𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 → 𝑭. 𝑯

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷 𝟷𝟾𝚝𝚑, 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟹
―

ELLA WALKED INTO THE LIVING ROOM TO FIND LILA HOLDING A CURLING IRON AGAINST DIEGO'S STOMACH HOUR AFTER THEY LEFT. As much as she would have liked to question Lila's methods, Ella only focused on her breathing as she always did around that time. She would usually be trying to sleep during that time, but she couldn't find the ability to. There was too much unsolved for her. So, the girl didn't question Lila as she put on the kettle of hot water. As she waited for it to finish boiling, she spotted Elliott.

He was still tied up, but unconscious this time.

"I thought I told you to untie him."

Lila didn't look up, "I thought you were going to do it anyways."

Ella rolled her eyes and took a knife from the kitchen to cut the ropes around Elliott. He must have tired himself out from stress since he didn't wake up at all as she cut him free. During the night, she had taken a shower and found some clothes in the drawers of the room – they looked like a teenager's and she wondered if Elliott had a child at one point.

As she poured the tea, which she didn't usually like without honey, she felt a wave of dizziness. She dropped the kettle on the floor, bringing Lila out of her concentrated state. A shock pulsated through her, making her fall onto the counter with her elbows protecting her. She looked at her hands, shaking as she lifted her right one up – bloody, crimson dripping from her fingers to her wrist to her elbow and onto the ground. She looked around to find a destroyed world before blinking and it was gone. She braced herself on the counter and took in deep breaths. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on whatever it was she could.

I am present. It is not real.

"You good, Ellie?"

Lila's words brought her back to life and when she opened her eyes, all Ella saw was the counter and her, thankfully, unharmed cup of tea.

"Yeah," She lied, "I'm just getting used to, uh, the side effects."

"Have some tea, settle down. Don't work yourself up." Lila encouraged and Ella took her advice. She lifted the kettle from the floor, cleaning up the spill so no one tripped. She sat in a chair next to the table, holding the warm mug, but jumped when a flash of blue entered the room. She split a bit of tea on the table and cleaned it up with a towel next to her before turning to the boy who had arrived.

"Oh," Five said, nonchalantly, as he spotted his brother, "He isn't dead."

"Disappointed? Lila asked.

"Oh, to see you? Always." He grinned sarcastically.

Lila, of course, never ceased to let an opportunity to tease him, responded, "So much hostility in such a tiny package."

Ella stood from the table and instead leaned on the doorway in order to stand guard in case anything went too far with the two.

"Did you cut yourself shaving? I can teach you to shave like a big boy."

"Are you okay?" Ella asked, concerned for both of the Hargreeves men now. "Did you get hurt as well?"

Five sighed and pressed a piece of napkin against his neck, "No, I just ran into an old family friend." He turned back and glanced at Elliott, still in the chair. "You untied him."