"How can one song
Make us fall deeper
Make us disappear."
-E. E. B.
EMA's pov
I saw a man, crying, tied up to a cliff. Then some kind of a bird flew to him and took one big bite of his flesh. Sadness hit my lungs and I wanted to help him but I couldn't. I wasn't really there. I was far away in time from him. Then one young woman came with water in her hands. She made man drink it and took some meat to feed him. Man begged to be freed.
"What can you give me in return?" woman asked him.
"I can give you myself. I shall love you until end of times.", man promised. And that pleased the woman. She freed him and let him stay in her home. Man then left one day to meet god that have put him on that cliff and kill him. But what nobody knew was that only that man had power to take powers from dead gods. And that's what he did. First power man got what thunder.
"Ema, really, I need to sleep.", Malia said. She woke me up but I deserved it for waking her up.
"Why do I only send hallucinations to you?", I asked her before letting her sleep once more.
"You don't really send them. Because of my power I have more access to everyone's head then the rest of us. I just get them, I guess.", she said.
I couldn't fall sleep again. Which is strange since I love to sleep a lot. I get up from my bed, got dressed and went out for a walk. Both dad and Luka were still sleeping and I didn't want to talk to Luka yet.
"Are you awake?" I asked Connor through link hoping he was.
"Yeah, I just woke up. I'll pick you up soon.", he said so I waited for him in library. While waiting for him, I decided to ask librarian to show me where bible is. Since there could be some things that could help us figure out more about first two groups before us.
Then I saw that same woman sorting books. How is she here now? I was afraid she saw me so I went back to place in between shelves where I usually wait for Connor. I tried my best to gather some bravery and face her. Who knows when I'm going to see her next? I stood up and went to her. The closer I got, more relaxed I felt. She had soft aura around herself that reminded me a lot of Malia.
"Finally you decided to come.", Helena said still sorting books. "I was afraid you'll never come here. But you've proven yourself to be the chosen one once again."
"What does 'chosen one' even mean?" I asked Helena. She set book that she had in her arms down and smiled at me with eyes that only mother has. I instantly felt like I was safe and sound.
"That means you have special bravery inside of yourself. All that is happening right now was set by god of fate Purysho. He gave you bravery only Prometheus had before you and you are the only one who can release true powers inside of you."
I listened to Helena's talking but it didn't make much sense.
"Everyone believed Prometheus was powerless, but he found new power deep inside of himself, in worst time of his life."
"Like trauma all of us went through to get our powers now, right?"
"Yes, but you have hardest only coming. That way you can release even stronger power inside.", Helena said and set her hand on my heart. "Power my husband gave you."
I felt my lungs lose all air as Helena's hand started to glow on my heart. "I will give you a gift of love, little Ema. That's the only way I can help you. Because you know only one person that needs to be by your side in order to free that power. You can't do it alone."
Place where Helena touched my heart became strangely warm. She removed her hand and moved few strands of my hair from my face. "My gift is not big, but you'll find use to it."
Then she disappeared into mist just like Prometheus did at magic show.
"When did you get here?" Connor asked me standing behind me. "I was looking for you all around but I couldn't sense your location anywhere."
"I was here all the time, but with Helena."
As I said her name, Connor froze. "What did she do to you? I swear, I'm not leaving you alone ever again. Did she hurt you?" he asked while putting his arms on my shoulders.
"I'm okay. We just talked and she did some sort of a spell on me. But I'm okay.", I tried to calm him down but it didn't work the best.
"A spell? What spell?"
"Connor, it's really okay. She put a love spell on me. The spell is very simple. I can feel it inside of me.", I said and pulled him into a hug. "It's platonic love spell. It can make one person find true love in family and friends. And I will give it to Yuko."
"Why to Yuko?"
"He is the only one who didn't get a soulmate. So I wish to give him family. Not just this bond we have, but more. Like a soulmate, but as friends."
"You're way too kind for your own good princess.", Connor said as we appeared in his room. There I sat on his bed and he went to get his phone. As he came back, he sat on his bed next to me and turned on music. He really likes songs by Alec Benjamin so we listened to them. For first few minutes we had no physical contact, but it was too hard to keep my hands far away from him. Tips of his fingers found mine. We didn't talk, we didn't think. We were just there, alone, and it felt right.
