The silence was deafening. After hours of explosions, an entire cease of activity was strange. I didn't trust it was going to last, and I was right. Less than a minute later, the bombings continued above my head. Lucky for us, we were several hundred metres below the ground, so it did little more than rattle the hanging lights above.
Down and down we ran through the stairs, the clacking of our boots similar to the storm of bullets outside. I bared my teeth, narrowing my eyes as I stared above as if my gaze alone would cease the attack.
"Do they have no shame? They're firing on the house. His house! He's not even a part of this, and they're attacking his home." The girl at my side shook her head, grimacing.
"You think they're just gonna stand there while we're all here like sitting ducks?" She sighed. "Seriously, sometimes I really wonder about you." I raised a brow as she stopped running and embraced me. The familiar scent of home enveloped me. Immediately, my body relaxed, my heartbeat slowed.
"Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" I said, grabbing her face. Her beautiful face. She laughed, her eyes watering. Her expression morphed as she ran her fingers lightly through my hair.
"Even after so long, you haven't changed a bit." She placed a kiss on my forehead, and I my skin tingled. I frowned, staring into her dark eyes, as if they held all the secrets of the universe.
"After this, it'll all be different," I whispered. Her lips twitched, and she tried to maintain a smile. She didn't speak, and my throat burned. "How much will I remember after today? You could walk past me a million times, and I would never recognize you."
"He said it'll wear off eventually. Ten, fifteen years at most. This isn't permanent. We'll," her voice faded. Just like I was about to. "We'll see each other again." I hugged her fiercely as if she would disappear if I let her go.
"I'm gonna miss you, Chrissy."
"I'll miss you too, Lys. I love you." My breath hitched. Even after so many years, she always blew me away with those three simple words. I tried to keep my voice steady. I failed miserably.
"I love you, too." We finally made it, greeted by a large metal door that was cool to the touch. Four people in the room turned. A man - a boy, really - gave me a smile, his glasses going foggy. My expression slipped, and all thoughts stopped in my head.
"Brother." I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. My breath quickened as I held him tighter. I looked in his face for any sign of doubt.
"They're outside," I rushed. "They're outside. We don't have much time." He nodded, voice quivering.
"I know. I know. We have to move quickly. We'll be okay if we do." A lie we both knew, but truths were too difficult to handle. A voice brought us out of our frantic thoughts.
"We need to get to work. Now." I turned to my left. Two men, the two men who controlled my fate, stood there with all kinds of herbs, vials, and ancient books ready. A large circle drawn in chalk lay in the center of the barely lit room. Seeing them made my stomach drop.
"They could storm in at any moment," he continued. "Unfortunately, we cannot waste precious time saying goodbyes." I nodded, grabbing a paper from my pocket. Countless hours of writing and rewriting went into that single sheet. My hand stung at the memory. I turned to my brother, shoving it into his grasp.
"Once you find me again," My voice was strong, much stronger than I felt. "Once I'm ready, give this to me. If I contain even a shred of my old self, this will help." My voice went soft. "It has to."
"When will I know if you're ready?" I practically saw the wheels turning in his head. He thought he wasn't capable of taking on such a responsibility. But I trusted him. I tried to give him a reassuring smile, and I wondered how convincing it really looked.
"When the time comes, you'll know." He nodded at me, his expression determined but no less afraid. He stuffed it deep in his bag, making sure it didn't crumple. He turned to the two men, nodding. It was time.
"Are you ready?" They said. I turned around in a circle, eyeing the five people in the room. The only people who would remember me, at least for a while. And I wouldn't see all but one for a long time.
I took a deep breath, then another, turning back to the two, eyes void of emotion.
"I'm ready." They nodded.
"Get in the circle." I walked quickly, trying to focus on my pounding heart instead of the blasts outside. Louder and louder the pounding grew until dust rained from the ceiling. Outside, they were becoming desperate. I turned, facing the two men holding the ancient text. I had never held a conversation with one, but I knew the other from a long time ago. We didn't have a good relationship until fairly recently, and I hadn't talked face-to-face with him in years.
"Now remember, this spell will only work on those of our kind, and the regular human beings." He turned to the man behind me. One who I only lately learned to tolerate. I suppressed the urge to sneer in his direction. Ultimately, his fate was in my hands. I would have to learn to trust him, for better or worse. "Our counterparts will not be affected by this spell."
"I understand." His voice was grave. A single scar outlined his face. "I'll do my best to protect her. I promise." It wasn't much, but a feather of weight disappeared from my chest. My lips turned up into a silent thanks.
"Good." They raised their hands. "Let's begin." They started chanting in a language I couldn't understand. The markings on the floor glowed a bright white, slowly illuminating the room. As they chanted, the light grew brighter and brighter, and a blinding hot pain seared my skull. I collapsed, vaguely hearing people calling my name.
"Maintain the circle! We cannot break the chant!" For a minute there was inky blackness, and all I could sense was pure anguish and the shouts of chanting consuming my very soul. Someone was screaming, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Every sense was blotted out by the agony that overtook my body.
Then, the pain stopped. I thought the worst was over. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Then the real torture started.
I clutched my head, skull splitting in two. I then knew it was I screaming when I felt the blood drip from my mouth.
My life flashed before my eyes. Thousands of memories whizzed through my head. The images rushed, faster and faster, until it was just a cacophony of sights and sounds. Then, the pictures started to fade, as if someone was covering them out with white paint. The memories became hazy, until one by one they disappeared entirely.
As this happened, I felt my body shift, my heart seemed too big in my chest. Then it was my head that was too big. Every single proportion of my body just felt wrong. I couldn't comprehend all the changes at once. It was too much. Everything at that point was too much.
Slowly the pain abated, and the odd feeling disappeared. I breathed easier, every part of my being buzzing. My eyes were glued shut, and I felt, I felt. . .
How did I feel? I didn't know. Something was off, but I couldn't tell what. It was strange, and I couldn't explain it. My body felt weak. I couldn't stand. The cool floor chilled my body, and I shivered. Where. . .
Where was I? There was something I was supposed to remember, but I didn't know what. There was a reason I was there. It was important, but I didn't know why. It was because. . . because. . .
What was I about to say? I couldn't remember. My mind was hazy. My eyes finally decided to open, but I suddenly felt the urge to sleep. I was exhausted. I could hardly stay awake, though I didn't even know why I was trying in the first place.
The first thing I remembered hearing was footsteps. I looked up, and there was a strange man looking down at me. My head drooped, and my neck was sore.
"Who are you?" I mumbled. I didn't recognize my own voice. I noticed his eyes, the vibrant colours like spinning pinwheels. He was a much larger than I, my height barely up to the man's waist. He helped me stand. My vision blurred.
"Your new big brother." He picked me up, and I instinctually placed my arms around his neck. My consciousness slipped as I felt him carry me somewhere. "You're going to live with me for a while."