AuthorSME

  Darkness crept between fractured memories, each shard a razor-edged window into a world unraveling. Floating through the void, her eyes felt heavy, a dull throb aching in her chest.

  Where… The Null-Void? No… It feels too uniform. That means…

  Am I in a dream?

  Whose?

  Sora’s consciousness drifted, feeling a chill and spiritual pulse that bubbled up with recognition. She passed through a honey-yellow kingdom, overtaken by shadows, stone walls weeping darkness. Broken columns reached toward a sky stained the color of old bruises, the air thick with the metallic tang of despair.

  This is Honeydew…

  Se’s kingdom.

  Fragments of a life flickered—warmth remembered, then violently extinguished. A bck bde pressed against a chest so filled with light and love, it refused to be extinguished. A woman chained, her light dimming but never fully surrendering.

  Se’s mother…

  The lovely, honey-hued fae hung, suspended between stalwart longsuffering, loving defiance, and hope, her eyes bzing with a heart so rge that it refused to be broken.

  “Fight it,” the woman whispered, silver blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “You are more than this darkness, Little Bee. More than what they’ve made you. This is not your fault… You are mine.”

  Se—Sora—trembled.

  I don’t love you! I don’t need you! I don’t ever want to see you again…

  A plea, loathing, skull-cwing guilt, burning her soul.

  Lies… All lies.

  Mother… I wasn’t. I’m sorry… I’m not as strong as you…

  Her mother’s light never left her eyes, even as they were swallowed by darkness, leading to where the sleepless go.

  Mother…

  She was swept into another torrent, rage now bubbling beneath her skin, a volcanic pressure threatening to consume everything. Her fingers curled, nails digging into palms until inky blood—not silver, as her mother’s—welled between the cracks.

  No. Father! Don’t free me! Don’t be weak… Don’t fall apart. Don’t fall for my lies…

  Words left her lips. Acid, meant to corrode her father’s failing heart. How she’d left his wife, her mother, for him to find—the horror of what she’d done that tore at her heart in these nights.

  Father… I cannot be forgiven…

  Her father approached, a shadow of desperation clinging to his frame. Obsession carved lines into his face, each wrinkle a testament to his failed attempts to purge the corruption consuming her. His kingdom falling into the darkness, abandoning every w, forsaking every promise to their high rulers…for the chance to save the one thing he had left—her.

  Don’t show me that hope, Se cried, her father’s delusions taking hold as he unraveled her bindings. I’m a monster…

  The next moment, chains twisted around his frame, fragile constructs of a dying hope shattering his st bit of sanity.

  “You can be saved,” he pleaded, his voice a broken whisper. “Se… I know you can be saved.”

  I don’t want to be…

  Se’s ughter cut through the darkness like shattered gss. A sound that wasn’t a ugh at all—more a predator’s victory cry.

  I don’t deserve to be…

  This isn't real. But it is.

  I shouldn’t be alive.

  The world tilted. Reality warped like wet canvas, colors bleeding into one another. Se's memories consumed everything—her rage, her pain, her absolute rejection of everything that tried to control her. The kingdom around her crumbled, honey stone turning to ash, hope disintegrating into nothing.

  I can’t—I can’t hold on—

  A scream. Was it Se's? Was it her own?

  “Sora?!”

  Sora’s eyes snapped open.

  Her breath came in ragged gasps, sweat beading along her forehead. The lingering sensation of Se’s emotions clung to her like a damp shroud—pain so profound it threatened to consume her, rage so absolute it could shatter worlds—the hungering Darkness beneath it.

  “Se!”

  A jolt of movement.

  “Sora?” Wendy’s voice cut through the lingering darkness of the dream, jumping in her sheets, eyes wide and scanning. “What—”

  Teenage Nilly—not a kitten—previously curled at the foot of Wendy’s bed, erupted straight up to the ceiling. One moment a sleeping cat-girl, the next a human-shaped torpedo and shadow, clinging to the dull, glowing wood like a startled gecko. Her tail puffed out to three times its normal size, golden eyes wide with panic.

  “Hssss!”

  “Sister?” Eyia was already halfway to her, bright-blue eyes scanning the room. “I sense no danger but…a lingering shadow breaking away from your spirit…”

  Her ears twitched—wait, her ears?

  Right, I’m not Se… Breathe. Just breathe…

  A tremor ran through her body, the purified fae’s rage and soul-crushing emotions still echoing in her bones. The room felt too small, too tight, reality wobbling at the edges.

