PROLOGUE

The kitchen was silent with only the rattle of the floral curtains hitting the windowsill as a soothing melody.

Helen held the counter of the sink as she closed her light brown eyes, Focusing her ears on the car making a turn out of her garage and leaving the dead-end street they lived on.

"...Finally gone." She breathed a sigh of relief that was soon replaced by gloom thinking that her husband would come back tonight and disturb the peace in the house.

Islangville is the name of the closed community they lived in. Because it was released recently, few families had moved in with only a total of three occupied lots on Helen's street even though there are fifteen available. She lives in a house she only ever saw in movies, but she still feels cold in the place.

Lost in thought, she heard the sound of steps in the corridor. An exciting cold took over her stomach. Fear, like that of when you're about to do something completely out of your usual self, seeped into her. She reckons it's the same feeling of when she stole her mother's cigar when she was a teen, it was a thrill for a goody-two-shoes like her.

Even now, her timid and good self is acting up, even though there's nothing visibly wrong with what's about to transpire

A strong breeze entered the kitchen then. Her neck-length chestnut hair dangled slightly. Soothing her slightly. The sounds of steps grew close to the kitchen, but it stopped on the bathroom door

'I nearly forgot, that's why he never smells bad in the morning.' She thought and a light blush appeared on her cheek.

The cold on her stomach intensified as she thought about it. Helen held her breath and adjusted her thin sweat pants and a loose blouse, she was testing something, a thing she came to be suspicious of since yesterday.

When the bathroom door re-opened she twisted the handle on the kitchen sink and started washing last dinner's leftover dishes

Each of his steps tightens her stomach further with excitement and warmth and a tinge of inexplicable happiness.

"Ohh, I am so tired…" his voice reached her ears and Helen felt an involuntary smile blossoming on her mouth, without turning back she spoke. "Tired from what? You didn't even run this weekend."

Helen found it weird when he didn't answer, then she felt him beside her and knew what it was. She giggled and patted his arm as he gently held her from the side, it was a full hug, without timidness but not too overbearing, his arms went around her with his waist also slightly touching her side, he lazily leaned in, landing a soft kiss on her smiling cheek. Then finally said the usual words before squeezing her close and letting go "Good morning mom, is there something to eat?"

The exchange didn't last a few seconds more than it should before he sat down on the table and let out a big yawn.

But Helen was silently enjoying the lingering warmth that erased the gloom from earlier. If someone looked from the outside, this was nothing but a greeting between a son and mother that were very close, even herself felt that was just it before.

But although slow, she caught the clues. Leonardo, her son, though not obvious, changed too much. He was still her son, she was sure of that. But on the last day of his high school days, he changed from water to wine, he slowly, very carefully, showed his changes during these few days. He was trying to show it step by step and slowly get them used to him.

Everybody started to notice it as he turned from a shy and gloomy young man who walked with his eyes on the ground into a lazy lanky chic magnet a but she noticed something nobody else did.

It might've even been just herself having wild flights of fancy, but for some reason the thought of it, of it being more than her son melting away his shyness and warming up, makes her stomach flutter with a strange exciting feeling.

Even now she didn't dare to turn back due to that feeling, Even the morning greeting that could be considered just a warm, well-intentioned hug might not be such an innocent act.

"Mom?"

"Y-yes?" Her heart jumped.

"You didn't answer, also, You're washing that cup for the third time."

"Oh! I was too distracted.. Haha, what did you ask me?"

"If dad has left, but since I'm only hearing Hailey's snoring, he must've gone," Leonardo said after a second yawn.

She looked at him, but his hazy morning eyes were not portraying anything that might suggest any kind of intentions. But despite that, she felt like chuckling inside. 'Boy you're deliberately getting up right after your dad leaves for work, even your snoring sister awakens for a minute, but you say you don't hear it? Even though your room is the closest to the garage?'

The thoughts of pointing that out, crossed her mind but she decided to just play along,

"Yes, contrary to someone who works from home in their own time, your father has set work hours"

"He always comes late though." He lightly said

Helen felt a jab on her chest remembering the different perfumes on her husband's clothes, and how often he goes on business trips.

'Well, he does put the food on the table and we don't lack anything, plus, many successful men are like that.. And the children are used to this life... I shouldn't complain..' She told herself but a lingering repulse took over her mood.

'Wait!' She thought of something and her whole body jolted with a sudden realization.

She turned slowly with slightly surprised eyes. "Leonard, are you…." She ate the end of her sentence but said it inwardly; 'Manipulating me?'

His confused eyes were that of a professional actor, she was still suspicious before, it might've been only her bored mind going wild, but not after this. She trusted her own instinct that he was manipulating her into feeling what she was feeling and putting the face of her husband, his stepdad, into that sad and repulsive feeling. Others might think of it as a Leonard being fed up with the way her mother is being treated but Helen thought it goes beyond that, she felt it was a bad, malicious move, with hidden intentions behind it. The only thing that made her feel at ease, was that it was not directed her.

An to assure her conclusion again, she remembered the times she glanced at Leonardo while he was distracted, and more often than not, a glint of malicious intent will flesh by his eyes followed by an eerie grin.

'Even after years with his stepdad, they never got along…' She shook her head and avoided thinking in that direction.

With all those people awakening powers called authority and monsters spawning here and there, she was still worried, but in the end she was happy her son shed all his short-comings all at once, as for what happened for him to do that she only prayed that it didn't hurt him.

Looking at him now, realizing she doesn't really know his intentions or objectives, even though they are most likely bad, she feels... 'As long as he's happy, he might as well be a murderer. I won't care'

Stating that to herself she became more carefree than ever, a surge of incomparable happiness came on her heart and she gave him a smile

"Are you thirsty? There's cold orange juice on the fridge" She said to the bewildered Leonard and turned back to the sink. After a while the chair made noise, and suddenly he was pulling her into his chest, he gave a playful very wet kiss on the top of her head, "Mother shouldn't worry anymore, our life will take a turn."

His 1.92 cm of height gave her another smile and walked out of the kitchen to the outside.

Only now did she see he was wearing a short and sleeveless t-shirt for jogging.

Looking at him go, she felt that it wouldn't matter if he became the enemy of the world or the one who saved it, she would be beside him regardless