"Lily"
The first light of dawn barely pierced the thick smoke hanging over the ruined city. The air tasted metallic—blood and ash mingling in a bitter tang that clung to my throat. The streets were eerily silent. The monsters that had torn through everything were gone, but not because they'd fled. They were scared of Aria. I could feel it deep in my bones. Their broken forms lay scattered, many unconscious, as if the earth was swallowing them whole. Some still moved, slow and stubborn, trying to adapt to this harsh new world, their ragged breaths shallow and uneven.
I sank onto the cold, cracked ground, pulling Ember close to me. Her body was fragile, so light against mine, and I wrapped my arms around her like a shield against the chaos. My hands trembled uncontrollably, exhaustion pressing down on every muscle like a crushing weight. Tears slipped silently down my cheeks, cold and relentless, tracing icy paths over my flushed skin. My shoulders shook with quiet sobs, but I bit my lip hard, desperate to hold myself together—to be strong for her.
Ember was still alive, but her face was eerily calm—no flicker of worry or pain. It was as if her body had shut down parts of itself to survive. The blood flow to her extremities had slowed almost to a stop, a cruel but necessary defense. Her skin was pale and clammy, almost translucent in places, as if someone had drained the vitality right out of her. I could see the faint pulse in her neck, weak but steady.
I knew this wasn't good—it was the body's desperate way of prioritizing the organs that mattered most, sacrificing everything else to keep her heart beating. Her lips were dry and cracked, her breathing shallow and uneven, muscles twitching involuntarily as if fighting to hold on despite overwhelming exhaustion. Watching her was like witnessing a fragile flame flickering in a storm, every breath a battle against the darkness.
For now, this slowed blood flow was keeping her alive, but I could feel the fragility of it all, like a thread stretched too tight, ready to snap at any moment.
My eyes kept drifting to Aria. She lay nearby, motionless except for the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her wings stretched wide behind her, enormous and dark, casting a vast shadow over the rubble like a silent guardian. Aria's face was pale, still, but I could see the fierce resolve etched into every line. She didn't cry out or move much, but the tiny twitches of her fingers and the faint furrow of her brow told me she was fighting—fighting so hard inside, trapped in a coma-like silence.
The cold bit into my skin, but I barely noticed. I squeezed Ember's hand tighter, grounding myself in the fragile warmth. Around us, the distant rumble of shifting debris and the soft crackle of ruins settling reminded me that the world was still breaking—and we were still fighting to survive.
Then the heavy silence shattered with a faint, metallic clinking—chains rattling softly through the thick smoke that hung low over the ruins. My breath caught, heart pounding in my chest. Who was that? What kind of sound was this in a place where death and silence had settled like a shroud?
I squinted through the haze, eyes straining to make out a figure moving steadily toward us. The clinking grew louder, rhythmic, deliberate. My pulse quickened, a mix of hope and hesitation twisting inside me.
Then I saw him.
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Jaks.
A thousand memories collided in an instant—moments of closeness, distance, unspoken words, and the aching absence of the past month. My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. Relief warred with the weight of everything left unsaid.
My body stiffened, muscles tense as if bracing for impact. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms, grounding me. The exhaustion that had been dragging me down suddenly felt heavier, pressing on my chest like a physical weight.
His eyes met mine—calm, unreadable, distant yet somehow searching. I wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap, but the walls I'd built over weeks of loneliness and pain held firm. A flicker of vulnerability passed through me, quickly masked by a guarded expression.
My lips parted, trembling slightly, desperate to speak—to say something, anything—but the words caught in my throat. The silence between us stretched, thick and heavy, filled with all the things we hadn't said over the past month. How do you talk to someone when so much time has passed? When the space between you feels like a chasm?
The smoke curled around us, blurring the edges of the moment, but my gaze never wavered. In that fragile silence, I realized how much I'd missed him—and how much I still feared what he might bring.
________________________________________
"JAKS Arrival reason "
Jaks didn't know what was happening to him. There was a restless pull he couldn't shake, like something deep inside urging him to move, to go there. Normally, he watched from the sidelines—detached, cold. There was a dark satisfaction in seeing others struggle, in the chaos. But tonight, it was different. It was heavier.
