Elementals

Chapter 24 - I really gotta sit down

"In just a few days, you did all of that?" the man asked the boy, both sitting in an empty, shadowed void.

"Yeah." he responded.

"You awakened your powers, thwarted two plans from the Black Calamity, and fended off the Pale Lady."

"Yep." the boy looked at the man deadpan. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes, it is. I know when you're trying to lie, Aidan."

"So you know that all I just said was the truth."

"Unfortunately." the man sighed. "Just keep going, what happened next?"

"Well, when I got home, I crashed."

💨💥💣

The sun began to set in the amber sky, overlooking a large, white and black mansion. The late autumn winds rocked the trees softly, peacefully. Then suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the sky as purple essence swirled around the mansion. The world tore apart as Dominick and Aidan fell from the sky.

"She missed!" Dominick cried out as they fell. "We're gonna fall!"

"And?" Aidan turned to look at his cousin. "You can turn into lightning, just zap down there." Unfortunately, his words did not meet his cousin's ears as Dominick screamed for dear life. The blond boy hit the ground full force, cratering into the backyard. Aidan, however, pivoted in the air, preparing to land on his feet as smoke blasted from his mouth yet again. In a coughing fit, Aidan followed his cousin's steps and fell onto the ground, hitting his back as he landed. His coughing fit made worse. He eventually coughed up an actual lump of charcoal.

Dominick groggily raised from the ground, rubbing the back of his head as Aidan stared in shock at the charcoal.

"Did you just cough that up?" Dominick asked.

"I think..." Aidan picked it up. "I did."

Both stared at the coal in silence before Aidan incinerated it and got up.

"Let's never speak 'bout this ever again."

"Yeah, I'm fine with that." Dominick got on his feet. "So, this is your house? I've never been here."

"Yep, c'mon." Aidan opened his backdoor. "We've got plenty of rooms for you to choose from." the both of them stepped into the large, open loft. Aidan pointed to his left. "Up those stairs are the bedrooms. One of those is mine, and three of them are my sisters'. The others are free rein."

"You said your sister was taken by that Drew guy, right?"

"Yep."

"So is it just you living here?"

"There used to be... servants." Aidan coughed. "But after what happened with Dea, I let them take an 'extended vacation.'"

"You don't want them getting hurt by Drew, do you?"

"That, and I hate bein' babied." Aidan slammed the emblem on his coat, retracting the heavy armor upon his clothing. "Enough about all that. We need showers."

"Do you have more than one bathroom?"

"Each bedroom has a stocked bathroom. It's a little ridiculous." Aidan started walking up the stairs with Dominick following behind him. "The room right here," Aidan pointed at the door right next to the stairs, on his left as he turned into a hall full of doors on both sides. "this one's Bri's. The one at the very end on the right is Lotta's." he pointed out as he kept walking down the hall. "The one opposite of mine is Dea's, and this room right here," Aidan turned to face a slightly battered door that was left agape. "this room's mine."