╭-°—✞—˚✧ ψ ✧˚—✞—°-╮
CHAPTER SIX!
𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐
╰-°—✞—˚✧ ψ ✧˚—✞—°-╯
────── 〔ψ〕──────
SALENE THOUGHT THAT she could keep her problem a secret. She thought that she could keep at least this one thing from her family. But of course, Kyril had to come home late and loudly. That was the night after Salene had come home.
Salene has been home from her trip to Germany for two months. For one whole month, she was certain that Tony would at least give her a call, check-in, let her know of a mission, but he never did. Salene was far past the point of caring at that point. She felt like she was slowly losing her mind.
It didn't help that she was waking up pressed against the roof of her room. The invisible hand snaked its way around her throat and squeezed so hard she couldn't breathe. Salene choked as she felt her body slam to the floor, bones in her back cracking and her head now throbbing.
She hoped her family was asleep by now, she couldn't handle having anyone know what's happening right now. That thought went out the window was Kyril slammed into her room.
"Holy shit!" He yelled as Salene started to glow. She couldn't control it. Every cell in her body was getting hotter and hotter and her brain ached with the strain she put on it, forcing the heat to come down. Salene let out a choked-out sob and slowly crawled to her closet, smelling the burn in her carpet from where her hands were.
Kyril got there faster, she pointed to the back of the closet where the small door is. She saw it and quickly opened it, taking out the suit, and stared at it in awe. It seemed that Kyril had forgotten completely that his sister was burning from the inside out and a mess of heated tears on the floor. It took another choker sob to snap Kyril out of his trance to throw the suit at Salene who put it on with such an urgency, it looked like she's done thousands of times before.
Salene felt the burning sensation subside as the gauntlets started to glow.
"What the fuck," Kyril finally spoke and Salene looked up, a frown forming on her face.
"You can't tell anyone," she started, grabbing his arms as she got up off her floor, "it started three months ago after the shelter." Salene felt like a weight was lifted off her chest with each word.
It felt good to finally tell someone about everything that's happened, to finally be able to confide in someone. But now she was scared that he would wake up the whole house to tell them what happened.
Salenes hearted raced as Kyril started at her with an expression that's nothing short of shock and confusion.
"I'm sorry, you need to elaborate," he started, shaking his head as he squeezed his eyes shut, "why did I see a demon inside my glowing sister who looks like an incubated egg and who made that suit that sucks away all the light."
Salene sighed, pulling Kyril into a tight hug as she tried thinking up how she was going to explain. She couldn't figure out how to word any of it. Salene soon was able to start explaining because soon she started asking different questions and it turned into her finally being able to tell him everything she's been feeling since the night of her possession.
That relief soon turned into worry when he looked to be in a state of panic.
"Why haven't you told Mom and Dad?" Kyril asked and Salenes face slackened.
"They can't know, he threatened all of your lives if I said anything," Salene spoke and she took his hand in hers, "you knowing puts you in danger, not just from Lucifer, but from everyone, the people I fight, hell, even the people that want to kill me."
Kyrils eyebrows furrowed in as he pulled her into a hug. He didn't have to say it for her to know, he was going to keep her secret. And he was going to help her overcome her fear because even though they fight all the time and never can agree on anything, Kyril was going to stay right by Salenes side.
Because that's how the Kalimeris' live. They help others, they do everything they can to make sure everyone is happy.
────── 〔ψ〕──────
THE SCHOOL HALLWAYS were crowded with kids that could only stare at Salene, of course, they would, no one recognized her and now they thought she was the new girl. She only pushed that aside as she walked over to her locker, putting her headphones in to drown the buzzing of the fluorescent lights.
Salenes learned that He likes to choose certain spots and moments to amplify her senses. Things can be quiet on her way to school, but the second she's in the doors she can hear the breath of everyone in the 10-foot radius, the conversations of everyone in a 20-foot radius.
And she can hear the heartbeat of Peter Parker every time she sees him walk by. She knows that He does that on purpose to mess with Salene. She's also learned how to combat his moves, the thundering base seems to be a true escape from her head splitting in two.
Nothing ever seems to go right. Salene turned around after shutting her locker, mid zip of her bag when she once again walked into someone. And this someone seemed to be on a mission because she stumbled back, hissing as her stuff spilled out of her bag, her earbuds slipping out of her ears, the fluorescents buzzed through her head as a familiar heartbeat picked up its pace.
"Fuck, sorry," she spoke, squeezing her eyes shut as she dropped to her knees to pick everything up, hurriedly trying to get as far away from who she presumed to be Peter Parker.
"No it's my fault," his familiar voice was soft to normal ears but was booming in hers as if she was at a concert and standing next to the speakers.
Salene couldn't help but since as he spoke and silently nodded as she stuffed her bag, glancing up at Peter who was also helping her. He was focused on her notebooks as he got them into one stack.
"Uh, here," he spoke as he glanced up at her, pushing the notebooks into her bag, "Salene?"
Salene furrowed her brows as she nodded, tilting her head as she stood up with him.
"When did you do all this?" He asked as he moved his hand to m hover over his hair. She frowned.
"Like, three months ago, you just noticed?" She asked and Peter blushed and looked to Ned Leeds who seemed to be exhibiting second-hand embarrassment from Peter.
"Uh, sorry," he spoke and Salene nodded.
"Good talk," she spoke shortly, nodding to Ned and spinning on her heel, pulling her hair up into a bun similar to the ones she did when she was putting on her gas mask.
Salene huffed as she made her way into her physics class where she sat behind Peter. She noticed the surprise on his face when he made his way in and she furrowed her brows when he approached her.
She never really liked talking and he seemed to be pushing a certain button with her. She doesn't understand why she was getting irritated with Peter, he's done nothing wrong but that thought only irked her anger more. She only opened up her notebook and went to a new page as she pulled out her laptop that thankfully didn't suffer any damage from the fall earlier.
"Salene?" Peter's voice seemed to sting in her brain.
"Yes, Peter?" She asked and looked up, noticing his proximity to her part of the table.
"You're not mad at me or anything, right?" He asked and Salene tilted her head with a confused frown.
"Why would I be mad?" She asked Peter swallowed his fear.
"You just seemed angry," Peter spoke and Salene remained with her stoic expression.
"I'm not mad," she spoke, looking down at her notes and going to complete them, "we don't hang out and I would expect friends to notice my hair."
Peter silently nodded and took his seat, spinning around and getting his laptop out. Salene didn't speak to Peter for the rest of the class. As a matter of fact, she didn't speak to him for the rest of the day, only noticing that he was staring at her a lot more.
Especially at lunch when she stood in line and got her food, left the cafeteria, and went to the art room, not wanting to be around the crowds of students. She glanced at the sign that Liz Toomes was putting up and sighed. Salene didn't realize she was audible as she walked past. Liz has heard her and looked over confused.
"Hey, Salene, everything okay?" The sweet girl asked and the blonde forced a smile.
"Yeah, just tired," Salene spoke in a soft voice that gave the impression that she didn't have a splitting headache.
"Okay, see you tomorrow for the meeting?" Liz spoke and Salene nodded, glancing over the sign for homecoming once more before leaving. She kept her head down until she found herself in the art room, looking around at the unfinished art, she knew who painted them, and she could see who inspired them.
She sat down at a stool, pulling one next to her to set her lunch on as she looked at her canvas, staring at it in silence, and pondered about what she could finish it with. Salene could never make up her mind and she knew it frustrated every art teacher she's ever had when she finally finishes something the day it's due.
She just didn't like that He would work his way into all her paintings.