Cael is standing in front of Nina's school, waiting for dismissal time. The midday sun, strong and vibrant, already paints the sky with an intense blue, and the morning breeze carries the murmur of children's voices and the smell of chalk and wet earth.
"I arrived too early." — Cael grumbled mentally, the usual discomfort with inactivity hammering in his mind, even though the natural clock in his head indicated the correct time.
He stands alone, across the street, leaning against a worn wall, an imposing and discordant figure in the colorful landscape of the school dismissal. He watches the arrival of the parents and guardians, each with a hurried smile, expectation in their eyes. After a few minutes, the bell finally rings, a sharp sound that releases a sea of children. They burst from the gates, running to meet their parents, shouts of joy and hugs spreading across the sidewalk.
Cael sees Nina, a small burst of energy in the crowd, who also notices him. Her face lights up, and she runs towards him, small and swift.
"Brother!" Nina says, with a happiness so pure that it almost softens Cael's expression.
Other children, noticing Cael, the tall and mysterious figure from earlier, stop, curious. Some whisper to their parents, and some, more daring, even go towards Cael.
"Hey, uncle!" a child said, a boy, his eyes wide with admiration. "You're awesome!" The child's voice was filled with a newfound heroism.
One of the adults, the boy's father, approaches Cael, a respectful smile on his face. He was a man of about 40 years old, of average height, with a face of rustic features marked by time, with some expression lines around his eyes and mouth that betrayed a life of hard work. His hair was short and gray at the temples, and his brown eyes conveyed a simple gentleness.
— What you did was very brave. Nobody dares to mess with elite people, let alone a Goldstein.
"That's true." A mother, holding her daughter in her lap, nodded in agreement. She was a woman in her early thirties, with a round, welcoming face, a slight weariness in her eyes, but a sincere, maternal smile. Her light brown hair was tied in a simple ponytail. "But aren't you afraid? You know, I know you did it to protect your sister. If I were your age, I would have done the same. But I was reckless. Nowadays, I wouldn't do that. I would think of a better way, or I would just lower my head."
Cael, with his inflexible posture, meets the woman's gaze.
"I don't bow my head, especially not to someone like him. That's not what my mother taught me," he says, his deep voice carrying a weight of conviction.
"That's just like Isobel. She herself has already confronted 'little Goldstain' to protect Nina. Although, it wasn't with violence," the woman comments, a touch of nostalgia in her voice.
"Did you meet her?" Cael asks, a rare hint of interest in his tone.
"Knew" is a very strong word. She was never one to talk or interact; she always stayed quiet and in the back of parent-teacher meetings. I never managed to talk to her, but she was always polite. — The woman replied, describing an Isobel very different from the one Cael had known in recent days.
"My wife always described her as 'The woman with the lioness's gaze,' because of the face she always made. Very similar to yours," the man comments, a smile on his face, surprising Cael with the observation.
"She was never one to talk," "quietly," is quite different from how I remember her. — Cael comments, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Mom always feels more comfortable with me and my brother. She's never been one to talk much with other people," Nina comments, holding Cael's hand, with the innocence of someone who doesn't realize the depth of the conversation.
"If that serves as justification, she's an Empath. Empaths don't like crowded places because of the overwhelming amount of emotions," Cael says, a piece of information that sheds new light on Isobel's behavior.
"Ah... That explains a lot. Anyway, I have to go. It was good talking to you, lion's son," the man says, picking up his son and leaving.
"Bye, Nina! Bye, uncle!" the boy says, waving goodbye in his father's lap.
"Well, I think I'll go too. I still have to make lunch." The woman says goodbye and leaves, leaving Cael alone with Nina again.
"I think Hana and Maya were right about social interactions. I'm starting to feel strange," Cael thought, a growing discomfort in his chest. The aura of gratitude and the curious glances from people weighed on him, something he wasn't used to.
Suddenly, the street begins to spin. Cael is sweating profusely, his vision blurring, his heart racing uncontrollably. A choking sensation tightens his throat, and breathing becomes a painful effort. He feels as if he's losing strength in his legs, his body faltering. The smell of sweat and fear mingles in the air. He looks ahead, his vision still blurry, and sees a figure in the distance. It was Principal Morgan. Her eyes, of an indefinable color, seemed to absorb the light, and her presence, previously almost imperceptible, now pulsed with a subtle but undeniable energy. She didn't move, just an almost imperceptible gesture of her hand, a tremor in the air that only he seemed to notice, and the whole scene changed.
