LAUGHTER

Chapter 16 The ignored signs

Annabelle's POV

Just then,Bella walked in,calm and collected as always.She had come back to the city for this exact moment.

We didn't waste time.We sat in a corner of the hospital and finally had the talk I never had a clue for,for years.

"I knew a bit before your parents died"she began. Your father was a descendant of the great Aetherion family,a bloodline of supernatural power,tied to light,purity,and divine judgment.Your father didn't talk about it much,but…"

She paused and looked directly at me.

"An apocalypse happened decades ago.A powerful one,it killed all the aetherions or so we thought. Before I explain,do you even know what Aetherion means?"

I shook my head.

"It means inspired by the pure upper air and heavenly light"she said slowly.The Aetherions were protectors.But something changed"

I leaned in,stunned.

Bella continued"During the last apocalypse,your great,great,grandfather was the last to truly carry the gift.He was named Luxor Clark,he had the power.His son,and his grandson… not so much.It faded"

She sighed deeply"During your father's time,the light was weak.He had some signs… but not the true flame"

"So,Laughter inherited it?"I asked,my voice breaking.

Bella nodded."Yes… and no"

"What do you mean?"

She turned to the hospital door"He has the light… but from what I'm seeing,Laughter is something else, something more than the light"

"What…what do you mean something else?"I asked, my voice trembling.

Bella's expression remained unreadable.

"The light doesn't just show up for no reason," she said gently."It appears when something big is about to happen."

I stared at her,stunned."So… something's coming?"

She nodded slightly,her voice calm but serious. "Maybe.But don't worry,he'll be fine.It's part of the transformation'

Transformation.The word echoed in my chest like a bell.My boy…was changing.Into what?

"Okay,I've heard you,sis.I just hope this is all for the better,"I murmured,rubbing my forehead."I guess I'll have to explain everything to him when he wakes up.No wonder…no wonder strange things kept happening when he was still a child.”

Bella leaned in."Like what?"

I took a shaky breath and began to recount it all.

"There was a time his teacher died after calling him a bastard,the classmate who also called him a bastard became sick and never came back to school. Another time,a woman tried using voodoo to ruin my restaurant,every spell bounced back,she came back crying and begging me that she would stop her business only if Laughter stopped haunting her,she was literally seeing him in her dreams,be was just 5 at the time.And once,my phone slipped and fell into a pot of boiling oil.He reached into it…and picked it up like it was warm water,he was even telling me to be careful,he was 7 then'

Bella's eyes widened."He never got burnt?"

"Not even a mark"I whispered.

Everything was beginning to make sense.All the signs we ignored…they were never ordinary.

And now,something deeper was waking up.