Union

eight

June 24th

0122 EST

Bristol's heartbeat, combined with the beats of her friends, pounded throughout the cortex with an unnerving rhythm, chilling her to the bone. There was silence all around as everyone looked around in shock. This was their safe zone, their territory, their home court, and yet, somehow that had been invaded. Secrets lurked around every corner like ghosts that escaped your grasp the second you got too close.

The only thing powerful enough to disrupt the tension growing from the Union was Liv, who shot awake all of a sudden. She looked around wildly with bloodshot caramel eyes. Her breathing was irregular and the way she regarded her predicament and location was as if she didn't know she was in headquarters at all.

"Liv?" Tristan asked, concern booming in his voice. "Liv, are you alright?"

Liv looked at Tristan sharply, and her eyes glazed over, the way they normally were. The mist that had been cleared with her awakening had reformed. "Tris...Tristan. Where am I?" She looked around slowly.

Tristan knit his eyebrows. "Liv, you're in the cortex. How'd you get here?"

Liv caught glimpse of the snowflake emblem on his chest and instantly noticed the other people standing around. "Why are you guys dressed in your supersuits?" As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she pressed her hands to her temples, like she was getting a headache. "All I know is I was in my bed one minute and now I'm here."

Bristol took a step forward apprehensively, as if she were approaching a cornered animal. For all she knew, that was the closest comparison she could make to Liv. The girl was a walking mystery that looked spooked 99% of the time. "Liv," she paused. "What do you remember?"

The blonde girl took a ragged breath, hugging her knees to her chest. Her shoulder-length hair was matted, and she was still in her pajamas, although they were stained with ash. "I don't know," she pressed. "I was in my bed one minute and then I wake up here. Did I sleep walk?"

Bristol opened her mouth to say something again, when Liv's vision landed on the ash surrounding her. Her eyes widened and the blood rushed out of her face. "No," she gasped, scooting backwards away from the ash. "No, she told me she would leave me alone. I don't know anything! She said she would leave me alone!"

"Her heartbeat is erratic and she is beginning to hyperventilate. If we do not intervene, she can go into a shock-induced panic attack and lose consciousness." Avi reported, urgency in her voice.

Instantly, Liv looked up at them, but the vacant look in her eyes returned. "Leave me alone!" She yelled, on the brink of tears. "Don't come any closer!"

Tristan reached a hand forward but Liv flinched, watching him as if he were a dangerous animal. "Don't touch me!"

Tristan's sapphire eyes filled with heartbreak and confusion all at once. "Liv, what's wrong?" He asked.

Liv began to shake, rocking back and forth. She sat in the center of the ash explosion, gazing off into space as tears filled her eyes. "She said she would leave me alone! I didn't mean to anger her! I didn't mean to! I'm not like her, I swear!" She wailed.

Bristol looked to CJ beside her and Avi on her opposite side and the three of them started forwards. They needed to calm her down, to get her to see reason, but it was a failed attempt.

Liv saw them coming and spread her hands out to either side of her. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed, and the air around her palms began to shimmer, like a heat wave was coming on.