Leaves and twigs cracked under the boots of Ekoh and Everly as they raced through the colony, the mask guardians closing in fast behind them.

‘Shoot shoot shoot shoot-’ Ekoh was panicking; they couldn’t be caught. He wouldn’t allow it to happen. A strange sense of familiarity radiated from Singing Woods, and not just because she has been here. Those damn masks, they meant something. Ekoh felt a faint memory of them too. 

It hit like a meteor. 

“Those masks!” Ekoh panted as the two continued to run.

“What?” Everly looked over momentarily.

“It’s controlling them! Those masks—they are all being puppeteered!” They declared. She turned to look at the guardians. They were cold and emotionless, not the loyal, dedicated protectors of their colony like they should be. Was this Zayn’s and Esmeray’s doing?

Before Ekoh could continue to dwell on the unanswered question, they nearly fell forward as the island began to rattle abruptly. He reached out to grab Everly’s arm and just barely stopped them from falling. But this was a distraction at the very least and an advantage so Ekoh and Everly could escape the guards. Ekoh forced astral to dive into the tall brush and hide down behind a tree. The masked guardians finally passed them both. Ekoh watched them run, noting how they seemed unfazed by the violent rocking of the island. Was Singing Woods falling? In an instant, Everly pulled Ekoh close and brought their own hands protectively over Ekoh’s head to shield them from anything that may crash down. Whether that be a branch, one of the structures held up high in the trees, or maybe even just to keep them from seeing the end. Then it stopped. 

Ekoh sighed, her head pressed against Everly’s chest. They looked up and saw Everly’s glowing eyes. “Are you alright?” Ekoh asked in a hushed tone; worry shimmered in his eyes.

“I’m fine; don’t worry about me.” Everly faced Ekoh. She couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy by Everly’s piercing, solid, white eyes, in contrast to astrals usual golden-toned eyes. 

“Your eyes, they look like your other form.” Ekoh informed them, then he sat upright. Everly reached a hand to touch near astrals own eyes.

“Ah, that’s new.” Everly shrugged it off. Ekoh could see that something was wrong beneath the facade that Everly maintained. 

“What is it?”

“What do you mean?” Everly questioned and raised a brow at Ekoh.

Ekoh watched them intently. Astral was off, their hands trembled slightly, astrals attention seemed to lessen, unable to focus very well. “Can’t you just accept the fact that we have always been able to tell when something was wrong with each other?”

Everly laughed quietly. “Yeah, this is true.” They paused.

“I'm just exhausted. I need to rest for a moment.” Everly slouched back against the base of the tree and remained seated. Astral curled their tail around astralself and brought their knees up.

“Are you sure you are okay? Are you feeling under the weather?” Ekoh scooched over next to Everly and reached over to gently hold their hand. “Your hand is freezing.” 

“Just give me a minute.” Everly leaned against Ekoh’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Ekoh nodded reluctantly and sat there motionless. They felt Everly’s cold breath against his neck, sending chills down her spine. They held onto Everly’s hand, tighter than he intended. 

The woods were quiet and eerie, especially for being in the colony. Ekoh could hear her own breathing gradually quicken. They could suddenly hear pleads, ones that begged him to stop. She trembled and held their free hand to his chest. Her heart was pounding, echoing in their mind and shook his core down. 

‘EKOH! STOP, PLEASE!’ 

They could clearly hear Everly’s pleas that would suddenly stop. Ekoh could see their blood that draped over the grass like a veil, hiding away anything good underneath. He saw the lifeless body of her companion, their friend. The person that Ekoh loved more than anything. And those pleas Ekoh once heard slowly became his own. The pleas begged for Ekoh to stop. To get back in control of her own body and mind. Ones that may have saved Ekoh from himself if at that time they were able to hear herself say them. 

He couldn’t breathe now; all that escaped her lungs were small, hitched gasps of air. Her mind taunted them over and over again with his failure to save Everly all those years ago. Then, the eternity of darkness that followed. She so desperately wanted to escape that prison but couldn’t move, see, or even hear anything. It was void of life and drained Ekoh slowly of their sanity and grip of reality. All hope faded.

Everly leaning against her shoulder felt like a knife that repetitively stabbed into the open wound of how Ekoh couldn’t do anything. The sleek mask that Ekoh had convinced himself was because of their insecurities was just to block out her own mind and sanity, to be a perfect puppet for Zayn and the Light Seekers. 

What if it happened again? What if they masked him again and she attacked? The cooling blood of Everly’s from that night felt like it was draining onto Ekoh’s trembling hands. 

Ekoh reached for where he once always kept her dagger—the one Zayn forced them to keep on him. She needed something to tie them down to reality. He desperately wanted something that reminded her of all the trauma they endured all those years ago. The dagger was gone. 

They let go of Everly’s hand and had begun to pry at his sleeves. It was too much. The world was closing in on her, and they were going to drown and die in their storm of emotions. 

‘Too much too much too much-’

“Hey! Hey Ekoh, breathe! Breathe; you’re safe.” 

They seemed to start to ground him. Her eyes darted over to Everly, who was physically here. Astrals eyes were round with sympathy and worry, and Ekoh knew they deserved none of it. 

“I’m sorry—I'm sorry, please. I-” Ekoh stopped when he felt herself being dragged into a tight hug.

“Shhh, breathe. You’re safe. You’re safe with me.” Everly hummed softly as they rocked slightly and didn’t let go of Ekoh. She let go of his own sleeves and grabbed Everly as they began to sob. But he could breathe again, even if it was through a pathetic display of emotions. 

After a few minutes of silence, Everly cupped Ekoh’s face and tilted her head up to make Ekoh look up at astral. Seeing them alive helped. 

“Eve?” 

“I promise, I’m okay.” Everly tilted astrals head with a small smile. But Ekoh’s attention shot just behind them. The guardians had found them.

“The queen wishes to see you.” While the instructions seemed harmless, Ekoh watched as one of the guardians held their sword firmly. No wasn’t an answer. 

Everly’s eyes were wide as they looked at Ekoh, then behind. “We’re surrounded.”

Ekoh shuddered and raised a hand to wipe their face. She then stood up and helped Everly to astrals feet. “Fine, we’ll go.”

Everly shot Ekoh with a look of distress as the guardians began to detain them both. Ekoh knew well enough to not fight now, and surely Esmeray would be awaiting them now. With a heavy sigh, they both were escorted to the palace.

They walked across the bridge that was held up by the sturdy trees that protected the Singing Woods. Ekoh stepped forward when a guardian pushed open the large doors. The entrance was dark, but he could still see the walls that had beautifully decorated murals. Ekoh scanned the room, only for a guardian to grab the back of her head and shoved Ekoh to a kneeling position. 

“Welcome back.” Ekoh looked up. Esmeray sat on her throne with a crown of stars that circled her head. Ekoh felt sick when his angry gaze was met with a bright smile that cut across the queen’s face.