[b]Appling | Circus of Wonders[/b]

Cora watched as the sphere of Ice hovering over their heads slowly cooled the golden flame, blurring the line that separates elements. As the flame quite literally froze, it flashed a bright, diffusing light that coated the sphere in a subtle golden glow. In that glimmering moment, Cora felt time slow down, and in her heart she felt a peculiar sensation. Feelings without thought, emotions she couldn’t recognize as her own.

It was… it felt like Yahtzee! Cora immediately looked at him standing beside her, and he returned her stare in sync. His eyes, they weren’t the normal gold-brown she was used to seeing. Instead, the entire eye was white-gold, softly glowing just like the sphere above them. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it felt as though she’d seen all this before.

It wasn’t a hunch, she knew her eyes appeared the exact same as his. It didn’t scare her. At that moment, she was totally wrapped up in the heightened Sixth Sense she could feel. Their energy fused together felt like a literal extension of her body. She could feel it outside of her as vividly as if she closed her eyes; it was a whole different sense altogether. It was strange, but her sense could also feel Yahtzee. Not just feel, but know. She knew exactly where he was standing, which leg his weight was on, and where his eyes were looking. But on top of that she was also aware of his feelings, the unvoiced urges before his thoughts were even constructed. 

He was an open book as she undoubtedly was to him. And she had never felt so soulfully tranquil. 

Her mind thought too fast for words, but her feelings flashed from confusion to a kind of joy. It was terrifying and amazing at the same time, feeling as though their vast consciousnesses would simply disappear into each other.

Unfortunately, as Phil’s electrons of light were orbiting separately from the golden sphere, the light could not combine with the other elements, meaning Phil could not See as Cora and Yahtzee suddenly could.

The moment could have been a year, an eternity. But all too soon the experience collapsed with the destruction of the ice sphere. The golden light fell from Cora’s eyes, and a sadness crossed her face. The moment was over, and she could no longer See.

As the debris settled, Will was revealed at center stage. Immediately Cora felt [i]something[/i] was off. She couldn’t see his face, but Will was giving off a sickening vibe, forcefully engulfing her tranquility. She felt dread. Pure, unadulterated dread sinking her heart. It was overwhelming, and strangely nauseating. Cora stumbled on her feet, numbly affright.

[i]I don’t know this man…[/i] She thought.

Will triumphantly spoke to the crowd, malice coating his words. [i]"And now...!"[/i] Particles of water came to focus in Cora’s vision, being drawn together to one source at the beckon of Will’s arm.

[i]"For the main event..."[/i] Cora felt her jaw drop in horror. [i]Oh God, this can’t be happening…[/i]

Will let the ball reach a size that would flood the entire big top. [i]"DEATH!"[/i]

Cora’s world was plunged in icy water, the currents tearing her away from the stage. She was blind, deaf and lost in Will’s finale, only realizing too late that Will meant to kill them all. Weak with betrayal, she fell adrift up among the tent’s high beams, drenched under the sphere that would soon suffocate them all.

As her lungs burned for air, Cora uselessly flapped her wings in the high current water. She was stuck in the whirlpool, hurt and alone. The man she thought she knew… Will, he was gone. A monster took his place, one that didn’t even recognize her.

[i]Will, how could you…[/i] She thought weakly. [i]How could you abandon us?[/i]

Her broken heart grew hot with anger, sharpening her mind against the water crushing her chest. She drew up her strength, rapidly cooling the temperature of the sphere starting from her point near the ceiling, then down. The effect was true to her wishes, the sphere turning from water to ice in a wave from top to bottom. Everyone became encased in translucent beauty, and it held there for a moment before something cracked.

Another crack. Then, the ice ball split apart, crumbling away into particles. The audience was saved, but many remained unconscious. Cora had to wonder if she had been too late in releasing them. But there was no time to regret, and even less to think. Cora quickly stood, clearing her throat. 

“This is a critical emergency. If you have your life, evacuate the premise immediately. I repeat, evacuate immediately.”

She didn’t have time to find the other Elementals. Will had to be stopped before he tried killing again. She spotted him, hovering at the edge of the destroyed tent with a blackened trident. As their eyes met he almost smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. He was fierce, terrifyingly so. Grimacing, Cora stepped forward, flapping her ice wings once to cut the distance between them. 

The look of a betrayed lover haunted in her stare as she locked eyes with Will’s bottomless pits. Her voice quivered with emotion, but she held strong. “Will, what is the meaning of this? How dare you betray us -- me. I thought you were better than this.”