Yuri leaned against her dorm window, watching the fading light stretch shadows across the campus. The quiet was almost unsettling. She had spent so long perfecting her routine—classes, studying, maintaining the fragile illusion of normalcy. Yet, with every passing day, that sense of control slipped through her fingers. Her powers, instead of becoming stable, were growing stronger. The quiet buzz at the back of her mind was louder now, like an unrelenting pulse.
A soft knock on the door snapped her back to reality. Before she could answer, the door swung open, and in walked Maliah.
"Yuri," she said, voice calm but firm. "We need to talk."
Yuri stiffened, her instincts screaming at her to remain composed. "There's nothing to talk about. Get out."
Maliah stepped closer, unfazed. "I'm here to bring you back. Alive and well. That's the order."
Yuri didn't flinch. "I'm not going back. You know that."
Maliah's lips tightened. "I figured as much. That's why I'm not here alone."
Yuri barely had time to react before Blair and Athena appeared behind Maliah, their faces showing equal parts confusion and curiosity. Yuri's pulse quickened. What are they doing here?
"Yuri?" Blair called, eyes darting between the two. "What's going on?"
Yuri glared at Maliah. "You shouldn't have involved them."
Maliah's smile was thin and unapologetic. "I didn't. They followed me. Your friends seem quite... curious about you."
Before Yuri could retort, Athena stepped forward. "Who is she? Is she threatening you, Yuri?"
Maliah shrugged nonchalantly. "That depends on Yuri here. She knows what happens if she doesn't comply. I wouldn't want to see her suffer, but orders are orders."
Blair crossed her arms, trying to mask her worry. "Suffer? Yuri, what is she talking about?"
Yuri took a steadying breath, her eyes never leaving Maliah. "She's no one. Just a... friend from the past who doesn't know when to let go."
Athena scoffed. "Doesn't sound like a friend to me."
Yuri's mind raced. If Maliah thinks she can use them as leverage...
Maliah's eyes narrowed, as if sensing Yuri's calculation. "You think they're safe here? Once the Aetherium knows you're alive and well--"
"Who cares about them." Yuri snapped.
But, Maliah continued, "...they'll come too. And not all of them are as considerate as me."
Yuri's hand clenched at her side, her telekinesis sparking just enough to rattle the books on the shelf. Athena's eyes flickered to the motion, her brows knitting in confusion. Yuri cursed inwardly, realizing her slip-up.
Maliah's eyes lit up with a dangerous gleam. "See? You can't even control it anymore. What's the plan then, Yuri? Stay here and pretend, while your power spirals out of control? You're not fooling anyone—especially not them."
Blair looked at the bookshelf, still slightly shaking, and took a hesitant step forward. "Yuri, how did you do that?"
Yuri shot Maliah a glare. "Leave them out of this."
Maliah shrugged. "Can't. They're already involved. Or did you think keeping secrets would protect them? You should know better. People around you always end up in trouble."
Athena frowned. "Yuri, what is she talking about? Powers?"
Maliah gave an almost playful smirk. "Oops. Did I spill too much? You really haven't told them anything?"
Yuri didn't respond, her mind whirling. The tension in the room was thick, her instincts screaming to force Maliah out. But she couldn't risk exposing more—especially not in front of Athena and Blair.
Blair stepped closer, her voice softer now. "Yuri, we're your friends. You can talk to us."
Maliah's tone hardened, dropping the pretense of friendliness. "You don't get it, do you? You two are liabilities now. If Yuri doesn't come back, you'll be the ones to pay. And you—" She turned to Yuri, eyes cold. "You'll be the one responsible. You know what a failed mission means for me."
Yuri's heart pounded. Withdrawal. Maliah's life would be ruined, her abilities exhausted to the point of uselessness. A fate feared by every agent.
But that didn't change Yuri's resolve. "I told you, I'm not going back. Withdrawal or not."
Maliah's jaw tightened. "If I fail, it's not just me. They'll keep sending people. Stronger ones. Less... patient ones. Are you really willing to risk that?"
Yuri didn't flinch, her eyes ice-cold. "I've survived worse. You should go."
Blair and Athena exchanged wary glances, not fully understanding the gravity of the situation but sensing the danger.
Maliah took a step back, finally realizing that Yuri's resolve wouldn't budge. "You're making a mistake. But fine. I'll tell them you refused. Just know that the next person they send won't be as kind. And they'll know to target your... friends."
Blair instinctively moved closer to Yuri, protective despite her confusion. "We'll be fine. Whatever this is... we'll handle it together."
Yuri gave Blair a sidelong glance, a faint ache spreading through her chest. You don't know what you're saying.
As Maliah finally left, Yuri could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. The books on the shelf had stopped rattling, but the tension remained. Blair and Athena didn't press further, giving Yuri a moment of space.
But Yuri knew—her cover had cracked, and now the two worlds she had carefully manouvered through were colliding-- leaving her with no space to traverse and escape.
More importantly, her powers hadn't just flared—they felt sharper, stronger, as if pushing against the boundaries she had so carefully constructed.
The realization set in like a chill: They're not stabilizing. They're growing.
'Just what the hell is happening to me?' And for the first time in a long while, Yuri didn't know how much longer she could keep them in check.