Once dressed and at the training grounds, I went through The Five Phases of the Moon.
The patterns were grueling. Not only was it a physical workout but a mental one as well, and I pushed myself harder than I ever had before.
I focused on perfecting each phase, adjusting my knee here or extending my lunge there. Each time I went through the movements, it brought a deeper level of understanding.
While I practiced, two earthquakes rocked the ground, each one deepening the pit in my stomach. I was nowhere near ready to face Erovos. Since my return, all I had managed to do was get the water flowing back to the village, but I had done it in the sloppiest way imaginable.
Despite the sharp stitch forming in my side, I pushed through the pain and fatigue. Even the earthquakes couldn’t stop me. They were a grim reminder of what I was up against.
Sweat trickled down my brow as I struggled with one of the more complex moves.
Everything seemed impossible and insurmountable, but I had to be better and stronger. Failure wasn’t an option.
Somehow, I needed to find a way to overcome the darkness threatening the world, but how could I when I couldn’t even overcome the darkness within myself? I was wilting from the inside out.
Maybe the key to healing and returning to my soul flame was uncovering the secrets of my past.
Rowen suggested I try mind-mending sessions with Takoda—to face my demons head-on. And perhaps I took his advice a bit too literally because there was one person I was desperate to confront.
I finished with the fourth phase and closed my eyes, searching for the thread I swore I would never touch again. I thought I had buried it deep within my subconscious but imagine my surprise when I found it behind a curtain of denial.
Even now, as I ran my fingers along the shimmering string, the thought of where it would lead, and what I would face on the other end, weighed heavily on the golden lacquer that repaired my broken heart.
I pulled on the thread anyway and landed in a familiar room. My mother’s office.
A grin spread across my face. I might suck at everything else at the moment, but at least I was good at traveling.
Even though the room was tall with vaulted ceilings, it was smaller than I remembered, less intimidating.
I scanned the rows of psychology books, notes, and journals, unsure of what I was looking for. My gaze roved over theaccolades lining the walls and the couch I was forced to sit on for hours a day, recounting the same story again and again until I was blue in the face.
My eyes widened when they landed on my mother’s computer.
I walked to the bay window and sat at her desk. I’d always believed I was bad with technology, but now I understood it was the repressed Light within me. The raw energy lived beneath my skin and could short-circuit any device I touched.
The screen was black, but I quickly nudged the mouse with my finger, and the computer came to life. There were several folders, but the one titledK.C. - Treatment Plancaught my eye.
I held my breath and double-clicked the folder, using only the briefest touches to prevent the computer from exploding.
Document after document appeared as my eyes scanned the reports.
Behavioral Concerns: Persistent dissociation, maladaptive daydreaming, difficulty distinguishing dreams from reality. Physical altercations involving students, teachers, and parents, claims of electrical shock. The patient unknowingly self-harms, waking up covered in scratches and blood.
Sleep patterns include sleepwalking, night terrors, overly vivid dreams, and parasomnia.
Cognitive Health: Increased episodes of dissociation.
Treatment History: Daily psychotherapy. Intravenous administration of CereNex18. Drug left noticeable bruises on arms; switched to oral administration—spare sedatives on hand in case of emergency.
Lock on bedroom door. Cameras to monitor sleep.
Removal of beloved items when patient misbehaves.
Medical Analysis: White blood cell count is excessively high with no signs of disease or illness. The cause remains unknown.
CereNex18 is untraceable.
Treatment Prognosis: Over time, the patient experienced fewerepisodes. Dreaming subsided after three weeks of treatment. Mental lethargy has increased, but no physical lethargy reported. The patient sleeps through the night and has no memory of sleepwalking or violent episodes. On CereNex18, patient is manageable.