Pyro

VII

TW: Indication of a heavy topic + Panic attack. Be prepared

Sunny

My brother stood frozen, his green eyes boring into mine. Sol - my protector, my constant - appeared like a ghost in this nightmare. What twisted game was this? How deep was he in this world I'd stumbled into? How many secrets had he kept buried beneath those easy smiles and midnight walks? I'm overthinking. I have to be. My brother couldn't be involved with Finn, DJ, and whatever this is... could he?

Though my eyes remained locked on Sol, I felt Finn's mismatched gaze darting between us, trying to piece together this impossible puzzle. His confusion was palpable as he sat before me. Kyle shifted nervously behind Sol, radiating the desperate energy of someone who'd rather be anywhere else.

Voices buzzed around me like the white noise until Sol's cold tone cut through the haze.

"She's the girl you saved yesterday." The emptiness in his voice terrified me. I'd never heard him sound so hollow - this stranger wearing my brother's face, his presence screaming that everything I knew was a lie. Who could I trust now?

His green eyes held mine captive. "Yeah?" Finn's accented voice carried his confusion. He scrubbed a hand down his face. "How do you know each other?"

Sol ignored him. "So, Kyle." The venom in his voice made me flinch. His body vibrated with barely contained rage. "You mean to tell me that the woman you were objectifying five fucking minutes ago is my sister?"

Finn's head snapped toward me at the word 'sister'. Sol's hand clenched and unclenched rhythmically before he erupted in laughter - not the warm sound that used to chase away my dark moods, but something cruel and dangerous. The same laugh I'd heard during his fight with father.

The laughter cut off as suddenly as it began, his face a mask of cold fury.

Then hell broke loose.

Sol moved like a striking snake, too fast for Kyle to react. He drove Kyle to the floor, straddling him as his fists connected in a brutal rhythm. The wet sounds of impact echoed through the garage while I sat paralysed. Finn finally snapped into action, moving with surprising grace to haul Sol off Kyle.

Despite Sol's struggles, Finn held him effortlessly, whispering something harsh in his ear that made Sol go still. Kyle remained sprawled on the floor, blood streaming from his nose and split lip, wisely staying silent when Finn show him a warning look.

Then Sol's attention returned to me, and my stomach turned. His eyes traced every mark of violence on my body - the bruises on my wrists, my throat, my neck, the raw scrapes on my knees from the basement floor. His expression transformed with each injury, disgust and pain giving way to something darker.

Pure, murderous rage.

And somehow I knew - this was only the beginning.

His fury was a living thing, barely contained beneath his skin. The familiar winkles of worry formed between his eyebrows, but this wasn't the brotherly concern I knew. This was something darker. I wanted to disappear, to wrap myself in layers until his eyes couldn't catalogue every mark they'd left on me. Tears burned as I watched his reaction - He'd always been protective, but he'd never seen me like this.

Never seen me like this. The thought was almost funny. These injuries would fade in days, maybe a week. Except the ribs, they would take longer. Not like the others - the ones that had taken months to heal, the ones he never knew about.

Finn murmured something in Sol's ear that made him nod stiffly. Kyle managed to stand, though every movement drew a pained sound. The blood on his face had dried to a rust-coloured mask.