Priscilla and Claire exchanged concerned glances as their daughter slammed the door of the bakery, then shifted their attention to Aidric, who was making his way towards the willow tree. Despite his blurred vision, he could see that Priscilla adamantly avoided making eye contact with him. Claire took a step towards him and stretched out her hand to grab his bicep, but with a swift cast of ‘Propel’, Aidric flashed to the other side of town, leaving Claire reaching out to empty space. Claire’s jaw tightened, and her hands lightly clenched into fists while she followed after her daughter.

As Aidric approached the willow, he could feel a subtle change in the air. It grew heavier, as if a storm was on the horizon. If the tree served as the focal point of his experiences, then a storm was the perfect metaphor. Reaching the top of the hill, he tossed aside the swaying branches in front of him. There was very little moonlight, only a faint glimmer seeped through the branches, as he found himself surrounded by darkness.

“I know you can hear me!” Aidric called out to the wind, his voice echoing through the empty expanse like a desperate plea. With his arms outstretched, he turned in a circle, desperately hoping for even the faintest response to his calls. “What’s the plan here, huh? When do I get cued in on all the fun and games you’re playing with my life?!” As the wind grew stronger, it whipped through the trees, causing the leaves to flutter and creating shifting shadows on the ground. 

“When does it end? What else do you have to take from me?!” The thick scent of ozone permeated the air, and a sudden crack of lightning lit up the hillside. The wind buffeted against his face, while thunder reverberated in his ears. Tears cascaded down his face, his heart sinking as he mustered the courage to ask the one question he’d dreaded the answer to. “Why me?” A powerful gust of wind swept through, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning that briefly exposed a figure standing by the willow tree. 

His eyes flickered with a brief burst of light, and there, at the base of the tree, stood Madison. “No, no, no.” Aidric pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his head as they sank farther back into their sockets. “Please, I can’t do this again.” Enough with the cruel tricks, please. He didn’t want to play these games anymore. Aidric’s breathing halted as a pair of icy, delicate hands tenderly pried his hands away from his face. 

“Stop hurting yourself, dummy.” The figure’s voice reverberated as the sound echoed through the very fabric of reality. The wind stirred, carrying with it a subtle hint of lilacs. Her curly blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her blue eyes that mirrored their father’s.

“This...” The words stumbled out as Aidric’s eyes focused on the green dress, a constant presence in her bakery attire, complemented by the humble brown sandals on her feet. “This isn’t real.” As she took a step back from him, a faint purple hue trailed behind her, leaving an ethereal afterimage.

“Pretty rude, little bro, considering I’m right in front of your dumb face.” Madison’s piercing blue eyes scanned him from head to toe, one eyebrow arching higher than the other. “You look like shit.” Aidric struggled to form a coherent sentence. It felt like a dream, something too fantastical to be real. His heart pounded so hard he could feel it throbbing in his throat.

“You’re dead! I watched dad bury you!” She gave an exaggerated twirl and looked herself over, shimmering all the while. She glanced up at Aidric and shrugged. 

“I know that, you fool.” Her subtle movement of sliding her foot back in the sandal gave Aidric a clear indication of what was about to happen. As she swung her leg at him, he instinctively extended his hand, prepared to catch the object hurtling towards him like a stone. As the sandal struck his hand, he could feel the stinging sensation, yet he wasted no time in hurling it back at her chest, using an overhead throw. With a big toothy smile, she slid the sandal back on her foot and tapped the toe twice on the ground behind her. “Glad to see you remember my old tricks.” 

“Easy to remember something you never forgot, doofus.” Aidric had earned plenty of welts on his forehead when they were younger. Madison inherited their father’s martial skills, and she never missed a chance to demonstrate her prowess. On the other hand, Aidric inherited their mother’s agility, at least until he fell ill.

“How are you here? Am I dying?” Aidric asked. Madison let out a soft chuckle, her laughter filling the air as she walked in a half circle around him. 

“No, you’re not dying. Even though you look like it.” Her face displayed a visible sense of relief, yet her eyes betrayed an underlying sadness. “Shit’s gonna be tough little bro, but I’m guessing you’ve already figured that out.” Aidric felt a gnawing sensation in his chest, as if a worm was devouring his heart. Despite the pain it caused him, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

“Madi...” Aidric’s voice cracked. “I have to know. Why not you?” Her face lit up with a smile, even as tears cascaded down his face. “You were the brave one. You’d have flourished with this!” Aidric tossed his hands off to the side, the sound of his palms hitting his thighs echoing in the wind. “Why did they pick me?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Madison’s face, causing her smile to fade and her lips to quiver. Not once had Aidric seen her shed a tear until now. Even on her deathbed, she managed to fill the room with laughter and joy, as she tirelessly tried to make her family smile. Madison approached, surrounded by the shifting purple aura, and tapped his chest as another bolt of lightning cracked.

“They didn’t. I did. Ether told me it would cost your life to make me Marked, and I couldn’t do it.” Despite everything, she managed to wipe away the stray tear and force a smile onto her face. The image of her flickered and distorted slightly. “They found us because we were sick. Ether felt the stronger connection with us and… by then, it was too late.” Madison wrapped her brother in a tight hug, feeling his small frame against her, and a warmth that she’d missed for far too long. “I couldn’t do anything with those powers without you. You were always the brains that made my stupid plans actually work. So... I told Ether to take me, and you’re running on my time until the preparations are done.” 

