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2024-10-29 19:42:56Neil groaned as he tried to wake up from his slumber. His head was throbbing and his eyes refused to open. His entire body was aching as if he had run a marathon for days. He felt weak all over and it took a lot of strength in him to open his eyes.
But the moment he did so, he hissed and shut them again. The sudden light stung his eyes until tears formed in them. Then, slowly and carefully, he opened them and blinked a few times to adjust to the light around him.
The unfamiliar white walls made him frown and Neil looked around him to find out where he was. When he turned to his right, from where a low beeping sound kept breaking the silence in the room every few seconds, his eyes almost widened on seeing who was lying beside him.
The events that had transpired came back to him like a flood and he got up immediately, only to suck in a deep breath in discomfort. A wave of dizziness hit him and he fell back on the bed the next instant.
The sudden sound awoke the man dozing off on the couch at the far end of the room and he jumped to his feet at once.
"Neil." He looked at his son skeptically, who had his eyes closed at the moment.
When the familiar voice entered his ears, Neil's eyes snapped open. "Dad?" He was perplexed, overjoyed and relieved to find him here. His tense shoulders relaxed and he let out a deep breath in relief. His father was here. He had nothing to fear now.
"How do you feel now, Neil? Does it ache anywhere? Let me call the doctor." He gazed at him in concern and pressed the bell.
A few seconds after, the nurse entered. When she saw that one of the patients was awake, she rushed out again to inform the doctor.
"Dad, how...how..." Neil stopped speaking immediately. His voice came out as a croak and his face turned red in embarrassment.
"Here, have some water." His father helped him to sit up and handed him a glass of water, not caring about how embarrassed his son was.
The cold water relieved his parched throat and Neil sighed in bliss.
"Do you want more?" His father retrieved the glass and Neil shook his head before his gaze fell on his brother again.
"Dad, how is Alan? Is he....is he alright?"
"He is fine, Neil. His wounds were not serious. He is just sleeping." His father assured him and Neil almost let out a cry of joy.
"Dad, Ramin...he...he..." Neil wanted to ask about the man who had brought them to this state. However, he had barely begun speaking when the door to the ward opened and the doctor entered with the nurse behind him.
"Hello, Neil. How do you feel now?" The familiar man enquired with a gentle smile on his face.
"I am aching all over and I feel lethargic, Doctor Wallace. What is wrong with me?" Neil's frown deepened as he tried to recall all that had happened since Ramin and his gang stopped him and his friends.
"I see. You must be exhausted from all that happened yesterday." He checked his pulse and inspected the injury on his face.
"Jarett, I will prescribe some pills. Let him take them after having some food."
"Okay, Edward. I will make sure he takes them." Jarett gazed at his son, who had a scowl on his face. Then, smiling helplessly, he followed his friend to check on his other son, who was yet to wake up.
Just mentioning the pills was enough to send Neil hurling profanities in his mind. He loathed them more than he loathed Ramin. However, he understood he had no say in this matter. Considering how his body was aching, he had to take them to recover quickly.
Neil turned to his brother again, concerned about him greatly. Ramin had kicked Alan quite hard and for a moment, Neil wondered if his brother had any internal injuries.
"Doctor Wallace, how is my brother? Is he alright?" Although his father had assured him about his brother, he was still unconvinced. He had seen how Alan had suffered greatly under Ramin's attacks and felt himself bursting with anger every time he recalled them.
"Do not worry, Neil. Focus on your recovery first."
"But..."
"Your brother is fine, son. I understand what your concerns are. His wounds are just superficial." Edward returned to Neil and pushed the boy's messy hair away from his face.
"When he was brought to the hospital, he was aching. So, we have induced him with painkillers. He is still asleep. Considering how long he has been sleeping," Edward looked at his watch before focusing on Neil again. "Your brother will be waking up soon. Anything else?"
"No, Doctor. Thank you."
"Rest well, Neil." Edward smiled at him again, which Neil returned weakly. "Jarett, may I have a word with you, please?"
The doctor tilted his head and the two men walked out of the ward with the nurse behind them. Neil just glanced at them before his eyes fell on his brother.
"Alan, please be fine." He mumbled and a lone tear escaped from his eyes. "Please forgive me for not protecting you well. I failed as an elder brother. I am sorry." He kept staring at his younger brother with tear-filled eyes.
He took a deep breath and tried to recall all that had happened to them. He remembered how Ramin and his gang members had stopped them while they were returning home. He even recalled how he and Alan had tried to run away from him after splitting from his friends at the intersection, only to be caught by the gang.
'Ramin caught Alan and he was about to hit him with the baseball bat. What happened afterward?' He wondered and tried to recollect what had happened next.
However, even after trying for long, he could not remember anything at all. Everything was blank and Neil's forehead creased in worry. It was as though all that had transpired after that had been wiped out of his memory. 'What is happening? Why am I not able to recall anything?'
