The Cost of Time- Five Hargreeves x OC story

The Beating of Our Hearts is the Only Sound

After the intense conversation with my family, I stormed up to my room, feeling the weight of their words pressing down on me. Now lying in bed, I held one of my bears—the one I often practiced my powers on. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I realized I hadn't even considered it until now. What would I be doing if I weren't trapped in this mansion? What kind of life did I even want for myself? My father was gone, and all those years of training and testing felt like a waste, as if time had stood still. Even before I fell into that coma, my father had taken missions and training seriously. The thought of what I would do after his funeral left me unsettled. My siblings would return to their lives, and the idea of imposing myself on them, asking for help to escape this place, felt wrong. All I'd ever wanted was to leave, but now I was uncertain. What awaited me out there? I couldn't abandon Pogo or Mom like this. Could I even start a life of my own?

Questions swirled in my mind, and I groaned as I set my bear down beside me. Turning onto my side, I stared out the window, lost in thought. Then, out of nowhere, a song began to play—loud yet muffled. I perked up; it had been ages since I'd heard music, especially one of those songs I used to blast when I knew my father wasn't home. Sitting up in bed, I began to nod my head along with the rhythm, a smile slowly creeping onto my face. I didn't even pause to wonder who was playing it; all that mattered was that it brought back cherished memories, lifting my mood and making me chuckle.

Music has always been my refuge. My siblings and I had collected countless records, and it provided a sense of calm amidst the chaos of our lives. Slowly, I rose from my bed and glanced at the hallway outside my room, shutting the door quietly behind me. My body instinctively began to sway with the music; I closed my eyes, allowing the lyrics to wash over me. Soon, I was dancing and laughing softly, jumping on my bed and pretending to twirl my bear in a joyful embrace. I hadn't felt this carefree in, well, 17 years. For a moment, it was like I was just a teenage girl dancing in her room without a care in the world.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. Intense thunder and lightning erupted outside my window, and the music cut off abruptly. I stopped jumping, staring out the window with narrowed eyes as the lights in my room flickered before plunging into darkness. The ground shook beneath me, and I watched in alarm as some of my belongings tumbled off my dresser. Climbing off my bed, I set my bear down before flinging open my door, racing downstairs to find out what was happening.

As I descended, I noticed my siblings rushing toward the back door, where the thunder seemed loudest. Diego was the first to reach the door, pushing it open, and we all followed him outside. The wind whipped fiercely around me, tugging at my hair. Stepping into the courtyard, I squinted at a strange blue, glowing phenomenon hovering above us, almost like a portal.

"What is it?" Vanya shouted over the roaring wind.

"Don't get too close!" Allison warned, trying to keep us safe.

"Yeah, no shit!" Diego retorted, shielding me as I stood next to him.

"It looks like some sort of temporal anomaly. Or maybe a miniature black hole. One of the two," Luther mused, analyzing the glow.

"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan," Diego shot back.

Then, out of nowhere, Klaus squeezed between Diego and Luther, a fire extinguisher in hand. I narrowed my eyes at him as he sprayed the blue glow, then threw the extinguisher into the portal, making it vanish. "What is that gonna do?" Allison questioned, bewildered.

"I don't know. Do you have a better idea?" Klaus snapped, still transfixed on the glow. Just then, the blue light intensified, electricity crackling around it. I leaned closer, realizing a figure seemed to be struggling to break free, a look of distress on their face. My eyes widened as I took a cautious step back, grabbing Klaus and pulling him away as Luther positioned himself protectively in front of us.