My heart raced as I blinked my way out of the vision. I was still on the floor of the dining room. I gasped for air, looking around at my surroundings. The first face I saw was Ryne's. His tear-filled eyes looked at me as I continued to try and catch my breath. I was no longer gasping for air after the clue I saw, but I was struggling to catch my breath due to panic. What did I just witness? What do they want with me now?
How much longer do I have?
Ryne coached me into a relaxed state so I was able to breathe properly again. I tried sharing what I had seen and heard, but nothing came out. I felt my mouth open. My jaw moved up and down as I tried to talk. Ryne's smile faded into a frown of worry as I started to panic. He placed his hands on my shoulders again, looking me in the eyes before asking me to calm down. He asked if I was having trouble speaking. I nodded a violent yes. Ryne sat back on his heels and asked Axel to get something to write with and on. Ryne turned his attention back to me. We locked eyes as I tried to mouth what I wanted to say. He picked up a few things, but not nearly enough to understand. Axel returned with a marker and a pad of paper, handing them to me. I nodded with a smile as a thank you before scribbling down a few words.
"Omnicius gave me another clue, a vision," the pad read as I held it up for Ryne to see.
"What kind of vision?" He asked.
I flipped to the next page of the small notepad. I scribbled an answer and held it up. "They searched Omnicius for something and stopped at my name," it read.
"Do you know why?"
I shook my head no as Ryne frowned. I flipped to the next page and wrote down what came to mind. I held up the yellow-lined pad of paper for Ryne to see what I wrote.
"I think they might think I know something about Omnicius," it read.
Ryne shifted himself to a standing position. He reached his hand down to me, gesturing for me to take his hand. I handed Rio the marker and notepad before grabbing Ryne's hand. He pulled me up off the ground. I automatically felt dizzy, almost falling to the ground again. I grabbed the chair to keep myself sturdy as Ryne placed his hand on my back. I took Javier's hand as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, guiding me towards the living room couches. I only took a few steps before gesturing for a break. My head spun as quickly as my stomach was turning. I placed my hand on my stomach, then on my head. I wasn't sure where to rest it, thinking it would soothe the pain in my head or keep my insides from exiting. I tried my best to reach the couches that sat only a few feet away. I stumbled my way a few feet before my vision became blurry. At this point, I was practically being dragged to the couch. My legs and arms became limp and weak. I felt my eyes flutter open and close. Soon I felt my limp body fall softly onto the couch. I blinked hard in an attempt to keep myself awake. I looked up at Dallas, her worried eyes stared back into mine. I managed to squeak out a few words that asked for water. Dallas nodded before wiping the forming tears in her eyes. She wiped her hands clean on her tight jeans, her blond waves swayed as she walked back into the kitchen. Once she returned, I chugged the water down. My throat softened, creating an easy passage for my words to flow. I thanked everyone for their help, this time clearly. Ryne called everyone aside as I put the almost empty water bottle on the table. They huddled together and whispered a plan as if they were on an American football field. I laid down on my back and propped one of the couch pillows under my head, making myself comfortable. The lack of motion settled my stomach while my head continued to throb. I sat up slowly and called the other's attention. My vision was still blurry, even when I squinted in an attempt to clear things up. I pleaded for something to soothe the throbbing pain in my head. Dallas nodded and left to get some sort of medication. The pain grew quickly, forcing me to place my hands on my head. A feeling of drowsiness crept up quickly. I blinked hard, planted my feet on the floor, and sat up straight. I did anything I could possibly think of to keep myself from falling over or asleep. Dallas returned with some medication and a small cup of water. I reached my shaking hand out to grab the water and medication but pulled my hand back.
"I am going to drop it," I said, attempting to laugh but instead, I just smiled weakly.
Dallas sat next to me, the water and medicine in her hand. She pulled me closer and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I rested my head on her shoulder as she laid her cheek on my head. She looked up at Ryne with a concerned look. Ryne nodded. He took a few steps toward me, picked me up as if I were a baby, and carried me to the medical center. Ryne gently placed me on a soft bed. I looked around at the blurry medical equipment that stood next to me.
"We would like you to stay here to be monitored. We understand that you are tired and would like to sleep, but you can't. We need you to stay awake, at least for the next hour while we try to find a way to help you recover," Dallas said as she rubbed my face gently.
Axel hooked me up to a heart rate monitor, a supply of oxygen ready beside me. Axel told me that it was just a safety precaution and that I may not even need it. Rio and Javier returned with extra blankets and pillows.
"We weren't sure what you would like, so we brought both heavy and light blankets as well as stiff and soft pillows," Javier said.
Rio smiled warmly, hiding his fear behind it. Rio laid the pillows beside my bed and Javier put the blankets at my feet for easy access. I smiled as a weak "thank you" slipped through my lips. Ryne called everyone over to the side. They talked amongst themselves, but I wasn't able to understand what they were saying. They talked quietly, practically whispering. I looked up at the heart rate monitor. I managed to see two numbers, eight and zero. My heart rate was a bit high, but after what just happened, I am not surprised. My throat started to become dry again. I looked around the room for some water. My search stopped at the bottle of water from the living room. It was too far for me to reach from where I was. The other's attention was focused elsewhere at the moment and my voice was disappearing by the minute. I had to get it myself. I grabbed the monitor and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Axel's voice broke my concentration. I looked up to see everyone staring at me.
"Water," I said, forcing the word out.
Ryne looked at me with a smile. He turned his attention to the bottle of water that sat on the counter. The bottle slowly moved up and through the air before crashing to the floor.
"I can't even move a simple bottle without failing," he groaned as he rolled his eyes. He walked over, picked up the bottle, and handed it to me before apologizing. "I shouldn't be complaining. It's just a superpower, I mean, you have it the worst out of us all."
