20

Restoration Part 1

 

In a small, dark office that was only illuminated by a candle light, Dominic Eterna wrote in his journal.

Mother, father, I met Evelyn’s descendant with my own eyes. She’s overly attached to those around her and was vulnerable due to her emotions. Evelyn was nothing like her. Your words of wisdom have remained etched into my mind for decades. This power we have is a blessing upon the word that should be treated with respect. Evelyn did the opposite, thus making her undeserving our love. Once her mark on the world is gone, I’ll push forward with spreading our gift in a way that I’m sure you would’ve understood. A new legacy will be forged in the ashes of those that disgraced us. A legacy that will be eternal.

The words were written with an ink pen that had scratches dating back to decades ago. Each letter he put down was refined and beautifully marked. When the paragraph came to an end, he sighed.

The speaker on his desk turned on.

“Mr. Eterna, Ms. Brooks has recovered and wishes to speak with you.”

He pressed the small button which turned on the microphone.

“Inform her that I’ll be at the entrance of the lab in a few minutes.”

When leaving his desk, he stubbed his toe against a leg.

Uphold

His curse reversed any pain. 

“Nobody needs to deal with annoyances like that.”

As he walked down the hall, the see through windows gave a view of the ocean. There were no sea creatures of any kind swimming around in this area. It was like staring into a blue abyss. 

At the end of the hall, he saw Katherine. Her sword was behind her back, and she was back in her uniform that had been cleaned up. Even from a distance, Dominic could tell Katherine’s eyes were sharper than usual.

“Good to see you alive and well! You did somewhat fumble your mission last night, but we’ve still made progress, so it is what it is.” Dominic said while patting Katherine on the shoulder.

She wiped her shoulder as if dirt had been poured all over it. “Where’s Chloe?”

“Here in the labs, of course.”

On instinct, Katherine pulled out her blade and pointed it straight at Dominic’s throat. Her body pulsed with a yellow aura. The electricity bursted from her hands and into the blade. Even if she didn’t make a fatal cut, the electric shock that would be left behind could fry his body.

“Oh please,” Dominic mocked. “I’ve already explained to you what my gift is. Save your energy on people you could actually benefit from fighting.”

“Grrrr…” With immense frustration, the electricity from the blade flowed back into Katherine’s body, and she stored it behind her once more. 

“Don’t be so upset. Thanks to all her meddling, we managed to make an interesting discovery. It turns out all my blood has been eradicated from Chloe’s system.”

“What?”

“The scientists theorize that the Starlight Girl’s influence caused my own blood to be overridden. Her enhanced physical abilities carried over due to her own training. Higher potential and all that. It’s nothing I’ve ever needed because, y’know, unkillable.”

“If she lost her powers entirely, and as long as I do anything you say, is there the slightest chance you would let her go.”

“I would.”

Katherine’s eyes had a dim light flicker within them. “Really?”

“Believe it or not, those two subjects coincide. If the Starlight Girl is killed, everyone she’s given a curse to may lose their abilities. Can you take a guess at what I want you to do?”

The words Katherine heard from Luna rang in her head. “I won’t let any greater forces determine how I take care of others.” She couldn’t follow that belief for herself.

“...My goal to kill the Starlight Girl remains.”

“No, no, no, there’s been a slight change of plans.”

“What are you talking about?”

“All I ask of you from this point is to subdue her and bring her to me. Do that, and both you and your sister will be free.”

 

***

 

To Katherine, these words sounded unreal. “That’s it? Both of us? You’d let us both go?”

“Sure. I trust you wouldn’t do anything stupid with the blessing my blood gave you. I’ve gotten enough use out of you two by this point.”

“...I don’t understand you.”

“Pardon?”

“What is even the point of any of this? You dragged my family into some vendetta regarding your own, and now you’re offering to give us freedom? You could’ve done all of this without dragging me and Chloe in this… We didn’t deserve to be part of this!”

Katherine spoke as if she were fighting against a noose that was suffocating her.

“I really did like your mother. She was a very sweet woman. Unfortunately, my operation took priority far more than I could’ve expected.”

“Why bother marrying her then?”

“Hmmm, because I could?”

What kind of garbage are you talking about? This is all that Katherine could think in response. 

“It’s not like any of that will matter for much longer, though. Very soon… I won’t ever truly be alone.”

To Katherine, Dominic displayed no sadness when saying this. There was only pure confidence on his face.

“We’ve talked enough. I want you to continue your training in the room down the hall. Try not to lose anymore confrontations.”

“...I can’t afford to.” 

***

Sending Katherine off, Dominic entered the lab for himself. 

The spacious, metallic, and cold interior had very few people in it. Each scientist was utterly quiet, focusing on their work as they tested chemicals on the various tables. Dominic gave no attention to them as he walked by, but they did focus even harder on their work than they already were. 

After a series of various rooms and hallways, each with their own purposes such as computers and storage, he arrived in another spacious room, but not after going through a facial recognition scanner. The center of attention in this room was the two large tubes against a wall containing both Aurora and Chloe in them. 

