Listen

Dear Imena,

I think about death often, probably more than the average person does. I understand that though hybrids can live for hundreds of years, and trihybrids can live for much longer, that I am still mortal and will die eventually. But for whatever reason, this frightened mefor years. When I was younger, I had visions of death often, and they got worse as I got older. Eventually, they shared similarities with the visions Queen Maia had when she was alive, where I was disconnected from the world for a few moments.

Unlike the other visions I had when I was conflicted about killing Andrew, no one ever saw how these visions of death effected me. The darkness and uncertainty surrounded me, and they completely disconnected me from the real world, nothing but the vision existed in those moments. I could be standing when one began, and by the time it ended I would be on the floor sobbing loudly, but unsure how long I had been crying. If anyone heard me, they never mentioned it, and I always walked around like nothing happened.

By the time I faced the monstrous Andrew, I had then somewhat under control. Most of the time, I could blink them away and stop them before they got bad, but sometimes I couldn't. But in that moment I looked up at him, I wondered.

𝒟𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓉𝑜𝑜? 𝒜𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒶𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓏𝑒𝒹?

Andrew roared, and I heard the fear in his mangled voice. I heard the demon continue to chuckle beside me. I heard Milo and the council members breathing all around me. I heard their thoughts. There was fear in all of it. Each person fearing something is their plans would go wrong.

I spread my wings and flew up to Andrew's face. He had somehow grown taller whole I talked to the demon and contemplated whatnot was going to do, so even flying fast, it took me about fifteen minutes to be able to meet his eyes. His face looked red and blistered like the rest of him.

"Andrew!" I yelled.

He roared in response, I covered my ears, and the air from his breath blew me back a bit. When he was done, I continued.

"Andrew, I think I know a way out of this. A way we can both walk out of this alive." I yelled to him.

He didn't really respond, I took that as a sign he was willing to listen.

"Andrew, we both don't want to die here, and I don't want to kill you either. So please listen." I paused for a moment, making sure he was still with me before I continuing. "But in order for this to work, I need you to return the power that demon left you."

- 𝒮. 𝑅𝑜𝓈𝑒