She pressed her lips deeper into mine, and I felt her mind evading mine. I knew this feeling; I had experienced something similar before, but I couldn't remember when. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise as she withdrew her lips from mine. She looked at me intently, her scarlet eyes darting back and forth as though searching for an answer. Growing impatient with her piercing gaze, I leaned forward to kiss her, but she leaned back and lay on the bed. Gently, I held her right hand, which was stained with blood, and gazed into her eyes. Just as I was about to kiss her, she placed her left hand on my lips.
"Jaze, you're one of us," she said, her eyes narrowing as they locked with mine, filled with shock and awe. I was about to reply when Scar leapt through the window. She climbed onto my arm and gazed into my eyes. Her slitted pupils seemed to dilate, and I saw a vision of my father appear before me. He was on the floor, breathing heavily and coughing up streams of blood. Slowly, he fell unconscious. I saw someone walk into the room before the vision vanished. I pushed Scar away, shocked that a cat possessed such abilities. Is anything in my life normal?
I began holding my head, feeling my memories fighting to resurface, trying to recall an incident I had forgotten. Meredith extended her arms and hugged me tightly.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.
"My father is sick." I pulled out of her embrace and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. With quiet sobs, I stood up from the bed.
"I have to go to him." With a swift surge of energy, I sped out of the room. In just a few minutes, I arrived at the house. I went to the couch where Dad had been, but he wasn't there. I searched everywhere, panic growing within me as I began to pant heavily.
"Dad! Dad!" I yelled, running across the room, but he wasn't anywhere. I dashed back to where he had been lying and knelt down. I observed the floor and saw a trail of his blood. My instincts guided me, and I smelled it. Slowly, I leaned toward the trail and inhaled deeply. I could sense Dad's aura, but it wasn't strong enough. I touched the blood with my index finger and slowly tasted it. I could feel my eyes glistening.
I stood up and stared at the shattered mirror on the wall. My eyes glowed with a bluish hue. I could sense where Dad was. I quickly sped out of the room, my sense of smell heightened once more. I followed the trail of blood, my eyes seeing a spiral wave of red, luminous energy flowing in a snake-like path, representing Dad's aura, overflowing in the distance. I ran in its direction and arrived at a hospital. The spiral wave of aura stopped behind a door. I gently opened it to see my father lying on a sickbed. Beside him stood Mrs. Nathalie. She tilted her head and peered at me, her gaze lingering on my eyes, which glowed with a faint blue hue.
"I see the first stage of your ethereal powers has awakened," she replied nonchalantly while holding onto my dad's right hand. She was sitting on a chair beside my father's bed, wearing brown jeans and a black top paired with a brown leather jacket. She wore her cat-eye glasses. I was stunned by her appearance because I had always known her as a nerd, but now she looked completely different.
"Are you human?" I asked, my neck tightening and my fists clenching. If she wasn't human, it meant I had to be cautious and ready to take action. She peered at me, noticing how tense I was, and adjusted her glasses with a smile.
"I knew your father long before you were born. So, I believe your question should apply to both of our origins," she replied while standing up and stepping away from my father. She signaled with her eyes for me to check on him. Slowly, I approached him and sat at the edge of the bed. I placed my hand on my father's forehead, and it felt cold—too cold. His face was extremely pale, and dark circles marked his eyes.
"Why? Why is he like this? What kind of illness is this?" I asked, my voice filled with shock and frustration.
"He was poisoned by a werewolf," Mrs. Nathalie responded, her voice cold and withdrawn. I glared at her and let out a breath in terror.
"By a werewolf? But those things are creatures—they don't poison their victims. They have animal instincts!" I replied loudly, my hands tightening around the edge of the bed.
"Well, they are shape-shifters as well. All of the werewolfs can transform into human form temporarily during the day. Whoever did this cast an evil spell of eternal sleep on your father." As she spoke, I sensed another aura approaching the hospital. Mrs. Nathalie slowly walked toward me and placed her hand on my left shoulder. I looked at her questioningly.
"When she comes to you, you must follow her to the ethereal world if you want your father to live." She withdrew her hand and opened the door. Before leaving, she tilted her head back, sighed, and spoke.
"Your father and I are human," she concluded, then closed the door behind her.
"Dad, dad, please wake up," I muttered through soft sobs, holding onto his hand. "Please wake up. You promised we'd overcome life's difficulties. You said Mom would give us the strength to live, to be happy again. Are you going to break your word? We're men, right? We don't break our promises. So please, get up." My soft sobs turned into heavy, choking cries as I held onto my father.
I heard a knock at the door, and it opened. I lifted my head and saw Meredith entering the room.