Splintering Reality (Breaking Order Series Book 2)

by Catherine Kopf

  “I...um...” Enya cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you still thought about me that way.”

  Flames… Enya fit that description well. Golly, it couldn’t be that Enya and Ambert were the two lives I had to choose between, right? The three of us had come too far for me to have to choose.

  Enya gazed at Dustin and smiled.

  “Can I hold your hand again?” Dustin asked.

  “Sure.”

  He took her hand and leaned in closer. Enya released a shallow breath. Biting her lip, her eyes locked with Dustin’s.

  I cleared my throat and shook Mom, who was sleeping beside me. “Mom… wake up.”

  She stretched slowly and yawned. “Morning already?”

  Enya jolted away from Dustin and wiped the remaining crumbs off her mouth with her sleeve. “Wallflower! Didn’t know you were awake…”

  I bit my lip and nodded. Until I figured it out for sure, I had to keep my dream to myself.

  We entered Filía, but the city was a ghost town filled with old ruins. A castle stood in the back of the city with a balcony and gazebo by the sea. The buildings were made of bricks corroded from a recent attack. Gardens were planted around the city as well, with flowers in various shades of red. I wasn't surprised by the color choice. Red was a national color. The floral colors faded— dying from lack of care.

  Pieces of rubble scattered around the city. A foul, putrid stench permeated the air, and I held my nose in disgust. I stepped forward, only to hear a squish beneath my feet. The marbled, greenish-black hand caused my skin to crawl.

  I shrieked, letting my fear take a hold of me. I jumped closer to Mom and clutched onto her, putting my face into her chest like a small child. I’d never unsee the agony painted in Filía. No one should’ve had to see it!

  Shades of red and brown streaked the street below us. Bodies piled up in clumps, some completely dismembered. Their eyes were glossed over, lifeless and devoid of personal identifiers. Bodies were torn by their limbs and deep wounds allowed blood to drench out. The only sign the corpses once moved were the hands reaching out to others. Some held hands, others pointed out into the distance, more shielded their eyes from an unseen danger. The smell of iron and rotting eggs was cringeworthy.

  They longed to get out of the city— to an area covered by gray soot. An electric fence blocked their path, and carcasses closest to it were severely burned— their faces peeled off like melted plastic, unrecognizable of being anything human.

  Enya’s lip quivered with every shallow breath she took. “God have mercy on us…”

  “This shouldn’t have happened…” Mom brushed my hair; her empath powers let her feel my horror. “Shh… It’s okay, Calista.”

  I looked over to the other side of the fence. The sky was filled with ash and soot. Gray covered the ground in a blanket, the ocean water murky, unclean. It was a past war-zone.

  My shoulders tensed, the stiff muscles like stone plastered onto my body. Hands shaking, I wiped away tears dripping down my cheeks.

  “We have to save them…” I pointed to the bodies and sprinted closer to the fence.

  “No one’s out there, Wallflower.” Enya wrapped her arms around my body in an embrace.

  I glanced to my right to find a note bolted to the electric fence, its edges laced in blood.

  “There’s a government notice.” Dustin tore the paper off the wire.

  He read it silently before clamping his hands on the edges, grinding his teeth together in rage. Dustin threw the note.

  Enya raised an eyebrow. “Is it that bad?”

  I picked it up from the ground, flies swarming around the pool of blood next to it. Enya peered over my shoulder.

  “REGIME NOTICE:

  The City of Filía is charged with harboring Dreamers and not reporting them to The Regime. This breaks Law C under Section B Paragraph 47 and is treasonous activity. Under the account of 1,600 Dreamers in the city and the inclusion of many law violations including graffiti, reading banned books, playing music, casting spells, willingness to break conformity, and helping Dreamers, the sentence of the entire city is death.

  -The Commander”

  Tears fell from my eyes and onto the ground. “If only we’d been here sooner…”

  “These bodies are bloated enough to have been dead for at least a week.” Dustin looked at the toppled buildings behind us. “I’m guessing bombs played a huge role, maybe even poison gas for some kills. A couple corpses have bullet wounds, but not many.”

