Welcome to Gaia! ::

None were yet entirely certain of the strange phenomenon that had consumed the entirety of Vale just a few short days ago. Without much of a warning, not just Beacon, but the entire country woke up feeling not quite right. As the morning went on the oddities began to show in the form of random semblance malfunctions. Some had seemed to have disappeared entirely while others seemed to be replaced with new ones. Some students had found that they had somehow switched semblances with another, but with out any rhyme or reason. No one had yet detirmined the cause of the event, but weird grew much more frightening as the day came to the end. While some that had been affected found themselves righted, others had their conciousness stolen from them. Countless students of Beacon had been brought to the infirmary, limp, lifeless, as if they had somehow been enchanted into some sort of deep slumber. Impossible to wake or stir, yet nothing seemed to be wrong with them physically or mentally. The diagnoses was comas, but why? Well no one was quite sure. Worse yet, no one knew how to wake them or if they would wake at all. Some remained hopeful and optimistic while others dwelled in a pit of despair and misery as if they weren't just sleeping but dear friends and loved ones had already passed. Doctors and nurses did all they could to make sure both patients and visitors remained comfortable for the time being. Monitoring the vitals of the coma infused with the countless machines that were hooked to them. Keeping the peace between some of the more volatile visitors and making sure that those who refused to leave the side of their beloved were fed. Which led to the here and now, one of the many rooms occupied by the fallen of the strange event. Filled by the soft, steady beating of a heart monitor which gave proof that despite the stillness of her body, this girl still held life. A girl who was usually so loud and rambunctious, stilled and silent as she lay flat on her back in the hospital bed that somehow made her look impossibly smaller, almost childlike. Still, other than the gentle rising and falling of her chest with every breath. Silent other than the whisper of air passing through pink lips. The movement was made ever more evident by the grey floof that rested upon her, nestled over her heart. For comfort? Or protection? Or maybe both, for there was more to this cat than anyone would ever guess.

It must have been odd to see a girl usually so full of life succumbed to such a fate. Stranger even to look upon her face, lack of that signature smirk, no sign of that usual mischievous twinkle behind closed lids. Void of that musical giggle that followed her wherever she went. Instead she looked serene, peaceful even. Were it not for the wires and machines and the blaring white of the sanitary room around them, it wouldn't be hard to imagine she was just taking an afternoon nap, sure to wake from her slumber at any moment. The burning scent of rubbing alcohol and hospital grade cleaners made it hard to forget where they were though, and even harder to forget why. The pink hues of her lips and the soft color of her cheeks was a clear sign of good health, even in this state. Though, pale skin was marked with apparent bruises and other such injuries hidden by white bandages, the faintest bit of red showing through. While it wasn't uncommon for the thrill seeker to show up with a new collection of ailments, one might wonder what exactly she'd gotten herself into over the course of the so called-semblance swap. A shocking confrontation followed by a heart wrenching conversation that took a sudden, but short-lived turn for the worse. In which that moment this girl had proven once again to be... well, something else. Doing two things Felix had once thought impossible. Not only had she broken off a piece of his horn, but brought him back from a a dangerous state that no one else had really managed to calm before. Terrifying truths had been shared that night, demons of their pasts that haunted them still. Mistakes they'd made and the regrets behind them. Still, despite the terrible things they have done and the guilt that tortured their souls, they were able to understand each other more than ever before, more than anyone else ever truly could, and in that a connection had formed, a bond that neither of the them had ever felt before. A bond, and on Zylah's part, a promise. It wasn't one she shared out loud, nor one that ever formed concious thougt. It was more of a feeling, but one she would stand by and uphold all the same. She never wanted to see that broken look in his eyes, she never wanted him to feel that guilt again, and thus, she would do anything to stop it. She didn't want him to be anything but the endearingly optimistic magic man she had grown to know and she would keep him that way at all costs.

