Every villain is a hero in his own mind. - Tom Hiddleston
***
Arden
"Somebody do something!" Armani screamed. My whole body was flushed and my heart dropped to my damn toes as the plane went down. We were all pushed up against the seats of the plane due to the great velocity.
The sound of the plane falling was terrifying enough. "Arden!" Perri called out to me. I turned my head towards him, breathing heavily as others screamed, groaned, and cried out. "You have to carry the plane!"
"What?!" What the hell is he talking about? Carry the plane?!
Zane screamed after him. "You have to channel the energy and mass of the plane and make it sustainable!"
Suddenly, Nikki cried out, apparently louder than everyone else. I looked over to her and her eyes were glowing a bright yellow. She screamed as her face contorted in pain. As she pressed and flew out of her seat, She gripped the handles tightly as she groaned.
"Nikki!" I heard Ali screamed.
I breathed heavily, almost too fast that I could possibly pass out. "Arden!" Zane screamed as he gripped the handles tighter. As we got closer and closer to the ground, The plane seemed to be dropping faster and faster, and from the distance we were from the ground, I began hearing a ringing sound in my ear, and as did everyone else I presume.
"Channel the plane!" Hayden screamed.
"I can't!" The plane was too big. Too big and there were a number of us in here, I've never channeled anything this big! How do I even concentrate-
"Arden, you have to!" I heard Ali scream. I saw that Armani was passed out- her hair swinging wildly above her head and her body limp as she stayed unconscious. My eyes widened. Oh my god. My body still felt fragile and weak and I looked back to Nikki who seems she was in serious pain. Her eyes were still glowing and she hollered loudly. Out the window, I could see that we were getting closer and closer to the ground.
Oh my god, I can't- I don't know- I can't-I can't do-
"ARDEN!!" Zane roared.
Then as we reached a menacing momentum, we all shrieked, bellowed, and screeched, ready for the impact.
***
Darkness. That was all I saw when I opened my eyes. It was pitch black, I couldn't see anything.
I tried standing and when I got up, I felt a presence next to me. The beating of my heart went up and tried to cautiously move away.
Not again, not again. This can't be happening, it can't.
The last thing I remember was falling out of the sky. I remember being in the plane- Armani was unconscious, Nikki was...in pain...Perri told me to channel the plane, but I...I couldn't.
Now, right now, I had no idea where I was.
As I moved my feet, I tried to be careful about the fact that I still couldn't see. I still felt that unsettling presence and I tried to remain calm. I suddenly heard a loud bang and there was light.
I could see, and I immediately took in the scene around me. There were tall walls, huge almost leading up to a dark sky. The walls were thick and gray- they looked impenetrable. The walls were turning and twisting and it seemed like I was in a maze.
What the actual hell?
I heard a gasp and I snapped my head to the right. "Arden." I saw Perri and a wave of relief washed over me. It seemed like he had no idea where we were either. "What happened?"
I shook my head, violently- not knowing what to say. "I-I don't know. We were in the plane- and I- we just-"
"It's okay." He assured me as he walked up and touched my shoulder. He took in our surroundings. "I have no idea where we are." He mumbled.
"Neither do I." We heard another voice and I turned around and saw Ace, Ali, and Armani. They also looked confused.
"What's going on?" Ace asked.
"We don't know," Perri responded. "Where's-"
As if knowing what he was about to say, Hayden, Zane, and Nikki also appeared, with the same confused, shocked, and wary expressions.
"Awe, Fuck me." Nikki groaned as she reached for her back. "What the fuck was that?" She groaned. Ali walked over and made sure she was okay.
"What's going on?" Armani asked.
"I'll tell you." There was another voice, but it sounded louder, and it echoed as the voice bounced off the walls. We all looked up and around, wondering who the hell that was.
The voice was familiar though. I instantly recognized it from my vision. It was the girl, the girl that said she was coming for me. The girl that said she was coming for the people I love. The girl that's coming to take back what I supposedly took from her.
No, no, no. Not again. Please not again.
"I must say, what an incredible group of disparates we have here." The voice came from a different direction this time.
"Who's that?"Ali asked.
"How wonderful, it's going to be so much fun, giving you all the hell you deserve." The voice continued this time in a different direction. As she went on, we all followed her voice, and my heart just raced faster.
Why is this happening? Again? It can't- It has to stop.
"By the time I'm finished with all of you, you'll all be drained of your powers, character, and very being. Then, you can all visit the very place where I emerged. The very place you all deserve to be..."
What place? What?
Hayden shook his head and stated, "This is a little unsettling. Who the hell are you?" He asked. He locked gazes with me after a brief moment of silence and he stared. I don't know if I was giving it dead away but I'm pretty sure he came to the conclusion that this had some connection with my previous vision. After just looking, the voice continued.
"Except for maybe one of you." I furrowed my eyes as my heart beat went up. "One of you will not perish."