Suddenly, Cael finds himself in a familiar space, the hard floor of his living room beneath his feet, but he doesn't have time to process. He collapses to the floor, gasping for air, all he hears are high-pitched buzzing sounds. A chill envelops him, despite the sweat on his skin, and his blurred vision blurs the surroundings.
The crisis engulfs him. It's as if the air has been sucked from his lungs, and each breath becomes a desperate battle against an invisible weight that crushes him. His heart, a battering drum, pounds against his ribs, so hard that he feels the beats reverberating in his ears, a high-pitched buzzing that drowns out all other sounds. His body trembles uncontrollably, his muscles contracting in painful spasms, as if he were being electrocuted from the inside. Cold sweat runs down his forehead, down his back, sticking his clothes to his skin, while an unbearable wave of heat consumes him from within. His throat closes, a tight knot that prevents any sound from escaping, any cry, any plea. His mind becomes a whirlwind of chaotic, fragmented thoughts, distorted images of fear and helplessness. He is blind, deaf, paralyzed, trapped within himself, in a prison of panic that has no walls, only the growing darkness and the terror of drowning without water, without air. Every fiber of his being screams for relief, for an end, for anything that will take him out of that particular hell.
Nina, not understanding what is happening, screams in despair. She throws herself on top of him, her small hands gripping his arm, a look of terror on her face.
"Brother!" she cries, her voice shrill. But Cael doesn't hear her, caught up in his own torment.
She hears hurried footsteps coming towards them. It's Hana, who had come to see what was happening, alerted by Nina's scream. She sees the scene: Nina in tears and Cael, panting, on the ground.
— My brother. He... he... — Nina, in tears, tries to speak, the words stuck in her throat.
"Calm down, Nina. He'll be alright. It's just an anxiety attack," Hana says, her voice calm and practical, but with a latent tenderness, as she kneels beside Cael. "Cael, I'm going to sit you up, okay? Don't do what you always do." She says, picking Cael up with difficulty, since he's heavier than her, and sits him down, supporting him against her. With a firm hand, she rubs his back, a comforting gesture. "It's okay. You're home."
Gradually, Cael's breathing calms down. The ringing in his ears diminishes. An uncontrollable sleepiness overcomes him, and he finally falls asleep, the exhaustion of the attack taking over his body.
"What did you do?" Nina asks, still wiping away tears, her eyes red and swollen.
"Nothing. I just calmed him down. He's sleepy because of the seizure," Hana replies in a reassuring tone.
"Will he be alright?" Nina asks, her small voice heavy with worry, her melancholy tone thick with worry.
"Yes, she will, little one. Don't worry," Hana replies, gently stroking Nina's head in a motherly gesture.
Only now does Nina realize she's at home, not on the street in front of the school. She looks around, confused.
"Huh? When did we get home? We were at school," Nina says, frowning.
"I was going to ask you that. But I guess I'll have to wait for Cael to wake up," Hana says, a slight, enigmatic smile on her face.
She hears footsteps coming from the stairs. It's Maya, who has just come down, with a sleepy expression that quickly turns to shock.
"What happened here?" she asks, but then notices Cael, sleeping in Hana's arms. "What happened? Is he alright?" Her tone is one of genuine concern, her voice heavy with a mixture of relief at seeing him and fear about what might be happening.
Hana puts her finger to her lips, making the sign for silence.
"He's sleeping," Hana whispers, adding, her gaze fixed on Maya, "I'll explain later. Now, I want you to put him to his bed."
Some time later. Maya had just put Cael to bed. The room, which had once been an impenetrable fortress for her, now seemed... strangely familiar, but still carried the weight of years of separation.
"It's the first time in a long time that I've been in his room..." Maya whispered, her tone low, almost a breath, so as not to wake Cael, who was sleeping soundly, exhausted from the crisis.
Nina silently approaches the edge of the bed, her small eyes fixed on her older brother. Carefully, she climbs onto the bed, sits beside Cael, and then lies down, snuggling close to him as if to protect him in his sleep. Maya was about to say something, perhaps to get Nina away or to comment on the gesture, but Hana stops her. She gently places her hand on Maya's shoulder, subtly nodding for the two of them to leave and let Cael and Nina be alone. They leave the room, the door closing with a soft click, sealing that moment of vulnerability.
The two of them go down the stairs. The silence of the house accompanies them to the living room, where Maya finally breaks the quiet.
"Now are you going to explain to me what happened?" Maya asked Hana, her voice choked with concern, a stark contrast to her usually more composed demeanor.
"Don't worry. Cael just had an anxiety attack. Maybe it was due to too much social interaction," Hana explains, her medical tone returning—practical, but still heavy with a weariness that went beyond the hours of her shift.
