The Mismatched Brainmates

"Hey Rui, the doctor's calling," Vaelan said, cracking the door open and handing over the phone.

Ru was busy tuning his guitar and didn't even glance up. "At this hour? Just hang up, man."

"If I hang up, he'll call me later. I think I'm fine. I don't need any more treatment," Vaelan said, sticking his head through the door with the pizza box and adding, "Have some pizza!"

"Yeah, you're fine! That's why you've been gaming 24/7," Ru said, getting out of bed and taking the box and opening it. As he'd expected, there was only one slice of pizza left. He gave Vaelan a quizzical look and commented, "Take a look at that big belly. How many pizzas are in it?"

"I've put on a little weight, dude," Vaelan said, trying to cover his stomach with his hands.

"A little?" Ru asked and took a huge bite of the pizza slice.

"Okay, okay, I'll start working out soon," said Vaelan and entered the room. "What about you? Do you want to join me?"

"I'd love to, but you won't let my aunt come get me out of here."

"C'mon, man! Can't you last a year and four months? You'll be of age soon. You can tell her to get lost," Vaelan said, glancing around Ru's room. It was annoyingly clean and organized.

"I can't stand it, I'm telling you, the woman's a witch," Ru said seriously.

"Tell the doctor to report her to social services," Vaelan suggested.

"You're such a devil, man," Ru said, giving Vaelan a playful punch on the shoulder. But his enthusiasm quickly faded, turning into gloom. "I like that idea, but... I'm scared to talk to the doctor."

"Why?" Vaelan asked.

"Because he's a strict materialist," Ru replied.

"That's why?" Vaelan asked.

"Yeah," Ru said, while carefully straightening and folding the box.

"Dude, you're getting too obsessed with this witch thing. And the cleaning. Are you sure you don't have OCD or something?" Vaelan asked and lit a cigarette.

"Use that ashtray," Ru said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "It's all my aunt's fault. Gimme cigarette!"

"Cigarettes are bad for you, man. Don't smoke," Vaelan said, starting to mess up the room by grabbing a basketball.

"But you smoke..." Ru said, frowning.

Vaelan tossed him the ball. "Don't smoke."

"I don't want to talk to Clockmaker, if possible," Ru said, spinning the ball on his finger.

"Dude! When did you learn that move?" Vaelan's eyes widened in amazement.

"I'm a magician, dude. Want me to prove it?" Ru said and started to whistle.

"Do it, man!" Vaelan said excitedly, flopping onto the armchair.

As Ru's melody filled the air, the ball began to lift from his finger. But then Vaelan's eyes turned red, and a small girl's voice spoke, "You shouldn't do this, Dad. You shouldn't show your magic to ordinary people."

"Vaelan's not ordinary, thanks to you," Ru said, watching the ball spin in midair, surrounded by magical notes.

"Dad, I live in Vaelan's brain. I know him well, and he's not ready for this," the Clockmaker said, furrowing Vaelan's brow.

Ru suddenly stood up and faced Vaelan, "Don't tell me what to do," he said, his voice filled with anger. Then he placed his hands firmly on either side of the armchair. "Please, get me out of this witch's grip," he said softly. As he did, the magic surrounding the basketball faded, and it fell to the floor.

"You're right, Dad. The witch might be dangerous now because of the djinn. She might break the deal. But my power doesn't extend to your world. Why don't you go to the doctor?"

Ru, feeling defeated, lowered his head and backed away. "Don't even ask."

"But I'm asking," the Clockmaker said with maturity.

Ru walked over to the window, scanning the area with suspicion as he spoke, "The doctor isn't human. You must know that."

"I don't know, Dad," the Clockmaker replied.

"How can that be?" Ru turned to her. "Have you not seen his eyes? They change color all the time."

"I've never seen any color change in the doctor's eyes, Dad," the Clockmaker said, in a know-it-all tone.

"What?"

"Dad, I think you're exaggerating the doctor," said the Clockmaker, as Vaelan crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Maybe," Ru said, conceding for now. He decided to change the subject. "You didn't ask me how I gained my magical powers," he said, watching the Clockmaker closely.

"You must've accessed them through inner journeying," said the Clockmaker.

"Oh, yeah, maybe," Ru said, flopping onto his back on the bed.

"Maybe? Are you not aware of what you're doing, Dad?" the Clockmaker asked in surprise.

"I think I merged with my reflection," Ru said.

"Reflection?" the Clockmaker replied, moving towards the bed. "What do you mean, Dad?"

"I went to the golden palace above the clouds," Ru said, staring at the ceiling.

