The kettle sat on the table, cold and stubborn. Esther furrowed her brows extending her hand toward it, a small flicker of flame dancing at her fingertip. "Just a little heat… nothing big," she whispered to herself.
And just like that the flame grew then flared. A burst of fire shot past the kettle and slammed into the edge of the couch. The old fabric lit up like it had been waiting for an excuse to ignite.
"Ah No, no, no!" Esther panicked, waving her arms uselessly at the growing flames.
At the moment, the door swung open. Blessing stepped in, grocery bag in one hand and immediately dropped it.
"You didn't," he muttered. Without hesitating he grabbed the half-filled kettle from the table and hurled water at the couch. Ssshhh! Steam hissed up in thick cloud filling the room with the scent of singed fabric and boiled failure.
Esther looked at him with a sheepish smile, fingers still glowing faintly. "I was just trying to boil some water."
Blessing sighed, rubbing his temples. "Next time let's stick to the stove… or matches, maybe a lighter."
She nodded "So no fireballs?" "No fireballs at least not in the house." Esther let out a small breath, sitting on the now damp couch. Her fingers curled around the edge of her sleeve as she, stared at the steam still rising from the scorch marks.
Then after a long pause, she asked softly, "Do you think mom would be upset?" Blessing glanced at her his expression softening. "No… she'd just tell you to stop burning the couch." He smirked.
Esther gave a faint laugh, but it didn't last. Her eyes lowered "Brother… are we freaks?" Silence stretched between them like a breath being held. Blessing didn't answer right away. He sat down beside her, watching the last wisp of smoke vanish. Then he said, "No I'd say we're veiled… a part of something bigger people don't know or understand." He looked at his palm, feeling the faint hum of something deeper inside. "But that doesn't mean we're wrong or broken." Esther whispered "Veiled huh?" And for a moment it felt just for a moment it felt like the truth.
The next morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the school's training hall, gleaming off polished floors and the worn out mats that had seen countless drills. As the session started, the instructor clapped his hands "Today, sparring light contact. Show me your reflexes." Blessing steeped forward assigned to a tall boy named Riku. A known hot head. Riku smirked "Hope you're ready, quiet kid."
Blessing raised his fist calmly mentally reminding himself No mistakes, no accident no one should know.
As Riku lunged with confidence, Blessing danced around each hit, smooth and effortless then a whisper in the air "A punch from the right."
Blessing easily avoided the punch, everyone gasped surprised by his reflexes. The sound of whistles and footsteps slowly started to fade.
Meanwhile, in the school's courtyard beneath a shadow of an old Sakura tree, a boy sat cross legged paper in hand. White hair swayed gently with the breeze dark blue eyes distant as he stared at the clear blue sky.
"Hey! Naoki!" A voice called from across the courtyard.
Naoki didn't flinch, he already knew who it was. "You're not skipping training again, are you?" his friend huffed jogging over. Then an idea flashed in Naoki's head "flash katana, volt slash,"
"You just reminded me I have to go somewhere." Naoki yelled as he ran off. His friend stared blankly as Naoki ran off "Go where it's not home time yet."
Naoki didn't respond he just kept running and as he ran off he thought of a time in his past. A young Naoki hungry scraping for tape to fix some broken cardboard toys. "I used to make toys, now I make weapons. Still feel like a kid."
Naoki reached his usual training sport as was eager to test out his new idea Flash Katana, a cardboard katana with electricity. As he swung, it jolted fire through a rusted signboard splitting it into two.
Then suddenly clapping. The echo rang through the lot.
Naoki froze, his eyes snapped toward the source of the sound. And at the end, leaning on a dummy his face obscured by a cracked porcelain mask blank and featureless "Bravo paper boy." The voice was smooth, taunting and almost amused
Naoki narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" The man chuckled and slowly stepped forward. His movements were too relaxed and too confident. "They call me Headless but you can call a fan… or a nightmare depends how long you last."
Elsewhere beneath a dimming sky the wind rustled gently over Blessing's rooftop brushing past antennas, laundry lines and rusted tin sheets. Perched quietly atop his home, Blessing sat cross legged eyes shut, letting the breeze dance across his face. His breathing calm, deliberate. Every inhale brought awareness, every exhale release. He was listening not with ears but something deeper.
The air stirred oddly then a whisper, so faint it barely existed. A childlike voice carried by the wind soft, melodic, chilling. "Ring o ring o rosy…. A pocket full of posies" His eyes opened instantly but the whisper continued "Ashes, ashes… we all" A gust wind ripped past him.
He stood up slowly, scanning the horizon. The wind had stilled, as if the world held its breath. "What… was that?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
Meanwhile in hero society Kairo a man known as the number two hero stared at Blessing's footage "The boy's hearing traces of something deeper. An old presence." He muttered "Should we act?" a council member asked, his voice filled with concern. "Not yet, let the veil thin out just a little more." Kairo said.
Meanwhile back at Naoki training spot, Naoki swung his paper weapon, transforming it mid-swing into a glowing lightning blade, sparks fly, then again Headless clapped slowly. Headless stood behind a rusted dumpster grinning wide.
"Cute you'll almost convince someone you're dangerous." He said mocking Naoki. "You again" Naoki gritted his teeth against the rising dread. Headless laughed "I told you I'm your biggest fan or your worst memory. Depending on who writes the story."
Naoki in losing his nerve lunged himself towards Headless with a blade whose flames tethered on the edges like serpents but Headless vanished in to thin air leaving behind smoke reappearing behind him. "Too slow, kiddo."
In hero society agents looked at Blessing's footage "Sir… the boy is starting to show reactive movement beyond instinct." One of the agents said nervously. "The wind chose him without a doubt, that makes him valuable… or a threat." Kairo said with a stun look on his face.
"The siblings are both surging should we initiate contact." Another agent said. Kairo looked at him with narrow eyes "No let them grow naturally, a flower forced open dies quickly."
Early morning at Fushino high the bird sang melodiously outside. Blessing was in class zoning out again during a lesson. This time the humming returned even louder. "Ring around the rosy… a pocket full of posies…." He snapped back to his senses. Everyone looked at him.
"You alright, Chiaki?" the teacher asked with a hint of concern in his voice. "Yeah, must've nodded off." But his eyes were alert. "It's getting clearer." He whispered to himself.
Far away in a place sunlight never dared to touch. The world seemed to bend around a forgotten structure crumbling stone swallowed by shadow. No name, no map. Inside torches flickered against wall lined with ancient symbols. Dust hung motionless in the air as if afraid to move. Inside the center of it all a Man with snowflake shaped earing sat cross legged like a child kicking his legs off the edge his face hidden beneath a veil shifting darkness. He played with a small wind-up music box in his lap, softly humming along.
"Ring around the rosy….a pocket full of posies….." He sang cheerfully as he giggled tilting his head. "They think they're safe behind that big heavy door, But doors are just pretend walls."
He paused, looking at the stars as he sighed. "Sis would've liked the sky tonight." He said softly. Then he smiled again, unnervingly bright." When the veil breaks…. Boom! Everyone takes a nap."
And just like that little by little the truth was starting to reveal itself into the light.