5

Life will work for me when I realize... I Cannot breakthrough until I have a breakdown.

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Catori ran until she was breathless, sweaty, and her icy pants cut at the lungs. 

She had never run so far and fast in her life, not even when that polar bear chased after her.

The small group didn't stop running until they were at the base of the mountain, all too scared to utter a word or glance behind them. 

Maybe from fear of the man, maybe in fear of his people or something worst.

Catori glanced over at Calian. His face was blank and unreadable as he stumbled over his feet. His usual sleek back dark hair was now messy and blown out from the wind.

Kateri had a bored look on her face. In fact, she yawned, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but Catori could see her trembling. Her eyes drifting back and forth, looking for any unseen danger.

"Who the hell was that?" Halona was the first to speak. Her eyes watered from maybe fright or the biting cold.

That made Calian turn on her. "What the hell Halona, I thought you said everything would be alright. Why didn't you see that, that man?''

Halona's eyes watered even more. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it immediately.

Catori stepped in to defend her, and so did Kateri.

Even though Catori was skeptical of Halona's so-called fortune-telling, Halona was still her best friend, "this is not her fault, if you hadn't forced her into going on your stupid little adventure none of this wouldn't happen." Kateri snapped.

"Maybe if her visions were clear or if she could actually see the future, none of that wouldn't have happened,'' Calian yelled, pointing back at the mountain.

"Stop being such a prick Calian, you think everything should go your way just because you’re the Chief's son it's time to grow up smell the roses, and realize that the world nor Desolation doesn't revolve around you,'' Catori added in.

Hating Calian for what he was saying to Halona, she hated that he would dare to say the words people have been whispering behind her back. Calian would be the one to always speak about friendship, but here he was now.

Calian face turned red from anger. "Who asked you, anything nun?"

Leona snickered, not picking any side, but it was clear whose she picked.

Catori frowned as her right-hand shot out and slapped Calian across his face. The sound echoed, "don't speak on what you don't know.''

"What I do know is that you and your family-"

Catori shoot him a warning look then stormed off, mostly because she didn't want them to see her cry.

Instead of going home, Catori took a detour and made her way down to the ocean. She just sat there crying and thinking, wishing that she could turn back the hands of time.

But the only event that ran rampant through her mind was what that man had said. (Until we meet again.)

(Who was he, and what did he mean by that?)

Catori watched the sea lions basking in the sun, wishing she could be like them. Just lived her life without a tie or worry in the world.

Catori looked up as a shadow blocked out the late afternoon sun. Seeing nothing, she went back to watching the sea lions.

In the blink of an eye, a red dragon swept down before her. Catori fell back on the ground, feeling paralyzed by its presence.

Irritation, maybe hate, burned bright in the dragon's eyes. It made a hissing sound, flicking its black forked tongue as if tasting the air, tasting Catori's fear.

The dragon's throat glow brightly, wanting for its fire to build.

But before it could chard Catori to a crisp with its fiery inferno, a black and gold Dragon appeared out of nowhere, crashing in its side.

That caused both of them to lose balance and crash to the snowy ground. One of the dragon's tails suddenly lashed out, hitting Catori, who was still frozen in fear, across the face.

The force threw her back into a nearby willow tree. Black spots danced in her vision and her eyes dart around the open space, trying to keep up with the fast movements of the two dragons.

Buzzing registered in her consciousness, then everything went blank.

When Catori woke, she noticed she was in the powerful arms of her father. 

He had no shirt on and the heat radiating from his body was unbearable. Catori could feel her back drenched in sweat. She stared up at her father's impassive face as he brought her home.

"Dad?" Catori managed weakly.

Lucian gazed down at her daughter, not saying a word, as he watched her eyes closed again.

Lucian avoided everyone's watchful eyes. He must look half-crazed with his ashen skin, torn pants, and missing shoes. No doubt they will start the whispering and spread rumours. They were already convinced that he was from some secret agency that was sent to Desolation to collect data on them.

This was why he tried to isolate himself and his family from everyone, but of course, his wife just had to complain until they now lived just a stone's throw from Chief Akara Stone.

"What happened?'' Farrah cried, rushing over to them.

Lucian pushed past his wife, ignoring her, as he hurried to place Catori in her bed.

"Lucian?" Farrah asked again, while trying to block the view of her younger children.

"I don't know Farrah. I found her down by the ocean like this, could have easily been a sea lion." Lucian was tired and hungry.

"I told her to never go down to that place,'' Farrah begun.

Lucian turned to rest a hand on her shoulder, he then pulled her into a warm embrace, "she'll be ok so, please stop worrying.''

Lucian pushed Farrah out the door at that, then turned to Catori. He brushed back her matted hair from her forehead. She stirred.

"Dad?'' Catori managed out. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down.

"I saw dragons, dad,'' Catori let out.

Lucian didn't reply. Instead, he stood there, staring down at his daughter, then pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Catori drifted off in a night of fitful sleep, twisting and turning as she fought off her nightmares.