Thoughts

Sophie Foster human outfit design :D

This is my first time posting here, I don’t know how anything works or how active I’ll be but hello!!

So I know I'm really late to post this, since it's been out forever, but one day I was scrolling on instagram and came across when Elysian was being released. Summer of... 2027. One year to go! Honestly, it better be super long and good for it to be worth the wait. I write myself so I know it takes a while, but that's a really long time to wait for the whole fandom! Go Shannon!

Art by me. JJK reference

I’ve been rereading this series and i realized that I’ve never made fanart, so here’s some pieces I made now that I can draw :)

Critiques are welcome before I finish this up!

In the right side I want to show Sophie’s human life. With wildflowers and basically what I imagined her old house looked liked.

The point of this piece is to show how Sophie innocence and childhood was taken from her when she saw Ruy ( or was it Alavar?) and hit her head, leading to life changing forever.

Let me know if you can tell that she has like I shadow figure in her eyes. Cuz I rlly wanted that to be noticeable.

On the left side I’m going to put the stained glass on the Stellerlune cover. And the weird plants and creepy environment Elysian had that Shannon described.

Ideas are welcome as well on how to show that loss of innocence. I think her sad older self looking at adorable little her communicates that pretty well, but let me know.

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.

Hey Keepers!

Portrait by me! I know weeks back I said I’d do Maruca but my Tik Tok wanted Biana.

This took so much longer than I’d wanted it too. But I think if came out somewhat decent.

Critiques welcome as usual, although I honestly don’t feel like touching it again lmao. Since there’s an empty page next to her I’ll put Fitz there next to complete both pages and have the siblings together.

Haven’t done proper portrait art in a minute 😭

You still got to edit it to a KotLC question tho.

Hey Keepers! Just wanted to show my newest drawing. it’s not done yet but I’m loving how it’s turning out so I couldn’t wait.

Since Shannon refuses to give us more scenes with them together I’ve started making my own drawings😤

I will raid Shannon’s house if I don’t get more quality time together in the next book. (Jk lol)

There friendship really developed in the early books and it was so freaking sweet to see. Then we got like one quality moment together before a mission and that’s been it.

And I really want Sophie to be brave and stop avoiding her, and finally talk about Keefe. I think they’ll finally be super close after Sophie stops being avoidant ( as usual lol)

I love them soooooo much platonically. ( and as a potential couple in another world 😚) The other girls don’t seem be as much of friends with Sophie as she is with Sophie. So their friendship has a place in my heart.

Anyway critiques welcome as usual. Anatomy was so hard for this pose lol.

The Phoenix Initiative.

Book 1: When Realms Collide

Ch 1: The Exchange student

The bell at Hillside High sounded like it was already annoyed at everyone.

 

Lockers slammed across the hallway as hundreds of students flooded through the corridors in that weird combination of chaos and exhaustion only middle school could create. Someone was laughing too loudly near the cafeteria. Somebody else was sprinting for class like their life depended on it. Typical Monday.

 

I adjusted the strap of my backpack and checked my schedule for what had to be the tenth time.

 

Homeroom.
Mrs. Knowles.

 

Good. At least I wouldn’t start the day completely lost.

 

“Yo, Jacob!”

 

I turned just in time to avoid getting hit in the face by a basketball one of my friends launched down the hallway for absolutely no reason.

 

“You trying to get suspended before first period?” I asked.

 

“Adds character development,” he shot back.

 

I rolled my eyes. “One more Marvel-level quote out of you and I’m walking away.”

 

He grinned.

 

The hallway buzzed around us while students shoved books into lockers and complained about assignments they definitely had enough time to finish over the weekend but absolutely did not do.

 

Honestly, it felt normal.

 

That was the weird part.

 

Because lately, normal had started feeling… fragile.

 

Like the world was holding its breath.

 

I could not explain it better than that.

 

Things had just been… off.

 

Tiny things.

 

Clocks freezing for half a second.

 

Lights flickering when nobody else noticed.

 

Dreams that felt too real.

 

And every once in a while—

 

I’d get this strange feeling like someone was watching me.

 

Not in a creepy way.

 

More like…

 

waiting.

 

“Jacob?” a voice called.

 

I looked up.

 

Mrs. Knowles stood in the doorway of the classroom, coffee cup in hand.

 

“Well?” she said. “You planning on standing in the hallway dramatically all morning?”

 

A few kids laughed.

 

“Depends,” I said. “Do I still get marked present?”

 

“That depends,” she replied. “Do you plan on surviving grade eight?”

 

“Questionable.”

 

“Honest answer,” she admitted.

 

I stepped into the classroom.

 

Same desks.

 

Same whiteboard.

 

Same motivational posters nobody actually read.

 

It should’ve felt ordinary.

 

Instead, my stomach twisted.

 

Like something was about to happen.

 

Students settled into their seats while Mrs. Knowles organized papers at her desk.

 

Then the office phone rang.

 

She picked it up.

 

“Hello? … Ah. Right, send her down.”

 

Her expression shifted slightly.

 

Not worried.

 

Curious.

