ephemeral ━━ 𝘓. 𝘓𝘈𝘜𝘍𝘌𝘠𝘚𝘖𝘕 ✔

■ brother

MORNING / 6:00 am

Then she awoke.

When she fluttered her eyes open, the suns ray had caught her attention first, the way it did with her dream. She was covered in sweat and her mind pulsed into a migraine again. The doors at her balcony were wide open letting the fresh air of the early morning came. A gleam of the warm sun kissed her toes telling her to start the day already.

She tried pushing herself upwards with her elbows, but they began to wobble. Giving up, she slumped back to her bed, and stared at the majestic ceiling.

Loraine missed home. She already missed how Midgard looked like outside her porch. How was mom? What was her father doing right now? She asked, yet she already knew she wouldn't get an answer. Heimdall might see them. Maybe she could ask him sometimes.

She stretched, swung to the side of the bed and went towards the bathroom. The cold tiles met her bare feet. She crouched near the bathtub turning the faucet on while the water ran. She dipped her finger to it and it was very cold

There isn't any temperature control here in Asgard Loraine. She sighed.

She stood up. If electronics weren't the best things in this place. Then magic it would be.

She inhaled deeply and focused her energy. She outstretched her arms, palm facing down, just above the tub, and slowly crumpled her hands into a fist. She could feel the igniting sensation at the tip of her fingers. The water shook slightly, and just a second after that, it boiled.

Wait. What?

"No...no...no..." She muttered and knelt again. Then she closed her eyes calmly and blew a wisp of air from her mouth. The ground glimmered as she performed another Seidr--- The Crown. Smoke swayed its way to the water and with just a second after that, it faded away with the Crown. She smiled at her satisfaction and touched the water again. It was now lukewarm.

Staring at her reflection on the mirror, she stayed like that for awhile. Loraine grasped at the washer and glanced down on her  finger. It was wrapped by a thin white cloth. Her hair slipped down to her shoulders as she moved an inch to look at herself, to look at how much her eyes had changed.

Thinking about that, broken pictures of last night flashed.

She remembered how Loki shouted at her, his hands ready to slap her. His voice echoing in her thoughts. She remembered ducking it away with the mirror.

And, ah yes, his power caged in me.

She buried her face with her palms for a minute. But with her eyes closed, the events just seemed to get clearer than before. She stopped and slid her hands down her face. Her fingers climbed to her cheeks just below her eyes---they melted back to its brown shade, hiding the chill blue ones that came with Loki's power. Now, her original eyes were there, staring at her as if the reflection wasn't really hers. 

Last night, when she had that kind of outburst, she noticed her arms had turned into a shade of blue. Loki's Jotun form. It never really occured to her that his Jotun form would have been part of his power. Now she knew. 

Loraine grabbed the bath soap and squeezed it above the water. As soon as it started to bubble, she stripped down her nightgown, looked at herself from the mirror again and noticed that the power inside her was making her so pale.

***

"Good morning," she beamed. Loraine stood at the door's of Loki's chambers, two guards posted beside it. Straining a smile, she was hoping they wouldn't dare, revive what had happened last night.

"Good morning, my lady," They returned the smile and moved slightly to the side, giving her space.

Leaning on the door with her left shoulder and her arms bearing the morning tray's weight, she touched the doors. They silently opened and revealed a room in perfect condition. The shattered glasses were nowhere to be seen anymore, the carpet was replaced and the windows were repaired---even the shelves were polished, dark amber gloss gleaming.

She placed the tray carefully and began setting the table.

After she was done, she slowly moved her way to the side of the piano and stared. It was the color of midnight, brand new. She held on the stool cautiously, sat and, with no sound, opened the cover of the piano.

But something made her pause, for a while. There was a sound. It wasn't much likely a voice. 

To her surprise, even gods do snore.

She pressed down a key and smiled. Then her fingers, almost automatically, moved creating a melody, the music manipulating her soul, almost making her forget where she was. Closing her eyes, she let her hands flow with the song. But something reminded her of it, and for a moment, she thought she should've never played the piano again, now it reminded her of a bitter memory. 

Her brother. A boy with golden curls sprawled against rubbles. Cheeks pale and smothered of blood and dirt. His shirt and army figurine laying there covered in dusts.

A tear had fallen from her eyes, creeping gently down her lips. Why did she not stop?.

A flash of memory trespassed her thoughts. They were walking down the streets together---she and her brother, when a blast of blue energy had hit them out of nowhere. She lost her footing seconds after that, her ears ringing from the impact. 

Then she saw it, the worm hole just above the skies. Aliens pouring down on Earth. People were screaming and running.

She jerked her head over her shoulder and saw her brother had fallen on the street. Blood seeped out from his mouth and his eyes were dead closed. She was chanting the word no again and again as she ran towards him.

But she was already late. 

a.n:

Please don't be a silent reader ! *sobs*  

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