LAST WEEK

Wannia’s POV:

The hallways of Northwood High buzzed with the usual Friday afternoon energy. A symphony of chatter, laughter, and locker slams filled the air. Kai and I, amidst the usual throng, felt a strange sense of detachment. Our last week of normalcy was slipping away, replaced by the looming shadow of our destiny.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Kai said, his voice a little strained. We were standing by our lockers, trying to ignore the curious stares of our classmates. They couldn’t know. They couldn’t understand.

“Yeah,” I agreed, a lump forming in my throat. “It feels like everyone’s going on with their lives while ours… ours is changing forever.”

“I know, I know,” he said, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “But we’re facing it together. We’ve always been through everything together.”

“I know,” I said, a faint smile touching my lips. “But it still sucks.”

“I know,” he replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. “But hey, at least we get one last school dance.”

I sighed. “You know, that dance is always a nightmare. It's sweaty and crowded, and everyone's trying to impress each other.”

“Yeah, but this time, it’s different,” Kai said. “This time, it’s our last. Our last chance to be ‘normal’ teenagers.”

“I guess so,” I mumbled, a sudden wave of melancholy washing over me. We were about to leave behind the familiar world we knew, the friends we had made, the routine we had embraced.

“And then we’re back to the mansion,” Kai said, his voice suddenly subdued. “Back to training, back to the Crimson Claw.”

I nodded, my heart sinking. The thought of leaving this world, of leaving our friends, of leaving Gio, left a hollow ache in my chest.

“I miss the mansion, though,” he admitted. “I miss the quiet. I miss the freedom of not having to pretend I’m just an ordinary kid.”

“But I miss being a normal teenager,” I countered, my voice laced with sadness. “I miss having friends who don’t look at me like I’m some kind of… some kind of freak.”

“Hey, you’re not a freak,” Kai said, his voice filled with warmth. “You’re my sister, and that’s all that matters.”

I smiled at him, my heart swelling with love and a pang of longing. “You’re my brother,” I said, echoing his sentiment. “And we’ll face this together. We’ll face everything together. Because that’s what we do.”

The rest of the day was filled with a mixture of bittersweet moments. We had a farewell lunch with Gio, who was oblivious to the truth, and a surprise visit to our favorite ice cream parlor, where we shared a sundae and laughed about the time we’d snuck out of the mansion to come here.

After school, we went to the school’s annual fundraising carnival. The air was filled with the scents of cotton candy and hot dogs, the sounds of laughter and carnival music. We joined the throngs of students, playing games, winning prizes, and trying to capture a moment of fleeting normalcy.

“Remember when we used to win every year?” Kai said, laughing as we spun the wheel at a game, only to land on “try again.”

“I think we’re too old for this,” I teased.

We laughed, our voices blending with the joyful hum of the carnival. But beneath the laughter, a sense of melancholy lingered. We knew that these were our last moments in this carefree world, our last moments before the shadows of the Crimson Claw swallowed us whole.

Kai looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination. “This is our last school dance, Wannia,” he said, his voice a little hushed.

I nodded, my own heart sinking. The school dance, a tradition we’d always looked forward to, was now a bittersweet reminder of the life we were leaving behind.

As the night went on, the music pulsed through the gym, students danced and laughed, their carefree joy a stark contrast to the burden we carried. Kai and I, a mirror image in our sleek black clothing and identical dark hair, found ourselves instinctively seeking each other out, a familiar comfort in the midst of the unfamiliar.

He found me, a smile playing on his lips. "Ready for one last dance, sis?" he asked, his voice low.

"Always," I replied, my heart swelling with a mix of love and sadness.

We danced, our bodies moving as one, a perfect mirror image of each other. Our movements were in sync, our steps echoing each other’s rhythm. We were twins, connected by a bond that transcended blood and time.

The music faded, the night ended, and we stood outside the school, the crisp autumn air biting at our skin. We had one week left before we returned to the Blackwood Mansion, to our destiny.

As I looked at Kai, his face illuminated by the streetlight, I knew that we would face whatever came next. We would be strong. We would be brave. And we would never forget the world we were leaving behind, the world of normalcy, the world of love and laughter.

“You know,” Kai said, breaking the silence, “it’s funny. This last week feels like a lifetime ago.”

“I know,” I replied, a wave of nostalgia washing over me. “It's been a whirlwind.”

“I still can’t believe we’re leaving,” he said, his voice a little unsteady. “It feels like yesterday we were sneaking out to that drive-in movie.”

“And almost getting caught by Grandpa,” I added, a laugh escaping my lips.

“I swear,” he said, shaking his head, “that man has eyes everywhere.”

I nodded in agreement, a faint smile playing on my lips. “He does.”

We fell silent again, the weight of our impending departure settling heavy in the air.

“I miss the mansion,” Kai said, his voice quieter this time. “I miss the training, the quiet. I miss being home.”

“I miss being normal,” I replied, my heart aching. “I miss being a part of a world that doesn’t revolve around shadows and secrets.”

“I know,” Kai said, his gaze fixed on the street. “But it’s our destiny. It’s who we are.”

“I know,” I whispered, my voice filled with a mixture of sadness and determination.

