It started long before the storm of recent events. Back when things were simpler—or at least, as simple as they could be in a family like ours.
Cecilia and I were inseparable from the start. We'd met during a school project that neither of us cared much for, but somehow, our connection had sparked immediately. She had this aura about her—kind, understanding, and yet with a fire inside that never burned too bright but never went out. We clicked in ways I couldn't explain, and soon enough, she became my constant, the one person who could make everything else fade away.
It was late summer when everything started to unravel. We were in that awkward phase of being more than friends but not quite labeling it. The kind of situation where we said everything without saying the one thing that mattered most: "I love you." But I felt it. I was sure she did, too.
Then Jordan started showing interest in her—not like the casual flirtation he threw at anyone who passed by. This was different. It was subtle at first, the way his eyes lingered a bit too long when she laughed, or how he'd find reasons to be around when she and I were together. I didn't think much of it at the time; Jordan and I always had this unspoken rivalry growing up, but I figured this was just him being himself.
I was wrong.
One night, we were at the lake near our home. The water reflected the deep indigo of the sky, and the only sounds were the gentle ripple of waves and the quiet hum of insects in the trees. Cecilia sat beside me on the dock, her feet barely skimming the water.
"You ever think about getting out of here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I laughed, thinking she was joking. "What, and leave all this behind?"
She turned to look at me, her eyes catching the moonlight just enough to make them seem to glow. "I mean it, Jake. Sometimes I feel like there's so much more out there. Like something's pulling me toward it."
I didn't know what to say. There had always been something about Cecilia, something that set her apart from everyone else. I just hadn't realized how deeply she felt it too.
Before I could respond, Jordan appeared out of nowhere. Typical Jordan, always showing up when I least expected him, always having to be in the mix. But that night, something was off. His usual carefree demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious, almost dark expression.
"Cecilia," he said, barely acknowledging me. "Can we talk? Alone."
Cecilia looked at me, her brow furrowing, and I could see the hesitation in her eyes. But before I could say anything, she stood up. "Alright."
I watched as they walked off into the trees. Part of me wanted to follow, but something held me back. Jordan wasn't going to pull anything, not with me around. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.
They were gone longer than I expected. By the time they returned, something between them had changed. I could feel it, even if I didn't understand it then.
After that night, Cecilia became distant. The fire in her eyes that I'd always loved seemed dimmer, like she was holding something back. And Jordan... Jordan was different too. His playful smirks and teasing remarks were gone, replaced by a coldness I'd never seen in him before.
I tried asking Cecilia what was wrong, but she would always brush it off, saying she was just tired or had too much on her mind. I knew better, though. There was something else, something she wasn't telling me. I could feel it slipping away, and the worst part was, I didn't know how to stop it.
Then came the night Jordan made his move.
It was a stormy evening, one of those nights when the air feels electric, like the world is on the verge of something big. I was at home, waiting for Cecilia to call, but instead, I got a message from Jordan. A single line that chilled me to the bone: "She's with me now."
I remember racing through the rain to Jordan's place, my mind in overdrive, trying to piece together what the hell was going on. By the time I got there, it was too late. Jordan stood at the edge of the clearing, his red eyes glowing in the dim light, and beside him was Cecilia. But she wasn't the Cecilia I knew. Her eyes, once full of life, were now dull, almost empty.
"What did you do?" I shouted, my voice barely audible over the storm.
Jordan smirked, his usual playful arrogance replaced by something more sinister. "I didn't do anything, Jake. She made her choice."
I didn't believe him. I couldn't. There was no way the Cecilia I knew would just leave like that. But as I stood there, drenched and shaking with rage, I saw something in her eyes—a flicker of recognition, of guilt.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Before I could even process it, they vanished. One moment they were there, and the next, gone.
That was when I realized Jordan hadn't just taken her physically. He'd taken something from her—something I couldn't see but could feel in every fiber of my being. He'd used his powers manipulated her, twisted her mind in ways I couldn't begin to understand.
And that's when everything changed.
Cecilia was gone, and the brother I thought I knew had become a stranger