Gifts

POV: Kaycee

Kaycee sat cross-legged on Darren's couch, her eyes glued to the television. The news flickered on the screen in front of them, casting a dim light over the small, cozy living room. Aiden and Ava, Darren's younger twin siblings, sat on the floor, their backs pressed against the couch, staring at the images with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Darren, standing near the window, looked out into the neighborhood, tall oaks and maples rising majestically. The trees, coupled with the low mountain peaks in the distance, lent an air of endurance to the small city in which they lived. Darren peered out toward the horizon as if he could shield his siblings from the chaos happening across the world by sheer willpower.

The reporter's voice, strained and shaky, filled the air. "... entire coastal cities wiped out as colossal waves reaching thousands of feet into the air crash onto shorelines. The sudden appearance of the continent, now identified as Hiraeth, has caused unprecedented tidal waves, killing tens of millions…"

Kaycee's stomach clenched as the scenes flashed by: New York, Rio, Shanghai, Sydney—swallowed by walls of water, reduced to little more than debris floating in a seemingly endless ocean. The footage was surreal, like something out of a nightmare.

"The scale of devastation is reminiscent of the Great Deluge described in cultural histories across the globe," the reporter continued. "Emergency services are overwhelmed. Relief efforts are struggling to keep up with the rising death toll. Scientists are at a loss to explain the appearance of Hiraeth, but are saying that while much of the shattered landmass remains inexplicably floating in the sky, the largest part of it has landed in the Pacific Ocean, causing these unprecedented tsunamis the world over."

Ava, her knees drawn up to her chest, looked up at Darren. "Are we safe here?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Darren finally turned away from the window. "Yeah," he said, his voice low but steady. "We're too far inland. The waves can't reach us here in the Ozarks."

Kaycee could see the tension in his shoulders, the weight he was carrying. He wasn't just their older brother—he was their protector. And right now, he was trying to process the fact that while they were safe, millions of others were not.

Another image flickered across the screen—what was left of San Francisco, submerged beneath a roiling ocean. Kaycee's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of horror and guilt gnawing at her. She and Darren had power, real power, but this… this was beyond anything they had ever faced. The arrival of Hiraeth, an entire continent blasting into their atmosphere from the Rift, had taken everyone by surprise. No one had seen this coming.

The screen cut to another reporter, sitting in a cozy looking studio with warm lighting. The reporter introduced herself and mentioned a familiar name. "...EDS, the enigmatic entity that sent out warnings on every device across the globe. Thanks to EDS, millions of people were able to evacuate coastal cities in time. Tonight, we'll be talking about the information shared by this entity, EDS, the strange breaches that have been opening up across the world in recent days, and these emerging heroes who've been spotted saving lives and fighting creatures that look like they crawled straight out of a nightmare." 

Aiden broke the silence, his voice shaky. "How did this even happen? Where did Hiraeth come from?"

Kaycee glanced at Darren. They'd been asking themselves the same question. Hiraeth had emerged without warning, throwing the world into chaos.

As the reporter continued talking, Darren sat down beside Kaycee, rubbing a hand over his face. She could see the storm of thoughts swirling behind his eyes. They couldn't keep this secret much longer—not with the world falling apart around them, and certainly not with Aiden and Ava looking to them for answers.

Kaycee nudged him softly. "We need to tell them," she whispered.

Darren nodded, letting out a slow breath. He looked over at Aiden and Ava, both still glued to the screen, both terrified and confused. They deserved to know the truth, even if it would change everything.

"Aiden, Ava," Darren said softly, pulling their attention away from the TV. He hesitated for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "There's… something we need to tell you. About me. About Kaycee."

Aiden furrowed his brow, looking between them. "What are you talking about?"

Darren leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I haven't been completely honest with you two. There's a lot happening right now—more than just Hiraeth. And Kaycee and I… we're part of something bigger. We've been trying to keep you safe, but it's time you knew the truth."

Ava's wide eyes flicked nervously between Darren and Kaycee. "The truth about what?"

Kaycee leaned forward, her voice gentle but firm. "We're Knights. We have powers—abilities—that let us protect people from things… things you haven't seen yet. We've been trained to fight against creatures from other dimensions, things that come through the breaches."

Aiden's eyes widened. "Wait… other dimensions? Breaches?"

Darren nodded, his face serious. "The world is connected to other realms, other places that we didn't even know existed until recently. We still don't know exactly why these breaches have been opening up, why these Nightmares have been coming through, but Kaycee and I… we're Knights. Our job is to enter those breaches and fight whatever monsters are trying to get to our world."