— Haah. — Maya lets out a heavy sigh of frustration, almost a stifled grumble. — We told him. Why does he have to be so stubborn?
"It's normal. Many men prefer to face their problems alone, their own battles. It's instinctive, natural for a man. The problem is..." Hana says, her voice beginning to lose its usual calm, a thread of emotion emerging.
"Is that so..."? Maya encourages her, noticing the change in Hana's tone, something rare to see.
"They don't always win... Not alone. That's why I suggested he seek help. You... You never tell me everything. I'm in the dark when it comes to what you feel. I don't know exactly what made Cael isolate himself. And I also don't know why you two went so long without speaking. But I do my best to support you. And you... I know you're hiding something, Maya. Your obsession with Cael isn't normal, there has to be a reason." Hana confided, her voice rising, each word laden with frustration accumulated over years. Her eyes, once tired, now shone with a mixture of despair and worry.
Maya is shocked. She had never seen Hana expose herself like that. She sees Hana's teary eyes, the deep weariness that marked her face.
"I'm sorry... I've reached my limit," Hana said, taking a deep breath, the tension easing from her shoulders, her body relaxing slightly in the armchair.
Maya hesitates for a moment. The weight of Hana's words, their raw sincerity, hits her like a silent blow. She looks at her own hands, which begin to tremble slightly. Hana's voice echoes in her mind: "Your obsession with Cael isn't normal..."
"It's not... it's not obsession," Maya whispers, her voice almost inaudible, but with a fierce intensity, as if defending herself against an accusation far greater than Hana's. She looks up at Hana, and in her eyes there is a complex mixture of fear, gratitude for the concern, and deep pain. "He is... the only one. The only one who... who always was. I... I can't lose him again. You... you weren't there. Nobody was."
She looks away again, her eyes fixed on a distant point in the room, as if reliving a nightmare. Her hand clenches against her thigh, almost forming a fist, a gesture of desperate self-restraint.
— He's the only one who understands me. The only one who knows what it's like... the only one I can truly trust. It's not obsession. It's... security. He is my security. And I... I won't fail him again.
Hana looks at Maya, noticing the invisible barrier the girl still maintained. She understands that Maya wasn't ready to tell her exactly what was troubling her, not at that moment.
"It's okay," Hana says, her voice almost a resigned sigh, but full of affection. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready. But... I'm here if you need me." Hana's tone is serene, offering an unconditional safe haven.
Maya understands what Hana meant, the acceptance and affection in her words. She thanks her with an understanding look and a small, melancholic smile.
— Changing the subject. — Maya says, shifting her tone to a more cheerful, almost forced one, as if trying to escape the tension. — I didn't say this before, but with Nina living with us, the bills might get more expensive. Are you okay with that? — Maya asks, trying to regain composure.
Hana is surprised and lets out a light laugh, breaking the previous tension.
"Don't worry about it. I haven't paid the household bills for about three or four years. Cael pays them," Hana says, leaving Maya completely surprised.
— Cael? — Maya's eyes widen. — That's why, when he went to buy bread, he didn't ask you for money. When did that happen? Because he wouldn't come to you and say, "Now I'm the one paying the bills." — Maya questions, even trying to imitate Cael's monotonous voice and eliciting a genuine laugh from Hana.
"It was out of the blue. I went to pay the bills, but a message appeared saying it was already paid. When I got home, Cael was coming back from the kitchen and I ended up mentioning it to him, so he told me, 'I already paid,' and went to his room as if it were common sense. Since then, he's been paying all the bills, which is why I have money left over," Hana explains, a touch of humor and admiration in her voice.
"Wait. If Cael is the one paying the household bills, why have you been going to so many shifts?" Maya asks, confusion mixing with surprise.
Hana stops, her expression turning serious again. She sits on the sofa, her previous lightness fading.
"Because I became a doctor to use my powers to save lives. Not to make money. Money is just a consequence," Hana says, her voice firm and full of conviction.
"But I remember you refusing to be a military medic and go to war against the mutants. Couldn't you have saved more lives there?" Maya asks, her curiosity about Hana's motivations overcoming any discomfort.
Hana stares at the girl, her eyes fixed on her.
"No. I'm not going, because I don't agree with the war. Going to it won't save lives. If Carolina Seraphyne were still in the senate, this war wouldn't be happening. She was my 'idol' in adolescence. She inspired me to follow a path of saving lives. Going to war, regardless of my role in it, doesn't align with the values she conveyed, and that I want to follow," Hana says, her voice filling with respect and idealism.
