I woke up to loud music blaring outside—definitely my mom. I groaned, rolling out of bed with the lingering haze of sleep still fogging my mind. My reflection in the mirror looked as lazy as I felt, hair sticking out at odd angles, dark brown eyes half-open. I yawned as I made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth, each movement slow and deliberate, the morning air thick with that strange mix of sleepiness and anticipation.Once I was ready, I threw on some clothes and headed downstairs. The music was even louder now, almost rattling the windows. There she was—Mom—dancing around the living room like no one was watching. Her laughter mingled with the upbeat rhythm, carefree and contagious."Morning, Mom," I said with a smile, pushing through the grogginess."Good morning, my little boy! How was your sleep?" she asked, her smile warm as she lowered the volume."Well, it was fine until your music decided to wake me up," I said, pretending to sound annoyed but failing to hide the amusement in my voice.She chuckled, but before she could reply, I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door. I heard her call after me, asking where I was going so early, but I didn't bother to answer. Today was the day Hazel would return. The thought made my chest tighten. I'd been waiting for this moment for months.The street was quiet aside from the faint echo of the music fading behind me. As I walked, I felt a strange energy in the air, a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Then, there was a sound—soft, like something cutting through the wind—and suddenly a figure landed behind me."Hello, brother," came the voice. Low, mocking, and so infuriatingly familiar.I turned slowly, already clenching my fists. "What do you want, Jordan? Was taking my girlfriend not enough for you?"Two dark red eyes gleamed back at me, a smug grin spread across his face. "Awe, c'mon. She fell for me, you know," he teased, stepping closer.I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling the anger rise like a wave. "I know you used your powers, you piece of shit."Jordan shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "Chill," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender as he took a step back. "No need to get worked up."I felt the familiar warmth of my powers stirring within me, my brown eyes glowing faintly. "What do you want?" I asked again, my voice cold."Can't I visit my favorite brother?" he said with a chuckle."Just cut the crap, Jordan. What do you really want?"His expression softened slightly, though it was hard to tell if it was genuine. "I missed you. How long has it been—two, threemonths since our little fight over Cecilia?" His tone was unreadable now, the usual smugness replaced by something more elusive, almost regretful."Did you manipulate Mom to forget about you?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. The thought had been gnawing at me ever since Mom stopped mentioning him after our fight. Jordan's powers were potent, and it wouldn't surprise me if he tampered with her memories to keep the peace.Jordan's gaze shifted slightly, avoiding direct eye contact. "I thought you needed space. After what happened, I figured it was better for you to heal without me around."I scoffed. "So you just wiped yourself out of her mind? Brilliant plan, Jordan."He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I didn't want to hurt her, okay? I only did it because I saw how much you were struggling after what went down with Cecilia. You needed time—without me complicating things."I wanted to lash out, to hit him with every bit of the anger I'd held onto for months, but deep down I knew there was some truth to what he said. Mom had been happier, blissfully unaware of the tension between her sons. Still, that didn't change what he'd done."Well, next time, take at least two years—not two months," I muttered, trying to shake the memories of Cecilia. Every time I thought about her, the hurt resurfaced, raw and bitter.Jordan stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me in a hug. I didn't fight it this time. The familiar warmth of his embrace felt strange now—once comforting, now tainted with betrayal."It's okay," I said, my voice hard. "Even though you manipulated her with those stupid eyes of yours, I get it. Anyone would fall for that crap." I pulled away from the hug, my lips twisting into a smirk despite myself. