{ Mia }
Silence.
The words hung between us, heavy and impossible to take back.
I'm your brother.
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my ears, and my knees tremu. He couldn't have said what I thought he did, he wouldn't. But the way he looked at me, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed with something close to guilt and sadness told me he wasn't lying.
"You're… what?" My voice trembled, coming out like a breathless whisper.
Ace shifted his weight, tension rolling off him in waves. "Your brother," he said again, softer this time.
I shook my head, stepping back and whispered. "No. That's not… That can't be true."
His expression didn't change. No denial. No backtracking. Just the crushing weight of everything I didn't want to hear.
My stomach twisted. "You're lying."
"I'm not," he said quietly, and somehow, that hurt worse.
I laughed, a sharp, broken sound. "You don't just say something like that and expect me to believe it." My chest tightened, breath hitching. "My parents—"
"Aren't your real parents."
The room tilted, cold creeping into my veins. I wanted to yell, to tell him he was wrong, but deep down, something in me cracked.
Because it fit.
The powers. The questions my parents never answered. The way I always felt like something, someone, was missing.
I sucked in a shaky breath, fighting the tremble in my voice. "How long have you known?"
Ace hesitated, and that split second broke me. Tears pooled in my eyes while I tried to hold them back.
"Since the beginning," he admitted, his voice rough. "I've always known, Mia."
A bitter taste filled my mouth. "And you didn't think I deserved to know?"
"You weren't ready," he snapped, then immediately softened. "I… I wanted to protect you."
"Protect me?" I repeated, a cold laugh bubbling up. "You lied to me, Ace. For how long, weeks? Months?" I swallowed hard. "My whole life?"
His shoulders tensed, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't want to hurt you."
Too late.
I took another step back, because standing too close to him hurt, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to scream at him, hug him or cry my eyes out.
"You don't get to decide what I can handle," I whispered. My voice shook, but I didn't care. "Not when it's my life."
For a split second, I thought he might argue. That he'd fight back like he always did. But he just stood there, silent. And somehow, that felt worse.
I turned away, my chest heaving as I tried to hold myself together. "I need space," I choked out. "I can't - I can't look at you right now."
"Mia—"
"Don't." My voice cracked, but I didn't stop. "Just… don't."
And before he could say another word, before I broke down completely, I walked away.
~ outside ~
I shoved the door open, the cold air stinging my face. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. My hands trembled as I dropped onto the stairs, gasping for breath like the truth had stolen all my air.
" What - do - I - do - A-Ash?" I choked through sobs.
Ash sighed deeply. " Mia... I think you should forgive him he—"
" Forgive him?!" I chuckled heartlessly.
" Ash, do you know how long I've wished for a brother? For that special bond that keeps them together? I've always felt that I had one but..." More tears flowed down my cheeks as Ash tried to desperately comfort me.
" Mia... Calm down... I-I mean if you always longed for a brother, i-isn't this a good thing?"
My hands trembled as I took a deep breath and composed my thoughts. Maybe Ash was right maybe this is a good thing. But the little voice inside my head kept telling me that she wasn't.
" A-Ash... In a way it's a good thing but — "
" Then tell me what's wrong!!!" She urged.
I took a deep breath, composing my words before speaking. " A-Ash, my whole life has been a lie !!" I choked.
" My parents... My sister... And who knows what else !"
" I- I just don't want my family to fall apart ! I love my parents and my sister, but I also want to be with Ace or whatever his name is... I just— I just don't know what to do!!!"
" Mia, " Ash started calmly. " You need to calm down. Just because they aren't your real family doesn't mean you still can't be with them..."
My eyes flickered with hope. " So you mean, all isn't lost?"
" No Mia, it's not..."
I breathed a sigh of relief. " Fine, I'll think about it... But I still need some time to process things..."
Suddenly, a loud BANG echoed from inside the house followed by Cole's panicked voice.
"Uh… guys? Little help!"
I spun toward the sound, my heart thudding in my chest.
I sprinted inside heading upstairs. " Cole are you alright?"
" Umm... Kinda." He chuckled rubbing his head.
I stared at him shocked and amused as I watched him struggle under the closet. " Hey a little help?"
I rushed towards him biting my lips trying not to laugh.
I slowly lifted the closed with my mind as Cole crawled out from under it.
" T-thanks..." He spat.
I turned to Cole, still biting back laughter as he dusted himself off. "You're lucky I was here," I said, shaking my head. "How did you even—?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled, smoothing his hair. "But hey, nice to know your powers are good for more than just blowing stuff up." His lips twitched into a grin.
I rolled my eyes, a familiar warmth easing some of the ache in my chest, until a voice cut through the air.
"I didn't realize rescuing idiots was part of your job description."
My heart lurched. Ace.
He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. His face was calm, too calm, but his eyes… they burned. With guilt. With something else I couldn't read.
The air grew heavier, my pulse thudding against my ribs. I wanted to look away. To ignore him. But I couldn't.
"Glad to know you're still a ray of sunshine," Cole muttered, brushing past me toward the door. "I'll just… give you two a minute."
The second he was gone, silence crept in, thick and tense.
I turned back to the mess of the room, focusing on the closet instead of the way Ace's gaze pinned me in place. With a flick of my wrist, I lifted the shattered frame off the floor.
A sharp pain stabbed behind my eyes.
I winced, nearly dropping it, but then something else surged through me. A pulse. Not mine. His.
Ace.
The connection flashed, an invisible thread, pulling tight between us. My powers hummed beneath my skin, too sharp, too aware of his presence.
I dropped the frame with a loud thud, my breath hitching.
"You felt that, didn't you?" His voice was quiet. Too quiet.
I swallowed hard, refusing to look at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Liar," he murmured, pushing off the doorway. "You're feeling it more now, aren't you? The connection."
I hated that he was right. Every time I used my powers, I felt him, like a shadow in my veins, steady and unyielding.
"I didn't ask for this," I snapped, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "I didn't ask for you."
A flicker of something passed over his face, pain. But it was gone in an instant.
"I didn't ask for this either," he said softly. "But whether you like it or not, we're connected. You can feel me, Mia. Just like I feel you."
His words made my skin prickle. Like I wasn't just me anymore, I was part of something bigger. Something I didn't understand.
I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Ace hesitated, and for a second, I thought he wouldn't answer. But then—
"Because I was scared," he admitted, and the rawness in his voice cracked something inside me. "Scared you'd hate me. Scared I'd lose you before I ever really had you."
The ache in my chest deepened, making it harder to breathe.
I wanted to stay angry. I wanted to push him away. But that invisible thread wouldn't let me.
And maybe… maybe I didn't want it to.
I glanced at him, my defenses crumbling, just a little. "You're still a jerk," I muttered.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah. But I'm your jerk now."
Despite everything, despite the truth that shattered my world, a small, fragile part of me believed him.
And that scared me most of all.