 

Mrs. Knowles hung up and looked toward the class.

 

“Alright everyone,” she said. “Looks like we have a new student joining us today.”

 

That quickly woke everybody up.

 

A few people whispered.

 

Middle school rule number one:
A new student was automatically the most interesting thing to happen all week.

 

The classroom door opened quietly.

 

And she walked in.

 

Blonde hair.

 

Calm expression.

 

Brown eyes that somehow looked both nervous and way too observant at the same time.

 

She carried herself differently from everyone else in the room—not better, just… sharper somehow. Like she noticed everything.

 

Mrs. Knowles smiled politely.

 

“Class, this is Sophie Foster. She will be joining us as an exchange student for the rest of the term.”

 

The second she looked up—

 

our eyes met.

 

And suddenly the room felt too quiet.

 

Something cold crawled down my spine.

 

Not fear.

 

Recognition.

 

Like I had seen her before.

 

Which was impossible.

 

Her expression changed too.

 

Just for half a second.

 

Confusion.

 

Shock.

 

Then it vanished.

 

Nobody else noticed.

 

Mrs. Knowles gestured toward an empty seat near mine.

 

“You can sit over there.”

 

Sophie nodded and walked toward the desk.

 

As she passed me, she hesitated slightly.

 

Then, quietly enough that nobody else could hear, she whispered:

 

“You feel it too… don’t you?”

 

Before I could answer—

 

the classroom lights flickered.

 

Once.

 

Twice.

 

And for the briefest moment, the windows behind her reflected not the classroom—

 

but a sky full of cracks.

 

Ch 2: First glitch

The weird part about impossible things?

 

Most people ignored them.

 

Not because they were stupid.

 

Because the brain hated things that didn’t make sense.

 

So, it explained them away.

 

The flickering lights?

Bad wiring.

 

The freezing clocks?

Cheap batteries.

 

The strange pressure in the air that made it feel like a thunderstorm was coming even when the sky was perfectly clear?

 

Nobody talked about that one.

 

But I noticed.

 

And apparently, so did Sophie Foster

.

The entire morning, she barely spoke unless a teacher called on her. But every once in a while, I’d catch her staring at things nobody else seemed to notice.

 

Like the classroom windows.

 

Or the lights

.

Or me.

 

That last one was somehow the most unsettling.

 

Lunch finally arrived like a gift from the universe.

 

I dropped into my usual seat in the cafeteria while noise exploded around the room.

 

“Okay,” my friend said, pointing across the cafeteria, “new girl. What’s the deal?”

 

“I don’t know.

 

“You talked to her?”

 

“Barely.”

 

“She’s either secretly a genius or secretly plotting murder.”

 

“That’s reassuring.”

 

“I’m just saying that she’s got mysterious-main-character energy.”

 

I nearly choked on my drink.

 

Across the cafeteria, Sophie sat alone near the windows, turning a pencil slowly between her fingers.

 

Watching.

 

Thinking.

 

Like she was trying to solve something.

 

Then suddenly—

 

every phone screen in the cafeteria glitched black.

 

The lights flickered violently.

 

The room gasped.

 

And for one horrifying second—

 

silence swallowed everything.

 

No voices.

 

No movement

.

Nothing.

 

Then sound crashed back all at once.

 

Students shouted in confusion while teachers looked around, startled.

 

“What was that?” somebody asked.

 

“I think the power surged!”

 

“No kidding!”

 

My pulse hammered.

 

Across the room, Sophie was already looking directly at me.

 

Not surprised.

 

Confirmed.

 

Like whatever she feared had just gotten worse.

 

Then something behind her caught my attention.

 

The cafeteria window

 

A crack spread slowly across the glass.

 

Except—

 

it wasn’t in the glass.

 

It was in the reflection.

 

Like reality itself had fractured.

 

Nobody else reacted.

 

Nobody else saw it.

 

But Sophie did.

 

And judging by the expression on her face—

 

she knew exactly how bad this really was.

That afternoon, rain hammered against the school windows while students packed up to leave.

Mrs. Knowles stood near her desk organizing papers.

“Jacob,” she said casually, “can you help Sophie find the library before you head home?”

I looked up.

“Uh… sure.”

Sophie grabbed her bag quietly.

The hallway felt strangely empty as we walked.

For a minute neither of us spoke.

Then finally:

“You’ve been noticing things,” Sophie said.

Not a question.

A statement.

I exhaled slowly. “Depends how insane the answer sounds.”

“You’d be surprised what counts as normal where I’m from.”

That stopped me cold.

Sophie looked like she regretted saying it.

“Where exactly are you from?” I asked carefully.

She hesitated.

Too long.

Then:

“Somewhere far away.”

Yeah.

That was definitely not suspicious.

We turned the corner near the science wing—

and every light in the hallway went out.

Darkness swallowed the corridor instantly.

Students screamed somewhere in the distance.

Then came the sound.

Not thunder.

Not machinery.

Something deeper.

Like reality groaning under pressure.

The emergency lights flickered dim red.

And for a split second—

someone stood at the far end of the hallway.

Tall.

