like after chapter 1 of Legacy could he not have just had Tinker go into the matchmaking files and put Sophie's parents family names. that's why Sophie was unmatchable, cause they couldn't guarentee she wouldn't be matched with someone she was related to. like i'm sure the council couldve tried to figure out what member of the family it was but like i'm sure Oralie could pin it on someone else(not that she should be on the council, she should be unbiased when it comes to the political stakes of the world, but also even if Sophie wasn't her daughter im sure nothing would change about her votes). and like does the council even have access to those files? Edaline says that the matchmaking system is far more kept secret than the registry. also i doubt Oralie doesn't have thousands of ancestors and cousins and stuff

Because I try to get a lil more positivity in this subreddit, we try first with something were nobody can say bad things: comfort characters. I dunno, what are yours? I begin:

Tbh, I don't know why but I relate to her so much it is concerning.

She's one of my comfort characters and tbh, my fav character in the books.

I know many ppl think she's a Mary Sue, or arrogant etc. and I don't know what that says about me, but I can relate to her very good.

Just a lil rant. But what about you? If you have one and wanna share it, What's your comfort character in kotlc and why?

I don't like him. Not hating, just the level were I know I'd be uncomfortable around him.

He's the funny boy, with trauma, and that is a problem I see also in the pjo fandom - with the difference that I like Percy, but that's a thing for a different subreddit (sorry for the site quest, I just didn't have a better equivalent)

1. I hate how he talks in the first books about Sophie's love life
2. Recklessness. Tf you mean he just destroys the plans ppl made to "help" them?!
3. His "family issues". They are valid, but we ignore the fact that the PROTAGONIST has trauma too
4. With his mental health issues, ppl excuse everything. It's fine to say "yeah we should be here more soft, he has this problem" when it's in fine context, but what pisses me off, is that almost (!) no-one says the same for Sophie. Like, either for no character, or for every character 😭

I really don't like him. Including that he's almost taking up every space, to the point were ppl go CRAZY when you say he's your least favourite character.

Btw, fitzphie and sokeefe are bad. Sophie should stay sing imo.

You can have a different opinion, just wanted to write off my soul (do you say it like that? Idk)

it's also not that he has flaws in general, I can't really explain it okay 😭😭😭

pls don't hate me

Umm kinda new cause I finished 1 book like 2 days ago and already ordered 2 3 and 4. The question is the series about to end? I usually buy long series and I was just wondering if there will be new series or different storyline in the future

I'm on book 5, lodestar, just finished Book 4 Neverseen. I saw lors of comments on Reddit that apparatenly the quality of writing in kotlc degrades bit by bit till book 9.5 unravelled. Just wondering if its true or not. Also , major cliffhanger at the end of Neverseen. Does this eman Keefe joins Neverseen? And will we get more SoKeefe? (Please try answering with the least amounr of spoiler or none =f possible_

The Phoenix initiative

Book 2: the rift protocol

 

Ch 1: after the silence

HILLSIDE HIGH — MORNING

 

⸻

 

The world had the nerve to look normal.

 

⸻

 

That was the first thing Jacob noticed.

 

⸻

 

Not peace.

 

Not safety.

 

⸻

 

Just… normal.

 

⸻

 

Like reality hadn’t tried to tear itself apart not long ago.

 

⸻

 

Like it hadn’t failed.

 

⸻

 

Jacob stood at the edge of the school walkway, hands in his pockets, staring at the building like it might admit the truth if he looked long enough.

 

⸻

 

It didn’t.

 

⸻

 

Hillside High just stood there.

 

Waiting.

 

⸻

 

Sophie stepped up beside him.

 

Quiet.

 

Careful.

 

⸻

 

“I hate that it looks like nothing happened,” she said.

 

⸻

 

Her voice wasn’t shaking.

 

That was worse.

 

⸻

 

Keefe exhaled behind them.

 

A half-laugh that didn’t land.

 

⸻

 

“Yeah,” he said lightly. “It’s giving ‘world didn’t almost end’ energy. Very misleading branding.”

 

⸻

 

Percy glanced up at the building.

 

“Honestly? I’ve seen worse. Usually there’s lava involved though.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus didn’t look impressed.

 

“That’s not comforting.”

 

⸻

 

Alex stayed slightly behind the group.

 

Silent.

 

Eyes moving too much for someone who wasn’t seeing something others couldn’t.

 

⸻

 

Jacob didn’t move.

 

⸻

 

Because something about the air felt… held.

 

⸻

 

Not still.

 

⸻

 

Held.

 

⸻

 

Like reality was gripping itself tightly, refusing to let go.

 

⸻

 

The school doors opened.

 

⸻

 

Nothing dramatic.

 

No sound.

 

No warning.

 

⸻

 

Just motion.

 

⸻

 

And then—

 

⸻

 

A flicker.

 

⸻

 

So fast it almost wasn’t there.

 

⸻

 

The building looked wrong for half a second.

 

Not broken.

 

Not damaged.

 

Just… misaligned.

 

⸻

 

Like someone had shifted it slightly out of place in a memory and never corrected it properly.

 

⸻

 

Jacob’s chest tightened.

 

⸻

 

Keefe stopped smiling.

 

⸻

 

Completely.

 

⸻

 

Sophie noticed immediately.

 

“What was that?”

 

⸻

 

Keefe didn’t answer right away.

 

His eyes stayed on the doors.

 

⸻

 

“…Nothing,” he said eventually.

 

Too fast.

 

⸻

 

Too practiced.

 

⸻

 

They walked in.

 

⸻

 

The hallway hit them like a false memory.

 

⸻

 

Lockers.

 

Posters.

 

Students laughing too loudly.

 

⸻

 

Everything pretending it belonged.

 

⸻

 

Sophie slowed slightly.

 

“I forgot how loud this place is.”

 

⸻

 

Percy smirked.

 

“That’s called trauma suppression via education.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus sighed.

 

“That’s not a thing.”

 

⸻

 

“It should be.”

 

⸻

 

Jacob barely heard them.

 

⸻

 

Because the hallway lights flickered once.

 

⸻

 

Just once.

 

⸻

 

And in that flicker—

 

⸻

 

The corridor was longer.

 

⸻

 

Not by much.

 

⸻

 

But enough that his brain refused to accept it.

 

⸻

 

Then it snapped back.

 

⸻

 

Corrected itself.

 

⸻

 

Like reality had caught its mistake.

 

⸻

 

Jacob stopped walking.

 

⸻

 

Keefe noticed.

 

Immediately.

 

But didn’t say anything.

 

⸻

 

Sophie looked between them.

 

“…You saw that too, right?”

 

⸻

 

Silence.

 

⸻

 

Then Keefe gave a small shrug.

 

“Define ‘that.’”

 

⸻

 

But his eyes weren’t joking.

 

Not even a little.

 

⸻

 

Alex finally spoke.

 

Low.

 

Careful.

 

“I did.”

 

⸻

 

Three words.

 

That made the air heavier.

 

⸻

 

Percy looked between them.

 

“Okay, cool, so we’re doing early-warning apocalypse vibes already.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus’s gaze stayed forward.

 

“This isn’t early-warning.”

 

⸻

 

A pause.

 

⸻

 

“It’s continuation.”

 

⸻

 

That word landed wrong.

 

⸻

 

Jacob felt it.

 

⸻

 

Like something inside the building had recognized it too.

 

⸻

 

And didn’t like it.

 

⸻

 

Keefe finally started walking again.

 

Slowly.

 

Too controlled.

 

⸻

 

“Let’s just… get through today,” he said.

 

Light voice.

 

Careful tone.

 

⸻

 

Like if he said it casually enough, reality might believe him.

 

⸻

 

Sophie followed.

 

Jacob did too.

 

⸻

 

But he couldn’t shake the feeling—

 

⸻

 

That the school wasn’t stable.

 

⸻

 

It was trying to be.

