"She's covered in them!"
"Covered? In those?"
"Yes! She is covered from head to toe in those huge bruises. And they have never been treated. Her poor little cells are almost the worst ones I've ever seen! It looks like she's never had and elixir in her life! Or a bottle of youth. We need to get ahold of her parents. She might even have a small concussion now. And a few cracked ribs."

The voices ring through my subconscious. It takes me several seconds to realize they're talking about me.
I HAVE to get out of here!
NOW!
I wiggle my fingers gently and slowly my eyes. I hear gasps as the room turns pitch black, and I crawl off the cot, holding my stomach.

I try to scrabble for my home crystal, but before I can grab hold of it, two lights appear, and I see Trey and Elwin running towards me, balls of light above their hands.

Trey reaches me first and swoops me off my feet.
I scream.

He try's to shush me, but I just keep screaming.
Then a voice fills my head.
Stop screaming, Miss Ignis.
Yes, we know who you are.
A choking gurgle comes from my lips once I stop screaming.

"What do you want?" I hiss hoarsely.
Only your cooperation.
And if your wondering how I was able to slip into your mind, don't.
It was quite easy after you hit your head.

That fall left a small crack in your mental barrier.
You are no longer unbeatable.
And neither is the Neverseen.
For we have their Phantom Phoenix.

Then a cool sedative is poured down my throat and I am dragged back into unconsciousness.

•

My eyes slowly open.
I sit up.
No pain?
I'm in a round glass room, and all the walls reflect myself.
I stand, and stumble, having to grab onto the cot to stable myself.

I see no door or windows in the room, but light streams in from almost every direction. It's so bright I have to blink several times and shield my eyes.
Then I have an idea.
I grab my shadow and shape it into a bubble around me that I am able to sit in, and just float.
Umber says I'm talented.
I don't really care.

Something pokes my arm and I Yelp.
A person covered in frost, stands behind me with a spike of ice in its hand.
The person pokes me again with it, and I stumble back, before levitating up toward the ceiling in my black ball of shadow.

Four more elves walk in through a wall then.
All in crazy disguises.
Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Ignis.
"Get out of my head." I growl softly.
A bloated elderly looking elf, tips his head to the side and smiles grimly.

"Who are you?" I ask.
"We are the collective. The leaders of the Black Swan."
The icy woman answers.
I start to shake with fear and fury.
"The Black Swan!" I hiss, barely above a whisper.
"Your the ones who took my mother."

The bloated man frowns.
"Why would we do that?" He asks in a raspy voice.
"I don't know. Why would you?"
I ask, my face and all emotions suddenly going blank.
I drift to the ground and my shadow sphere drips onto the floor.

A black puddle of black goo forms around me, and the collective gasp.
Then I do something I have never done before. And I hope to never do again.

I light the gloop on fire.