The Realization (A SoKeefe/Keephie story)

Chapter 17 - Sophie

Darkness.

That's all she knew.

And it seemed like that was all she would know. Forever.

Unconnected thoughts flew through her mind. A fire, leaping up to devour her. Tendrils of shadows worming through her subconscious. And then eyes. The most magnificent ice blue eyes, staring back at her with horror in their depths.

But then they were disappearing. Years of consciousness and thoughts disappearing as if being washed away. What replaced them was... darkness. A shadowy master that had to be obeyed.

A slapping sound jolted her out of her haze. A cloaked figure knelt in front of her, casually examining their own hand, then peered closer, her eyes unmoving, fixated on something on her face.

What's on my face? She wondered. She tried to move her hand but found that she couldn't. She shrugged it off. Mentally, of course, since she couldn't move her shoulders either.

"So she really can't feel anything?" The figure asked in a high, sharp, voice, turning toward a shadowy corner. "Nothing?"

"Of course not." A shadowy figure stepped out, her face obscured by her hood. "Do you doubt my abilities?"

"I don't doubt them," the kneeling figure argued, standing up. But she wasn't focusing on what they were saying. Something about the second figure's voice sounded familiar. Sounded... evil.

Evil? She thought. There's no such thing as evil. There's just darkness and shadows and... she inwardly shivered. What are these thoughts doing in my mind? They don't belong here. She tried to block them out but also tried to avoid thinking about them. It's probably nothing, she consoled herself. Probably just a side effect of not being able to move my body. She tried wiggling her shoulders again, and they actually moved! Unfortunately, just that slight movement had captured the figures' attention, and she froze once more, seemingly even more rigid than before.

"So she's alive after all," the person in front of her muttered, crouching down. She put her index finger underneath her chin and smiled. Her teeth were a bright white, the single light amongst all the darkness.

The other figure stepped closer. They took off their hood, but their face was... murky. She couldn't hang on to it. The figure smirked.

"Sophie, the brave little moonlark," she cooed. "Now reduced to a mere Shadowservant."

"Shadowservant? Really, Umber?" The figure crouching in front of her snarled. "No need to be dramatic."

But she couldn't focus on their argument. Once again, her thoughts were drifting. Sophie, she thought. Sophie. That must be my name. The thought seemed to unleash an avalanche somewhere in the back of her mind, but she couldn't get to it. Soft wisps of memory drifted up from her mind, but just like Umber's face, she couldn't manage to get a hold of them.

Then her mind drifted to another word. Shadowservant. She inwardly shivered again. Just like Umber's voice, it seemed to emanate evil. Is that what I am now? She thought dejectedly. A Shadow... servant?

"So she's completely under your control?" The first figure said, examining Sophie's face.

"Completely," Umber said smugly. "Should we get her acquainted in her new room, Gisela?"

The figure in front of her, whose name was apparently Gisela, rose to her feet. "Yes." She took off her hood and smirked cruelly. "I think we should."

a/n: Yeah, this was kind of a short chapter since I had no motivation and didn't really know what to do, but I think that the next part will be better since I know what to do with Keefe's part, as I kind of set it up in the Tiana chapter. I think that the next Sophie chapter will be better and longer too. I wonder if you guys can guess what the Neverseen is going to do with Sophie with this short chapter...