Familiar

Blood gushed out of my stomach as I lay on the coarse ground, my life slowly slipping away. "Mavis…" I whispered her name, whilst looking up at the troubled afternoon skies, pain taking over my body. "That was you, wasn't it?"

I let out a heavy sigh, just as the gaping wound began to close up. "Ugh!" I stood, nose twitching at a rather familiar scent. "Can't I just die?!"

I set off on the rocky earth, following the scent, eyes shimmering in anticipation, breaths quick as I skipped over fallen trees and stray rocks with unbelievable agility.

"Aahhh!"

The agonizing wail of a man traveled into my eardrums, making me quicken my already thunderous steps even more, leaving foot-sized holes in the land beneath me.

Skidding to a stop, I took in the malicious sight of the bloodied mud and grass, indicating some kind of scuffle. "What happened here?" I knelt, feeling the scattered pools of blood on the eroded grass.

The familiar scent I had been trailing wafted into my path of smell once more, as I stood, rounding the corner of a leveled bush.

"Khione! Khione wake up! Please!" A man's voice rang, as he cradled the body of a badly injured woman in his shaky arms. "PLEASE KHIONE!" Tears rolled down his eyes, his dirty bun of blonde hair coming undone, broad shoulders shivering as he looked up at the mid-day skies.

I cocked my curious head to the side, trying to decipher why I found this lot familiar.

A name rang in my head as I took a step toward them. "Kiera…" the name rolled off my tongue involuntarily, as I narrowed my eyes in deep thoughts, the voice in my head getting louder.

The man turned swiftly to the sudden sound of my voice, looking me over, his expression unreadable. "Who are you?" He squinted at me, his face twisting in confusion, then realization. "Rafal?"

I raised a dirt-ridden brow at him, almost letting out a chuckle. "Who?"

"Rafal I need you, quick heal my sister!" The feminine looking man rushed his words, looking into my eyes as if we somehow knew each other.

"Rafal?" I repeated in thought, memories flashing through my burdened mind, memories I did not so much as recognize. "Me? What…what are you talking about? Who are you?" My hands found their way to my head, clutching lightly at the roots.

"Rafal, it's me Kiera. Do you not remember me?" Kiera took in the unyielding look on my face, as he heaved a sigh, nodding slightly as if understanding my situation. "Alright then. That's a problem for much later. Right now, I need you to come here, please."

Hesitantly, I closed the distance between the man and I, kneeling at the opposite side from him.

"Thank you. Now you need not worry, all you need to do is place a hand on her chest." Hope shone in his eyes as he watched my every move as if I were his old friend.

Placing my unsure palm on the woman's chest, I could feel her heartbeat strengthen, as silver threads of energy spread themselves from my palm, throughout her wounded body, closing up every gape till the barest scratch.

Her dirty blonde hair, much like Kiera's seemed to gain a lively glow as she took in a deep, sudden breath, her yellow eyes flying open, darting around in alarm.

"Sister!" Kiera embraced the woman hurriedly, tears threatening to be set free, he let go of her, grunting in pain as he stood up.

"You're hurt too." I crossed the space to a limping Kiera. "May I?" I asked him.

With a nod of his head, I placed a palm to Kiera's chest as well, his wounds healing instantly.

"Rafal?" The woman rose, her eyes filling up with unshed tears as she lunged herself at me, her hair dancing on my surprised face.

"Uh…" I stiffened slightly, yet something felt incredibly familiar about her.

She let out a small sob as she pulled away slightly, taking my face into her smooth hands. "Where have you been, Rafal? I thought I'd never see you again." Her voice filled my senses, eliciting a strange feeling as she pressed her lips against mine, holding me closely.

Alarm bells went off in my head, triggering an instinctive response without a moment's consideration, I drew my arm back, gathering an unrestrained force within. In an impulsive motion, my clenched fist surged forward, connecting with a swift and impactful strike against the side of her beautiful face, the collision sending shockwaves through the air, as she was forcefully propelled backwards, her body tumbling and crashing onto the unforgiving terrain.

The harsh ground seemed to amplify the intensity of the impact, leaving her sprawled and vulnerable amidst the jarring aftermath.

My eyes widened as I looked at my fist, then at her. "Who are you!?" I screamed, wiping my tainted lips in disgust.

"Rafal!" As the words slipped passed Kiera's mouth, a nearly invisible current seized hold of me, yanking me away with an irresistible might. My body became a helpless projectile at the mercy of this unseen power and with a disorienting swirl, I was propelled through the air, a rapid descent into chaos.

The world blurred into a dizzying blur as I plummeted, my form violently colliding with the unforgiving ground below, every inch of my being recoiling in anguish as the rough surface of the earth scraped mercilessly against my skin, leaving behind a searing trail of pain and abrasion.

The raw, visceral sensation of my body being dragged along the harsh terrain etched itself deeply into my consciousness, an indelible mark of the overwhelming force that had tossed me aside like a discarded ragdoll.

"Ugh!" As my body naturally healed itself, I grunted in irritation, lunging forward at the man, more than ready to tear him apart.

"How dare you?!" His yellow eyes shimmered with anger, his words producing circular ripples of energy which sent me flying once more.

