Penelope wasn’t sure how long she had been passed out, but when she finally woke up, the sun was already setting. That ant it must have been most of the day. As she slowly sat up, she realized she was in an unfamiliar living room. A soft blanket was draped over her legs, and a half-empty glass of water sat on the coffee table nearby.
"Ugh, my head,"
she muttered, pressing her fingers to her temples.
The mont she closed her eyes, it all ca rushing back—eting Ari, the Ari, and promptly collapsing in front of her.
"So embarrassing,"
she groaned, dragging the blanket up over her face for a second before tossing it aside.
She blinked up at the ceiling, her mind racing with the image of Ari’s wings. Not so cheap cosplay accessory or digital trick. Real, feathered, moving wings. The kind you don’t just explain away.
"I wonder if I should get that ga,"
she murmured, still half-dazed.
From the hallway, a familiar voice called out.
"Good Morning Sleepyhead. You really showed your greatness to your idol. Passing out is a real Power Move. I tip my hat to you."
Adam was in the doorway sipping on a cup of coffee, looking at her with an amused expression on his face.
Penelope looked around and despite craning her ears, she couldn’t hear anybody else.
"Where...where is everybody?"
"They went to a gym to do a limit test of sorts...And Before you ask, I volunteered to stay behind. Couldn’t leave my dorky niece alone in a friend’s house."
Penelope groaned again, more out of embarrassnt than pain this ti. She flopped back down on the couch, covering her face with both hands.
"Please tell I didn’t snore or drool."
Adam smirked over the rim of his mug.
"You were actually pretty quiet. Just mumbled a lot in your sleep. Sothing about wings and sparkles and angels."
She let out a dramatic whine
"Kill now."
"No can do,"
he replied, walking over and plopping down in the armchair across from her. "You’re my favourite niece. Besides, Aria would probably be sad if her number-one fangirl disappeared before asking for her autograph."
Penelope peeked out between her fingers.
"Shut up."
Adam laughed, taking another sip.
"In all seriousness, The hoowner said you could stay as long as you needed. You kind of fainted hard. Head hit the carpet with a thud. If I didn’t see that you were sleeping peacefully, I would have been a bit worried."
Penelope winced.
"I don’t rember hitting the floor."
Adam nodded his head
"Yeah. You were pretty tired. I could have sworn you bounced when you hit the floor. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Did the hit to your head cause any side effects....cause if you lost any more brain cells, heaven help you~!"
Penelope narrowed her eyes and chucked the nearest pillow at him.
"Your jokes are getting worse," she grumbled.
Adam caught the pillow effortlessly and grinned. "I’ve been saving that one all afternoon."
She sank deeper into the couch, crossing her arms with a sulky look. "I’m fine. Just mortified. I t her for two seconds and passed out like so crazed fan. She probably thinks I’m unstable."
Adam tilted his head thoughtfully. "I an... you are. But she didn’t seem to mind. Aria was actually really gentle with you. Even covered you with that blanket and told us to let you rest."
Penelope blinked. "She did that?"
"Yup. And she called you cute. Twice."
Her face turned scarlet. "You’re lying."
"Scout’s honor," he said, raising a hand solemnly. "Well. If I had ever been a scout. Which I wasn’t. So really, this is just my face saying ’I’m being honest.’"
She pulled the blanket over her face again with a groan. "This is the worst day of my life."
"Co on. It’s not that bad. You didn’t puke on her or anything. That would’ve been peak humiliation."
"Why would you even say that? Now I can’t stop imagining it," she mumbled from under the blanket.
Adam chuckled but there was a strong hint of concern and worry hidden within his tone.
"You’re welco. So... what now? Still thinking about joining the ga?"
Penelope peeked out, her eyes serious now. "I don’t know. After seeing her wings... it didn’t feel fake. It felt real. Like, sothing important."
Adam’s teasing expression softened.
"Yeah. That’s kind of how it feels for all of us. Like we’ve only scratched the surface."
Penelope was quiet for a mont, then sat up straighter.
"I think I want to find out more."
Adam studied her for a long mont, the smile on his face fading into sothing more serious. He leaned forward in the chair, setting his coffee down on the table with a quiet clink.
"Look... if you really want to get involved, I won’t stop you," he said slowly. "But I need you to understand what that ans. This isn’t just so fun fantasy ga anymore. Not for us. Not for anyone who’s really paying attention."
Penelope tilted her head slightly, sensing the weight behind his words. "You’re talking about the wings, aren’t you?"
He nodded.
"That, and a whole lot more. People are changing, physically and ntally. The ga’s bleeding into the real world. There’s no guidebook, no safety net, and once you start down this path, it’s hard to step back."
Penelope hesitated, then asked,
"Do you regret it?"
Adam’s gaze drifted toward the window, the fading sunlight casting shadows across his face. "No,"
he admitted.
"But I’ve seen things that scare . And it’s not just the monsters or the weird powers. It’s how easy it is to forget where the ga ends and where we begin. For so of us, that line is already gone."
She looked down at her hands again, curling her fingers as if expecting to see sothing change. "I’m not trying to chase danger. I just... I saw her, and it was like sothing in woke up. Like sothing inside of is telling that this is what I’m supposed to do.
Adam studied her for a long mont. Then he leaned forward and asked quietly, "That’s what your gut is telling you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I don’t have all the answers, but I feel it. Like if I don’t at least try, I’ll regret it."
He sat back with a slow breath, the coffee in his hands long forgotten.
"I can’t lie to you, Pen. This whole thing is bigger than we ever imagined. The ga, the powers, the people behind it. I’ve seen things that I still don’t understand, and the deeper we go, the more unpredictable it gets."
Penelope didn’t flinch. She just listened, eyes steady.
"I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to protect you if you go through with this," Adam said. His voice was soft, but the words hit with the weight of honesty. "It kills to admit that. I want to keep you safe, more than anything, but there are things out there that might be stronger than I can handle."
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his voice quiet but firm.
"But I want you to know this. If it cos to it, if anything ever threatens you, I will do everything in my power to stand between you and it. I don’t care what it is. I don’t care how impossible it seems. I’ll be there."
Penelope blinked quickly, her throat tightening.
"Thanks, Adam," she whispered. "That ans everything."
He gave a small smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Just don’t make it a habit of diving into supernatural chaos, alright? Give my blood pressure a fighting chance."
"No promises," she said, her lips twitching into the faintest grin.
"Great. Love that for ," he muttered as he rolled his eyes.
Both of them sat in silence for a few monts before they both started to chuckle. For a family as cruel as the Samael family, heartfelt monts like this were hard to co by but for Adam and Penny, it was all the more precious.
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