𝓟𝐫𝗼𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝓢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐞

Chapter #42 - Sophie

Chapter #42 - Sophie

"NUMB!"

Sophie half-expected the word to backfire. To freeze everyone who didn't deserve to be frozen.

But... she still felt terrified.

And then, relieved.

It worked.

She instinctively craned her head, trying to see if Lady Gisela... THUD. Keefe's body suddenly collapsed beside her.

She spun around— was he alright? His eyes were closed, but his breathing and heartbeat seemed okay. Sophie prayed with every inch of herself that it was just shear exhaustion that had made Keefe fall down.

She thought back to the day he'd "embraced the change." Then thought to connect her mind with his.

You okay? Sophie transmitted. She squeezed his hand gingerly, hating how that felt so awkward now.

Tired, echoed weakly in Keefe's thoughts.

Then rest.

"Keefe just shouted 'NUMB' but... he didn't numb anybody."

"Actually... I think he did numb someone."

Biana and Tam were talking. In fact, all of Sophie's friends had crowded towards her as soon as that command was shouted.

"Wait, is he okay?" Biana, Fitz, and Dex asked simultaneously, followed closely by others— including Amy. Tam also eyed the black thing on Keefe's shoulder— hold on, was that the magsidian threat Gisela had mentioned?— the way Dex did when analyzing gadgets.

"I think so. Just... tired."

That's when she saw it. Keefe's mom, her already-numb-in-a-way face looking completely paralyzed. She stared blankly into the distance, like she wanted to figure out what was happening, but couldn't quite want anything. The terrified humans had clustered anywhere but where Lady Gisela was, as if scared her numbness was contagious.

Sophie's breath caught, surprised by how the sight made her feel.

Not proud they'd changed Keefe's ability. Not satisfied with the obvious karma.

It was... sad.

Sad that someone could let others suffer through an awful power, but then seem just as miserable when it was condemned on them. Sad that they could be so bad, their own son wouldn't feel guilty doing it.

Though she guessed Keefe must feel slightly guilty.

At the end of the day, they were still family. Or maybe a better word was relatives.

Like Fitz and Alvar. Or Sophie and her biological parents, in a different sense.

Sophie nearly slapped herself when she realized all her friends were looking at her, waiting for explanation. "We... Keefe and I figured out a way to turn his ability around. I can explain more—"

Lady Gisela's body suddenly lifted from the ground; her face not portraying any reaction. From the way Fitz scrunched his eyebrows— and nodded, briefly— she knew he was using his Telekinesis.

The humans sent a whisper amongst each other—"okay, how is this woman floating?" Sophie understood their shock. She'd felt the same when she'd seen Fitz first use his elvin skills. She also understood what it was like to manifest an unexpected, overwhelming power.

Spoiler alert— pretty scary.

"Sorry." She slowly lowered towards the ground. "I probably shouldn't have done that," the Vacker boy admitted, "But, we should take Gisela somewhere while she has no motive to fight back, right?"