home

search

Volume 3 – Chapter 22 – Who I’ve Become

  “Our Dad”. Such simple words, but carrying so much weight.

  He rolled them over in his mind, testing how they felt on his tongue. “Yeah, our dad.” He said it again, quieter this time.

  Emily had gone still, her teasing forgotten as she turned to stare at him.

  “Danny…” she said softly, her voice carrying something unspoken—something warm, something tender. Her eyes shone, though she didn’t cry - not quite.

  Instead, she just smiled, instinctively - a small, knowing smile.

  Nothing needed to be said.

  Daniel exhaled, a little chuckle slipping out, scratching the back of his neck again. “Took him a little while longer,” he said, his tone light, but his expression honest. Then, after a second — “…but yeah, our connection is growing.”

  Madame Zara gently ughed, murmuring something incomprehensible under her breath as her gaze drifted across the dreamscape once again.

  “It really is a beautiful pne, an incredible world the two of you have created,” she mused.

  She paused, her eyes narrowed, she squinted, tilting her head ever so slightly.

  “Hmm…” Her voice was softer now, more thoughtful.

  “There was beauty here, but also something… unresolved, as I had suspected. Some are better left unsaid—for now. But others… others will need to be addressed sooner rather than ter.”

  Her words were not a warning, but they did carry the weight of inevitability.

  Daniel looked at the dreamscape, his eyes squirting too, searching, then at Emily, his expression a mixture of confusion and hesitation.

  “Well… thanks either way, Madame Zara” he mumbled softly.

  “I still don’t know how or why I ended up here,” he admitted with a shrug. “But thank you.”

  His voice softened - “For helping Shrimp and me. For giving us the chance to find each other.”

  He swallowed, rolling his shoulders, a little awkward, a little hesitant— “For giving me the chance to have a family at st.”

  “And for helping Emily.” His gaze flickered toward his sister again. “If you hadn’t helped us bond… I wouldn’t have been able to save her. I wouldn’t have been able to be there when she needed me.”

  He paused and then added “I guess I owe you”

  He paused again, tilting his head as he gnced at Emily. “No, we both owe you” he said again.

  —

  Madame Zara’s gaze softened, but the warmth in her expression didn’t dull the weight behind it, as she considered Daniel.

  Daniel shifted under her stare, an old instinct kicking in - deflect, lighten the mood. “Uh… I’m weird, but not that weird,” he muttered. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Madame Zara didn’t answer right away. Instead, she held his gaze, unreadable.

  “You’ve done well, Daniel,” she said at st. “You’ve grown into your role here, and you’ve found something truly precious in this family.”

  Daniel exhaled, relieved—until she tilted her head slightly.

  “But there’s something else. Something weighing on you, isn’t there?”

  The relief was gone - just like that.

  Emily frowned. She felt it too now—the shift in the air, the hesitation in Daniel.

  “Danny?” Her voice was quieter than she meant it to be. “What’s going on?”

  Daniel didn’t respond. He was staring at the ground now, shoulders tense.

  Madame Zara stepped closer, reaching for both of their hands—one of Emily’s, one of Daniel’s. Gentle. Anchoring.

  “You’ve been struggling with something,” she said simply. “Something you haven’t been able to admit. Even to yourself.”

  Emily stiffened. Daniel was never this quiet. Not like this.

  “…Madame Zara?” Emily’s voice she squeaked out

  “You were so close to the void, little one,” Madame Zara said, her tone tender now as she turned to Emily. “So close… and this life, this gift, could have been snuffed out.”

  Emily froze. She knew exactly what Madame Zara was referring to. The accident. Lily.

  The weight of it pressed against her. She lowered her gaze, suddenly unsure where to look, her fingers absently toying with the hem of her shirt, the vulnerability of the moment beyond unsettling, as if she was being examined by a roomful of strangers.

  Madame Zara however, wasn’t finished.

  It was Daniel’s turn now - as she shifted her gaze.

  “And you—” she continued, her voice quiet but firm, “you gave so much of yourself. I can see it—the way you nearly extinguished your own life force to save Emily. A few more moments, a few seconds, and you would have been gone.”

  Emily’s head jerked up. Daniel’s entire posture tensed. His hands found his jean pockets as if retreating into himself. For a long moment, he said nothing.

  "She is my sister, Madame Zara. What was I supposed to do?"

  Daniel looked up, his expression somewhere between embarrassed and defiant, protectiveness fshing in his eyes.

  "Look, Shrimp and the fam already read me the riot act, so could we not—"

  Madame Zara lifted a hand stopping him in his tracks.