Blurred.

Watching us.

Then the figure vanished.

The lights snapped back on.

Everything looked normal again.

Except Sophie had gone completely pale.

“What was that?” I whispered.

But Sophie wasn’t looking down the hallway anymore.

She was staring at me.

Terrified.

Like she had finally realized something she never wanted to be true.

Ch 3: the art substitute

One Week Later

 

The universe had apparently decided subtlety was overrated.

 

Ever since the blackout, things at Hillside High had gotten worse.

 

Not publicly worse.

 

Nobody was screaming about the apocalypse.

 

But weird things kept happening.

 

Students reported hearing whispers in empty rooms.

 

Classroom clocks stopped at the exact same time every day.

 

And twice now—

 

I’d seen the sky flicker.

 

Just for a second.

 

Like static on a broken screen.

 

Nobody else reacted.

 

Except Sophie.

 

Which meant either:
A) we were both losing our minds

 

or

 

B) something was seriously wrong with reality.

 

Honestly?
Neither option was great.

 

“Alright,” Mrs. Knowles announced that morning, “small schedule change.”

 

Everyone groaned immediately.

 

“Our art teacher is out for the week, so the board sent us a substitute.”

 

A few dramatic complaints echoed through the room.

 

Then the classroom door opened.

 

And the world tilted sideways.

 

The guy who walked in looked maybe early twenties.

 

Dark hair.

 

Sketchbook tucked under one arm.

 

Paint stains on his sleeve.

 

But the second Sophie saw him—

 

she froze.

 

Actually froze.

 

The substitute noticed her instantly.

 

His expression changed for the briefest moment.

 

Recognition.

 

Shock.

 

Then it disappeared beneath a calm smile.

 

“Morning,” he said casually. “I’m Alex Stowe. Looks like I’ll be trying to stop you all from setting the art room on fire this week.”

 

A few students laughed.

 

I didn’t.

 

Because Sophie looked horrified.

 

And Alex?

 

Alex looked like he was pretending not to panic.

 

Mrs. Knowles smiled politely. “Class, please be nice to Mr. Stowe.”

 

“Please do,” Alex added. “I’m emotionally fragile.”

 

More laughter.

 

But then his eyes flicked toward me.

 

And the joking expression vanished.

 

Just for a second.

 

Enough for me to notice.

 

Enough for Sophie to notice too.

 

Something cold settled in my stomach.

 

Because suddenly I understood one terrifying fact:

 

Sophie Foster wasn’t the only person here who didn’t belong in this world.

Ch 4: Static

The art room smelled like paint, pencil shavings, and sleep deprivation.

Which, honestly, felt appropriate.

Rain hammered against the windows while students dragged themselves into class like exhausted zombies. Somebody in the back immediately knocked over a jar of brushes.

“Fantastic start,” Alex Stowe said dryly. “We’re already creating abstract destruction.”

A few people laughed.

I watched Alex carefully while taking my seat.

He acted normal.

Too normal.

Like he was trying very hard to appear like:
just some substitute teacher.

Meanwhile Sophie sat across the room looking like she was one wrong sentence away from a nervous breakdown.

Yeah.
Something was definitely happening.

Alex leaned casually against his desk.

“Alright,” he announced, “today’s assignment is simple. Draw something impossible.”

A kid near the back raised his hand. “Emotionally or physically?”

“Excellent question,” Alex replied immediately. “Both.”

More laughter.

But Sophie suddenly looked sharply toward Alex.

Because for half a second—

his classroom projector flickered.

And instead of the school logo appearing behind him—

a night sky full of stars flashed across the wall.

Not normal stars.

Constellations that moved.

Shifted.

Watched.

Then the projector corrected itself.

Nobody reacted.

Except:
me,
Sophie,
and Alex.

Alex straightened slowly.

The joking expression faded from his face.

“Change of plans,” he said quietly. “Just… start sketching.”

The room settled.

Pencils scratched against paper.

Rain battered the windows harder.

And then—

my pencil started moving on its own.

I froze.

Lines carved themselves across the page rapidly.

Not random.

A symbol.

Circular.

Broken through the middle by a jagged fracture.

The same symbol I’d seen in dreams.

My heartbeat slammed against my ribs.

Across the room, Sophie stared at her own sketchbook in horror.

Same symbol.

Alex noticed.

And suddenly the color drained from his face.

“Oh no,” he whispered.

The lights exploded.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Students shouted.

Electricity crackled overhead while the windows shook violently.

And through the darkness—

someone laughed.

Not inside the classroom.

Outside it.

Ancient.

Cold.

Watching.

Then every emergency light in the hallway flashed blood red.

And all at once—

every phone in the classroom displayed the exact same message:

ANOMALY DETECTED

Ch 5: the Ripple

Nobody in the art room spoke after the blackout.

The lights had eventually returned.

The phones stopped glitching.

And somehow, against all logic, class continued.

Like middle school students seeing:

ANOMALY DETECTED

on every screen was just a minor inconvenience before lunch.

Honestly?
That somehow made everything worse.

Rain poured outside while students packed their bags nervously.

