Violet Eyes

38: Sanctuary

Nyx opened her eyes lazily as she stirred awake from her slumber. The first time in a long time that she had slept in a bed that wasn't dusty and lumpy. Although, it still felt rather lonely that she had to sleep in her bed alone. She lumbered out of bed and looked in the mirror of the vanity in her room. She smoothed down her frizzy hair before turning to leave the room. Nyx stumbled lazily down the stairs, still being groggy from sleep. The moment she entered the living room she was halted by everyone's eyes on her. Including a woman that wasn't there the night before.

The woman stood swiftly, staring at Nyx with a stern gaze. She was tall and had long black hair falling over her shoulders and the long grey trenchcoat she was wearing. Deep blue eyes stared through Nyx as her hands began shaking. Everyone else was introduced to this woman as The Chairman, but Nyx only knew her as...

"Mom?" Nyx whispered in shock. The woman smiled warmly at her before she held out her arms. Nyx stood her ground for a moment before tears began to well in her eyes. Nyx rushed forward and hugged her mother tightly.

"Wait, that's her mom?" Rhys asked as he leaned over to Nate but he wasn't trying to hide the question.

"You can't be surprised, she looks just like her." Danny said in his usual patronizing tone. It was then that Nyx finally released her mother and backed away, wiping her eyes of tears.

"What are you doing here?" Nyx asked quietly.

"I've actually been looking for you for a long time, since the day you didn't come home from school. It became a different story when Zachariah's men came to my door and told me you were gifted and had to be taken away. It was a day I've been dreading since the moment you turned 18." She said as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets. "I've been looking for all of you actually, ever since Mary told me about you all." She looked over to Mary who smiled back at her knowingly.

"Why have you been looking for us? And wait...you know Zachariah?" Rhys asked her as he held up his hand.

"It's time I tell you a story, kids. As I know you are all aware of, The Erebus Mafia is a problem that shouldn't be ignored." She said as she began to look off into space, seemingly in thought.

"How do you know about them?" Nyx asked her mother cautiously. Her mother smiled in response.

"Right, you wouldn't know about me, I guess." She said quietly before she addressed the group. "My name is Elizabeth Valentino, Chairman of The Sanctuary for Gifted Youth."

"The what?" Soul asked quietly, seemingly to herself.

"Please let me finish. The Sanctuary is just that, a safe place for Gifted youth to call home. It's a sort of school where we bring gifted individuals to hopefully mold them into upstanding citizens. As well as a form of defense against wicked Gifted, society's police force don't stand a chance in the event that these wicked organizations choose to make a move. I will bring you all there, where you will be able to use and practice your abilities with little to no restrictions." Elizabeth finished her introduction as she looked at everyone intensely.

"Wait, you will take us there? We don't get a choice?" Rhys asked her, worried that this could be just another Zachariah.

"Of course you get a choice. However, the other options are less favorable. You will either be killed on the street by police, captured by Zachariah again, or you'll be recruited or killed by the Erebus Mafia." Elizabeth spoked coldly as she eyed Rhys.

"Fair enough." Rhys grumbled, admitting defeat.

"You said we would be a form of defense, what does that mean?" Danny asked her, Elizabeth turned her head to face him.