We stood there for a moment, lost in our thoughts, the silence broken only by the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant hum of traffic. The shadows of the Crimson Claw were closing in, but we were ready to face them. We were ready to embrace our destiny. We were ready to become the heirs to a legacy that demanded courage, loyalty, and a love that transcended even the darkest of shadows.

...----------------...

...Kai’s POV:...

Wannia and I went home after the carnival.

The silence of my room pressed in on me, amplifying the echoes of the bustling world I had left behind. I tossed and turned, the familiar scent of lavender and clean sheets unable to soothe the turmoil in my heart. My mind replayed scenes from the past week, a bittersweet montage of laughter, shared meals, and the lingering sense of normalcy that was now slipping away.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” I whispered, my voice a mere echo in the stillness. “I can’t believe it’s really happening.”

I couldn’t sleep. Not with the weight of the Crimson Claw bearing down on me, not with the echo of my foster parents’ choked goodbyes ringing in my ears.

“What if I don’t belong there?” The question echoed in my mind, a whisper of doubt against the insistent demands of destiny.

I threw off the covers and padded downstairs, drawn by the comforting glow of the kitchen. The refrigerator hummed softly, the only sound in the otherwise silent house. I poured myself a glass of milk, the cold liquid a temporary solace against the rising tide of anxieties.

As I sat at the kitchen table, my gaze fell on a photo album perched precariously on the side table in the living room. An impulse, a need to escape the silence, drew me to it.

“Maybe this will help,” I murmured, hoping the memories would bring comfort.

I flipped through the worn pages, each photograph is a window into a life that seemed a million miles away. There was a picture of me as a toddler, chubby cheeks and a gummy smile, perched on Mrs. Lopez’s lap. She was laughing, her eyes sparkling with affection.

“I remember this,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I remember this feeling. This feeling of being loved. Being safe.”

The next picture was of me and Gio, both of us barely ten, dressed as pirates for a Halloween party. We were grinning, our faces painted with fierce mustaches and eye patches. The next page displayed a picture of me, thirteen years old, my face a study in concentration, holding a fishing rod, a proud catch dangling from the line.

“Remember that day, Gio?” I said aloud, the words directed at an empty room. “You were so jealous. You spent the whole day trying to catch a bigger fish.”

The memories flooded back, each image a bittersweet reminder of the life I was leaving behind. I felt a lump in my throat, a pang of grief. I missed them, my foster parents, Gio, my friends. I missed the life we had built.

“What if it’s a mistake?” I asked, the question a plea, a desperate attempt to cling to the life I was about to abandon.

A tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, my heart aching. I couldn’t show weakness. Not now. Not when the Crimson Claw demanded strength, demanded stoicism. But the dam had broken. Tears streamed down my face.

“Kai?”

Mrs. Lopez’s voice, laced with concern, sliced through the silence. I looked up, my eyes blurry with tears. The light from the living room spilled into the kitchen, illuminating her face. Her expression was a mixture of worry and understanding.

She sat beside me, her hand gently resting on mine. “It’s okay, honey,” she said, her voice soft. “It’s okay to cry. It’s normal.”

I looked at her, my eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and regret. She was right. It was okay to cry. It was normal. But the Crimson Claw demanded stoicism, demanded control.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, my voice choked with emotion. “I shouldn’t be so weak.”

“No, Kai,” Mrs. Lopez said, her voice soothing. “You’re not weak. You’re strong. You’re going to be okay.”

She squeezed my hand, her touch is my comforting warmth against the cold reality of my situation. I knew she was right. I would be okay. I had to be okay. I had my sister, Wannia. I had the Crimson Claw, a world of darkness and danger that awaited me. But I also had their love, their kindness, their unwavering support.

I knew that I would face this challenge, this destiny, head-on. And I would never forget the love and warmth they had shown me. It was a love that would stay with me, a beacon of light against the darkness.

“I’ll be okay,” I said, my voice a whisper, but the conviction in my heart was growing. “I have to be okay.”

Mrs. Lopez smiled, her eyes filled with a tenderness that mirrored the warmth of her embrace. “I know you will, honey,” she said. “You’re stronger than you think.”

She pulled me into a hug, her scent of lavender and freshly baked cookies a comforting haven against the storm brewing within me. I held her close, my heart aching with a mixture of gratitude and fear.

I knew that my life was about to change, that the shadows of the Crimson Claw awaited me. But I also knew that the love I had received, the love I carried with me, would be my guide, my strength, my light in the darkness.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice muffled against her shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”

She held me tighter, her warmth a shield against the cold reality of my situation. “We’re always here for you, Kai,” she murmured, her voice filled with unwavering support." Now stop crying and go to bed, what will your grandfather think if he sees you with swollen eyes."

I held on, clinging to the comfort of her embrace, the familiar warmth of the kitchen, the gentle glow of the living room, a last glimpse of the life I was leaving behind.

I was leaving, yes, but I was taking their love with me, a treasure to be guarded, a beacon to guide me through the darkness. And I knew, with a growing sense of certainty, that I would find my way, my strength, my purpose, amidst the shadows of the Crimson Claw.

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