Lina nodded, but there was something uncertain in her eyes. "It's not always perfect. It can strain my eyes if I use it too much, and sometimes... the focus gets blurry."
Ayami considered this for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Still, that's a powerful ability. You'll be useful to us."
I couldn't help but wonder what else she was holding back, but I kept quiet for now. "Looks like you've got some pretty strong abilities. Glad you're staying with us, Lina."
Lina's eyes narrowed as she studied me, her gaze flicking between Ayami and me. "And you... I... what's your power? I remember you... destroyed the whole world..."
I winced at the mention of that, unsure how to explain it. "Ah... that wasn't actually me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "It was Mirror Man."
"Mirror Man...?" she asked, her confusion clear.
"Yeah," I nodded. "My power... I can enter the mirror world. It's this empty, parallel place that reflects reality. And in there, I can pretty much do anything I want. But right now... I'm not strong enough to control it fully."
Lina looked skeptical, her brow furrowing as she processed this new information. "So... you can just step into another world and change things? How does that even work?"
I scratched the back of my head, trying to think of how to explain it. "It's... complicated. The mirror world isn't bound by the same rules as the real world. In there, I can manipulate things however I want. But the catch is, I can't control it completely yet. Sometimes, things get out of hand."
Lina's gaze shifted downward, her focus seemingly lost in thought as she looked at the meal in front of her. "That's... amazing..." she said quietly, as if unsure how to react.
Ayami sat down beside the table, handing both of us a drink. "But wasn't Ishtar in Egypt?"
Lina nodded, a distant look crossing her face as she recalled the memory. "Ah, yeah... she is. I was suddenly teleported right in the middle of a pyramid, and there she was, sitting in the center of a throne chair."
Lina took a small sip of her drink, her eyes distant as she relived the moment. "It was... strange. One moment, I was in a small village, and the next, I was inside the pyramid, surrounded by ancient stone walls. And there she was, sitting on a throne made of gold, her presence... overwhelming."
She shuddered slightly, as if the memory still held some power over her. "She looked at me, and I swear, it felt like she could see right through me. Like she knew everything about me, even the things I didn't want to acknowledge."
Ayami leaned back in her chair, studying Lina with an almost calculating look. "And then what happened?"
Lina hesitated, her fingers gripping the glass a little tighter. "She... she offered me power. Said I could have everything I wanted—money, status, the ability to control things. But the catch was... I had to kill you, Ayami. She said it was a test. If I succeeded, I'd be rewarded beyond my wildest dreams. If I failed..." She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.
Ayami's expression remained unreadable, but there was a glint in her golden eyes. "So, she's been using you as a pawn."
Lina looked down at her hands, shame and fear creeping into her features. "I didn't have a choice. I thought... maybe it'd be the only way to survive."
Ayami's gaze softened just a touch, but her voice remained firm. "Well, where are you actually from? You don't look like you're from Japan."
Lina looked up, her eyes clouded with uncertainty. "I wasn't... I'm from Poland," she revealed quietly.
"Then how about you stay at Hikaru's place?"
"Huh!? Why me!? How do I tell my parents?!"
"Just convince them."
"I can't! How am I supposed to do that?!"
Lina raised her hands defensively. "I actually have a way to hypnotize... if you want."
"Is that really going to work?" I asked, disbelief clear in my voice at the mention of hypnotism.
"See, Lina can stay at your place," Ayami shrugged her shoulders, clearly indifferent to the idea.
"Don't just say things like that all of a sudden!" I protested, my face flushing with embarrassment.
Lina shrugged, clearly unfazed by my reaction. "It's not like I'm going to do anything weird with it. I can make them see things differently, just enough to let me stay."
I gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure it's that simple?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm not a master at it, but I know how to convince people. Just... trust me."
Ayami leaned forward, folding her arms across her chest, her golden eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and calculation. "Well, if it works, it could save a lot of trouble. You wouldn't have to worry about your parents giving you a hard time, and we wouldn't have to risk anyone finding out about Lina."
Lina and I sat together on the couch, the tension between us palpable as we waited for my parents to process the situation. My mom and dad sat side by side on the loveseat, their faces a mix of disbelief and curiosity. I couldn't help but glance at them as they exchanged hesitant looks, trying to figure out if this was all real.
Lina, with a calm demeanor, had already started weaving her story. She spoke with such conviction that I almost found myself questioning if any of this was real. "I'm your long-lost cousin," she said, her voice soft yet steady. "My family was separated for years, and I've only recently found out about you two. I've been searching for a place to stay for a while, and... I hope this is okay."
My parents were quiet for a long moment, and I could feel the weight of their gazes on me, unsure if they should trust her. Then, my dad leaned back, scratching his chin as he considered her words. "Long-lost cousin, huh?" He muttered under his breath, glancing at my mom. "Well, stranger things have happened..."
My mom, still wide-eyed, nodded slowly. "It makes sense, I suppose... It's strange, but if she says she's family, I guess we'll have to believe her."
I sat there in stunned silence, my mind reeling. How is this working? I thought, still unsure if this was some kind of elaborate trick. But watching my parents begin to accept it made me second-guess myself.
Lina, sensing their shift, smiled a little, her eyes softening. "Thank you for believing me. I promise I'll be no trouble."
My dad chuckled lightly. "Well, as long as you're family, I guess you're welcome to stay for a while."
I blinked at the exchange, trying to process it. I still couldn't believe it had worked—how did she manage to convince them so easily? This was all moving too fast for me, but there was no turning back now.
Lina shifted uncomfortably beside me, her gaze flicking between my parents and me. "I'm really grateful. I'll make sure I don't cause any trouble while I'm here."
My mom smiled warmly. "No trouble at all. Family is family, after all."
I just stared at them, still not fully comprehending what was happening. What the heck just happened?
"Oh, hun," my mother called from the couch, her voice soft but authoritative. "How about you clean out the storage room and make it her bedroom?"
I sighed, nodding. "Alright..." I got up and looked at Lina, who was still sitting beside me, unsure of what to do next. "Come with me," I said, gesturing for her to follow.
Lina hesitated for a moment, clearly still adjusting to the sudden shift in her circumstances, but then she nodded and stood up, following me down the hallway.
The storage room was at the back of the house, tucked away behind a door that hadn't been opened in ages. Dust and old boxes filled the space, and the faint smell of forgotten things lingered in the air.
"I'll clear it out," I said, feeling a little awkward as I gestured to the mess. "It won't take long."
Lina looked around, her gaze drifting over the clutter, her expression unreadable. "I didn't expect... all this," she murmured, her voice soft.
I paused for a moment, glancing back at her. "How does the hypnosis work?" I asked, genuinely curious.
To Be Continue.