  “Think any got away?” Enya asked.

  “We can only hope so.” Mom’s face paled.

  Even the wind was quiet, leaving room for only the breathing of my friends and me. A piece of fabric lingered on the castle’s front gate, leaving a clear marker: Ivory had to have left it behind for us to find.

  “Come on. We don’t want the rest of the world to end up like this.” I pointed toward the castle.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Calista

  We traveled through the castle’s lower layers, which were covered in dust and cobwebs. All portraits of the royal family were torn, hiding their faces. There were unique tapestries in the upper halls, each with a city weaved into its fabrics blowing through broken windows. Mosaics filled the remaining windows, each displaying a form of dreaming from art and music to inventing and marketing. Sand coated the edges, exposure from the wind exposing the age and lack of care the mosaics got from The Regime. What would’ve this place been like in its time? It was almost too fairytale like to be real. The world of The Regime almost faded in the ancient and mystic feel in this place.

  Mom pointed upstairs. “Listen…”

  We heard noise from the upper levels. The melodic tune… That was Ambert’s violin.

  Enya, Dustin, Mom, and I revealed ourselves to Ambert, Kuan-yin, and Ivory. Ivory's jaw dropped in delight.

  “Cal, I’m so glad you’re safe!” Ambert grinned ear to ear.

  I didn’t look Ambert in the eye. “There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

  I explained what happened after Ambert left, including Mai and Father’s appearance at the hospital and the new Cravealing.

  “Those people are big meanies,” Ivory said.

  Dustin became the bearer of bad news. “It was June. Calista said you knew her at one point, Ambert.”

  “If it weren’t for Wes and Ju-long, we wouldn’t have made it out,” Enya told her twin.

  “... We lost him, Ambert. We have to get Wes back,” I croaked.

  Ambert gulped hard. “Is that what Mai is going to do to us, Enya? Make us lab rats?”

  My heartbeat quickened at this serious question. Ambert brought this up. That wasn’t like him. Some things were clearly on his mind. Things he was scared to talk about, even with me and Enya. He always carried so much burden… and I wish I could’ve taken it from him, lifted it off his shoulders like Wes did for me. Wes… Mai was probably trying to beat information out of him and Ju-long.

  Tears clouded my eyes. “You don’t think…”

  “I don’t want her to turn us into people we’re not. She’ll force me to kill people, Enya. No more should die because of me.” Ambert slumped against the castle wall. “I’ve already brought us into this mess.”

  “Dude, I’d be dead if you didn’t rescue me from those monsters.” Enya raised an eyebrow.

  “... The Commander asked me to kill you.”

  Ivory’s eyes widened. “When did that happen?”

  “It was when you got promoted, wasn’t it, Sweetie?” Mom put her arm on Ambert’s shoulder.

  “I… I thought you were a prison guard.” I tilted my head.

  “The Commander wanted me to take Father’s place. Kept it a secret from everyone.” Ambert looked at a small, ping-pong ball sized mark on his wrist. Was that there before? “I refused. That’s why I’m wanted for treason.”

  “Killing your own twin’s just cruel…” Kuan-yin’s nostrils flare
d.

  “And I thought my family life was complicated.” Dustin chuckled.

  “Is it so bad for me to want to fix everything wrong with this place? Can’t I make it better for the ones who aren’t guilty?” Ambert’s eyes looked into Enya’s for advice.

  I’d never seen him so doubtful… so shaken before. The brother I grew up with who defended me from bullying finally needed defending himself. Even with powers, even with Enya, Ambert’s voice cracked. His hands trembled, breath gasped from his lips, and the chestnut hair he normally kept organized was tossed and turned by the wind.

  Enya said, “The Regime’s after us too, because of everyone’s dumb choices. Not just yours. We’re human. Deal with it.”

  Ambert looked away from his sister and rubbed up and down his violin. “What’s important now is that we’re all still alive, and I determine to keep us that way. For Mother.”

  “Okay, Firebird.” Enya rolled her eyes.

  “Firebird?” I asked.