Aidric was at a loss. The heaviness in his body mirrored the weight of the truth - his survival hinged on the absence of his sister. He was, quite literally, running on borrowed time. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Aidric asked. With a chuckle, Madison took a step back, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving them a gentle shake. 

“Because you wouldn’t’ve let me! Gods, you’d have fought me until we both bit the dust.” Another clap of thunder echoed through the sky, causing her form to shimmer once more. “Please, for me, have some faith in yourself. You’re gonna do amazing things. I’m okay, really. I still get to watch everyone grow, even if it is from a distance.” 

“Aidric!?” Halfway down the hill, voices hollered at him, their echoes bouncing off the trees. He turned his attention back to Madison and observed her slowly backpedaling towards the willow tree. The branches were pierced by another flash as the wind intensified. “Aidric!” 

“Tell mom and dad, I love them.” Madison said. Her form became more and more translucent as the seconds ticked by. Before vanishing into thin air, Madison made sure to don her notorious goofy smile, the same one she always wore when she was up to no good. “You’re gonna shine, little bro.”

Then… she was gone. Aidric found himself on his knees as the tears kept streaming down his face. His chest heaved with sobs he couldn’t control. At such a young age, his sister made the selfless decision to sacrifice herself for him. It wasn’t fair. Damn the Gods, damn the Ascended, damn Ether, damn them all. He just wanted his sister back. Aidric’s scream pierced through the night, a primal cry that echoed through the darkness. The storm grew more severe by the second, and bolts of lightning illuminated the figures rushing towards him through the branches.

“Aidric!” Sliding beneath the branches, Neal’s heart raced with anticipation as he wrapped Aidric in a bear hug, nearly knocking them both to the ground. Neal held Aidric close, his son’s shaking body pressed against his shoulder, as he whispered soothing words into his ear. “It’s okay, you’re okay. Just breath, buddy.” Aidric could only manage heavy breaths and interrupted sobs. In a swift motion, Ada burst from the branches and embraced them both, causing the rest of the group to stare on, fear evident in their eyes. The onlookers flinched again as another flash of lightning lit up the sky, this time much closer than before, mumbling to one another.

The intense surge of emotions that had run rampant in Aidric settled down to a quiet murmur, just as the storm around the group calmed. As he wiped the snot off his face, Aidric couldn’t help but question if he had unintentionally brought about the change in weather. No, the storm had already been raging before he reached the top of the hill. The force that had brought Madison to him was likely the one to blame.

Aidric wiped away his tears, and a heavy weariness settled over him. His chest was filled with a painful throbbing sensation, caused by both the poison and the emotional toll of speaking with a deceased loved one. Most of all, he’d just felt... numb. Despite feeling wired, his mind and body were desperately craving rest, as he longed to crawl into bed and sleep for days.

Whispers ran around the group of onlookers, and Aidric couldn’t find it in him to care what any of them had to say. He leaned his head back onto Neal’s shoulder and gazed emptily at his tunic.

“Madison says she loves you guys.” Aidric said. The hushed murmurs came to an end, along with the rhythmic throbbing in his father’s chest. Sitting there, his father remained perfectly motionless until the soft murmurs started up again.

Neal swiftly stood up, his arms wrapped protectively around his son, as Ada stood beside him, ready to lend support. “Alright, show’s over!” He called out to the group. “Either go back to the festival, or go home. Whichever you want, I don’t care as long as it takes you off my property.” The group, still muttering to themselves, started their descent down the hill, leaving only Ira Patel, Jacque Tillmane, and Priscilla Goldfield behind.

“What can we do?” Ira was the first to speak, his question directed towards Jacque. Before giving a reply, the old man absentmindedly stroked his scruff.

“Take him home.” Jacque said. “I’ll give him a look over and make sure there are no injuries or afflictions I can take care of.” Nodding in unison, the parents engaged in animated conversation with the others, discussing the events. Aidric’s vision grew blurry, and a high-pitched ringing filled his ears, preventing him from catching any words of the conversation. His thoughts were in disarray, tangled up in all that he had gone through. By the time Aidric regained his senses, he found himself already settled in bed, clad in cozy attire.

“Is he okay?” The sound of his mother’s voice, filled with concern, could be heard coming from outside the door. A moment of quiet was followed by a weary sigh.

“I think whatever is going on is mental.” Dr. Tillmane’s voice rang from outside the door. “Physically, he responds to stimulus. Mentally, it may as well be that he’s not even there. Whatever happened up there has him in shock.” His tone took on a calming nature. “All you have to do is give him time, and don’t force the subject. When he’s ready, he will talk about it.” 

Aidric tucked the covers snugly under his chin and turned towards the wall. The thought of conversing with anyone brought tears to his eyes. He had hoped that the numbness would have disappeared by now, but it unfortunately persisted. As he closed his eyes, he silently prayed for the solace of sleep to carry him to a more peaceful state.