The Fifth World 2

Bo: A longing to touch her face tingles at my fingers. I feel this warmth within me yet a complete coldness that I cannot quite understand. I have a few theories; because I wonder, with very little doubt, if this is truly my biological mother, or something inside me knows that this woman is definitely my mother whom has been absent almost my entire life. Strangely enough, I don't feel the same way about Evee as I do about Johnson... maybe because I miss Theresa so much, that an idea such as my biological mother being around is comforting, desirable, like home.

"Evee?" I whisper as it is all I can manage at this moment in time. "Evee?"

The instant I open my mouth her expression changes, from ever so frightened to comforted, happy, so happy of my recognition of her. I can only imagine how long Evee has been waiting us to finally meet.

"Bo," she responds, "My beautiful Bo."

My breathing catches and I feel tears fill in my eyes. I can't exactly move because I am being held in place and even if I could move... I don't think my body could handle it. I consider jumping, just jumping into her arms, touching her face, holding her, seeing if she is actually real. Right now, very little matters to me. I have finally come face to face with a woman I never knew I was searching for, or wanting to meet, until now. I try to crawl to her but hands are already at my shoulders holding me in place. I grunt and let out a little cry because I so desperately want to be in her arms. With the energy I have left I struggle to remove myself from whoever grasp is holding me down but it is already too late... it is already too much for me. Before I know it the exhaustion and pain takes over. My entire body collapses and my eyes close.

Cynric: I know what she has done. She has surrendered. Given in. After absolutely everything we have worked for, fought for, died for... This one action she has taken has made everything over the last few months pointless. I am full of anger, adrenaline. I want to scream at her, I want to tell her how stupid she is but at the same time all I want to do is hold her in my arms and make sure she is okay. Goodness. Love sure does make you think and do some silly things.

"What's the plan?" Adam asks me as I arrange weapons for myself and several others.

If I intend to find Bo and Felicity, I need weapons. There has been enough time for the both of them to reach the Thornes by now. There will be no reasoning with the Thornes, just a fight. If that is what it takes to get Bo and Felicity back then I and whoever else decides to join me will be prepared.

"The plan is for you to stay with the others, Adam," I say as I wipe my Angelican dagger clean. It shines brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

"I can fight!" Adam urges to me but I ignore him.

The last thing Adam needs is to involve himself in a battle that is not his own. The last thing Bo needs is to lose her older... yet younger brother. She has already lost him once before, I can't risk that happening again.

"I know you can, Adam, but I won't allow you to be involved in all of this."

"Why not? Don't you think I can handle myself? I can. I know I panic sometimes and I know I'm not as great of a fighter as you or Nancy but I can handle it. I'm never going to fully grasp all of this if you don't let me try."

He is starting to sound more and more like me everyday. I worry about that.

"And let you die? I'm sorry, Adam, I cannot keep an eye out for you whilst fighting and looking for your sister and Felicity."

"I killed someone the other night," he says to me quickly, "Did you know that?"

I stop and I turn around to look at him. I stare at his young yet older face. The redness in his hair from when he was a boy - which was merely weeks ago now - has almost entirely faded. Soon his hair will be a natural brown. His hands are bigger, longer. His arms lean and strong. I try to resist the temptation to give in but I know deep down that Adam has potential. He will be a great fighter one day... even if he is an Average Human. He certainly has skill; Nancy has recognised this fact too which definitely says a lot.

I sigh and stare down at a sword that lies across the lawn, before I give myself the chance to change my mind I pick it up and I throw it in Adam's direction. His reflexes click instantly and with one hands he manages to grasp the sword and in perfect motion he swings it around his waist before hitching into his belt. A small smile appears on his face.

Bo: My body aches, my head aches, my heart aches. Everything hurts. I try to sleep, I try to ignore the pain and let my body give in to the exhaustion. I need unconsciousness. I need a break from everything. I feel like a silly Damsel in distress. It isn't fair to be here again... but even though it may seem selfish, I am slightly thankful that Felicity is here with me. I am not alone this time, I am not alone in a dungeon hearing voices not knowing whether they are real or not or if it is my head that is playing tricks on me.

I fall into a sleepy stupor and the world around me darkens a little but I can still see the lit candles burning away. Their strong scent of lavender fills the room but I am glad I only smell it slightly as it could tickle my nose and make me sneeze. Felicity sits upright beside me watching over me as I lie across the many cushions. I hear the door open and close as footsteps echo and cross the room, heading towards us.