His eyes quivered in fear and he turned towards his brother, only to find him already staring at him with his eyes wide open.
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Neil was startled to see his brother awake and even more so when he saw how Alan looked at him. His gaze was filled with suspicion and something in it made him unsettled. It was as though Alan was trying to delve deep into his soul and uncover the secrets he had ever hidden from him."Alan, when did you wake up?" He cleared his throat and enquired gently, trying to ease the awkwardness. However, all he got in return was silence.Alan was unbelievably quiet as he kept staring at him. Even though his face was pale, his profound gaze made Niel fidget in his place."What happened to you back then, Neil?" Alan did not reply to him. Instead, he voiced out the thoughts he had since the time he had seen his peculiar behavior.Neil stopped squirming and a frown creased his forehead. He had no idea what Alan was speaking about and his eyes conveyed his confusion, rendering Alan perplexed too."Do you not remember what happened before Dad arrived?" Although Alan had just woken up and his throat
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At first, the dark cloud was barely visible. But when the lightning struck again, Alan could see the cloud clearly and it was as though death was hovering over his brother with the way the cloud cast its darkness on him.Alan's eyes almost popped out of their sockets on seeing the bizarre situation. His eyes were now transfixed on Neil, who had no idea what was happening. All his focus was outside the window as he stared at the now cloudy sky. His forehead was drenched entirely and he held his mother's hands tight."Mom, move back." He tried to pull her towards him gently. However, Emily remained adamant and stood before him, trying to shield her children from the calamity she had no idea about. Then, all of a sudden, her heart started to beat rapidly as a dreadful feeling settled in it. She was frightened and her eyes conveyed her emotions clearly."What the hell is happening? Why did...."The door to the ward opened and Jarett entered, his face filled with panic and fear. Only when
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"Dad.""Alan."Emily and Neil shouted at the same time. But they were some distance away from the two to prevent them from kissing the ground. So they could only stare in concern as they watched the father and the son collapse suddenly. Then, however, their expressions changed into that of horror when they saw the man who had been standing near the door appearing beside Jarett and holding him and Alan with ease and stopping them from suffering a nasty fall.Emily and Neil were appalled by what had happened. But, even though they were aghast by what had transpired, their thoughts were completely different.'How the heck was he able to reach Dad and Alan? What the hell happened just now?' Neil wondered, his eyes not leaving the older man who supported Jarett and Alan till the bed. Instead, his eyes conveyed his feelings openly and Trinity chuckled to herself, finding his thoughts and expressions adorable. In her eyes, he was just like a cute child.Sean sighed when he heard her thoughts
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"Dad, what is happening? Who are these two people?"Neil was the first to break the tense silence in the room. He glanced at the two strangers who had not left the ward and were seated on the chairs at the far end of the room near the window before looking at his father. His father seemed to be fighting a war with himself with the way he had his head lowered and lips pursed. Even his mother had suddenly turned mute, and Neil had an inkling that whatever he would hear next would be anything but pleasant.Just like him, Alan, too was perplexed by the unknown situation. While neither of his parents explained the problem to them, the two strangers' words made no sense to him. It was as though they were speaking a language he could not understand and he too, like his brother, looked back and forth between the four people."Jarett, I think it's time you start speaking." Sean had all the time in the world and watched the scene unfold before him with amusement dancing in his eyes. But Trinity
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A brilliant bolt of lightning lit the room briefly before ending in a deafening clap of thunder. The weather worsened as time passed and the rain picked up speed until it was impossible to view anything from the window. The sky had turned dark, the black clouds hovering above like grim reapers.While to the world, the change in weather was a nuisance, to the people, inside the ward, it indicated the grave change in their lives, especially the Wright family.Alan and Neil stared at the older man before them as though they were looking at the clown. Their expressions mimicked each other as they blinked in perplexity."I understand your confusion and it might seem to you two that I am joking. But I am not." Sean smiled faintly, not at all infuriated by the two boys and their thoughts. Of course, any sane person without an idea about their world would react the same way."I can prove it to you if you want." The man continued and snapped his fingers and a white light emerged from his palm
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Trinity sighed again, her voice echoing through the silent walls of the corridor. She rubbed her forehead as she recalled the expressions of the Wright family. At first, the two boys had been intrigued, or that was how they looked when they learned about the world they had no idea existed. But when she spoke of bringing them back to Atanor, their faces fell at once, entirely mirroring how their parents looked at that moment.Distraught. Anguish. Pain. Fury. She saw all the emotions vividly in Jarett and Emily's eyes, and why would they not be when their children who they had cared for, loved and protected all these years would now leave them? Although not forever, it still haunted them, especially when Atanor was anything but safe."Are you alright, Trinity?" This was one of the rare times when Sean did not tease Trinity for her sighs. Otherwise, at other times, he would not hesitate to pull her leg and force her to fight with him verbally."I feel blue, Sean. I didn't like what we di
