Chapter 2: Restless Nights (Leo, Part Three)

From the corner of my eye, I saw Orion shake his head and sit there. I heard him mumble something under his breath. "What?" I asked, not hearing what he said. "It's all my fault." He said, looking back up at me. "Your parents were good people, and they loved you very much. Do not blame them for your suffering because it's not their fault; it's MINE! I should've been there, I should've taken you in, I should've fulfilled their wishes, but instead I failed, and you two were stuck in that god awful orphanage because of me. I will not fail them again, and I will teach you to use the abilities that you get tonight. I don't care if you don't like it, but it's my duty."

 We both sat in silence for a few moments. I closed my eyes and finally said. "I'm sorry." I then opened my eyes. He looked up with a confused expression on his face. "What?" I repeated. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to having someone care about us. It's been Luna and me all these years, but I'm starting to realize that maybe we finally found someone who cares about us, and I'm sure Luna will love you when she wakes up." He smiled. "I appreciate that, I want to be there for you guys just as I promised your parents I would be. Now, come, let me prepare you for tonight." I nodded, walking with him, then stopped. "We shouldn't leave Luna in case she wakes up." He put his hand on his chin. "You're right, Leo," he responded. So, Orion and I sat down at the dining table as he explained what should happen tonight. At midnight, the minute we turned 18, the moonlight would shine on us, potentially giving us a ginormous headache because all that energy was entering our bodies at once. Once we got our abilities, our powers would be completely out of control since we didn't know how to use it and it was new. For the first few minutes, Orion would let this happen to determine what our abilities were, then give us a device that would help us maintain control over our powers until we learned how to control them for ourselves. 

I nodded, listening and understanding what he was telling me. He set the device down on a desk next to him. We spent the rest of the day prepping, getting myself and Luna ready for tonight. It was 11:50. Orion and I were sitting in the living room. "This is it, Leo, I'm warning you this will be very, very painful, but worth it in the end." He looked over at Luna. 

I followed his gaze to Luna. She was still unconscious, her breathing steady but her face pale in the dim light. The past day had felt like a blur. Running, hiding, questioning everything I thought I knew. And now, in less than ten minutes, everything would change.

Orion exhaled, his silver eyes unreadable. "Once it starts, there's no going back."

I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists. "I know."

Silence settled between us. The only sound was the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. 11:55.

I turned back to Luna, willing her to wake up before it happened, before the pain Orion had warned me about. But she didn't stir.

The clock hit 11:59, and Orion noticed. "Good luck, Leo." I smiled just as the clock hit 12:00. It's starting.