what happened after unlocked

PART 2 ~ preface

Gripping onto her black, wrought-iron dagger with blistered fingers, Sophie wondered if she'd ever feel truly content again.

The blade was sucking all her happiness, all her joy, and all her strength away from her, pushing it into the instrument so that she was the one giving it power.

That was meant to happen.

But was feeling this drained inevitable? While using this powerful instrument?

And was it natural to feel so weak after harnessing her friends' power, too? Didn't Mr Forkle say it would make her stronger?

No, she conceded, over the flood of pain, It isn't supposed to feel like this.

But that didn't matter.

Because she knew she could make this knew power outlet work, and how she felt afterward, or even throughout, the process, was irrelevant.

Not everything revolved around her.

So Sophie grit her teeth harder. She felt her hands bleed under the pressure of the dagger. She focused on the jet of white light beaming out of it, in such a stark contrast to the instrument producing the light.

Her friends were so much more powerful than she'd though them to be.

And that just made everything so much better.

Because together, they could destroy the Neverseen, and they could fix what they had ruined. Together, they were a team. A strong team.

And Sophie was the final piece.

If she added all her power to the bright mix, they would finally have enough power to do what everyone had been trying to do for years.

Sophie kept the aim of the blade on Gethen, searching his evil eyes for any sign of remorse, or regret, or fear.

Even fear was absent from his emotional store.

Which made him even more of a heartless monster than Sophie had ever feared.

And her own anger and doubt and fear spurred her on.

Somehow, being in more agony, and being so close to death makes most people stronger.

For Sophie it only made her more alive.