Clara had spent the night tossing and turning, the words from the journal swirling in her mind like a storm. The truth about her birth parents was too much to process, and the power awakening inside her only complicated things further. She felt like a stranger in her own body, unsure of what she was becoming, or what it meant for the people she loved.
The following morning, she decided to stay quiet. She didn't want to face the questions that were sure to come. Alan had given her some answers, but the fear in his eyes had told her that he didn't have all the answers. The fear of whatever it was that lurked in her past still haunted him too.
Evelyn, on the other hand, remained distant. Clara had always sensed her coldness, but now, with the truth of her adoption hanging over her, the distance felt even wider.
---
Breakfast was quiet as usual. Alan sat at the table, reading the newspaper, while Evelyn busied herself in the kitchen. Daniel was already halfway through his cereal, scrolling through his phone, and Clara sat at the edge of the table, poking at her food.
Evelyn's sharp eyes flicked over Clara briefly before she returned to her task, and the silence was thick, suffocating. Clara hated it.
"Clara," Alan finally broke the silence, his voice low. "I know this is hard, but we're here for you. You don't have to keep things to yourself."
Clara nodded, but didn't look up. Her mind was too full of the journal, of the strange power within her, and of the questions she was still too afraid to ask.
Evelyn's voice was sharp as she spoke from the kitchen. "She's fine, Alan. She just needs time. She doesn't have to share everything."
Clara's heart sank. Evelyn never liked it when they got too close, when they tried to pull her into their world. She had always kept herself distant, focusing on work or her own hobbies.
"I'm fine," Clara said quietly, finally lifting her gaze. "Just tired."
Alan looked at her, his eyes full of concern. "Are you sure?"
Clara nodded. "I'm just not feeling well."
Evelyn glanced over at Clara, her eyes narrowing, but she said nothing more. Clara felt the weight of her gaze like a burning presence, and it made her want to shrink back into herself.
The tension in the air was palpable, and Clara could almost feel the walls between them getting thicker.
---
Later that day, Daniel found her sitting on the porch, staring off into the distance. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her silently for a moment.
"You've been acting weird lately," he said finally, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "And I thought we were supposed to be twins in this weirdness, huh?"
Clara didn't smile. She had always shared a special bond with Daniel, a quiet understanding that came with growing up together, even if they weren't biologically related. Daniel was the one person who never treated her like she was strange or different. He accepted her.
"Just a lot on my mind," Clara replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daniel didn't push. He sat down beside her, looking out at the garden. For a while, they just sat in silence, but Clara felt a knot in her chest loosen. There was comfort in his presence, even without words.
"I know you're not telling me something," he said after a long pause. "You can trust me, Clara. You always have."
Clara's heart tightened. She had trusted Daniel with her feelings before, but this was different. This time, she wasn't sure what she could say. The truth about her birth parents, about her power, about everything… It was too much.
"I can't tell you, Daniel," she whispered, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Not yet. It's too dangerous."
Daniel's expression softened. "Okay. But you know I'm here for you, right? No matter what."
Clara nodded, her throat tight with emotion. She wished she could tell him. But she couldn't. Not when she didn't even fully understand it herself.
---
That evening, Clara found herself face to face with Evelyn in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner. The house felt unusually quiet, as if the air had thickened even more since the morning. Clara didn't look at Evelyn as she dried the dishes, trying to ignore the tension in the room.
"Clara," Evelyn's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. "You've been distant. You're acting like you don't belong here anymore. What's going on with you?"
Clara's hands froze on the dish she was drying. Evelyn's cold gaze was too much to bear, and Clara could feel her heart racing in her chest.
"I'm fine," Clara replied quickly, but her voice wavered.
Evelyn took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "You don't need to act like everything's fine when it's clearly not. You've been hiding things from us. What aren't you telling me, Clara?"
Clara turned around to face her, the weight of Evelyn's words sinking deep into her heart. She couldn't lie anymore. She couldn't keep pretending that everything was normal when nothing felt normal at all.
But she couldn't tell Evelyn the truth either.
"I'm just figuring things out," Clara said softly, her voice trembling.
Evelyn didn't respond immediately, her eyes studying Clara for a moment longer. Finally, she turned away, her voice cold as ever. "Well, don't think you can hide from me forever. I know when something's wrong."
Clara watched her walk out of the kitchen, feeling more alone than ever. She had hoped Evelyn might care, might show some sign of warmth. But she hadn't. It was like Evelyn had already made up her mind about Clara—no matter what the truth was, Clara would always be the outsider in this family.
---
Days passed, and Clara couldn't shake the feeling of isolation. The distance between her and Evelyn seemed to grow every day, and even Alan, who had always been so gentle with her, seemed to be slipping away. His worry about Clara's well-being had turned into an almost cautious distance. He tried, but there was a coldness between them that couldn't be ignored.
As for Daniel, he didn't press her further about the things she was hiding. But Clara could feel the weight of his concern whenever he looked at her, and it made her ache. She hated keeping this secret from him, from everyone.
But she couldn't risk telling them. Not yet.
Clara knew she had a choice to make. And the more she uncovered about her past, about the power within her, the more she realized that this choice could change everything.
For now, she would protect them all by keeping her distance, even if it meant losing herself in the process.