Luna lay beside him, pretending to sleep. He could tell. Usually, he'd call her out, but tonight he didn't care. He didn't want her to come with him. This was something he had to face alone.
The chains on his wrists clinked softly in his mind, a constant reminder of the weight he carried. Outside, the world looked untouched, like it was before everything fell apart. The sunlight burned his skin, but he couldn't stop himself. He had to go.
He didn't use his abilities to see what was happening—he wanted to feel it raw, unfiltered. When he arrived, the sight hit him harder than he expected. Aria—still, silent, her wings spread wide like a fallen angel. Beautiful, but something about her stillness unsettled him. And Lily—holding Ember, fragile and fading. The exhaustion in her eyes mirrored the ruin around them.
He wanted to help. He should help. But why? What reason did he have? His steps carried him forward, but his mind was a storm of contradictions.
Then Lily's voice cut through the haze, asking why he was there. The unease inside him vanished, replaced by the cold detachment he knew so well. He shifted back into his usual form, the numbness settling over him like armor.
"I can't feel anything now," he thought, steadying himself.
He looked at Lily and replied softly, with a hint of that familiar, unsettling amusement, "Lily, what are you even asking? I came here specially for you. It's not like you're the only one who can see me."
________________________________________
" Back to Lily "
After hearing Jaks's words, a flicker of warmth stirred inside me—a fragile happiness that felt almost out of place in this shattered world. Even now, amidst the smoke and ruin, his presence brought a strange comfort. But deep down, I knew this wasn't truly why he had come. It was never that simple.
I understood the complicated threads between us—the distance, the pain, the unspoken truths. Our relationship was tangled and raw, and I didn't expect him to come just out of kindness. Still, I wanted to hold onto this moment, to the feeling that maybe, just maybe, things could be different.
Since Ember arrived, my thoughts had shifted. I began to see things more clearly, to understand the weight of what we faced. And after seeing my friends in this desperate state, the truth became impossible to ignore.
Summoning the last of my strength, I forced the words out, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Brother, can you help me and my friends move? I don't have the energy to even lift a finger. It's hard to even speak."
His reply cut through the fragile hope like a blade, sharp and torturous. "My little sister," he said, his voice laced with bitter amusement, "what are you talking about? Are you asking about the woman dying from a hole in her stomach? Or this monster?" His tone cracked slightly when he said my name—a faint fragility beneath the coldness.
His words crashed over me like a tidal wave. My body trembled in shock, tears streaming down my face like a relentless storm. I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but everything he said felt painfully true. Ember was barely holding on. We had nothing left to heal her. And Aria—her wings, her stillness—it was all so confusing, so terrifying.
I longed to respond, to fight back against the despair in his voice, but my last reserves of energy slipped away. My eyes grew heavy, and I drifted into a restless sleep, haunted by the image of his face—searching for Aria as if starving for something I couldn't understand.
When I finally opened my eyes, the world felt distant and heavy, like waking from a long, restless dream. Sitting quietly before me was Luna—the woman I never liked, her calm presence unsettling in the soft afternoon light. Her eyes met mine with quiet steadiness, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
I realized I was lying on the rooftop of Jaks's building. The space was surprisingly vast, the cool concrete beneath me rough against my skin. The air was crisp, carrying a faint scent of smoke and dust mixed with the subtle sweetness of distant blooming flowers. The sky above was a pale canvas, streaked with soft clouds drifting lazily in the gentle breeze.
Aria's enormous wings stretched out nearby, their dark feathers ruffling slightly in the wind. The sheer size of them—easily twenty-four feet from tip to tip—made the rooftop feel like a sanctuary, a hidden refuge high above the chaos below. Her sharp, almost otherworldly features were softened by the stillness of unconsciousness, but the power she held was undeniable.
Ember lay close by, her breathing shallow but steady. I could feel the faint rise and fall of her chest, a fragile rhythm that brought a small, bittersweet comfort. Her skin was cool to the touch, but beneath it, life stubbornly clung on.
