{ Mia }
"I-I n-need to call my mom." I said as I turned to face Ace.
" No need." He said quickly.
" No she'll worry."
Patting my head he said." Close your eyes ."
"Now, think that you're right there with your mom," Ace's voice was calm, like he'd done this a million times before.
I swallowed hard. Okay. Just… think about home.
I pictured the dining room. My mom. The warmth of the overhead light.
Nothing happened.
My heartbeat quickened. "It's not working," I muttered, frustration creeping in.
Ace sighed, stepping closer. "Relax, cupcake. You're thinking about the scene, but not putting yourself in it. Try again. Feel it."
I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on home. The scent of fresh laundry. The creak of the old floorboard by the kitchen. My mom's voice, soft but edged with worry. The memories swirled together, like a reel of film playing behind my eyelids.
"Oh sweetie you're here! Where have you been."
A strange pressure built in my skull, like something inside me was pushing forward, stretching. Then—snap. The sensation vanished, replaced by a sudden, eerie lightness. When I opened my eyes, I wasn't just imagining my house anymore. I was there. No—not me… but something that looked like me.
Then, I swiftly opened my eyes and looked at Ace.
"See, cupcake? Everything you saw was real," Ace said, his voice as smooth as ever.
I couldn't answer. My lips parted, but no words came.
That thing—she—was me. The same voice. The same smile. I watched as my copy hugged my mom, walked up the stairs, and disappeared into my room.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"This is insane," I whispered. "How is this even possible?"
Ace only smirked. "It's always been possible. You just didn't know how to reach it yet."
A sudden crack split the air, sharp and deadly. The sound slammed into my chest like a physical force, rattling my ribs. My breath hitched as another shot rang out, closer this time.
Ace grabbed my arm and swiftly pulled me behind him.
"A-Ace, what do we do ?" I asked scared. He turned towards me and his eyes softened a bit before he said. " Do you trust me?"
I hesitated a bit before remembering all the times that he saved me." With my life." I smiled up at him.
" Okay now whatever happens I want you to stay calm, don't panic and adapt. Okay?"
I looked at him and nodded wondering what he was going to do.
One second, I was standing beside him. The next, the ground vanished beneath my feet.
Wind roared past my ears. My stomach twisted violently, the kind of drop that makes your soul lurch out of your body. The city blurred below me, streaks of neon and darkness rushing toward my inevitable death.
I opened my mouth to scream, but the wind stole my voice. My heartbeat pounded like war drums, my brain scrambling for a way out.
Was this the end?
As I looked down towards the ground I gulped, the ground was getting closer by the second.
The wind screamed in my ears, my body weightless and helpless against gravity's pull.
Then just before impact something shifted. A shimmer of energy flickered around me, a force I didn't understand.
And I stopped falling.
I looked at the ground below me. I was getting higher up into the sky. " Am I flying?" My breath came in short, shaky gasps as I twisted, searching for something anything to hold onto. But there was nothing. No ground. No walls. No Ace.
I reached out, fingers grasping at empty space. My pulse thundered in my ears.
"This isn't real," I whispered. But the cold air against my skin, the weightless pull in my stomach it was real.
I slowly lowered myself, my back pressing against… nothing. And yet, I wasn't falling anymore.
I was floating.
I froze. " What's happening to me ?" I whispered.
A strange hum filled the air, low and electric, vibrating beneath my skin. My arms tingled. My fingertips burned, as if something inside me was—
Changing.
"Mia!" Ace's voice purred in my head. " I knew you could do it. Stay there I'm coming."
I tried to stop but I was still moving. " Hey, stop !" I screamed, but nothing worked. I flailed my arms, twisted my body, tried to shift my weight anything to stop the uncontrollable drift. It was like trying to swim in the air, except nothing obeyed me. My stomach flipped as I spun sideways, my limbs moving uselessly.
A blur of motion caught my eye, and suddenly, Ace was beside me, effortlessly floating like it was second nature. One arm held Cole, the other tucked casually in his pocket.
"Don't know how to stop, cupcake?" He smirked, completely unbothered by the fact that we were literally defying gravity.
I turned to him with an apologetic smile. " I have no idea."
"Okay, take a deep breath and imagine yourself lying in bed."
Taking a deep breath I let myself calm down.
And suddenly I heard Ace's. " You're getting the hang of this cupcake."Ace's voice was amused, but there was something else in his tone. Something almost… cautious.
I slowly opened my eyes and realized I'd stopped moving. Relief washed over me—
Then, Cole's scared voice startled us."Can we land now?" Cole's voice was tight, strained. His fingers dug into Ace's sleeve, his legs trembling slightly. "I—I don't like heights."
" How do we get down ?" I asked confused.
Just follow me. Ace said as he held me by my arm.
Ace gently landed on a rooftop, setting Cole down.
I exhaled, relief settling in until the world tilted beneath me.
A strange pressure built behind my eyes, my limbs tingling like static was crawling under my skin. The air around my felt too heavy, too thick, as if gravity had suddenly doubled.
My breath came in short, uneven gasps.
"Ace..." My voice barely came out.
His smirk faded. "Mia?"
The rooftop blurred. My knees buckled.
Ace lunged forward, catching my just before I hit the ground.
"Mia? Hey, stay with me, cupcake!" His voice was sharp, urgent—so unlike him.
But I was already gone, my body limp in his arms.