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you. I'll let it slide for now, but only because you're my brother."Jordan chuckled softly, his hands slipping back into his pockets. "Fair enough. I missed the old days too, you know."A silence settled between us, the tension still there but not as suffocating as before."So, where were you heading this early?" Jordan asked, a curious glint in his dark red eyes—eyes that always unnerved me, as if they could see right through me.I raised an eyebrow. "You already know. Stop pretending like you didn't just read my mind."Jordan grinned sheepishly. "Caught me. Can I come with you?""No," I replied flatly, crossing my arms."Ouch, brother. That hurt," he said, clutching his chest in mock agony. "I thought we were having a moment.""Whatever. Let's go," I said with a sigh. Despite my irritation, a part of me didn't entirely hate the idea of having him around—at least for now.We walked in silence for a while, the air thick with unsaid words. Finally, I decided to break it. "So, wherehave you been these past few months?" I asked, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. The silence had started to feel too heavy, and I was curious—despite everything."China," Jordan muttered almost under his breath.I stopped in my tracks, turning to face him with a disbelieving stare. "China? You know Hazel strictly forbade teleporting to places that far. What the hell were you thinking?"He scratched the back of his neck, looking more sheepish than I'd ever seen him. "I know, I know. But please, don't tell Hazel. She'll lose it if she finds out."I let out a dry laugh. "Oh, she's definitely going to find out. You're terrible at keeping secrets.""Yeah, but I was hoping maybe you'd help defend me. You know, brother to brother?" He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes, the same ones that got him out of trouble way too many times in the past."We'll see," I said with a smirk. "But Hazel has a way of finding things out no matter what."Jordan chuckled nervously but didn't push the matter further. As we approached the clearing, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Then, with a quick burst of energy, I shot up into the sky, the wind whipping against my face
Jordan followed close behind, both of us flying higher and faster until we reached our destination—a high mountain, secluded and serene, far from the noise of the city.I landed softly on the grass, taking in the fresh, cool air. The mountaintop was peaceful, with a view that stretched for miles. The wind was gentle here, rustling the leaves of the sparse trees that dotted the landscape. Jordan landed beside me, his face mirroring my own curiosity as we looked around."Where is she?" Jordan asked, his voice cutting through the quiet."She'll be here," I said, laying down on the soft grass and staring up at the sky. "Just wait."We waited in silence, the tension from earlier fading as the minutes passed. The sky seemed to stretch on forever, a deep blue with wisps of clouds slowly drifting by. Then, after what felt like an eternity, a bright light flashed across the horizon.Jordan and I both shielded our eyes as the light grew stronger, more intense, until it finally dimmed and a figure emerged from it—Hazel.She stepped forward, her presence commanding and serene at the same time. Her long, flowing hair shimmered in the sunlight, her expression both stern and gentle as she looked down at us."Hello, little brothers," she said, her voice warm but with an undertone of authority that made both Jordan and I straighten up immediately."You're late," Jordan said with a smirk, though his tone was more respectful than usual.Hazel's gaze shifted to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You've been teleporting again, haven't you?"Jordan froze, his smug expression vanishing in an instant. "I… uh…"Hazel sighed, shaking her head. "We'll deal with that later. For now, we have more pressing matters to discuss."I sat up, feeling the shift in the air. This wasn't just a casual family reunion—something important was happening. Hazel's expression grew more serious as she stepped closer, her presence filling the space between us."It's time," she said softly, her eyes locking with mine. "The balance is shifting. We need to prepare."Jordan and I exchanged a glance, the weight of her words settling in. We had faced many challenges together as siblings, but this felt different—like the beginning of something much larger than ourselves.Hazel smiled faintly, sensing our unease. "Don't worry," she continued, "we'll face it together, as a family. But from now on, we have to be more careful—especially you, Jordan. No more reckless teleporting."Jordan groaned softly, but he nodded. "Fine, fine. I get it."I stood up, dusting the grass off my clothes. "So what's the plan, Hazel?"She looked at both of us with a calm but determined gaze. "First, we need to gather our strength. Then, we find out who or what is threatening the balance. We've fought off threats before, but this... this feels different. Stronger."I could sense the gravity of her words, and it made my heart race with both fear and excitement. Whatever was coming, it was big. But Hazel was right—we'd face it together. Despite everything, we were still family, bound by blood and power.And no matter what lay ahead, I knew one thing for certain: we weren't going down without a fight.As we stood there on the mountain, the three of us united once again, the future seemed uncertain but filled with possibilities. The tension of the past still lingered, but for now, we were ready to move forward.Together.