Time seemed to blur. I had no idea how long we had been here or how long it would take for them to wake. Questions swirled in my mind—how had we ended up here? How had Luna managed to carry us all to this rooftop, especially with Aria's massive wings folded so carefully around her? The thought was almost surreal, like a puzzle missing too many pieces.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows, warming my face and hands, grounding me in this strange moment suspended between hope and uncertainty. I stayed still, watching Luna closely, trying to decipher her quiet intentions as the world moved slowly around us.
________________________________________
" Aria's internal thoughts "
I can feel it now—this strange, intangible power flowing through me. Slowly, painfully, I am learning to control my healing ability. At first, it was just a single cell, a flicker of life barely responding to my will. But now, I can sense entire clusters of cells moving beneath my skin, like a delicate dance unfolding inside my hand. My fingers twitch slightly, as if trying to stretch and flex, though my body remains still, trapped in this ghostly limbo.
My face is calm, but inside, a storm of emotions churns. I watch my reflection—pale and distant—eyes glowing faintly red, lips pressed into a thin line of concentration and frustration. Sometimes, a flicker of hope softens my gaze, but it quickly fades as confusion creeps back. I don't understand Jaks. His expression is often unreadable, a mask of cold detachment that makes my heart ache with unanswered questions. Why does he seem so distant? Why can't he feel what I feel?
Luna and the others have accepted him, but I remain wary. I watch them from afar, like a silent observer, unable to reach out or touch. My body feels heavy and numb, as if wrapped in thick fog. I try to move, to break free, but only my eyes flutter weakly, scanning the strange, shifting landscape around me.
The world here is surreal—plants with shimmering leaves that whisper in a language I almost understand, figures moving like shadows in the distance. I see Jaks destroying planets with a flick of his hand, then reviving them as if it were nothing. Sometimes, he helps us when we ask, but his power seems limited to our small circle.
I want to break free. I want to see Lily and Ember, to know if they are safe. My chest tightens with longing, and a tear slips down my cheek, though I cannot wipe it away. I am trapped—an invisible ghost caught between worlds—watching, waiting, hoping.
I tried everything—every possible way to break free from the endless limbo of my own memories. I reached out, attempting to speak to the figures I saw, even to myself. But it was as if I were invisible, a ghost drifting through scenes that unfolded without me. When I tried to reach Jaks, it felt different. He seemed to sense a presence, a flicker of something unseen, but he couldn't see me or know if I was truly there. It was a hollow connection, a whisper lost in the vast emptiness of my mind.
Then, suddenly, I woke.
Sunlight streamed into my eyes, warm and blinding, yet it didn't make me blink. I lay on the rooftop, the rough concrete cool beneath me, anchoring me to the present. My heart pounded fiercely, faster than ever before, as if trying to catch up with my awakening consciousness.
The wings on my back were enormous and heavy, but they no longer felt like a burden. Instead, they were a natural extension of myself—familiar, strong, and whole. Just like in my dreams, I felt complete.
I glanced around and saw Lily moving restlessly nearby, her face etched with worry. Ember lay close by, fragile and still unconscious. Suddenly, clarity flooded through me—the knowledge I had gained within my memories, the control over my healing ability. I realized I could heal her wounds.
Though only a short time had passed since I fell asleep, I knew I had the power now. And I was ready to use it.
But for now, Lily hadn't noticed that I had woken up.
________________________________________
" Lily's Perspective "
I stand frozen, helpless, my chest tightening with a mix of fear and hope as I watch Aria's eyes flutter open. A flicker of life returns to her gaze, and my heart leaps—but confusion grips me. What exactly is she trying to do? I'm rooted to the spot, unable to move or intervene, forced to watch as she struggles.
Suddenly, I notice her hand twitching unnaturally, muscles contracting and relaxing in ways that seem unfamiliar, almost alien. She reaches toward Ember, her fingers trembling as she tries to cover the gaping wound in Ember's stomach. My breath catches, heart pounding wildly. Part of me trusts Aria completely—she's powerful, after all—but another part is terrified. The wound is so severe, and I can't bear to watch Ember suffer any longer.
