Perfect Pitch

The Past: (Rytem's POV)

"Where were you all night? I was worried about you!" my mother scolded, brushing dirt from my clothes and smudges from my cheek. "Anything could have happened to you..."

I slapped her hands away, annoyed by the sound of her voice.

"I just had fun with the neighbors," I stated with clear indifference.

She froze, eyes narrowing. "You have to tell me when you go out... and you should be home before dark. You're only two!"

Her voice echoed in my skull, sharp and endless. The irritation built, and before I knew it, I snapped.

"Shut up already!" I screamed... then

Her head exploded. Blood and bone splattered across the wall like a burst fruit. Her body teetered, then collapsed backward into the pool of what was once her mind. I stared, stunned. My heart thundered. What was wrong with her? Can heads grow back?

"Gini? What's wrong?" my father asked as he stepped into the room, Netalai clutching his leg. Then he saw her. The blood. The ruin. The wall crumbling behind her corpse.

He turned to me slowly. "Did you... do this?"

"Yes, but it was an accident." A happy accident. I looked away, trying to hide my grin.

He didn't say another word. He just knelt beside her and stared. For ten hours. So I took Netalai to my room.

Netalai had lost both parents in the war. I found him abandoned and begged my parents to claim he was a relative. They agreed. Since then, he's been mine.

"What happened to Auntie?" Netalai asked in a soft, quivering voice. His golden curls fell across his face, shadowing his equally golden eyes.

"I... think I killed her," I said. His small hands clenched into fists. He burst into tears, loud and sharp. His grief cut through the room. I hugged him, whispering apologies over and over, stroking his hair while smiling to myself.

Finally, she was gone. Her noise. Her rules. Her guilt-tripping. Gone.

When my father rose from the blood-drenched floor, he dragged me to the Glass Palace. I screamed, demanding to know where we were going. Netalai trailed behind, crying again. My father threw me onto the cold marble of the throne room floor.

"This is one of the monsters you're looking for," he announced.

The King barely looked up from his Rubik's cube.

"Prove it," he said.

I blinked. "What?"

It smacked into my forehead with a thud, sharper than I expected. Pain bloomed, and something inside me cracked.

"Use your powers, stupid." He said in a mocking voice.

Rage flared. I was losing it again, and I screamed, "Asshole!"

A crack split through the stone throne. The King dipped his head, blood dripping from his lip.

For a moment, I wondered if I'd killed him, but then he laughed.

He came down the steps, grabbed my chin with blood-streaked fingers, and stared into my eyes.

"Magnificent," he whispered. "You're exactly what I was looking for."

He turned to my father. "Your reward will be sent later."

My father said nothing. He only reached for Netalai's hand.

"You can't take him! He's mine!" I shouted.

I tried to attack my father, but then Netalai jumped between us. Ripples of golden energy shimmered around him. With one small gesture, he redirected the blast away, shattering a far wall instead.

The King let out a delighted laugh. "Two of them?! In the same family? Incredible! Your brother stays."

"He's not my brother. He's my cousin." I clarified, though both were untrue.

My father begged, "Don't take him too. He's timid. Let me bring him back when he's older."

The King's glowing eyes fixed on him. "You have a choice. Leave now and get double your reward... or die."

He left.

The maids bathed us. Netalai clung to me, whispering, "Maybe... this is good. You can learn to control your powers. And I'll help, so there won't be more accidents."

His hair was tied back, showing his delicate, sorrowful face.

"Yeah," I muttered, tousling it again. "I agree."

We were led to our rooms. Each was lavish, lined in red. The maid tried to separate us.

"Why do we have separate rooms?"

"All Chosen have their own space." They answered, being sure to remain respectful.

"He belongs to me. This is his room." I declared.

Netalai didn't argue. The maid blinked, glanced at us both, then left.

"Check out this bed!" I said, bouncing on it.

Netalai just nodded.

"Long day. We should rest." I added, patting the spot next to me.

He slipped beneath the covers, and I lay beside him, smiling.

"I miss Auntie Gini," he whispered.

My stomach turned, but I forced a few tears.

"I miss her too... I don't know how I'll live with myself. I'm trying to think positive, but... she's gone, Nelly."

He patted my back. "At least we're still together." He mumbled to comfort me.

Perfect.

The next day, they gave us a tour. At the end, we met the King's blood son—the Chosen of Fire.

Raijian. Same age. Emerald eyes. Something sharp flickered in them.

"These are your new brothers," the servant said.

Raijian said nothing. Just turned and walked away.

"We're brothers?" Netalai asked.

"No. He's a stranger. But you and I are more than brothers. We complete each other."

That made him smile.

We were taken to eat. Raijian was already there, eating alone.

"So... how did you discover your powers?" I asked.

He raised an arm, showing flame tattoos, and said simply,

"This."

He went back to eating.

"What do you do for fun here?"

"I... make movies. With paper cutouts and fire."

Pathetic. Does he really do nothing else but make puppet shows?

That night, as I stroked Netalai's head to help him sleep, he whispered,

"I was thinking of watching Raijian's movie. Could be interesting. Want to come?"

My hand froze.

"No. Don't talk to him. You don't even like strangers. Don't start doing dumb things now. Stay with me. I'll keep you entertained."

I kissed his forehead. He smiled, small and sad.

"He doesn't want us anyway. Don't worry. I'm all you need."

"Okay..."

He drifted off, and I watched him.

Mine. Forever. ♥