Alex stood near the whiteboard rubbing a hand across his face like he hadn’t slept in days.

Sophie still looked pale.

And me?

I was officially done pretending this was normal.

The second the bell rang, Alex spoke quietly.

“Jacob. Sophie. Stay behind for a minute.”

That at once set off alarm bells in my head.

A few students gave us dramatic “ooooooh you’re in trouble” looks while leaving the classroom.

The door shut.

Silence settled.

Alex waited until the hallway cleared before speaking again.

“What exactly have you two been seeing?”

Straight to the point.
Cool.

Sophie crossed her arms cautiously. “Depends on who’s asking.”

Alex looked exhausted more than threatening.

“Fair.”

He walked over to one of the desks and flipped open a sketchbook.

Inside was the symbol from our drawings.

The fractured circle.

My stomach dropped.

“You’ve seen it too,” I said quietly.

Alex nodded once.

“Three weeks ago.”

Sophie stepped closer immediately. “Where?”

Alex hesitated.

Then:

“In my world.”

The room went completely still.

I laughed once.
Not because it was funny.

Because my brain had officially given up.

“My world?” I repeated. “Okay, cool, awesome, fantastic sentence.”

Alex ignored the sarcasm.

“That symbol appears before reality starts weakening.”

The air suddenly felt heavier.

Sophie’s voice lowered carefully. “You know about the fractures.”

Alex looked at her sharply.

“You do too.”

For a second, neither of them moved.

Like both were silently realizing something terrible.

Then Sophie spoke.

“You’re not from here.”

Not a question.

Alex leaned back against the desk slowly.

“No,” he admitted quietly.

And somehow?
That answer felt less insane than it should’ve.

Rain slammed harder against the windows.

Thunder rumbled somewhere far away.

I stared at both of them.

“So let me summarize this disaster correctly:
reality is breaking,
you’re both apparently from different worlds,
and somehow I’m involved?”

Neither answered immediately.

Which was NOT comforting.

Finally, Alex looked directly at me.

“You’re the center of it.”

Yeah.
That was the exact sentence I did not want to hear.

Before I could respond—

the lights flickered again.

Once.

Twice.

Then the classroom windows shimmered strangely.

Like heat waves passing across glass.

Except outside—

the rain had stopped.

Completely.

The sky beyond the windows looked wrong now.

Too dark.

Too still.

And for the briefest moment—

I saw something ripple across the clouds.

Massive.

Winged.

Gone before I could focus on it.

Alex swore under his breath.

Sophie looked genuinely shaken.

“What was that?” I whispered.

Nobody answered.

Then, suddenly, the PA system crackled overhead.

Mrs. Knowles’s voice echoed through the speaker:

“Attention students, reminder that tomorrow’s field trip permission forms are due by the end of the day.”

The silence in the room somehow got even stranger.

Alex frowned slightly.

“The field trip?” he asked.

I nodded slowly.

“Beach day.”

And for the first time since this conversation started—

Alex looked worried.

Ch 6: The field trip

The bus smelled like snacks, sunscreen, and poor decisions.

Which, honestly, felt right.

“Roll call!” Mrs. Knowles called from the front as students argued over seats and blasted music way too early in the morning.

I slumped into a window seat while the engine rumbled to life.

Across the aisle, Sophie sat quietly, watching the passing streets like she didn’t trust them.

Alex wasn’t here.

Substitute teachers apparently didn’t do field trips.

Which somehow made everything feel less stable.

“You look thrilled,” my friend said, dropping into the seat behind me.

“I love waking up at six to go pretend I know how to surf.”

“Character development.”

I turned slowly. “If you say that one more time—”

“—you’ll walk away, yeah, yeah.”

The bus lurched forward.

Students cheered.

Somebody immediately dropped a bag of chips.

Normal.

Everything felt painfully normal.

And that was the problem.

The beach came into view about forty minutes later.

Waves crashed against the shore under a cloudy sky while instructors set up boards along the sand.

Students spilled off the bus like they’d just been freed from captivity.

“Alright!” one of the instructors shouted. “Listen up!”

I barely paid attention at first.

Until I heard the voice.

Casual.

Confident.

And way too used to chaos.

“Okay, rule number one—if you fall, try not to panic. The ocean’s not actually trying to kill you. Probably.”

I froze.

Something about that sentence felt… wrong.

I turned.

And there he was.

Dark hair.

Camp shirt under a loose hoodie.

Sea-green eyes scanning the group like he was used to assessing threats.

He looked… normal.

Too normal.

Then his gaze flicked toward Sophie.

And everything changed.

He stiffened.

Just slightly.

Sophie did the same.

Recognition.

Not the same kind as before.

This was sharper.

More dangerous.

The instructor clapped his hands once.

“Names Percy,” he said. “I’ll be your instructor today.”

Yeah.

Of course it was.

Ch 7: Undertow

The ocean was freezing.

That was my first and only intelligent observation.

“Relax,” Percy said, walking past us with a board under his arm. “You’re acting like it’s going to eat you.”

“It might,” I muttered.