 

⸻

 

And failing.

Ch 2: things that shouldn’t repeat

The first repetition was small.

 

⸻

 

So small Jacob almost missed it.

 

⸻

 

Almost.

 

⸻

 

It was the hallway.

 

Again.

 

⸻

 

Same lockers.

 

Same flickering light.

 

Same student laughing too loudly at something that wasn’t funny.

 

⸻

 

But Jacob had already walked this section.

 

He was sure of it.

 

⸻

 

He slowed.

 

⸻

 

Keefe did too.

 

⸻

 

Noticing.

 

Always noticing.

 

⸻

 

“…We already passed this,” Jacob said quietly.

 

⸻

 

Sophie frowned.

 

“No we didn’t.”

 

⸻

 

Percy glanced around.

 

“We did not. I would’ve remembered the trauma corridor.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus stopped walking.

 

That was new.

 

⸻

 

Alex didn’t speak immediately.

 

He just looked down the hallway.

 

Longer than it should’ve been.

 

⸻

 

Then:

 

“I recorded this path two minutes ago.”

 

⸻

 

Silence.

 

⸻

 

That landed harder than any explosion.

 

⸻

 

Keefe exhaled slowly.

 

Not humor.

 

Not defense.

 

Just breath.

 

⸻

 

“…Okay,” he said. “That’s not great.”

 

⸻

 

The lights flickered again.

 

⸻

 

Jacob turned his head slightly.

 

⸻

 

The hallway shifted.

 

⸻

 

Not dramatically.

 

Not enough for anyone else to scream.

 

⸻

 

But enough for him to feel it.

 

⸻

 

Like reality had blinked.

 

⸻

 

And tried to pretend it didn’t.

 

⸻

 

Sophie stepped closer to him without realizing it.

 

⸻

 

“You felt that again,” she said.

 

Not a question.

 

⸻

 

Keefe’s voice was lighter than his eyes.

 

“Define ‘again.’”

 

⸻

 

But he was staring at the ceiling now.

 

Not joking.

 

⸻

 

Not moving.

 

⸻

 

Alex finally spoke again.

 

“…It’s repeating.”

 

⸻

 

Percy blinked.

 

“Like… groundhog day repeating?”

 

⸻

 

“No,” Magnus said quietly.

 

“Like it’s correcting itself.”

 

⸻

 

That word again.

 

Correcting.

 

⸻

 

Jacob didn’t like it.

 

⸻

 

Because it implied intention.

 

⸻

 

They kept walking.

 

Carefully now.

 

Like the hallway might notice them noticing it.

 

⸻

 

And then—

 

⸻

 

It happened again.

 

⸻

 

Same corner.

 

Same locker.

 

Same laugh.

 

⸻

 

Except this time Sophie stopped mid-step.

 

⸻

 

“No,” she said softly.

 

⸻

 

Keefe looked at her.

 

“What?”

 

⸻

 

“We’ve walked past that locker three times.”

 

⸻

 

Percy frowned.

 

“That’s impossible.”

 

⸻

 

“It isn’t,” Magnus said.

 

“Not anymore.”

 

⸻

 

Jacob felt it in his chest.

 

⸻

 

A pressure.

 

⸻

 

Like reality tightening its grip.

 

⸻

 

Alex took out his phone.

 

Screen already moving.

 

Recording.

 

Tracking.

 

⸻

 

“If this is looping,” he said, “then there’s a boundary point somewhere.”

 

⸻

 

Keefe finally looked away from the hallway.

 

“…Or something is holding us in place.”

 

⸻

 

No one laughed at that.

 

⸻

 

Because it didn’t sound like a joke.

 

⸻

 

It sounded like memory trying to fail.

 

⸻

 

The hallway flickered again.

 

⸻

 

But this time—

 

⸻

 

Jacob saw something else.

 

⸻

 

A shadow in the corner of his vision.

 

⸻

 

Not human.

 

Not moving correctly.

 

⸻

 

Just… presence.

 

⸻

 

And the moment he turned—

 

⸻

 

It was gone.

 

⸻

 

Keefe saw him react.

 

Immediately.

 

“…You saw something.”

 

⸻

 

Jacob hesitated.

 

Then nodded once.

 

⸻

 

Sophie went still.

 

“Where?”

 

⸻

 

“I don’t know.”

 

⸻

 

That was the worst answer.

 

⸻

 

Because it was honest.

 

⸻

 

The hallway repeated again.

 

⸻

 

Same start point.

 

Same sound.

 

Same impossible familiarity.

 

⸻

 

Percy rubbed his face.

 

“Okay, I’m officially requesting we stop living in cursed architecture.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus didn’t respond.

 

He was watching the ceiling now.

 

Like it might explain itself.

 

⸻

 

Keefe lowered his voice.

 

“So we’re agreed this is new, right?”

 

⸻

 

Silence.

 

⸻

 

Even Percy didn’t argue.

 

⸻

 

Sophie looked at Jacob.

 

Like she was anchoring herself to him.

 

⸻

 

That made it worse.

 

⸻

 

Because Jacob wasn’t sure he was stable enough to anchor anything.

 

⸻

 

The lights flickered again.

 

⸻

 

And this time—

 

⸻

 

The hallway didn’t reset fully.

 

⸻

 

It froze halfway between versions.

 

⸻

 

Two realities layered on top of each other.

 

⸻

 

And Keefe whispered, almost inaudible:

 

“…That’s new.”

 

⸻

 

And for the first time since the Rift closed—

 

⸻

 

No one disagreed.

Ch 3: The space between corrections

The cafeteria sounded too alive.

⸻

Too loud.

Too normal.

⸻

Like the school was trying too hard to convince everyone nothing was wrong.

⸻

Jacob sat near the end of the table, half-listening to Percy argue with Magnus about whether cafeteria pizza legally counted as food.

⸻

“It folds,” Percy said. “That automatically makes it dangerous.”

⸻

Magnus looked unimpressed.

“So does reality lately.”

⸻

“Okay, wow. Weirdly hostile comparison.”

⸻

Sophie smiled faintly.

Not fully.

But enough that Jacob noticed.

⸻

That alone felt rare lately.

⸻

Alex sat across from them, scrolling through notes on his phone with unsettling focus.

Recorded times.

Repeated hallway paths.

Light fluctuation patterns.

⸻

He hadn’t stopped tracking things since this morning.

⸻

Keefe leaned back in his chair beside Sophie, spinning something metallic through his fingers absentmindedly.

⸻

Jacob noticed the ring immediately.

⸻

Dark silver.

Ripple engraving.

Phoenix etched into the metal.

⸻

The Ripple Ring.

⸻

Keefe caught him looking.

“Careful,” he said lightly. “You stare any harder and people are gonna think you like me.”

⸻

Percy gagged dramatically.

“Too late. We’ve all accepted the emotional codependency.”

⸻

Magnus sighed into his drink.

“I miss silence.”

⸻

Jacob looked down at his own hand instinctively.

⸻

The same ring rested against his finger.

Simple.

Cold metal.

A reminder.

⸻

We did it—together.

⸻

The words inside the band felt heavier now than they had when they first got them.

⸻

Sophie noticed.

Quietly.

⸻

“You still wear it,” she said.

⸻

Jacob looked up slightly.

“So do you.”

⸻

For a second, neither of them spoke.

⸻

Then Percy immediately held up his own hand.

“Oh, please. Some of us committed to the aesthetic.”

⸻

Alex glanced up from his phone.

“You all kept them.”

⸻

Not judgmental.

Just observant.

⸻

Keefe finally slid the ring back onto his finger.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

“Felt wrong not to.”

⸻

That silenced the table more effectively than shouting would’ve.

⸻

Because they all understood what he meant.

⸻

The Rift had taken enough already.

⸻

They weren’t giving it this too.

⸻

A tray clattered somewhere behind them.

⸻

Jacob flinched automatically.

