Strangely Familiar - The Flaw in Time

Chapter 15

"In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future." - Alex Haley

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Naina Shreeparna Patil is an orphan. At the age of five, she was adopted by a sweet family who raised her as their own.

She strikes through her words scribbling furiously and tearing the pages apart. She was blinking hard to stop her tears from staining her cheeks. She would not cry again.

Akira is still an orphan. All her life she lived a lie for she never truly belonged in this world. Her adoptive mother took her in and raised her for her ulterior motive. When times were desperate and with danger ahead, she conveniently risked her life.

The tears smudged her illegible handwriting on the page, blurring her sight to block its view in the process. She tore yet another page, crumbled, and threw it on the other side of the room.

"Desolating yourself is not going to help you."

She could still hear his voice through the thick walls of her room or perhaps they were still wondering inside her head. She could not tell. Her thoughts were densely clouded.

He has been watching her for the last five hours. She had been wailing and acting miserable so much that he felt compelled to shake some senses into her.

"Please leave me alone." Her throat was sore and dry. She has unintentionally kept herself dehydrated since last night.

"No!"

She argued. "I mean it."

Shaking his head, he flicked his hand and a bowl of water appeared in front of her.

"I use glass," She side glanced at him, muttering sarcastically, pushing the bowl away from her. "Always."

"Formation of glass requires transparency of heat along with elemental pressure and some resistance. I can't access that at this hour." He answered disinterestedly, waving his hand.

"What does that even mean?" Her voice cracked as she forced the words out.

"That means you have a lot to learn." He placed the bowl in front of her. "Now, drink."

She begrudgingly accepted the bowl and gulped it in one breath. To her surprise, it truly felt good and all her stress lifted in a matter of seconds.

"That wasn't water."

Ayaan snorted. "Oh, well done, you are learning. It was a toxin that numbs your brain to nothingness. In other words, you lose your ability to think."

She got up, startled.

"Why on earth would you give me that?" Naina made sure her voice was low but resonated with anger.

He supported his back against the table and crossed his arms across his chest. "Stop trusting people blindly."

His eyes scanned her latest masterpiece, knitting his brows at the sentiments she was trying to pour in. Despite knowing the truth that it was her adoptive mother who blocked her magic and lied about her identity, a part of her always believed that she must have had a good reason behind it until she tore it away.

She pulled herself away from his reach and sat on the bed. "What happens now?" She pointed out at the bowl.

"Nothing significant. It will only help you relax." He looked around the room casually like he wasn't afraid of the consequences now that his secret is out. "It's a toxin, yes - poison, but not poisonous enough to cause damage."