Am I Possessing The Body Of A Loved One?

I walk up to my husband, standing about fifty meters away. He grabs my clammy hand when I reach his side. He smiles reassuringly at me and gives my hand a little squeeze. I squeeze back.

The time it takes for our guest to arrive, I use to steady my shallow breathing.

A little gasp escapes my mouth, eying the silhouette of a man in between the bat-like wings of the largest manticore I have ever seen. Noting from the pinkish eyes and the snow-white pelt, It's an albino. Its big scorpion tail sweeps back and forth. Globs of some green substance drip down for the tip.

Poison.

I squeeze Therion's hand again to let him know I am scared. Therion squeezes back and starts making circular motions with his thumb, trying to relax me. It helps a bit.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat and straighten my back. Trying to make myself look confident and fearless. Something I was feeling everything but. Therion squares his shoulders and lifts his chin. He gives a sideways glance. I nod.

I am ready to face the one responsible for all the chaos and suffering inflicted on my people.

We walk over toward the albino manticore that comes to a halt three hundred meters away from us.

"We will be fine, My Nives Darling. Karmina will be fine. Our people will be fine, and most importantly, our baby girl will be fine. Elin will be okay. We will see her again." I look up at my husband with eyes irritated with tears that I refused to shed.

Safe. She is safe. Safe with Siraye.

I abruptly halt my stride, eying the face of the being sitting between the manticore's wings.

"No. No!" I scream. The tears irritating my eyes break free and run down my face. Therion's eyes are wide open from shock, also seeing Leo sitting between the monster's wings.

The creature responsible for the sleepless night of everyone still in Karmina... It is Leo. My little brother Leo. My fifteen-year-old brother which had tried to save a friend — who was stupid enough to enter the mountain passes and ended up getting lost. Leo had tried to save his friend but ended up getting lost himself. After my little brother died, Mom ordered the passes to be blocked. That was four and a half years ago.

No, that isn't Leo. That is Leo's body. Something that makes all of this even more horrifying.

Therion squeezes hard in my hand, showing me he is here. I'm not alone.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Am I possessing the body of a loved one?" Leo- I mean, Hanera, or whatever they like to call themselves, speaks with an accent. I am only able to stare at him with my face stained with my tears. Hanera picks on the loose shirt he is wearing and smiles down at me. It is a smile that makes me tremble to the core — both from fear and from sparking anger. "I have to say that it's one of my ultimate favorite sleeves. Wait. Whose body am I using as a sleeve?" Hanera cocks their head sideways and stares right into my eyes.

"Your little brother? Leo? Oh, I like that name! It fits him." I frown. Confusion clouds my mind. How does he know any of that? Wait. All those months ago, Siraye said they can enter another person's mind to find their deepest and darkest fears. That probably includes reading thoughts.

"I used to refer to him as Gerald," Hanera pulls me back out of my thoughts. "But now that I know his name, I'll refer to him as such."

"Now," they continue, clapping his hands together. "Let's keep this short. I am a busy man, and I have a tight schedule."

"What is it that you want?" Therion asks through gritted teeth.

"Apart from keeping my darling little pets from getting killed over and over again?" Hanera pinches his chin and shrugs. "World domination. Starting with the Capitol. What is it called again? I'm terribly sorry. It has just been so damn long since I have been out of that bloody cave they buried me in. You taint to forget things." Hanera looks at us expectingly.

"Karmina," Therion answers with a voice drained from emotion, just like his face. A subtle movement in the corner of my eye makes me glance away briefly. Sand starts to circle around our feet. Therion is evoking wind. Controlling the air surrounding us. He is preparing for an attack.

"Ah, Karmina. It's a pretty name for a pretty city," Hanera nods. "So, do we have a deal? I get to take over the world, and you can keep your lives?"

"If you want Rolyra," I say, "you have to pry it free from our cold, dead hands."

"Awh, that's a shame," he pouts. Hanera's eyes snap to Therion. "Boyo, stop twiddling your fingers to evoke wind. It is simply not going to work. See-" he gestures to Leo's body as he continues to speak. "this body is dead. Has been for about four years. It doesn't need oxygen, so sucking the air out of my lungs will not have the desired effect."

Therion clenches his jaws but decides to call it bluff. He makes a slick movement with his hand. But just like Hanera had promised, nothing happened. A sly grin forms on his slender lips. His gold eyes — Hanera's own eye color, as Leo had chocolate brown eyes — sparkle with amusement. His messy fair brown curls dance around his youthful face. It shakes me to the core that I am looking at the face of my late brother.

A single tear rolls down my cheek to disappear into the sand beneath us.