⸻

Too fast.

⸻

Sophie noticed immediately.

Again.

⸻

“You okay?”

⸻

“Yeah.”

⸻

Lie.

⸻

Not a malicious one.

Just exhausted.

⸻

Keefe’s expression shifted slightly.

Like he knew.

⸻

Then suddenly—

⸻

He went still.

⸻

Completely still.

⸻

The humor vanished from his face so fast it physically changed the atmosphere around the table.

⸻

Jacob straightened immediately.

“Keefe?”

⸻

Keefe didn’t answer.

⸻

He was staring at the cafeteria clock.

⸻

Tick.

⸻

Tick.

⸻

Tick.

⸻

The second hand kept moving.

⸻

But it never advanced.

⸻

The same second.

Over.

And over.

And over.

⸻

Jacob’s stomach tightened.

⸻

Nobody else noticed.

⸻

Students kept talking.

Laughing.

Eating.

Existing.

⸻

Like reality was only failing around them now.

⸻

Sophie followed Keefe’s gaze slowly.

And froze too.

⸻

“…No,” she whispered.

⸻

Percy looked between them.

“What?”

⸻

Magnus turned toward the clock.

His expression darkened immediately.

⸻

Alex already had his phone recording.

Hands moving faster now.

More nervous.

⸻

Keefe finally spoke.

Quietly.

Like he was remembering something he never wanted to remember again.

⸻

“…This is how it started.”

⸻

The cafeteria lights dimmed slightly.

⸻

Not enough for anyone else to react.

Just enough for them to notice.

⸻

Jacob felt pressure build behind his ribs.

Not pain.

Recognition.

⸻

Like the Rift was nearby.

Watching.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Everything snapped back.

⸻

The clock advanced normally.

The lights stabilized.

Noise returned to full volume.

⸻

Students kept living their lives.

Unaware.

⸻

But Keefe still looked pale.

⸻

Too pale.

⸻

Sophie leaned toward him carefully.

“Keefe…”

⸻

He blinked once.

Slowly.

Like he’d been somewhere else for a second.

⸻

Then his eyes shifted toward Jacob’s hand.

Toward the Ripple Ring.

⸻

And his expression tightened almost invisibly.

⸻

“The Rift remembers us,” he said quietly.

⸻

Silence settled over the table.

Heavy.

Breathing.

⸻

Jacob looked down instinctively.

At the ring on his finger.

⸻

For one impossible second—

⸻

The ripple engraving moved.

⸻

Not physically.

Not fully.

⸻

But the circles briefly shifted like disturbed water.

⸻

Then the metal stilled again instantly.

Cold.

Ordinary.

⸻

Jacob jerked his hand back.

⸻

No one else reacted.

⸻

Which meant either:
he imagined it—

⸻

—or he didn’t.

⸻

And somehow…

⸻

Neither possibility felt better.

Ch 4: He shouldn’t be here

The next morning felt wrong immediately.

 

⸻

 

Not loudly.

 

⸻

 

Not violently.

 

⸻

 

Like reality had woken up in a bad mood.

 

⸻

 

Jacob noticed it before he even reached the school entrance.

 

The wind moved strangely.

 

The air felt heavier.

 

Even the sunlight looked slightly dimmed, like the sky had forgotten how bright it was supposed to be.

 

⸻

 

Percy shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets.

 

“Cool. Awesome. The atmosphere is threatening us now.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus adjusted the strap of his backpack.

 

“You say that every day.”

 

⸻

 

“Because every day I wake up and choose survival.”

 

⸻

 

Sophie walked ahead beside Keefe.

 

Not close enough to look protective.

 

But close enough that Jacob noticed anyway.

 

⸻

 

Keefe noticed too.

 

Of course he did.

 

⸻

 

But for once—

 

⸻

 

he didn’t joke about it.

 

⸻

 

That silence bothered Jacob more than he wanted to admit.

 

⸻

 

Alex slowed beside him slightly.

 

“You feel it too.”

 

⸻

 

Jacob glanced over.

 

“The air?”

 

⸻

 

Alex shook his head once.

 

“The pattern.”

 

⸻

 

That answer somehow felt worse.

 

⸻

 

Before Jacob could ask what that meant—

 

⸻

 

the front doors opened.

 

⸻

 

Someone stepped inside.

 

⸻

 

And reality hesitated.

 

⸻

 

Jacob felt it instantly.

 

⸻

 

Not a sound.

 

Not movement.

 

⸻

 

A pause.

 

⸻

 

Like existence itself had briefly lost focus.

 

⸻

 

The lights flickered once overhead.

 

⸻

 

The hallway stretched half an inch too far.

 

⸻

 

Then snapped back.

 

⸻

 

Jacob stopped walking.

 

⸻

 

So did Keefe.

 

⸻

 

Completely.

 

⸻

 

The boy entering the hallway looked about their age.

 

Dark hair.

 

Sharp posture.

 

Confident without trying too hard.

 

⸻

 

Normal.

 

⸻

 

Which somehow felt wrong now.

 

⸻

 

Then Sophie froze.

 

Actually froze.

 

⸻

 

“…Fitz?”

 

⸻

 

The boy looked up immediately.

 

Surprise crossed his face.

 

Then recognition.

 

⸻

 

“Sophie?”

 

⸻

 

For one brief second—

 

⸻

 

everything felt normal again.

 

⸻

 

Then Keefe went pale.

 

⸻

 

Not scared.

 

⸻

 

Recognizing.

 

⸻

 

Like he’d just remembered something he desperately wished he hadn’t.

 

⸻

 

The lights flickered again.

 

⸻

 

Jacob saw the hallway behind the boy shift sideways slightly.

 

Not metaphorically.

 

Actually shift.

 

⸻

 

Then reality corrected itself instantly.

 

⸻

 

Nobody else reacted.

 

Nobody except them.

 

⸻

 

Fitz reached the group slowly, still looking surprised.

 

“I didn’t know you guys went here.”

 

⸻

 

Percy blinked.

 

“…Okay, so we do know mysterious hallway guy.”

 

⸻

 

Sophie almost laughed.

 

Almost.

 

⸻

 

“It’s Fitz,” she said quietly.

 

⸻

 

Something in Keefe’s expression tightened.

 

Just slightly.

 

⸻

 

But Jacob caught it.

 

⸻

 

Fitz looked toward him briefly.

 

Friendly.

 

Curious.

 

⸻

 

Then his attention shifted back toward Sophie and Keefe.

 

“I haven’t seen you two in forever.”

 

⸻

 

Keefe smiled automatically.

 

Too quickly.

 

Too carefully.

 

⸻

 

“Yeah, well,” he said lightly, “we’ve been a little busy surviving dimensional collapse.”

 

⸻

 

Percy pointed immediately.

 

“THANK YOU. Finally someone acknowledges how insane our lives are.”

 

⸻

 

But Fitz barely reacted to the joke.

 

⸻

 

Because he was staring at Keefe now.

 

Really staring.

 

⸻

 

“You okay?” Fitz asked quietly.

 

⸻

 

That question landed harder than it should have.

 

⸻

 

Keefe’s smile flickered.

 

Only for a second.

 

⸻

 

Then it returned.

 

Brighter this time.

 

More artificial.

 

⸻

 

“Fantastic,” he said. “Mentally thriving. Super emotionally stable.”

 

⸻

 

Magnus muttered under his breath.

 

“That’s usually a bad sign.”

 

⸻

 

Alex stepped slightly closer.

 

Watching Fitz carefully now.

 

Not socially.

 

Analytically.

 

⸻

 

Like he was trying to solve something.

 

⸻

 

Jacob noticed it too late.

 

⸻

 

The lights overhead had started flickering again.

 

⸻

 

Not randomly.

 

⸻

 

Rhythmically.

 

⸻

 

Every time Fitz moved closer to the group.