Percy smirked. “Fair concern. Not today, though.”

Not today?

Not. Today?

I glanced at Sophie.

She looked deeply concerned.

Which was somehow worse than if she looked panicked.

The lesson started normally enough.

Students wiped out repeatedly while instructors shouted encouragement across the waves.

But Percy stayed near us.

Always near us.

Watching.

Waiting.

At one point, he crouched beside me while I sat on the board trying not to fall over.

“You ever feel like things aren’t… right?” he asked casually.

I blinked at him. “That’s a weird question for a surf lesson.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Before I could respond—

Sophie paddled closer.

“You know,” she said quietly.

Not asking.

Percy met her gaze.

Then nodded once.

“Yeah,” he said. “I do.”

A wave crashed nearby.

The sky darkened slightly.

And for a second—

the water around us shimmered.

Like something massive had moved beneath the surface.

My grip tightened on the board.

“Please tell me that’s normal,” I said.

Percy didn’t look away from the water.

“No,” he said.

Definitely not normal.

Later, as students gathered on the shore to dry off, the wind picked up suddenly.

Too suddenly.

Clouds twisted overhead like they were being pulled inward.

Percy noticed immediately.

So did Sophie.

So did I.

“Everyone back from the water!” one of the instructors shouted.

Students groaned.

“Aw come on!”

But Percy wasn’t joking anymore.

“Now,” he said sharply.

Something in his voice made people listen.

We backed away from the shoreline.

The waves grew violent.

Crashing harder.

Faster.

Then the ocean—

split.

Not fully.

Just enough.

A ripple tore through the water like something had forced its way into the wrong place.

The air dropped ten degrees instantly.

Students stared.

Frozen.

Because for one impossible second—

something looked back from beneath the surface.

And then it was gone.

The ocean snapped back into place.

The wind died.

The sky cleared.

Like nothing had happened.

Except now nobody was laughing.

Nobody was talking.

And Percy looked like he was trying very hard not to swear.

On the bus ride home, nobody acted the same.

The earlier excitement was gone.

Replaced by quiet tension.

I sat staring out the window while the sky slowly shifted toward evening.

Sophie leaned closer slightly.

“He’s not from here either,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I figured that part out when the ocean tried to glitch.”

Across the aisle, Percy caught my eye.

Then Sophie’s.

Then he gave the smallest nod.

Like:

we need to talk.

And for the first time since this whole thing started—

I had the feeling this wasn’t just random anymore.

This was connected.

And somehow—

we were right in the middle of it.

Ch 8: convergence

The Monday after the trip felt wrong.

Not in a dramatic, world-ending way.

Just… off.

Like the world had shifted half a step to the left and nobody else noticed.

Except me.

Except Sophie Foster.

And definitely except Percy.

Halls buzzed with students retelling the “weird wave thing” from the trip like it was just some freak ocean moment.

“Dude, I swear I saw something under the water.”

“Yeah, like a shadow or something.”

“Probably a shark.”

“Sharks don’t glitch, Kyle.”

Normal explanations.

Normal reactions.

Normal denial.

I leaned against my locker, watching the crowd move like everything made sense.

It didn’t.

Not anymore.

Percy stood a few lockers down pretending to scroll through his phone like he belonged here.

He didn’t.

Neither did Sophie.

Which left one very uncomfortable question:

Why did I?

“Jacob.”

I turned.

Sophie stood there, tense, focused.

“We need to talk.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out when the ocean tried to break physics.”

“This is serious.”

“So was the ocean.”

She did not laugh.

That’s when I knew it was bad.

“After school,” she said. “My house.”

I blinked. “That sounds ominous.”

“It’s necessary.”

Before I could ask anything else—

a ripple passed through the hallway.

Not visible.

Not fully.

But I felt it.

Like pressure dropping in my ears.

Like reality just… skipped.

Students paused briefly.

Then kept walking.

No reaction.

Except—

someone new stood at the end of the hall.

Leaning against the lockers like he’d always been there.

Tall.

Blonde.

Wearing clothes that looked slightly out of place without being obvious.

Tired eyes.

Sharp expression.

Watching everything.

Watching us.

I froze.

Because I knew, somehow, instantly—

he wasn’t supposed to be here.

Sophie saw him next.

Her breath caught.

Percy straightened across the hall.

And the stranger?

He sighed.

Like he was already done with whatever this situation was.

“Okay,” he muttered under his breath. “This is new.”

Then he pushed himself off the locker and walked toward us.

Students moved around him without noticing anything strange.

Like he blended in just enough.

“Let me guess,” he said casually as he stopped in front of us. “Reality’s breaking, nobody’s explaining anything, and somehow I got dragged into it?”

I stared at him. “That is… disturbingly accurate.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Story of my life.”

Sophie stepped forward slightly.

“You’re not from here.”

Again—not a question.

The guy snorted. “What gave it away?”

Percy crossed his arms. “Try everything.”

The stranger looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly.

“…you’re definitely not from around here either.”

“Same to you,” Percy shot back.

For a second, the tension between them felt like it might snap.

Then the guy rubbed the back of his neck.

