Phase 2

"Hey, he's waking up," said a short ginger-haired girl with bright green eyes as she nudged her sleeping friend.

"Huh? Oh! Hey—hey, how are you?" The white-haired, violet-eyed girl jerked upright and rushed to the bedside of the waking Myles.

He groaned and nearly jumped out of bed, startled by the beauty looming over him. "Who are you?!"

His sudden outburst made her flinch in a surprisingly shy way, given her intimidating height and presence. Myles found it strangely cute and smiled.

Lia, the white-haired beauty, blushed. His smile caught her completely off guard.

"I'm glad you're okay, but… can you not look at me like that?" she said, glancing away shyly.

"Hey, prig, she's way out of your league. Don't even think about it," the short girl cut in, stepping between them. "Name's Kaelen. And that goddess over there? She's my younger sister. So I'm gonna need you to cool it."

"Wait—wait, who are you? And why am I here? I thought I was on a morning jo—hey, where are my clothes?!" Myles asked, utterly confused.

"You mean those rags over there?" Lia said, pointing toward a neatly folded tracksuit and boxers resting on a chair. "You were soaked in blood. Honestly, I'm shocked you're still alive."

That's when Myles noticed—he was covered in bandages from head to toe. Then it hit him.

"Couldn't you have at least left the boxers on?!" he snapped, yanking the blanket over himself in embarrassment, as if he were being stared at.

Lia turned away, flustered, crouching into a ball. "Eeek!"

"Where's the fun in that?" Kaelen whispered into his ear, having closed the distance.

On instinct, Lia yanked her sister away—perhaps a little too forcefully. Kaelen went flying, crashed into the wall, and even broke through it.

Lia gasped and clutched her mouth. "I—I didn't mean to!"

Before she could apologize, a loud bang shook the room. Dust clouded the air.

"Don't forget I'm your older sister," Kaelen said coldly as she stepped back through the wreckage. She looked… different. A few strands of her silky blonde hair had turned ginger at the front, and her expression had aged, more serious. Her right foot pressed against Lia's chest—eliciting a soft moan.

"I'm sorry," Lia muttered, turning her face away. "I didn't mean it. I lost control."

Kaelen's lips curled into a dangerously mischievous grin. "Oh, you're sorry, huh? Nah. I'm not taking that. If you're really sorry, then you'll accept your punishment."

Just then, a girl appeared behind them—a striking figure with jet-black hair, blue eyes, and two horns curling gently from her head. Her fair skin and majestic aura were impossible to ignore.

"What is all this commotion?" the horned woman said sharply. "I thought you were tending to his wounds, Kaelen. Why must you turn every moment into an excuse for one of your 'experiments'? She's your younger sister!"

Kaelen's hair returned to normal. "Oh, come on, sis. I wasn't actually going to do anything. Just wanted to shake her up a bit."

The lady gave a small laugh. "I know. But don't bully her when she's vulnerable."

They both chuckled, and the woman vanished without another word.

Myles blinked at the empty space where she stood. He was completely dumbfounded. "Is this some kind of sick joke… or a dream? Either way, I want out," he thought bitterly, too afraid to say it aloud.

As far as he could tell, these girls were either superhuman… or not human at all. Especially the horned one.

"Hey, weirdos," he finally said aloud, "where are we? And what happened to me?"

Lia and Kaelen exchanged glances, startled.

"Oh my," Kaelen began. "You really don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" Myles snapped. "The last thing I recall is taking a different route on my morning jog…"

Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his head. "Aagh!" he cried out, grabbing at his temples.

Like lightning, Lia rushed to his side and embraced him tightly, like a mother shielding her child. Myles, though disappointed by the platonic nature of it, welcomed the affection.

A soft green light surrounded his head—and the pain faded.

"I… I remember," he gasped. "Wait… you guys thought I was a beast this whole time? How couldn't you tell I was human?"

The girls looked at him blankly.

"Human?" they said in unison.

Kaelen stepped forward. "Oh, you mean the mouth-breathers from Earth? My friend… you're not on Earth anymore. I honestly thought the creatures you saw should've been a dead giveaway."

Myles turned pale. "Wait… those things were real?"

Lia chuckled and looked away just as both girls turned toward her.

Kaelen grinned. "Well, this is long overdue—but welcome to Phase 2."