The nihil was still somewhat of a mystery. Even with the spell in its completed form he couldn't fully make sense of it. When directed by his intent it sought out and eradicated whatever he desired. He could only use it against one thing at a time, but he could always dispel it and give it a new target before casting it again.

  It could erase practically anything, up to and including things that were conceptual in nature. Almost like the nothingness always knew the perfect way to destroy what he directed it towards. If he directed it towards his presence others wouldn't be able to detect him, and when directed towards his emotions he became far more objective as all experience became lukewarm to him.

  He had settled on the explanation that his magic just inherently knew how to best reduce things to nothingness. The best way he could conceptualize it was that his magic contained an absolute understanding of the antithesis of all creation. Perhaps that explanation was a bit excessive, but in his mind it was the most sufficient way to explain something so unexplainable.

  "You're being really quiet again," Jennifer said to him quietly.

  They had ended up alone in the living room since Pietro and the rest had gone out to get a refill on Annie's prescriptions. Jane was still in the house, but since she had decided to take a shower it was only him and Jennifer in the living room.

  "I'm just thinking about some things I've been putting off for too long," he muttered as he reached for the remote on the coffee table.

  "I'm worried about what my life is going to be like from now on," Jennifer blurted out.

  Was there even anything he could tell her that would make it easier? She wasn't ordinaire anymore, which meant her life would change one way or another. It probably wouldn't be nearly as radical of a change as it had been for him, but her life still wouldn't be like it once was.

  "Nothing's really changed, Jen, you're just a bit different than you were yesterday is all."

  "My entire world has changed and you're just acting like it makes no difference!"

  Did it even make a difference really? She would go to school, hang out with her friends, and then one day she would graduate and go to university or get a job. To him it didn't really seem like her life had changed all that much. She could live out an entire lifetime before ever having to deal with the fact she was no longer an ordinaire that would one day grow old and die.

  "How did you deal with it when it happened to you, Al?" she asked him as he went to turn on the television.

  How had he dealt with it really? His emergence had been far more chaotic than hers and had resulted in significant property damage. Not to mention the death of their neighbor's cat. Jane had guided him of course, which had made it far easier for him overall, but that had also meant dealing out death to countless people.

  "I just kept moving forward I suppose, and you should probably do the same."

  "Does none of this seem crazy to you!" she cried out, causing her power to surge within her.

  The television screen began to flicker and the mirror in the hallway started to crack as her power lashed out at the world around her. He quickly called upon his own power and cast his second spell.

  "Nihil."

  The nothingness devoured her uncontrolled power before it could do too much harm to the house, but her outburst made it clear to him how much of a problem it would be if she didn't get a handle on her power and soon.

  "You need to control your emotions or this house is going to end up as a complete dump," he said sternly.

  "I don't know how, so where the hell am I even suppose to begin?!" she exclaimed.

  "You've been emerged for no more than a few hours, Jennifer, and learning to control your powers could take days," Jane said as she stepped into the living room.

  Her hair was still wet and clung to her shoulders and back like cobwebs. She slowly moved over to the couch and sat down in his lap. He was almost disappointed she had opted to change into her short black skirt and a white camisole, but the idea of her wearing nothing but a towel may have been a bit excessive.

  "How long did it take Al?"

  "Basic control? About a day, but it wasn't exactly a safe way to do it..."

  There was regret in Jane's voice when she said it. Had it been that unsafe? It had certainly been painful, but he had managed alright even if gaining complete control had taken him almost an entire month.

  "Probably for the best seeing as my power was far too destructive," he said gently as he leaned his head on Jane's shoulder.

  He could feel her heart skip a beat. The warm feelings fluttering in her chest were turning into a roaring inferno, but she quickly pushed them down to reassert her cool and collected facade.

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  The power surged within Jennifer once more, but the nihil erased any magic before it could do further harm to their surroundings. Jane quirked an eyebrow as she studied Jennifer before letting out a long drawn out sigh.

  "That's certainly troublesome," she muttered.

  "Yeah, I caught it as well," he said affirmatively.

  Jennifer had always been envious by nature, and it only made sense that her power would reflect that. Not a day went by when there wasn't something she was jealous of. Grades, appearance, clothes, or even attention. When others had something she didn't her entire day would spiral out of control.

  "Does it go in your family or something?" Jane whispered to him.

  "No, but Jen has never been great at being satisfied with what she's got,"

  "What are you two fucking whispering about?!"

  "Andy is so fucking lucky he's gay," he chuckled.

  Of all of Jennifer's friends, Andy was the one Al had the easiest time dealing with. The guy was built like an oak, but he was also very kind and mature. Whenever her friends were over he was the one to cause the least amount of problems. If Andy had been around this conversation would have already been over. After all he could calm people down like no one else. Meanwhile he really didn't envy poor Lee who had to suffer his sister's temperamental affection.

