Chapter 7: smoke

I smiled at the thought that finally we were free. Not away from harm but free of any ties to this orphanage. I saved a life worth living, a life that seemed boring and lifeless but was in secret the most exciting one. Hidden behind a mask of fear and sadness lay secrets that needed to be told. Whereas my life was like every single youngling in this house. I smiled up at the doorway my arms giving in. I felt into the darkness as it consumed me, making what you could see disappear into a memory. I knew I was not human because human was something I could never be. Human is someone who could never do what I did... feel as though you could set fire to the world in a second and then actually do it. That was something amazing and definitely not human.

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My body shuddered with shock, my body landing on the cold hard ground of the smoke room. My lungs gasping and screaming to breathe but not able to take one in. Out the corner of my eyes I could see movement. My body paralyzed as the air began to escape completely from my lungs. The boy from the fog appeared next to me his arms gently pulling me to his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat and looking into his worried green eyes. He put his hand over my chest searching for a beat or breath. Searching for a hope that he could save me from deaths cold arms. As he felt a beat he pressed down onto my chest forcing my lungs to suck in air. "Let the smoke overcome you. It won't do harm. I promise you your safe" his words calm and yet serious, each word he said felt as though they were coming from a dream. I couldn't help but follow his words taking in the smoky air around us. It filled my lungs, feeling a spark reach into each and every part of me and as it did all the pain faded as if it never existed. A smile grew on his face as he gripped me tighter his embrace warm and comfortable, it was as though wed known each other for years. I felt safe and calm in his arms, like the world could fall away around us and id be completely protected. I looked into his eyes showing many emotions.

His eyes filled with fear as we heard a creak from above us. The moment of safety faded as we looked up from the hole I fell through to find a person creep by. Her pale brown legs were revealed under a partly burnt away navy dress. Each step she took was quiet and gentle as though she was stalking prey. Her dress swayed by her knees looking as though it would cut into them. I couldn't see higher than her knees but I knew who she was. Fear created a well within me and a lump in my throat. I looked down to Elijah, his arms gripping me tighter as though he wasn't ready to let go. I put my hand to his chest, his body flinching back as it felt my presence but slowly came toward my hand as it realised I meant it no harm. Another creak moaned from above us as she passed by completely. "Is that...?" Elijah began but his voice trailed off in a mixture of emotions. He didn't remove his eyes from the hole. "Mother Sagorian? I think so. I thought she was dead" I said to him his eyes watching for any sort of movement above us. "She locked the main doors. I heard the younglings screaming out as they burnt to a crisp. Who could do such a thing?" he questioned looking down to me. I sat up and looked about the room, "the same one who locked you away in here." My words saddened and harsh but were of the reality we faced. A sigh escaped him as he wandered through his thoughts and memories. "So then someone like Bellivia" he said his tone growing full of hatred and anger. I didn't know what he meant but felt oddly hurt by the way he could make such an assumption. He could see the confusion now embedding on my face. "It was for my protection she said, to keep me locked in here for almost four years. She never fought mother Sagorian, never saved me. Just fogged up her memories and every feeling connected to me. She was my sister and yet she chose that evil witch over me. She made herself blind." He explained his expression grim. What he had told me compared how Bellivia claimed her story.

Something made me think Bellivia wasn't the person she made out to be. Yet how could someone so soft hearted do anything as she did to Elijah? She hadn't fully caused it but she never tried to stop it or help him. "You don't need to feel mad for me!" Elijah cried out, he covered his mouth as he did. I didn't understand what he meant until I looked around the room to see little blue specks of light. His face grew sympathetic as he looked me in the eyes, "you've created enough wars for now. Don't allow my own to consume you." He said his tone serious yet caring. He smiled to me as my embers fell dying away. "We need to get out of here" I replied changing the subject. We looked to the doorway. The iron-mahogany doors blocked our only exit.

We quickly stood and ran to the door way ignoring the creaks from above us. We knew who it was but knew she couldn't do harm until she saw us. We pushed onto the door its hinges crying out trying to open its heavy body. The door began to slowly crawl open to a small crack. Both Elijah and I were tired out already even though we still had so much to push. We rested against the door not even our weight making it move an inch. He looked to me and nodded as we got ready to push again. This time he looked angered but deep in thought. As we began to push the smoke began to wisp toward us forming hands. They began to push with us curling its fingers around the door. I looked to Elijah his face filled with concentration as we began to push the door further open. We opened it just enough and as we stopped the smoke hands dissipated into the air around us. Both of us breathless we sat for a moment each on one end of the doorway. I looked to Elijah who was looking to the room his tired breaths making the only sound. "How did you do that?" my breathy voice ventured. He looked to me and smiled. Smoke began to form up small little wisping horses that galloped all around me. A smile formed on my face as I watched them playfully banter around the room. "Our powers are based off extreme emotions. I feel alone all the time, because I lost everything. That is an extreme emotion to me and that creates my smoke. If I use my memories and emotions right I can bend the smoke to my will and create anything I want. Your extreme emotion is anger because you feel that the world is against you. You can use your memories just like I did to create anything. Just as long as that emotion stays strong." He explained as the horses faded into nothingness. He stood and reached out his hand. I took it and he gently helped me up.

He looked into my eyes as a cheeky smile grew on his face. He leaned in and hugged me his long bony arms wrapping around my small body. We both sighed happily as we stood for a few moments in each other's embrace. He slowly pulled his body away and began to walk up the winding staircase. I followed after him. We quietly stalked up the stairs keeping any eyes for mother Sagorian or her dress to wave around the corner. As we came to the top of the steps we came to the despair that the doorway had been blocked by the wooden door frame. Its jagged beams stood like a gate. We froze as we heard creaking close to us. It began to get quiet and grow further. It turned into small quick thuds along the floorboards getting further and further away.

A small yelp sounded into the air as whatever had tried to escape had been caught. The yelp was familiar forcing anger into me. I needed to get to it. I needed to save the person the voice belonged to. Even Elijah had recognised the voice but was hesitant to want to save it but grew more sure that he needed to. We looked to each other our hearts full of fear and our hearts racing. We were never heroes and yet today we became them. Power coursed through our veins and fear filled our hearts.

I began to jump through memories. Each one making anger course deeper within me. All the hurt and anger began feeding into me. The venom that once consumed me had now become the anti venom I seek. A smile formed on my face as I began to feel the power grow. As every part of me felt untouchable I began to reach for the jagged gate in front of us. As I touched it blue ashes fell to the ground and our wooden jail was nothing but dust.

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