UnNecessary

Prologue

I had never before had the misfortune of seeing a body burnt alive. What made the situation worse was seeing the rise and fall of their chests as their bodies still clung to the physical world. How could we have let it get this far?

Once characterized as a utopic for guardians, the hallowed halls of Arcadia were embellished with rotting flesh. Bay windows where I would spend hours transmuting and perfecting my Ability, were now stewards to a barrage of gunfire. The column I currently hid behind sheltered me as an explosion erupted, chipping away at the marble statues and turning coveted artwork into kindling. I looked around at the onslaught and felt a wave of emotions. Sorrow. Confusion. Anger. I felt anger like you wouldn't dream. My senses were filled with the knowledge that someone I loved would cause this much destruction. Inside... my chest burned, knowing that I was the only one who could stop the impending misery. That, and due to the pungent smell of nitroglycerin. 

At my feet, bodies of the men and women we fought to protect laid in grotesque arrays. In their eyes, I saw what we had become. The Gods sent to heal only to create deviation in their wake. I pressed my back against the column as I turned to peer down the corridor. I just needed to make it to the study. It was only one hallway away. As I took the last deep breath I would need to motivate my legs to keep going, another blast rang out from above me and the ceiling began to collapse. It took everything in me to surge my body out of the way before concrete became my reaper. Clouds of dust billowed, blurring my vision. The chignon bun that usually kept my dark mess in order had finally betrayed me and my curls began to knat around me. I knew my eyes that normally held a rich chocolate iris would be blood shot and strained. A far cry from their natural glow.

As I began coughing, I brought my hand up to use as a filter, nearly gagging at what I saw. My hand was covered with a thin veil of blood. Had I been injured and not even noticed? Reaching out my fingertips, they grazed on a nearby tiffany lamp usually housed on the library desks two floors up. Taking a breath in, I concentrated on feeling the material in its alchemic form. I began to resonate with each atom, communing until I could manipulate them at will. On the breath out, I made my will so.

The lamp began to morph and change its structure, aligning itself to the visions in my mind. What was once, an elegant antique table lamp with emerald glass shades, was now a decent sized flashlight that, arguably, could have been made at the same facility. Funny how much progress I had made in only a few short years. I turned the flashlight on my limbs, quickly scanning for abrasions. The olive in my skin was barely recognizable under the layers of grime. A few large scrapes still bled. Refractions of light that reflected off the ground took my focus and peaked my curiosity. Focusing the beam, I noticed that a sizeable amount of liquid surrounded my legs. With quivering fingers I reached out, knowing before my index broke the surface what I was sitting in.

"Water." I heard myself say. All around me, bullets ricocheted like pinballs in an arcade, but I, unblinkingly, was mesmerized by the water.

"Draya!" Ygar called through my earpiece. An overwrought voice permeated the shock I found myself contained within. His usual southern drawl, that on more than one occasion had me fawning, sounded haggard, as if he had just finished a screaming match with leaf blower. Isn't that just something? Men with guns, explosions and saving humanity doesn't cause me pause but water...that's the line? "Draya! You need to get out of there now! I can't stall the endgame any longer. Talk to me, what is happening?"

I cautiously brought my fingers to eye level confirming what I already knew. The luminous substance held all the weight of the world, driving me into action.

"Ygar, my water just broke."

A stream of profanity danced in my ear drum as Ygar urged me to abandon this mission. Contractions had been coming at an increasing rate, so his constant reminders of the ramifications of my actions were getting redundant. Grabbing a curtain and metal beam, I transmuted the items into a bulletproof vest, heaving it over my swollen stomach. Soft vibrations pulsing from wrist communicator reminded me that as I huddled in the corner, worried for my well being, the lives of billions was hanging in the balance. Looking down at my wrist, the holographic timer set my pulse racing. It was as if I could feel my heart in my throat, but no matter what I tried, I just couldn't swallow it. Less than sixteen minutes. With all the conviction I could muster, I willed my exhausted legs further.