  The others’ voices were drowned out as she held a hand against her breast, breathing heavily, letting herself catch up.

  That didn’t feel like something from her past… She was attacked.

  Blinking, Sora experienced the coil of faint magic—Founder magic—dissipating into the aether.

  Did I feel The Darkness try to connect to Se, and my seed resonated with me? My magic dropped 50%... Shit.

  “Ugh…” Groaning as the other three girls hovered, waiting for a response, Sora cracked open her eyes again, rubbing her left ear. It was ringing. “Umm. No, it’s fine. It’s over.”

  Eyia gave her a creased eye. “Perhaps now, but you reached out to something. Your strength has been cut—”

  Sora waved it off. “I know what it was. It’s cool… I fill it back up pretty fast here in Avalon. I’m fine.”

  At least, I think I know what it was, she privately thought, reflecting on the experience. What did you try to do, Se?

  “Well, okay,” Wendy yawned, looking up and grinning at the puffy-tailed Cat Mother. “I see someone’s entered emergency mode!”

  “No…” Nilly squeaked, her voice a mix of terror and embarrassment. “There was something—I’m not a scaredy cat. I’m not! There was just something…weird.”

  Wendy burst into soft ughter, the sound breaking the tension and giving Sora an out.

  Thanks for reading my feelings, Wendy.

  “Did you just—are you seriously stuck to the ceiling? Retract your cws.”

  “I can’t!” Nilly cried, face turning pink. “I didn’t clip them a-and they won’t…”

  Eyia rubbed her shoulder and looked up at the teary-eyed cat. “Hmm. Perhaps a terror of the night about today’s contest of bravery has attracted negative emotions and The Darkness?” she asked, words tumbling out in her broken English—it was early. “Jin says fear is a test. Fear of death—most important battle! This is but the first trial.”

  Of course she'd bring up Jin, Sora thought, a weak chuckle escaping her lips.

  The dream's intensity began to fade, repced by the familiar comfort of her friends’ absurdity.

  “It wasn’t about combat,” Sora mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “Just a weird dream. I can talk to Mary about it today.”

  Wendy grunted and stood on her bed to help Nilly down, the cat’s nightgown hanging off her like a sheet. Eyia’s expression shifted to pure bravado, puffing up her chest as the brunette tried to soothe the frightened teenage cat girl into retracting her cws.

  “I conquer all terrors of the night! No dream escapes an Asgardian’s warrior spirit!”

  Nilly, still pstered to the ceiling, let out a mortified whimper. “I can’t fall if you’re below me, Wendy. I can’t nd on my—”

  Wendy’s ughter intensified. “There, there.” she teased, showing surprising strength as Nilly fell into her arms to be eased back onto the mattress. “See? I got ya, Ruler of Scaredy Kittens!”

  “Absolutely not!” Nilly protested, slowly—and somewhat ungracefully—sliding down the mattress to the floor to escape everyone’s hounding eyes. “I was…strategically positioned for maximum defensive capability!”

  “Sure, Kitten. Total tactical maneuver, sticking yourself to the ceiling and getting stuck. Brilliant!”

  “Mmgm… Not funny. You scared me.”

  The tension of the nightmare dissolved into giggles and pyful jabs as Nilly crawled under the bed, ears pulled back. But beneath the ughter, a part of Sora couldn’t shake the visceral memory of Se’s pain—a darkness waiting just beyond the edges of their morning light.

  Se’s looked so good this week…but beneath her mask, that’s in her veins… All she tastes is guilt, and she can’t get rid of it. Se… The demons you fight with every breath are… Everything is dark, and it’s more than you can take. I want to do something. But…should I? I don’t know.

  The morning light soon crept through the dormitory windows, casting soft shadows across their rumpled sheets. She looked at the glint, wondering if that light did anything to help Se, signaling the end of the night.

  Wendy’s voice broke through Sora’s lingering dream-fog as Eyia peeked under the bed to encourage the embarrassed cat teen. “So, what’s the deal with Mary? I kind of need to have a meeting with her, too, but…maybe after you. You mentioned something about Kari saying she was coming by?”

  Sora stretched, her muscles feeling inexplicably loose. Everything felt sharp after that tender nightmare. “Mhmm,” she mumbled, only half-listening. “Kari arranged it, I think. It was just bad timing. I totally forgot with all the experimenting we were doing yesterday.”

