Means of Protection

The once-golden wings had transformed into a sinister shade of black, reminiscent of old avian prophecies foretelling the end of the world. Whether those prophecies would come to pass mattered little to me; what mattered was the power they bestowed upon me to protect those worthy of protection."Marvelous! They're just as I remember them!" the boy exclaimed in awe at the sight of my new wings."Move," I commanded."Why should I-" Before he could finish his sentence, I flew beside him and with a rapid punch sent him flying.The claw marks on Iris's neck were still raw, but thankfully her heartbeat remained strong. When this ordeal was over, she would bear only a scar—a small price to pay for her survival. Yet the thought of his hands around her throat filled me with rage."Oh, come now! Don't scowl so fiercely! She's perfectly fine, as you can see," the boy materialized beside Iris, pointing to her now healed throat."W-What? How did you...?" I stammered."Everything that unfolded here is merely an illusion; or something of the sort," the boy explained. "You see, I don't truly exist in your realm of existence, or any realm for that matter. This dimension we find ourselves in is a little creation of mine, existing solely for you and me. Thus, I cannot harm anyone, as I am but an illusion.""What did you hope to achieve by doing all this?" I asked."The main goal was for you to reawaken your powers. With that goal off the list, the next one awaits," he replied."And what is that?""For you to give up control and let me use your form as a vessel for my return," the boy answered."Why would I ever give someone like you control?""Because you will have no other choice."Everything he said carried an unusual air of confidence as if he had seen both the past and future, and everything was unfolding exactly as he envisioned. Nothing made sense anymore; my mind was filled with more questions than I could find answers to.The more I looked at him, the more conflicted I became. At first, I was afraid, then angry, and now, accepting. Despite his vile appearance, I no longer felt any resentment towards him. I couldn't quite explain it, but when I looked at him, I felt strangely drawn to him."Why do you want to use my body as a vessel? Can't you use someone else?" I questioned."No, it must be you. I have been waiting for as long as the dawn of time, for you and I are the same, and no one but you could help me bring order to this accursed world," he explained, but his words only deepened my confusion."Why do you think I would ever want to bring order to this world? What has this world ever done for me? Except take from me, over and over again! Even now, you come here speaking of some kind of order, for which you demand my body and with it my life for some ambition I never even wanted! You're no better than the rest; all you do is take what does not belong to you!""I know it all too well, trust me. I walked in your shoes and I saw the world for what it was. The truth is, there will never be a place for the likes of you and me in this world, for as long as we live, we will be nothing more than outcasts. You have what you want for now. But how long do you think this freedom you seek will last? A year? Maybe a couple more? No matter how long, those who banished you will come back for you because you are special! The time will come when you will give me your life out of your own volition because you will see the world for what it really is!""But why would I ever give up my life for your ambitions? You say we are the same, but I beg to differ. My life may not mean much to me, but it means the world to my family, and so it is precious to me as well," I asserted."If one's life is being lived only for someone else, then is that life worth living?" the boy posed a question."If it weren't for them, my life would have been lost long ago," I replied."Very well then. I hope you've made the right decision. I will still put my dreams onto your shoulders because you will come to realize that the wheel of fate can't be broken, and everything you have now will be lost. When the time comes, I shall be there to rid you of pain and bring order to this world once more! But before I go, I must apologize for my distasteful doings; it was nothing more than a ruse to help you reawaken your powers, and now you have the means to protect those you cherish. Nothing would make me happier than to see you prove me wrong and break the wheel of fate once and for all!"After the boy finished talking, he snapped his fingers again, and the sound disappeared with the wind, and the world came to life once more."What's wrong, Val?" Iris spoke again, oblivious to everything that happened before.I turned around and gave her a big hug."Hey! Get off me, you're freaking me out!" she yelled, trying to wiggle out of my arms, but I didn't let her."You know how much your brother loves you?" I asked."N-no. How much?""This much!" I let her go and showed her with my hands just how much, my arms stretching wide as much as I could."Ha! Stupid! It was so easy to trick you into letting go of me!" she teased, wearing a huge grin on her face as she started running away."Oh, you little trickster! I'll catch you!"As I started giving her chase, memories of what happened slowly faded over time. But one thing stuck with me, the way we spoke with each other. Never did I talk so openly with anyone before as I did with him, not even with my own mother. For some reason, I felt this strange connection between us, almost as if I was talking to myself, the other me who never found what he yearned for. That's exactly why I get so anxious, what if everything he spoke of comes to be true? No, I won't let that happen, as I have the means to protect my family now.