"What? Who? Where?"

Sophie, can you hear me? Only then she realized it was a mental voice, from a telepath.

Fitz? Her voice was barely a mental whisper. She didn't dare to hope.

Sophie! It's you! I got through! This crystal, that the house is made of, is designed kind of like that ability restrictor, but less painful. It's called bornopal, a mixture of bornite and opal. But I got through!

Now that he mentioned it, his voice was kind of faint, and she had to work harder to transmit messages. Are you okay? she asked.

Yeah, I'm okay. They don't feed us super well, but it's enough.

Us? Who else is with you?

Wylie.

She gasped. Is he okay? Why is he here?

Second question first. Tam made him do the illusions, said it was for a Black Swan hideout, and then threw him in the dungeons so he wouldn't blab or figure out that he wasn't doing it for the Black Swan. And to answer your first question, he's fine, slightly malnourished but doing pretty well.

Fitz, I- Her mental voice broke. I want to help you. Need to.

I know. Hang in there. We're working on a way out.

What is it?

I can't say, in case this is intercepted. Wylie and I only speak about it mentally briefly, and when protected by the full spectrum of light. Tam is coming. Stay strong.

Fitz, no! He's going to hurt you. Oh, I should've behaved. Sophie reached for a thousand eyelashes.

Don't worry, Sophie. Wylie and I can take care of ourselves. Goodbye and good luck, Sophie. He cut off and Sophie began to scream.

***

Sophie lay on her floor, defeated, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She had no idea how long it had been since she had last heard from Fitz or Tam for that matter. Probably several days. She was hungry and distressed, never leaving the floor for anything. She tried to stay awake, hoping she wouldn't miss Fitz's faint call, though she would occasionally find that she had cried herself to sleep.

Wylie? she mentally cried desperately. Fitz? Are you okay?

She was shocked to get a response. S-Sophie. Yes.

What did he do to you?

T-the echoes. They hurt. So bad... Be careful. If you need help, the code word is "teal stars". Call. Please. Wylie and I are ready.

I will. Fitz, I was worried sick. I-

Suddenly, the door opened. She sat up and turned to face Tam.

"Go away. You've done enough."

"Sophie, listen up if you ever want to see Fitz or Wylie again, or even communicate- I know about your secret conversations. It just proves that I'm right about the power that you have. You have two options: you may come quietly and allow me to alter your memory. I will eventually return it. Else, I will be forced to remove your glove and grab your hand, therefore enhancing me and allowing myself to erase all of your memories and instill new ones- permanently. You chose."

An idea popped up in Sophie's mind. "Okay. The first one. Just, please let me say goodbye to Fitz. Please." She sounded pitiful and weak, even to herself.

And Tam bought it. "Fine. But I will monitor the discussion."

She opened up a link. (do they do that?) Fitz, I love you. Do you know why my favorite color is teal? It's because of your eyes. They're like teal stars. Tam is erasing my memory. I love you.

I- I love you too, Sophie. I had no idea that you thought my eyes were like that.

She sucked in a breath. Had he received the message? She just had to hope.

Tam roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her from the ground. "Come on." He handed her a bottle of youth. "Drink this. It contains a sedative. Your body will naturally resist the process, so you have to drink it."

Knees shaking, she opened the bottle and drained it. Her world became fuzzy, then dimmed, and then everything went dark.

***

The girl opened her eyes. Glancing in the mirror, she saw a face with light-colored skin, brown eyes, and blond hair. The brown eyes were unusual for an elf- who had told her that? She couldn't remember a thing. She had basic knowledge- speaking, reading, writing, how to use her Elvin abilities, what they were, other species, geography, et cetera- but no memory of her personal life.

A handsome elf came in. He had dark hair with silver tips and a dark, low glare. She blushed a little when he looked at her.

"Are you okay, Siraye, my love?"

This boy was her boyfriend? Wow. She was lucky. "I- I don't know who you are, or who my family is, or- or who I am!"

He took in a deep breath through his nose. "I'm sorry. The Black Swan attacked."

"The Black Swan?" It rang a bell, but she didn't know who they were.

"A secret, evil organization. Supporters of the evil Council. They want the humans to be able to destroy the world with their pollution and nuclear weapons. They must've wiped your mind. Probably Fitz. He's the Black Swan's most skilled Telepath. He sometimes works as a Washer. Your name is Siraye Lufaren, daughter of Gaelira Lufaren and Vulluin Lufaren. My name is Tam Song. I'm your boyfriend and we have been together for three years, ever since we were paired together on a mission to stop them. Is that familiar?"

She shook her head. "But I still trust you, and I want to defeat the Black Swan. What organization are we part of?"

"We were part of the Neverseen, but we decided not long after we met that their vision was a little too relaxed and now we're just freelance rebels."

She nodded. "Can I get back out and start fighting again?"

Tam handed her a tray with some pink mush in a bowl, which tasted amazing, and custard bursts. "Eat first. Tomorrow, we're taking over the Council."

A/n: Ha ha ha I'm evil. But I still cherish all of my readers. What did you think?