  Nilly, now fully recovered from her ceiling-clinging episode, dramatically popped her head out from under the bed. “Maybe…we should get some breakfast! I’m starving. You, Puffy Tail?” she asked, gncing at Wendy.

  “Puffy tail? Hah! I think yours was more bushy than mine for a minute there.”

  “No-ho-ho! Stop. Please?”

  “Sorry! Sorry… Well, now that we’re up—” She cut off as Sora threw off her sheets and went to the door, nightgown just above the floor. “Where are you going, Night Screamer?”

  “Nice one, Queen of Nicknames!” Sora giggled, twisting around to offer a showy bow with her gown. “Just off to see when Mary will actually be here.”

  Eyia was already moving to the closet. “We should prepare for morning exercises before the initial competition! It begins at 10 a.m. sharp… Jin likes to sleep in.”

  “A dragon? No!” Wendy snickered. “Has she stolen the leprechaun’s gold a second time?”

  Leaving the room as ughter followed her, Sora hovered outside the opposite door. She had to press against the wall as a few vulpes bustled by, tails beating like brooms as they discussed who might come in the top ten in the contest. One bit of news shocked her a bit.

  Some of the professors and aides are joining in on it? Great… I bet it was Jin’s idea.

  The knock on Kari's door echoed down the hallway as the group descended the stairs.

  Unsurprisingly, Nerida was the one who opened the door. The girl looked like she'd been awake for hours, nervous energy radiating from her in waves.

  What did surprise her was that Kari was still in bed! The wolf was sprawled across her bed. Unmade sheets. One arm flung carelessly over her eyes, dressed in her signature sports bra and running shorts.

  “Sora!” Nerida greeted with a nervous smile. “Today’s the day, huh?”

  Looking past her, Sora forced a grin upon seeing the piles of clothing thrown across the room, most of which were elegant dresses or swimsuits. She didn’t have much in the terms of casual clothing since, well, most of her outfits were stolen and she’d targeted specific articles from yachts.

  “Do…you need to borrow some clothes?”

  Her aquamarine eyes glistened with relief. “Yes, please!”

  “Go ahead,” Sora chuckled, stepping to the side and letting her fly by. “You might fit Wendy’s better.”

  “Thank you!”

  Now alone with Kari, Sora swung the door in, spotting the wolf’s motionless tail lying zily across her bed. Her lips fell into a slight frown as the silence stretched between them.

  “Wow…” she finally stated. “The alpha sports girl, who gets up before the crack of dawn…is sleeping in. You aren’t depressed, are you?”

  That got a single flick of the wolf’s tail.

  “You want to be my coach now? What do you want? It’s not ‘till 10, so let me sleep. The siren’s been a headache as is.”

  Progress! Sora grimly thought. At least she didn’t eat Nerida… It’s so hard to gauge her after finding out Tiri is alive. Maybe we can talk during the big battles.

  “Pass on that,” she snickered. “You told me Mary’s coming st night, but not the time.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  “I’m not bming you, stupid. I’m asking now.”

  “Humph.”

  Sora gave an internal fist pump as Kari smirked and lifted her arm a bit to stare at her.

  “She said it would be early. That’s all I got, so best get ready.”

  “Pfft. Unlike some people, I can get ready with a simple desire,” she boasted, turning to head back into her room before almost tripping at Kari’s response.

  “Yeah, sure…unless some people just go naked all the time. I can attest. Saves a lot of time.”

  “Kari!”

  She gred at the dark-haired girl as her chest shook with mirth before turning her tail to her and falling back asleep.

  “Freaking animal! Hey, we also got fur but…I guess that moots my point.”

  She stuck her tongue out with a smile and returned to their dorm room. Preparations became a whirlwind of activity soon after. Eyia moved with military precision, while Wendy bounced between excitement and nervousness, poking at Nilly and Nerida as the pair tried to work together to fend off the squirrel girl’ effortless remarks.

  After several minutes, Wendy was bobbing her head to the siren’s humming song. The brunette’s tail was swishing back and forth as she said, “We should explore a bit in the free time, Sora. You can pick us up in your car ter. Arrive in style!”

  Sora couldn’t help but ugh as the sunshine glowed throughout the room. “Jin would find that hirious. I can—”

  A sharp knock interrupted their preparations. The dorm supervisor’s voice carried through the door. “Lady Sora, Dr. Mary Jernigan, the human, is here to see you.”

  Here we go, she thought, smoothing her t-shirt and taking a deep breath.

