"Hey, he's waking up," said a short, ginger-haired girl with bright green eyes, nudging her sleeping friend with barely contained excitement.
"Huh? Oh! Hey—hey, how are you?"
The white-haired, violet-eyed girl jolted upright, then rushed to the bedside with surprising urgency.
Myles groaned—
—and nearly launched himself out of the bed.
"Who are you?!"
The sudden outburst made her flinch, shrinking in on herself in a way that completely contradicted her height and presence. It was… unexpectedly shy.
Myles blinked.
Then smiled.
Something about it was just… cute.
Lia froze.
A faint blush crept across her face, catching her completely off guard.
"I'm glad you're okay, but… can you not look at me like that?" she murmured, turning her gaze away, her voice softening despite herself.
"Hey, prig, she's way out of your league. Don't even think about it."
The shorter girl slid between them like a blade, planting herself firmly as a barrier.
"Name's Kaelen. And that goddess over there? She's my younger sister. So I'm gonna need you to cool it."
"Wait—wait, who are you? And why am I here?" Myles stammered, his thoughts scrambling to catch up. "I thought I was on a morning jo—hey, where are my clothes?!"
"You mean those rags over there?" Lia said, pointing to a neatly folded tracksuit and boxers resting on a nearby chair. "You were soaked in blood. Honestly… I'm surprised you're still alive."
That's when it hit him.
Bandages.
Everywhere.
Layered across his body like he'd been pieced back together.
Then—
realization.
"Couldn't you have at least left the boxers on?!" he snapped, yanking the blanket over himself in a panic, clutching it like a shield.
Lia turned away instantly, flustered, crouching into herself.
"Eek!"
"Where's the fun in that?" Kaelen whispered, suddenly right beside him—far too close.
Before the moment could settle—
Lia moved.
On instinct, she grabbed Kaelen and yanked her away.
Too hard.
Way too hard.
Kaelen went flying.
She hit the wall—
—and went through it.
Silence.
Lia's hands flew to her mouth. "I—I didn't mean to!"
A beat—
Then—
BOOM.
The wall gave way again as Kaelen stepped back through the debris, dust rolling off her shoulders like it had the audacity to touch her.
"Don't forget I'm your older sister," she said coldly.
Something about her had changed.
A few strands of her silky blonde hair had shifted into ginger at the front. Her expression sharpened, aged—less playful, more deliberate.
Her foot pressed against Lia's chest.
A soft, pained sound escaped Lia.
"I'm sorry…" Lia muttered, turning her face away. "I didn't mean it. I lost control."
Kaelen's lips curled into something dangerous.
"Oh, you're sorry, huh?" she said lightly. "Nah… I'm not taking that. If you're really sorry, then you'll accept your punishment."
And just like that—
the air shifted.
A presence.
A girl stood behind them.
Jet-black hair. Piercing blue eyes. Two horns curling gently from her head like a crown she didn't ask for but wore effortlessly. Her fair skin seemed to catch the light differently, her presence commanding without trying.
"What is all this commotion?" she said sharply. "I thought you were tending to his wounds, Kaelen. Why must you turn every moment into one of your 'experiments'? She's your younger sister."
Kaelen's hair settled. Her expression softened back into something familiar.
"Oh, come on, sis. I wasn't actually going to do anything. Just wanted to shake her up a bit."
The horned woman let out a small, knowing laugh.
"I know. But don't bully her when she's vulnerable."
They shared a quiet chuckle—
—and just like that, she was gone.
No sound.
No trace.
Myles stared at the empty space, his mind refusing to catch up with his eyes.
Is this some kind of sick joke… or a dream?
Either way… I want out.
He didn't dare say it aloud.
From what he could tell, these girls were beyond human.
Or worse—
not human at all.
Especially her.
"Hey… weirdos," he said finally, voice cautious but steady, "where are we? And what happened to me?"
Lia and Kaelen exchanged a glance.
Something unspoken passed between them.
"Oh my," Kaelen said slowly. "You really don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what?" Myles snapped. "The last thing I recall is taking a different route on my morning jog—"
Pain.
Sudden. Violent.
"Aagh!" He clutched his head, vision fracturing.
Before he could fall—
Lia caught him.
No hesitation.
She pulled him into her arms, holding him tightly, protectively—like shielding him from something unseen.
A soft green light bloomed around his head.
Warm.
Steady.
The pain… faded.
Myles exhaled shakily.
"I… I remember," he said, voice unsteady. "Wait… you guys thought I was a beast this whole time? How couldn't you tell I was human?"
Silence.
Blank stares.
"Human?" they echoed.
The word felt… old.
Distant.
Humans had been gone for millennia. Reduced to sayings, to fragments of language.
As dead as a human.
Kaelen stepped forward, studying him with renewed interest.
"Oh—you mean the mouth-breathers from Earth?" she said casually. "My friend… you're not on Earth anymore. I honestly thought the creatures you saw would've made that obvious."
Myles' face drained of color.
"Wait…" he whispered. "Those things were real?"
Not a dream.
Not a nightmare.
Reality.
Flashes tore through his mind—claws, blood, tearing flesh. His own hands ripping creatures apart, breaking them, ending them.
His breathing hitched.
His eyes shifted—
to Lia.
And then—
other memories.
Softer ones.
Too close.
His face flushed instantly.
Lia noticed.
She chuckled, turning away just in time to hide her own reaction as both he and Kaelen looked at her.
Kaelen grinned.
"Well… this is long overdue."
She spread her arms slightly, like presenting a stage.
"Welcome to Phase 2."