Creation Of All Things

"Hello, Auntie."

The voice sent a chill down Gloria's spine. She spun around, her TV floating in the air, following her startled movement. Instinct kicked in—Telekinesis flared, ready to strike—until she saw who it was.

"Oh my God, Adam!" She exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to her chest. "You scared the hell out of me!"

But then… it hit her.

He called her Auntie.

Her expression shifted, the weight of realization settling in. He knows.

A sigh escaped her lips as she gently lowered the TV back into place.

"So… you figured it out."

Adam stood up, his sharp gaze never leaving her. "Telekinesis. Handy ability."

He studied her—the woman who had once been his boss, the feared 'Ice Queen' Gloria Williams—now revealed as his aunt.

Gloria crossed her arms. "How?"

Adam smirked, walking past her toward the TV. "My ability. Technopathy."

He barely lifted a finger, and the TV flickered to life.

Gloria raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. I thought you'd inherit your mother's abilities. Or maybe your father's." She strolled over to the fridge, grabbing two drinks.

Adam took one, twisting the cap open. "Aria and Alfred did. Fire and Ice twins, I call them." He took a sip before his tone turned colder. "So tell me, Auntie—why didn't you visit when my parents were alive? And after they disappeared, why did you just… abandon us? Why keep me in the dark about who we really are?"

Gloria sighed, setting her drink down. She ran a hand through her hair, choosing her words carefully.

"It's not that simple."

She finally sat down, eyes heavy with a past she had tried to bury.

"I made a promise to your father. When he left home, I swore I wouldn't interfere in his life. And when he and your mother disappeared… I made another promise—to never drag you into the supernatural world.

She hesitated before adding, "Distancing myself was the only way to keep you safe. If Mother found out about you three, she wouldn't stop until she had you in her grasp. And my brother... he didn't want you involved. Not yet."

Her voice softened. "So, forgive me, Adam, if I chose to listen to my brother over his son's wish for a family."

Adam clenched his fists, his body trembling as he took a deep breath. His voice rose, raw with anger and frustration.

"You should have told me! If I had known who we really are—what we can do—if I knew about the other families, about the supernatural…Alfred and Aria wouldn't have almost died!"

His voice cracked, and his breathing became uneven.

"I would have been halfway to finding my parents by now. I wouldn't have been so damn powerless!"

Gloria's expression darkened the moment she heard that. "What do you mean Alfred and Aria's lives were in danger?"

Adam let out a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with pain.

"The night they awakened… they were abducted." His voice dropped, shaking with barely contained rage. "By Mark. A Blackveil kid."

Gloria's fingers twitched. Blackveil.

Adam's chest tightened as the memories resurfaced.

"Aria… she almost died." His voice barely made it past his lips. "Or maybe she did. I don't even know anymore—Alfred said she stopped breathing. And I—I wasn't there. I was too late."

Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't care.

"And when I finally got there, it didn't even matter. Someone stronger than me took the kid, and I—" His hands curled into fists. "I couldn't do anything. I was just… powerless."

His shoulders shook as he wiped at his face, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"But you—" His voice hardened as he turned back to Gloria. "You could have stopped it. If you were paying attention, if you weren't so busy playing boss, you would have known. You would have seen it coming! But you didn't."

A choked sob left his lips as he finally let everything out.

"You didn't… and now, I would have had to live with that if she truly died."

Gloria sighed, stepping forward and placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. Her grip was firm, but there was a rare softness in her voice.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I was just listening to my brother. This… this is exactly why he never wanted you involved in the supernatural world."

Her fingers tightened slightly. "But I promise you, Adam—this won't happen again. That Blackveil kid?" Her eyes flashed with fury. "He will pay for what he did to Aria."

Adam wiped his face with the back of his hand before standing up. His expression had already hardened. "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it."

He met Gloria's gaze. "What I need from you is simple—help Alfred and Aria learn to control their abilities. That's not something I can teach them."

Gloria narrowed her eyes. "And what about you? You said it yourself—you were weak. You can't just take on the entire Blackveil family alone."

Adam smirked, cracking his neck. "That's because I'm not weak anymore."

As he stood up fully, the air around him shifted.

A low hum filled the room, the walls trembling slightly as an invisible force rippled outward. His aura poured out like a tidal wave, distorting the very air itself. The temperature in the room fluctuated wildly, electronics flickering, shadows stretching unnaturally.

Gloria instinctively took a step back, her breath hitching. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

This pressure… her mind raced. It's like facing Mother.

Even her brother—strong as he was—never gave off an aura like this. Not openly, anyway. But Adam… How? How did he grow this strong right under my nose?

She stared at him, and in that moment, she didn't see her nephew.

She saw a god.

Then, to her own surprise, she laughed—loud and full of something almost nostalgic. "He's going to be proud of you, you know."

Adam let his aura settle, giving her a cocky grin. "Yeah, well, he can tell me himself when I find him."

Gloria shook her head, still smiling. "So? What's your plan?"

Adam turned to face her, eyes sharp, focused. "There's a Blackveil operation happening downtown."

A dangerous glint flickered across his gaze. "I'm going to bust it."

He cracked his knuckles, electricity flickering along his fingertips. "I can't take Mark down without crippling the Blackveil family first. If I want him, I need to take everything from them. Piece by piece."

He stepped past Gloria, heading for the window.

"So help me out, Auntie. Take care of Alfred and Aria while I do what needs to be done."

"Alright." Gloria sighed, rubbing her temples. "I promise this time, I'll be more involved. You do what you have to do—I'll take care of the rest."

Adam gave her a small nod before turning toward the window. He paused, glancing back at her one last time. "Thanks, Auntie."

And then—he was gone.

Gloria watched as he leapt out the window, disappearing into the night. A small smile tugged at her lips, but it quickly faded. There was work to do.

She turned on her heels, heading for her bedroom. She didn't need much. Just a few essentials. This wasn't a normal night anymore.

But as soon as she stepped out of her apartment—she was met with two familiar faces.

Jane Galveston. Adam's nurse from the hospital. The kind and attentive one.

And then there was Alexandria Blackveil.

That smug, wicked grin on Alexandria's face already told Gloria she wasn't here for friendly conversation.

"What?" Gloria deadpanned, blocking the doorway as both women peeked past her, trying to catch a glimpse inside.

"We felt an intense aura coming from here," Alexandria mused, tilting her head slightly. "So we came to check."

Her smirk widened, something playful—but laced with danger.

Gloria frowned. "And how exactly is that your business?" She folded her arms, eyes narrowing especially at Alexandria.

Alexandria let out a soft chuckle, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, it's not my business at all," she admitted, her voice dripping with amusement. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe. You know, out of the goodness of my heart. After all, what are friends for?"

Gloria's jaw tightened. That smile. That fake, insincere sweetness. She hated it.

Before she could snap back, Jane spoke up.

"I heard you're closing down your restaurant." Her tone was careful—almost like she was feeling out Gloria's reaction. "Why? Is it because of your nephew? I heard he's no longer working there."

Gloria's gaze flickered to Alexandria immediately.

Of course. Becca and Anita. Her spies.

Though, if she had to guess—Becca was the real snitch. Anita was just the vessel Alexandria used to keep tabs on Adam.

Gloria let out a slow, unimpressed sigh before turning to Alexandria.

"Yes."

Then, with a smirk of her own, she leaned in slightly, voice dropping to something more dangerous.

"And you—stop daydreaming about my nephew."

Her eyes darkened.

"Or I'll pluck those pretty little eyes out myself."