章節 35: 2.4
"Honey, you're burning right up," Victoria's cool hands touched my face, brushing away the curls clinging to it, "Rick, go ask that maid for some medicine and tell Will."
"I'll be okay," my voice sounded too croaky, I hadn't realised just how dry my throat was.
"System what's wrong with me?" I asked internally "What am I mutating to? What's gonna happen?"
"Relax, you've almost overcome it, the worst has passed, it's hitting you worse because I've sped it up and helped it alter both your body and soul."
"Fuck, how can I not panic after you say that?" My body could change, but I was stuck with my soul for the rest of eternity.
"Honey, can you hear me?" Victoria asked as someone opened my eyelids to shine a bright light into them. It was then I realised I'd fallen unconscious during my conversation with System.
As I moved my right arm I noticed an IV drip was attached to it, my lips felt like they'd recently been wiped with something cold and wet. I licked at them eagerly.
"Yes," my voice croaked worse than before. The soldier who wasn't Victoria's relative sat at the edge of the bed holding a first aid kit, packing things away.
I tried my best to sit up, seeing Will also in the room leaning against the wall nearby, arms folded, watching intently. I felt the need to look stronger than I was.
Seeing a glass of water I reached for it a bit too fast, feeling my head spin in a rush. Victoria quickly stepped to steady me and lifted the glass to my lips. She only tipped it slightly, allowing me to just slowly sip the water down, though I wished I could just gulp it all down in one go.
Eventually, my thirst dissipated so I pushed the glass away.
"Thanks," I grunted, then coughed, clearing my throat.
"Looks like you've made it to the other side, welcome to the club Hannah," she smiled wide before stroking my face with hands that were coated in cool water.
"Did she just use magic?" I asked, frozen in fear, just what would happen to my new body?
"Not magic, it is from the virus that came with the meteorites, mutating humans to link with Earth's elements."
"Meteorites?" The image of green lights falling from the sky flooded my mind. The fear and panic as Hannah and her parents rushed to the basement as she watched the news through her mobile phone. It had happened worldwide. According to the internet, the onslaught of rocks fell for over twenty-four hours, spreading to every inch of the globe.
Beforehand she had been sitting on the sofa, reading a conspiracy theory article about the explosion in Arizona that took her brother's life only the day before. She was still coming to terms with the fact her brother was dead.
Her parents were arguing about something regarding Will's funeral. There had been no warning, no sirens or alarms, just green lights appearing in the sky, getting brighter and brighter as they drew near.
Only after the meteorites ended did the emergency broadcast play. The president addressed the nation, warning everyone to stay far away from the meteorites, remain indoors, and wait for the army. Yet within twenty-four hours of the first meteorite falling, chaos filled the streets alongside the dead. The army never came.
It took less than a day for Hannah's parents to turn, and then nearly the rest of the day for her to make it to Ivy and Will's house. Fearful for Ivy's babe. The only link to her brother she had left. If only she had been just that bit quicker, then I wouldn't be here.
"What can my body do now?" I asked System, slowly feeling its fuzzy warmth turning into an electric buzz, reaching each cell in my body, waking it up. I found myself gazing at my right hand, trying to understand the build-up of energy resting just under the surface. I waited, anticipating something to happen, but nothing did.
"Don't worry you'll figure it out soon," Victoria knowingly smiled, before standing up to make room for a very eager Will.
After an hour of being fussed and checked over by Will and the man he introduced as Tommy, the only medic on the team, I was given the chance to have another shower. Grateful that Ivy had been somewhat of a prepper and installed generators and water tanks when she and Will designed the property leading up to their wedding.
Will often teased her of being an alarmist, she was after all very much into her sci-fi and natural disaster movies, always making Hannah watch them with her.
However, the biggest thing she would rant about was global warming. She often told Hannah about her own rebellious days in college, where she once even chained herself to trees with her friends, trying to prevent a new power plant from being built. A completely different type of rebellious than Hannah, who smoked weed and skipped classes.
Though Hannah was a tsundere and never showed it, she really did love Ivy and was very much excited for the child. It reminded me just how excited I had begun to feel over Meilin's.
Why was life so cruel to so many?
I found there were two new faces greeting me when Will guided me to the dining room for dinner. The house had an outhouse designed for staff, something Ivy's parents had insisted on. Mr. Park being in politics meant he had many death threats, his children included, so she usually had many guards. Whilst I was unconscious some of the team members searched the area for survivors finding only these two hiding out in there.
One was a woman in her early sixties who I recognised as Jean, she was Ivy's old nanny who came to help Ivy out with the baby. She was a sturdy-looking woman despite her age, with the youthful vigour of someone who'd remained active their whole life. She was the kind who allowed herself to age gracefully with mainly grey hair, long and fastened in a tight bun.
