Chapter 17: A Chance to Change

"You are here, stuck as I am….I am asking this of you." Those words echoed in my mind. Even while I sat the bed I woke up in earlier, I still couldn't concentrate.

What I had learned was both alarming and wonderful. Worlds based off of stories? That was cool. However, he wanted me to become a warrior and defeat this major villain, Aram? I thought back to the forest. Aram was not your average villain. Darkness seeped from every inch of his being. It washed over you. Stuff like that doesn't just some naturally. He was a twisted fellow with a tragic past. He empthaized with my anger… with the pain hidden away in the crevices of my heart. Dangerous, cunning, manipulative, and a power wizard of evil… How in the world was I supposed to defeat a person like that? Me? The girl who can't even do a push up.

There was knock at the door. Robert's head poked from behind the door. "Callie?"

"Come in."

Robert had a fresh set of Elizabethan era clothes, a red doublet with gold embroidery, white sleeves and breeches with leather black shoes. If I wasn't so down I would have had a good laugh at how ridiculous he looked.

My fake cousin took a seat next to me on the bed. I could smell the lavender scented shampoo from his damp hair. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"I'm still trying to process everything... How come you weren't there?"

"I had to run some errands and meet the Queen."

"I thought that was the very thing you were avoiding. Isn't that why you picked me up last night in the first place?"

"Yes, but something came up that required me to make an early appearance." I waiting a moment for him to explain. Robert glanced at his feet. It didn't look like he was willing to elaborate.

"How was… you know… the entrance to the palace? Is it now a crime scene?"

"No. The Recovery Squad did an excellent job as always. However, there is a tad bit of blood that is lingering in the air-"

"Blood!" I exclaimed. "You killed all of them?"

"Goodness gracious, no! Dimo would have had our head on spikes if the body count was too high." He shivered at the thought of Dimo's wrath for breaking the rules. "We didn't kill all of the guards, only a few which were only in dire circumstances. Even son, the Recovery Squad has healers who were able to heal anyone who was on the brink of death. Poor guys, we really made them work last night. But lucky, all loose ends are tied up."

"What about that guy that attacked me. Is he…?"

Robert opened his mouth cautiously but immediately closed it. "Yes. He's dead." He said a split second later. "The Recovery Squad is trying to work out something as we speak."

I sighed in relief. Sure, he was important but he was also nutty. I was glad that he was gone. At least no one else had to fight him.

"Ben just told me about what Wizard Ewan's plan. I personally think its insane but it just might work. The important things is how you are feeling about all this. This is your life we are talking about."

"I don't know how to begin."

"How about starting with one thought? Then we'll see where the thought train takes us."

I closed my eyes. My thoughts were buzzing around my head with lightning speed. I couldn't handle it all. I picked one and brought it to the forefront of my mind.

"What he's asking me to do is impossible." I said, standing to my feet. Pacing allowing me focus my thoughts in one idea.

"I know you are about to say. "You saved us." "You fought Carring." "You are brave." "

"You were."

"Yes but you think you know me but you don't, Robert. I not a hero you need. You need someone who is strong, self-less, courageous, fearless…. I am none of those things."

"You don't know that, Callie."

"But I do, Robert."

"How can you possible know something that? By speculation?"

"No… When I was… unconscious… I went to this place. It was a forest straight out of a horror movie. Dense with trees and fog so thick that I couldn't see where I was going. I learned that place was called the Inner Heart. It was my inner heart. There, I discovered who I really was."

"And who would that be?" he asked quietly.

I turned back to Robert. "A lonely girl who had more pain that she could ever ask for and much more than she knew what to do with." My heart stung, telling me that I had reached the truth. Truth that was too cruel that I hid within myself. I looked at Robert to see his reaction. His face was blurry behind brimming tears. He listened patiently as I went on.

"Aram came to me. He told me that the only way to free myself from the pain I had was to kill myself. I almost did. Then Ewan stopped me." Robert took my hand and gave it a firm squeezed, letting me know he was still there. I held on.

