The Throne

Kieran plopped onto the couch, tossing the TV remote onto the coffee table with a clatter. "Dude, I'm starving," he called out to his sister Ellie, who was sprawled out on her favorite armchair, scrolling through her phone. The dim glow of the screen illuminated her pale skin, and her long, dark hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of night. Ellie barely looked up, her eyes flicking towards him before returning to her screen. "There's pizza in the fridge," she muttered, her voice laced with a hint of disinterest. Kieran shrugged and got up to grab the leftover pizza from the night before. As he waited for the microwave to heat it up, he snagged a soda from the fridge and ambled back to the couch. Ellie still hadn't moved, her gaze fixed on her phone with an intensity that made Kieran wonder what was so fascinating. He settled into the couch beside her, and they spent the next hour in comfortable silence, Kieran munching on his pizza and Ellie scrolling through her phone. It was a typical Sunday afternoon for the siblings, who had always been close despite their occasional bickering. Kieran thought of their sibling rivalry as the usual stuff: stolen clothes, snide remarks, and the occasional prank. He had never thought much of it, chalking it up to Ellie being a bit of a mean sister. As he glanced over at Ellie, he noticed she was wearing her favorite black leggings and a faded band t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her eyes seemed to gleam with a quiet intensity in the dim light of the room. For a moment, Kieran felt a pang of admiration for his sister's effortless cool. But as the evening wore on, Kieran began to sense a change in Ellie's demeanor. She seemed...different. Distant. Her eyes seemed to hold a newfound intensity, and her smile seemed to hint at a secret joke that only she was privy to. "Kieran," she said suddenly, her voice low and husky. "Yeah?" he replied, turning to face her. Ellie set her phone aside and leaned forward, her eyes locking onto his. For a moment, Kieran felt like she was seeing right through him, like she held some hidden truth that he couldn't quite grasp. "Get me a glass of water," she said, her voice dripping with an air of superiority. Kieran raised an eyebrow but got up to fetch her a glass of water. As he handed it to her, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room. He looked...normal. A bit rumpled, maybe, but normal. Ellie took the glass from him, her fingers brushing against his as she did. The touch sent a jolt through Kieran, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. "Thanks, Kieran," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "You're a good brother." Kieran felt a twinge of unease as he sat back down beside her. Something about Ellie's tone didn't sit right with him. It was almost...patronizing. But he pushed the feeling aside, chalking it up to his own paranoia. After all, Ellie was just being her usual mean self. He settled back into the couch, unaware that this was only the beginning of a transformation that would change their relationship – and his life – forever.