  “Ambert’s journal nickname,” Kuan-yin said.

  Flames and Firebird… the twins were connected to flame and dreams. They were the two lives I had to save after all.

  I paused before returning to our conversation. “So, what are we going to do now?”

  “We flee to The Blaze. They’ll help us” Ivory said.

  Mom nodded. “That’s our best choice. They’re right outside the fence, but I don’t know exactly where. Your Gran was the expert.”

  “We should stick together,” Dustin reached out his hand to Enya.

  “Protecting me now?” Enya asked. “Don’t need it.”

  We headed back into the town. The wind howled, and our footsteps echoed in the alleyways. We paced through the city alone with nothing but the dead to remind us of the people who once lived there.

  Ambert sighed. “These people don’t deserve this.”

  “I noticed a big mess hall in the square. We could go there,” Mom said.

  Ivory rubbed her stomach and licked her lips. “I’m super hungry.”

  “I’m starving too. We left without dinner.” Kuan-yin stomach growled like some kind of bobcat.

  “Don’t we have food left in our backpacks?” I asked.

  “We tried to conserve food in Serre.” Dustin sighed. “But Enya ate the rest of it this morning."

  “I didn’t do it alone, you pig.” Enya nudged Dustin’s shoulder and laughed.

  “Let’s eat in the mess hall,” I said.

  I still needed to find Aurelia wherever Base Darkguard was. Wes wouldn’t want me to leave his sister alone and frightened. Aurelia was such a brave, kind person in my dreams. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t spotted her yet.

  We made it to the entrance of the mess hall. The afternoon sun scorched above us. Inside, the building seemed run down as well. Pillars in the cafeteria leaned against each other cracked or fallen over. Rubble and decay ruled Filía’s wasteland.

  Inside the kitchen, we found leftover macaroni and cheese and burger patties cold in the fridge. I was surprised the electricity still worked after the bombing. Dustin made a fire and used a skillet to cook the patties for our consumption. We devoured everything.

  Ivory smiled, using a napkin to wipe her face. “It’s awesome eating with you guys.”

  “Just like eating at home, right Mom?” I smiled.

  “It’s not the same without Wes…” Kuan-yin lowered her head.

  “We’ll help him after getting to The Blaze, right Cally?” Ivory’s face lit up.

  I nodded. “That’s my plan.”

  I wasn’t choosing either of the twins to die on me. Not while I was the leader. Not when I still had choices. I could see things coming. Maybe I could use that to prevent the prophecy.

  Enya narrowed her eyes at Ivory. “Mai was looking for you too.”

  “She never said her name…” Dustin mumbled.

  “No.” Ivory fidgeted in her chair. “Enya’s right. Mai is looking for me.”

  “You’re just a small girl…” I said.

  Ivory lowered her gaze. “A small girl who’s a reject for Project Dark Phoenix…”

  “Then you’ve gotta know what it’s about, right?” Ambert placed his hand on her shoulder. “You know what they’re doing there.”

  She fidgeted in her seat. “They gave injections. To promote powers. They’re making weapons out of Dreamer powers.”

  Dustin said, “Wicked… guess that explains your star, right?”

  “And the pink eyes.” Kuan-yin’s face lit up.

  “... But…” Ivory’s eyes teared up. “They want to execute me because the powers weren’t coming through. Said I wasn’t old enough like Stella.”

  “Old enough?” Enya snapped her finger. “That explains why you saw so many teens before, Wallflower.”

  “The hormonal changes in teens must have something to do with it,” Mom suggested.

  “I can’t go back there. Not to Fortress. Not to that other base. I’m scared, Cally… I want my sister!” Ivory wept.

  I hugged her. “It’s okay, Ivory. We’ll get her back.”

  Ivory twiddled her fingers and released a shallow breath of air. “Someday, I want to open a shop with Stella. We’d make all types of clothes.”

  “You can start by making this uniform a lot better.” Dustin pulled out his old uniform from his backpack, still stained by dried blood.

  “You can say that again. Have you seen how officers look with the helmets off?” Ivory stuck out her tongue in disgust.

