Seated in the plush armchair opposite his sister's lawyer, Marcus stared down at the medical report he’d been given. The words written on the page left him feeling as though he’d swallowed molten lead.

He’d noticed the difference in Kadia’s behavior immediately. For the first time, Kadia was smiling, laughing and acting almost normal. There were no cold calculating looks that left him feeling as though he were being mentally dissected. She’d even hugged him! Sure, it was completely out of character for his sister, but then again, Kadia had always been- different.

Marcus remembered the first time he’d met his sister, could recall staring into those dark, shrewd brown eyes.

When he was eight, he didn’t comprehend the true depth of his parents’ actions, didn’t understand why the pretty red-haired girl who was his new sister glared at him with those dark eyes. His mother told him they were moving to a new home, one where he’d be able to see his father more often, and he’d been overjoyed.

Then, she’d told him about his sister, and he’d learned the truth about his father’s other family- his real family.

The first few years were difficult, as he’d swiftly grown to resent that pretty child who easily entrapped everyone around her. In class, the teachers lavished attention on her, singing her praises to anyone who would listen.

Their classmates would gather around her, vying for her attention, whilst he sat on the edges- alone, and discarded. Everyone knew he was the Greenes' son from the outside, the students mocked him in low whispers in the halls, the teachers sneered down at him in disdain.

All the while, Kadia looked on, gazing down at him from her lofty throne with cold, expressionless eyes. It took years for him to see it, to notice his sister was little more than a doll crafted by the expectations of others.

During breakfast, if their father mentioned an article of interest he’d recently read, by evening Kadia would be an expert on the subject it pertained to.

While at school, Kadia was often surrounded by peers, she rarely spoke to any of them. The teachers who sung her praises, expressed disappointment if she scored anything but full marks, no matter the assignment.

Everything changed for Marcus on his fifteenth birthday.

That day, he saw true emotion in those cold eyes. He watched as the facade of perfection shattered, replaced with pain, and fear as she fell down the stairs.

Then, he’d watched her rebuild that mask of cold indifference, hiding the hurt and hatred as his mother mocked her from the top landing. That day, his world shattered along with his sister's bones, as he saw for the first time the truth his resentment of that red-haired girl blinded him to.

Marcus swallowed back bile as he read the medical report for a second time. She’d almost died, no- she had died.

“Does Kads know?'' Marcus asked, looking up at the lawyer, who nodded.

“She is aware to an extent, however at the time of our last meeting, her full diagnosis was not known.” Mr. Davis said, his expression impassive as he sat behind a polished wooden desk.

Marcus nodded, eyes drifting back to the report, before he returned his attention back to the lawyer. “What does this mean for my sister? Is there a way to fix this?”

“Surgery is an option, however at this stage the frontal lobe appears to be showing signs of improvement. The specialist team in charge of Miss Greene believe at this point in time the best treatment is for her to remain in the capsule. Many who suffer injuries such as these are placed into medical capsules to facilitate rehabilitation of the brain's cognitive functions. It is recommended you not interfere with her natural progression,” Davis said as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes intent as he stared across the table at Marcus.

“What do you mean not interfere with her natural progression?” He asked, scowling at the lawyer.

“Your sister is a highly intelligent girl, and it is the concern of her medical team that she could damage her rehabilitation. If Miss Greene is aware of the true extent of the damage, she may attempt to force herself into a return to normalcy, or what she considers to be normal. This could prove detrimental to her recovery.”

“I understand,” Marcus sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face as he thought over what the man had said. “What is going to happen regarding Everlife and the others who were involved? I know my parents were arrested, but this goes beyond them.”

“You need not concern yourself with those matters; Miss Greene and I have already discussed what shall be done.” Davis replied, the gleam in the lawyer's eyes sending a chill down Marcus’s spine. He was reminded of the look his sister used to get when she was plotting something.

“Right, er. Okay.” Clearing his throat, Marcus slid the report onto the lawyers desk, not meeting the man's gaze.

The current Kadia, with her vibrant smiles and unhidden emotions, was a refreshing change. But, was it really alright to leave her like that? What would she do when- If she got better? Would she be angry with him?

The lawyer's voice drew his attention away from the memories of his sister, as the man spoke about the release of money from his trust fund. Technically it shouldn’t be released until his birthday in a few weeks, but under the circumstances, he was permitted to withdraw money for his living expenses.

Twenty minutes later, Davis’s secretary escorted him to the door where a taxi waited to take him home, not that it was his home anymore. He was only permitted a short amount of time to pack up any of his personal belongings.

Where he would go after that he wasn’t sure, but there were several capsule hotels in the area where he could rent a room for now.

First, he would get the few sentimental items he owned from his room, and see if he could salvage anything belonging to his sister. Then he would return to Kaledon, and Kadia.