"That Seraphyne... I've studied the Seraphyne family. There are several families that share the same surname. They're very powerful, but reclusive. Carolina Seraphyne was the first member of this family to reveal herself to the world. But she mysteriously disappeared. No one knows if she's alive or dead. I didn't know you were a fan of hers," Maya comments, her curiosity piqued by the revelation about the mysterious figure.
Hana pulls an old magazine from a secret compartment in the sofa, featuring a photo of Carolina Seraphyne. On the cover, a stunningly beautiful woman graced the page. Her long, black hair fell in soft waves, framing a face with fine, delicate features and penetrating dark brown eyes that seemed to convey sharp intelligence and inherent kindness. Her fair skin contrasted with the darkness of her hair, and a long, elegant dress, possibly made of silk or some other fine fabric, accentuated her poised and elegant posture. The dress, in a deep shade of blue, subtly highlighted her curves, and she exuded an aura of power and calm, even in a still photograph.
"She was a role model for all the girls in my time. A model of beauty, kindness, and charisma," Hana says, with a tone of admiration and longing in her voice, her eyes fixed on the woman's image.
Hana spends some time talking with Maya, telling stories about the legendary Carolina Seraphyne and how she inspired an entire generation of women with her ideals and actions.
More time passes. Cael wakes up and finds Nina sleeping beside him. He knows what happened: the anxiety attack, the exhaustion that led him to sleep. Slowly, he runs his hand through his hair, tossing it back, and carefully gets out of bed so as not to wake Nina. He observes her for a moment; even asleep, her expression still held a hint of stiffness. Cael then attempts to gently stroke her hair, but hesitates, as if embarrassed. Overcoming his hesitation, he affectionately caresses Nina's hair. Her expression relaxes under his touch, and a slight smile appears on her lips. Cael feels his heart a little lighter and warmer. There are no blood ties between them, and they have known each other for a short time, but he feels she is his younger sister, feels he must protect her, love her, and care for her.
Cael decides to leave the room, allowing Nina to continue sleeping peacefully. He leaves, closing the door carefully, and goes downstairs to the living room. It's already night, around ten o'clock. When Cael arrives in the living room, Hana is still there, sitting on the sofa, her back supported by the armrest and her legs stretched out while watching television. She notices Cael's presence, but says nothing, respecting his space. Cael approaches.
"What are you watching?" Cael asks, his voice coming out timidly, an unusual tone for him.
Hana is surprised by the question. She replies, looking away from the screen:
— Actually, I don't know. I'm waiting for the program that claims to have news about Carolina Seraphyne's disappearance case.
"Now? After what? Twenty or twenty-five years?" Cael asks, surprised.
"Twenty... I think... It might be just another marketing ploy. But the public doesn't react well to fake news about her, and they know that. So, if they say there's news about the case, then there probably is," Hana says, with a hint of hope in her voice.
Cael approaches the sofa. The piece of furniture isn't very large, and Hana occupies most of it. Hana notices that Cael wants to sit down, so she pulls her leg back, and Cael carefully settles into the empty space. The two remain silent, a silence that lingers, somewhat uncomfortable for both, but Hana maintains it. She doesn't want to force anything, even without knowing what Cael intends to say.
"Thank you..." Cael says, but his voice comes out low, almost a whisper. He's not used to showing this kind of feeling and vulnerability.
"Don't worry... Even though you don't see me that way, I see you as my son. I would do anything for you, even from afar," Hana says, taking a deep breath. "Maybe I've been absent for too long..."
Cael says nothing, but when he looks at Hana, he sees her sad expression, filled with regret.
"My absence caused you to isolate yourself, Maya to become obsessed with you and, visibly, to develop a form of social phobia. And... that incident between the two of them..." Hana says, and when she mentions the "incident" between Maya and Cael, Cael's eyes widen in surprise.
"Do you know?" Cael asks, his voice thick with shock.
"I know there was a bigger, more recent incident, but I don't know what it was. I also know you won't tell me. And I won't force you, no matter how much it hurts me..." Hana says, her voice soft but firm.
Cael remains silent for a while. The weight of those memories oppresses him, but Hana's sincerity, her willingness not to force him, paradoxically encourages him. He takes a deep breath and, his voice choked with the pain of the memory, decides:
"That day..." Cael begins, the words trailing off, as if each one carried an immense weight. "Maya was more desperate than usual. Every day, for the last four or five years, she'd been begging for forgiveness. Saying she'd never abandon me again or... say those words again. I..." He pauses, a lump in his throat. "I didn't tell her that. But I was willing to forgive her. To... get closer to her again. But that day... Maybe, if I'd told her that sooner..."