"Can you help me?" Connor whispered. Those words were so heavy in air. They were breaking him for so long and now he could finally be free. "She broke me, Ema. I want to be me again."
I knew what he was talking about. I could hear his thoughts before he finally asked, but I waited for him to ask me. It's his addiction. He wants me to take it all away and I will. I will be his home.
"Yeah, I can help you.", I stood up from his bed. "Let's get rid of them first."
Connor stood up too and opened up one drawer under his table. I can't even count how many different bottles were there, but it's okay. We will empty it up. So we got rid of every single one. It was hard for him. He mostly didn't even look at it as I put bottles in one big black bag. He moved few books on his table too and shown me hidden bottles. It took us one hour. One hour of him holding back tears, of comforting and making new step in his life.
After black bag was full I called Zack. He came running to Connor's room and took it. I could see how proud Zack watched Connor and it made both Connor and me feel better. He promised to bury bag deep so nobody would ever find it again. After bag was far away from us, Connor sat back on his bed and whispered something to himself.
"I have power of darkness.", he said. I already knew that. We traveled with his power, so why is he saying this? "Not only shadow traveling, but dark too. I was born for the worst, most traumatic power. Do you have any idea what can I do?"
I stood beside him, confused. So he can do more than just travel?
"I can make your worst nightmares come true. Unlike your and Malia's power, mine is not manifested through mind.", he said and moved his hand in air. With every move black ball in his hand grew bigger until it was as big as his palm. "My power is physical and mental. All I have to do is touch you and you'll see the worst moment of your life again and again. Like never-ending night terror that you can't escape from. And the worst thing? I barely have any control. I often wake up in the middle of it. That's why I can't get better. It's always here Ema."
Tears were sliding down his cheeks. "And if you touch me while I'm under control of my power, you'll fall under it too. It happened to Zack after he tried to get me out, wake me up. I hurt him. I hurt everyone."
That gave me one idea of how to help him. I can help him, I knew that. I'm his soulmate.
"Connor, do you trust me?" I asked him. He looked at me, still playing with black power in his palm.
"I trust you more than I ever trusted anyone.", he confessed.
"Good, because I trust you too.", I said and took his hand with black power in it. Almost immediately I felt my body giving out and Connor catching me in his hands.
I saw his face clearly. I knew this man better than anyone. My neighbor. He always gave me candy when I went for a walk with him. He loves it when I sing to him and he is good with my dad and mom. They often eat together and talk. My neighbor is a good man.
Then he invited me to his home so I could see new game he got. I sat on his sofa and waited for him to return with a game, but instead he came back with a robe and a knife. He tied my hand and legs. I was only nine. For him, that was perfect age.
He touched me and I cried. But nobody heard me. And when I got too loud, he would shit me up with a new cut on my stomach. 8 scars still remained on my body even today.
His hands traveled all around me. They were evil, but not his.
No, this hands weren't his. They belonged to my soulmate Connor. Connor is waiting for me to wake up. I must wake up and go back to him. Image of neighbor disappeared as sweet green eyes of my soulmate appeared.
Connor kneeled next to me, holding me in his hands close to his heart.
"You should trust me more Con.", I said as I saw his crying face. I felt his tears on my cheeks. Well I wasn't sure are those tears his or mine.
"Ema, you woke up. You... got away. How?" He sobbed as his hands brought me closer. "I thought you won't wake up for at least few days. Don't do this ever again, understood? Never, ever again."
"Silly, I got out thanks to you. I'm your soulmate, you can't hurt me."
We were on his floor. Both of us crying now and trying to calm down. It took us long time, but we did. He dried my face with tissue and pulled me to his bed.
We were both very tired, exhausted, so sleep just came over us quickly. I fell asleep in his arms, my ear on his heart. I could hear it slow down and take steady peace. It was like a lullaby.
I knew that the rest of team probably heard our thoughts at some point and they let us sort this alone. I could feel Astra standing in front of Connor's door, ready to come in any moment. But he didn't. he waited for us to heal each other with soft touches and caring words. I knew Zack already had his hand on door, but Astra didn't let his enter. But they all trusted us and I'm thankful for that.
Sleep never felt this good.