  "I am not chastising either of you," she said simply, nodding in approval. "What you both did was noble. You saved lives. That counts for something in the universe."

  She paused again. Squinted, and studied him—really studied him. Something changed. She tilted her head slightly, the twinkle in her eye fading into something more knowing, more certain.

  Daniel shifted, hands still buried in his jeans, grumbling under his breath. Clearly uneasy.

  Madame Zara didn't waver, she stepped forward, almost as if visually x-raying him then stepped back again with a nod - as if she had found what she was looking for.

  "So, Daniel - you've finally found a family that loves you," she said, her voice warm but firm. "And you love them back, correct?"

  Daniel swallowed, saying nothing.

  "You have a sister at st," Madame Zara continued, her eyes locked on his, "one you’d extinguish yourself for in a heartbeat. And one..."

  She turned toward Emily now, amusement flickering across her face. "No matter how sassy or silly she pretends to be, would take on the world for you and then some."

  Emily mumbled something under her breath—words like "brother" and "dummy."

  Madame Zara, however, had already turned her focus back to Daniel, her expression but sharper now, more deliberate.

  "Isn't it time you trusted them?" she asked, her voice calm yet carrying force. "Shared more of your truth with them?"

  Daniel tensed. "I can't, you know that, right?" His voice came quicker now, reluctant, an edge creeping in. "Some memories, I can’t share them—I can’t let Emily live through them."

  Emily opened her mouth to argue, but Madame Zara raised a hand, stopping her before she could get a word in.

  "I’m not talking about those secrets, Daniel," she said, her tone unwavering. "Those are yours, for when you are ready. If you are ready."

  "I mean the other secret," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Your true form. Why are you still hiding who you are? Who the universe has shaped you into?"

  Daniel’s mouth opened, then closed. "I... uh... well..." His eyes flickered toward Emily, then back to Madame Zara, nerves creeping in.

  Emily, watching him closely, her eyes narrowing, felt something shift again.

  Madame Zara leaned in slightly.

  "Isn't it time you showed them who you really are? Isn't it time you stopped hiding?"

  The word hiding hit Emily like a sudden jolt. Her breath caught, her muscles tensed, and suddenly, her gaze was locked onto her brother.

  "Hiding?" she echoed, her voice rising a hair. "What does she mean, Danny?" Her eyes flickered with confusion and unease. "Are you hiding something from me? Again?"

  Daniel’s jaw tightened, and for the first time in a long time, Emily felt a wave of nerves wash over him through their bond—fear, embarrassment, nervousness, all tangled together with something else, something unexpected.

  Hope?

  He gnced away, his hands curling into fists at his sides, unable to meet Emily’s eyes.

  His voice, when he spoke, was strained, uncertain, tired.

  "I didn’t understand it at first, Shrimp. It was slow. Gradual. And then, before I even realized it, it had already happened. And I—"

  He swallowed hard, his shoulders stiff. "I was scared of telling her. Of telling them our parents."

  He slowly looked back - meeting Emily’s gaze, his expression raw and vulnerable.

  "I didn’t want you to see me differently," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "Didn’t want you to see who I’ve become."

  Emily’s stomach twisted, confusion gnawing at her.

  Madame Zara stepped forward.

  "Daniel," she said gently but firmly, "you’ve been resisting the change. Holding on to who you used to be, afraid to acknowledge what’s already happened. It is done - the bond you share with Emily... it’s reshaped you. This was inevitable."

  She paused, watching him carefully. "And there is no shame in it. This is the universe helping you realign."

  Daniel clenched his jaw, exhaling heavily but saying nothing.

  Madame Zara’s eyes never left him. "This is why the dreamscape is slightly off-kilter," she continued. "Why you two are struggling to evolve. Why everything still feels just a little… unbanced."

  A breath.

  "You’re more tired than you expect after switching who’s in control, aren’t you? There are limits to what you can create here—things that should be effortless but aren’t. And emotions... sometimes they weigh heavier than they should."

  Daniel flinched, Emily felt the shift in him, the silent confirmation rippling through their bond, and suddenly she realized she had absolutely no clue what her brother was hiding this time.

  Daniel swallowed hard. "Yes. I know, but…" His voice cracked slightly as he looked up, his lips quivering, eyes dangerously close to tears.

  Emily’s pulse quickened, she had never seen this close to breaking down.

  Before she could get a word in, Madame Zara continued - calm, certain.

  "You’ve been changing since the moment you merged with Emily. The bond between you two has not only connected your minds but reshaped your very essence and you are not the same Daniel who arrived in this world - you have aligned with her.”

