forget me || sokeefe

chapter 16

Sophie had been missing for a week, now. Nobody was acting like themselves, all of them were overwhelmed with grief and fear for Sophie.

"MR. SENCEN!" He was brought from his thoughts by his teacher, slamming her arms on his desk.

"Sorry." Keefe shook himself and made an "I'm focused" motion with his hands. "I'm all ears."

His mentor shook her head. "Keefe, class is over."

"Cool, so I can leave?" Keefe started to stand up and pick up his books.

He left the class quickly, he heard his mentor sigh loudly.

"It's almost as if you want to get expelled, Keefe." Ro told him when they left the class.

"I mean, it wouldn't be that bad to be expelled." Keefe joked.

"It's a wonder you haven't been expelled already." Ro grumbled. Keefe couldn't think up a response. Ro looked at him sideways. "Man, you are really out of it. No response? Really?"

Keefe shrugged. "Ro." He sighed. "If Sophie dies, it's on me. My mom is probably with her right now, if she dies, I don't know what I'm going to do." Keefe confessed, tearing a hand through his untamed hair.

Ro paused for a second. "Damnnn, that was quite the love confession." She broke the mood. "I bet you can't live without her, can you?"

Keefe thought about it for a moment. "No." He said quietly. "I can't."

Even Ro was shocked into silence.

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Fitz was in telepathy with Sir Tiergan without Sophie, and it had never been so weird. They had been using the class time trying to transmit to Sophie.

"Focus, Fitz!" Tiergan shouted at him for the 16th time that class that wasn't even halfway done.

"I am!" He shouted back.

Gritzel stood in the corner, silently watching the painful session unfold.

SOPHIE! SOPHIE CAN YOU HEAR ME?! Fitz transmitted louder than he ever had before, a mix of pure desperation to find Sophie and a feeling of guilt pushing him to keep trying in his sessions. He always left his telepathy sessions with a pounding headache. As always, Sophie remained silent

"Keep trying. Feel for her mind, Fitz." Tiergan told him.

Fitz took another deep breath, rallying up his mental energy for another broadcast.

SOPHIE!

This time, he got a weak response.

Fitz.

SOPHIE! OH MY GOD WHERE ARE YOU!?

I-I don't know? Sophie's voice sounded so weak, as if all her energy had been drained out of her. They have me and Flori in a dark room. They have a training area here and they have this symbol everywhere.

Fitz got a mental image of a sign that wasn't unsimilar from the Lodestar symbol that they found in the Paris hideout.

But other than that I don't know where we are.

How are you guys?! Are you okay?!

We're alive. Sophie tried weakly.

That's not a good answer. Fitz frowned.

No! Wait, stop! Sophie's voice came back panicked, she still wasn't even yelling, just slightly raising her voice.

SOPHIE? Sophie, are you okay? What happened?! Fitz felt his tie with Sophie cut off.