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. (describe 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)
The air in the fighting room was thick with the scent of sweat and ozone, remnants of Haze’s intense training session. He’d been pummeling a heavy bag with the force of a small storm, his muscles taut, his focus laser-sharp. The blue electricity crackling around him was a testament to his power, the ability to manipulate time itself. But beneath the outward intensity, a quiet sadness simmered. The loss of his parents, the weight of his ability, the burden of always trying to do right by his little sister, Mia, weighed heavily on him.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Mia, a whirlwind of dirt and curiosity, barged in. Her white shirt and overalls were smeared with mud, her blonde hair a messy halo, and her blue eyes were wide with wonder as she held up a glass bottle, teeming with wriggling bugs and worms.
“Haze! Can you make time go faster? I want to see what happens to these worms when they get older!” Mia exclaimed, her voice overflowing with the excitement of a young scientist.
Haze sighed, his shoulders slumping with a weariness that belied his young age. “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. The guilt of his power, the knowledge that he couldn’t rewind time to bring back his parents, choked him.
“Why not?” Mia pressed, her brow furrowing in confusion. “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 reflecting a sadness that was too deep for his years. “It’s not that simple,” he mumbled, picking up a small, dusty notebook filled with complex calculations and diagrams on time manipulation. He was constantly studying, 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’s usual spark of curiosity dimmed, replaced by a flicker of understanding. She reached out and touched the glass bottle, 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.”
Just then, a voice boomed from the doorway. “You two still playing with bugs?”
Chester, a towering figure of a man with shifting features and a sardonic grin, leaned against the doorframe. His ability to shapeshift was legendary, and he was infamous for his blunt honesty and penchant for swearing.
“Just making sure the kid isn’t brooding himself into oblivion,” Chester said, his voice gravelly and laced with amusement. He winked at Mia, who giggled and ran to him, holding out the bottle. “Want to see my worm collection?”
Haze watched them, a faint smile playing on his lips. Chester was like a grumpy, protective uncle, always teasing Haze with a gruff affection. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a big help, Chester,” Haze grumbled, a hint of warmth in his voice.
“Don’t you worry, kid,” Chester said, patting Haze on the shoulder. “You’re not alone. We got your back, you and your little scientist.”
Haze looked at Mia, her eyes shining with the joy of discovery, and a surge of love and gratitude washed over him. He might not be able to change the past, but with his sister and his friends, he could build a brighter future. He wasn’t alone, not really. Chester was right; he had their backs. And maybe, just maybe, even with all the burden he carried, things wouldn’t be so bleak after all.
