Brighting

Chapter 13: And I Thought I Was in a Hurry

By the time Emily pulled into the long, paved driveway of her family's estate, the sky had fully shifted from deep night to the soft, pale glow of early morning.

She had barely stepped out of the car when the front doors swung open.

Her mother, Evelyn Brooks, stood at the entrance, arms crossed, a rare expression of actual concern on her usually composed face.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "I'm here. What's the emergency?"

Her mother didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gave Emily a once-over, eyes lingering on her unbrushed hair and the hoodie she'd thrown on in a rush.

"You look terrible," Evelyn sighed. "Did you at least brush your teeth before driving across the city like a madwoman?"

Emily resisted the urge to groan. "Mom. It's three in the morning."

"And yet you still have no excuse."

Before Emily could argue, a new voice chimed in.

"She's here already? That was fast."

Emily turned to see Elijah wood Brooks, her younger adoptive brother, strolling down the stairs. He was barely fifteen but already had the sharp, polished air of someone being groomed for something much bigger than high school. His blazer was perfectly pressed despite the late hour, and his hair was neatly styled, making Emily feel even more like a mess in comparison.

Elijah smirked at her. "What happened? You get kicked out of bed and straight into your car?"

Emily flicked his forehead as he passed. "Shut up, pipsqueak."

Evelyn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Enough. Both of you, inside. We have something to discuss."

That's when Emily finally noticed it.

The TV in the living room was on, playing what looked like a live news broadcast.

She stepped inside, her tiredness momentarily forgotten. "Okay, what's going on?"

Evelyn didn't answer. Instead, she gestured toward the screen.

Emily turned to see footage of a massive, shimmering portal in the middle of a city street.

Her brows furrowed. "Wait. That's—"

"Weird, isn't it?" Elijaha said, walking past her to grab a drink from the kitchen. "These things started appearing everywhere a few hours ago. No one knows what they are yet."

Emily slowly sat down on the couch, watching the news anchor struggling to explain the phenomenon.

Portals—if that's what they even were—had appeared worldwide. Some in busy cities, some in empty fields. Some small, others large enough to fit entire trucks inside.

So those things she saw earlier weren't just some stupid tech display.

Evelyn sat down across from her. "The government has already issued an official statement. They're investigating the nature of these… anomalies. So far, nothing has come out of them."

Emily leaned back, watching as the camera zoomed in on a group of people standing cautiously near one of the larger portals.

No movement. No monsters.

Just a strange, hovering ripple in reality.

She frowned slightly. "And you called me back for this?"

Evelyn gave her a sharp look. "Emily. The world is literally changing overnight. I thought you'd want to be here when it does."

Emily held back a sigh. It wasn't like she didn't care.

It was just… well, it was too early for her to start thinking about things on this scale.

Elijah plopped down next to her, sipping his drink. "Mom's been freaking out all morning. She even called Dad overseas."

Evelyn shot him a warning glance, but Elijah just grinned.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What's he saying?"

"That we should stay put and not do anything reckless." Evelyn's tone made it clear she expected Emily to do the opposite.

Emily smirked. "Reckless? Me? Come on, Mother. What kind of daughter do you think I am?"

Evelyn sighed. "The kind that ran away to live in a different city and makes a hobby out of dragging a stray around like a lost puppy."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Bright is not a puppy."

Elijah snorted. "Yeah, he's more like a stray cat. Acts like he doesn't need anyone, but still shows up when you feed him."

Emily fought the urge to laugh. "Shut up, Elijah."

Evelyn leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. "I assume you saw one on your way here?"

Emily nodded. "A couple, yeah. I thought they were some rich guy's over-the-top marketing stunt."

"They aren't."

That much was clear now.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "So what do you want me to do? Stay here? Board up the windows? I mean, if nothing's coming out of these things, why worry?"

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. "Because something always comes next."

Emily hated that she couldn't argue with that logic.

For now, though, the world was still figuring things out.

And she was going to take full advantage of that calm while it lasted.