after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 71-Sophie

She saw a lot of Exile memories, of just stone, everywhere, and a few of azure blue eyes, but she ignored all of them.

She transmitted a single word to him: siege.

Nothing.

"Where are they?" She plunged deeper.

"If you told me what you were looking for, I may assist you."

Sophie scowled at his voice. "And how would I even know if you weren't purposely trying to trick me?"

A pause. Then, "You don't."

Sophie waited for the 'but'. There was nothing.

"You're not even going to try to reassure me?"

"Would you believe me?"

No. She wouldn't.

"Fine," Sophie said, "what do you know about the siege over the Lost Cities right now?"

"I wasn't aware there was a siege," he said with faux innocence.

He was toying with her.

"Fintan."

She could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "Fine."

She waited again, and this time, she audibly heard a sigh.

"Countermeasure 17. They called it after your little boyfriend revealed your plans."

Sophie frowned. "What do you mean he revealed our plans?"

"Project Revelation."

Sophie jolted out of Fintan's head at the word, mind reeling.

"How do you know about that?" She whispered.

Fintan shrugged carelessly. "Like I said, you're boyfriend revealed your plans."

"Keefe wouldn't." Sophie whispered.

Fintan cocked his head. "Not everyone is strong enough to withstand physical pain for so long."

Torture.

"It was very simple," he said, "so simple in fact I'm surprised it worked."

Sophie's hands were shaking as she clasped them together. How many times had they tortured Keefe, while she sat in her cell hating him? How many times, until he had nothing in him left?

"The plan was simple," Fintan continued, oblivious or ignoring Sophie's rising panic. "You reveal yourself to the human race, we take over the cities. The humans can't help you if you're deposed."

Sophie glared at him, and dove back into his mind, rummaging until she found a place, any place that the Neverseen didn't know about. She seized the image, held it in her mind, and grabbed onto the others.

Then she opened the void.

***

The deja vu hit her as soon as they landed on the beach.

The waves, a turquoise teal with its white foam brushing up against the warm, white sand. A tropical paradise, but there were no footprints in the sand behind her. There was no sweet smile or voice, no older sister.

Not a dead thing in sight, something that unnerved Sophie. Because when she'd come here, she'd been dead.

Sophie wheeled around to Fintan, who had face planted in the soft sand. "Where are we?"

He sat up, spitting sand from his mouth and brushing it off his face and eyes. He took his time righting himself after he stood.

"Elysian," he smiled, gesturing a hand around them. "The original home of our lovely Umbrunas."

Sophie slapped his hand down, cutting off his dramatic declaration. He was going to go off on a spiel, and as much as Sophie really wanted to know what Keefe was doing, she needed more from Fintan than that.

"That's Arcadia," she said, slowly as if talking to a stupid person. Though, maybe she was. "That's where they originated."

Fintan pulled a face. "That barren wasteland? The Neverseen transported the Moonshades there only because no-one would look for beautiful, tropical flowers there." He smiled, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "No-one would look for a group experimenting on Guinea pigs there."

He meant Keefe, Sophie realized, and she lunged for him. Maruca latched onto her, pulling her back from the murderous, disgusting, conniving, child-experimenting creep in front of her.

"Say if again," she snarled. "And I'll show you how easy it is to experiment on a pointy-eared fool. My inflicting needs some target practice anyway, and we can find out how long it'll take for you roast from the inside out!"

"Feisty," Fintan smirked, though a flicker of fear passed over his face. "But I fear this has gone on too long. What do you want, and why did you bring us here?"

Sophie shrugged Maruca off, sending one more glare at Fintan. "It was your memory," Sophie said. "Now tell me, Fintan, why did you hide your cache here?"

Updated: 6-21-2022

A/N: I'm baaaaack.

Updates for y'all. I've been in Virginia the past week or so. My sister got married! Yayayayay! The reception was awesome and it was my first time being a bridesmaid, which was super fun! I walked with one of my brothers. (Also, it was a smaller, black tie wedding, with assigned seating, but I was with most of my siblings plus their dates/friends so our table also had a blast).

Also my family gets crazy at family weddings and all of my siblings were there so we were KILLING it on the dance floor! (Obviously). I salsa'ad (idk if that's correct?) with my oldest brother, even though I don't know how and he barely remembered and my oldest sister tried to teach us (it failed but it was fun). Then I saw my two year old nephew turn into a ladies man and dance with a friend's little daughter. My niece kissed a boy that night and danced with a DIFFERENT one immediately after. (She's FIVE).

I love my family a whole ton (they are my favorite people in the whole world as y'all can probably tell haha) so this was literally the best night I've had in a long time.

I really love my sister's now-husband, he's literally a sweetheart, and I got to see my last unmarried sister's boyfriend again. We get along super well and it's always fun to be around him plus he has the exact same personality as me, so that's probably why haha

My crush went on family vacation with us. So he was there. The whole time.

Did I mention he's also my brother's best friend?

I'll just leave that there.

I'll have the rest of my updates about my trip in the next chapter A/N. I don't even know if y'all like reading these, but oh well. I like talking about stuff happening in my life.

Oh! I just read the first book of the Summer I Turned Pretty, in preparation of the show that came out and oml I love Conrad so much.

And in the show—

He's perfect.

*Question of the Week: if you watched The Summer I Turned Pretty show, which song was your favorite in it?

I think mine would be False God by Taylor Swift because it surprised me so much

I screamed.

That or Funeral by Phoebe Bridgers.

**If you haven't watched the show, what's your favorite song in general right now?

I think mine would either be I Burned LA Down by Noah Cyrus or Dancing After Death by Matt Maeson.