  “Catch you girls ter. I’ll find you with this,” she winked, blowing a kiss and wink in their direction to create an illusionary heart that acted as a homing beacon. “Thought it up st night!”

  “Cute! It fps,” Nilly cooed, eyes big and following it around, no doubt controlling herself to not pounce on it. “Your magic always smells so…tasty.”

  “Food! We’ll get food,” Wendy promised with a snicker. “Later, Sora!”

  “Later!”

  Waving goodbye to everyone, she went into the hallway and gave Kari’s door a loud bang on the way out. She giggled to herself, imagining Kari’s tail bristling with agitation.

  She made her way out, until finding Mary Jernigan outside, wearing the blue dress and accessories that would be burned into her memory forever—the day Kari told her to leave school. The brown-haired psychiatrist gave her a warm, inviting smile.

  “Hey, Mary! Don’t you look lovely, as always.”

  “Thank you, and I figured this outfit might be appropriate to reflect on and explore how things have changed for you. Shall we?”

  “Where to?” Sora asked, gncing toward the gate as they made their approach across the dorm’s bridge. “You don’t have an office here, do you?”

  “Unfortunately not. At least, not as of yet. Kari and I walked along the forest yesterday. Is there any pce you would like to go?”

  Her nightmare earlier that day popped back into mind.

  “Umm… Yeah. I think I’ve got a pce. Oh, and, umm, were you going to see Wendy after me?”

  Mary’s eyebrows pulled together. “Didn’t Kari tell you I wanted to see both of you?”

  “…No, she did not. Freakin’ wolf. Well, that should be fine. Wendy figured you’d want to talk after me.”

  Mary only responded with a small smile and followed her into the gate as she named their destination—Se’s district.

  Exiting out the other side, decay hung in the air like a thick fog. Buildings leaned at impossible angles, their stone facades crumbling. Cobblestone streets fractured beneath their feet, moss and twisted roots breaking through ancient masonry.

  It was as if time had forgotten this pce, leaving only whispers of what once was. And with it, not a single soul was seen.

  Perfect.

  It didn’t take long for Mary’s voice to break the silence. “This…pce is certainly a vibe.”

  “You have no idea,” Sora mumbled, gripping her elbow behind her back. “The Darkness is pretty strong here, apparently.”

  “Ominous… Interesting choice of location. I can see something deep is on your mind. But…considering how much has assaulted you this past month, I’m not surprised.

  Sora’s fingers brushed against a crumbling wall in passing, feeling the pulse of some kind of magic—probably Se’s. She was good at masking her magic as neutral, though.

  Memories of her dream flickered at the edges of her consciousness—pain, rage, a kingdom consuming itself from within.

  “Mhm… So, uh, you wanted to talk?” Sora asked, her voice lighter than the weight of her thoughts. “I started! See? Where do you want to start now?”

  A knowing smile pyed across Mary’s lips.

  “Turning it back on me, this time, hmm?” The psychiatrist's gaze was sharp, cutting through Sora’s defensive humor like a knife. “Let's start with something simple. How are you feeling?”

  Simple? Nothing about my life is simple anymore.

  The street curved, revealing a courtyard where shadows seemed to dance between fallen columns. A fountain stood at its center, water trickling from cracked stone mouths—frozen mid-scream.

  “Should I say fine?” Sora responded, too quickly. “Just fine.”

  Mary stopped walking. Her gaze was gentle, but firm.

  “No. Really. No jokes or lightening the mood. How are you feeling?”

  The look was like an anchor, bringing her back to her troubled life months earlier, crying out for anyone to listen to her—to believe her. Suddenly, the dream came rushing back—Se’s rage, her mother’s tender strength, her father’s fall into madness…a kingdom crumbling into darkness.

  Sora’s breath caught in her throat. Feeling emotions welling up in her from middle school. The fae’s past so much worse, but bringing back memories that still hurt, despite reconciling with Kari.

  “I had a dream,” she found herself saying. The words tumbled out before she could stop them. Words she couldn’t tell anyone. Not even Wendy. But Mary was different somehow. “About Se… Not a dream. A nightmare… Her past. Her present.”

  Mary folded her hands at her front as they began their slow walk again. There wasn’t surprise on her face. It was more like curiosity.

  “Not the topic I had expected. So, Se has your mind right now, which is why we are here… Not that I know much more than what you’ve told me about the former Unseelie. Tell me about this dream and how it made you feel.”