"That's who I am, Robert. I'm not your hero. I'm a coward. If I can't face my own pain, what am I supposed to do with the pain Aram will inflict on me? How am I supposed to defeat him? Either way, I'm stuck here no matter if I do anything or of course this is my fault! If I would have never said anything to GiGi, if I would have just kept my mouth shut as usual, I would not be here, and neither would Sharon. Because of me, she's stuck too, wherever she is. It's all my fault and I'm too pathetic to be able to do a thing about it-!" I finally burst into tears in my hands.

Robert was quick to pull me into his arms. He held me as I sobbed into his chest from the burning pain that welled up within me from places I had forgotten about. I slowly began to realize how much darkness was lurking within me. So much stuff I had stored away inside, thinking I would come back to it later. What I thought was protection was literally the opposite. I was my own worst enemy.

About five minutes later, I was able to put a cap on the bubbling emotions. Robert's shirt was soaked. I hurriedly wiped my eyes. "I'm sorry. You didn't need to see that."

Robert smiled. "Don't worry about it. This is a lot for anyone to take in. It now makes sense to how Aram was able to gain access to such a vulnerable part of you."

"I guess so."

"But Callie," Robert placed his hand on my shoulder. His eyes peered deep into mine. "I can't change how you see yourself. That's for you to do. If you see yourself as a "nobody", that may be so. However, maybe this is your opportunity to become a "somebody." You know pain. You know what it means to hurt. From pain comes strength. The fact that you are here, sitting in front of me alive is the very proof that you can overcome pain. Like how you picked yourself up after Carring and opened the gate, you can pick yourself up in any situation and try again. That's how you can become a Kael. That is how you will defeat Aram"

I shook my head and looks at my hands. They were so small compared to his. I'm not even in high school, yet. "I just don't know if I can become the hero you need me to be." I said quickly.

Robert smiled. "Callie, we never know if we'll ever become the people we want to be. But that doesn't mean we can't try."

I nodded. What he said made sense. I don't know if it will help me come to a decision but it was a start.

"Thanks, Robert."

He let me go. "No problem, kiddo. Feel better?"

I smiled. "Yes."

"Like Wizard Clarence said, it's ultimately your choice. I meant what I said about you being strong but you should still really think about this. There's no going back. No matter what you choose to do."

"I will."

Robert shifted and reached into his doublet. To my surprise, there was a pocket sown inside. He pulled out a gray rectangular device. It was slim and shiny. With a click, a lid opened to reveal a keyboard and a screen. It glowed green with the letters "KG" floating in the center. A griffin appeared behind it in gold.

Before I could inquire about advanced piece of technology, Robert pressed a box on the screen with his finger. A video feed displayed a woman wearing a black headset. She had short dirty blond hair with thick bangs covering her forehead. Her face was dotted with freckles.

"Robert." She said. The background behind her was incredibly noisy as it was busy. People wearing lab coats were shuffling around. Was that the room I was in earlier with all the technicians and the Cavendish Mirror? Maybe she was an analyst.

"Yes?" replied Robert.

"The leader of Recovery Squad D and Dimo want a word with you immediately in his office."

"Roger that. I'm on my way. I love the hair by the way, Ally." He added.

Ally looked downwards, trying to hide the growing pinkness in her pale cheeks. "Thanks." Her hand stroked a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I thought it was time for change. You look dashing as always."A hand perfectly manicured hand fell right on Ally's shoulder as the last words came out of her mouth. Her joyous smile turned sour. Her eyes grew big.

"Only I'm allowed to say that." A woman growled. A hand then roughly pushed Ally out of her seat. A new person filled the screen. She had curly blond hair fit for a model. Her thin lips would usually be curled into a flirtatious smile but now it was tight. Whoever this new beautiful woman was, she was angry.

