Chapter 29

                                    

                                          
Chapter 29
                          
"When?" Somebody finally asked. After Sophie had made her decision, she was constantly lectured on how dangerous the whole situation would be, and all. Even when all except the Collective had come to Everglen's living room. But her decision was final. 
                          
She was going to heal Oralie.
                          
Not, try, or attempt. 
                          
Heal. 
                          
She wasn't going to let the councillor slip out of her grasp again. Though a few nagging worries filled her brain as she thought more about the upcoming event. What if something would go wrong? There still was a chance that she would be dragged under the terrors of Oralie's broken mind. But was it worth it? 
                          
Not to mention everything else that was about to happen...
                          
Silveny and Greyfell, Wynn and Luna. Keefe and his "legacy". Lady Gisela.
                          
She had to take it one crisis a time.
                          
Sophie had been pretty sure of herself until her friends and family fretted about her.
                          
Fitz acting angry again, just waving his hand through his hair and shooting disgruntled looks at her.
                          
Dex, Linh, Biana staring at her sympathetically.
                          
Tam placing a hand on her shoulder supportively.
                          
Linh anxiously asking if Sophie was alright. Or was going to be. 
                          
Edaline twining her slender fingers together, not able to do anything except hug Sophie tight.
                          
And Grady.
                          
He was the worst of all.
                          
He kept rambling about how she had a choice, and how this was a risk she didn't need to take. But he was wrong. Yes, she definitely wanted to save Oralie for the kind elf's sake, but if she didn't...
                          
It would affect her emotionally as well.
                          
A daunting thought that would always hang in her mind, every other second. How she could've saved someone...
                          
But didn't.
                          
This guilt was different.
                          
It was her choice...
                          
She understood why and what everybody was saying to her. But her choice was as hard as iron. Well, if iron could wobble sometimes... Sophie wished she could find better similes.
                          
Though there was a certain question that Sophie had almost forgotten about.
                          
"When?" The person repeated.
                          
Sophie looked up from the ground to find Dex's eyes swollen with tears. 
                          
"Don't worry!" she cried, giving a hug to Dex, hating how devastated he looked. "It's nothing not normal. I can do it! I've taken bigger risks."  
                          
"But it's not!" Fitz exclaimed, stalking over to her. "I don't want you to get hurt, and I know you could have gotten hurt at other times, but this is different! Sophie, nothing can bring you back if you start the healing! It's either victory or a fail!!!" his voice thundered through the otherwise quiet room. 
                          
Sophie looked down, tears blurring her eyesight. She felt arms surrounding her, but she needed space. Yet she also wanted support. 
                          
She hadn't taken grasp of the whole situation apparently. And the risks. What Fitz had stated was exactly what she didn't want to hear. But it was also very valid. She used to think that dying would be okay if someone didn't get hurt. Though the problem was... she always thought there could be a backup plan. This situation was very different.  
                          
So she did what she could do at that time. Sink into the humongous hug, sobbing her eyes out, trapped in the decision of saving someone, or saving her own life.