Perfectionist

Road to the Zenith

Theo's POV.

After that scarring incident that happened to my sister, she had...Changed.

Well, changed was not the right word, no.

She had become a completely new person.

Her gaze held no trace of that innocence I had once seen in her, nor did it contain an ounce of familial love.

That cheerful optimism seemed to be replaced by something more...Cynical.

More pragmatic, if you would.

It was like a butterfly larvae that had left its chrysalis state and from it, was birthed a moth.

It was too sudden a change.

So sudden, to the point that I had completely not been prepared for it.

So, I had to see for myself.

What those eyes told me.

So, one day I called her and decided to talk to her, maybe put a smile on her face.

"Hey Al, how have you been doing?"

"I'm fine Theo." Her voice was soft, gentle and sweet, like honey dripping down one's throat.

"You know that I'm there for you right?" I say as I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah. I know. I'll always be there for you too." She flashed me a smile, one so charming that it could start a war over it.

"Just...Just let me know if there's anything you need my help with, okay? It's not good to keep things to yourself." I say with a forced smile.

Bloody hypocrite.

You're one hell of a hypocrite, Theodore Niko, bar none.

"I'll be alright, Theo! Really! You have so much to worry about already so no need to worry about little ol' me here." She giggled, her bell-like laugh enough to melt any man's ice cold heart.

"Alright then, I'll get back to work so you just rest here and don't do anything brash, got it?" I say with a forced smile.

She nods and sees me off with a sweet smile and a bear hug.

As I get out of the room, my thoughts were confirmed.

This entire time, I was focusing on her eyes.

My body felt cold all over every time I opened my mouth to ask her a question, to reassure her, to say that I was here for her.

The first question was the test, the rest, was my denial.

My hoping that nothing had changed.

But when I saw it, I understood.

That gentle voice like a devil's lull with a honeyed smile and that bell-like laughter...They...

They never reached her eyes.

Her eyes were detached.

Cold.

Expressionless.

As if nothing had matter, much like the thinking of a Nihilist.

I looked deeper.

Surely, surely there had to be something!

Surely there was some semblance of emotion within those dead eyes of hers.

Those ruby red pupils had lost their lustre and turned into a dim gem.

I looked deeper and saw...