Burn As Bright (Frerard)

40

Gerard sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. The others from the hallway occasionally peeked in, but no one seemed to know what to say. Tyler briefly woke up, but he had only enough energy to roll onto his back before falling unconscious once again. Pete's head dropped, but he otherwise didn't move. Patrick was still as well.

Gerard's magic hummed low, moving at a sluggish pace in his gut. From being locked away to being used as an energy source, it was as tired as Gerard felt. He couldn't let himself fully relax, though. They weren't safe. Someone could come at any point and the find open cells. He debated hiding a majority of the group in the cells that would go unvisited, but that still left a handful vulnerable to detection if they were to be opened. He couldn't put the others at further risk by having them wait in Tyler and Pete's cell if someone came...

There was a sudden gasp beside Gerard. He lifted his head, seeing that Patrick was sitting bolt upright with wide, bright eyes. Pete was also sitting straight, eyes burning bright with their grey light as he stared ahead.

"The river of fate they can't escape, a power within them much too great
Her magic is the key to all, will he fight it or will he fall?
Born of both the land and sky, it all converges where it may die
Will stripped away and heart unknown..."

Patrick's eyes began to flicker in vibrancy as his eyelids dropped. "and heart unknown..." He repeated, though his words slurred together. His head began to drop forward.

"No!" Gerard rushed in front of him, quickly cupping his face in his hands. "There's more, you have to finish it!" He willed his magic to his fingertips, despite it's sluggishness. He needed to know what came next. "Just a bit more!"

Patrick's eyes continued to flicker with vibrancy. He didn't seem to register Gerard in front of him. "No place to truly call home." His head lulled to the side, being supported by Gerard's hand. The brightness of his eyes dimmed, leaving dull, yellow irises looking forward. Slowly, they found their way to Gerard's. "I see the river... I see the trees... The place we were before here..." He fell back, getting caught by a confused Pete. He muttered something incoherent before his eyes fluttered shut.

"The river?" Gerard's hands still hung in the air where they had been holding Patrick's face. "Why would they go back to the river?"

"Was that another prophecy?" Pete asked, shaking his head as the grey faded from his eyes. "He's never had one so soon after the last..."

"Does that change the first one?" Gerard asked, "Some parts felt similar but some of it was new." His arms dropped back to his sides. If Patrick saw the river, did that mean Frank was going to be taken off the base? How were they going to follow?

"Anything we just gave back was likely siphoned for that vision." Pete adjusted his position in order to cradle Patrick's upper torso in his arm as he used his free hand to trail his fingers along the side of his face. "He should be on the right timeline if he was able to share that, though."

"Did you see anything with his words?" Gerard remembered how Patrick's magic had danced into shimmering images with his first prophecy, but he hadn't been connected the same way this time.

Pete nodded. "There was a river of his magic that lead to a point where two figures stood before exploding." His face scrunched, "It was weak after that though. Like he couldn't put his energy into both without losing where he was. I saw that river, though. You mentioned going back to it. Is that where he had taken him before we wound up here?"

Gerard shook his head. "It's hard to remember. I was there with Frank, but I got hit by something. I heard others, but I'm not sure who."

Pete frowned. "After you left and before those Force soldiers arrived, he seemed really worried. He was having quite a few moments of his head becoming blurry from the branching possibilities ahead."