[Indefinite Hiatus] Law And EMBER

6. Little Progress

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"Are you okay?"

Seraphina blinked the dust out of her eyes, and she noticed that John's eyes were glowing a bright gold. They held a deep concern in them, and his brows were crinkled ever so slightly in worry.

"Seraphina? Can you hear me?"

He waved one hand in front of her face, bringing her out of her daze. She blinked again and suddenly found the words to speak.

"Wh-Wha... Huh? John, why are your eyes glowing?"

She felt his grip relax ever so slightly as he sighed, the one hand he'd waved in front of her now rubbed his temples. "Well, if I hadn't activated my ability, I'd have become a statue. And I prefer being able to move."

Seraphina stared back at him, confused at his strange remark, until reality dawned on her. She whipped her head around, groaning as shades in grayscale tones winked back at her, mocking and taunting.

It's my damn ability.

She sighed, turning back to face him. She gave a small smile, trying to hide the worry building within her from showing in her eyes. "Don't worry", she said. "It's just a little hiccup. Don't sweat it."

"Um, don't sweat it?! Seraphina, you literally froze time WHILE sleeping!", John yelled. His hand motioned to the clock on the table, which lay next to her side of the bed. "It's 5:30am. And it's been that way for a good while!"

"O-Oh?" A part of her wanted to tell him everything and spill each and every facet of the truth — how her ability hadn't been the same for two years and counting, and she could barely exert a firm hold over it; or better yet, her growing fear and dread of a time that moved ever closer where she would lose her already fragile grip of her ability and wreck havoc with far-reaching consequences. 

A future that she never wanted to lay her eyes on. Ever.

The words rose in her throat, near-hysteric to be spoken, but refused to move any further. They didn't have the easiness they once had, so she instead resorted to assuring him. "It's part of my passive", she said, immediately turning away to avoid the questioning glare with an arched brow John was most definitely sending her way. He wasn't buying it — he had known Seraphina like the back of his hand, had relentlessly studied what there was to aura — and she already knew the excuse she feebly offered had backfired on her.

Still, the world had to get its color back. Holding in a nervous breath and half-afraid of what would happen if her ability decided now was the time to refuse her control, she depowered. "Okay, maybe it's NOT part of my passive. But it's harmless for the most part, I swear."

John scoffed. "Really, that's how you plan on reassuring me? Seraphina, your ability has NEVER done that before! And the aura's so weird too."

"It's nothing, John! I'm okay, I'm perfectly okay!"

"You're not! I can literally sense it in your aura. Something is wrong. Why aren't you telling me anything—"

"BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I DID YOU ENDED UP IN PRISON FOR TEN. FUCKING. YEARS!"

Sudden silence veiled the room, and she sighed. "Look, John. You said you'd help me fight EMBER and get rid of them once and for all — and EMBER is not related to my ability." She reached out her hand to put it on his arm, but she paused for a few moments before deciding against it and pulling her hand back to herself. "I don't want to involve you in—"

"So you still don't trust me?"

She looked up at John's face, anger in his eyes. Not missing a beat, he continued on. "May I remind you that if you hadn't chickened out that damn day I wouldn't have had to go to jail? I wouldn't have had to see my dad look at me with that much pain and sadness because his SON killed someone who was otherwise innocent."