  And so Sora did. She spoke of the fractured kingdom, of a daughter consumed by darkness, of a mother stalwart love that refused to go out…the fall of her father. Each word felt like removing a splinter—painful, but necessary. She talked about the connection it made her feel. How even if they believed in her. Did it mean anything when Se didn’t believe in herself?

  “She’s breaking beneath the surface,” Sora whispered, watching the fountain as they walked around it, water trickling through fractured stone. “Just like I was… She’s forced to a pce like this, that reminds her every minute what she was. What she could become again…”

  “That’s cruel,” Mary mumbled, sadness drawing on her words. “So, st night, she was attacked or did something that…might have drawn The Darkness to her. Hmm… But who is she really breaking from? The Darkness…or herself?”

  A shadow of a ugh escaped Sora's lips. “Is there a difference? The Darkness was, like…her for a while.”

  The psychiatrist didn’t immediately respond. Sora’s tail bristled a little as she gnced over at her, watching the woman pondering. Her gaze drifted between the decaying and rotting area, empathy radiating from her spirit in ways Sora hadn’t really seen in people—it was deep, reflective, and searching.

  They continued walking, the environment’s fall like a living thing around them. Broken windows watched them like hollow eyes. Vines crawled across surfaces, consuming what remained. It took a full minute before the brunette spoke again.

  “You’ve both been through significant changes,” Mary said, her voice cutting through the ambient silence. “Supernatural transformations. Life threatening situations. Grappling with not just your own world, but many worlds falling apart around you…”

  Sora’s tail twitched, the copper fur bristling slightly. “Yeah, well, I’m handling it.”

  “Is that really the answer?” Mary’s question wasn't accusatory—just curious.

  Her left ear folded down. “What…do you mean? I mean, am I supposed to say I’m not handling it?”

  “Maybe… Let’s talk about control,” Mary continued, her steps measured and deliberate. “Se seems to feel like she is in control when enshrouded by The Darkness. Right now, she doesn’t feel in control… She is broken and feels like there is something wrong inside of her.”

  “Can’t…she find some peace?” A shiver ran down Sora’s arms that transferred to the rest of her body. “I tried to help her… To give her back control.”

  Mary found her hands behind her back, pausing to look up at the gnarled trees beside the fractured road. “You removed the darkness that protected her. A darkness had been her identity for so long. Without it…”

  She let the thought hang in the air, heavy with implication.

  Sora’s ears fttened against her copper hair, something in Mary’s words striking a chord that resonated painfully. “So I just…made things worse?” The words tasted bitter on her tongue. “She’ll get better, though. Right? I gave her a seed that purified her. She’ll…want to live eventually. Right? I thought I was helping her.”

  Magic tingled beneath her fingertips as they passed a crumbling archway, forgotten memories whispering from the stones. Each step felt like walking through the remnants of Se’s broken psyche.

  “Not worse,” Mary corrected, her voice gentle but firm. “Different. When someone builds their entire identity around something—even something destructive—removing it creates a void. You gave Se a chance at something new, but that doesn’t mean the transition is easy. There are growing pains.”

  The psychiatrist’s steps slowed as they approached the fractured fountain. Water trickled through broken stone mouths—the liquid somehow darker than it should be, carrying echoes of forgotten sorrow.

  “The Darkness gave her structure to contend with what she’d done,” Mary continued. “It gave her purpose. Direction… A scapegoat. Without it, she’s facing the hardest question anyone can ask—who am I now? Not only is she without an identity, but she must carry with her the shadows of the st two people she was… A beloved princess and daughter…and the monster who destroyed her entire kingdom.”

  A chilling wind whispered through the district, carrying the lingering scent of Se. She’d passed through this area st night. Sora wrapped her arms around herself, tail curling protectively around her leg.

  “I felt like everything I did was… Like everything was falling apart when Jenny told me she kidnapped Wendy. Like everything I did only brought misfortune to everyone I loved.”

  Sora was a little surprised as Mary stepped closer to draw her into a hug, totally against her policy. “I’ve seen this kind of thing in quite a few people on death-row,” Mary expined. “Maybe not nearly as extreme as her case, but I understand you have a magical ability to connect to people in ways that can be…consuming. Empathy can be a great tool…and a great burden.

  “When, and if freedom comes, sometimes they feel more lost than before… At least, for those who, despite all that they tell themselves, they haven’t lost their empathy. Pain breaks them free. Confronting it. Not hiding from it. Only then can she gain closure… You aren’t her savior Sora. Only she can save herself… But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a light for her to use as a compass. Give her a routine. A way to understand herself.”