  "Her magic feels almost as bad as your father's, but yours is still far worse, Al."

  "Jane, are you actually suggesting that we handle this?"

  "We should probably help her gain some control or she just might end up turning someone into a picasso painting," she sighed.

  Jane got off his lap and grabbed Jennifer by the hand, then began dragging her towards the door. He just lazily followed them as she dragged Jennifer towards the woods. There was a good chance they would end up having to carry her unconscious body back to the house once they were done, but it was better than letting her newfound powers make a mess of the holiday home.

  "Damn it, sis, will you stop struggling and let Jane do her thing?" he said as they reached a small clearing only a few minutes from the house.

  "She refused to tell me what we're even doing here!" Jennifer exclaimed as Jane let go of her hand.

  "We're making sure you don't endanger yourself or the ordinaires," Jane stated.

  "Now, Al, would please show her what could happen if she doesn't get her power under control?"

  He raised his finger towards dead tree and sighed. If he held back his power somewhat it would make it clear just how important control was without being all too messy.

  "Nihilate..."

  The spell blew a tennis ball sized hole in the trunk of the tree. Jennifer jumped when she heard the loud bang as the spell tore through the decaying wood.

  "That's what it looks like when you have control, but when I wasn't controlling it I tore the entire railing off of the school rooftop."

  "But what if it hit a person?" Jennifer asked him cautiously.

  "Usually paste, or a fine mist if I'm not being careful..."

  "Does that mean you..."

  "Wasn't anything left of Annie's uncle when I was done with him," he stated matter of factly.

  He could see the fear in his sister's eyes. While she was normal by most accounts she could still be exceptionally vicious when her jealousy acted up. But she didn't have the benefit of being unable to feel bad about her wrongdoings. Unlike him she actually took after their mother.

  "How many?"

  "You know I'm actually not quite sure because after the first ten or so it becomes kind of mundane."

  "Overseer would just love it if they heard your attitude," Jane scoffed.

  "I really can't fathom how Lola got it in her head that people like me and Pietro can be good on the inside," he muttered.

  Jennifer curled up into a ball next to a large tree. It was far too much for someone as fragile as her, but she had to learn one way or the other. If they got past it early she would have an easier time dealing with the kind of world she now dwelled in.

  He moved closer and kneeled down in front of her before gently moving his hand through her hair. Someone else might have assumed she was afraid of him and what he had done, but he knew better than that. What actually scared her was the idea of having to do the sort of things he had been doing.

  "Jen, you're the good kid. You're life isn't going to look like mine."

  "How am I supposed to believe?!"

  "Because once we've helped you control your power it will go back to being mostly normal."

  "You'll go to school, spend time with your friends, and if you're lucky you might even get Lee to go out with you," he said as he stroked her hair.

  "Do you really mean that?"

  "Yes, now get up and do exactly what Jane says," he said as he pulled her to her feet.

  He pushed Jennifer towards Jane and sat down by the tree. She struggled to follow Jane's instructions and it gave him plenty of time to figure out what the magic within her reminded him of. It felt hollow like heartache and was green like jealousy. It screamed envy, but he couldn't make any real assumptions without more workable information.

  He could see branches twisting and curling as Jennifer's power struck them. Whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't be pretty if she ended up throwing it at someone's face.

  "You might as well use italian or german to focus your intent, it's not like we use it very often anyways..."

  "Why?" she asked him.

  "Because it's better to use words that you don't use in everday conversation."

  Minutes passed as Jennifer practiced. She was picking it up faster than he was and she seemed to struggle far less with the after effects of using magic. Maybe his power was just a lot more intense than hers.

  "Were dad's parents like us as well?"

  "I don't think so, they probably just up and croaked from old age."

  "Dad's not that old though."

  "Jennifer, he's in his eighties so they would be in their early hundreds at the youngest."

  She froze and turned to look at him. While it had been a shock to him at first he had ended up getting over it relatively quickly. The idea of not aging didn't seem so strange when magic was real.

  "The magic inside of us changes our bodies and longevity is one of the side effects," Jane said as she directed Jennifer towards another bunch of branches on the forest floor.

  "So we live forever?"

  "So long as no one kills you," Jane muttered.

  His thoughts stopped in their tracks as he sensed something in the air. He had been too focused on his sister's magic to notice the presence moving in the distance. Something came flying towards them and he burst into motion.

  "Nihil!"

  The bright streak of flame died out the very same moment it came into view. It was exactly like the spell Monterey had thrown at him and that didn't bode well.

  "Jane! Keep Jennifer safe while I hunt the fucker down!" he shouted as he began running towards the distant presence.

  He primed the nihilation with power as he ran. They had really fucking irked him by targeting his sister and because of that their death would end up being very drawn out.