Beside her was a man, introducing himself as Daniel, dressed in security clothing. He looked every part like a security guard, with neat short hair swept back, wearing only black. He appeared to be only in his early thirties and had a ruggish charm to him. He also looked like he knew how to use that charm. I found his gaze uncomfortable as I sat opposite him and beside Jean, self-conscious at my tight-fitting clothes.
Though Victoria had searched for more appropriate clothing, including underwear, for me, the bra did not fit properly, digging in uncomfortably and pushing my breasts to create cleavage peeking out the scoop neck t-shirt.
"Jean, I'm glad you're okay," I smiled, remembering the kind way she had treated Hannah every time she visited.
She smiled back, pulling me sideways into a hug. "So am I, I'm so happy you made it here Hannah, if only I hadn't been unconscious, but I had the fever alongside Mrs. Clark so I…"
Mrs. Clark had never made it out of the fever alive. Attacking her worn-out daughter who'd gone into prem labour.
"At least we're still here," I patted her hand, trying not to let her guilt affect me.
"Yeah," she nodded, then stood up to help Tommy serve the meal, which consisted of ready-mix pancakes. I'd been unconscious for just over a day, relying only on fluids, I wasn't even sure if Hannah had eaten the entire day before, having woken to her dead parents. Either way, I was starved.
My stomach growled loudly at the sight of the pancake stack before me. Will chuckled before leaning to smother them in maple syrup, I fondly remembered he often did this for Hannah as a kid.
After the meal, I followed Will into the living room to find Noah and Victoria bent over the map. Noah did not even look up to acknowledge me. Did he even feel guilt for picking on a dying teenager? Did he even have emotions full stop?
"We're leaving first thing in the morning, make sure she's ready," he spoke directly to Will, avoiding me completely.
As he spoke I found myself subconsciously hiding behind Will's large frame, which he took note of, giving me a confused glance. "Sure Noah," he replied, turning to pull me back out of the room. I wished he would stop dragging me around like a rag doll, I felt too fragile for that shit.
"What was that about?" Will asked whilst guiding me back to my room. That was enough exercise for me for the day.
"N-nothing," I couldn't prevent the stutter or my racing heart as I felt like I'd been caught red-handed.
"Don't take me for an idiot Han, what's going on between you and Noah?"
Damn you Hannah.
"I d-don't know h-him." Why could I not stop stuttering? I wasn't scared. Just panicked.
"Han, you know you could never lie to me," he stopped, resting his large hands on my trembling shoulders, "tell me what you did to Noah to piss him off so much?"
Great, he already assumed it was my fault. I was his sister, shouldn't he take my side?
"I-I," he was right, I really couldn't lie without stuttering to the damn ape. Stupid body. I miss Mo Zhiyue.
"He caught me drinking in his room by mistake, I spilled wine on him, maybe that's-" the complex look in Will's eye stopped me mid-sentence. I was telling the truth. Why was he so pissed? I could visualise steam rising from his ears. Was he just like his father, caring more about appearances than family? Was he going to hurt me? I felt myself tremble, unsure I could take him.
"That was you," he raised his hands off me like I was too hot to touch, "you're that girl, the one from the new year's party?"
Shit, had Noah told him the story? Were they really that close? Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. My mind just repeatedly cursed as my lip quivered, unable to speak.
Seeing him turn back to the living room I reached out scared he was going to do something stupid, "Will," he shoved my hand away, a bit too roughly as he stormed ahead.
"Will, what's wro-" the sound of a fist hitting flesh made me stumble as I entered the room. Will's fist was in Noah's flat palm, only inches from his face.
"What part of her looks twenty-fucking-five?" Will roared as Victoria stood up, stepping backward to stay out of it, she looked at me as if she had already known everything that was going on.
I got what Will was saying, but considering the makeup style, the fact she was wearing one of Ivy's dresses and had the body of a mature woman already, it was perfectly understandable a drunk Noah thought I was in my twenties. Heck, even I was caught off guard when I caught her reflection in the memory.
Hannah had a very pretty and versatile face that most makeup artists could only dream of and a spy would wish to own. Very handy for the future.
"Will stop it, it wasn't his fault," I reached forward, resting my hands on Will's forearm. He shrugged me off, but at least he still stepped back from Noah.
"Don't think I'm not pissed off at you too," Will turned, venting his anger now towards me. I hoped Noah would appreciate that. "You've not even graduated from fucking high school, just what were you doing the drinking and lying like that, you're only eighteen."
I nodded, he was right, Hannah was naive, impulsive, and very much not mature enough to handle that situation at all. But then did Will even know what had exactly led to her personality growing like that?
Will stepped towards me, resting a hand on my back, trying to feel the skin beneath the thin t-shirt, confusing me.
"The scars," he asked, "where did you get the scars?"
What scars? I turned my head as far as I could, trying to figure out what he meant. At the thought, searing pain spread across my back, catching me off guard as I flinched. I found myself on the brink of a memory I did not want to enter.
Finding strength in my fear I stepped away, shrugging him off, "just leave it," and stormed out of the room very much like the spoiled teenage girl I was supposed to be.
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