Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✦✦✦
As Vander and Vi walked into The Last Drop, the warm glow of the lanterns and the murmur of hushed conversations enveloped them. As he walked down the steps to his children's room, his attention was immediately drawn to the commotion inside the corner of the room. Claggor stood outside next to the door, but his head was looking inside the room, almost distracted by what was happening inside. Vanded walked up from behind him, and his eyes widened in shock as he took in the scene before him. Amara, his daughter, stood in the center of the room, her eyes aglow with an otherworldly energy. Powder, Ekko, and Mylo floated around the room using the floating furniture to help push themselves around the room. Their faces were filled with a mix of excitement and wonder.
Vander's expression darkened as he strode towards Amara, his long strides eating up the distance. Vi followed close behind, her eyes fixed on the scene with a grin on her face, not seeing a single issue with what was happening. It was still a shocker for her, but she couldn't deny how amazing it was.
"Amara, what are you doing?" Vander demanded, his voice low and even, but with an undercurrent of tension.
Amara's eyes flashed with defiance as she turned to face him. "Having some fun for once since, you know, I'm not in any pain anymore," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Vander's gaze narrowed as he took in the sight of his daughter's powers in full display. He had never told her about her abilities, and neither had he ever taught her how to control them. It was for her safety, at least that was what his late wife had convinced him to believe. But now, as he looked at her, he saw the accusation in her eyes, the hurt and the anger just by him being in the same room with her. If it weren't for his wife and the promise he made her, he wouldn't have had the heart to hide it from her, but she showed him a point of view that even he couldn't deny would be in Amara's best interest.
"You shouldn't be doing this, Amara," Vander said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of desperation. "You don't know how to control it. You don't know the risks-"
"I know exactly what I'm doing, Vander," Amara interrupted, her voice rising. "You just want to control me. Control things that I should have a say in."
Vander's face twisted in a mixture of guilt and frustration. "That's not true, Amara. I was trying to protect you-"
"Protect me?" Amara's laughter was bitter. "You were protecting yourself. You were protecting your secrets. You know what I've started to realize? You never really cared about me. I was here with you for the longest time, but I never got the love you gave Mylo, or Claggor, or Powder, or Ekko." The girl placed her hands by her side and turned to face Vander. "Or Vi. Especially not like her."
Vi stood frozen, her eyes fixed on her father and sister. Her expression was a mixture of concern and uneasiness.
Powder, Ekko, and Mylo still floated in the air, their faces pale and worried. Mylo, for once in his life, wanted to play his hands outstretched. Even he could tell things were about to get messy.
