S.H.H.A.

Daytime Nightmares

With the initial shock of being blasted by an exploding pterodactyl waning away, the sharp pain rippling through my chest grew.

Comparatively speaking, it wasn't too bad, at least not at first. Superheroes like me didn't just chase mice in circles all day- we had experience being the mice every now and then. But, as I watched team Athena activate their powers, a dull ache hummed through my chest even when I wasn't inhaling or otherwise asking for it.

Hiding would be a task, but I stubbornly kept the injuries secret. If only I had known they could read me like an open book- even without the help of Kight's power which would soon activate.

I was too stuck up thinking about what Boss would have done: kept fighting.

So, I tried my best to hang limp in the air like a puppet dangling from a string. The aching in my chest masked the searing pain from my ripped shoulder.

Wordlessly, Athena activated her power. Neon blue streaks appeared across her calico fur and ran down her back, forming wings that instinctively wrapped around her lean body.

Her brown wings, which I had seen many times before, were painted with black totem markings. Neither I nor Athena knew what the symbols stood for, but I often wondered if they had an important meaning. Maxima had created her power, after all. But, maybe that was just my bookworm brain talking nonsense again.

After her came Kight with the power I least wanted at that moment: the one and only Kightlen. I swear the power was epic any other day, but not at times when I was having a mental breakdown.

With closed eyes and a face scrunched up in deep concentration, Kight used their power, Spirit Companion, to call forth... well, their spirit. Technically they'd have the same name, but for clarification's sake, we gave their spirit the name Kightlen.

Kightlen, an indigo ghost-like apparition of Kight, pulled away from their physical form. Immediately, their deep purple eyes landed on little poor me as if attracted by my predicament.

Awkwardly, I chuckled and greeted Kight's spirit, "Nice of you to join us."

Idiot, did you completely forget about Kightlen? I asked myself, mentally facepalming.

As a spirit, Kightlen could naturally feel other spirits or auras around them. Ever feel something, but don't know why or how to explain it? Well, Kight could just ask Kightlen, and they would get at least close to an answer- as close to one as language could allow.

Kightlen, who probably already knew I was going mentally insane, replied with a soft voice that sounded like an echo of Kight's, "I've been here this whole time."

The purple apparition seemed to stare into my soul. Actually, they most likely were. Not sure what they saw in there, but the persistent voices in the back of my head seemed to know it wasn't a pleasant sight. I ignored them to the best of my ability and nervously looked anywhere but at the prying spirit.

"Then you understand the plan," Athena responded, barely sparing a glance toward Kight's spirit.

Having been together since they were ten and eleven (although, technically Kight was only five and Athena was only six human years old), Athena had grown used to Kight and Kightlen's presence.

In their otherworldly, faint yet clear voice Kightlen replied, "Yes." Honestly, if I wasn't so fascinated and familiar with them, the way they spoke would have creeped me out.

In reply, Athena stretched her wings that turned gold in the soft morning sunlight. Dropping them to the ground and using her back legs as an extra boost, Athena dived over the railing, sending a strong gust of wind into our faces.