"Argh what the hell?!" I shouted with annoyance, my scratches covering up instantly.

Kiera rushed to the woman, helping her to her feet, as her wounds slowly but surely began to cover up. "Are you alright?"

I pointed an accusing finger at them, an angry frown etching itself on my face. "You-"

"Rafal." Tears rolled down the woman's face as she spoke the strange name to me again. "What-"

"My name, is Angelo! I am not Rafal…who ever he may be!" I however, struggled with the contrary voice floating in my head, as more and more unfamiliar memories poured into it.

"Then how can you explain your power? The memories unraveling in your head right now?" Kiera chimed.

"I don't know you!" I yelled in exasperation.

Khione took a step toward me, her eyes pleading, unbelieving. "My love-"

"Stay the hell away from me, you freak!" An angry glow coated my pupils as I stared at her.

"Don't you remember me?" She spoke.

"I most certainly do not! I literally just met you for crying out loud!" I looked between them in annoyance. "You can't go around kissing people! That's disgusting!"

"Do not shout at my sister!" The familiar waves of energy spiraled toward me, the tense air crackling with power, as a burst of protective energy surged through me. With swift agility, I instinctively evaded the impending danger, propelling myself forward towards Kiera.

In that moment, my nails underwent a remarkable transformation, extending and solidifying into formidable claws. With a powerful strike, they connected with unyielding force against Kiera's head, causing him to plummet to the ground in an instant.

The impact resonated through the atmosphere, accompanied by a bone-chilling sound as his skull fractured under the relentless blow.

"What the hell!?" Khione rushed to her brother's side, frantically shaking him, as his dark blood painted the ground and her hands. "What did you do?" She looked up at me, fear covering her beautiful face. "What did you do to him?"

A pang of guilt settled at the bottom of my stomach, disappearing as swiftly as it came. "I put him down. Why the heck was he attacking me?"

"He was just defending me!" She sniffled, wiping her face with her blood stained hand. "Please just…heal him. He can't heal this kind of injury on his own, please. I promise we will tell you everything you need to know. Just please don't let him die."

Narrowing my eyes at her, I crouched, placing my palm on his chest.

With a gasp, his eyes flew open, brows furrowing as it met mine. "You-"

Without hesitation, Khione's hand shot forward, silencing her brother's venomous words, her hand seamlessly enveloping his mouth, rendering his words meaningless and muffled. "Quiet brother."

I rose, aware of the lingering tension in the air, taking many steps backwards, still in earshot of the lot.

"We are the Vanrei. Protectors of the supernatural realms." Khione spoke. "You were once one as well, a very powerful one, until you left home. We haven't heard from you ever since then."

"But the issue here is that I'm not who you think I am. I was born on earth, I'm human." I confidently defended.

"So humans can now break the skulls of supernatural beings? Good to know." Kiera finally detached his sister's steel grip from his mouth, his hand going over his formerly broken head.

"I remember my childhood vividly and I'm sure I'd know if my family had anything to do with the supernatural. My brother will vouch for m-" I could feel the color drain from my face, my hand coming up to my throbbing forehead. "Donny…" I whispered to myself, looking around, praying that somehow he'd just show up out of nowhere.

"Who's Donny?" Kiera asked, making my head snap in his direction.

I shook my head rapidly, anger rising in my veins. "Don't say that name. I'm leaving and I do not want to see any of you again."

Fists clenched, I turned away from Kiera and Khione, my breath uneven as my heart beat wildly out of my chest. Is he really gone?

~~~

My feet wobbled on the green grass, eyes gilded with threatening tears as I looked up at the mansion before me.

I had wandered aimlessly after leaving the siblings, never looking up while memories of my brother endlessly played in my head.

The evening was nigh and I looked up at the beauty of the setting sun, as it cast a breathtaking glow upon the gilded walls of the mansion.

I shut my eyes, deeply inhaling the natural scent of grass which the calm breeze carried, as it combed through my hair.

I took leisured steps toward the large doors of the building, my head throbbing with more and more unfamiliar memories.

Without warning, the doors began to creak open steadily, as I peeked beyond its threshold.

"Child." A beautiful woman stood beyond them, an elegant aura about her as she smiled kindly at my disheveled form. "Come."

"What? Who…are you?"

"I'm Galadriel." She paused, her green eyes accessing me a little bit more than okay for comfort.

"Do I know you somehow?" I asked, placing both hands on my waist.

"I understand you're going through something, Angelo." She said, her eyes holding a low glimmer in them.

"Yes! Yes, that's my name! Thank you!" My hands flew up briefly in contentment. "Wait…" My brows knit together in confusion. "So how then do you know me?"

"I am the guardian elf, child. I know more than you think I should. From the moment you stepped into this realm, to the moment you discovered your powers, till when you killed that…mage in the forest." She raised a brow at me, a hint of a smile playing along her lips.

My eyes widened, as I felt a sweat break from my forehead. "I did not mean to do that."

"Or didn't you? Come in child, you need rest." She turned around, the doors lingering open as she walked deeper into the manor, turning her head briefly back at me. "…and answers."