The Five Evolution

『"Intoxicate me..."』

They arrived at the Relaxation Center in silence, each carrying an expression that was difficult to read.

They’d seen too much, and at this point Amara couldn’t even tell if she was better off not knowing any of it.

Ethan sighed. "I think I need to go clear my head." He gave Amara a quick kiss. "I love you." Then he left the center just as soon as they got there.

"What does he mean by go clear his head?" Hiro asked.

Amara fell onto a beanbag chair and grabbed the closest book from a nearby shelf. "Most likely working on his van."

"You mean Caroline," Raj corrected.

She flipped open the book, looked at it for a second, then tossed it aside before commenting. "I’m not calling his van Caroline."

Sophia grinned. "I can’t believe you’re jealous of a car."

"I’m not," Amara said defensively.

"Are too," Sophia shot back. Then her gaze ran into Hiro’s for a second and she cleared her throat. "Ethan probably had the right idea." She moved to the exit. "Gotta clear my head too."

Amara watched her leave. Afterwards, she shifted her gaze to Hiro. "Did something happen between you two?"

Hiro immediately flinched. "Wha—I—Why—" He quickly pointed at Raj, changing the subject. "Anything you’d like to share with us? Get off your chest?"

Raj folded his arms. "No..."

Amara’s eyebrow went up. "Now I know that was bullshit." Her attention was successfully directed at Raj. "What does Hiro mean? Wanna get anything off your chest?"

"No... Not really."

"Raj?" Amara pressed.

But before Raj could crack, Hiro ran past him in a streak of red lightning, holding in his hand now a black Jar with a familiar inscription. "What do we have here...?" He examined it.

Amara pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have got to be kidding me..."

"Hey!" Raj pointed at Hiro. "Not cool, man!" He ran after him.

Hiro avoided him by dashing toward the pool table. "If you were going to steal something, should have at least gone for something cool." He glanced at the jar again as he ran.

"You guys said it was a perfume right?" Raj said as he tried to corner Hiro, who kept going round and round the table, constantly staying on the opposite end of Raj.

"What’s the harm?" Raj continued. "I just thought..." He briefly stopped chasing Hiro. "...It would make me smell irresistible or something like that."

Amara got up from the beanbag chair. "Raj, it was in the Library for a reason."

"You’ve got a point there..." Raj casually raised the pool table with one arm, causing all the balls to clatter to the ground. "But first of all, fast-legs here is gonna get what’s coming to him."

"Huh..." Hiro stroked his chin. "I wonder who he wanted to get irresistible for..." He mocked, then tried to run farther away but tripped on one of the cue balls on the ground and Raj caught him.

"Got you!"

They immediately started pressing their hands against their faces in a petty squabble while pulling on the jar.

"Can you both stop acting like little kids?!" Amara said, walking over to separate them.

And that’s when it happened. The jar fell and broke in their struggle.

The instant the glass shattered, the room fell unnaturally quiet. Then pink mist poured from the broken jar.

The mist curled lazily through the room, drifting in the air with almost curious intent, before brushing past their faces like warm breath.

It carried no scent any of them could describe. Roses. Rain. Fresh bread. It somehow smelled like whatever each of them would’ve called comforting.

Accompanying it was a sound like a whisper, its voice strangely intoxicating to listen to.

Then it was gone.

"Whoa..." Raj shook his head. "What was that?"

Hiro sneezed. "That’s probably not good."

Amara frowned. "I swear..." she looked at the broken pieces on the floor. "If I end up growing an extra appendage or contracting something, imma kill the both of you."

Both Hiro and Raj swallowed.

She backed away from them and toward the exit. "Someone lock down the R.C. Just in case." She then gestured to Raj with her face. "Try and see if you can fix up those broken pieces."

He nodded, crouched, and started picking the pieces up, one by one, while using his jacket like a basket to carry them.

Then Amara looked at Hiro. "Go let Sophia know that the R.C is closed for now. We wouldn’t want her showing up and wondering why."

Hiro shook his head in protest. "Can’t Raj do it?" He pointed at the pieces Raj was placing into his jacket. "How bout I fix the jar instead? I’m great with puzzles. Maybe Raj talks to Sophia?"

"I don’t really give a damn," she said. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find Ethan to let him know as well. Then we can meet the Director to figure out what that was."

She reached the door and it hissed open. Then she turned back one last time. "Fix. Lock up. Talk to Sophia." She gestured at each of them with her hands.

The door slid shut behind her. "It’s probably nothing..." she said to herself and took a deep breath. Ethan was most likely in the Institute’s garage, as she said earlier.

She moved toward the garage with a clear plan in her head.

She took three steps. Then a fourth. By the fifth, the hallway seemed... warmer. A pleasant warmth. Like sunlight after rain.

Whatever serious expression she had on her face vanished instantly as she smiled without realizing it.

Then someone... or something whispered her name.

"...Amara."

She stopped walking.

In that moment, a pink shimmer briefly washed across her blue irises, turning them pink for just a second.

When it faded, so had every determined thought she’d been holding onto. Her lips curled into a soft, dreamy smile and her cheeks slowly flushed crimson.

She wasn’t thinking about the Library. She wasn’t thinking about the jar. She wasn’t thinking about anything, really, except—

"...Ethan."

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