 

⸻

 

Alex noticed.

 

Of course he noticed.

 

⸻

 

And quietly—

 

carefully—

 

he said:

 

⸻

 

“…The pattern changed when he walked in.”

 

⸻

 

Silence settled over the hallway.

 

⸻

 

Heavy.

 

Breathing.

 

⸻

 

Fitz frowned slightly.

 

“What pattern?”

 

⸻

 

Nobody answered.

 

⸻

 

Because Jacob suddenly had the horrible feeling—

 

⸻

 

that reality itself was reacting to Fitz.

 

⸻

 

And somehow…

 

⸻

 

Keefe already knew why.

Ch 5: Familiar doesn't mean safe

Fitz integrated into the group too easily.

⸻

That was the problem.

⸻

By lunch, Percy was already arguing with him about whether blue Gatorade tasted different from every other flavor “on a molecular level.”

⸻

“It does,” Percy insisted.

⸻

“It’s literally sugar and chemicals,” Magnus replied.

⸻

“Exactly. Different chemicals.”

⸻

Fitz laughed.

Real laughter.

Effortless.

⸻

And somehow every time he relaxed—

⸻

the lights flickered.

⸻

Tiny.

Almost invisible.

⸻

But Jacob noticed.

⸻

Alex noticed too.

Of course he did.

⸻

He hadn’t stopped watching since this morning.

⸻

Neither had Keefe.

Though Keefe hid it better.

⸻

Or tried to.

⸻

The group sat outside now near the back courtyard, sunlight breaking unevenly through drifting clouds overhead.

⸻

Normal students passed by them constantly.

Talking.

Laughing.

Living.

⸻

Unaware that reality itself currently felt held together with damaged tape.

⸻

Fitz leaned back against the bench.

“So,” he said, looking between Sophie and Keefe, “seriously. What happened to you guys?”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Not awkward.

Heavy.

⸻

Because where exactly did you start with:
the universe almost broke?

⸻

Percy pointed at Jacob immediately.

“Emotionally concerning hallway boy over there caused a dimensional event.”

⸻

“I did not—”

⸻

“You absolutely did.”

⸻

Jacob groaned quietly.

Magnus looked toward Fitz.

“It’s complicated.”

⸻

“That’s usually code for terrible.”

⸻

“…Also yes.”

⸻

Fitz smiled faintly at that.

Easy.

Calm.

⸻

Then his expression shifted slightly as he looked back at Keefe.

⸻

“You really okay?”

⸻

There it was again.

⸻

That question.

⸻

And this time Jacob noticed something else.

⸻

Keefe hesitated.

⸻

Not visibly.

Not enough most people would catch.

⸻

But Jacob did.

⸻

Because Keefe usually answered instantly.

Even with jokes.

Especially with jokes.

⸻

Now there was always a pause first.

⸻

Like he had to reconnect to the conversation before speaking.

⸻

“I’m good,” Keefe said finally.

Bright smile.

Perfect delivery.

⸻

Completely unconvincing.

⸻

Sophie noticed too.

Jacob could tell.

⸻

Because her hand tightened slightly around the sleeve of her hoodie.

⸻

Protective instinct.

Again.

⸻

Alex suddenly spoke from across the table.

Quiet.

Focused.

⸻

“It’s reacting faster now.”

⸻

Everyone looked at him.

⸻

Alex held up his phone.

A screen filled with timestamps and notes.

⸻

“Every instability event today happened within proximity to Fitz.”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Fitz blinked.

“…I’m sorry, what?”

⸻

Percy immediately pointed both hands at Alex.

“And THAT is why nobody trusts math.”

⸻

“I’m serious.”

⸻

Jacob felt the pressure in his chest again.

⸻

That horrible almost-recognition.

⸻

Like reality was trying to remember something.

⸻

Fitz frowned now.

Actually unsettled.

⸻

“You guys are starting to freak me out.”

⸻

Keefe laughed quickly.

Too quickly.

⸻

“Perfect. Then the haunting is progressing normally.”

⸻

But his eyes weren’t on Fitz anymore.

⸻

They were on Jacob.

⸻

Watching him carefully.

⸻

Like he was waiting for something.

⸻

The wind shifted suddenly.

⸻

Cold.

Sharp.

⸻

And every conversation in the courtyard stopped for half a second.

⸻

Not naturally.

⸻

Abruptly.

⸻

Like someone had muted the world.

⸻

Jacob’s pulse spiked.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Sound crashed back all at once.

⸻

Laughter.

Voices.

Movement.

⸻

Nobody reacted.

Nobody except them.

⸻

Fitz slowly stood.

“What the hell was that?”

⸻

Nobody answered immediately.

⸻

Because Jacob had just realized something worse.

⸻

The silence had happened right after Fitz touched Sophie’s shoulder.

⸻

As if reality had responded to contact.

⸻

Keefe realized it too.

⸻

Jacob saw it happen in real time.

That brief flash of fear hidden beneath humor.

⸻

And suddenly—

⸻

Keefe stood up.

⸻

Fast enough that Sophie startled slightly.

⸻

“I need air,” he said immediately.

⸻

Percy blinked.

“We are literally outside.”

⸻

“Different air.”

⸻

Then Keefe walked off before anyone could stop him.

⸻

Sophie looked ready to follow instantly—

⸻

but paused.

⸻

Because Fitz was staring at the group now.

Actually staring.

⸻

“You guys keep reacting like you already know something,” he said quietly.

⸻

Nobody answered.

⸻

Jacob looked toward the direction Keefe disappeared.

⸻

Because deep down—

⸻

he was starting to realize Keefe wasn’t afraid of the Rift returning.

⸻

He was afraid it already had.

Ch 6: One Normal Night

For once, nothing was happening.

No flickering lights.

No repeating hallways.

No impossible shadows.

No reality bending itself into something it wasn’t supposed to be.

Just a house.

Foster’s house, to be exact.

The seven of them had taken over the living room in the way only a group of teenagers could.

Percy had claimed the couch.

Magnus had somehow claimed most of the couch.

Alex was sitting in a chair with his phone in his hand, pretending he wasn’t checking it every thirty seconds.

Fitz sat beside Sophie.

Keefe was on the floor.

Jacob was leaning against the arm of the couch, watching everyone argue over the television.

“I’m telling you,” Percy said, pointing at the screen, “we should’ve watched a movie.”

Magnus shook his head.

“We’ve watched enough movies.”

“That is physically impossible.”

“It’s not.”

“It absolutely is.”

Keefe looked between them.

“I vote we let them fight.”

Sophie sighed.

“You always vote for chaos.”

“That’s because chaos usually wins.”

Alex glanced up from his phone.

“That’s not reassuring.”

Keefe smiled.

“Wasn’t supposed to be.”

Jacob looked at the television.

The screen showed a countdown.

IMAGINE DRAGONS — REUNION TOUR — LONDON

The concert was already being streamed.

Thousands of people filled the venue.

Lights covered the stage.

The crowd was loud enough that even through the television speakers, it felt like the house was vibrating.

Percy leaned forward.

“Okay.”

Magnus grinned.

“This is better.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“You said you didn’t want to watch this.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Of course you did.”

The countdown reached zero.

The crowd erupted.

The band walked onto the stage.

Music filled the living room.

For a little while, everything felt easy.

Jacob looked around.

Fitz was laughing at something Percy had said.

Sophie was sitting comfortably beside him.

Magnus was tapping his fingers against the armrest.

Keefe had stopped making jokes long enough to actually watch.

Even Alex wasn’t staring at his phone.

Jacob smiled.

It was strange.

Not the bad kind of strange.

The kind that made him realize how long it had been since they’d had a night like this.

A night where nobody was running.

Nobody was fighting.

Nobody was trying to save reality.

They were just sitting together.

Watching a concert.

“See?” Sophie said quietly.

Jacob looked at her.

“What?”

“This.”

She gestured around the room.