We looked around at each other wondering, what the fuck?
"However, all of you will go mad. You all have a lot of secrets...a lot of hidden feelings...and a lot of unspoken tension. I thought you all were friends, why keep so many things from one another?" The voice continued.
Keep things from one another. I guess I was guilty of that. I haven't told anyone about my first vision, no one except for Hayden. I'm sure it's possible for others to be keeping some secrets too.
"Just-Just don't listen to her guys. This is all just one big mess." Zane muttered.
"Ace," The voice chuckled and I looked over to him. His eyebrows were furrowed deep in thought and a cautious yet irritated expression crossed his face. "Sweet, sweet, Ace..."
"What do you want?"
"How well, do you know your girlfriend?" The voice stated. We all looked at Armani and she seemed wary. "Sun and moon, night and day. Opposite, yet, so well together." The voice was still loud, and the woman sounded like she almost wanted to laugh. "But sometimes, there are more people to a relationship than we realize."
What? Soon, there was a white thick mist that circled in the air precisely. It opened up and in the circle we saw...the plane. The plane we were just in.
Armani was sitting with her legs up to her chest. In front of her, she was reading a book quietly minding her business. I know this moment...it was about two hours ago, right before Mani took her nap.
Hayden was sitting in the opposite chair, on the other side of the plane, minding his own business. I looked carefully at what he was doing- or working on.
In his hand, was a steel-like knife that had a sturdy handle on it. It was marked with some symbol and he was using the knife to carve at a bright, and elegant ruby.
A part of me wanted to say- what the actual fuck- who carves at a crystal with a knife?
However, I was focused on the rose he was making. Truth be told, it was beautiful. It shined stunningly under light and it was very detailed. The way the petals looked as if they were circling each other. There was an emerald at the bottom acting as a leaf.
It was pretty, I just didn't understand what the vision was about.
I watched as Hayden finished in silence. He looked at his creation as if it were another simple put-together. After admiring his work, he looked over at Armani silently. Hayden's face was impassive, giving away no emotion but I concentrated on his eyes- where you can read him a little better.
The way he was looking at Mani, jeez. Hayden said that he was getting over her- this is not that. He looked completely smitten.
I watched as he got up and walked towards Armani. He offered her the rose while keeping a straight face. When she looked up from her book, she looked shocked. She looked at Hayden then at the rose.
Mani being the awkward girl she is, she began to stare. After she finally took it, she tilted her head and thanked him quietly. As she began to admire it, you could see her eyes light up just a little. A tiny smile appeared on her face before she looked at Hayden curiously- not cautiously.
"Roses are my favorite." She mumbled, twisting the crystal flower in her hand.
Hayden shoved one hand into his pocket. He looked down and I saw the satisfied and slightly adorable smile he tried to wear.
"I know." He answered lowly. With that, he walked to the other side of the plane and the vision ended.
We weren't in the maze anymore. However, we were at....Green Brook.
Again? Not again.
Now, I was watching Ali in the halls with a random girl. Her hair was blonde, I think she had green eyes and her eyelashes were so long, they could choke someone.
I looked around and everyone still seemed a little fazed by the last vision. Especially Ace, and I wanted to sigh at the frustration and anger radiating off of him.
I turned my attention back on Ali and the girl. They were by his locker just talking. We began to hear what they were saying. "What makes you think that I do?" Ali asked, his lips lifted at the corners.
The girl smiled ran her fingers down the walls, unmeaningful. It was a clear sign that she was anxious and I'm disappointed to say that I have an idea why.
"I know you do, Ali. You can't lie to me." She shrugged. "I just thought you would understand. I just need your he-"
"Okay." Ali cut her off. "Say if... I said yes- because you're obviously not going to let this go."
"Of course not."
"You're determined. I like that." Ali nodded as he looked down at her.
I wanted to gag, are you kidding me right now?
"But," Ali continued. "I need one good reason."
The girl rolled her eyes at his statement but still smiled nevertheless. "I can give you at least seven." She smirked.
Ali chuckled and stared at her for a while.
Gross.
"Okay." He stated. The girl sighed before her next question. "But, what about Nikki?" She asked. Ali's tension changed from that question. "Aren't you guys messing around?"
It took a while before Ali answered. "Yes....but technically we're not dating."
The girl tilted her head. "Really?" Ali shrugged with one shoulder, but he didn't even seem certain himself.
The girl smiled. "Wonderful." She walked closer and went on her toes to kiss Ali. He responded with his hands clasping his book bag straps. "I'll see you later, then."
She began to walk away- then the vision was over. Now, we were back in the maze and everyone looked around and cautiously, still affected by the visions.
Some more than others. Others feeling different about the certain situations we just witnessed.
*****
So the whole gang has been introduced to her...the same girl who was "haunting" Arden. This chapter was sort of interesting- what do you think is gonna happen next?
Next Chapter, Arden does a little digging. Until next time,
-brittany.