Throne of Glass: unOrdinary Fanfic

(12) Benefit of the Doubt part 6

Previously on we stan fluff...

John forgot to breath, blinded yet incapable of gazing anywhere else, didn't even want to. Enamored by her eyes, her lips, so close and within reach of his own... Tickling butterflies caressed the chamber of his heart, making his skin flush with heat.

'Fiery one,' indeed.

"Haha well! It seems I overstepped some boundaries, sorry about that Seraphina! (please don't kill me thanks :'D) Now if you would all turn your attention to the screen, we have this years slideshow and reel of some of the best gifts submitted by the receiver ready to play. Terrence! Do the thing!"

A younger kid that John had never seen before sported unassuming sandy hair. But his eyes, emerald and calculating, there was something off about the way they observed the world around him. His heart jumped to his throat as Terrence stared at him, knowing and intuitive.

He smirked before pulling a lever, and the theater went pitch black.

——————

Subdued screams began slipping out of the crowd, a sporadic collage of flickering lights rapidly overtook the darkness, eyes lighting up like colorful fireflies. It was a flood, a few lights here and there before it escalated into turrets of shifting glowing hues. John was relieved he was above it all, in the private opera booth with Sera instead of in the center of fluctuating chaos. Even from here, the density of all those abilities polluted the air, swelling up in convulsing mixtures.

It was nauseating. His passive, even with its smaller range could detect the finer essences of expended aura floating haplessly like dust towards the ceiling. Riding the drafts upwards, the thin strands of various pigments were almost pretty as they danced to a slow, melancholy song.

Almost.

"This is new." Seraphina noted, her voice sticking out as visuals were shut off. She began to feel the coaxing pull of intrigue as she took in the sudden overwhelming black. "They've done shows of the highlights before, but this year feels a lot more dramatic." Peering down into the depths of inky shadows, she squinted, trying to adjust her eyes. She was jostled as John pulled her into his arms, his embrace enveloping and protective. His attempt at nonchalance was betrayed by his erratic heartbeat thundering against his rib cage.

Recalling how even in the comfort of his own home he refused to have all the lights completely off, insisting on keeping the lamp light burning dimly throughout the night, Seraphina could take a guess why.

"Isen was involved this year, to be fair." John said, shrugging with one shoulder. Hoping she couldn't detect the barest hint of a tremor in his voice. He followed her line of site, deviating to the stage and the kid that had turned out the lights. He was nowhere to be seen, not even the barest hint of a sage glow. A fog of unease crept inside his chest, hovering with a stubborn resistance that refused to dissipate. There was something about that stare that set off alarms in John's head, but he didn't know why. It was the strangest thing... "I don't think he's capable of bein' anythin' other than over the top."

On perfect cue, a flash of blinding white light illuminated the stage, withdrawing back to its original form of a large rectangular screen. After a few tense seconds of anticipation, a reel began to play, uplifting violin covers of love songs in the background. Spanning reaches from heartfelt to the extravagant, pictures and a few clips came into view, playing seamlessly into the next. There were displays of different thoughtful crafts, paintings, treats and gift baskets.

John released a breath of relief. Scanning the stage again, the boy had vanished. Isen and other staff were seated and it was like the momentary uncertainty from earlier was just a passing dream.