"So do you want to talk about what happened to you???"
Two people sat on the couch silently watching a reporter speak about the events unfolding in the outside world.
The young woman was the one to speak. She was curious as to what had suddenly come over her elder brother, and more so curious as to the changes that occurred to his outward appearance.
She had been watching over him restlessly day and night, and yet somehow without her knowledge he had gotten... taller, but not just that, his hair had grown a few inches, and his body had taken on more muscle than she remembered.
She had left him alone for no longer than and hour, and yet here he was sitting infront of her looking like an entirely different person.
The beautiful young woman with bright caramel skin and black curly hair, was Alessia Resse, and sitting beside her was her elder brother, Eddie Reese. His usually short hair had grown a few inches due to his awakening, and his build had also become slightly more toned, and his height had only changed by a single inch to compensate for these sudden changes.
Eddie had only recently turned twenty-one last fall, in november, and yet he had already become well known for his writings, more importantly by his most recent book, "The DeVil's Nightmare" which was the reason he had come into town.
He was in the city for a book signing and meet and greet with his fans, and had decided since he was here he would surprise his younger sister for her twentieth birthday. Unbeknownst to her, that was the real reason he had come to the city, the signing was just a bonus.
--
He sighed to himself as he watched the destruction on the news.
"So the world has finally fallen apart, huh.?."
She watched his expression, in hopes of figuring out how exactly he was feeling in this moment. He had seemingly come back from what looked to be a coma. Three weeks he had been asleep, at least that's how it seemed to her, for him it had been only one. But the things he had gone through made it seem like he had spent a life time as someone else.
"Are you ok?"
Her voice was soft and full of concern, the expression on his face seemed distant, as if he were thinking about something but she had no idea of what, she was confused, from the way he looked and acted there was no way it had been as simple as falling asleep, there had to be more. The appearances of superhumans and powerful creatures, only solidified these thoughts.
"It's hard to explain. I'm fine..., no I'm better than fine. But I'm..., different now, it's hard to say if I'm even the same person.... I mean, I know I am, I feel like I am..... but.... am I."
She hung on his every word wondering where they would lead, what rabbit hole they would drag her in to.
"What do you mean?"
Her voice was soft, she was trying not to push too much, even though her mind was spiraling with possibilities, trying to fill in the gaps on its own.
He looked over towards her, his gaze was soft, yet there was this sense of power that hid beneath it. There was a pressure the emanated from it, it was feint but enough for her to know it hid beneath the cracks, but as she continued to look she could see a slight radiance hiding beneath them, growing ever brighter, until that radiance began to consume his iris' completely, creating a bright golden glow over them.
Alessia's eyes widened at the sight, she instinctively jumped back, ending up on the edge of the couch. A saddened expression covered his face at the reaction, but he expected it. Seeing the expression though, she tried to calm herself and put on a smile, it wavered as she sat back up, but it was there nonetheless.
He knew she was still afraid and only trying to hide it but he appreciated the effort she made in still accepting him. Even still, he sighed to himself as he raised his hand, producing small sparks of golden light, and from them a small black knife appeared.
Her eyes widened once again, but she refused to react the same as she did before, instead she waited patiently.
"Alessia."
His voice was soft as he spoke, his gaze was slightly distant. He was thinking of the road ahead, all the trials he would face, people he would meet... and inevitably have to kill. He tried to convince himself everything was necessary to get stronger, for not only himself but for her, but no matter how much he tried it still didn't feel right.
"No matter what, I will always protect you. My body may be different but my mind is the same, and as long as I live nothing and no one will hurt you."
Her eyes began to water at the words, but she quickly wiped them away and moved closer, resting her hand on his leg.
"Don't worry, you don't have to protect me."
The words brought him back, they were few, but it was all he needed, but looking at her he noticed small movements from her body, he already knew what was going to happen before it did, and all he chose to do was smile as he watched her clench her fist and aim a playful and light jab for his ribs. It was slow for him, watching every minute detail, and allowing for her to hit him. It was an odd feeling but it did make him smile to see she wasn't treating him any different.
In the end, they playfully laughed and joked about it all, the world going to hell, her being slightly afraid of him for a moment, and him thinking she wouldn't accept him now that he was different, but in the end nothing changed between the two, they were still siblings. They were there for one another when no one else was and always will be, bonds like that were hard to break and it seems even something as chaotic as everything that was going on around them still wasn't enough.
After a while they rose to their feet and embraced one another in a hug, but that was quickly interrupted by a sudden unease that hit Eddie like a truck, and before he knew it, he grabbed Alessia by her shirt and slid her across the room, causing her to hit the back off her head on the counter.
Not a moment later something crashed through the window of their apartment. Alessia found herself on the floor rubbing the back of her head, the action was so quick and sudden she hadn't realize it happened until her head started to ache.
Looking up, her eyes widened at the sight infront of her, where she had been before, an unknown man stood. Eddie had his hand tightly wrapped around the mans wrist, and in that same hand, the man held a sharp blade, but what shocked her most, was the fact that they lived on the fourth floor. So then, how did he get up here through the window.
All it took was a small fidget from Alessia, for the man to instantly react. The moment she flinched, an invisible blade was sent flying her way, but luckily for her, Eddie had deflected the mans hand before it was fully outstretched, causing the blade to fly over the counter behind her.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Eddie spoke in a low and controlled tone, he was infact angry but not by the fact the man had somehow broken into their home, but more so at the fact he had just tried to kill Alessia without a second thought.
"Ugh what is this feeling, it's gotten stronger.?.? It's so exhilarating, it you isn't it, it has to be.!.! What are you, some kind of siren, succubus. It doesn't matter, my blade needs to bathe in your blood, or I'll never fulfill this hunger."