The tubes were bolted to both the floor and ceiling of the room. The glass was impenetrable. Not even someone with either a gift or curse could physically break the see-through material, no matter how hard they trained. Surrounding the perimeter of the entire room were several Void soldiers. They were all ready in case something happened regarding the two captives. Every single one of them were armed with stun buttons. In the center of the room was a massive computer station doing scans of the two girls.

Each of the girls had been asleep until only moments ago. Dominic’s timing was painfully convenient for him.

“Well! If it isn’t the two guests of this very secret and private location. Aren’t you extremely lucky to be in a place like this.”

Chloe was the only one to respond. “Oh yeah it’s uh… so lovely! I mean, the apartment I had before was very nice but THIS is just… uh… it sucks. This sucks. You suck.”

“Ah, no need to be like that. Very soon you’ll both be let-”

“Dumbass says ‘what.’”

“Wha-”

“HA! No use cutting it off!” Chloe gave a fist bump to herself. 

Dominic clears his throat in an attempt to hide his annoyance. 

“Chloe. I’d be more aware of the situation you’re in if I were you.”

“Hey man, I have nothing to lose. All my plans completely blew up in my face, and here I am in time out because I apparently still have use to you if you haven’t killed me yet.”

“I am much more merciful than you make me out to be.”

“Pffft, yeah. Going after a teenage girl definitely means God will accept your application for being a Saint.”

“I seem to be getting nowhere with you. The reason I came was to tell you that you’ll have a chance of being set free alongside your sister.”

“Oh yeah? What’s the catch?”

“All she has to do is bring me-”

“Not a chance.”

“Will you stop interrupting me!?”

“Luna will probably kick her ass again. Even if you did kill her, there’s no way I’m leaving this place quietly. I’d blow up this entire lab myself.”

“That’s quite the amusing thought. Well, I’ve told you all I need to know, how about the other?”

He looked towards the brat. Her legs were tucked in, and she was turned at the wall. She didn’t want to face him.

“I’d also like to reassure you that once the Starlight Girl is gone, I will ensure your own freedom.”

The brat didn’t respond.

“You know, this is better for all of us. Our family’s gift will still be given to the world, but in a controlled manner. It won’t be wild like what happened to you all those years ago.”

The brat, again, didn’t respond.

“Still holding onto her, are you? Your curse is no longer active, but you’re still thinking about her…it’s sad, really.”

Finally, the brat’s gaze met Dominic’s. With just a few words, she ripped Dominic’s composure to shreds.

“Evelyn was right to leave.”

“Huh? What are you-?”

“I pieced it all together. While Evelyn’s family line continued, nothing in the Starlight Gift file ever stated what happened to her brother. Your ability coupled with how you talk, you’re Evelyn’s little brother.”

Dominic's clenched fist only showed off a fraction of his rage.

“No matter what your family believes, no matter how sacred your family power is, that wouldn’t matter if she was unhappy. I don’t know what your relationship with her was, but nothing you do now will change what happened back then. Trying to find closure has only ever-”

“YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

His fist slammed against the glass separating him from Aurora. The thud echoed across the whole room.  While Chloe flinched from this, nobody else in the room did. Not any of the guards, and not the brat herself, who kept staring at Dominic’s fiery eyes. 

“Listen well, brat. You don’t know a single thing about Evelyn. Not you, not her descendant. She ruined the legacy of our family name when word spread of her abandonment with a supposed woman.” He pressed his forehead against the glass, staring at the floor with eyes wide open. “If I could reverse all of that from happening, I damn well would, but I can’t do that. All I can do now… is undo those mistakes here and now.”

With those words uttered under his breath, he left without another word.

 

***

 

“Yeesh.” Chloe voiced. “That guy sure loves to yap. Did the stuff he said make sense to you?”

“More or less,” Aurora murmured. “Listen, Chloe. I’d like to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For dragging you into this whole mess. I set up this stupid mission to steal some magic rock and now you’re trapped with me. I’ve been so focused on my own drama that I never acknowledged your own issues. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, we don’t have to do this. Joining your team was my choice and mine alone. That was the case for all of us.”

“Not for Luna. I forced her into all of this.”

“I’m sure you were just trying to help her in your own way.”

“It probably wasn’t as selfless as you’re making it out to be…”

“Hm. If that’s how it is. Feel free to apologize to her once you see her again.”

“That’s assuming I ever see her again.”

“C’mon, I’m sure those two are looking for us as we speak. They’ll save our asses eventually.”

“The last thing I need to know is that Luna will try getting herself killed again for my sake.”

“…”

“Sorry. That was uncalled for. I just… I’m not optimistic right now.”

“That’s fine. I’m pretty sure my attitude for this situation is more bizarre. I guess taking the piss out of this situation makes it all easier to deal with.”

“I’m glad. I don’t know what I’d do if you were losing it like me.”

“Hey, random question. If you still had your Curse, you think you could free us?” Chloe saw a guard take a small step forward. “Calm down! I’m just speaking hypothetically here!”

“Maybe I could… but I’m powerless,” Aurora said. “Whenever I think of Luna, am I thinking of the one here and now, or the one I was with years ago? I tell myself she’s the same person, but I can’t keep lying to myself. My connection to her is a tangled mess that I can no longer make sense of.”

