Day after day, Lili found herself shackled within the base’s cold, sterile walls, denied the freedom to stretch her wings beyond the limits imposed by cautious orders. She watched as Katika, Cova, Notori, Lukas, and Adam slipped through the doors, while she remained grounded by the invisible leash of distrust. Mike’s cautious gaze pinned her down, check-up from Margherita was a constant reminder that her power was still a threat in their eyes even if she could command it.
Katika tossed another handful of earth toward Lili, who barely lifted a shield of shadows in time.
“Lili, you’re already pushing too hard. These powers are putting limits on you you can’t ignore.” Mike’s calm voice cut through the tension heavy with concern.
Lili’s glare snapped toward him. “Limits? I control my powers just fine.”
Mike’s brow knitted deeper, the crease of worry etching sharper into his face. “It’s not just about control, Lili. It’s about endurance. What if your defenses will falter when you need it most?”
Katika’s smirk deepened. “Stubbornness is one thing. But stubbornness won’t keep you alive out there.”
A storm of shadows surged around Lili twisting. Her eyes flared a fierce red. “You’re worried about my limits?” Her voice cracked. Shadows sliced through the air, sharp tendrils clawing and weaving over the ground. Katika recoiled, stepping back as the darkness crept closer. A pair of wings erupted from Lili’s back next casting an eerie silhouette across the battleground. “How’s that for limits?” Lili’s voice thundered.
“Impressive,” Katika admitted. “But power without control is dangerous to everyone around it.”
Mike inhaled slowly, the weight of unspoken worries tightening his chest as a flicker of frustration tangled with deep concern flickering behind steady eyes. “Lili, it’s never been about what you can do. It’s about what you will do when the world around you collapses into chaos.”
Her wings folded sharply behind her. “The fuck do you want from me?” Her voice fractured. “I can control my powers. It’s only you two, stuck on some stupid pressure nonsense! You know what? Fuck you and your training. If you wanted me grounded, fine. At least have the damn honesty to say so from the beginning! I’m done.” With a final, fierce glare, she strode away from the stadium.
Lili became a ghost within the four walls of her room. Hours folded into days, and in the quiet, her tears fell. Her mind kept circling back to that last fractured conversation with Notori. That memory became both a chain and a spark, igniting the storm of grief and fear that clawed beneath her ribs.
And then that quiet, insidious voice in the deepest corners of her mind, coaxing, twisting, trying to seize the reins. It whispered of power, of vengeance if only she would surrender control. It promised retribution against every cruel hand that had hurt her, and the intoxicating release of true freedom.
A sudden, soft knock shattered the heavy silence.
“Lili,” Cova’s voice whispered through the door. “You haven’t left your room in days. We’re all worried about you and what’s holding you here.”
Lili’s breath caught. “What else am I supposed to do?!” Lili’s voice shattered the silence. “You’ve all locked me in.” Her hands shook, fists clenched as if holding invisible chains, the fury and despair roiling beneath ready to burst.
“We don’t want to cage you, Lili. We’re just scared of losing you if you push too far, too fast.”
Lili sank against the cold wall, shadows curling, flickering weakly around her. Her breath came in ragged, uneven bursts. “I’m not a danger,” she whispered. “I’m just… broken.” Her words trembled, vulnerable, trembling on the edge of collapse.
Cova’s hand trembled as she knocked on Rafael’s door. When the invitation came, she stepped inside.
“I don’t like you asking me to report on trying to talk with her,” Cova said bluntly, her voice edged with clear displeasure as her gaze locked onto Mike’s. “Whatever you thought you were doing with that training, it failed completely. You should have been clearer about what you wanted from her. Lili isn’t just confused. She’s angry, lost, frustrated. She’s drowning in all the expectations you keep piling on her.”
Rafael, seated quietly behind his desk, exchanged a slow, deliberate glance with Mike before leaning forward. “Lili’s powers are volatile, and her control—while impressive—is precarious.”
Mike ran a hand through his hair, frustration bleeding through his calm facade.
“She needs guidance, yes, but also trust. And right now, all she feels is suspicion.” Cova’s voice dropped low. “I remember what you tried with me. You were terrified I’d unleash an army of skeletons on the city. And what you feared almost became real, because your fear confused me, made me doubt if I even had control over my own powers.” Her gaze sharpened, cutting through the silence. “And now you’re repeating the same fucking mistake with Lili. It’s a damn tragedy to watch.”
“So, what approach are you actually suggesting?” Rafael asked.
Cova exhaled slowly. “She’s my friend. But even I can’t reach her right now.” Her gaze softened. “She’s built walls so high, it feels like nothing can breach them. After everything she’s endured, this place was supposed to be her sanctuary.” She paused, her voice dropping to a hushed murmur, heavy with raw truth as she fixed Rafael with a steady look. “She risked everything to save you. That alone tells us what she’s already willing to die for. But now? You haven’t just shaken her faith in her own powers. You’ve fractured her trust in all of us… including herself.”
“Can Notori help with this? He’s always had a way with her, hasn’t he?” Rafael asked.
Cova’s eyes darkened. She turned away, her voice dropping to a low murmur. “Not this time.” Cova’s eyes flicked back to them after a moment. “I’ll try my way. But you probably won’t like it.” Without another word, she turned away again and strode out.
***
Lili lay curled on her bed, the dark room swallowing her shadows, restless and wild, which wove and twisted around her trembling form, dancing on the edge of her awareness without her will or command. Her breath hitched, shallow and broken, imprisoned beneath the suffocating weight of countless unshed cries and silent screams that clawed at the edges of her soul.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her trembled. Lili’s eyes snapped open, confusion creasing her brow as the shadows around her flickered with startled motion.
From the trembling earth Katika and Cova emerged. They wore short dresses, their faces painted with bold makeup. Their gazes locked onto Lili almost immediately.
“Enough of sulking, Lili,” Katika’s voice cut through the heavy silence. “We’re going out.”
Lili stared at her for a long, hesitant moment. “No one lets me leave the base,” she whispered. “And I’m not in the mood… not for some stupid party nor pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.”
“Seriously!?” Katika’s voice rose. “Fuck the rules and fuck your damn depression. Tonight, we’re drowning all that darkness in a dozen beers, whether you want it or not. So, we’re dragging you out of this shadowed hole, kicking and screaming if we have to.” Her eyes burned with a fire that dared no refusal.
Lili’s breath caught in the hollow of her chest. Doubt gnawed at her: What if I lose control? What if I hurt them?
Her eyes darted between the two, shadows flickering weakly around her. The weight of isolation pressed down, and the idea of unleashing herself in the chaos of the world beyond felt both terrifying and necessary.
Katika’s smirk softened into something more tender. “Lili, it’s the fear that’s choking you, and we’re here to burn that down.”
Cova stepped closer. “We’ll be your anchors. So, trust us.”
Lili’s hands unclenched slowly, shadows around her calming and folding. I’ll try.” She whispered, voice cracked but resolute, “I’ll try.”
Both Katika and Cova exchanged victorious glances.
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