  Emily blinked, trying to process what she had just heard. "Wait… aligned? What’s that mean!?"

  Daniel swallowed again, harder this time, guilt flickering across his face as he gnced at Emily.

  Madame Zara reached forward, pcing a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, kind, unwavering.

  "Trust them," she said simply. "They deserve to know the truth. It’s time to stop hiding, child."

  —

  “Child”

  The word hit Emily hard. She stiffened, a sharp feeling of unease running down her spine.

  “Danny, why did she call you ‘child’?” she asked softly, eyes locking onto his. “Is that just a figure of speech, or…?”

  Daniel took a small step back, inhaling deeply.

  “This isn’t my true form.” His voice was unsteady. “I changed. It started happening a long time ago, probably when I entered this universe. Slowly at first, and then before I knew it... it just was.”

  Emily’s heart pounded.

  “True form?” she whispered, taking a slow step towards him.

  Daniel exhaled. “Yes. This form - takes energy, concentration to hold this shape. That’s why things sometimes feel a little… off. Why, a long time ago, during the essence transfer, my form flickered for a moment.”

  Emmily tensed again - she remembered it - the day of her accident, during the energy transfer, how Daniel’s form was unstable - shrinking, growing, flickering.

  Daniel exhaled again - deeper. “It’s easier if I just show you, Em.”

  He closed his eyes, and instantly, the dreamscape tensed. The very air around them seemed to vibrate and shimmer.

  Madame Zara pced a hand on his shoulder, supporting him. Energy crackled, shifting and warping like static. Fshes of light rippled through the sky, thunder not far behind them, and then Daniel’s form began to change.

  His edges softened. His frame glowed and began shrinking, morphing. The change was abrupt, like a storm rolling through, rewriting his very presence as it did terrain. Emily could only watch as the brother she had always known unraveled and reshaped before her eyes.

  Then, the fshes stopped.

  Standing before her was no longer the older brother she had grown used to.

  His frame was nkier, his clothes a little too big on him, as if they had once fit but now sagged at the edges. His posture—hesitant, unsure—was different, awkward.

  His face was softer now—his features - younger. His mop of brown hair, still wild as ever, fell slightly messier around his face, framing rge, expressive brown eyes that looked more nervous than she had ever seen them - still intelligent, still unmistakably his.

  But now, there was something else in them, something she hadn’t seen before. A nervous energy. Embarrassment. Vulnerability.

  Emily started, mouth slightly open, her pulse hammering but it all hit her, truly hit her, when Daniel finally spoke - his voice lighter, higher pitched, trembling.

  “This is me now…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  Emily’s breath caught in her throat.

  The change was undeniable—her brother was younger.

  Not just a little younger, but closer to her age. Twelve? Thirteen, fourteen maybe?

  He looked like a kid still growing into himself. His posture had changed, too—more hesitant, more self-conscious, like someone who hadn’t quite found their footing.

  And yet… it was still Danny. Still her brother.

  The siblings stared at each other—Emily’s eyes wide in disbelief, Daniel’s softer, cautious.

  A sound escaped her—somewhere between a grunt, a ugh, and a disbelieving huff. “You’re... younger. You’re a kid too? How? What?”

  She stepped forward in one swift motion, grabbing him by both shoulders, shaking him slightly.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this?” she excimed.

  Daniel swallowed hard, his voice wavering with emotion. “I didn’t know how, Em. I didn’t even realize it at first. It just—it happened. And I didn’t want to scare you and, and…”

  His eyes flickered with something unspoken—guilt, hesitation, love.

  “I thought if I kept being the older brother, you wouldn’t need to worry about me.”

  Emily felt something twist in her chest. She didn’t even think—she just moved.

  Before Daniel could react, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He felt smaller in her arms now, slighter—but the hug was just as tight, just as full of love.

  “You could’ve told me,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I’m your sister—we’re in this together, you dummy.”

  Daniel let out a shaky breath. His arms wrapped around her, holding tight, tears drenching her shirt as they fell. Quietly. Earnestly.

  From a few steps away, Madame Zara watched, silent, her eyes warm with understanding.

  “The bond between you two has reshaped both of you,” she said at st, her voice carrying an almost reverent tone. “But now that the truth is out, you can grow into it together—stronger.”

  The dreamscape seemed to breathe with them. The golden light softened, the colors warmed. Around them, the energy settled, harmonized, solidified.

  For they weren’t just siblings. They were partners in this life, bound by something deeper than either of them had ever imagined.

  Emily buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled. “…I’m still mad at you, okay?”

Recommended Popular Novels