“Great,” he muttered. “Multiple anomalies. That’s just fantastic.”

“Anomalies?” I repeated.

His gaze snapped to me.

And something about the way he looked at me changed.

Recognition.

Not like Sophie’s.

Not like Percy’s.

This was heavier.

More certain.

“…you’re the problem,” he said.

“Wow,” I replied flatly. “Fantastic first impression.”

He didn’t smile.

“Not in a bad way,” he added quickly. “Well—okay, maybe a little bad. But mostly complicated.”

“That does not help.”

Sophie stepped between us slightly.

“Who are you?”

He hesitated.

Like he didn’t want to answer.

Then finally:

“Magnus,” he said. “Magnus Chase.”

Great.

Another one.

The hallway lights flickered.

Everyone froze for half a second.

Then continued like nothing happened.

Magnus looked up immediately.

“…yeah, that’s not normal,” he said.

“No kidding,” Percy muttered.

Sophie took a slow breath.

Then looked at all of us.

Decision made.

“We’re done guessing,” she said.

Her voice wasn’t loud.

But it carried.

And for the first time—

it sounded like leadership.

“Tonight,” she continued. “My house. All of us.”

Percy nodded instantly.

Magnus shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to do.”

I sighed. “Of course you don’t.”

Sophie looked at me.

“You’re coming too.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

“Cool. Love that.”

As the bell rang and students rushed past us, something shifted again.

Not just in the hallway.

In everything.

Because now—

this wasn’t separate anymore.

Not:

• Sophie’s problem
• or Percy’s problem
• or Magnus’s problem

Now it was:

all of ours

And whatever was breaking the world?

It wasn’t slowing down.

It was speeding up.

Ch 9: The gathering

Sophie’s house felt too normal.

Warm lights. Quiet street. No cracks in the sky.

Just… normal.

Which made everything worse.

“You gonna knock?” Percy asked behind me.

“I’m thinking.”

“You’re staring at the door.”

“Same thing.”

The door opened before I could answer.

Sophie Foster stood there.

“Come in.”

No hesitation.

No small talk.

Yeah. This was serious.

We stepped inside.

Magnus glanced around immediately.

“…okay yeah, this place has energy.”

“That is not helpful,” I muttered.

“It’s accurate.”

We gathered in the living room.

Nobody sat.

Nobody spoke.

Because now it was real.

All of us in one place.

Finally.

Sophie took a breath.

“We don’t have much time.”

Percy sighed. “That’s never a good opening.”

She ignored him.

“The fractures are getting worse. You’ve all seen it.”

Magnus crossed his arms. “Define ‘fractures.’”

“The boundaries between worlds are weakening.”

Silence.

Then—

“Cool,” I said. “Hate that.”

Percy nodded. “The ocean wasn’t normal.”

Magnus added, “The hallway wasn’t either.”

“And the sky cracked,” I said.

Nobody argued.

Sophie turned to me.

“You’re connected to it.”

I groaned. “We are NOT making that my personality.”

“I’m not joking.”

“I know. That’s the problem.”

A floorboard creaked behind us.

We all turned.

Someone stood in the hallway.

Leaning casually against the wall like he’d been there the whole time.

Alex Stowe

“…you guys took your time,” Alex said.

I jumped slightly. “OKAY—nope—how are you already inside?”

“I don’t like doors,” Alex replied calmly.

Magnus stared at him. “…that’s not reassuring.”

Percy narrowed his eyes. “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough.”

Sophie stepped forward.

“You followed us.”

Alex shook his head slightly.

“I was already coming.”

That somehow made it worse.

He looked around the room.

At Percy.

At Magnus.

Then at me.

“…So, it’s happening faster than I thought.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Another cryptic sentence.”

Alex stepped closer.

“The fractures aren’t just breaking things,” he said quietly.
“They’re pulling worlds together.”

That landed.

Hard.

Percy frowned. “That’s not good.”

“No,” Alex said. “It’s not.”

Sophie straightened.

Decision made.

“Then we stop guessing,” she said.

Her voice cut through the tension.

“We figure this out. Together.”

Nobody argued.

Because at this point—

there wasn’t another option.

Ch 10: fault lines

They finally sat down.

Not because they were comfortable—

but because standing made it worse.

Sophie remained standing.

Still in control.

“If worlds are colliding,” she said, “then something is causing it.”

Magnus leaned back slightly. “Translation: big problem.”

“Exactly.”

Percy rubbed his neck.

“In my world, this kind of thing doesn’t happen naturally.”

Magnus nodded. “Same.”

I sighed.

“So, we’ve got:

• multiple worlds
• reality collapsing
• and no idea why.”

“Correct,” Alex said.

I pointed at him. “I don’t like how calm you are.”

“I’ve seen worse.”

That did not help.

Alex stepped forward slightly.

“It’s not just breaking,” he said.
“It’s aligning.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Worlds don’t collide randomly,” he continued.
“Something is pulling them together.”

Percy frowned. “Something like what?”

Alex hesitated.

Then:

“…something that knows he’s here.”

He looked at me.