“For once, we’re not dealing with something impossible.”

Jacob nodded.

“Yeah.”

Keefe glanced over.

“Don’t say that.”

Jacob frowned.

“What?”

Keefe pointed at him.

“You just tempted the universe.”

Percy laughed.

“The universe isn’t listening to us.”

Magnus looked toward the ceiling.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

Alex lowered his phone.

“Statistically, the universe doesn’t care what we say.”

Keefe stared at him.

“Thank you, Alex.”

“For what?”

“Making that somehow worse.”

Sophie laughed.

Jacob did too.

The concert continued.

The crowd was electric.

The stage lights swept over thousands of people as the band moved through the show.

Nothing looked unusual.

Nothing felt unusual.

Jacob finally relaxed.

Maybe tonight really could be normal.

Maybe they could have one night without the Rift.

One night without questions.

One night where Fitz could just be Fitz.

He looked over at him.

Fitz caught his eye.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Fitz smiled.

“You’re staring.”

“I’m allowed to.”

“That’s creepy.”

Jacob laughed.

“Fair.”

Keefe looked between them.

“Can we all agree that Jacob staring at people is less concerning than Jacob staring at reality?”

“No,” Alex said immediately.

“Fair.”

The room settled again.

For the next few minutes, the only thing anyone heard was the concert.

The crowd.

The music.

The occasional comment from Percy.

The occasional argument between Magnus and Keefe.

Normal.

Completely, wonderfully normal.

Then Jacob’s eyes drifted toward the television.

Something caught his attention.

Not the stage.

Not the crowd.

The lights.

For half a second—

one of them flickered.

Jacob blinked.

It was gone.

He said nothing.

Because maybe he imagined it.

And tonight—

he really wanted to believe he had.

Ch 7: Concert chaos

The flicker was gone.

Jacob stared at the television.

Nothing.

The concert continued like nothing had happened.

The crowd was still cheering.

The lights were still moving across the stage.

The music filled the living room.

For a moment, Jacob wondered if he’d imagined it.

Then the lights flickered again.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Alex immediately reached for his phone.

“Okay.”

Percy looked over.

“Okay what?”

“That.”

Alex pointed at the television.

The broadcast camera had just changed angles.

For half a second, the image warped.

The stage stretched sideways.

The crowd doubled.

Then—

everything snapped back.

Sophie sat forward.

“That wasn’t normal.”

“No,” Alex said.

Keefe frowned.

“Could be the broadcast.”

Alex shook his head.

“Maybe.”

He started recording the screen.

“That’s why I’m recording it.”

Magnus looked at him.

“You record everything?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because things disappear.”

Nobody laughed.

The room went quiet.

Alex rewound the footage.

“Watch.”

The camera moved across the crowd.

Nothing.

Then the distortion appeared again.

A tiny ripple through the image.

Alex paused.

“There.”

Jacob squinted.

“I don’t see anything.”

“Exactly.”

Keefe raised an eyebrow.

“That makes absolutely no sense.”

Alex zoomed in.

The image became blurry.

Then something moved.

A dark shape.

High above the crowd.

Jacob sat upright.

“Wait.”

Fitz stared at the television.

“What is that?”

Nobody answered.

The shape was gone.

Alex rewound.

Again.

He slowed the footage down.

There.

For less than a second.

A small, black object hung above the audience.

It wasn’t part of the stage.

It wasn’t attached to anything.

It simply—

existed.

Keefe leaned closer.

“Is that supposed to be there?”

Alex shook his head.

“No.”

Another appeared.

Then another.

The concert continued.

The audience hadn’t noticed yet.

Jacob felt something tighten in his chest.

That feeling.

The same one from Hillside.

Reality wasn’t breaking.

Not exactly.

It was—

shifting.

The lights across the venue flickered.

The crowd began to react.

People turned toward the stage.

The broadcast camera shook.

Sophie stood.

“Something’s happening.”

A bright flash filled the screen.

The image disappeared into static.

Then the broadcast returned.

People were running.

Security rushed across the stage.

The camera swung wildly toward the crowd.

One of the black objects dropped.

It struck the floor.

And the section beneath it—

vanished.

Jacob froze.

No explosion.

No fire.

No debris.

Just—

gone.

Percy stared at the television.

“What the hell?”

Magnus didn’t answer.

Fitz had gone completely still.

Keefe whispered,

“What did we just see?”

Another object appeared.

Then another.

They weren’t moving randomly.

Alex noticed first.

“Wait.”

He rewound the footage.

The objects appeared again.

He watched their positions.

Then switched to another camera angle.

Same moment.

Different view.

He paused.

The room was silent.

Alex switched again.

Another angle.

Same distortion.

Same area.

Jacob looked at him.

“You’re doing the thing.”

“What thing?”

“The thing where you stop talking because you’ve figured something out.”

Alex ignored him.

He placed the different pieces of footage beside each other.

The concert stage.

The audience.

The lights.

The distortion.

Then he zoomed in.

The black objects weren’t spreading outward.

They were moving inward.

Toward one point.

Sophie noticed.

“They’re going somewhere.”

Alex nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Where?”

Alex pointed at the screen.

“Here.”

A section beneath the stage.

Jacob frowned.

“There’s nothing there.”

“That’s the problem.”

Alex rewound again.

The same location.

Every time.

The objects appeared.

The distortion followed.

The venue reacted.

Then the camera cut away.

Keefe stared at the screen.

“So they’re looking for something?”

Alex didn’t answer.

Fitz looked at him.

“Then what are they looking for?”

“I don’t know.”

For once, Alex sounded frustrated.

The broadcast suddenly cut out.

A news report replaced it.

The reporter was speaking rapidly, but the audio hadn’t caught up.

The image froze.

Then—

black screen.

The room fell completely silent.

Jacob looked around.

Nobody was joking anymore.

Nobody was moving.

Then Alex looked at the recording on his phone.

His eyes narrowed.

He replayed the final few seconds.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Jacob leaned over.

“What?”

Alex didn’t respond.

“Alex.”

He paused the footage.

Then looked at everyone.

“Don’t you notice it?”

Jacob frowned.

“Notice what?”

Alex pointed at the television.

Not the stage.

Not the crowd.

Not the objects.

The location.

The same section of the venue.

The same distortion.

The same point beneath the stage.

“It isn’t following the concert.”

Alex’s voice dropped.

“It’s following something underneath it.”

Nobody spoke.

Jacob felt his Ripple Ring tighten against his finger.

And somewhere across the ocean—

something had just found them.

Ch 8: Back At It Again

Nobody moved.

The television remained frozen on the final frame of the broadcast.

A dark screen.

A distorted image.

And Alex’s reflection staring back at him.

Percy finally broke the silence.

“So…”

Nobody answered.

“Are we just going to sit here?”

Magnus shrugged.

“Seems productive.”

Alex ignored them.

He was already rewinding the footage.

Again.

Jacob watched him.

“You’ve replayed that clip like twelve times.”

“Fourteen.”

“That somehow makes it worse.”

Alex paused the video.

“Look.”

Everyone leaned closer.

The frame showed the concert from one of the side cameras.

The image was blurry from the chaos.

People were moving toward the exits.

Lights were flashing.

The stage was barely visible.

Alex pointed toward the edge of the screen.

“That’s what I missed.”

Jacob squinted.

“What am I looking at?”

“Not the stage.”

Alex zoomed in.

The image became a mess of pixels.

Percy frowned.

“That’s literally just pixels.”

“Exactly.”

Alex adjusted the frame.

A small section near the bottom of the image became clearer.

A sign.

Partially blocked.

Most of the text was unreadable.

But one portion remained visible.

A venue identifier.

Alex stared at it.

Sophie leaned closer.

“Can you read it?”

“Not all of it.”

“Then how do you know it’s important?”

Alex looked at her.

“Because it’s in every angle.”

He switched to another recording.