Ava stared at them, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. "So, you're like… superheroes?"

Kaycee smiled softly. "Sort of. We don't have capes or anything, but we do have powers."

"And Hiraeth?" Aiden asked, his voice full of uncertainty. 

"We don't know yet," Darren admitted. "Hiraeth is something new. Something no one saw coming."

Ava's eyes filled with tears. "Are we going to be okay? I mean, with everything going on?"

Darren reached over, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay. We're safe here for now. And Kaycee and I… we'll do everything we can to protect you. But things are going to change. The world is changing."

Aiden swallowed hard, looking at his brother with a mixture of fear and admiration. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I wanted to keep you safe," Darren said softly. "I didn't want to drag you into this if I didn't have to. And, honestly, I just wanted to enjoy a little more peace with my kid siblings. But with everything happening now… it's only a matter of time before more breaches open, and the world starts seeing what's really out there."

Kaycee nodded in agreement. "We're in this together now. And no matter what happens, we'll face it."

Aiden and Ava were silent for a long moment, the gravity of everything settling in. Finally, Aiden nodded, a new determination in his eyes. "Okay," he said quietly. "We're with you."

Kaycee felt a rush of warmth in her chest. They were scared, but they were strong. And whatever came next, they would face it together.

"There's more," Darren said, smiling toward Aiden and Ava. Kaycee grinned too, knowing what Darren was about to give them. 

Darren mentally brought up his inventory screen and removed the Knight's Beacons and Companion Bands. To Aiden and Ava it undoubtedly looked like Darren just summoned the devices from thin air.

"I've got something for you both," Darren said, his voice steady but serious. "These are called Knight's Beacons." He picked one up, holding it out for Aiden and Ava to see. "They're connected to... a friend of ours, and they'll help keep you safe."

Aiden leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at the small device. "What does it do?"

Darren placed the Beacon back on the table and picked up one of the wristbands beside it. "The Beacon connects to this—your Companion Band." He handed one to Aiden and one to Ava. "With these, you'll always know where I am, and I'll always know where you are. If anything dangerous happens, these will give you real-time updates, letting you know if there's a threat nearby and where to go for safety."

Ava stared at the band in her hand, sliding it onto her wrist. "So, like... an emergency alert thing?"

Aiden slid the band onto his wrist, the device humming slightly as it synced with the Beacon. 

"Yeah," Darren replied, smiling a bit. "But it does more than that. It gives you limited access to EDS."

"Wait? EDS? You mean the entity that sent out the warnings?" Aiden asked, interest piqued.

"Yep, that EDS," Kaycee said, smiling. 

"EDS was created by the Great King, and he has been helping us as Knights. He's the reason we have the abilities that we do," Darren explained. "These devices will completely replace any need for a smartphone. Not only do they have those functions, but they also give you access to things like party functions, stat monitoring, and instant communication. Once they're linked, they'll even provide you with your own customizable HUD."

The eyes of both twins grew brighter and wider as Darren explained everything. "What's even cooler is that these devices will provide a permanent boost to your physical attributes, an emergency boost to your life if you drop too low, and more."

"So, we can be in a party with you guys? Like in a video game?" Ava asked.

Kaycee grinned. "Yep. We're both connected to EDS, and to each other now that EDS implemented the party features Darren asked about."

Aiden seemed to grow even more excited, his gaze shifting between the devices and his older brother. "So... does that mean we can go fight with you?" 

Darren shook his head, chucking. "Slow down," he said, "These are to keep you two safe, and if you find yourselves in a situation where you must defend, you'll now have a better chance of surviving. But that doesn't mean you can go looking for breaches to jump into."

Aiden's eyes lost a bit of their excitement, but Darren continued, "I want you both to be safe. The world's changing, and I need to make sure you have what you need if anything happens. These will help. You two are everything to me, and I have to keep you safe. Mom and Dad would be furious if I let something happen to you."

Ava gave a confident smile, holding up her wrist. "That makes sense," she said, "I think we're ready for whatever."

Darren couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm, but there was a weight behind his words as he added, "Just remember, it's not a toy. If something happens, don't hesitate to use it, and contact us as soon as possible, and we'll be there."

Aiden and Ava nodded in unison, understanding the seriousness behind their brother's words. Darren stood back, watching as they adjusted the bands, feeling a small measure of relief. Kaycee caught his eye and gave him a reassuring nod.

Whatever the future held, at least now they were a little more prepared.