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As Neil watched his brother run, he kept attacking the people before him using the marbles in his pocket. Though the method was not strong enough to overpower them, he could at least gain some time for his brother to call for help.First, he knocked the gang leader's gun, forcing him to drop it before he attacked the other men. His attacks were precise and perfect and at one point, one of the marbles hit his opponent's eye, rendering him howling in anguish.Neil cheered at his small victory and continued to attack the men while he kept moving back, following his brother, glancing at him every few seconds. However, his plan completely backfired when he ran out of his marbles. All the seven marbles he had were used and now he had nothing but the slingshot.A frown marred his face and Neil, too, started running. The men were momentarily down and it was the perfect time to get away from them. But he had miscalculated his luck and had barely turned around to follow his brother when a punch
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"Dad.""Alan."Emily and Neil shouted at the same time. But they were some distance away from the two to prevent them from kissing the ground. So they could only stare in concern as they watched the father and the son collapse suddenly. Then, however, their expressions changed into that of horror when they saw the man who had been standing near the door appearing beside Jarett and holding him and Alan with ease and stopping them from suffering a nasty fall.Emily and Neil were appalled by what had happened. But, even though they were aghast by what had transpired, their thoughts were completely different.'How the heck was he able to reach Dad and Alan? What the hell happened just now?' Neil wondered, his eyes not leaving the older man who supported Jarett and Alan till the bed. Instead, his eyes conveyed his feelings openly and Trinity chuckled to herself, finding his thoughts and expressions adorable. In her eyes, he was just like a cute child.Sean sighed when he heard her thoughts
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At first, the dark cloud was barely visible. But when the lightning struck again, Alan could see the cloud clearly and it was as though death was hovering over his brother with the way the cloud cast its darkness on him.Alan's eyes almost popped out of their sockets on seeing the bizarre situation. His eyes were now transfixed on Neil, who had no idea what was happening. All his focus was outside the window as he stared at the now cloudy sky. His forehead was drenched entirely and he held his mother's hands tight."Mom, move back." He tried to pull her towards him gently. However, Emily remained adamant and stood before him, trying to shield her children from the calamity she had no idea about. Then, all of a sudden, her heart started to beat rapidly as a dreadful feeling settled in it. She was frightened and her eyes conveyed her emotions clearly."What the hell is happening? Why did...."The door to the ward opened and Jarett entered, his face filled with panic and fear. Only when
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6. Darkness and thunder
Neil was startled to see his brother awake and even more so when he saw how Alan looked at him. His gaze was filled with suspicion and something in it made him unsettled. It was as though Alan was trying to delve deep into his soul and uncover the secrets he had ever hidden from him."Alan, when did you wake up?" He cleared his throat and enquired gently, trying to ease the awkwardness. However, all he got in return was silence.Alan was unbelievably quiet as he kept staring at him. Even though his face was pale, his profound gaze made Niel fidget in his place."What happened to you back then, Neil?" Alan did not reply to him. Instead, he voiced out the thoughts he had since the time he had seen his peculiar behavior.Neil stopped squirming and a frown creased his forehead. He had no idea what Alan was speaking about and his eyes conveyed his confusion, rendering Alan perplexed too."Do you not remember what happened before Dad arrived?" Although Alan had just woken up and his throat
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5. Forgotten memory
Neil groaned as he tried to wake up from his slumber. His head was throbbing and his eyes refused to open. His entire body was aching as if he had run a marathon for days. He felt weak all over and it took a lot of strength in him to open his eyes.But the moment he did so, he hissed and shut them again. The sudden light stung his eyes until tears formed in them. Then, slowly and carefully, he opened them and blinked a few times to adjust to the light around him.The unfamiliar white walls made him frown and Neil looked around him to find out where he was. When he turned to his right, from where a low beeping sound kept breaking the silence in the room every few seconds, his eyes almost widened on seeing who was lying beside him.The events that had transpired came back to him like a flood and he got up immediately, only to suck in a deep breath in discomfort. A wave of dizziness hit him and he fell back on the bed the next instant.The sudden sound awoke the man dozing off on the cou
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3. After effects
The metallic bat shattered into pieces and the fragments flew in the air as Neil's eyes turned a darker shade of red.Ramin was baffled by all that had happened. How the fuck was it possible for anyone to crush a metallic bat? The bat was not just dented; it had been levigated into pieces. Some fragments scratched his face, the sharp edges cutting through his skin until blood oozed.He had never seen such a sight before and his legs buckled in fear. The boy in front of him resembled nothing less than a monster with the way his red eyes stared back at him. There was no emotion on his face whatsoever and Ramin trembled in fright. His heart was pounding madly and cold sweat trickled down his spine.Like him, even Alan was stunned to see the difference in his brother. His seemingly ordinary brother had turned into Hulk in the blink of an eye. Yet, instead of being apprehensive, Alan was amazed to see his brother handle Ramin, the man who was known for his notorious deeds. Even some of the