"You are brave," I hear a deep voice say.

I recognise this voice. His name is Paris. He is the Thorne that has been trained his entire life to be a soldier. He is like Colt but without the aging serum. He truly is the age he appears. He is a soldier, a fighter and that is all his people will ever see him as. Of course, he will be down in history for many years, just like Colt would be, but his only purpose in life is to fight.

"To fight back when people attack my friend and I, when she is clearly hurt? An animal would have those 'brave' instincts." Felicity hisses at him with a lot of venom.

He does not answer.

"I have known many Thornes like you before," Felicity says to him.

"No, you haven't," Paris responds.

"You think you are so different from the others? You are born for one sole purpose - to be a soldier. You understand nothing but war. All you do is fight and it isn't for peace."

I hear Paris sigh, "Do you hate your own kind?"

"I despise them. Thornes are a disgrace. Most of the time I feel ashamed but sometimes I feel proud because I know that I am probably one of the greatest Thornes to have ever lived."

"You are very modest," he observes.

Felicity does not answer for a while, silence fills the room and I hear Paris rummaging around in some of the drawers and cupboards.

"Why did you choose this life?" Felicity finally asks.

"What life?"

"To be the way you are. You are great, we all know that, but you could do good in this world. You could impact this world like you could never imagine just by switching sides."

"You ask why I choose this life? I choose nothing, I chose nothing. I was born and this is what I am."

"You could escape, you could help us," Felicity says with some hope in her voice.

I hear him chuckle but it ends very quickly, "And leave everything I have ever known? For what?"

"For what is right," Felicity whispers, "It is no life here. You have no family, no friends. The Royals do not care for your welfare, they only care for the power they desire and will do anything to grasp it."

"Over time," Paris breathes, "The man standing beside you in combat becomes not just your comrade but your brother. Your teachers... are your parents. The Royals are not who you serve, you serve your people; your family."

The conversation ends. Felicity sinks back into the cushions beside me, realising that she cannot sway this Thorne. I am surprised though, surprised that she does not try and speak more or even argue... she just closes her mouth and stays quiet. I wonder why but it is not until hours later, many hours into the night when I continue in that same stupor but my eyes open and I watch how she creeps from the cushions, across the room and towards a cupboard. Felicity, with careful hands, takes a knife from the cupboard and then looks over at the enormous bed where Paris lies. She zips across the room, as quiet as a mouse but as quick as lightening. She moves the silk curtains draped across the tall bed frame before sitting beside Paris and she places the blade to his neck. I almost say something but I stop myself when I hear his voice.

"Do it," Paris says and my heart almost stops beating.

I hear Felicity's breathing stop and I almost stand up to see if she is alright but instead I roll my head across a cushion and am able to get a clear view of her beside him. She is speechless for a few moments.

"You are not going to stop me?" Felicity whispers.

"No," he responds, "If this is the end of my time then I will accept it - everyone dies. Do it."

Felicity's breathing quickens, "You will kill many of my people if I do not kill you."

"Yes."

I watch carefully. I try to see their faces, read their facial expressions but I cannot. I am waiting because I know that at any moment Paris could vanish from his position, take a weapon and kill Felicity before she even knew it. Paris or any other human with the supernatural and unnatural gifts that have been given to them through serums can do almost anything. They are unpredictable.

I am not close enough to be able to see their facial expressions as well as that there is a silk curtain that blurs them. I almost stand up myself when I see Paris' hand raise as he looks up at Felicity. She stares down at him, completely frozen, not knowing what to do next. Paris's hand touches her face and for a second I believe he is going to claw the life out of her but he does not. He is gentle, he is kind, he is careful. His hand caresses her cheek and then his thumb runs over her lips. I watch how Felicity removes the knife from his neck and it slips from her fingers and clatters to the stone floor. Paris and Felicity stare at each other for a minute or so and then without another word she stands up and returns to the cushions beside me. I quickly close my eyes and act as if I am asleep. I feel her run her hand across my forehead, removing some hair that covers my face. She settles and then I open my eyes a few minutes later. The room is quiet. Felicity is quiet beside me. Paris is quiet in his bed.

Unpredictable. I fall asleep.