Zora walked home in silence, her mind spiraling.
Tariq... is he one of those things now?
She shuddered, remembering the monsters she'd seen — the snake, the corpse puppeteer, that bird, that voice-abomination... all of them wielding power with no regard for life.
Just like Tariq had, in that field.
Lost in thought, her feet moved on their own. Before she knew it, she was standing at the foot of her porch.
Everything looked... normal.
Her white steps. The chipped flower pot to the side of the door. The perfectly trimmed lawn. Even down the street, she could see Tariq's parents' house — untouched.
No bodies.
No blood.
No shattered windows or crumpled cars.
Just silence.
Like nothing had happened at all.
She knelt down beside the flower pot and lifted it. The house key sat underneath, just where it always was.
She could almost hear her dad's voice: "This is the perfect hiding spot — got it from a sitcom back in the '90s."
Zora smiled faintly.
"Quaint… I like it," Nexus said softly.
"Please don't start judging her house. We just introduced ourselves to her," Aegis muttered.
Zora ignored them, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Locking the door behind her.
The scent hit her instantly.
Food.
Warm. Comforting. Familiar.
Sancocho.
Her mom's stew.
Zora walked down the narrow hallway and into the kitchen. The pot was on the stove, the lid slightly askew. She didn't need to lift it to know what was inside — the smell was unmistakable.
"That smells amazing," Spark said, floating closer, blinking rapidly in delight.
Zora batted him gently away. "Can you even eat?"
He stopped midair. "...I don't know!"
Rolling her eyes, she covered the pot again.
"Mom? Dad?" she called out.
No answer.
"Mom?" she tried again, louder now as she moved toward the stairs. Still nothing.
"Maybe they went out looking for you?" Nexus offered gently.
Zora's heart dropped at the suggestion.
"No... no, they couldn't have," she whispered.
But her pace quickened. She climbed the stairs two at a time and went straight to her parents' room. Knocking once.
No answer.
Twisting the handle, she threw the door open — empty.
The clock on the nightstand read 11:30.
Two hours.
Two hours had passed since the cafe. Since the announcement. Since everything.
Her mom should've called by now.
She always called.
Panic began to set in.
Zora turned and rushed across the hall to her own room. Empty.
"No. No no no—" she whispered, frantically checking the bathroom, the guest room, the basement, even the backyard.
Nothing.
No sign of them.
Finally, she collapsed into a chair at the dinner table, burying her face in her hands. Her tears came quickly, silently — dripping onto the sleeves of her apron.
Nexus floated closer, her light soft and slow. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure they're okay. They'll be back in no time, you'll see."
Zora wiped her eyes and stared at the blurry outline of the stew pot.
"Yeah... you're probably right," she said quietly. "Hopefully."
She stood and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard.
"I'm sure she won't mind if we eat something," she said with forced cheer. "She'd probably scold me for waiting this long."
Opening a drawer, she pulled out a ladle, lifted the lid off the pot, and served herself a generous scoop. The stew steamed invitingly.
She sat down, spoon in hand, trying to ignore the silence.
And the creeping feeling that something was wrong.
Zora dipped her spoon into the stew and brought it to her mouth.
The silence was deafening.
Usually, this kitchen would be filled with her mother's voice — talking nonstop about her day, complaining mid-sentence as she tried to remember the right English word. Then, after finally getting it right, she'd scold Zora and her father for not helping faster.
Zora smiled faintly at the memory, but her eyes welled up. She wiped them quickly before the tears could fall.
"Mmm, that's good," Spark chirped, zipping around the steam rising from the bowl.
"I must agree," Ricochet added, his tone more refined. "Mother is definitely a fantastic cook."
Zora blinked and looked up at the stars floating around her. "Wait... you guys can taste it when I eat it?"
"Of course we can, dear," Nexus said warmly. "Whatever you feel, we feel. Whatever you taste, we taste."
"It's part of the bond," Aegis added, floating behind her. "We're you. In a way, we're a manifestation of your soul... or close enough. You'll figure it out eventually."
Zora paused, spoon halfway to her mouth.
She didn't fully understand what they meant — but something inside her felt it. Like a gentle current moving beneath the surface of her chest. She could sense them. Not just as voices — but as pieces of her.
Five distinct presences. Each unique.
And yet... all exactly the same.
Her.
She sniffled, brushing her wrist against her eyes.
"Thanks, guys," she mumbled, then shoved another spoonful into her mouth.
"…Zora."
Her head snapped up.
Who was that?
She stood quickly and glanced out the kitchen window into the backyard — nothing. Just the fading afternoon light and the empty swing her dad never got around to fixing.
Turning to the stars, she asked, "Did you guys hear that?"
For a few moments, they floated in silence. Then Aegis spoke, voice low and firm.
"Zora… we need to leave. Now."
She furrowed her brow. "What? No. My parents might be on their way back right now. If I leave and they miss me, I—"
Spark zipped down, blinking rapidly inches from her face.
"Bad woman! It's a bad woman!"
Zora swatted him away. "What are you talking about? There's not even anyone—"
BANG BANG BANG.
The pounding on the front door cut her off.