Fate, My Elementals & I (Breaking Borders)

A Stranger

*** Evony's Pov ***

Once I allowed my physical self to enter a relaxed state, I got to work on my mind. There should be a logical explanation as to why I was in that weakened state to begin with. My training alone should have prevented me from having to be carried even if I did exhaust myself. Keeping my connection open, a queen's version of a calling card to her elementals, all day, until they started showing up one by one, was a bit strenuous, but not enough for me to be tapped out. Also, the power nap I took on the way here, ought to have been enough to replenish me. So, time to investigate. What did you get yourself into?

Finally getting to what I last remembered, I became a spectator of the activities that followed. I was looking at all of us from an elevated position. Just outside Bren's door. It was as though I was in my spirit realm, but not, because there I was, fully conscious. This is your chance, Evony, pay attention.

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The look on Cannon's face made me release the hold I had on Doah. Yes, that's what I was doing. Making sure the swine didn't get away. Hopefully, the catatonic state I was keeping him in, would delay the traitor from escaping or calling for help. I needed to focus my energy on the here and now. Bren was the most important thing. Keeping them safe was my priority. Knowing that because of my foolish wish as a child, Bren has been tortured here and the others aren't comfortable enough to use their powers to their full capacity, I felt even more motivated to keep them from harm.

The moment before Cannon pushed the door open, I knew, with the sweltering heat that was coming at us, his core was attempting to protect him. Bren himself was the earth's core. The heat that keeps everything alive. Even I, wasn't completely prepared for what it could do in a heightened protective state. With the door open, it was as though hell broke free.

First, I saw myself being grabbed and covered by, quite surprisingly, Addanon, once the excess heat exploded out of the room. The fire's host himself lay on the floor, unconscious, I hoped, as I looked on from my position. As we were surrounded by the angry orange flames, I saw myself turn around in Addy's arms, knowing full well he'd suffered burns. Quickly attempting to use my core, I immediately connected to Bren, grabbing on to what I could, to at least alert the unattended power, to who I was. Regardless of my show of force, the mental anguish and fear from Bren that was feeding the blaze, seemed not to care.

It attacked us all through Dev's shield, which was no match once he'd lost concentration, staring at the additional charred body in the cell along with Bren. The flames were swiping at the guys, as though they were his enemies. Cannon, I was proud of. He held his own. Throwing his arms up, he created a glacier-like wall around us. As brilliant as it was, the fiery entity was not amused. It started to double down on its attacks.

Devion finally regained his senses, forming an umbrella-shaped shield to brace from attacks from above. Which was just in time, as the inferno tornado had decided to shift form into a fiery rain, thick like molten lava. Seeing them all struggle to protect me, when I had just made the resolve to protect them, pushed me to try again. Seeing myself break free from Addanon, I demanded they all touch me, which they complied with immediately and I used our unity to take control. First, I melted the glacier. Using the water from it, I doused the room and Bren with it. The fire rain started slowing, once Bren's temperature started to go down. Then I reconnected to Bren, completely, commanding the remaining sparks to bow.

They did as commanded, ceasing the attack and returned to Bren's side. A look of total admiration from Devion, let me know this is why he called me a miracle. I gestured to my elementals to release me and made my way into the room. The walls were blackened and emitted a heat that I am sure was due to being exposed to the flames for hours. I went to my knees, partly to reach him better, another due to the overwhelming grief I felt seeing the state he was in. His clothes were burnt off entirely, making visible all the scars and bruises dancing across his pale skin. Laying on his side, one leg over the other, keeping him modest and an arm covering most of his face, while the other looked to be bent in an awkward twisted position. A sob crept up my throat, as I watched myself bend over and howl in agony, feeling the life draining from him.

That moment then stilled, No! No! I pounded on the invisible barrier that separated my astral projected form from the memory. Wishing I could break through. Then, as though a loud speaker was turned on, I heard an echo of a conversation I was having with Many. She was telling me what to do to help Bren. Not to allow myself to be pulled into his despair. Only breathe into him. My devotion to him, along with Addy, would be enough to bring him back from the brink, he was teetering on. That I was not allowed to do more at that time and warned against touching any darkness I may see or feel.

Confirming the instructions, I saw myself beckon Addanon to come close. Letting him know, I just needed him there. I gently moved the arm hiding Bren's face, to reveal a jagged scar marring his right eye and cheek, unkept facial hair and the soot. He was still one of the most beautiful men I ever saw. His lips were chapped, partially opened due to the labored breaths he was taking. A strained wheezing sound could be heard as I got closer. I caressed his face, tracing his eyebrows, the scar and placed feather-like kisses in my finger's wake. The way his breastbone and rib cage kept sinking in, I knew I had to do as instructed. This was my first kiss. I hoped it would have been more romantic, but the fact that it was to save my flame's life made it all the more special.