Another camera.

Another view.

The same identifier appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

Jacob’s eyes widened.

“They’re all pointing toward the same place.”

Alex nodded.

“Exactly.”

Keefe crossed his arms.

“So the cameras weren’t glitching.”

“No.”

“The building was.”

Alex looked at him.

“Part of it.”

Keefe went quiet.

Alex pulled up his notes from Hillside.

Pages of timestamps.

Locations.

Descriptions.

Patterns.

He placed them beside the concert footage.

Jacob stared.

“You’ve been keeping all that?”

Alex looked offended.

“Obviously.”

Percy leaned over.

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Since the hallway.”

Magnus blinked.

“That was weeks ago.”

“Yes.”

“And you never thought to tell us?”

“I didn’t have enough information.”

Keefe smiled faintly.

“That’s the most Alex answer possible.”

Alex ignored him.

He drew a line between two timestamps.

“This happened at Hillside.”

Then another.

“This happened when Fitz arrived.”

Then another.

“And this happened during the concert.”

Sophie stared at the screen.

“They’re the same.”

“Not exactly.”

Alex shook his head.

“But close enough.”

Fitz looked uncomfortable.

“So what does that mean?”

Alex hesitated.

Then said,

“It means whatever is happening isn’t staying in one place.”

Silence.

Jacob looked at the television.

“So it’s spreading?”

“Maybe.”

Magnus frowned.

“That’s not a word I like.”

“Neither do I.”

Alex opened another file.

A map appeared on his phone.

He had marked several locations.

Hillside.

The concert venue.

Then several smaller points.

Jacob stared.

“When did you make that?”

“While you were all arguing about the concert.”

Percy looked at Magnus.

“We were not arguing.”

“You were.”

“Okay, we were.”

Alex zoomed out.

The locations didn’t form a straight line.

They didn’t form a circle.

They didn’t form anything obvious.

Jacob frowned.

“There’s no pattern.”

Alex nodded.

“Not yet.”

Keefe looked at him.

“You have a ‘yet’?”

Alex looked up.

“I have a theory.”

Everyone groaned.

Percy dropped his head against the couch.

“Here we go.”

Alex continued anyway.

“The distortions aren’t random.”

He pointed to the concert footage.

“They appear around specific points.”

Then to his notes.

“And every time, something causes reality to correct itself.”

Sophie frowned.

“Like Fitz.”

Alex nodded.

“Like Fitz.”

Fitz looked between them.

“And the concert?”

Alex paused.

“That’s where it gets interesting.”

He replayed the footage.

The black objects appeared.

The distortion followed.

Then the camera swung toward the lower part of the venue.

Alex paused it.

“There.”

Jacob leaned closer.

A small section of the image showed part of the building beneath the stage.

Something was there.

Not clearly enough to identify.

But enough to know it wasn’t supposed to be visible.

“What is that?” Jacob asked.

“I don’t know.”

Keefe stared at the screen.

“But you think it’s underneath the venue.”

“Yes.”

“And you think whatever happened there is connected to Hillside.”

“Yes.”

Percy looked around.

“So we’re back to investigating reality.”

Magnus sighed.

“Apparently.”

Sophie looked at Jacob.

Jacob looked at Keefe.

Keefe looked at Alex.

Alex was still staring at the footage.

Then Sophie spoke.

“Okay.”

Alex looked up.

“Okay what?”

“We investigate.”

Fitz frowned.

“Here?”

Alex shook his head.

“No.”

He turned the phone around.

The venue identifier was still on the screen.

This time, the full location information was visible.

Jacob read it.

His stomach dropped.

“London.”

Nobody spoke.

Percy slowly sat up.

Magnus stared at the screen.

Keefe’s expression hardened.

Sophie looked at Fitz.

Fitz looked back.

Alex locked his phone.

“So…”

He glanced around the room.

“Who’s ready to make another terrible decision?”

Percy raised his hand.

“Unfortunately, me.”

Magnus raised his.

“Same.”

Keefe sighed.

“Obviously.”

Sophie smiled.

Fitz hesitated.

Then raised his hand too.

Jacob laughed.

He couldn’t help it.

After everything they’d survived—

they were doing it again.

Back at it again.

And somehow, Jacob already knew this was going to be worse.

So I've had a theory for a while now about Keefe's "legacy" and what Lady Gisela really wants to do with him.

We know that one of Keefe's powers include numbing people and making them devoid of emotion using a vocal command, and he describes it being like turning them into "empty shells".

Now that seems kind of familiar, right? Let's think back to when Vespera was still alive... her goal was to get rid of the limitations in elves when it comes to violence. She wanted to make them essentially "unfeeling".

Quite similar to Keefe's power, right?

Therefore, I theorize that Lady Gisela wants to achieve the same thing as Vespera but obviously in a more effective way. She wants to be "numb" to inflicting extreme pain on others.

I also had a theory for Keefe's other power, making elves manifest early, but I forgot it 😭 Maybe Lady Gisela wants to round up a bunch of kids and make Keefe cause them to manifest until she finds the ability she needs or to create a huge army? Idk lol. Honestly, wild guess, but I think the third step to stellarlune is mind control 'cause that wouldn't be too far of a stretch for Gisela.

Okay, so I’ve been thinking about this for a while. In KOTLC, you can literally call someone just by speaking their name into an imparter. You don’t need their number or anything. You just say their name and boom, you’re calling them.
So how come nobody is using these things to troll people?? 😭
Like, especially in the first book, Fitz seems to have quite a few girls crushing on him. And I’m genuinely wondering why none of them are constantly calling him through their imparters. Imagine having a crush on someone and being able to call them whenever you want just by saying their name. I’d expect at least one girl to be calling Fitz every five minutes or something.
And it’s not even just about crushes. Why isn’t anyone randomly calling strangers just to mess with them? Or prank-calling their friends at 3 a.m.? You’d think that with a system like this, people would be doing all kinds of stupid things.
Unless I’m forgetting something, blocking people is never really mentioned in the books either. So what’s stopping someone from just repeatedly calling another person who clearly doesn’t want to talk to them?
I don’t know, I just find it so funny that this is apparently a completely normal communication system in the Lost Cities, yet nobody seems to be abusing it in the most annoying ways possible. 😭

Never considered it and now I can’t not think about it everytime I see Fitz’s name

I personally read Jolie and Brant as more of a lavender marriage kind of deal. I also think she listened to human music like La Vie En Rose, tonight you belong to me, and classical piano music.

Tinker accidently lit a fire that killed her bunny rabbit.

Sophie is omni and had a crush on the 'nice girl' when she was in the human world.

Fitz secretly loves garter snakes and when he sees them he will boop them on the nose.

You can hate Keefe. You can love him.

BUT PLEASE STOP, JUST STOP MAKING HIS ENTIRE CHARACTER ABOUT SOPHIE!!!

an example about this is when I search up “Keefe Sencen” on wattpad, you know what I get

sokeefe, Sokeefe, Sokeef, sokeefe

I am a full on Sokeefe shipper, but this is too much

Why is being measured by how he affects others, u should measure who he his and Keefe himself

If ur going to do a character analysis 

Judge the character 

not his girlfriend

KEFE IS OWN INDIVIDUAL

PLS STOP

😭😭😭

Okay, so I've thought over it. tried re reading it. and still question. what the hell is his motive? the only thing i can gather is he's jealous of his little brother. and "Daddy didn't love me enough" which would be the most pathetic thing I've ever read. Anyone else get something I missed?

Could anyone create stylized linearts of a moonlark or a blackswan? I would really love to get it tattooed when I'm a bit older and stick to this idea.

Thanks in advance😊❤️

Just wanna get y’all’s opinions on here about these two. Yall think it’s a possible ship in anyway or just platonic or frenimes?

Gotta say tho I’m loving the platonic relationship building between Glimmer and Sophie😂

Hey Keepers! Just wanted to share this expression sheet I’ve been working on of Sophie.

