For only a moment before it all faded back, only now we were in the bathroom corridor.

Ivan was next to me, with Sofia and Sadid opposite to us.

We were standing in the pitch white corridor, with the doors–all of which lead to small bathrooms–around us. Each waiting for the other to make the first move. Sadid was the one who broke the standoff, leaping forward while also shrinking until he was like a flying dot.

Next thing I knew, Ivan went flying, crushing against the wall.

“TsalB ygrene!” Unfortunately, I’d turned my back to Sofia, a fact she used to blast me with an energy so hot that I barely managed to keep myself standing.

Facing her once more, I saw her holding her book and a light purple energy coming off her hand. I flexed my fingers. Control. I needed control. Not to ruin half the mansion. She blasted me once more, but this time I dodged.

I barely registered Sadid taking a hit. Good. We could win this.

“I can’t believe I have to fix your mistakes,” she said, snarling at me. “Ssalg gnikool eht hguorht.”

She was gone. I turned around and, sure enough, there she was. She tried to blast me, but I swatted her arm–and book–away. She tried to hit me again, but I managed to sweep her leg and grab hold of both of her arms with all but my pinky fingers.

“I swear to whatever you monsters believe in that I’ll do it,” I said in my most threatening voice.

“And turn me into another Maria?” she asked pointedly. “Especially now that you know what it’s like to lose control of your life? You’d cost me my arms? Become the monster?”

Maria’s face suddenly flashed in my mind. How did she know about that? How-

And suddenly I was hit with Ivan’s body, sending us both flying into one of the stalls. Ivan was in the toilet, and I was in the shower. Dammit all. I’d let her get to me. And nobody was there to bail me out this time. Where was Birgit? I looked at Ivan. He touched the toilet with his hand, becoming pure white like it was.

He hadn’t given up, and neither would I.

I flexed my fingers.

“Use everything,” I said, hoping Ivan would get the message. “Get him out of the way.”

“Come and get me yourself, freak,” said a now normal sized Sadid. Before he could do anything however, Ivan rushed over and punched him to the opposite wall. Actually, ‘rushed over’ was an understatement. He was so fast I could barely see him move as he ran through the small space, dodging and attacking.

“Give up,” said Sofia. “I’ve seen Ivan use his powers. His speed comes in bursts. And he can’t do that for long.”

“Same thing goes for Sadid’s powers. Either way, it doesn’t matter now,” I said, smiling genuinely for the first time in what seemed like forever. “You’re done.” I touched the wall on my side, using all my fingers.

It cracked. Sofia’s eyes widened and I let a finger go.

“You wouldn’t,” she said. She was confident. “You’re a good person. I know this because I hate that ab-”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I lost control of my body. I couldn’t-I couldn’t stop myself.” I was yelling again. And I didn’t care. “I spent my high school being a pariah because of an accident. I have died for crying out loud. And I have felt myself die more times than I can count. I’ve been holding back since I was twelve! No more!”

“You-”

“I’ve slowly been going mad. Seeing people–things–that aren’t there,” I continued, undeterred. “You really want to test me?”

She was the one that hesitated now. It wasn’t like I couldn’t hear myself. I did sound crazy. Crazy enough to do this. The question was, would I? Would I bring the whole building down? Of course not–in spite of what that small part in my mind said–but she didn’t need to know that.

All I needed Sofia to do was think about it. And she did. Until a white blur punched her in the face and stomach, sending her tumbling down. Blood was coming down her nose, and she was out.

I felt more than heard Sadid coming at me, sidestepping his attack and grabbing his face with one hand, and his shoulder with another, but this time holding a finger back. I could feel his muscles tensing and a warm energy below them. If I had to guess he wanted to shrink, but he either couldn’t, or he was afraid of what I’d do if he tried it.

“You think my power’s cool now, Sadid?” I said, still with the same tone of voice I’d used on Sofia. “Maybe you’d like to see it first hand.”

“You won’t get away with this!” He was trying to sound brave, but I could hear the fear in his voice. That probably was how I sounded against the muscular man, or probably every time I fought or sparred. “You looked like a cool dude, you know? Not a murdering psychopath!”

“I don’t want to kill anyone, you idiot.” I would have laughed in any other situation. I sounded almost exactly like Birgit with that line. “I was bluffing before, I-I would never do anything like that.”

“When I saw you fight Azam I thought the same, but-”

“Please. You can trust me,” I said. It was a crazy situation. I was the one holding him, a single twitch of my finger being the difference between life and death for him. But I was the one begging.

Ivan was watching me. He would put me down in a millisecond if I even looked like I was stepping out of line. He probably understood that I was bluffing before. To get Sofia out of the battle.

And yet there was the smaller part of me that just wanted to bring the whole building down. Make them all see who I was. It was nonsensical, but also a feeling I was strangely familiar with. The same feeling that made me want to end him. Or at least scar him for life. He deserved it. He had kicked me out of my own room multiple times. He’d worked with Sofie and Sofia.

Suddenly, one of the doors opened. It was the one that led outside. It was a couple, making out and probably coming here to do more. Sadid used the chance to break free of my hold, running toward them.

He pushed them out of the way as he ran and, in turn, they turned to look at us.

Ivan, even as tired as he was, managed to convince them to leave and leave the three of us–meaning me, him, and the supposedly drunken and passed out Sofia–all alone. Almost immediately after they left, he collapsed too.

He was breathing quickly and shallow.

“That’s-that’s why I don’t often use my speed. I need a nap. And a lot of food.”

“I’m sorry,” I said on instinct. It was my fault he was here after all. I was the one who asked him to come, and came up with the plan to use his power. “I just-I’m just sorry. Really.”

“Don’t be, this was great.” He made a grimace I thought was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “Where’s Birgit?”

That was a good question. Where was Birgit? The bathrooms were on the same floor as the bedrooms, so she should be right outside. But when I went to check, the marble floors and white lighting were replaced with wooden floors, mood lighting, and a lot of drunk people. No Birgit in sight however.

No, no, no, no!

I called her. Sent a message and told her what happened. And then I called her again. And again.

Next thing I knew, I was running across the hall. In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t a good idea to leave Ivan alone with Sofia. She was out cold, sure, but Ivan was in a horrible situation as well.

If Sadid returned, it wouldn’t be good.

So I called Ivan.

“Don’t worry, I’ve locked us inside one of the bathrooms.” He laughed. “I guess I’m a stud now. I better get full explanations after this, yeah?”

Now I couldn’t deny that. After we said our goodbyes, I went deeper into the crowd, desperately trying to find Birgit. Because I didn’t know what I’d do if I didn’t.