My head turned to Addanon, instructing him to place his hands on the pulse points on my neck and to not remove them until I said so. I bent over and gently pressed my lips to his, but the connection was deeper and more intense. Then, as some sort of projection, I saw what was happening as I was doing it. I was practically breathing life into him. I saw part of my essence leave me and sink into Brennon's core. It soothed the raging fire and sparked a light into it that I hadn't noticed was missing. Addy's energy revived me as I kept my lips attached to Bren's. Neither of us noticed, that in a last effort to survive, the darkness that was being naturally cleansed, attached itself to me. Not my core, the light was too bright but just on the surface, in the center of my eyes. The moment it settled there, all I saw was the pain Bren endured. The beatings by numerous guards, how he was scarred, a little girl, a large man of East Indian decent questioning and torturing him. All his memories of this place were pouring into me, including the last one. A blond Fatum checked in on him when he felt the heat earlier. My calling card reached Bren, and gave him hope, but that guard was going to inform Doah about it. I felt Bren's fear of that and then the fire raged, consuming the guard before he could even scream. His guilt for taking a life, along with a contradicting relief that no one else would know until much later and hope that it would go away before anyone else ventured down there.

Once the parasite latched on, I saw myself release Bren, pull away from Addanon and I knew then, I was looking at a stranger. Noises came down from the hall, distracting Addy from questioning me. It was as though a part of me was fighting the darkness, pushing against becoming a host, all the while in an automated state, with one setting, protect. As I exited Bren's cell, I saw a group of patients, led by the mad doctor. The slimeball was lucid enough to look irritated. None of the people looked the least bit aware of what was happening. Through the projected view I got in this form, I see the blackened auras surrounding them. They were being controlled, most likely by Doah. He corrupted these mortals, took away their humanity and replaced it with something rotten.

My body seemed to vibrate with the energy I released onto Doah. It was already too late for him, before he realized who I was and what I was about to do to him. My attack is not something that was taught to me. Via the loudspeaker again, I heard Many pleading with me. Do not give in young one. Do not revel in despair. There is only hate and violence in that choice. Go back to the light, I beg of you my child. They will be fine. Render them unconscious. Please, anything is better than what you are about to do. Do not allow them to blacken your core. You must protect your core. You are queen Evony. You represent life, you cannot kill!!! Listen to me!!

One or two words may have triggered something in me, because instead of his head exploding like I originally thought it would, he keeled over, screaming in torment. Grabbing onto his hair, all his zombie-like followers stopped, as he no longer had control over his own thoughts. You see, Many may have stopped me from killing him directly, but I craved violence. Even told her so. So, in order to satisfy my lust for revenge on Bren's behalf, I made the Judas relive all the pain he allowed to be inflicted on others. He had to suffer through every lash, every beating, every hunger pang and delusion he caused on residents here. Tilting my head to the side, enjoying the way he clawed at his face, going through the motions of the particular moment, my Bren received his scar. I watched on in horror as a vile smile graced my face, when he ran into a wall attempting to break his own arm.

If my astral form could have puked, I would have. My light kept attempting to expel the darkness, which made it fight back all the more to stay. It had found a powerhouse and was not willing to give up. Movement caught my attention and I saw Bren being carried by Addy, who was shouting about Bren's temperature heating back up, as they hobbled out of the room. Cannon, breaking from the frozen state, watching the crazed version of myself commit such atrocities, ran towards them, about to use his core to cool Bren's again. However, before he could, the flame emerged once more, in an eerie identical shape of Bren, this time directed at me.

Dev shouted my name, to look out, trying to get to me, but failing due to the heat being released. My senses were already overworked by the amount of energy I discharged, as well as, the attempts to eject the foreign entity that I did not react. My flame, I wept behind the barrier, used whatever energy he had, to save me. The formation came up behind my body, grabbing me, turning me to face it and then placed it's palm on my forehead, burning away the leech. Effectively releasing me from its hold, just in time for me to view Doah's demise, as he ran head first into the wall, acting out some other punishment he must have issued to an unfortunate soul. Blood pooled around his limp body, as his scalp burst open. The corpse was angled oddly against the wall, head still slightly propped up, arms dangling in odd directions and the body slumped on the floor, left knee bent, while the right was straight. A site I will never forget.

With me drained and Bren incapable of holding on any longer, even though he showed no signs of being conscious outwardly, he was aware enough to protect me when needed, the flame roared, burning and scorching anything and anyone in its wake, as it moved forward effectively causing the patients to run away, creating a path for us to follow. All of us in the basement received maybe second and third degree burns, as it sought to be released.

My body was caught by Devion, just in time before I hit the floor. I saw the strain on Addanon's face as he came to terms with only being able to assist one of us. Cannon took charge then, yelling at Addanon to keep Bren alive, that I would fine. Instructing Devion to just focus on protecting us, we didn't need to be unseen. That they needed to leave. As they hurried back up the service stairs , I witnessed the destruction the fire left in it's wake. Patients whimpering, nursing their burns, others too far gone to care that they were hurt, dancing around. Walls blackened. For whatever reason, the orderlies and security we saw when entering were not around. I could only assume they had hidden themselves in a safe room or fled when seeing a sentient flame headed towards them.

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As I watched us head towards the doors, I released the grip I had on the memory, leaving myself in a void, knowing I could find out later what happened after. All I wished for, was to know why I was weakened. Now, I wish I had remained oblivious. I drove someone, a Fatum, regardless he had deflected and hurt many others, he was the blood of my blood, and my actions, my thirst for revenge, caused his death.

How do I come back from that?