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The Unveiling
I felt my consciousness resurfacing, like a deep dive back to reality. The world around me was a blur of colors and shapes, gradually coming into focus as my eyelids fluttered open. My body felt heavy as if I were emerging from a long slumber.
Sounds echoed in my ears, muffled and distant. I strained to make sense of the voices, but they slipped through my grasp. The words danced in my mind.
A throbbing ache pulsed through my head, a reminder of the battle I had just fought. Images flashed before my eyes, fragments of memory piecing together like a shattered mirror. Gustavo's sinister presence, Nicholas' screams, and Alba... —it all swirled in my mind.
But now, it was all blurry. I remembered the rush of power I had felt, the invincibility coursing through my veins, but I also remember how it felt slipping away, leaving me feeling empty and uncertain.
Taking a deep breath, I attempted to steady myself. The world slowly sharpened, the fragmented pieces coming together, knowing the reality that awaited me was forever changed.
How did all of this come to happen? Is this what it means to be in this, so-called Revolution? If so, then I would like no part of it. Those powers are a curse, they bring destruction. But in that single moment, I felt...
Why did I acquire Nicholas' power also? Is this one of the side effects of having these Clemons Cells? I needed to ask Ivory so many questions.
As I opened my eyes once more, the haze began to fade. I was awake, alive, and eager to know what happened after I lost consciousness. Kyriah had interrupted us and managed to subdue Gustavo, but what happened to him? I needed to know.
I looked around and saw myself attached to a machine. I remembered scenes from the movies where characters effortlessly removed tubes and wires, but my efforts were met with a discomfort that rippled through my body. Surprisingly, pain was only a small part of it. Gritting my teeth, I carefully removed the tube from my throat, my breath catching as I did so.
My action must have caught the attention of someone outside, because the door swung open with urgency, revealing wide eyes and in an instant, I recognized my sister, Annabella.
"YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE!" she burst out, her voice cracking from both relief and emotion.
She must've been terrified, I can only imagine how worried she must've been. We only have each other.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily. We've got plenty of years ahead." I reassured her, my smile an attempt to ease her concern.
"This is what happens when you try to do things you don't know about! You're not fit for the world, big brother. I always pictured you in a regular job, leading a simple life—maybe with a couple of dogs. But this whole revolution thing... I don't know if it suits you." Her reply held a mix of frustration and concern.
Maybe she was right. Maybe I wasn't meant for the complexities and dangers of this world I had wandered into, a world of powers, revolution, and adversaries.
"Wait, how do you know about that?" I asked suspiciously.
"Your girlfriend told me," she replied, her face taking on a serious expression.
"Girlfriend?!" I blurted out, taken aback by the unexpected assertion. Her ensuing laughter reassured me that she was just messing around. It wasn't long before I connected the dots, though.
Annabella couldn't contain her amusement, and then, out of the blue, Ivory teleported right in the middle of the room, causing me to jump. "Hey!" Ivory greeted a spark of excitement in her voice. "I'm thrilled to see you're okay, Ellion!" She seemed to be moving closer, leaving me in a quandary—was she going for a hug or simply planning to take a seat beside me? It'd be weird for her to go for the hug, we had never hugged before. Fuck, now I'm starting to dwell on it too long.
I started to raise my arms to reciprocate the hug, but it felt like I was overthinking it, and by the time I made up my mind, Ivory's arm was already around me. Confusion mixed with my attempts to return the gesture, leaving me with my hands suspended in the air as she hugged me. It was a cringe-worthy moment that I wished I could rewind.
Annabella, always quick to seize the chance, couldn't resist, "What's with the airborne hand show? Your hands—why are they floating like that?"
Suppressing a sigh, I muttered, "It's not what it seems. I'm just... kind of sore."
Ivory's gaze was tinged with worry, "I'm sorry. Where does it hurt?" She hovered nearby, her caution and care preventing her from making any sudden moves. It was an odd sight, her floating around as she tried to figure out how best to help.
Annabella's voice broke through the tension, "God, you're both weirdos."
We exchanged glances and started to laugh, but as the sound of our laughter hung in the air, it was as if a pit opened up within my chest. The memory of Nicholas resurfaced, casting a sudden seriousness over me. Ivory and Annabella, still caught up in their lively chatter, didn't seem to perceive my mood shift.
"Hey, sis. Do you mind giving us a moment, I want to talk with Ivory about something." I said, my tone indicating my request for a serious conversation.
Annabella, typically quick with a comeback, appeared ready to retort, but my tone seemed to register, and she left without further ado. "Teleport somewhere private then, sheesh," she muttered on her way out.
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With the room quiet and just Ivory and me present, she settled into a nearby chair and leaned in.
"First things first—Nicholas, Alba... Gustavo?" I whispered, the mere mention of their names causing a heaviness in the room. Her eyes reflected the sorrow that accompanied those names.
Ivory sat near my bed, and she braced herself for the conversation ahead. "I want you to understand that none of this was expected. Especially not for you."
My response was held back; the words seemed to catch in my throat. Sensing my hesitation, she continued.
"You've been in and out for a week now. I know, it feels like a long time to you, but given your condition, the doctors were initially estimating it would take months for you to recover. Yet you've been healing remarkably fast. That's a positive sign." She managed a small smile before continuing. "Alba's and Nicholas' funerals took place two days ago. As for Gustavo... I handled it." Her gaze locked onto mine, but in a weird way, as if not to ask a question about it.
"Took care of him? You can't just say that. Did you kill him, or did you send him to the police? I need to know what happened. He killed a lot of people, including his supposed best friends! Those powers, Ivory, they are a curse." I said to her while I glanced at my hands, remembering the unsettling bloodthirst I felt when I wanted to kill Gustavo, not from revenge, but from the thirst for power. A desire I hadn't known before.
