Chapter 70

"The ogre realm has been attacked too." "Fifty-three ogres are willing to fight for us," James reveals, breaking the strained silence.
"We also have over twenty dragons willing to give us a hand. The rest will be protecting their prince and realm. We are just finding the best place for them in the battle."
"We hide the dragons here." Chris points to a spot on the map that makes no sense to me. We remove twenty people from the battle and replace them with the ogres. The people we remove will be ones with active powers like fireballs and such. They can ride on the backs of the dragons and aim at the demons from the air." Everyone nods and James begins to move pins around and jots some stuff down in the notepad.
The plan looks foolproof on paper. I try to squish the sense of insecurity I'm feeling. Because I also know the plan could fail. I know we could fall flat on our faces, bringing the world and realms down with us. The plan does have legs though. It might just work. I must hold onto that tiny ray of hope.
***
"You did it!" James lifts me in the air and spins me around. After days of torture trying to control my powers, I finally managed to call each one at will and control it.
The feeling of triumph is good. It's just a shame it's not long lived. "Just in time to go into battle tomorrow evening," Cole says, leaning against the wall.
The fate of all now rests on the outcome of this battle. Chris and Misty walk out of the building smiling. I look at my friends, and my heart hurts. Are we strong enough to make it through? I don't know what I would do if I lost any of them.
I don't know if I could handle it. Even though Clara is not gone physically, she's not here mentally either. She's still lost within herself. Justin, who I thought was my friend, has turned on us. Then there's the unknown fate of my grandmother, taken by the king. As bait or a trophy, we don't know.
The future is unknown. Our fate, and the fate of all the realms rests on this fight.
"Come on, let's get something to eat. We all have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," James suggests. We follow his lead and head inside. I feel a lot more confident about my powers now.
***
In my room. I lift the lid on the jewelry box and watch the little ballerina dance and twirl. As I do, I wonder what my mom was like as a teenager. Was she brave? Would she shy away from a battle?
The room fades in and out. A blue hue emits from the floor. I watch in amazement as my mother appears before me. I sit still. There is so much I want to say to her. So many questions I want to ask, yet my mouth is dry, and I can't form a single word.
She looks so young and beautiful with her golden locks and green eyes. I want to reach out and touch her. Hug her and feel her arms around me. My body is frozen.
"Kayla, you need to listen very carefully. There is a prophecy you must fulfill. You must close the portal. You need to orb to the center of the battle. Once you are there, you will see a shimmer. Follow it. You need to jump into the portal to save them. It is the only way. I am sorry, my sweet angel. You must follow the path fate has set for you."
She vanishes and tears rush to my eyes. I shake them away. I've known for a while what I must do. I've just been trying to ignore that option.
For hours, I concentrate on orbing. I close my eyes and picture the other side of the room. Nothing happens. I throw myself on the bed and crash to the floor. I didn't hit the bed, I've orbed. I jump up and down in excitement and try again, this time my aim is more successful. Happy with myself, I climb into bed with a rare smile on my face.
I toss and turn for most of the night. The impending battle swarms my mind. Fear consumes me. I dream of a world devoid of life. Of the empty shells of friends and family left to roam the barren land as zombies.
I wake in a cold sweat. The prophecy, which I'd found by accident, haunted my mind. Knowing I now faced the inevitable calms me. I can use the plan we have to my advantage.
I mustn't tell anyone though. The Michaels will never agree. They will look for another way, and there isn't one. I must fulfill the prophecy. There is only one way out of this mess, and I'm the key. The music box only confirmed what I'd read. I now know the secrets it holds.
I lay my head back down and stare at the ceiling. I pray they will forgive me. I pray Clara will get better. I hope that what I must do will not damage her further, or worse, send her over the edge. My pendant glows, sending heat into my chest.
A howling sound causes me to whip my head up. I sit up and listen carefully. It goes quiet for a few minutes. Then once again howling pierces the quietness. I jump from the bed and rush to the window.
"Stay where you are. Justin and his pack have us surrounded." Cole's deep voice penetrates my mind. I peek out of the window into the dark night. I can see nothing but blackness. With no streetlamps working, my vision is restricted. The howls of Justin's pack sound close, and I shiver.
I don't want them to have to fight Justin. I still hope we can be friends again. I'm not sure why he betrayed us. But he must have had a good reason.