brought out

IT IS AS THOUGH HER HEART IS BEING SQUEEZED. Watching Kai speed up to Brady; seeing how confused Brady looks; observing the angry face on Kai- it all happens within the fraction of a second.

She hears the sound of her brother dying from a foot away and she watches in horror as he falls to the ground.

For a moment, it is as if time stops—the same way it happened with Connor back at Australia. However, that isn't the case; she is just in shock to comprehend her brother's death.

Aubrey lets out a piercing scream as tears start rolling down her face, she runs to pick him up in her arms.

"Brady?" She yells, roughly shaking him, placing her fingers on his pulse and placing her ears under his nostrils. Minutes pass, and she keeps repeating these in the same sequence with tears in her eyes.

"Brady! Brady!!" She doesn't stop yelling, hoping all of this is a nightmare.

She stares at his lifeless form in her arms, weeping.

From his brown hair (which is still long after her complains) to his red-stripped flannel and black jeans, then to his feet covered with white socks. He had just come back from school, there was no football practice today so he stayed home to relax. If Aubrey had known, she wouldn't have let him stay home.

The god who caused this tragic scene, squats down to whisper in Aubrey's red ears.

"Just a reminder." His warm breath fans her neck, causing goosebumps to appear. "There is a reason they are scared of me."

She stops crying all of a sudden. Aubrey's face morphs into anger and resent, aimed at Kai's smirking face. She tightens her fists, glaring lasers at him. She opens her mouth about to curse at him but Kai shuts her up.

"Shhh." He shakes his head in disapproval. "Yell at me again and the next people are your parents."

Aubrey blinks her tears away with a painful smile on her lips. What has she gotten herself into? Gods -who can take people's life anytime they feel to- happen to be around her in every corner. She cannot run away from them; they will always find her.

She never believed. Now, Brady has to suffer from it. She should have protected him at all cost; listened to Connor's advice and stayed far away from Kai.

She weeps bitterly, staring into Kai's black pupils that resembles his heart.

"You are sick in the head." She tells him when he threatens to kill her parents.

Kai's smile grows wider. "Oh sweetheart." He lifts his hand to tuck her hair behind her right ear and she jerks in fear. "If I'm sick in the head, you're also sick in the head."

Her eyebrows furrow.

"You know why?" He continues. "Because the missing piece that is inside of you was taken out of me."

"I didn't ask for it!" She screams.

"Then let me take it out of you!" He yells back.

"Take it!" Her throat hurts as her voice echoes in loud cries. She hopes the neighbors hear her and come to her aid but then, humans are no match for gods.

Kai's face pales. "You mean it?" He arcs an eyebrow.

She gasps, "Take it! Yes, take it! I never wanted it! I didn't ask for this. I don't want to be involved with you psychotic gods. I want to be far away from you. If taking it out means you leaving, then do it. Take it." She confesses in one breath.

"Okay." Kai calmly says.

She frowns, "Why aren't you doing anything? I said take it—whatever it is."

His smile bothers Aubrey and it feels like she just made a deal with the devil.

"Fine. You would receive an invitation soon." He moves closer, "Be there." His voice drips with intense authority, sounding more dangerous than Connor's. "Come to the location and be prompt then your wish will be granted. I will see you soon," He pauses, "Aubrey Kim."

Aubrey is lost for words as she stares at his pacific expression. It only tells her that there is more to the word, 'take it.'

Kai straightens his back, resting hands on his bent knees; he sucks in a breath. "From the feel of it, the gods should have sensed a dead soul by now."

She brings her sad eyes to Brady's lifeless body and pain surges through her. "Brady." She tenderly calls his name, rubbing her thumb on his smooth, acne-free face. She always wondered why he never suffered pimples like her when she was his age, she guesses she won't get the chance to pester him until he tells her his secret. "I'm sorry Brady." She whispers.

"So, I better do this before they send him away permanently." Kai completes.

From the corner of her teary eyes, she sees Kai's hand on Brady's thigh and it angers her.

She is about to slap his hands off when he whispers, "Breathe."

Brady jolts up, gasping for air.

Aubrey's eyes widen in fear as she peers into Brady's red eyeballs. She swiftly turns to look at Kai but the god is already gone; evaporated into thin air.

Brady groans, grabbing his head as he sits up. "Uh, what happened? Did I pass out?"

She strongly embraces him as she yet again becomes a wailing mess. "Brady."

Brady seems confused and spaced out as he looks around his home. "What happened? When did you get here?"

She lets him go to stare intently at his face. She places both hands on each side of his face. He doesn't seem to remember anything and Aubrey can see it from his expression.

Her heart breaks at the sight of his frown. His eyes are red and his face is pale which signals that blood truly stopped circulating in his body and in reality, he died.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Brady questions, squeezing his eyes shut whilst rubbing them to get blood flow; unknown to him. "Why does my eye hurt?"

"You don't remember?"

"Gross, why am I on the floor?" He pushes Aubrey off and stands to his feet. His abrupt movements make him dizzy and he almost falls back down but Aubrey supports him.

Aubrey keeps staring at her brother with dried tears stuck to her cheeks. "Are you okay?" She asks.

Brady starts to get bothered by her actions, so he shrugs her off. "Yeah I am. I must have hit my head or something." He starts walking to the kitchen.

"Brady-"

"I need water. I'm thirsty."