Before I realize it, my body moves on its own accord. My legs carry me forward, and I reach out, grabbing Aria's arm gently but firmly. My voice trembles, thick with emotion. "What are you doing?" I ask, eyes searching hers, desperate for answers.
________________________________________
" Back to Aria's Perspective "
I want to hurry—I need to save Ember. The weight of my wings presses heavily against my back, but it no longer feels like a burden. Instead, it's a part of me, grounding me. I push myself upright, legs shaky but determined, balancing the immense weight as I move closer.
My hands tremble uncontrollably as I reach toward Ember's wound. It feels impossible—like trying to mend shattered glass with bare hands—but I have to try. I focus every ounce of energy, willing my cells to regenerate, to knit flesh and bone back together.
I sense Lily's presence before I feel her touch. Her grip on my arm is firm, steadying me. I meet her gaze, determination burning bright in my eyes despite the exhaustion. "I'm trying to heal her," I say softly, voice steady but filled with urgency. "I can do this."
I try to convince Lily, but her eyes remain clouded with doubt. I don't blame her—how could she believe me? It must seem impossible from where she stands. Then, through the haze of tension, a calm, saintly voice cuts through—Luna's voice. I recognize it instantly from my dreams over the past five years.
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" Luna's Arrival and Intervention "
Luna stands nearby, serene and composed, but something is different—her six massive black and gold wings are gone, just like mine. Her expression is more serious now, her eyes filled with concern and caution.
"Hey, both of you, calm down," Luna says gently, her voice soothing like a balm. "Lily, Aria is really trying to heal her. But Aria, you can't heal Ember like this."
Her words hit me like a wave, confusion swirling in my mind. How can I heal Ember properly? What am I missing? Then it dawns on me—Luna was the one who healed me in my dreams, even when half my body had vanished. She was the one who taught me how to harness my healing ability.
I turn to her, desperation clear in my voice. "Luna, please, help me treat Ember."
I look at Luna, searching her face for hope. But what I see is a deep sadness, a concern that weighs heavily on her. It's as if she wants to help us, to heal Ember, but something invisible holds her back—something I can't understand. My mind starts to spiral, doubts creeping in, and I feel my hope slipping away as I watch the sorrow in her eyes.
Then, through the heavy silence, I hear her voice—calm, gentle, almost saintly. "I can't help you directly," she says softly, "but I can help in every other way, as long as I'm not directly involved in the treatment."
Her words are bittersweet. They offer a glimmer of hope, but also a reminder of the limits we face. Still, it's more than I had a moment ago, and I cling to it desperately.
________________________________________
" Lily perspective"
I feel a bit calmer after hearing Luna's voice, but I still don't understand what they're talking about. Everything around me feels strange and distant—I don't even know what's happening on Earth anymore. All I want is for my friend to come back, but deep down, I'm starting to think that might not be possible.
Suddenly, I hear a voice—like someone is coming from above. My heart skips a beat. "Ah, who's coming this time?" I wonder anxiously.
The moment Jaks appears, a wave of tension ripples through the air. I watch him carefully, my heart pounding with a mix of confusion and unease. I recognize him from this morning, but seeing him again now feels heavier, more charged.
"Brother, what are you doing here?" I ask quietly, trying to steady my voice. I had almost forgotten this was his building—Terris.
I glance around, taking in everyone's reactions. Luna's expression tightens, her calm replaced by a flicker of concern I don't fully understand. She watches Jaks closely, her eyes sharp and guarded.
Then I look at Aria. Her face changes the most—there's a softness, a quiet relief that washes over her features when she sees Jaks. It's clear she knows him well, and his presence comforts her in a way I can't explain.
I feel a knot tighten in my stomach. I don't understand what's happening between them, but I sense that Jaks's arrival is important—something bigger than I can see.
I watch Jaks carefully, the silence between us thick with unspoken words and old wounds. Luna's sharp eyes never waver from him, her concern barely hidden beneath her calm exterior. And Aria—her face softened in a way I didn't understand, as if his presence brought her a fragile comfort I couldn't share. My heart tightened with a mix of fear and uncertainty. Whatever this moment meant, one thing was clear: nothing would ever be the same again.
EMP