Haze’s little sister, Mia, walks in on him fighti
Haze’s little sister, Mia, walks in on him fighting a dummy in a fighting room. She was wearing an white shirt and overalls with yellow rain boots. Her hair was blonde, like her brothers but more light, wavy-curly waist-length and her eyes were a deep blue. She was covered in dirt from head to toe, and she was holding a glass bottle with different bugs and worms in it. Mia was someone who loved playing in mud and learning/discovering new things–that was what her brother adored about her but it was also something that scared him. That she was too curious–he always was a bit protective over her. He was bare, and his muscles were tense and dripping sweat. He looked focused and blue sparks of electricity were coming off him. “Need something?” Haze said quietly, as he reached for a towel. “My little scientist?”
Mia grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Haze! Can you make time go faster? I want to see what happens to these worms when they get older!”
He sighed, placing the towel on the bench beside him. “Mia, you know I can’t just speed up time for a bunch of worms. It’s not like…” he trailed off, unable to finish the thought. It wasn’t like he could speed up time for his own life, for his own grief. He couldn’t bring back their parents, couldn’t rewind the clock to before the classified accident that took them.
“Why not?” Mia pressed, her brow furrowing. “You can do everything else with time. You can go back, you can go forward, you can even freeze it. Why not just make these worms grow up fast?”
Haze avoided her gaze, his amber eyes clouding with a sadness that was too deep for his young years. “It’s not that simple,” he mumbled, picking up a small, dusty notebook from the floor. It was filled with calculations, notes, and diagrams about time manipulation. He was always studying, always trying to understand his power, but it was a heavy burden. “Sometimes, Mia,” he said, turning to face her, his expression softening, “Sometimes, even with all the time in the world, you can’t change things.”
Mia looked at him, her usual sparkle of curiosity dimmed by a flicker of understanding. She reached out and touched the glass bottle, her fingers tracing the outline of the wriggling worms. “But, you can still make things better, right? Even if you can’t go back, you can still make a good future, right?”
Haze swallowed, surprised by the wisdom in her innocent question. It was a simple question, yet it carried the weight of his own unspoken struggle. He glanced at the notebook, then back at his sister. “Yes, Mia. You’re right. We can make things better, even if we can’t change the past.” He picked up the bottle, careful not to drop it. “Maybe we can take care of these worms, make them grow up healthy. We can make a good future for them.”
Mia grinned, her eyes lighting up again. “That sounds fun! Can we give them names?”
Haze smiled back, a genuine, warm smile that broke through the solemn mask he usually wore. “Of course, Mia. We can give them names.” As he walked out of the room, he felt a small flicker of hope, a tiny spark of warmth in the depths of his loneliness. Maybe, just maybe, the future wasn’t so bleak after all. Maybe, with his sister by his side, he could find a way to make things better, even if he couldn’t change the past. (continue with—> Chester, a guy with the ability to shape shift that was known for saying what was on his mind and cussing like his life depended on it–teasing Haze like he was his younger brother as a way to stop Haze from always being so hard on himself)
Haze’s smile faltered as he stepped out of the fighting room, the air thick with the scent of sweat and ozone. The room had been a safe haven, a place where he could channel his frustration and grief into physical exertion, but even there, the weight of his past never truly left him.
His sister, Mia, followed him, her little rain boots squelching on the polished floor. She was a whirlwind of energy, her blonde curls bouncing as she skipped alongside him, the glass jar filled with wriggling creatures held tight in her grimy hand.
“Chester’s here!” she chirped, her voice a bright melody in the quiet house.
Haze’s shoulders slumped, the warmth of his earlier smile replaced by a familiar knot of anxiety. Chester. The infuriatingly carefree shapeshifter, who was more like a brother to him than anyone else. Chester’s presence was a constant reminder of his own burden, of the constant pressure he felt to be strong, to always be in control.
“Oh, great,” Haze muttered, his voice flat. “Just what I needed.”
“Don’t be grumpy, Hazie,” Mia said, her blue eyes wide with concern. “Chester’s fun! He’s always doing silly things.”
“Silly things like making fun of me?” Haze retorted, his voice laced with bitterness.
Mia tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. “No, he’s not making fun of you. He’s just…” She struggled to find the words, her small voice a mere whisper. “He’s just trying to make you happy.”
Haze stopped in his tracks, turning to face his sister, his amber eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and tenderness. “Happy? How can I be happy, Mia? Our parents are gone, and I’m stuck with this… this burden. This power that I can’t control, that I can’t escape.”
“But you can use it for good,” Mia said, her voice firm despite her young age. “You can make things better. That’s what you told me about the worms. You can make things better.”
Haze stared at his sister, his heart heavy. She was right, of course. He could use his power to help others, to make a difference. But the pain, the grief, it was a constant ache, a phantom limb that he couldn’t ignore.
Before he could reply, a gruff voice boomed from the hallway. “Hey, little scientist, what’s going on in here? You got some kind of bug zoo going?”
Chester stood at the entrance, his shape-shifting form shifting into a playful caricature of a giant, furry bear. His voice was thick with laughter, a jarring contrast to the somber mood of the room.
Mia grinned, her eyes sparkling with delight. “Chester, look! I found these worms! They’re so cool!”
Haze sighed, turning away, a grimace twisting his features. “Chester, I don’t have time for your… your…”
“Your what, Hazie? Your existential crisis?” Chester chuckled, his bear form shrinking into a mischievous, human-like silhouette. “Come on, kid, lighten up. Life’s too short to be a gloomy Gus.”
He sauntered over, extending a hand toward Haze, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and genuine concern. “Besides, you got yourself a built-in sunshine right here,” he said, gesturing to Mia. “She’s enough to brighten up anyone’s day.”
Haze hesitated, his gaze lingering on Mia’s bright face, her unyielding optimism a stark contrast to his own weariness. He met Chester’s gaze, his amber eyes reflecting a flicker of defiance, a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Chester was right. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to find some happiness, some peace, even in the midst of his sorrow.
“Alright, alright,” Haze conceded, a reluctant smile gracing his lips. “But if you say one more word about my existential crisis, I swear…”
Chester laughed, his voice booming through the room. “Don’t worry, Hazie. I’m not going to talk about it. I’m just gonna make sure you don’t forget to have some fun every now and then.”
As Chester took Mia’s hand and led her out of the room, Haze couldn’t help but feel a flicker of warmth spread through him. Maybe, just maybe, with Mia’s unwavering optimism and Chester’s relentless energy, he could find a way to live, to laugh, to make a difference, even if he couldn’t change the past.
