Following

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Chapter 106 Chapter 107 Chapter 108 Chapter 109 Chapter 110 Chapter 111 Chapter 112 Chapter 113 Chapter 114 Chapter 115 Chapter 116 Chapter 117 Chapter 118 Chapter 119 Chapter 120 Chapter 121 Chapter 122 Chapter 123 Chapter 124 Chapter 125 Chapter 126 Chapter 127 Chapter 128 Chapter 129 Chapter 130 Chapter 131 Chapter 132 Chapter 133 Chapter 134 Chapter 135 Chapter 136 The Phone Call Louise's First Costume When Keyla was Here A Day at the Garcia House The Keeper Sibling Bonds Once Upon a Time in High School Lillie's Recipes Lightning the Mentor A Miraculous Medical Aide Louise's Day Off An Ethereal Fairy Eternal Youth A Miracle Manifests Three Generals Deep Thoughts Over Lemonade A Miracle of Science Three Branches, Three Days Dreams of Heroes The Makings of a Thief Girl Time Wishing for More Courtney Larsen, Age 15 A Greenhouse Tour Odin's Evening The Keeper's Evening Cleo's Seventeenth Birthday Never to Thaw Again 2617's New Arx Techs Payday Party Prime's Board Game Party Temperature-Regulating Potions It's Not Missing If I Don't Miss It

Arx Nubibus
Ongoing 1277 Words

Chapter 70

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Cleo fought back a yawn as she packed up her tablet after class. She hadn't been able to sleep much last night because of her visions, but at least the day was over now. She could go home and try to sleep some more before her dad got home. 

"Hey Cleo!" Before she could escape, a few classmates ran up to her. She fought to focus on the present as she turned and forced a smile. 

"Hi, Ronin. Kai. Mack. Kolton." She didn't actually remember their names. It was her curse in her head, rattling off their names as fast as she could process them. Ronin was two years older than her, a former athlete and had dyslexia. Kai was her same age, used to play soccer with Ronin's little brother and had convinced Ronin to join the Arx Tech program. 

Mack. Same age as her. Went to school with Kai and was a close friend of theirs. He also enjoyed watching TV, and...nope, she really didn't need to know that part. Kolton was Mack's twin brother, and was a bit of a bookworm. No, not a bit. He'd stayed up until four the previous night reading a sci-fi dystopia that was popular at the moment. It wasn't even the first time he'd read it, but the fifth. 

"Cleo?" She was yanked back to reality when Ronin waved his hand in front of her face. 

"Sorry," she muttered, mentally waving the premonitions away. Why were they talking to her again? 

Her curse answered. 

"You busy today? A bunch of us are going out to have some fun. Kelly asked us to invite you since you seem like you're pretty shy. So? You in?" 

"Sorry, I have to go home today," Cleo said, forcing another smile. "Homework and all that." 

"We don't even have anything due anymore!" Mack laughed. "How serious can you be?" 

"Is Kolton going too?" Cleo asked, changing the subject and then immediately kicked herself for asking. She couldn't afford to care about these people. The closer she got to people, the more likely they'd see her mess up. 

"Heck yeah I'm going," Kolton replied. "Why wouldn't I?" 

Because you stayed up until four reading and had to get up at seven for classes. At least you seem to have gotten more rest than I did. 

Of course, she couldn't say that. She fought back another yawn. 

"Sorry. I just...I can't make it. Sorry." 

"Hey Ronin! Ronin!" Another voice barged in and Cleo almost winced at the energy in it. Another classmate, Delilah, ran towards them and hooked her arm around Ronin's shoulders. 

"What's up?" he asked, smiling as he put an arm around her waist. 

Ah yes. Those two were dating. She was Cleo's age, but the two of them had quickly bonded over the first bit of Arx Tech training and become a couple. Delilah was energetic and always smiling, and from what Cleo could see, the girl's only struggle was when her grandparents had died three and five years ago. Truly a blessed soul. 