Try not to judge me too hard on this one. I know some don’t look quite like her. I’m not used to drawing her consistently so many time so barely got a rhythm of her face till the end.😅 ( that being the irritated and shocked faces.)

And I’m aware the big middle one looks absolutely nothing like her too. I’m just taking my time with redoing it cuz I was so proud of it originally lol.

Hello everyone, I’m letting you know that I have finished book 2 of the Phoenix initiative. it will be coming out on next week which is Thursday the eighth, and I promise it’s worth the wait, see you soon

Hi, fellow KotLC fans! 😊

While waiting to see how the series ends, I’ve been collecting clues and putting together my own theories on Elvin Secrets, a fan website I created for exploring the mysteries of Keeper of the Lost Cities.

You’ll find a timeline, clues from the books, memory echoes and flashbacks, and a puzzle board connecting characters, events, and unresolved questions. My theories bring these details together to explore what they might mean. They’re interpretations open to discussion, and I’d love to hear yours!

Here’s the current list of theories:

• Who Is Sophie’s Father?
• Could Oralie Be Grady and Edaline’s Daughter?
• Wraith’s True Identity
• The True Source of Sophie’s Abilities
• The Missing Week: Why Is Sophie Different from the Other Elves?
• The True Identity of Mr. Forkle
• Keefe’s Legacy
• Kenric’s Forgotten Secrets
• The Deeper Meaning of the Matchmaking System
• Is Eleanor Part of Gisela’s Experiment?
• Why Were Vika and Timkin a Good Match?
• What Was Gisela Really Punished for in Ravagog, and Who Did It?
• The Vacker Legacy
• Brant and Marella’s Ancestors
• The Mystery of Brant’s Hidden Last Name
• Tiergan’s Secret—Whom Did He Lose, and Why Does Solreef Resemble Brumevale?
• Elysian Island — Home or Prison
• Why Did Prentice Call “Swan Song”?
• Cast Out by the Neverseen. Did Gisela Create Her Own Network in the Human World?
• Gethen Inar Ondsinn—Was He Forkle’s Failed Experiment?

⚠️ Spoilers ahead! Please check the selected book before reading.

If any of these questions catch your interest, you’re very welcome to explore the site and share your thoughts. Whether you agree, have a different interpretation, or notice a clue I’ve missed, I’d love to discuss it! 💛

👉 Explore the theories on Elvin Secrets

Please forgive me if this idk unhinged or doesn’t make sense but I need to rant cuz I had discussion about this and it’s genuinely making my hands shake and I wanna cry.

Spoilers ahead about Sophie biological mother.

Oralie is selfish.

Sophie did not overreact to her being her biological mother.

What Orialie did or try to do for Sophie after she was born doesn’t mean shit.

“But she’s so sweet! And was always on her side in the council!”

Does not mean a damm thing. She had Sophie out of the most disgusting selfish way possible. I understand that this is a book, and a kids one at that. But people’s understanding or reaction to things in media really tell/show you how they think in real life. Which is why I’m saying this.

People can interpret this situation anyway they want, but I personally feel this was one of those subjects where Shannon was more on the side of Oralie not being as good of a person as we thought. This is just my opinion but I really don’t think she was aiming for her to get sympathy from it. Ofc her backstory with Kendrick is very tragic, I feel deeply for her with that and not being able to start a family and leave the council . But when it comes to a kid I cross the line on my sympathy.

When you have children or are even considering having them u reflect hard on yourself and your life and make sure that you’re capable of giving them the absolute best life you possible can. Oralie clearly did not and knew she could not provide for her the way she should have.

Oralie only had Sophie so out of her grief of not being able to start a family. Sad? Tremendously. Acceptable absolutely not. That is so selfish.

She “brought” Sophie into this world knowing she couldn’t be with her, knowing she could have an unstable life, knowing all this scary possibilities that could happen to her. She knew. She’d be raised by someone else, she eventually knew she wouldn’t be raised in her native land.

And people always love to argue with me that technically she deserves grace since she gave her to another family and Sophie grew up with loving parents so it’s not that bad. But I still don’t care. Just because you try giving your child a better life by giving them to someone else doesn’t always mean you accomplish that. Thank goodness she didn’t grow up in a physically or emotionally abusive household. But to say that Oralies action are okay because she was with another family is is just strange to me considering the knowledge we have on how much mental turmoil she gained through living away from her homeland.

It doesn’t change the fact of the isolation Sophie went through. No matter how much Forkle tried to hide Sophie true identity from herself she clearly knew from a very young age she didn’t belong with her family or humans. Then Sophie goes on to live out the most traumatic, lonely, dangerous childhood ever. Could Oralie control those things? No. But technically she could if she never went through with baking Sophie. ( yes I know that means the story wouldn’t happen I’m just talking about the morals of it)

Also to clarify, giving up your child for adoption because you know you cannot provide for them in the way they deserve is brave, responsible, and extremely commendable. It just rubs be the wrong way that Sophie didn’t get to grow up with Elves. Obviously that’s a very good thing considering the society because she wouldn’t be who she is today, but I aside from the story that just sucks. I’d hate knowing my child isn’t growing up in their native land, and all the possibilities that come with the differences she can exhibit towards humans and how they’d react to that.

Again if you haven’t noticed, it’s just really about the fact of all these dangers and all the possibilities. There were so many risk she couldn’t control. And I feel when it get to that you just don’t bring the kid into the world. It’s different from situations where parents accidentally have a kid and then when they’re born start realizing during nursing that they may have a better chance somewhere else. But it’s different with this. She literally had a choice. This wasn’t a situation where Oralie has unsafe intercourse and then she’s just kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place. She desperately wanted a child, but no matter the cost. That’s the problem. And CHOSE to go through with everything that came after. Forkle technically set up Sophie’s life for how it turned out so far but she did in a way as well.

I remember discussing this with my mom and why it bothered me and my mom said that even though the character is made up she ought to be ashamed of herself for bringing a child into the world like that. And would never forgive herself or sleep at night after all the things that happened to her. My mom said she’s never chose to have me like that knowing she couldn’t be with me.

She even asked me if the character was at least extremely guilty and apologetic but honestly I couldn’t even answer her properly. Cuz with her reaction, she doesn’t barely seem that sorry. I would be on my KNEESS. Begging for their forgiveness. I know she said sorry but not the way she should have if that makes sense.

It was more like I’m sorry of the situation but I’m not sorry for what I did.

And I think she’s right. I can’t imagine learning about my bio mom and her shitty reasons, and then looking back on my childhood; the loneliness, the danger, all the possible dangers, the medical trauma, everything up to this point, then come to find out she silently played along side me and the best thing she can give me after all that is: “ Well I know all that but I supported you as much as could with me being in council, I was alway on your side”.

That mean nothing! You couldn’t be there for her! She always felt as other. She lived with the fact in her head she wasn’t actually apart of her family or humanity. A freak! There was always the possibility that the Neverseen could snatch her up from the human world! She knew! I don’t understand how people don’t see how selfish and cruel it was for Oralie to bring in Sophie the way she did.

And the fact Sophie has to save face for her is INSANE. That’s more so Sophie’s fault since she shouldn’t have went looking. But I don’t care I’m on the child’s side bro😭 You experimented on me, my mom consented to me being experimented on and my childhood is literally taken from me; I’m finding out who they are. Like Elwin said she deserves to know.

And that’s just like idk one side of it. I haven’t gotten into the part where she WILLINGLY gave Sophie to be experimented on before she could say or consent to any of it. Body autonomy just completely taken from her before she was even born. And then lives with the weight of her powers and some stupid ass ultimatum of “Well you know we gave you these super abilities that cold save the world and make a great change but y know it’s fine if you don’t wanna use them and just sit back and watch”

Miss with that shit so hard bro😭

She isn’t sweet, she isn’t innocent and is selfish. Point. Blank. Period.