I chugged the water quickly and smiled. "It isn't just a superpower," I paused to give the water a moment to soothe my throat. "It is a part of who you are, of who you all are."
"We know, but an ability isn't the same as a life, your life," Rio said. The others nodded in agreement.
Ryne helped me settle back into bed. As I got comfortable, Dallas put a cup of saltwater beside my bed. I remembered what my mother told me: swish then spit, don't swallow. I was never in a condition as extreme as this while growing up. Now, I am weak and tired. My vision is blurry, my hair is falling out, my voice works when it wants to. I sit and watch my friends, my family, suffer and stress. I watch them constantly worry and panic. I know that no matter what I say, things won't change. They will still be frightened, panicked, sorry. I want to help them, I want to help them so badly, but at the moment, there is nothing I can do but wait for Omnicius to send me another clue. Right now, that isn't doing much but cause even more worry, fear, and panic. This isn't a situation I know how to deal with, this is a situation for my parents.
But they aren't here.
I so badly wish for my parents to be here, to coach me, to be here by my side while I lay here in pain not knowing if I am going to live or not. Not knowing if I am going to let everyone down, let Omnicius down. Not knowing if I am going to fail. I want them next to me, telling me to stay strong as they gently rub my forehead before kissing it. My dad would be holding my hand as I gazed into his warm, brown eyes. My mom would be resting her hand on my stomach as I rested my free hand over hers. I looked over at Axel who was getting comfortable in a chair beside my bed after offering to stay and keep me company. I turned my attention to the ceiling, the white and plain ceiling. Memories of my parents flooded in. My first dance recital when I was eight, the time my mother and I had a surprise cake for my dad's huge job promotion when I was eleven, when my parents gave me a bunny for my thirteenth birthday, my high school graduation, when I got accepted into my dream college. I was reminded of everything good I left behind. I closed my eyes and smiled as tears started to fall down my cheek. I felt Axel take hold of my hand.
"I'm okay," I said as I looked over at him. "I'm okay."
...
I woke up from my nap, still lying in the medical center. Rio was sitting next to me asleep. I reached over and shook him awake. He sat up quickly, startled. He looked around for a moment before we locked eyes. He smiled as a small chuckle slipped through his lips.
"How was your nap?" I asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"Good, good." He paused for a moment as he fixed his position on the chair. "How about you? Feeling any better? Do you need anything? Maybe I should..."
"No, it's fine," I said, interrupting him. "I don't need anything. I am feeling much better, and I slept well." I gave him a reassuring smile.
"Oh good." Rio smiled back at me.
An awkward silence between us arose. The only thing making noise was the heart rate monitor, repeating a steady beeping sound. I looked over at the book that sat on the table next to me. I picked it up and opened it to the bookmarked page. Dallas must have gotten it for me. The guys aren't allowed in the girls' rooms and vice versa, without permission. I started reading the first few words. My vision was no longer blurry. It must only have been an aftereffect of the vision. I smiled and a slight giggle slipped through. Rio looked at me confused. Before I knew it, he started laughing with me.
"Why are we laughing?" He asked, trying to keep his composer.
"I can see the words! My vision isn't blurry anymore, my headache is gone, and I don't feel the need to throw up anymore. It all must have been effects of the vision. I am going to be alright!" I said, ecstatically.
"That's great!" He stood up, placed his hands on his head, and started pacing back and forth. "I am going to get the others so you can tell them the good news." Rio ran out of the room.
A few moments later Rio returned with the rest of the group. Axel ran up to me and started checking my vitals. Everyone else stood at the end of my bed as Dallas began asking me questions.
"Do you still feel weak and tired?" She asked.
"Well, yeah, but not like how I felt after the vision. Every ill effect the vision had is gone," I answered.
"And her heart rate is back to normal," Axel said, jumping into the conversation.
"Does this mean I can wander around the base again?" I asked, my eyes wide with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I guess so," Ryne answered with a chuckle.
...
Boredom consumed me as it did most days, forcing me to wander through the aisles of the library. At the very back were the archives, the only evidence that there was a group before us. Ryne had mentioned the previous group briefly. All we knew about them was what we could read from the archives. I stood before the wall of documents and books that held the legacy of the first generation. The others had been in my position before, standing before the bookshelf holding everything we knew about the base and the book we swore to protect. Blueprints for the base were displayed above a shelf filled with documents describing every room and phenomenon that occurred during their time. In a cabinet just below the shelves were journals written by each member. With caution, I opened one of the journals after blowing a mountain of dust off the cover. With neat and bubbly letters, the journal began with an intro:
"I stumbled upon a cave earlier this morning with my little sister. Before I went too deep, I sent her back to our parents with the order to grab a flashlight. A strange call came from deep within the cave and I couldn't wait to enter. That is the last time I will see my sister. The leader of this group handed me this notebook, asking me to write down anything I experience during my time with the Guardians of the Miraculous. An introduction may be a good start. I am Vera, a sixteen-year-old who was vacationing with family. Now I am a scared girl who can control one's actions with a mere touch. My mother's family moved to the States from our motherland before my sister was born. We come to visit them every summer. Without them knowing, I moved from our home and joined our family. One day my sister will find this place, but as she is only seven, her word will not be taken seriously for some time."
She had been in my position, drawn in by a voice demonic yet human, forcing her to leave her family. I could only imagine the pain her little sister had felt as she led her family back to the invisible cave, claiming there in fact was a cave behind the vines. Tears must have poured down her face as her parents pulled her away, screaming for Vera.
I closed the journal and returned it home. Each journal held words similar to Vera's, words written with guilt and fear behind each stroke. Perhaps if she was still with us she could help return Omnicius home.