Zylah would have liked to see him back to his usual self, would have loved to joke and tease with him and beg him to show her another magic trick. Sure, she now knew the secret behind the magic, but for a girl so easily amused it would never lose its allure. He would always be her magic man, even if the magic was really just his semblance. It didn't change just how mesmerized she was by it, nor did it dim the spark. Even more so, she would have loved to go on another adventure with him, likely causing more trouble than either of them were really worth, but it wouldn't be Felix or Zylah if they weren't causing trouble and when they were together, it multiplied tenfold. Unfortunately, she had fallen to this unconscious state before any of that could happen, before they even had a moment go breathe after such an emotional discussion. Instead she had collapsed against him, growing slack in her arms, and a worried Felix had carried her all the way back to the infirmary. Zylah had been one if the first to fall victim to this strange sleep and had remained just the same for a few days now. It seemed one of her companions was detirmined to remain hopefully optimistic, a boy with horns spiraling out from beneath chestnut locks, the other seemed more fearful, pain written clearly in crimson hues as they stared upon her pale haired teammate. Others had come and gone, some even staying a while, but of all them these two were the most consistent, only leaving when it became absolutely necessary. Though, even when Felix left, Molly stayed behind, so Zylah was never truly alone. Some might wonder what good it did to spend hours sitting next to a person lost the abyss of their own mind. Never waking, never moving, never doing much more than breathing. Some might say it was a waste of time because she would never know the difference. Maybe that's how it was for some people, but it was different for her. It wasn't that she really knew they were there, but their presence, their voices, provided comfort. Her mind was a dark place with demons lurking around every corner and definitely not the ideal place to be trapped in. They helped to keep the nightmares at bay. Felix especially, who spoke to her as if she were always listening, who told her stories and kept her up to date on everything she was missing when it was just the two of them. The boy that had stayed with her the entirety of that night and slept by her side. Once again, it wasn't like she really knew that he was there, or that he was talking, but a small part of it slipped through to her subconcious, as did Charlotte's presence and the short nap the scorpian had taken over her just that morning.

Just as serene as her face was her dream. Instead of snoozing utop a hospital bed, she was lounging about the warmth of the sunkissed sand. The granules were soft as any mattress, molding to her every curve like they had been designed specifically for her comfort. They embraced her, encompassed her like the most comforting of hugs. Mismatched hues remained closed, long lashes brushing over slightly reddened cheeks. However, darkness was far from what she saw. Bright red and orange hues played and danced behind her lids as the sun beat down on her. It was like her own personal light show, but she knew if she lifted her lazy gaze she'd be met with a sight even more beautiful. She could hear the waves in the distant, crashing softly against the sand, beating the shore ike a drum before retreating back into itself. It was like a child trying to play a game of tag with the most stubborn of opponents. The sound was rhythmic, soothing. The heart beat of this very planet. Th-thum... Th-thum... Th-thum... Mixed in with the drumbeat was the soft whistle of the wind, the flute of mother nature playing in tune with the sea birds that called out overhead. It was her own symphony, soft in its melodic beauty. This was a place she'd only been once before, but here in her mind it felt just as real as if she had taken another trip to the beach, for she had engraved each of these details so permanently into her brain. It was a beauty she never wanted to forget, her near-death experience included. She'd yet to learn to swim, but that wouldn't stop her from braving the icy waters once more, but for now she was content, sleepy even. For a girl that was always looking for the next bit of wild fun, it was odd. Yet she hadn't caught onto that yet. It felt all too natural and she was not yet ready to let go of the bubbling music or dancing lights. The longer she listened, another sound trickled it's way into her symphony. It was hard to make it out at first. A soft babble that was hardly distinguishable from the waves in the distance. It was stubborn, persistent, and Zylah was detirmined to figure out exactly what it was. So she focused on it, concentrating so intently that a once smooth forehead creased, wrinkles appearing between her brows. The more she focused on it, isolated it, the clearer it became until she could make out that it was a voice. Not just any voice, but a familiar one that was close to her heart. So she listened as he spoke. His stories about Molly, Team JOLD, and Team YAAZ. Listened as he told her she needed to come back soon because everyone missed her, because he missed her. After all, what was a magician without his assistant? He also shared whatever new bits of gossip, rumors, or conspiracies that were flying through the Halls of Beacon and she listened to it all with eager ears, breathing in every detail as she laid there on the beach. She could feel him next to her, making impressions in her warm bed of sand. She could feel his fingers brushing against her own entertaining with hers, filling the spaces between like a puzzle piece. Sometimes she could feel someone else there too, but they didn't often speak. Just a quiet but comforting presence, making those same indentations in the sand. Other times Felix's voice became blurred by the static of several voices over lapping, all familiar but never clear enough for her to distinguish over her oceanic lullaby.