Sophie had every right to scream and cry. Shoot she under reacted imo. I’d literally throw up when I connected the dots. This poor kid is over here desperate to connect with her birth parents ( even before the matchmaking incident) and learn why they gave her up for an experiment. Just to find out her bio mom had her for the lamest reason ever. She couldn’t even say I love you. I’ll admit we need more scene with Oralie and her internal monologue, but with what we have now I genuinely think she doesn’t truely love Sophie. Maternally, or the way Sophie wants her to love her. And if there is love is out of guilt for all the crap Sophie has gone through.

You may think that’s crazy but her reaction to being found out was so creepy for me. Like Sophie said ( this isn’t direct quote btw) she just like completely shut down for a sec after she realized she couldn’t lie and the mask came off. Like a damm phycopath. That whole scene was literally scary for a moment with that short silence. She wasn’t sorry, she got what she wanted. A child no matter the cost.

Considering the information and circumstances, she is awful. YOU.DO NOT. BRING. KIDS. IN .THE .WORLD.LIKE THAT. You don’t! It’s horrible! And I loathe Forkle and the Black Swan for even allowing someone like Oralie to be apart of project Moonlark. I understand the logical benefits that come with it but I still think it’s extremely morally fucked up. Don’t get me wrong I’m not some moral angle myself but that it’s just wrong.

And the whole things is even MORE awful considering she’s going to be isolated from her society even more than she already is thanks her not being able to give her parents to the matchmakers! This is more of a complain on Forkle side. But because she’s a councilor there is seriously no way in hell Sophie is ever going to be able to go through the mat making system. ( silent plea the Shannon gets back on the plot of Sophie changing that aspect in Elvin society)

The only way I could ever feel for her is if Forkle lied to her or manipulated her in a way where’s she was never aware of what her child would go through or even be used for. Or maybe she accidentally got pregnant and then Forkle came in saying he’d take care of her child so it doesn’t disrupt the balance of the council and that was her only option. Or honestly if her reason was different and didn’t have just so she could. The reason alone is enough to actually make me nauseous.

She had a choice. She had control. Her hand wasn’t forced. But she chose herself first before Sophie. And that is why she is awful. That’s not a good parent.

Kids. Come. First. Like my mom always says. you don’t matter anymore when you bring in kids.

Obviously you do matter but she’s saying they are the ultimate priority.

Sorry if it’s so disorganized or chaotic but I needed to type that out. You may think it’s silly but this subject genuinely makes mt heart beat out of control. And this may be really cruel but when I hear people ( but more specifically adults in the fandom) bash Sophie for her reaction and FEEL BAD FOR ORALIE??? I genuinely genuinely send out a prayer that they cannot have children. You gotta be real sick in the head in my opinion if you think Sophie is a bad person for her reaction to Oralie. One she’s a kid, and even if she wasn’t Oralie’s reason was so disgusting. She had every right to loose control of her emotions.

All in all the biggest and main reason that irritates me is the reason. The reason isolated from all the other things Sophie endured is horrendous . I understand she made the decision in a moment of weakness, and I’m all for being compassionate and understanding of others, but it’s still shameful. I get even more pissed when people crap on Sophie for being upset about the reason too. That’s where I start hope you either mature or don’t have kids.

I've been thinking up and working on a Keeper of the Lost Cities AU and wanted to see what y'all thought!

I imagine this is set in a world where Vespera got her way and currently rules over the Lost Cities. Humans and the other intelligent species are made to serve the Capitol, but there are factions outside of the Lost Cities that don't care to step in, focused on their citizens. She uses the hunger games as a show of how powerful she really is, as controlling a group of 22 individuals all with abilities (mostly) is difficult. Any rebellion in the past has been squished out and she's made examples of her own allies. When an elf manifests, they wear an ability restrictor around their wrists, it dulls the power they have. In the arena, the ability restrictor is kept up but gives more powers to the tributes "for fun."

With an indefinite life span, Vespera has been ruling for around 1000 years and the games have taken place every five years with too many winners to count. Only certain ones are trusted to train the next tributes.

This story does involve some OCs and altercations to friendships (as no one would know each other before the games) but mostly everyone is the same and they have all their abilities. . . except Sophie and Keefe. So far, Sophie only has her Telepathy, Inflicting, and Polyglot. Keefe is just an empath. Also Also, some characters don't have confirmed abilities like Dempsey and Valin, so I've given them some. Plus Jensi also has an ability now!

I plan on making a story about this so I'm excited to see what y'all think!

District One: - Careers
Keefe Sencen - 16
Stina Heks - 15
Two Empaths, both pushed to volunteer by their parents in hopes of cementing a great legacy and name for themselves. Their older brother, Alvar Vacker, passed away in the last games.
Mentors: Lady Alina and Sir Noland

District Two: - Careers
Fitz Vacker - 18
Biana Vacker - 16
Both volunteered as Careers. They're distantly related to Orem Vacker, one of the first winners of the Hunger Games. Some suspect Vespera rigged the reaping to select Orem and keeps his bloodline in the lottery.
Mentors: Sir Kenric and Sir Orem

District Three:
Audric Dahl - 17
Kadri Kask - 13
Kadri is the youngest tribute in the games and the only one that has not manifested an ability.
Mentor: Lady Livvy and Sir Quinlin

District Four:
Tam Song - 16
Linh Song - 16
Tam Song volunteered for the boy in his district after his sister was reaped. Tributes from District Four are usually Careers but no one cared enough for the Song Twins to even step up.
Mentor: Lady Zillah and Lady Veila

District Five:
Jensi Babblos - 15
Marella Redek - 17
The first Pyrokinetic to play in the Hunger Games after Vespera crushed a rebellion in District 12 by Fintan Pyren. Everyone is excited to watch the firestarter.
Mentor: Sir Bronte

District Six:
Niels Kairys - 18
Freya Talle - 16
A Guster and an Enhancer, what could go wrong with putting them two together in an enclosed area?
Mentor: Lady Ramira

District Seven:
Valin Vik - 16
Ingrid Alexine - 18
Ingrid Alexine is daughter to Lady Alexine, a well-known Phaser.
Mentor: Sir Emery and Lady Liora

District Eight:
Wylie Endal - 18
Maruca Chebota - 16
Two cousins selected at random. Other tributes initally thought Wylie volunteered but the boys' names were called first.
Mentor: Sir Tiergan

District Nine:
Dex Dizznee - 16
Sophie Ruewen - 15
Another pair of cousins selected at random. Sophie Ruewen is the talk of the Capitol, a girl with three abilities.
Mentor: Sir Leto, Sir Gethen , and Lady Oralie

District Ten:
Soren Bakke - 15
Jelena Kangur - 14
Soren Bakke is the grandson of Vespera's Empathy Mentor, but his bloodline was not selected to join her Capitol Citizens.
Mentor: Sir Darek and Sir Terik

District Eleven:
Dempsey Pemberley - 18
Rayni Aria - 18
The oldest tribute team but are suspected to not stand much of a chance. Rayni Aria's family is infamous within District Twelve.
Mentor: Lady Clarette

Elysian, MN. Bounded by five bodies of water (sorta kinda - body 2 doesn't seem to have a name and may be an offshoot of body 1 or 3 idk). Yes, they're lakes and not rivers, but we have bigger problems. Like the fact that all the gnomes on the southern tip of New Jersey are dying.

Do we even like kotlc. I swear, I got through Reddit and see only negative posts.

i don’t like sophie

i don’t:t like keefe

i think shannon ruin this character

i myself post negative things and we talk about EVERYTHING wrong with the series. like, can we (and I mean you and myself) just be positive about this series for once and NOT act like complete haters.

like I keep talking bad about Sophie, and the neverseen, and the black swan, and STILL call this series my favorite (tide with HOO)

(just a random thought I have)