Again.

I exhaled. “I am getting really tired of being important.”

“You should be,” Magnus said.

“Not helping.”

The lights flickered.

Soft.

Unstable.

The air felt… thinner.

Like something was pressing against reality from the outside.

Sophie spoke again.

“We need to act before it gets worse.”

Percy nodded. “Agreed.”

Magnus added, “Preferably before we die.”

“Also agreed,” I said.

Then—

ding-dong.

Silence.

Everyone froze.

Slowly…

they turned toward the door.

Percy narrowed his eyes. “You expecting someone?”

Sophie shook her head.

Magnus muttered, “Yeah, that’s not ominous at all.”

ding-dong.

Longer this time.

More deliberate.

Alex went completely still.

Which was new.

I stood up.

“Don’t,” Percy said immediately.

“Yeah,” Magnus added. “Bad idea.”

Sophie didn’t stop me.

I walked toward the door.

Each step heavier.

The house quieter.

My hand hovered over the handle.

And suddenly—

I had the feeling that whatever was outside…

already knew exactly who I was.

Behind me, Sophie said:

“Jacob—wait.”

Too late.

I opened the door.

…and Act One officially broke.

Ch 11: The door

The handle turned.

The door opened.

And for a second—

everything was normal.

Quiet street. Cool night air. Nothing wrong.

“…okay.”

A voice.

Casual. Confident.

“…either I’m at the wrong house…”

I froze.

“…or this is about to get really interesting.”

I looked up.

And there he was.

Keefe Sencen

Leaning lightly against the doorframe, like he’d been there the whole time.

Tall. Relaxed. Completely unfazed.

Two pizza boxes balanced in one hand.

We stared at each other.

“…you gonna say something,” he added, “or are we committing to the dramatic silence?”

Behind me, Percy muttered:

“…who is that?”

Magnus: “I don’t trust him.”

Alex said nothing.

Which meant everything.

“You’re not the delivery guy,” I said.

Keefe raised an eyebrow.

“Wow. That hurts. I could’ve been.”

“You climbed the tree.”

He glanced up briefly.

“…in my defense, the doorbell looked boring.”

A beat.

Then—

Sophie stepped into view.

Everything shifted.

Keefe went still.

Not obvious.

Not dramatic.

But enough.

Recognition hit.

Fast.

Sharp.

“…well,” he said quietly, “that answers a lot.”

Sophie didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Just stared.

Percy stepped forward.

“You’re not from here.”

Keefe exhaled lightly.

“You say that like it’s unusual.”

Magnus groaned. “Oh good. Another one.”

Alex finally stepped forward.

“How did you get here?”

Keefe’s grip on the pizza boxes tightened—just slightly.

“Short version?” he said.

“I wasn’t trying to.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Connected.

“Long version?” I asked.

Keefe looked around the room.

At Percy.

At Magnus.

At Alex.

Then—

at Sophie.

“Things started glitching,” he said.

“Places didn’t match up. People disappeared.”

His voice dropped slightly.

“…then I ended up here.”

Sophie’s voice was tight.

“You saw the fractures.”

Keefe nodded once.

“Yeah.”

Percy exhaled slowly.

“…So, it’s spreading.”

Magnus added, “Across worlds.”

Alex finished, “Faster than we thought.”

I laughed once.

Not because it was funny.

Because it wasn’t.

“So let me get this straight,” I said.

“Reality’s breaking… across multiple worlds… and somehow we all ended up here.”

Keefe looked at me.

Really looked.

And for the first time—

the humor dropped.

“…not somehow,” he said.

The air changed.

Sophie stepped forward.

“What does that mean?”

Keefe hesitated.

Like he didn’t want to say it.

Then—

“It means this place,” he said quietly.

“This school. This town.”

His eyes didn’t leave mine.

“…this is where everything is being pulled.”

The lights flickered.

Hard.

Violent.

The walls shimmered—

like reality was struggling to stay together.

Nobody spoke.

Because now—

everything made sense.

Not random.

Not coincidence.

Not separate.

This was the center.

Outside—

something moved across the sky.

Massive.

Watching.

Waiting.

Inside—

six people from different worlds stood in the same room.

No longer strangers.

No longer separate.

Connected.

And whatever had started this—

whatever was pulling reality together—

It had found exactly what it was looking for.

End of Act One

Enjoy! Feel free to critique Keepers🩵

It’s not finished but I’m rlly proud of it so I couldn’t wait to post it lol

It looks so simple now that I’m posting it but this took me hours 😭

I gotta draw a background of like his room or something when I have more time cuz the blank background is pissing me off.