This was how she spent most of her days, lounging on the beach and listening to whatever tale Felix had brought for her that day. Side by side, hand in hand, encompassed by the warmth of the sun and the sand, lulled to sleep by the melody of the sea breeze. Relaxed, content, blissful even as she simply laid with him and listened to him tell her about a life that seemed so far away. Sometimes it was like he was trying to coax her back and she knew all she needed to do was open her eyes. Open her eyes and she would see him there next to her. Open her eyes and reality would snap back around her. Open her eyes and everything would return to normal... but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her eyelids were too heavy to lift even when she tried, but more than that she wasn't ready to leave this sanctuary yet. Never once in her entire life had she been this at peace, this free. Free from the burdens of her past. Free from the demons that haunted her. It was calm here, safe here. She didn't have to think about who she was or what she's done. There was just the here and the now. The beauty and serenity that surrounded her... and Felix. Felix was here which made it all the better. It was too much to leave behind. She just wanted to stay here, with him, where nothing else mattered but the sun, the sand, and the waves. Where all the problems of day to day life, all the wrong she'd done, the regrets, was all melted away with the heat of the day. She wanted to stay here, just the two of them. It was in this beauty and bliss that she spent most of her days in this sleepless slumber, but today was somehow different. The air around her was colder, she could feel the angst and the tension baring down on her, pressing her back against what had once been the most comfortable bed of sand. It made her uneasy, left her unsettled. Almost instinctively she found herself searching for Felix's hand, just the slightest twitch if pale fingers would likely be missed by the two conversing over top of her. Coming up empty, the panic would set in, indicated by the slightest increase of her heart beat, the tempo of the heart monitor beeping just slightly faster. There was the soft babble of voices but rather than being drowned out by her ocean, the ocean was being drown out by whispered words. War. Soldiers. Tool. Just like that everything changed. She was no longer lounging on the shore but on the cold, damp floor of some dark imprisonment. Even now she refused to open her eyes, but rather than out of a content laziness, it was out of fear. She knew exactly what she would see if she opened her eyes, so she refused. She could feel his presence in her mind like some lethal illness looming over her and it made her stomach churn. It was a face that made her sick, a face she resented, a face that brought back all the things she longed to forget. However, it wasn't his voice that spoke to her. Rather it was her own, or at least some twisted, hallowed out version of it that echoed through the empty blackness.

"Murder."

"Monster."

"Traitor."

The words echoed around her brain, swarming around her in a mass that was almost physical. She could feel them pressing in on her, shoving her, hitting her, slicing her. Each on hurt, a emotional pain so deep it was reflected physically, and not because they were lies, but because she knew in her heart it was true. She was a murderer. A monster. A traitor. A traitor to each and every one of the companions she had made her at Beacon. Steady breathing would grow faster, getting caught in her throat and becoming raspy. Her heart was racing in her chest, pounding frantically against her ribcage like a little bird trapped in a cage. The heart monitor would spike, beeping at an alarming rate. A face once as calm and serene as the ocean waves she had imagined would become contorted with panic and something else that was a little harder to pinprick without gazing into mismatched hues. Forehead creased, brows pinched together, both arms and legs would thrash slightly on the bed. It would go on like that for several moments, likely leaving room for fear that she was seizing or convulsing in some way. Then, it would all end just as suddenly as it began. Just as abruptly as she had fallen into this coma, the petite girl would sit bolt up right on the bed, her chest would come slamming into Felix's arm, likely sending the piece if horn flying in the process, but she didn't seem to be even the slightest bit aware of it. Pale hair askew, mismatched orbs clearly visible and wide with panic. Gasping for air, the word that escaped her lips would hardly be a whisper, but with all the emotion it conveyed she might as well shouted out the top of her lungs. "No!" Awake, but not quite aware, she would blink several times as blurred vision became clear. A cerulean gaze would travel slowly across the room, the panic in her expression slowly fading and becoming replaced with confusion instead. Realizing she was in a medical facility if some sort, but completely unsure as to how or why. Her eyes would lock on to Charlotte for several moment, blinking again before turning to stare at Felix. Those burning umber orbs were the last thing she remenbered and the events leading up to that were still hazy, but slowly returning to her with every blink of her eye. Such a bitter sweet conversation, the revealing of past tragedies and trespasses, his momentary loss of control. She even remember breaking his horn. The tears that both had shed and the long embrace that had followed. She just kept getting caught up on one thing: why she was here. She hadn't been hurt badly enough to need it. She had even asked him not to, because finishing that conversation was vastly more important than a few spilled drops of blood. "What are we doing here, magicman... Char? This place seems awfully boring." Just as always, she was quick to recover and deter the conversation from any glimpses of her panic they might have caught, despite the lingering sickness in her gut. "Also, what's all this nonsense for?" She'd question, plucking at one of the many cords and wires attached to her person. Even in her slightly panicked and confused state, she couldn't hide the curious gleam in her eyes as she examines the different bits of technology.