  “The horror.” Dustin laughed.

  “They terrify the population from the clash,” Enya said with sarcasm.

  Despite our lighthearted lunch chatter, we had to keep moving. We still had to find Aurelia, get to The Blaze, take down The Regime, protect my friends, and save Wes and the other captured Dreamers. I had my work cut out for me, didn't I?

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  Calista

  We walked across the empty streets of Filía. Ambert whistled and Enya hummed the same tune back like an echo. I didn’t recognize the song, but I hadn’t listened to a lot of music before. The only song I heard other than the twins’ songs were the ones in Serre.

  I still didn’t know how to get to Aurelia or rescue Ambert and Enya. Even with all of these questions, I wasn't willing to get captured. I had a job to do; I had to guide those I cared about. That had been my goal all along, right?

  Ivory skipped along the brick path, each step lifting her poofy pink dress in the air. “The Blaze should be right outside The Regime. Beyond the fence.”

  “Then we can leave this place until we’re strong enough to turn back.” Ambert lowered his head.

  Enya placed her hand on his shoulder and began to whisper in his ear.

  “Cally?” Ivory cleared her throat.

  “Yes?”

  She grinned. “You’re really a great friend. You got me to believe in dreams again.”

  “Really? Ivory, I’m honored but…”

  “Don’t apologize. We’re going to take down The Regime and save my sister because of you,” Ivory said.

  “Shucks… I don’t know what to say…”

  “You deserve it.” Her smile widened. “You’ve just got to inspire Dreamers like you did me. I’ll help you if you’d like, Glenn honor.”

  “Wow… really?”

  “You’re my best friend. What else would I do?”

  “Yeah, Enya is a great friend,” Dustin interrupted.

  “We were talking about Cally, Dustin,” Ivory said.

  “Yes, that’s what I meant. Guess I got caught up in that song,” Dustin said.

  Enya raised an eyebrow. “Am I that distracting?”

  Dustin's face turned red. He gulped. “What? Of course not! I mean…yes. I mean…wow your hair looks nice today.”

  “How about you tell her you like her?” Kuan-yin nudged Dustin's shoulder.

  Dustin gave a suspicious chuckl
e. “Me? Like Enya?”

  Enya didn’t make eye contact. “Save your breath.”

  “And here I thought we were friends.” Dustin placed his hands into his jacket pockets.

  Kuan-yin said, “Keep trying. You’ll get her eventually.”

  “I can hear you,” Enya growled.

  Ambert paused on the path, placing a hand in front of me. “… Something’s here.”

  Our company scanned to see what made the noise. Nothing was there. I squinted my eyes, hoping to find some sort of sign to go off of. A twig snapped behind us.

  “What was that?” Ivory jumped.

  Kuan-yin sighed. “Probably just an animal.”

  “W-What kind of animal?” Ivory stuttered.

  “A dog, cat, mouse, bear…” Dustin counted the possibilities on his fingers.

  Ivory let out a tiny shriek. “Bear? No no no… I can’t be eaten by a bear!”

  “It’s probably not a bear,” I reassured her.

  Another twig snapped. We turned in alarm. My breath was heavy and I watched Dustin’s eyes surveyed all angles.

  “I doubt it’s a mouse,” Enya said.

  “What do we do?” I asked.

  “Find out what it is. If it’s threatening, we run,” Dustin said.

  Enya summoned fire into her hand, bringing an orange-colored flame in her palm. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. If The Regime were here, she’d give them all she had. Anything to protect her new family.

  “Don’t use it unless you have to,” Ambert begged.

  The noise loudened, drawing closer and closer to our location.

  “It’s not a bear.” Ivory let out a deep breath and crossed her fingers behind her back.

  Out of the shadows hopped a little bunny-rabbit. Its fur was white and it had gray specks near its mouth, nose, the tips of the ears, and its paws. Its ebony eyes made it appear so innocent.

  Ivory smiled. “Aww… It’s just a rabbit. Look how cute it is.”

  “Cute? I don’t think so,” a voice spoke from behind us.

  The rabbit…