The Clockmaker sat on the edge of the bed. "The djinn's palace," she said.

"What was my reflection doing in the djinn's palace?" Ru asked, looking at her.

"As far as I know, years passed in that palace, Dad. That place holds great significance for you," said the Clockmaker.

"Then why is the djinn so dangerous for me?" Ru asked. He suddenly sat up, "Oh my goddess! He turned Jenna to ashes."

"Jenna?" the Clockmaker asked naively.

"My vampire girlfriend."

"Tell me," demanded the Clockmaker, narrowing Vaelan's eyes and pursing Vaelan's lips, "When did you make a girlfriend? I want an answer."

"Oh, look at that face! Jealous?" Ru asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Jealous of you? Oh, c'mon!" the Clockmaker said, sounding a bit aggressive. "I'm just worried you're hanging out with vampires."

"I thought a vampire girlfriend would be a good idea. That way the witch couldn't influence me," Ru said. He stopped right after, though, and said, "Actually, I didn't think of it. It was the genie's idea."

"That's odd. Why would the genie ask you to find a vampire girlfriend?" the Clockmaker inquired, sounding surprised.

"Maybe...he said just girlfriend," Ru muttered, deciding to keep the thoughts running through his mind to himself.

"Never mind, Dad, it's good that the girl is dead." the Clockmaker said, sounding genuinely relieved.

"Oh, this is just perfect! A genie killed my first girlfriend," Ru said sarcastically. He paused and pointed a finger at Vaelan. "So, what exactly are you?"

"You'll understand when you see," said the Clockmaker, Vaelan's smile hidden behind his hand.

"Show me, then," Ru said, his eyes sparkling.

"No," said the Clockmaker, turning Vaelan's head towards the wall.

"Why not?" Ru asked, placing his hand on Vaelan's shoulder.

"Because if you know me, you'll know yourself. If you know yourself, the djinn will remember you. And if the djinn remembers you, he'll remember himself," the Clockmaker said, seriously.

"Let's do this: I'll remember everything before the djinn remembers anything. That way, I'll be ahead of the game and..."

"No," said the Clockmaker, as Vaelan shrugged his shoulders and quickly dropped them.

"You girls don't want me to get stronger, do you?" Ru asked, removing his hand from Vaelan's shoulder. He stared at his palm as if expecting to see something. When the Clockmaker didn't answer, he made a bold statement in a harsh tone, "Because all you care about is your cruel father winning."

"True," said the Clockmaker, turning Vaelan's face over his shoulder to look at Ru. "All the other girls care about is Almighty Ru winning."

"Then what do you care about?" Ru asked.

"I don't want you to revert to your original self," the Clockmaker said, her voice filled with emotion.

Ru hesitated at the Clockmaker's words. The anger and curiosity inside him clashed with the Clockmaker's emotional tone. As the red glow in Vaelan's eyes gradually faded, Ru took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"You don't want me to revert to my original self, huh?" Ru asked cautiously. "Why? Do you know how powerful I am, or are you afraid?"

Despite the stern expression on Vaelan's face, the Clockmaker spoke in a calm voice. "Dad, being powerful isn't the issue. The issue is how that power will change you. Power always comes with a price, and I don't want you to pay that price."

Ru didn't respond immediately but looked out the window. The moonlight covered his room with a silver veil. A storm was raging inside him. On one hand, he wanted to be powerful, but on the other hand, he took the Clockmaker's warnings seriously. Maybe power would turn him into a monster that would destroy him. But he was ready to take that risk because power was freedom. The freedom to shape his destiny.

"It's not that I don't love you, Lirui. Because I don't love my father," the Clockmaker muttered. The internal turmoil was mentally weakening her.

"Yeah, he's a jerk, got it," Ru said, getting to his feet.

As the Clockmaker's consciousness weakened, Vaelan quietly watched Ru. "Who's that jerk?" he wanted to ask, but a little girl's voice came out of his mouth. "If he gets free, you'll be gone. He'll devour your soul and take over your body, just like he did with the other Rui's."

"Oh my god, they're going to eat my bro!" Vaelan said as a small girl appeared before him. She said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't."

"I'm not scared, why should I be scared!" Ru snapped, turning to them. "If this power is going to change me, maybe I need to be changed."

"Don't change, bro. They're going to eat you," Vaelan said.

"Oh, there's no other way to find myself. Demons, magic, reflections... They're all a part of me. I must face my fate."

Two different voices spoke simultaneously from Vaelan's mouth:

"But Dad!"

"Let's face it, bro!"