Chapter 59 - Time for change

As they strolled through the hallways of the mansion, Jean, Kitty, Kurt, and Scott maintained a relatively somber mood. Even after hearing Prime's version of what happened, it was hard for them to believe that Xavier would really be capable of such a thing. For those who had lost their families or been abandoned, Xavier was like a grandfather to them.

The worst part was the possibility of Xavier trying to manipulate Sara and Prime's minds. This raised concerns about what would stop him from attempting the same with the other children in the mansion. Although they avoided pondering over it, there was the question of whether Xavier hadn't already done something similar before. Ultimately, if he had, they would never know, as the affected person wouldn't remember anything themselves.

"What do you guys think?" Kurt's voice suddenly sounded, catching the attention of the others. "About Prime's story, I mean, do you think it's true?"

No immediate answer came to Kurt's question; in fact, they were all filled with doubts. Though they wanted to deny it, there was too much evidence to simply ignore the issue. Especially the fact that Prime had suddenly lost control, despite his previous kindness. Furthermore, Prime seemed genuinely determined to protect Sara from any harm, so none of them considered him to be lying, at least not about something attempting to invade their minds.

"I don't know if what he was saying was true or not" Scott replied slowly. "But we'll know once we ask the professor... I'm sure there must be some kind of misunderstanding"

Scott's words silenced the group. They all knew how much Scott esteemed the professor, so they decided they would leave the questions for when there was someone capable of answering them. With this thought in mind, the group continued silently through the corridors in the dead of night.

***

Back with Prime, he remained seated in a chair beside the bed where Sara lay. Even assuming a human form, Prime was still far from being considered human. In fact, he was further from the concept than ever.

Although limited by not using Sara's body as a medium, Prime was still much stronger and more resistant than an ordinary human. Furthermore, this wasn't even his true body.

Whether it was minor injuries or severe ones, Prime wouldn't be affected in any way by them. As these thoughts pervaded Prime's mind, Sara's movement in the bed caught his attention.

Sara was shifting back and forth in the bed, emitting some sounds. Slowly, her blue eyes began to open. Although they seemed relatively tired, Prime felt a relief to see that there was life in them. Of course, Prime already knew that Sara was fine because he was part of her; if she were seriously injured or something, Prime would be the first to notice.

As she finished waking up, Sara's blue eyes fixed first on Prime, who was sitting beside her. Despite being somewhat dazed, Sara managed to gather brief fragments of what had happened. Thus, she also knew that Prime had saved her, even if it meant him transforming into that form.

"Haha..." Sara's first words upon waking were a weak laugh, clearly tired. "Although we've been together for some time, this is probably the first time we've talked face to face... You look quite a bit like me"

Upon hearing Sara's words, Prime smiled. He felt a genuine happiness to see her well and joking. Prime had never had a family, and his only two friends were no longer around. For Prime, or rather, for the existence called Ryan, Sara was all he had and all he needed.

"I know I'm handsome, but don't you think that's a bit narcissistic coming from you, considering you know why I'm in this form?" Prime quipped playfully.

Sara also smiled at the joke, clearly showing that, by this point, she had a good grasp of Prime's abilities—or at least that's what she thought until a few hours ago.

"What are we going to do now?" Sara asked, her voice still laden with fatigue.

"We're going to leave the mansion" Prime said. "Now that I have a human form, we don't need Xavier anymore. I can take care of you myself. I'll rent a nice apartment for us in the middle of New York. You don't need to worry, just focus on your academic life. You deserve it" Sara only smiled in response.

Turning her head towards the ceiling, the room once again fell into silence. However, despite Prime and Sara not exchanging words, the atmosphere between them wasn't tense. In fact, it was warm and relaxing, as if only the two of them existed in their own world.

"You know" Sara began, turning her gaze to Prime, who was staring at her. "When we were in that state, I could still feel you. It was faint, but I still felt like you were protecting me. So... don't dwell too much on what happened. You'll still be you, both Prime and Ryan... Thank you for saving me" Sara said, with the brightest smile she could muster at that moment.

Prime was surprised to hear Sara's words, and as they resonated, he felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He hadn't even realized how worried he was, questioning whether he could remain as he had been so far, knowing there was another being inside him. In truth, Prime recognized that this other being was also him, but in a different way. Quietly thanking Sara's words, a smile formed on his face.

After this brief conversation between the two, Sara returned to sleep peacefully. Prime smiled at seeing her asleep, naturally rising from the chair. He walked to the door and cast one last glance at Sara, smiling before his expression became completely serious. Before leaving with Sara, Prime still felt there were unresolved matters.

***

Jean, Scott, Kitty, and Kurt were now in the mansion's medical wing. Xavier lay on one of the beds, while Ororo rested beside him. Ororo had already regained consciousness, as had Xavier. Since the children entered the room, the atmosphere had been tense, and Logan, observing everything from the corner of the room, noticed this clearly.

"Is what Prime told us true, Professor? That you tried to control his and Sara's minds?" Scott asked for the second time, repeating the same question asked earlier. Xavier remained silent, not giving an answer, at least not yet.

"It was necessary"

Xavier's initial words shocked everyone in the room, especially the children, who trusted him blindly.

"Prime and Sara... both possess significant power when they are together, much more than expected. I didn't intend to hurt them; only to remove possible distorted thoughts from their minds. They would still be who they are"

The room fell into complete silence upon hearing Xavier's words. None of them knew how to react to this revelation, and not even Logan and Ororo could believe what they had just heard. Certainly, this would explain Sara's strange behavior, but they all pondered the same question: had Xavier done something similar before? They couldn't clearly state that he hadn't.

As everyone plunged into doubts, the door opened, revealing a figure with silver hair that caught everyone's attention in the room. However, what surprised them most was the intense change in Prime's once blue eyes, now glowing with a deep red.

"I've come just to say that tomorrow morning, Sara and I will leave the mansion" Prime said simply.

"What! This won't be good for Sara. You should reconsider. A mutant who hasn't yet discovered her true capabilities walking among humans..." Xavier exclaimed in an attempt to interrupt Prime.

However, Xavier's words were interrupted by a strong killer aura emanating from Prime. Everyone automatically positioned themselves for combat, their bodies reacting to the imminent danger, their instincts kicking in despite their wills.

"Don't get me wrong, professor" Prime began, his voice filled with an intense desire to kill that seemed to permeate the room. "I'm not asking for your permission, and besides, I couldn't care less what you think about it. You should thank me for not ending you right now. I haven't done it yet because I have some consideration for the children who still have some affection for you, even though you're the rotten human being you are. But I would advise you not to test my patience" he continued, moving his blood-red eyes towards Xavier, who began to tremble. "She's already at her limit right now"

Saying these words, Prime headed for the door and left, taking with him an intense thirst for vengeance. That night, Xavier had just created an enemy he shouldn't have.