Defiance

The Fated Youth

Hello friends! We're going to include a little snippet of the last chapter so we're all on the same page about where we are, so let's get into it! I hope you enjoy <3

Previously:

"Control," Andy finished after having explained the scene to the others, save for Jake, who had remained asleep down the hall. "Control raised that kid-the one with Ashley-and told him to steal the other pieces from Tartarus."

"So, that kid must have gotten some other piece, that glowing light?"

"His soul..." Andy whispered, meeting Jinxx's eyes. "He has Chaos's soul." 

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"Chaos has a soul?" asked CC, dumbfounded. 

"Well, not anymore, it seems," deadpanned Jinxx, quiet while his focus slipped between the present conversation and his own thoughts. 

"So, if the kid has the soul, why is it so important that he has Andy as this vessel? I thought the kid was the vessel?"

"He is not as powerful," Jinxx piped up, CC's question drawing him from his recluse with realization. "He cannot contain it as long. Psychic energy is a powerful one, and that is essentially what the vision of Chaos is-the ability to see the past, present, and future of his creations. That ability was passed on to Andy. If Andy hadn't been strong enough to handle such a power when it was given to him, he wouldn't have survived. However, no human is born with psychic energy without it manifesting in some sense, and we all know what God said- we were not powered upon him placing us in this reality. That means Control, in rewriting the fabric of this created reality, made it so we were powerful enough to do so. Perhaps he didn't anticipate the child-"

"Enough!" 

Jake's hoarse shout from the shadows of the hallway shocked the entire room into silence. "Enough, please..." This time, his tired cry dropped into a whisper dripping with exhaustion that seemed into each of their bones. "I don't care about any of this anymore. I don't care about where we came from or why this is happening now or any of it. I want to know what we do know, and how we stop this thing from killing us."

Jinxx took a step closer, meeting him with gentle, understanding eyes and a relaxed smile. "We know the kid has Chaos's soul. Chaos is using Ash to gain the rest of the pieces from us so he can then use Andy to rise and control the world. We have the Eye of Tartarus-" He paused, pulling it from his pocket. "-which we can use to trap him back in the Underworld for good."

"Losing our pieces could kill us," CC deadpanned with a look over to Jake. 

"As well as mine, or at the very least severely weaken," Jinxx agreed.

"And Ashley's power will be the one to seal the deal. That means Chaos takes his last."

"Alright, now that we-" 

Jake was cut off as Andy dipped sideways into CC's side, distant and glassy eyes sparking to life in a familiar piercing white shimmer. However, unfamiliar was the quick fading of the white before it sparked back, and dipped away, seemingly fighting with himself. "Andy, what's going on?" CC questioned, looking down at the younger now encased in his arms and clutching on to his vest with a tremble in his hands. 

"I don't know. It's like it...wants to show me something but I don't...I don't have access to it. Just let me..." he stopped, muttering under his breath as he closed his eyes and his breathing evened out. Perking his ear in that direction, CC noticed the mutterings as constant pleading to "come on", searching for the key to unlock the door behind his eyes. Finally, his breath catching in his throat, the glow returned to his eyes and he started speaking. 

The Fated youth who holds the key

to ending the return, 

will be the one to douse the flames

or will let it all burn.

Sway the troubled mind before he 

learns of his destiny. 

One man alone cannot hold the power

to change reality. 

When Andy came back, he came back reeling in CC's arms, nearly throwing himself off the couch if not for said arms wrapped around his frame. 

"What was that?" 

"Potentially? Another, easier way out of this."

That was a smaller chapter than I intended. Another one will be up much sooner, I just decided to split them and get this out while I update my other fanfics. I have a LOT of work to catch up on, but I've been kind of running myself into the ground trying to stay afloat and on top of everything. I don't enjoy leaving writing works unfinished. 

I appreciate all of your patience and hope my usual Wild One series readers will stick with me through the rest of this book! 

Thank you all so much <3