This is the conclusion that Aurora came to on why her telekinesis was gone, but this was going off pure guesswork. All she’s understood is that Luna’s Curse required a strong bond between Luna and another to be forged. She assumed that meant a bond born out of love, which is why she reacted the way she did when Chloe also had her powers awaken, but she’s been unsure since. This begged the question, what is the basis of Luna’s powers? What does it mean to have a strong bond with her?

The answer had become lost on Aurora. All she knew was that she no longer had it.

“Invisibility is cool and all, but it’s kinda useless in this situation. I wonder if I can talk Luna into giving me a different ability. Or maybe it’s one of those things where the power is meant to reflect you. So if I change a lot as a person, will my power also change?”

“The files I read never mentioned anything like that…”

“That’s all in the past. It’d be pretty cool if I was the first to do it.”

Because of this straightforward response, Aurora stared at Chloe’s relaxed smile with a hint of wonder. 

“This may come off wrong, but even after I met you and Melody, I still felt unfulfilled.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure neither of us could compare to-”

“But even still! I was always grateful to have you both with me. Being your leader has inspired me to be stronger. This is all to say, you’re a good friend, Chloe. Thank you.”

Chloe rested her back against the side of the glass closest to Aurora. 

“You’re not the only one that’s been inspired to be stronger, y’know? Whatever happens, I’ll be sure to give it my all for your sake.”

“Is that part of your whole ‘protect the people closest to you’?”

“Sure. At least, I think so.”

“Hmm, that’s nice…” said Aurora with a melancholic smile.

Their conversation came to an end. The only sounds that could be heard after were from the computers at the center. It felt as if the world around them was frozen in time. Waiting for when it would continue once more.

 

***

 

As Dominic paced back to his office while attempting to cool himself off, he thought about the letter that Evelyn left him before she departed. He remembered that she told him to only open it the next day. His nine-year-old self was rather confused by this whole situation. However, the words they exchanged remained clear to him.

“I don’t understand, Evelyn. Are you going on some sort of trip?”

“You could say that I am… For my own safety.”

“Safety? Is there some bad guy after you?”

“Well…”

“Why not just beat them up? You finally have your gift! And it’s an extraordinary one, at that!”

“Hehe, I’m still not quite sure I see the use in it. Yours is quite frankly incredible.”

”It really is! Everything can stay exactly as I want it to! If I stub my toe, I can reverse the pain, and I can even relive memories like my birthday in my head! I wonder if it also works on other people.”

“I think it’s lovely that you’re thinking of how your powers can help others. That hasn’t exactly been my priority…”

After this, she gave him a gentle hug.

“Evelyn?”

“You might come to hate me, and you’ll have every right to, but please, as you grow up, make the right choices and be true to yourself.”

“O-okay…?”

“This letter will make all of my feelings clear, I promise.”

The day Evelyn went missing was absolute chaos inside the entire Eterna house. All the adults were arguing amongst themselves, and in Dominic’s naivety, he showed them the letter he had received before he opened it. After a quick read, his father tore the letter to pieces. He proclaimed there were only the words of a traitor written inside. Dominic was asked to throw the various bits into the fireplace. He thought about using his gift to repair the letter and read it for himself, but with the eyes of the entire family on him, he dropped it in and watched them burn to a crisp.

When asking what happened to Evelyn, his father gave an answer that forever rang in his brain.

“She abandoned you, Dominic. Evelyn chose her selfish wishes over the integrity of our family.”

“What? She wouldn’t do something like that!”

“I’m afraid she has. She ran away from her responsibilities. Do not make the same mistake as her.”

“B-but…”

“Our power is our legacy. We’ve spent our family's history developing a perfect means of passing it down. Your sister’s actions may jeopardize everything we’ve worked so hard for. Do not think of her as family. She was the black sheep of our family for years, and now she’s chosen to become our permanent stain.”

These words were confusing to the young Dominic, but he clung onto them nonetheless. They were all that made sense. He grew to believe that everything Evelyn told him was nothing more than a lie. His family perpetuated the idea that she had never actually cared for him if she was so willing to leave. 

The decades started to roll by, and as all family passed away, he promised that with his gift keeping him immortal, as well as with the advancements in technology, he would carry on their legacy. 

With the backing of his family’s wealth, he created the Eterna corporation. Everything that he had planned was progressing smoothly. He eventually found someone to marry, but even with this, he remained focused on his own goals. 

Just as everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, he had seen the news about the flying tree in the city of Makewell. He immediately realized a bizarre phenomenon like this could only be explained by someone with the Starlight Gift. While he hadn’t thought about it too deeply up until that point, Dominic came to the realization that Evelyn had descendants, and the Starlight Gift had been passed down to one of them.

If he could get rid of this offspring. If he could erase this Starlight Child, he could finally get back at Evelyn for abandoning him like his family said, and restore their honor, once and for all.

Despite how much he walked, he was still just as upset at what Aurora said as when he initially left.

“If only I could reverse emotions too…”