Forbidden ~ after unlocked

Chapter 46 - Sophie

Once again, Sophie's memory was a blurry, confusing mess. She remembered things, but just not clearly.

Her and Keefe in the woods, talking and then fighting.

Waking up in a stranger's car on the way to Paris.

Finding their way to the same bridge she'd been ambushed on with Dex.

Using the light leaping crystal...

The scenes flashed across the darkness of her mind.

She wished she could put together more of what happened, but she was completely drained, emotionally and physically. Being heavily drugged, tortured, and seeing Keefe after months, made her so confused with herself that she didn't know what to do.

Sophie wasn't sure how much longer it was until she felt herself start to wake up. The more she tried to focus, the more she could feel her mind slipping back into touch with her body. Her heart beating in her chest. Her fingers resting against something soft. Her stomach dropping as her eyes flew open.

The second she awoke, she was suddenly breathing hard, her eyes darting around frantically. She couldn't make out her surroundings. Why was it so hard to get her bearings back?

Voices started crowding her senses. Whoever was speaking, she could hear them asking over and over again if she was alright, but she couldn't form words yet, or make out who was talking.

As her vision started to clear, so did the people and things around her.

The Healing Center. She was in the Healing Center.

She shut her eyes again to try and ease the headache that had suddenly bombarded her. Hazy colours flashed behind her eyelids in time with snapping sounds, making her realize Elwin was checking up on her. Sophie felt like throwing up. Her skull was blaring with an awful ringing sound that drowned everything else out.

She pressed her hands tightly over her ears, trying to silence the commotion around her. Someone called out above it all, "Everyone out except for Mr. Forkle!" Slowly voices faded away until all she could hear was her own heavy breathing.

Tentatively, she opened her eyes.

On her left was Elwin, watching her with the same worried look he always had when she got herself into a mess. Mr. Forkle was on the other side of her cot, expression completely indecipherable as per usual.

Sophie wasn't sure why, but seeing both of them again suddenly made her burst into tears.

She felt Elwin wrap her arms around her. He didn't give her any elixirs, just hugged her. "It's alright, Sophie," Elwin reassured her. "You're here now. You're safe." He pulled away after a long moment, and then said, "And you probably have Keefe to thank for that."

Keefe.

Sophie couldn't think about him right now. She felt her eyes welling again as more thoughts and emotions kept hitting her all at once. "What? How did I even get here? Where is he? Does that mean you know he's back? I don't understand, the last thing I remember..."

Sophie's words fell short. What was the last thing she remembered?

"I'll explain in a minute. First..." Elwin went into his office to grab some elixirs, then handed them to Sophie. "Drink up. You've faded, have a concussion, the drugs are messing with your body, and overall—to put it bluntly—not doing great. Keefe probably saved your life by getting you here. A few more days, and well..."

Sophie's mind finished the sentence, I would have died.

"When you're ready," Mr. Forkle said, "we'd like a full recount of what happened from your perspective. I've already talked to Keefe."