𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐀 -- [keefe sencen]

[𝟎𝟏𝟐] 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

chapter 12.

fire !

Lilith had no idea how these words were already there, but she didn't have time to think about that. So what did it all mean?

She went back to her locker and licked the DNA strip, which tasted like mallowmelt - reminding her of Keefe. 

The locker swung open, and Lilith noticed something was off. A new book. 

"'An Insider's Guide to Pyrokinesis,' Huh?" She whispered aloud. She opened the book and found a drawing of an elf surrounded by bright yellow flames. 

"Everblaze?" Lilith muttered when her mind went dark. 

An image of roaring yellow-white flames filled her mind, and she couldn't get it out. She smelled the sickly smoke and coughed. It was familiar, and the worst part? She was drawn to the flame. Instead of reacting by backing away, she reached forward towards the flame. It pulled her in. 

She felt something grow hot in her hands, and she was brought back into reality. The book burned into her hands, and she dropped it. 

What. The. Fuck. Was. Happening. 

---

"Sophie!" Lilith called out to her friend, who was walking with Dex. "I need your help! I need to talk to you!" She continued. 

"With what?" Sophie asked. 

Dex walked away, and Lilith grabbed Sophie's arm. "Can you project other people's memories?" Lilith asked impatiently, her foot bouncing. 

"Uh, I can try; why?" Sophie asked. 

"Just look," Lilith replied, pointing to her head. 

After a few moments, Sophie paused. "Whoa," She said. "Okay, let me try," She said and pulled out a book. Lilith let Sophie into her mind and watched as images formed onto the pages. 

"After school, let's go to Alden," Lilith suggested, and Sophie nodded. 

---

"The situation will be put under control soon enough," Alden said. Lilith eyed Sophie, who began pulling out the book. 

"Not if it's Everblaze," Lilith stated, and Alden stood up. 

"Who told you that term?" He asked, his voice rising. 

Lilith grabbed the book and showed him, his mouth forming an 'o' shape with every passing moment. Sophie showed him the formula that was in Lilith's head. 

"I know this is Frissyn, which stands for Quintessence. The formula looks complicated...But I can't exactly find out what it means," Lilith explained. 

"It's a highly classified formula for extinguishing Everblaze," Alden explained. 

"I-I think someone's been planting information in my head, and- I'm not the only one," Lilith added, looking at Sophie. 

Alden raised an eyebrow. Sophie pulled out a picture of her building a sandcastle on the beach. Not any castle. Eternalia. 

"I thought it was Everblaze, but the Council overruled me on that one," Alden explained. "They think it is just a human arsonist playing around with a couple of chemicals. But our world is changing," He continued taking a seat. 

He pointed to a symbol in Sophie's book. 

"You see that? That's a moonlark. They are birds who toss their eggs into the sea, where the baby bird has to grow without parents. That's what the Black Swan called you, Sophie, Project Moonlark. 

Alden sighed. 

"Twelve years ago, we captured a member of the Black Swan," He said. 

Prentice.

"We probed his mind, and we found only two things—a strand of your DNA and your code name: Moonlark. You were the egg they tossed out into the sea of humans," Alden said softly. 

Sophie looked stunned, and Lilith couldn't blame her. 

"Lilith, however," Alden continued, "We couldn't find anything specific, just the fact that there might be two people. But it was a slim possibility. So I-" Alden said, then paused. 

"I'm not sure if you're from the Black Swan. I think. I think... you're elf family may have given you up. W-we've never heard of another project," He said with a sigh. 

Lilith pursued her lips. She wasn't a project. 

But something still felt wrong. Something felt off. 

A word was in her head; she felt something floating around in there, just out of grasp. 

She pushed it out of her mind, and walked back to Splendor Plains, with a heavy heart and heavier mind.