The atmosphere was electric as Avery’s eyes flickered to Eleanor. She was tense, yet calm as flecks of gold flashed through her irises in chaos.

“She’s struggling again…”

    His soul’s twin spoke clearly in his mind as he watched Eleanor’s eyes slowly dull, calming the chaos, but it went too far when the light started to fade from her eyes completely.

“DO SOMETHING!”

    Panic crashed through Avery’s soul, and he snatched Eleanor’s hand before her two-toned gaze flew to him.

    “Don’t go too deep Ellie,” Avery sighed with little relief, and a guilty apology flashed over her face - a habit that eluded her conscience.

“I hate that look… It wasn’t her fault.”

“It was ours…”

    “Right…” Eleanor breathed a bit easier in the distraction, and Jamie was sure to add to it as he placed his hand on her head with Avery falling into his souls’ beration.

    Avery missed the words exchanged, but when he felt Eleanor’s grip tighten on his hand, his attention flickered back to her to find her shaking her head clear, and a bit more relief found him. He watched for a moment longer, wondering just how much farther her abilities could reach in the run off from the Net Port.

    The teleportation network was engraved upon the world, tapping into the mana veins that traveled beneath its crust. It was the millennium's greatest accomplishment, and the last to be established before the war of Elaecia. The areas where the mana veins neared the surface were tapped into and used to establish the ports. In opening the veins, however, aether saturated the atmosphere around it, allowing astounding feats of magic to even those who lack enough to cast on their own. 

Nearly all races of Violleth possess their own mana veins that are as natural to their anatomy as blood, however, not all possess it in a great enough capacity to cast while few have to constantly temper it like Eleanor.

    “Eleanor!” Jamie’s voice snapped Avery from his thoughts before he realized they had stopped.

    She was clutching her head while Jamie gripped her shoulders. Sweat was beading on her brow, and fear cascaded through Avery.

“Do something! We have to do something!”

    His soul silently shouted at him as he froze in memories of vacant eyes and scattered pills.

“Or she’ll end up doing it again!”

“No! She’s stronger than that! She-She’ll snap out of it, and Jamie-”

“WE CAN’T ALWAYS RELY ON JAMIE!”

    Avery argued with his dual soul until Carrgain poked his side, making him jump, and his attention flew to her before she pointed to Eleanor. His mind quickly fell to his closest friend to find her eyes focused on Jamie, and she was slowly calming down.

“We choked again...”

“Why do I always fail her?”

    Eleanor’s sight flew to him with her carried guilt, and Avery’s eyes widened.

“Shit! Get out of my head El!”

“We’re fine! Back off!”

    The twinsoul was not fine as he buried himself beneath emotions he knew how to handle.

    “Next time I’m smacking you,” Jamie sighed, leaving Avery wondering who that was directed at for a brief moment before he caught Eleanor’s concerned gaze.

    “Don’t say anything,” Avery buried his own shameful guilt beneath irritable anger, and Jamie wrapped an arm around Eleanor’s shoulders.

“Alright, let’s get you kids into the port.”