Beyond His Evil

THIRTY-SIX.

~KIRA~

I couldn’t breathe.

The earth spun beneath my feet, and everywhere I turned, hunters and humans stared at me with wide, wary eyes.

Is she okay?

What’s her problem?

Why does she look like that?

Isn’t she the abomination?

I heard she fainted. Weird one, that girl.

Their whispers wrapped around me like a noose. I didn’t stop to respond. I didn’t even look at them. I staggered back to my room, slammed the door shut behind me, and locked it.

“Hi Kira, you won’t believe—”

I brushed past Kathryn like she wasn’t even there. Straight to the bathroom. Slam. Lock. Silence. Or so I hoped.

“Kira?” Her voice filtered through the door.

Why couldn’t these walls be thicker?

“Kira, what’s wrong?” A knock. “Kira, talk to me.”

I gripped the edge of the sink, staring into the mirror. Really staring. Not the kind of look you give yourself when fixing your hair. No. I studied every inch of my face.

How did God ever look at me— weakness wrapped in flesh —and think this could be the world’s salvation?

My whole life had been a performance.

My parents, my identity, everything carefully crafted to protect a secret. That I wasn’t just any healer. I was the Healer.

A hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat.

My mother. Her tears, her hugs when I cried about being powerless, it was all pretend. A part in a play. She never cared. She was never meant to.

I screamed and slammed my fist into the mirror. It shattered instantly, shards raining into the sink.

Kathryn was banging at the door now.

“Kira, what the fuck is going on?!”

I clutched my head, teeth gritted.

Devon said she was just my guardian. So was that all she ever was?
Was I handed off like a responsibility from the moment I came to earth?
A burden to be managed?

I screamed again, rage bursting through my chest.

How dare they?!

How dare God decide my fate for me? Toy with my life like it was some celestial game?

I struck the mirror again. What little glass was left splintered further.

Breathing hard, I lifted my eyes. And then I saw them.

Not me. Them. In the reflection.

Voices. Too smooth, too melodic, too unreal.

My eyes had changed, no longer brown, but glowing gold. That strange mark I didn’t understand was now burning bright on my forehead.

“Kira, I swear to the gods— open this door or I’m breaking it down!” Kathryn shouted, panic rising in her voice.

“Another shall come,” the voices chanted. “One more powerful than the others. In their hands, they shall bear the gift of life and death.”

I laughed. A cold, broken laugh.
Was this a joke?
A dream?
Had I finally lost it?

I looked away from the mirror.