Unbroken (kotlc) (DISCONTINUED)

Part 5

F*CK YOU

Keefe didn't know whether to vomit or laugh. He decided to say, "Well, guess Foster doesn't need any help."

Tam glared at him for breaking silence but Granite turned. "We need to check the rest of the facility to make sure she's not getting any sort of 'punishment' for doing that Keefe. Am I correct in remembering that they just left Umber at Everglen during the festival?"

Keefe definitely should've just vomited and gotten it over with. 

They continued to search the hideout when they got a frantic transmitted message from Alden to Fitz who stopped them. "Apparently Councillor Bronte and Oralie found Sophie in Eternalia," He whispered harshly. "We need to go."

Granite transmitted to Forkle that they needed to leave and everyone gathered together and leapt to Eternalia.

***

Oralie's POV

When Councillor Oralie saw Sophie lying there, she immediately ran over to her, dropping to her knees and trying to search for injuries. Bronte came up beside her and had to grab her shoulders when Oralie began swaying from the sight of blood on Sophie and all her injuries.

Only Sophie wasn't concerned about those. She dropped the knife and Oralie saw the scarlet blood on Sophie's gauntlet-covered hands.

"Take it off," Sophie croaked, hands grabbing at the ability restricter on her head. "Take it off."

"Oralie, why don't you hail Elwin while I take care of this," Bronte told her softly, kneeling down in front of Sophie who had brought her knees to her chest and begun to shake. Oralie saw her own trembling hands and nodded, rising and stepping away.

She took out her imparter to hail Elwin as Bronte began assisting Sophie.

"Take it off," She repeated, voice closer to a shout. "Take it off!" 

Bronte took in the intricate circlet and the complex lock on it. He couldn't find a way to get it unlocked (not intended) with just his bare hands. 

"Take it off!" Sophie screamed at him as tears began pouring out of her eyes. "Take it off!"

"I'm trying, Sophie," Bronte told her, his tone the softest Oralie had ever heard in centuries of working with him. "But I'm not a technopath."

Oralie needed to block out Sophie's pleas as she hailed Elwin who came immediately with his satchel. He took in Oralie who felt light-headed, Sophie who was screaming at Bronte to take off the circlet, and Bronte who was trying to keep Sophie calm- and failing since Sophie had gone hysterical. 

Elwin approached as Sophie screamed at him now. "Take it off!"

Bronte moved out of the way as Elwin knelt in front of her and grabbed Sophie's wrist, halting her from clawing at the circlet. "Sophie," He said gently. "Please, just take some deep breaths. You need to breathe. Just breathe with me okay?"

Oralie and Bronte watched as Elwin eventually made process and got Sophie to calm down so he could check her injuries. Oralie could barely look at the many bruises and the burns on Sophie's hands once the gauntlets were removed when Elwin used the dagger Sophie had brought with her. 

A light flashed, startling them all as Mr. Forkle, Dex, Biana, and Keefe appeared. 

"Dex," Elwin said. "Come here, I need your help unlocking this."

Dex rushed over and kneeled behind Sophie's shaking form, taking in the lock on the circlet. In a few minutes, he was able to lift the circlet off Sophie's head and her trembling stopped at last, as did her tears. 

She took a deep breath and her eyes seemed clear when she looked at Oralie. Tired, but as if a sense of clarity was returned that she had been lacking. 

"Thank you," She whispered, voice hoarse from the screaming. 

Dex smiled sadly and backed away to let Elwin give Sophie a sedative so she could be brought to Everglen for recovery. 

They vanished soon and only Oralie remained with Bronte in Eternalia. 

She slowly dropped to her knees when the world began spinning and Bronte knelt beside her. "What just happened?" She asked Bronte. 

He didn't look her in the eyes. "I'm not sure what this means for Miss Fosters future."

A/N: Okay, so Sophie is back at home but is she really okay? We have her recovery, her trauma, and some Sokeefe ahead. Reminder that this is a short story and I probably won't write more than twenty chapters (or, that's the plan). Stay hydrated! ~N