^ here she is ^

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H o l l o w s I n
T I M E
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I ended up buying the outfit. I didn't care what it looked like on to be honest. Isn't it supposed to look atrocious anyway?

"Guys I'm really upset with my purchase." Cassie suddenly said as we neared the dorm corridor, swinging her garment bag around with pouted lips.

"Why?" I asked, the same time Saph said, "Well then why did you buy it?"

"Because it's a dead person," Cassie said, face scrunched up. "Shouldn't we at least give it a funeral?" She asked. I almost couldn't take the innocence—then I started laughing. The girls joined in but I quickly sobered up.

"It's fine, Cassie, they wouldn't have had it on display if they hadn't given it a funeral." I reassured her quickly, and she instantly grinned, all signs of her sadness completely wiped off her face.

"Well, that's great!" She skipped over to her dorm, "bye, guys!" She yelled before disappearing behind the door.

I shook my head, "I have no idea how Kim manages to live with that girl." I commented and Avery stifled a laugh.

"She doesn't." She responded and I laughed. Saph suddenly caught up to us and grabbed onto my arm, pulling me away from Avery.

"Thank the Lord, the sea, the sky, and the heavens above." She muttered, maybe too loudly, as we walked away from Avery and Bria.

I smiled, "Didn't enjoy your talk with Bria?" I asked, watching as Saph turned to glare at me.

Then she forced a grin onto her face. "It was great! Until she asked me about the fight that I never had with Jonah the other day." She rolled her eyes and sighed, slumping over in a form that you would never catch Saph in.

"Did you find out what it was about?" I asked her, being cautious about how much I said and how loud I said it.

Saph shook her head, a look of distaste on her face. "He wouldn't tell me anything." She went suddenly quiet, then turned to look at me. "But, I was thinking..." she trailed off, but got interrupted just as she began to speak again.

"Bye, guys!" Avery waved at us as Bria and her slowed down by her dorm room. I grinned and waved over at her, Saph and I both shouting our farewells back. I watched Avery and Bria embrace, and I knew that Avery was murmuring something to Bria as she did so; I decided to give them some privacy and turned around.

"Could you, maybe, find out what happened?" She asked. "I heard that you know the girl he fought with." She smiled sheepishly, a look of hope in her eyes.

I sighed. "I'd ask how you know, but I guess everyone would make connections sooner or later," I was referring to how Alexi would be my Guardian soon, but Saph didn't know that, so I continued talking.

"Sorry, Saph, but I don't really talk to her. But if I see her, then maybe I'll try." I suggested.

Saph shook her head and exhaled. "It's fine. I guess I'll just have to ask Jonah again, because it's really bugging me." She told me honestly.

I smiled at her, despite the fact that she wasn't looking my way, "Me too." I responded. We reached Saph's dorm. "Well, I'll let you know if I find something out." I promised her and she smiled, pulling me in for a hug.

"I'm sorry that we ever fought." She said as we pulled away.

I grinned. "It's fine, it's probably just post-returning to the Academy stress." I told her and she smiled in response.

"Well, if you're willing to take the blame for my anger, that is totally fine and I will support you in doing so." She said and I laughed. She waved her goodbye and then she too disappeared into her dorm.

And then there were two. Or, there would be—had I waited for the second one. I walked away from Saph's dorm, peering down the corridor to see if I could find Bria. I frowned; she's taking her time.

Too focused on finding the missing fifteen year old, I didn't notice a shadow jolt out from beside me. Until it grabbed me and yanked me into a room. I fell to the floor as the door slammed shut.

It was dark. My heart raced. I couldn't breathe. No. No. It can't–

Oh, God—I actually can't breathe.

With my face to the floor, I tried to get to my feet, but then someone grabbed onto my wrists and yanked my arms back. I let out a pained screech, one that just wouldn't be loud enough. Then I began to sob.

Do something, Sky. That's the problem, I can't. And that's what I wanted to talk to Jameson about. Too late. I was just too late to realise.

They grabbed a fistful of my hair, and I knew they were about to strike. Then the door swung open, slamming into the door. The attacker was yanked off me and I struggled to my feet, breathing fast and frantically.

I stumbled out of the room, not looking behind me to see the chaos erupting. I leaned against the wall. And then my saviour walked out of the room.

It was my Guardian.

No, not Jameson.
Alexi.

"Sky–" she reached out to me but I jolted to the side, where she couldn't touch me. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to relax my breathing, but nothing was working. And, soon, I began to feel faint.

"Sky!" Someone yelled, thudding down the corridor. Upon opening my eyes, I saw that it was Jameson. But then Alexi stood in front of me, angled as if Jameson was a threat.

Jameson tried to get past but Alexi blocked every move. "She's having a panic attack; just let me deal with–" I pushed past her and fell into Jameson, who caught me with great skill and precision.

He ran a hand through my hair, whispering my name and other comforting words into the top of my head.

Jameson wrapped an arm around my shoulders and brought me forward, as if to start walking back to our dorm. He paused, and I knew that he was exchanging looks with Alexi, trying to gauge what just happened. Then I guess he gave up. Because he started leading me down the corridor.

He took the costume bag, that I held in a tight grip, out of my hand, and pulled me close into his side as we walked off into the distance.

You can imagine it in a film if you want—perhaps from Lexi's eyes. Two lights—one bright, and one dull—glitter down the hallway. And as they join together, they both shine with the same brightness.

But that isn't how it felt to me.

There was nothing beautiful about being attacked, beaten, degraded. The only thing that was beautiful was the happiness that it brought after. The unity it brought after. No body of people is truly unified until they are faced with the deadliest of attacks—one on their own people.

Attacks like these aren't beautiful. Attacks bring recognition. And recognition brings outbursts. And outbursts of the same nature bring unity.

And, in that moment, one could tell that the duller light just had an idea—a document stated that she must marry to unify that body of people and to stop the attacks.

She didn't need a marriage. She needed attacks, which gain recognition, which gain outbursts, which prompt unity.

So the light brightened on its own. It didn't need the brighter light. Because I started to heal myself.

But, from Lexi's point of view, she just lost her best friend. Again. And she wasn't too sure if she was worth fighting for anymore. But she would. Because you can always undo healing.

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I'm really confused by this chapter like I don't know what it means

Anyway it goes up because it goes up

-does it come back down though

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Next update: anytime soon
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CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO SPOILER:

Our two favourite people don't share a romantic moment.

They share a heated one.