He stops, takes a deep breath, his shoulders tense with the painful memory.
"It's okay. You don't need to force yourself to say it," Hana says, worried that Cael is putting too much pressure on himself.
"No. I need to get this off my chest," Cael insists, determination welling in his teary eyes.
Cael closes his eyes for a moment. The words seem stuck in his throat, the scene unfolding again in his mind.
[START OF FLASHBACK - CAEL'S PERSPECTIVE]
It was a cold night. I was in my room, as usual, trying to push away the thoughts that haunted me, when the door burst open. It was Maya. She was... different. Her eyes, normally so full of contained sadness, now overflowed with a despair I had never seen before. Before I could ask what was happening, she... she began to take off her clothes.
I didn't understand. My brain simply couldn't process what was happening. She wasn't looking at me with lust, but with a silent plea, her lips trembling, her naked body exposed to the cold of the room, but trembling more from something internal. She was crying. Silent tears rolled down her face as she looked at me, almost begging.
"I can't lose you, Cael," she whispered, her voice broken, almost inaudible. "I have no one else. Please... I'll do anything. Anything so you don't leave me again. I... I can't take it anymore."
My heart froze. I didn't see desire. I saw... terror. Pure despair. She wasn't trying to seduce me. She was trying to offer herself as a sacrifice, as if her body were the last bargaining chip to keep me. It was... disgusting. Not her, but the situation. What drove her to this? What made Maya, whom I considered my sister, reach this point? I couldn't do anything. I didn't know what to do. She was so broken. And me? I couldn't be the solution to her pain like that.
I recoiled, not knowing what to do. I couldn't look at her like that anymore. Then, without thinking, my hands reached out, not to touch her, but to use what I had. With a tremor, I forced my telekinesis. A sheet that was on my bed rose into the air and, delicately but firmly, covered Maya's naked body. Then, with an almost imperceptible movement of my mind, I forced her backward. She wasn't thrown violently, but an invisible push guided her out of the room, into the hallway.
[END OF FLASHBACK]
Cael opens his eyes, which are now brimming with tears, but he forces himself not to cry. The room seems colder, the shadows longer. He takes a deep breath, the memory still vivid, his voice choked with pain.
— I was so angry, and disgusted... Not with her, never with her. But with the situation. With what led her to this. With what I saw in her eyes. That despair. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't... I couldn't be the solution to her pain like that. Not like this. I just wanted to run away.
Hana listens in silence, her breath caught in her throat. Her expression shifts from surprise to growing horror, her eyes wide, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. She can't form a word, only shakes her head in denial, processing the gravity of what she has just heard. The penny drops. The "obsession," Maya's clothes, the social phobia, the phrase "nobody was there"... it all fits together brutally.
The shock is palpable. The silence that follows is different from before, now laden with a new and weighty understanding.
"I... I don't know what to say... What happened to Maya to make her go to this extreme?" Hana asked, horror still in her voice, but mixed with deep sorrow for the girl.
Cael takes a deep breath.
"I don't know... I never asked her. And I don't know if she'll tell me," Cael replies, his voice heavy with palpable helplessness.
Hana stands up. Her eyes are lost, but with a new and terrifying clarity.
"I... I think I'll think about it for a bit..." Hana says, her voice weak, as she leaves the room and goes to the back of the house, seeking a space to process the devastating information.
Cael remains silent, lost in his own thoughts, weighed down by memories and the new reality he shares with Hana. Until something pulls him from his mind: the sound of the television.
"According to our investigation, Carolina Seraphyne survived an assassination attempt while pregnant. Evidence suggests she decided to live in hiding somewhere to raise her child safely and escape the political pressures of the elite," the reporter says seriously.
Cael begins to pay attention, more attentively, to each word.
"We still don't have much information about her identity, but we have a composite sketch of a woman who had a face very similar to hers, but with different features," the reporter reveals, and the screen shows the sketch.
The woman in the composite sketch had vibrant red hair with some lighter highlights, and her eyes were an unusual shade of orange, almost amber, giving her an intense and mysterious look. Her eyebrows were thin and well-defined, and her lips, thin but well-shaped, seemed to hint at a slight, enigmatic smile. Although the hair and eye color were different from Carolina Seraphyne's in the magazine, the bone structure of her face was undeniably similar: the same oval shape, the straight and delicate nose, and the slightly prominent chin. The resemblance was undeniable, despite the striking differences. How similar their faces were left no doubt.
"Mother?" he says, incredulous, the name escaping his lips in a shocked whisper.