secrets beneath the surface : A tale of mystery and power

{ Mia }

The rooftop was burning again.

But this time, I was the one screaming.

Flames curled around my hands, golden and violent, licking up my arms like they belonged there. The sky above cracked open, spilling black lightning. Somewhere in the smoke, someone was begging for mercy.

"Mia, please—"

I turned, searching for the voice, but the world shifted. The building crumbled beneath me. Bodies littered the concrete — people I knew. Henry. Dad. Even Ace.

All of them broken.

All of them because of me.

I dropped to my knees, hands dripping with something hot. Blood. Magic. Guilt. I couldn't tell anymore. A shadow loomed behind me — tall, grinning, eyes like pits.

The man.

He crouched beside me, whispering in my ear like he'd always been there.

"You're not a hero, sweetheart. You're a monster, just like me !!! "

I tried to run. I tried to scream. But everything burned white—

"Mia!"

I shot up with a gasp, chest heaving, hands sparking with leftover energy. The room swam around me — too dark, too quiet. My pulse was a drumbeat of panic.

Ace was there instantly, his hands on my arms, grounding me.

"You're safe," he said softly. "You're here. Just breathe."

I blinked hard, trying to separate dream from reality. My skin still felt like it was on fire. The sheets were twisted around my legs, damp with sweat. I couldn't stop shaking.

"I saw—" My voice cracked. "I burned everything. You were—"

He shook his head gently, thumbs brushing over my shoulders. "It wasn't real."

"It felt real."

"I know," he whispered.

My breath hitched again, and before I could stop myself, I reached for him, pulling him into me like I needed him to hold the pieces together. He didn't hesitate.

Ace wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his chest.

"It's okay," he murmured against my hair. "I've got you. You're not alone."

I buried my face in his shoulder, fingers curling into his shirt. "I don't want to hurt anyone, Ace. I don't want to be a monster."

"You're not," he said without pause. "You're the strongest person I know. And you're not alone in this — not ever."

His words wrapped around me like a shield. Steady. Unmoving.

And slowly, the shaking stopped.

We stayed like that for a long time — tangled in silence, the dark pressing in around us like it was holding its breath.

Ace didn't speak. He didn't need to.

His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, a quiet rhythm that helped anchor me, piece by piece. I let my fingers uncurl from his shirt, but I didn't let go.

Eventually, I whispered, "Do the nightmares ever stop?"

Ace pulled back just enough to look at me. There was something ancient in his eyes — not old in years, but in the kind of pain that reshapes a person.

"They change," he said. "Some get quieter. Others… don't."

I nodded slowly. That made sense. Too much sense.

"I saw him again," I murmured. "The man who calls me sweetheart. He was there. Talking to me. Saying I'm a monster just like him."

Ace tensed. His jaw tightened, but his voice stayed soft. "He's wrong."

"I felt like I was losing control. Like… like something inside me wanted it."

"You're not losing control." His hands found mine again, threading our fingers together. "You're just scared. And that's human. That doesn't make you dangerous."

"But I am dangerous, Ace." My voice cracked. "I killed the Boss. I tore through him like he was nothing."

He looked at me for a long moment, then said quietly, "You didn't kill him because you wanted to. You killed him because he gave you no choice."

I wanted to believe that. Needed to.

I swallowed. "What if next time I can't stop? What if I hurt you?"

His voice didn't waver.

"Then I'll stop you."

Not with fear. Not with hesitation.

With love.

And I realized then — he wasn't afraid of me.

He was afraid for me.

" I'm the one who doesn't deserve you Ace... You really are the best."

I said as I pulled him closer hugging him tighter.

He chuckled pulling patting my head.

"Just relax we'll continue training tomorrow..."

I looked up confused. " Training for what?"

He ruffled my hair. " For controlling your powers and Ash's."

I sighed and slowly drifted to sleep in Ace's comfortable embrace.

{ Ace }

She was trembling, caught between fear and exhaustion, but when she clung to me, something inside me clenched tighter than ever.

Mia wasn't just my sister. She was my responsibility. My anchor. The reason I kept fighting through all the shadows and the threats that clawed at us from every side.

I brushed her hair back gently, careful not to disturb the fragile peace settling over her. Her hands still sparked faintly with that golden fire—power raw and wild, like a storm barely contained.

I hated that she blamed herself for things beyond her control. The nightmares, the destruction, the people lost… none of it was her fault. But I knew that telling her wouldn't be enough.

She had to feel it. Deep down.

"We'll figure it out," I promised softly, almost a whisper, as if saying it too loudly might break the moment.

"We'll learn how to control it — together. You're not alone in this. And you never will be."

Her grip tightened for a moment, then loosened, her breathing evening out against my chest.

The darkness outside was endless, but in this room, with her here, I felt something flicker. Hope.

Because she was strong. Fierce. And she was my sister.

No matter what came next, I'd be there — every step, every fight, every nightmare.

And I would never let her fall.

As Mia's breathing slowed, I let myself pull back just enough to look at her face — soft in the dim light, vulnerability still lingering in her eyes.

I'd been through hell to get here. I knew the weight of these powers better than anyone. The way they could tear you apart from the inside out if you let fear take over.

That's why training wasn't just about control. It was about survival.

About making sure we didn't become the monsters our enemies feared.

I traced a faint scar along my wrist — the same one Mia had noticed earlier. A reminder of battles fought and lessons learned the hard way.

I owed her more than safety. I owed her the truth.

But not tonight.

Tonight, she needed peace.

Tomorrow, we'd start again.

First, mastering the basics — controlling the fire, the energy, the shadows that whispered to us both.

And then, maybe, understanding Ash — that strange force tied to our bloodline, darker and deeper than I'd ever admitted out loud.

I'd protect her from the nightmares. From the man who called her 'sweetheart.' From the fear that threatened to swallow her whole.

Because she wasn't just fighting for herself.

She was fighting for us.

And I'd be damned if I let her fight alone.