Transformers Prime: Fractured Futures (#3)

Prologue

The airport was buzzing with the usual mix of excitement and exhaustion that filled the air of every arrival terminal. People moved through the space like streams of water, flowing around obstacles, merging and diverging as they hurried to reunite with loved ones or catch their next flight. I stood just outside the security checkpoint, my heart pounding in my chest as I scanned the crowd.

It had been months since I'd seen my brother, and in that time, everything had changed. We'd texted, of course, and there had been the occasional video call, but those brief glimpses into each other's lives felt like echoes of a past that didn't quite match up with the present. I wasn't the same girl who had waved goodbye to him when he left for college. I wasn't even sure if he'd recognize the person I'd become.

I spotted him just as he stepped out of the crowd, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a tired but familiar smile on his face. His hair was a little longer, and there was a hint of scruff on his jaw, but he was still the same Evan I remembered—the big brother who'd always been there to tease me, to protect me, to remind me that I wasn't alone.

I felt a rush of emotion that I hadn't expected—relief, joy, and something bittersweet that I couldn't quite name. I lifted a hand to wave, and his eyes locked onto mine. For a moment, it was like no time had passed at all. He grinned, and in that instant, the weight of everything I'd been carrying seemed to lighten just a little.

"Erin!" he called out, his voice cutting through the noise of the terminal. He started walking toward me, his steps quickening as he got closer. I found myself moving too, my feet carrying me forward almost without thinking.

When we finally reached each other, I threw my arms around him, and he hugged me back just as tightly. For a second, I let myself be that little sister again, the one who didn't have to worry about the fate of worlds or the shadows lurking at the edges of her mind. In his embrace, I could almost believe that everything was normal.

But it wasn't normal, and I knew that. Still, I wasn't ready to let go just yet.

"Wow, you've grown," Evan said as he pulled back slightly to get a better look at me. "You look... different. Taller, maybe?"

I laughed in my usual silence.

"Maybe just a little. You look different too. College life must be treating you well." I signed.

He shrugged, his smile fading a bit as he studied my face. "It's been good. Busy, but good. But what about you, sis? How have you been? You look... I don't know, more serious. Everything okay?"

I hesitated, the truth of everything that had happened hovering on the tip of my tongue. But where would I even begin? How could I explain the things I'd seen, the battles we'd fought, the secrets I now carried? Part of me wanted to tell him everything, to unload the burden that had been weighing me down for so long. But another part of me wanted to protect him, to keep him in that world where things were still simple and safe.

"I've been... okay," I finally said, forcing a smile. "It's just been a lot, you know? School and everything."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he slung an arm around my shoulders and started guiding me toward the exit. "Well, I'm here now. And I've got a whole week before I have to head back. So, how about we make the most of it? You can show me all the places I've been missing out on while I've been stuck in lectures."

I nodded, grateful for the change of subject. "Sure. There's a new café that just opened downtown. I think you'll like it."

"Sounds perfect." He squeezed my shoulder, and I felt that warmth again—the comfort of having him here, even if just for a little while.

As we walked out into the cool evening air, I couldn't help but glance up at the sky. The stars were just starting to peek through the fading light, tiny points of brightness in the vast darkness. They reminded me of the night I'd stood beneath a very different sky, on a world far from here, making choices that I still didn't fully understand.

But here, now, with Evan by my side, I could almost forget about all of that. Almost.

"Hey," he said suddenly, his voice breaking into my thoughts. "No matter what's going on, you know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

I looked at him, his expression serious, and I felt a lump form in my throat. I nodded, unable to sign, but he seemed to understand. He smiled again, softer this time, and I felt a little of that old closeness returning.

"Come on," he said, giving me a gentle nudge. "Let's go home."

And for now, just for this moment, I let myself believe that everything could be as simple as that. We walked toward the car, the world feeling just a little bit brighter with him back in it.