"I can't! I can't!" I said honestly. To do what Eugene suggested, I needed to concentrate, calm down, tune out and trust the Force inside me. But I could not as all the other emotions were paralyzed by the pain of millions of wounds appearing every second, by the feeling of being torn to pieces, melting my body.

"You can, Darsy! I thought you'd die fighting Cerberus, because he's a thousand times stronger than you and has lived for a thousand and a half years, but you defeated him! Come on, Darsy! Do your best!"

I focused on the darkness inside. I felt it from the very beginning like an engulfing abyss. I had been able to ignore it all this time, but now I was going down it. Eugene was not lying. It was a real black hole, where one could disappear. It absorbed everything – both good and bad. It was insatiable. Today I had something to feed it.

The pain was gradually relieving, and Cerberus's ability stopped torturing me. I had no fever and could breathe. Cool night wind was blowing at my bare and hot skin. Eugene opened his arms, but I long remained in the same pose shameless of being naked, breathing in the cool air and calming down. I got back to normal a few minutes later, as if nothing happened during the last two hours: neither bloody fight nor absorbing the ability. But the witness of all this was lying in front of me in an unnatural pose resembling a failed sculpture broken by the artist in anger, and left in the midst of a burning hangar.

I heard police sirens in the distance. Did it take them surprisingly long to get to the place, or did everything happen fast? After all, I felt like every second lasted an eternity when, in fact, very little time had passed.

"Get up! We need to get out of here fast!" Eugene said.

I looked at him frightened. A bunch of emotions and thoughts raced through my body and head. He picked up his fancy jacket, which he apparently took off to keep it from burning, and threw upon my shoulders. It still kept his smell and warmth.

To say I was ashamed would be an understatement. Now I had to get through half of the city like this: barefoot and butt naked wearing nothing but a leather jacket. Eugene looked no better than I did. His T-shirt almost burned up, and I saw his muscular torso almost all tattooed. His jacket disguised his shape, and even having the best man in the world at my disposal I could not but marveled Eugene's divine body. He might be an arrogant bastard, but now I could not keep my eyes off his well-developed broad chest, muscled arms, where every muscle was outlined, and rare veins whirling up at the slightest movement. His six pack was perfect – clear contours ending with a thin strip of hair as if forming the down arrow to indicate the movement direction. The front part of his jeans at the hips and lower leg was partially burned, and was hanging on a single thread, exposing the slender legs of an athlete. He was lucky to have the most important element of his look unaffected – his manhood was proudly covered by Calvin Klein underwear.

I snorted. It was not typical of the superior race – they despised our habits and rules of etiquette, while wearing clothes by our designers.

"Don't you think it's time to stop staring at me and get out of here?" Eugene said ironically. It was classic Eugene. And I was about to temper justice with mercy – even if it was nothing more but a physical attraction.

I got up, zipped the jacket, and we wandered away from the abandoned warehouse, which would never find its owner after all the mess Cerberus did.

Eugene opened the portal, and we jumped in it right before police cars showed up around the corner. Every next trip via the portal was easier and easier, and I could get used to it.

Soon we were near my house.

"You'll have to walk me to the front door, so I'll give you back the jacket."

"Leave it for tomorrow."

"No. If Jackson sees another man's jacket, he'll start asking questions. And I don't want my boyfriend to be erased!"

Eugene shrugged and trudged after me. He was so tired like he was the one fighting the ancient monster. My keys melted, and I had to use the extra ones that we hid behind the plat band. Having sneaked into the hallway, I took off the jacket and, putting my arm out of the doorway, returned it to Eugene.

"Do you understand that you're a threat for your close ones? Especially now, when you have the ability you can't control," Eugene asked quietly.

"I get it, but they are in much greater danger without me. I'll master this ability soon," I said from behind the door.

"You can burn down the house while sleeping! Think about this! See you tomorrow at the same time and place."

And he disappeared in the portal.

Jackson was still sleeping in the same pose in the bedroom. I went to the bathroom and switched on the ice-cold water. Flowing down me, it turned into the boiling water with steam. I stood there for half an hour, fighting my inner contradictions. In the end, I decided to sleep on it. If I could not control these abilities, I would rest into the Guardians' Abode and would think of the excuse later.

"Darsy!" a loud child scream woke me up.

I was lost in space and time, but I felt some déjà vu even being asleep. It was another day in a row, when someone woke me up. Wouldn't be there any morning, when I would just awake from the alarm clock or when I slept enough?

Having blinked several times, I set my focus. When suddenly my little sister fall on me laughing loud and then my both brothers. They were like large ants swarming on an improvised bed, on which I have been sleeping only for a couple of hours before being woken up by a small army of children. How did they get here? I could not remember planning a family meeting.

"Children missed you a lot, so when you couldn't come to us we decided to visit you!" my mother said cheerfully, answering my unasked question.

"Great idea," I uttered in a hoarse voice. I was ashamed to admit, but I did not think so at the time.

"Get up, get up, get up!" children chanted and jumped on the mattress.

"Okay, little bandits! Let's see what's in the fridge, while Darsy gets ready!" Jackson helped me out. He always knew what I needed. And now I needed a couple of minutes to concentrate.

Children smooched me on the cheek in turn and whirled after Jackson, accompanied by mother. Pristine silence filled the room, and it had to be that way throughout the whole Sunday.

I buried my face in the mattress and groaned. It was only 9 a.m. Given the fact that I came home towards the morning, it was catastrophically early and my body strongly protested against such an intervention.

Stop! Children touched me and noticed nothing unusual. Yesterday in the shower, I thought I would lose any contact with people forever, turn into Cerberus with lava flowing all over when even ice-cold water boiled in contact with my skin. But everything was fine today. The Force had absorbed this ability, and I got back to normal. This thought amused me. Something snapped inside, and I started laughing loudly and compulsively. I was still a human, as Eugene said. Indeed, I was still myself regardless of fighting and supernatural nonsense.

Being in a good mood, I went to the kitchen to my noisy and cheerful family. Mary enthusiastically licked her fingers stained with chocolate, Peter and Cooper threw cereal at each other, making clear that Jackson and I will have some chores to do after their departure.

"Hi everyone!" I shouted happily, and the children rushed to hug me, almost knocking me down.

Mother sat in the corner smiling wearily. She did not get much help after I left. I missed my father, who could not come because of his illness, especially lacked his wise advice and soothing look. If people could be compared to countries, my father would definitely be Switzerland – such an old, wise and extremely calm country, which remained sane in conflicts and reconciled the parties, when the dust settled. It was amazing that being confined to a wheelchair he was not angry at the world. On the contrary, he was confident, strong and calm. The world became a bit better and more meaningful by his side. Only father could help me find many little things in silence, enjoy the splendor of peace and confidence.