Sentinel

Chapter 7 - Ether

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Chapter 7 - Ether

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Skye floated, dreaming for an unknown amount of time adrift in a sea of sensations. 

She had the vague impression of being weightless, what she imagined it'd feel like if her soul wasn't attached to a mortal body. The pain of the Master's mark on her shoulder was gone, as were the slices of agony inflicted on her by the Commander. It left her in a blissful state of thought, and Skye found herself wondering if she'd died on the interrogation table. 

I don't feel dead, she thought, trying to get a glimpse of herself, though she lacked vision in the usual meaning. Rather than an image accompanied by her other senses, the five had merged into one to create something like instinct. She knew she was there because she could sense it, but not directly see it. 

As she continued her directionless drift, Skye was able to sharpen that sense. 

Whatever she was in was a substance thicker than air, yet lighter than liquid. Various shades of purple, green, blue, red and a silvery-white lit the otherwise void of nothing, each one glowing with a different intensity.

Some seemed asleep. Others were acutely aware, retreating as she reached out to touch them. When she tried to touch one of the brighter ones, a thrill of energy ran up her fingers, energizing her. That led to the discovery that the brilliancy of each orb dictated the energy thrill that followed. 

And so, when Skye came across a magnificent, silver cloud of energy in that eerie land of lights, she couldn't look away. Burning curiousity pulled her hand towards it, reaching for its centre until it engulfed her completely. 

Her eyes flickered open. 

Whatever that'd been, Skye was back in reality with the sight she knew. 

Murky shadows lurked around her, making her long for the colours and their energies. Though most elves Skye knew would have panicked, it'd comforted her. She didn't need people surrounding her to feel secure. 

If it wasn't for that silvery cloud, I'd still be there. A spark of annoyance struck to life. I never should have touched it. What right did it have to pull me into...wherever I am now?

Unsure if it was safe to lift her head, Skye attempted to ascertain shapes in the darkness. 

Nothing caught her eye. From what she could tell, the room was empty. She was alone in the darkness, slumped against a wall with only some faint, silvery light coming from somewhere behind, almost around her head to fight back the shadows on the walls. Strangely enough, there seemed to be no windows or doors either. The same smooth, black walls that glinted back at her like they knew something she didn't encased her inside a perfect cube. 

Skye went to lift an arm to examine the walls, see if she could break it. 

Her hand refused to move. 

Alarm welled up in her as the limb continued resting there, completely ignoring her every order. She could feel the muscles, knew the way it was supposed to go, but despite the way she mentally screamed and tried to force it, nothing continued to happen. 

She'd had a nightmare like this once. This exact room, although it wouldn't be hard to replicate, but she'd always been free to move. Always. The first time, she'd simply tried to get up before collapsing. The second, she'd managed to stand and slam a fist into a wall so hard the skin had split. The last time she'd had it, there'd been a man standing over her, his face cloaked in darkness with a lilac blade clutched in his hand.