  Sora’s fingers traced the woman’s back, feeling beneath her touch. “Is that what The Darkness is? It steals identity?”

  “From what you’ve expined to me, it certainly looks that way. It consumes what you were. It promises control, power…certainty, in exchange for your willpower. It whispers that you don’t have to face your pain if you surrender yourself to it.”

  Mary pulled away, her eyes—normally so warm—took on a haunted quality that made Sora wonder what personal demons the psychiatrist had faced in her own life. She felt her guilt, anger…a loss of control, through their fsh of contact—sitting in front of her husband’s bed, trapped in a succubus’ nightmare.

  “Though this force is actually something tangible, it is far from novel. The most insidious part,” Mary continued, “is that it makes you believe the darkness is you. That without it, you’re what you were…broken, wrong, alone, the thing that you fear the most.”

  “What if she can’t find herself? What if she smothers the seed and becomes an Unseelie again?”

  Mary’s hand found Sora’s, gentle but grounding. “Then that is her choice. Tragic as that is. It’s not your burden to carry, Sora. You’ve done the one thing that she feared and longed for the most, and now that battle must be won on her own.”

  The psychiatrist’s eyes studied Sora’s face with quiet intensity. “Now, what is your burden is to face what you cannot control. To me, it sounds like you’re connecting so strongly with this because you feel like things are slipping away again.”

  Sora’s tail bristled. “What do you mean? I mean, I’m letting go of…things. Some things. There’s just…a lot going on. Kari probably told you, right?!”

  “Mmm. Let’s save that for ter,” she whispered, taking them back on the path around the block to return to the gate. “Your abilities are growing, Sora. Expanding beyond traditional vulpes powers, as your parents told me in their session.”

  That made Sora’s eyes go big. Mom and Dad are talking to Mary? That’s big…

  “You’re healing souls, maniputing memories of succubi, and making leaps many vulpes can only dream of. In a matter of weeks, you’ve gone from an ordinary, quite bullied, human girl to something…extraordinary.

  “Your best friend became your sister and has her own problems you feel responsible for. Kari is tugging at your heart with lingering guilt that your mother no doubt brought on… I’ll have to talk to her about that, and to top it off, you’re at the center of some big cosmic game between Avalon and the Foundation.”

  Mary's gaze never wavered. “You have a lot boiling beneath that cute surface.”

  “True… The cute part, that is,” she added with a forced giggle.

  “That is true… No, perhaps what frightens you isn’t just Se’s struggle, but seeing a reflection of your own fears. What if your power grows beyond your control? What if, like Se, you find yourself becoming something you don’t recognize…or if your friends or sister do?”

  The words nded like stones in still water, sending ripples through Sora’s carefully maintained composure. Her ears fttened completely, tail going completely still.

  “That hits deep,” she mumbled. “Yeah, maybe… There’s so much more than that, though. There’s Ember, Kari’s little sister, Se, Eyia and Jin, Wendy—oh, my goodness, Wendy! Yeah, that one has me a bit freaked out. That sleepwalking episode—yikes! Not that you could remember that one,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair in her rant.

  “Then there’s whatever Dad, Mom, and Noelia are doing. Mom is tearing herself apart, she may be hiding a ton from me, Noelia is trying to figure out how she fits between my parents. Wendy’s still dealing with the fallout of her loser mom and new mom. There’s Nilly’s insanity, the Kumiho dy, Diane, Avalon, SCC Foundation, The Herald, Auntie Rose, Aiden, this hot new fae boy—agh!”

  Mary only smiled at her as she screamed out her frustration. “It’s a lot?”

  “So much!” she shouted. “Gah! So, so much… I best not forget Fen, and maybe summoning my flippin’ crazy Aunt Intari. Or, at least, that’s what Mom says, but who knows with my freakin’ mysterious mom… Not me! I love her but, grrarh! Why didn’t she tell us about Tiri? Mgmmg! I want to cry. Mary…”

  The woman opened her arms, allowing her to bury her head in her chest. “You’ve been through so much hardship, Sora…but you’ve prospered through pain.”

  That one phrase caused the tears to start flowing.

  They didn’t stop for a while, and Mary held her through it all.

  “You’ll be okay, Sora…because I know, through all those scars no one can see, you have the most resilient and beautiful soul. Even big girls cry… Then, once done, they get up and confront their nightmares and dreams… You’re strong.”

  AuthorSME