Vanished | KotLC AU

Chapter 2 - Linh

Spoilers for Linh's short story from unlocked 

After the Black Swan meeting, Linh took out her home crystal to leap home. To her surprise, Marella asked to come with her – which she agreed to.

They held hands and Linh light leaped them outside Choralmere, closer to the water than the actual house.

"Are you going to keep ignoring your problems?" Marella asked immediately, letting go of Linh's hand.

"There isn't a problem." Linh was trying to end the conversation.

"Then why have you been ignoring Tam?"

"B-because he's with her," she said hesitantly, not wanting to say Glimmer's name. "Marella, I really do want to meet Tam, especially because I haven't seen him since the Neverseen kidnapped him. But I just...I have a very bad feeling that she isn't who she says she is."

"You think she is still part of the Neverseen?"

"I don't want to talk about it, please." The last bit was barely audible. Thinking about Glimmer, and how she may have changed Tam, made Linh anxious.

The ocean had gotten more tense, as if it was mirroring her emotions; telling her to give up control. She wasn't sure if she could be in control much longer if the conversation continued.

Marella would have asked why she didn't want to talk but seeing the restless ocean made her stop. She had gotten used to interpreting Linh's emotions through bodies of water.

"Okay, we don't have to." She moved a strand of stray hair behind Linh's ear and cupped her cheek with the same hand.

"You want to train with our abilities later today?" she offered, trying to distract Linh.

Linh sighed with relief – glad for the distraction, besides Marella's touch was soothing to her.

"I'd love that. We should also ask Maruca and Stina to come," she said with a small smile.

It was calming; Linh was standing in her favorite place with her best friend. Everything seemed perfect at that moment.

"Yeah, we should. See you later," Marella said, removing her hand from Linh's face and reaching for her home crystal.

"See you," Linh said just as Marella glittered away.

----

It was evening, after Linh and Marella's training with Maruca and Stina. Linh sat in her room, twirling a strand of hair anxiously as memories from earlier today flashed in her mind.

Lady Gisela's shadowflux bonds were broken when she escaped Loamnore. Linh thought. Only a Flasher could do that. Glimmer is a flasher...

Her thoughts were interrupted when her imparter buzzed. It was Tam. She decided that she would talk to him instead of ignoring him like she had been since Loamnore.

He was breathless and his voice had a sense of urgency to it. "Linh, I-I need to tell you so-something. It-it's about G-Glimmer."

Linh listened in anticipation, hoping her brother had realized the truth about Glimmer.

Just then the imparter screen went black...

Linh's heart raced. This wasn't good.

"Tam! TAM!" Linh yelled frantically but there was no response. Linh tried to push back tears.

What if Glimmer had done something to Tam? She shoved the thought away, she didn't have the time to have those thoughts when Tam needed her help.

She pulled out her leaping crystal to Solreef with shaky hands and glittered away.