Snap 24: The Next Stage.

I woke up with a thunder. The dream I just saw was strange. The boy and girl who... became something else. And that woman... she called herself the Queen of the Underworld. They're the Demons, aren't they...

If they're who we're fighting, it seems like they've been roped into this too. The only way for them to regain the lives stolen from them was to give it to someone else.

"Aleks? Are you alright?" Ai said by my side.

I was startled a bit. I genuinely forgot about what had happened just a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?" I replied.

It seems at that moment Ai realized what happened in the dream world, her letting her emotions out and me comforting her. She became red in the face.

*Oh, how cute* I thought. Wait...

*Why am I thinking of her as cute all of a sudden?* I thought. I myself became red in the face.

"Y-you alright?" Ai asked. "You don't usually seem to get red."

"It's fine! It's nothing." I stammered, progressively getting more and more red.

"It doesn't seem like it's nothing." She casually put her forehead up to mine to check for a fever.

"Hm...you don't seem sick..." She pulled away.

She usually gets embarrassed about even small things, but she did that no sweat. She seemed to realize that herself.

"O-oh! Well, you see, my sister did that to check for my fevers whenever I got sick so I'm just copying that, see? Nothing shameless at all!" She muttered, getting more red than me.

That bit helped me laugh it off.

"It's fine, it's fine. If it's you it's all right." I said.

That just seemed to make her more red.

Within a few minutes we calmed down a bit and just sat awkwardly.

What's up with me? I don't get like this with anyone else...

At that moment, Ai looked as if she wanted to say something until...

The door slammed open.

"Okay, it seems your family's home Aleks." Jupiter said.

"O-oh yeah, guess I'll be heading home." I said. I proceeded to calmly walk out the house saying bye then sprinted all the way home in a dazed confusion.

*What's going on with me?! What was she about to say?! AAH!*

Jupiter looked to Ai, smirking.

"I interrupted something nice, haven't I?" She said.

"I... I plead the fifth." Ai replied.

I ran home and knocked on the door. Dad opened it.

"Hey kiddo, I heard one of your friends call. You lost your keys didn't you?" He said.

At that moment I remembered how I just recently discovered my real Mom is still alive. Mom said not to tell Dad, it would cause more trouble than it was worth, even though she, more than anyone, wanted to tell.

"Oh, yeah. Fell into a sewer drain or something." That's an excuse to end all excuses.

"Well, you don't lose stuff normally. Stuff happens I guess." Dad said letting me in.

I walked and said hi to my Step-Mom. I walked into my room and crashed onto my bed.

"Ugh... these last few days have been real tyring." I groaned.

I looked to my hand. I started creating some lightning. So hot, so dangerous, yet so beautiful.

But at that very moment, my Step-Sister walked in.'

"Hey, I heard you just got home and Mom made me say hi, so hi." She said.

She looked down at my hand still pulsing with lightning.

"Uhh... what it that?" She said.

Oh no.

(Note: if you don't get "I plead the fifth", in the US, the 5th Amendment gives you the right to remain silent and avoid incriminating yourself.)