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 reached the doorway, the warmth of his sister’s presence fading as quickly as it had appeared. The fighting room was silent now, the air thick with the scent of sweat and ozone. His muscles ached, a familiar ache that mirrored the deeper, more profound one in his soul.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a familiar figure entered, his presence announcing itself before he even fully stepped inside. Chester, a walking contradiction of a man, all rough edges and sharp wit, with the ability to morph his body into any shape imaginable. He was Haze’s best friend, his confidant, and sometimes, his most annoying tormentor.
“Well, well, well, look at our little warrior,” Chester drawled, his voice a gravelly rumble that sent shivers down Haze’s spine. “All worked up and sweaty, huh? Is it the training or the thought of facing the world without your daddy’s loving hand to hold?”
Haze clenched his jaw, his gaze hardening. “Leave it, Chester.”
“Leave what, Haze? The truth? You think I don’t see the way you carry yourself, all grim and brooding? Like the whole damn world is gonna crumble because your parents got blown to smithereens in some government experiment? Newsflash, kid, the world keeps spinning, whether you like it or not.”
He ambled closer, his form shifting into a sleek panther, his amber eyes gleaming with a knowing glint. “You’re not the only one who lost someone, Haze. I’ve lost people too. But I ain’t gonna let it break me. I’m gonna live, I’m gonna laugh, I’m gonna do things that make me happy, even if it’s just for a fleeting moment.”
Chester shifted back to his human form, his expression softening slightly. “You’re a good kid, Haze. You’re stronger than you think, and you have your sister. She’s a good one, that little Mia. She’s got a light in her that’s brighter than a thousand suns. Don’t let that light dim because you’re too busy drowning in your own grief.”
He threw a hand towards the door, where Mia was now peeking in, a mischievous grin plastered on her face. “Go on, kid. Go play with your little sister. I’ll be here when you need me.”
Haze stared at him for a long moment, the anger in his eyes slowly receding, replaced by a flicker of something akin to gratitude. He nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly as he turned towards Mia.
“Come on, Mia,” he said, his voice softer now. “Let’s go check on those worms.”
As they walked out of the fighting room, the weight of his grief seemed a little lighter, the shadows in his heart a little less dark. He had his sister, he had Chester, and he had his power, a gift that could be used for good, to make things better. Maybe, just maybe, the future wasn’t so bleak after all.
