SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 71- Comatose

 "What the hell is this?" I call out into the darkness, but I can't see a thing. I feel a sharp chill run down my spine as I desperately clutch my sides, this feels like the Gate within my mind, but at the same time, this doesn't feel like it's mine.

"Honey, please, you know where you are." I hear the voice again, her tone is eerie, both calm, yet eager. I recognize it, but I don't want to.

"You aren't me," I say shakily, looking around frantically, trying to find where it's coming from.

"Well, believe it or not, you aren't wrong," she states, sounding disappointed "You and I have been separate for so long. I've been asleep... no, more like a dream trying endlessly and crying out to be heard. I tried over and over to show you that I was here, but you could never seem to see me."

"Wait," I shutter "You were giving me the nightmares?" I ask, slowly becoming more and more terrified by this encounter.

"Yes, but if I could have used another method, I would have." she sighs "I never wanted to hurt you, Breeze, to hurt us," she explains solemnly "Everything I have done up until this point has been to protect us, but it seems that fate has finally decided that holding back is no longer an option."

"Protect me?" I say skeptically "If what everyone is saying is true, you came directly from Gael, why would you want to help me?"

"Have you learned nothing from Malakai?" she asks curiously "A soul may be born from evil, but we both know that was only half the story. Purity can win the fight when it's stronger than its counterpart," she explains optimistically.

"That still begs the question," I begin nervously "Who... or what are you exactly?"

"I'm glad you asked," she says sweetly. Suddenly, the darkness begins to slowly be illuminated by violet crystals above, and in the sky, I see a crescent moon. A familiar black fog covers the ground up to my knees. As I look around in awe, I see a dark figure begin to approach me. As she begins to become visible, I can make out her appearance; it's me, but also not. Her hair is long and black instead of short and blonde, and on her forehead is the same emblem as Kai's. Her body appears naked, but parts are crudely covered in black paint, smearing across her chest and lower pelvis, wrapping around her arms and legs.

"I'm the part of him that he gifted to you, but I can assure you, I hate him as much as you do," she explains. I can't help but stare at her as she looks at me, and I know we are sharing similar reactions. We're so different from each other, but it's almost like I already know her.

"You said you aren't me, but you keep referring to us as 'we', I'm confused," I say, trying to piece things together.

"I'm not," she sighs "But I'm also not my own person. I guess I'm just a burden of power left behind at this point," she explains solemnly.

"You also mentioned protecting me before, what were you talking about?" I ask worriedly.

"My father wanted us to be his perfect daughter, it's why he did this to us." she begins, hesitating to take a deep breath "When Justin forced himself on our mother, our soul was almost forced to return. I sensed this and fought back, rejecting the body before we had a chance to connect to it. I can't imagine what could have happened if we were forced to be connected, all I know is that it wasn't right." she explains, and I can hear the anger in her voice.

"That's why Kai came to be? Because we were supposed to be born again but rejected to?" I ask, my heart starting to pound.

"Unfortunately so," she sighs "I didn't think about the consequences of my actions, I just knew that we needed to avoid becoming truly his at any cost," she states confidently.