera entered the cell with her sharp knife glinting at her side yet Calla, Kenric, and Jolie remained by her side.

"Do not yield, Sophie," The three of them told her.

"We will be by your side the entire time," Calla promised her.

"Even if you can't see us," Kenric added, "we are with you."

"Go get yourself home, Sophie," Jolie told her. "And live."

Sophie blinked and they were gone but she felt their presence as Vespera approached her.

You do not yield.

And she didn't; when Vespera came close enough to slit her throat, Sophie snatched the knife and slashed it across Vespera's face.

She stabbed the knife repetitively into her torso until Vespera was collapsed in a pool of her own blood. Sophie slashed through the chain connecting the cuffs on her ankles and wrists. Once they broke, she gripped the knife tighter as she searched through Vespera's bloody pockets. She quickly found more weapons and at last- a leaping crystal.

Hoping that it would take her somewhere she could get help, Sophie held them both in her gauntlet-covered hands and left her cell to find light. 

She held up the crystal to the light and vanished from the Neverseen's hideout. 

***

Oralie's POV

After Biana Vacker had written out the numbers and matched them up to one of the Lodestar lines, Alden and the Councillors immediately hailed the Collective and Team Valiant despite the late hour. 

Oralie sat through the endless discussion of what to do, how to get a way to the hideout, and the who would be going. Someone hailed Elwin to come to Everglen with everything needed.

To Oralie's surprise, even Bronte volunteered to help infiltrate the Neverseen's hideout but Mr. Forkle reminded him that the Neverseen had thinking caps to protect themselves from his ability.

"If it blocked even Ms Foster's enhanced inflicting, it would be of no use," Mr Forkle added. "Besides, we're hoping to get in and out with Ms Foster without a battle. Her safety is our number one priority."

Bronte reluctantly stood down. After everything was settled that several members of Team Valiant would be coming with the Black Swan to rescue Sophie.

Oralie and Bronte leapt back to Eternalia and were to explain the situation to the rest of the Council in the morning. As they walked through the empty dark streets in silence, Oralie couldn't hold in her shudders.

"Are you alright, Oralie?" Bronte asked. 

"I'm fine," She replied. "Just anxious about whether their plan will work."

"I'm sure they're well prepared," Bronte assured her. 

It wasn't just that. Oralie was really concerned about Sophie's well-being- both mental and physical.

"We don't how things will be after," Oralie reminded him. "If Sophie's been there for weeks, I doubt they wouldn't attempt to gain some information the hard way." She looked at Bronte, hoping he would get what she was implying.

Bronte said quietly, "Let's just see how things go before we get all worked up about something we're not certain of yet. Obviously Ms Foster will need time to adjust and have some time to process everything before being expected to handle assignments for Team Valiant again. But we need to wait and find out."

Oralie nodded and they continued towards their castles when a flash of light caught her eye from the distance. Oralie squinted to see who appeared and collapsed on the ground. Bronte took the lead in slowly approaching the person. 

"Who's there?" He asked sternly. 

"Help me," A raspy, cracked voice begged. "Please help me."

Oralie looked at Bronte who was already looking her, disbelief in his eyes. 

"It couldn't be..." Oralie breathed before walking closer. "Sophie?"

She took in the person and froze in shock. 

It was indeed Sophie- with bruises, cuts, and a big circlet practically nailed into her head. 

A/N: Here's the next part! Honestly this story will probably be not too long since it's more about Sophie's trauma and recovery from her second kidnapping but we'll see. Stay hydrated! ~N