"Robert H. Wellington." She barked at us. "When were you going to find me here at HQ?"

Robert's face blanched white. I could see the wheels spinning for a desperate excuse. "Well Aislin… I thought… you might be busy. Besides, I didn't know where you were…." Now Robert was flustering in his seat. So three make him nervous, Nicholi, Dimo, and this chick. I tucked the piece of information away for future reference.

"Well! You would have found out if you would have asked around!" The background gradually became quieter as she raved about how he was the worst boyfriend, yes BOYFRIEND, ever. He was inconsiderate, rude, and most of all, dumb.

A familiar patch of spikey blond hair appeared in the background, rolling into view on a swivel chair. The head peeked around Aislin's shoulder. It was Ben seizing the opportunity to tease Robert. He turned. A moment later, a white board flashed us. "SORRY." It read. Then a moment later, "TRIED. YOU'RE SCREWED."

"I'm sorry, babe." Robert said in a loving tone. "I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me."

"You NEVER THINK!" she exclaimed. "You don't even have a scrap of decency to call after being gone for a week. Don't you ever think about me anymore?!" she burst into wild tears.

"I do!" Robert insisted. "You know how much I care about you."

Ben flashed another sign at us. "DRAMA QUEEN!" It said with bold arrows pointing at Aislin. I stifled a snicker.

Aislin's eyes glanced at the bottom of her screen. Her face flashed red. She had seen the sign on her screen. She picked up a something and threw it at Ben. He ducked, cackling. "YOU PIG!" she yelled. Aislin was furious. Robert realized that he was going to be single if he didn't calm her down soon.

"Aislin." Robert said in the softest way he could. She was sitting sideways, arms tightly crossed at her chest. Her head twisted further away from the screen as he said her name.

"Aislin." He tried one more time. Aislin rolled her eyes and looked at him. A crowd of ladies had grown behind Aislin. They began to wimper in sympathy.

"Babe. I am sorry. I'm dumb. You know that. That's why I have you."

Aislin considered this for a moment. "Go on." She said.

"I would do anything to see your face again. How about I take you out. Just the two of us?"

A song of "awws" echoed behind Aislin. Robert added his charming smile to tie the bow on the present. "Please forgive me?"

Aislin chewed her bottom lip as she pondered on his offer and his apology. "Fine. I forgive you. Come over to my room and we'll talk." She winked at the word "talk." Her cheeks flushed pink. Wow. So that's how booty calls work.

"I actually have a meeting to go to…"

Ailsin's frown returned. "But who says it won't end early?" Robert added cheerfully.

His girlfriend beamed with joy. "Okay! See you then!"

Ally rose into view. Had she been on the floor the entire time? "Can I have my seat back?" she asked cautiously.

"Sure!" she told her. "Love you, Robby-Boo!" Aislin sang and blew a kiss.

"Love you too." Robert murmured, closing the connection. When the box was safe in his pocket, he sighed.

"From what I heard about you, I'm surprised you have a steady significant other." I told him.

"Aislin can be…" he struggled to find the correct words that could fit his girlfriend.

Luckily for him, I knew some. "Stuck up? Obsessed? Possessive?"

"Dramatic." Robert said. "She can be dramatic."

"I'm pretty sure you mean melodramatic. There's a difference."

"Call her what you want. She's still my babe, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Robby-Boo."

Robert smacked my arm. I laughed.

"I better get going. Dimo demands punctuality." Robert started towards the door but stopped. "By the way, make sure you come at the bell. It means dinner is ready. Almost everyone eats together at the Mess. Just follow the groups of people and they'll lead you there."

"Okay."

Robert stopped again. "Oh, and Callie?"

"Huh?"

"I don't mean to rush you but the analysists say you need to make your decision after dinner."

"No pressure….."

"Keep in mind what I said." He added.

"I will."

With that, he left, closing the door behind him.

Good can still exist in darkness. Damn it, Ewan! You better be right.