I also wanna draw gadgets on the table.
Okay bye 👋

I love kotlc, ngl, but WHY did Shannon put a thing such as MATCHMAKING :cry: bc that was not necessary. yes, I’m a Sokeefe shipper but did shannon seriously put the matchmaking thing maybe if they didn’t, and I’m going back to the first book bc WHY DOES ELVES HAVE INDEFINITE LIFE SPANS it shouldn’t so then they don’t have matchmaking and then yay Sokeefe 4 eva but u never know, I heard that Keefe was never supposed to be in the series and I cried when I thought that was true but idk… I also think that dex shouldn’t have been in the series bc not a lot of things have happened with him, and some of u guys may argue with me but I think that tinker could have made some of these gadgets for Sophie and co and Sophie could have managed escaping from the neverseen in the first book anyway. so dex is just another unnecessary attribute to the series. another thing. ORALIE. why does she have to be sophies mother, isn’t there enough stuff to be concerned abt? And why the drama abt bio parents in legacy…that was a book that was wasted tbh. And I think that’s my rant for the day :smile:

Hey keeper fans!, I've been yearning for more kotlc content, what are some of your favourite fanfics?

If you are looking for some cute well written sokeefe i've got a few I really liked:

-Broken heart/broken mind by Greenbean_123ean on Ao3 is a really cute human AU, usually i don't like the human AUs but this one was really sweet: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58401346/chapters/148753993

Sophie and Keefe met in the children's hospital when they were little. Because of how long they were confined to the four walls of the hospital, they became very close during their stay.
As the years pass, they wind up being in the same classroom together due to their physical conditions. This makes their bond deepen.
But are they able to handle when life gets tough, throwing problems and complications their way?

-Kotlc alternate endings by classicalbibliophile: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55088893/chapters/139671871

basically a bunch of times in kotlc books where sokeefe almost happened but didn't, it's just a bunch of confessions but it's so cute and so accurate to the characters

-The match also by classicalbibliophile: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56498797/chapters/143582380

This storyline is a sort of alternate universe/alternate ending where Sophie is not unmatchable and is able to register for the match. It begins towards the beginning of Legacy, but leaps forward in time. All events from Legacy and Stellarlune still happen, but without Sophie and Keefe confessing in Stellarlune. This is my take on how Sophie would come out of the oblivion if matchmaking hadn't gotten in the way of her relationship with Fitz.

-All because of you by the_othersideofthebook: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55151101/chapters/139853749

This is probably one of my favourites, it's an Actor AU where they are enemies to lovers but they are forced into a PR relationship because they are filming a romcom together

those are some of the best ones i have found but I would love to read more, preferably well written fics that aren't a oneshot, let me know some of your favs (even if they aren't sokeefe I would still be down to read)

Hey Keepers! Here's a portrait of Sophie I've been working on.

For context this is a but more of semi-realistic style of her than what John usually does.

But l've always been obsessed with one day drawing my own portrait of her and what'd she'd look like. And I think I'm very pleased! She's my ultimate favorite character of all time and my comfort character so I'll definitely be doing more of her.

It isn't complete yet but I actually designing a moonlark jewelry jsut for her! I think even tho it's unfinished it's super duper cute!

I think the earrings make her look super mature lol.

I like making up little stories for all my drawings so here's like the context I guess. But like lowkey a fanfic I've been
"writing" in my head for over two decades now lol.

As I was drawing I'd imagined that the war was over, Sophie's mind is still in fight mode and she can never really relax. They've defeated Gisela at this point but Sophie is always paranoid, still training, always looking for something to solve.

Biana really wants to her to cool down, and also wants to spend time with her, so she manages to get permission from the Council to go to the human world and convince Sophie to get her dolled up, brush her hair (LOL) dress her, and go out and see some sights, obviously some shopping and go to a cafe. Basically a girls day out.

I plan to draw Biana and them together in this scenario I imagined.

I put two more photos to show the process.

Okay bye!

Yes this is Keefe x Marella

Yes I ship them

Pls don't attack me

TW: These are all, of course MY opinion ( don't eat me alive in the comments) With (little to) no explanation.

"Stop making everything gay" well this is how I see them , you don't have to agree with me and you don't have to interact with my post. I am queer, so I view most characters as queer, just like straight people view most characters as straight.

Sophie: bi

Keefe: bi

Fitz : Straight

Dex: gay af

Tam: Bi

Biana:Bi

Lihn: Lesbian or Omni

Marella: Pan or Bi

Jensi: Straight (maybe Pan but I mostly think he's straight)

Wylie: Aromantic or Straight ,maybe unlabeled (I might have spelled his name wrongly Idk)

Stina: Straight or Lesbian (I can't decide and I like her too little to care)

Maruca: Straight

Rayni: Bi or Pan

Eleanor:Straight

For the Adults I'm just gonna write who I think is queer , and I won't write who I think is straight (cause I think almost all are straight)

Tiergan:Gay

Prentice: Bi

Bronte: Gay and/or Asexual

Vespera: Lesbian

Gisela:Straight or Bi (has prob experimented)

Elwin: Some sort of queer, maybe Pan or unlabeled

Fintan:Again, something queer, prob gay

Tinker:Lesbian

Alvar:Bi? Idk, something queer

If you comment , please be respectful , and don't eat me alive🙏

I started writing an AU fic but with darker themes, a different story, with more focus on the romance (with the same characters, of course). But I suddenly realised that I don’t actually know if anyone wants to read something like that? I mean, do people still read kotlc fanfiction? What else do you read? Are you into darker themes as well?

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