Convulsion

☆ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ ☆

Steven

I never thought this would happen. Not anytime soon. Lily is here. I can't believe it. After everything that's happened, she's actually here. In the Realm of Ni'ilxus. She seems really confused and upset, and of course, I would be like that in her position. Aside from Gwen and the Representatives, I don't think any of us Guardians know why she was brought here. Even now I don't know what to do, or what's going to happen to Lily. I just hope it's nothing too bad.

Richard elbows me, and I look away from the gems in the cave walls. What does he want? We're in a Transport Pod on our way to meet the Representatives of the Council, and I'm not looking forward to it. I've given them the nickname the R.O.C; the Really Obnoxious Council. They don't like me very much, and I feel the same way about them. The only person within the Guardians they really like is our Head Guardian. They practically worship Gwen, being the "perfect" girl she is. Richard elbows me again, and when he widens his eyes at me I remember that Lily just spoke. I turn to her, my heart dropping when I see how worried she looks.

"Don't worry," I say. "You won't die, Lily. I'm sure the Representatives just want to clear a few things up and explain things to you." I give her a reassuring smile and then I glance at Richard, who stares at me skeptically. Right, he wants me to focus. I need to stop zoning out. I can't let my mind wander to the other Guardians or their mission right now with my own situation.

"We're here," Richard announces. Transport Pods are pretty small, and as it slows down my eyes drift towards Lily, who I find staring at me. Her frosty, yet inviting blue eyes are intense, and I find myself staring back just as intensely until she looks away. I wonder, does she recognize me? My back thuds against the rock as the Transport Pod slams to a stop, a little sliver of the rock wall opening up as the glowing gems set inside the walls immediately darken.

I'm familiar with the shortcut that leads to the R.O.C. Just a long and dark hallway, then a guard, and then we go through the door and voilà. We'll be in Avalon in no time, we can make it to Valon's Palace where the R.O.C stays, and then boom. We don't do that much work, Lily will be gone, we'll be done, and then everything will go back to normal. I need things to go back to normal.

Lily is the first out of the Transport Pod, which surprises me, because looming straight ahead is a dark hallway. Well, it's not too dark, but it is kind of gloomy. It's dark enough that you can't see the walls, but it's also a dark glowing red at the same time, which makes it sort of creepy. I don't see why the R.O.C even made this shortcut for us to get to them if the Gloaming can't track us through the Ebengate in the first place.

I also don't see why we have to go through all this trouble just to get Lily to see the R.O.C. I can already see her reputation forming if this gets out. "Mysterious Girl Earns the Right to Meet the Representatives of the Council." "Mystery Girl Cheats Her Way To The Top." "Unknown Girl Spotted With the Guardians; Where Is She From?" I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair. Hopefully, no one decides to write a report on her if she's seen in Avalon with us. To be with the Guardians means to have power, and I don't know how much Lily has. I've only been told she's a lost elemental being. It's been hidden from the public that she's been living on Earth, and for that to be exposed would be devastating for Lily.

Well, might as well get this over with. I'm about to leave the Transport Pod when Richard grabs my arm, and I lift an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah?" I whisper. I glance out of the Transport Pod, but I don't think Lily is close enough to hear. When I turn back to him he raises his eyebrows in a teasing way, nodding his head in the direction of Lily. I can't help but laugh when he does but I shake my head at him, pulling away. He's my best friend, so he knows my situation with, um, relationships at the moment. It's not exactly good. I walk out and into the hallway, scanning it for Lily. She's not too far ahead of me, leaning against one of the walls in the darkness. She seems almost like she's sad, like she doesn't want to do this but she knows she has to. Or maybe that's just how I see her. Or maybe that's just... something I feel.