"Look at this," Delilah said, ignoring the rest of them. She held up her phone so Ronin could see and he snorted, holding back laughter. 

"Seriously? After what happened on Friday?" 

"What is it?" Mack asked, looking over Ronin's shoulder at the screen. Images flashed in Cleo's mind, so she didn't need to look to know what was on the phone. 

A Legion recruitment ad. Less than a week after the last attack by the Phalanx, Achilles was putting out that the Legion needed more hands. Of course they did. Did he really think four of them could cover the whole city? And the criminals, those they needed Miracles to counter, were only multiplying. 

The future danced in her vision. She could barely focus on where and when she was. Sleeper, Transpear, Corrosion, Shell, Jumbo, Whiplash, Cold Snap, Twin...

"Whoa," Mack said, his voice filtering to Cleo as if through heavy distortion. "I can't believe they have the stones for this. Didn't the Legion just get their asses handed to them? Who would want to join up with them anyway? Achilles just keeps messing up." 

Oh, people would join. Cleo knew that for certain. She could see the future, where the Legion multiplied until they were a league of protectors - in name at least - who fought villains in all forms. But what made a villain? 

A figure flashed across her vision, and Cleo felt her knees nearly give out. Terror gripped her. Like that time when Phantasma died. She couldn't clearly remember the vision in question, but it had been enough to make her heart feel like it was going to stop. 

That figure...

"Cleo!" Delilah's fingers snapping in front of her face brought Cleo abruptly back to reality. Her breathing steadied and she slowly took in the sight in front of her. Five people looking at her in concern. 

No. Don't worry about me. Don't pity me. Don't look at me. I'm...

"Sorry," she said. "I really have to go." 

"You coming tonight?" Delilah asked. 

"I can't." 

"Why not? Come on. At first I thought you were cool, then you started avoiding everyone. Do you hate us or something? We're all gonna be co-workers in the future aren't we?" 

"No, I don't hate you," Cleo said quickly. How could she get out of this? More importantly, how could she keep her secret? 

"Then come hang out with us," Delilah insisted. 

"She said she's doing homework," Mack said. 

"We have no more homework! Just finals in two weeks. And you can't tell me you're worried about that? Classes haven't been too hard so far and you seem like you're doing better than any of us." 

"Leave her alone, Delilah," Kai said, coming to her rescue. "Maybe Cleo's only doing well because she puts in a lot of extra work." 

Yep. Cleo could have glided through class with no issue because of her premonitions, but that was the last thing she wanted, so she focused most of her spare time - the time that wasn't spent trying to sleep or struggling to suppress her powers - studying to make sure her test scores accurately reflected what she was capable of. 

"Workaholic," Delilah said, sticking out her tongue at Cleo. 

Cleo didn't respond. She just focused on keeping her breathing and her curse under control. Soon enough, something someone had posted somewhere took over the group's attention and Cleo slipped away without them noticing. Or maybe they did notice. Either way it didn't matter. She was exhausted, and running out of ways to cope. 

She got home and went straight to her room, putting her stuff down and flopping on her bed in the hopes that sleep would claim her. 

It didn't. 

That figure flitted across her vision again, and a cold voice filled her skull. 

"No," she whispered. "Stay away." 

"You are a parasite. You are the rot that will eat away at Arx Nubibus until it is completely destroyed." 

"Do you think I'll show you mercy just because you call yourself a hero?" 

"Drugs or bullet?" 

"Fine. Bullet it is." 

A loud noise broke the vision and left her practically screaming. The indifference she'd felt was different from malice. Different from Paris, who called himself a villain. That figure was neither hero nor villain in its mind. 

Like how physics was neither good nor evil. And that indifference, coupled with a willingness to do anything, left Cleo struggling to stop sobbing. 

Nothing helped. After maybe an hour, she finally lost consciousness, probably because of just how worn out she was. 

Why her? Why was she cursed like this? 


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