She reached her hand towards the ceiling, mimicking the explosion of a bomb without anyone's knowledge. Violent colors drove her crazy. She wanted to control them, to make them vanish from her sight. The darkness in her office was pierced by a few forgotten installations. They touched the chairs by the door, the wall library, the carpet in the middle, creating a warm atmosphere. The lights soothed her, freeing her from all agitation as long as she looked at them. There was not a soul left in the building. She didn't know whether to leave or stay there until morning. Nothing she set out to do had been accomplished. She probably should forget about the war for a while. Too many unfulfilled desires and unresolved issues were simmering. Plus, her plans was about to explode. She burned to see it at any cost.

The celestial body witnessed her thoughts. It stood steadfast up there, perceiving what daylight couldn't illuminate. She would do the same, but without a huge helping hand, she wouldn't progress. She was grateful for the help received, which she couldn't do without. Every move owed itself to them, and now she sensed she wouldn't be alone. The creaking of the door announced she had company, and she guessed immediately. Mell slumped exhausted onto a corner chair before starting her midnight gossip. After regaining her composure, she began pouring out the news.

–Three words: Garren has disappeared.

–Wait, what? How?

—I mean, we barely detected them, and they vanished again. What do you make of that? Magicians, huh?

–We need a spell to undo it, what else...!

—If only we knew one! But more importantly, they found us, and they set our base on fire.

Mey hadn't breathed a word about her conversation with Devon, and she didn't intend to. She was sweeping it under the rug, hiding it forever. She checked the sources, and there was no lie. The cameras connected to her phone saved her with a little battle against Max. And the images were exactly as she had been informed the first time.

–We can't be sure. Still, how come we have so many dead troops?

–William launched a few offensives, and they took us by surprise. We were at a warehouse.

–Hmm, I propose we suspend activities.

–Isn't that what they're waiting for? To take us out of the game?

–Whether they take us out or not, we're losing people. We can't use any other way.

–You who were the first when we had to cut their throats...

An annoyed sigh. She wouldn't throw herself into the lion's den now without being sure she was cornered. However, the idea that came to her mind contradicted her. If her place was so desired, then she could be theirs right away. Mell understood the nonverbal message, sniffing out the leader's intentions. She was glad she didn't give up so easily, although she showed stubbornness. Mey suspected that Garren was still to be found, and she was going to put an end to this nonsense. Left alone, she sensed Jasmine's presence. She couldn't read someone's thoughts, let alone a ghost's, but she noticed something changed. The way she levitated from side to side revealed her concern. Jasmine pointed to a book on the shelf, which Mey easily pulled out and told her where to open it. Curiosity executed it exactly, squinting at the small writing on the pages. The chapter was titled "Lost in Time," next to which a picture of her clock was printed. Jasmine clarified that the book's pages contained various curses, each with its detailed description and consequences if a curse was broken. Hers had spread its webs, and the crack warned her of what could follow. She read line by line, deducing that she was not far from being lost in time. If the crack in the watch grew larger, there was no turning back.
© BlairAmy
#time #war #truth #mystery