Chapter 101: Lagoon Of Lies

CASSIE'S POV

The night was here, and thankfully I was able to shower, change into something a lot more comfortable, and eat one more time before getting back at it.

If I was going back in, I wasn't going in hungry.

I couldn't be thinking about Dragons, Rock Trolls, or Hurricanes and still think about my grumbling stomach at the same damn time.

The Elementals insisted I stay out of the sight of the possessed students. We couldn't risk the Voreth finding me inside their minds.

Most of the students gathered back in the Great Hall that night.

Seems none of them wanted to miss anything.

"Hey... Is it really safe for you to go back in there?" Phoebe asked me, worried.

"I don't know. But... I hope so," I said to her and smiled.

Of course it wasn't safe. But I was doing it anyway.

"It's just... You're barely out of recovery. It's not wise to go back in such a short time," she said.

I knew she was still feeling guilty about what happened and didn't want it to happen again.

"I'll be fine, Phoebe. And thanks for worrying about me," I said to her, touching her shoulder lightly.

I moved closer to the center of the hall, where I'd been mind-scrying the whole time.

Jake decided to stay glued to my side.

"There's no way I can convince you not to do this, is there?" he asked me, sitting down on the ground beside me.

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p'.

He shook his head and closed his eyes for a second, breathing in. "Please be more careful this time. And if things get messy, get out of there first. Then we can try again," he said to me, and I nodded at him with a smile.

"Got it. Now can you maybe move back? I need more space if I'm gonna concentrate," I said to him, and he scooted a few paces back, but was still close.

I gave him a look.

"That's as far as I can go," he shrugged.

I pursed my lips, shaking my head at him slightly before closing my eyes.

It took me a good few minutes before I could steady my breathing and my mind. And then when I did... out, I went.

My eyes opened to the same old darkness I'd gotten used to.

"Can't say it's good to be back here," I muttered, wiping my hands together in disgust.

"Okay. Where to look?" I moved through the dark.

~

I walked through the endless darkness until I came across a waterfall.

A waterfall. In a dark room. Falling from mid-air with no source holding it together. Just here, falling on its own.

The designs of this place never cease to amaze me.

They just get more and more creative with their entrance doorways.

"Okay. Let's see what your mind trap is made of," I said and walked through the waterfall.

On the other side, everything looked completely different and bright.

Like daytime.

It was a lagoon island.

Every side I looked had giant waterfalls falling into several connected streams. The water was crystal clear and it sparkled under a sun that wasn't really there.

"Wow. This is a lllllot of water. Sheesh," I breathed out. "Okay, Sage... It's your turn now. Reveal yourself to me," I muttered.

I searched the dry land near the water, but there wasn't much to find. Just rocks, a few trees, and water. And more rocks. And even more water.

"What am I supposed to be looking at here? There's no sign of Sage anywhere," I said to myself.

"Sage!" I called out, and my voice echoed. "Creepy," I muttered.

"Sage! Where are you? It's Cassie! I've come to get you out!" I yelled into the air and got more echoes back.

"Hey! If you can hear me, just say something back. Don't be stubborn or... be your usual self," I said loudly. Still nothing but echoes.

I kept walking. My feet were starting to hurt. The ground was all wet stone, and it was cold.

I called her name again. Nothing.

I checked behind every tree. Nothing.

I even shouted into the waterfalls like an idiot. Still nothing.

After about twenty minutes, I was tired and frustrated.

"Ugh. Fine," I sighed and sat down near the edge of the lake. The water was so clear I could see the stones at the bottom.

I picked up a few pebbles and started tossing them into the water.

Plink. Plink. Plink.

Watching the ripples spread out.

And that's when I felt it.

A low rumble, coming from under the water. The ripples weren't normal anymore. They were vibrating.

My heart picked up.

I got to my feet fast. I didn't wait to see what was coming out of the water.

I bolted and ducked behind the nearest cluster of trees, peeking out.

The water in the middle of the lagoon started to swirl, rising up, like something big was pushing from underneath.

I held my breath, waiting for it to rise.

Then—

Someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

I JUMPED. "JESUS!" I shouted and spun around, ready to throw hands.

Sage was standing right there.

She looked me up and down, and slowly, like she was studying me like I was a bug under glass.

Her hair was wet and stuck to her face. Her clothes were dripping. But her eyes... her eyes were strange and too distant.

"Who are you?" Sage asked me.

I blinked, taken completely off guard.

"Well... it's me. Cassie. Fairchild. Fifth Element," I explained, holding my hands out like that would help. "We go to the same school? Remember? The Voreth got you and you turned blue like the rest?"

Sage kept staring. No sign of recognition from her side. Just that empty looking eyes.

"You used to hate me so much," I tried again, laughing nervously. "You pretty much antagonized me most of the time. Almost tried to kill me even, during sparing classes. Dumped food on my hair once, in front of everyone."

"Hmm. Yes," Sage said. Her expression suddenly shifted into disdain. "I do hate you. I remember that now."

My stomach dropped.

"I meant before, not... now," I said quickly. "That was when I just got here newly. Before all this. We're supposed to be friends now," I said to her.

Something about Sage seemed entirely off. Eerie even. It felt like she was Sage but also wasn't Sage, but someone else entirely. It didn't make sense but I couldn't help but feel that way.

Sage tilted her head. "Why are you here?"

I swallowed. "I'm here to save you. From the Voreth's mind trap. Its controlling your body back at school and trapped you here So you can't leave. But don't worry, I can get you out. We just have to—"

"Save me?" Sage cut me off. Her voice was flat.

"Yeah. From the Voreth," I said, nodding. "Like I said, it's got you locked in this place. I came to pull you out. Like I did with the others."

At the mention of the Voreth, Sage's whole mood changed.

Her eyes went darker and emptier. Her jaw clenched tight.

"You shouldn't have come here," she said, sounding low and malicious.

"Sage, what are you talking abou..." I started.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!" she screamed.

Before I could react, she lunged at me.

Her hands came at me, dripping with water and giving off some dark mist.

What the hell is wrong with her?!

I barely had time to evade her attack before she slammed her hands unto my shoulders. Throwing me through the air and straight on rocky ground.

I winced in pain from the impact of the fall.

Mehn! I just got out of the clinic!

~