"He's gone, Ellion. There's no need to delve into the details." Ivory's voice held a firmness that left little room for further questions.
But her vague response only fueled my anger. "He murdered Nicholas and Alba!" My voice cracked as the words burst forth. "Aren't you outraged by that? Don't you feel anything?!"
Ivory met my outburst with a steady gaze. "You're new to this world, Ellion, and you don't know me well enough to assume my feelings. There's so much you don't understand about the complexities of our situation. I appreciate the influence you had on people like Nicholas and Max, and I can't deny its impact on me as well, but right now, we have to focus on the bigger picture. We're adrift without a leader, the island is spiraling further into chaos, and the repercussions of what happened in Itayó are still reve-"
My inside started to burn, not from feeling sick, but from the anger that was building up inside. "You really are very fucking passionate about this, like Nicholas said. Your heart seems to be locked only onto this Revolution, and you're already trying to find a replacement for Nicholas. Fuck the Revolution! Did Gustavo get what he deserved?!" I felt like I was going to explode, but only the tears did.
Ivory stood up calmly, her response steady. "There's only one way you could've had Nicholas' powers; You had to end his life with your own hands. Nicholas is not someone to go down easy, so I figured he messed up and left you his powers, didn't he? I wonder what he told you in his final moments." The implication hung heavily in the air, her words stirring the memory of Nicholas' parting words, 'To be someone.'
"I'll explain the Clemons Cells so you can understand what happened there. These cells grant individuals unique abilities, as you're aware. However, it's possible to possess multiple abilities, but the only way to attain them is by killing another Clemons Cell bearer. An old scientist, Dr. Cyrus Clemons, who discovered them, explained that upon death, these cells are released from the body. Then, the cells of the one who killed you absorb them, absorbing your ability and strengthening their own body."
Realization washed over me. I did indeed have these cells, or else I couldn't have gained Nicholas' power. But that sensation... Ivory must have seen my confusion, as she addressed it without hesitation.
"You felt it, didn't you?" She continued before I could question further. "That sensation when the cells are being absorbed. You're flooded with energy, every doubt vanishes, your emotions find harmony, and your strength knows no bounds. You're like a perfect being, if only for a fleeting moment. We called that the Omni State. But it's short-lived. As the cells keep merging, the sensation fades. Then comes the slow decline, a sense of loss. All you yearn for is to reclaim that feeling."
Her explanation was spot-on. That's why she wielded two powers, teleportation and power detection. She had undoubtedly experienced this before – but I wonder, who had she killed to gain these abilities?
Understanding settled within me, quelling my anger. However, it brought forth a pressing question. When Kyriah used her powers, it felt like she was stripping away every cell inside my body, wiping away any trace of Nicholas' abilities. "I don't have his powers anymore. It seemed Kyriah took them away, somehow. Just as she did with Gustavo." I confessed to Ivory.
"If you wish to wallow in your pain and hide behind your regrets, that's your decision." Ivory began making her way to the door. "One of the chief indicators of possessing these cells is enhanced health. A mere week ago, you were in a coma with fractured bones and internal bleeding. How do you feel now?"
I looked at my body, seeing no wounds or scars, especially my right hand, when Alba, no, when Gustavo used Alba to break it. It was completely fine, I didn't feel an inch of pain in it.
"When you stop doubting yourself, start thinking about what Nicholas' would've done in your position." Then she teleported away, leaving me with words still in my mouth.
I didn't sense any notable change in my physical state, but neither did I feel any weakness. I could easily get up and leave if permitted, although I knew they wouldn't discharge me just yet. Raising my hand, I began to visualize conjuring ice, and a chill gradually surged through the nerves in my fingers. Moments later, my hand was encased in frost, rekindling the sensations I experienced the day we tore down the wall on the beach.
If Annabella was hesitant about me taking part in the Revolution, I couldn't help but wonder how she would react to me taking the lead in it.
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After a few days had passed, and the doctors remained baffled by my miraculously swift recovery, I was presented with the option to leave the hospital the following day. Finally! I couldn't wait to...
-SUDDENLY, THE LIGHTS GO OUT-
Oh, great. Another blackout. This is the fifth one we've experienced this week alone. Since the electric company was privatized some years ago, things have only gone downhill. It's hurricane season soon, I wonder what'll happened if one came by and we were still on this situation.
Now sleeping is going to be a challenge. I can't seem to rest well without some noise on the background.
"Do you want to die?..."
A voice whispered from the dark recesses of the room. I turned my head, disoriented, attempting to locate the source, but found nothing visible.
"You don't know the truth... All that's tied to her... is death..."
"Show yourself, you coward! I'm not afraid," I retorted loudly, my voice echoing within the room.
"I'm merely offering you a warning... but if you stand in the way..."
From above, a massive black mass materialized, and from within it, a figure in a black hood emerged, though only his upper body was visible. I couldn't see his face clearly, but his form was surrounded by serpentine black tendrils that extended further with every passing second.
I tried to shout, but one of the tendrils lashed out, enveloping my face entirely.
I tried to shout, but one of the tendrils lashed out, enveloping my face entirely [https://img.wattpad.com/c23b3c78fc99f39e1997014c99ade405b5cbcb3f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f613867516655306a6e74735978413d3d2d313335313835333639372e313765363262636433303161393962313336393837333430383433342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Alexander Monserrat
Clemons Cell Ability: Dermal Armor Skin
Character Info: A member of the revolution group. He's part of the national team on Vanity Island. He's mostly always texting or in some kind of social media, he's very popular around the island.