Calum didn’t sleep a wink that night. The mysterious winged siren continued to fill his mind, making sleep almost impossible due to his racing thoughts. Aka was worried. He knew his soulmate hadn’t slept much, and he was concerned that this dream would cause continue to cause difficulties for the nineteen-year-old.

Calum was staring blankly at the heaping plate of pancakes that Evan had generously made for the Delasti household and friends. Aka was sitting next to him, watching the boy with obvious worry. After a little while, Aka decided to say something. “Cal, you need to eat.” Aka nudged the zoned out boy. “I know you didn’t get much sleep, but you need to eat a little bit.”

Calum was snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Aka, feeling guilty about the concern swirling in his sunset-colored eyes. He sighed, nodded, and began to eat small bites of the pancakes. Aka sighed in relief, glancing over at Cora, who smiled at the male siren. Calum found himself continually looking at the stairs as if he was expecting something. And perhaps he was.

Jack hadn’t come out of his room since yesterday. Calum and Howard were beginning to worry about the eldest Delasti son. They didn’t know what to do. Aka and Cora were beginning to get concerned about him as well. Jack was acting like Calum did, back when he first saw Aka.

It wasn’t healthy.

Evan placed a hand on Calum’s shoulder, making him jump from the sudden contact, at which Evan chuckled. “Sorry, little Cal. Didn’t mean to scare you. Your brother’s probably fine, there’s no need to worry too much about him.” Calum nodded, thankful that Evan was able to calm him- even if it was just a little bit.

Calum glanced at Aka next to him and smiled, about to suggest that they head to the ocean, so Aka could show the human his siren powers. However, just as he was about to open his mouth, Evan spoke. “Cal, um, can I talk to you?” Evan glanced at Aka and Cora -who were staring at him- as well as Calum. “Alone.”

Calum looked sideways at Aka, silently questioning him. Aka smiled, though it was a bit forced, and nodded. Calum was the only one who noticed the forced smile, so he was a bit hesitant. But after a few moments, he agreed, letting Evan drag him away from the kitchen and into the living room. Evan sat on the coffee table and blurted out his speech before it became awkward. “Cal, um, listen. I think you’re really cool, and you’re cute. You’re super shy. And, um, I really like you. I like you as more than a friend, or a brother. Would you go out with me?”

Calum was taken aback by the blunt question. He looked around the living room, his eyes settling on anywhere but Evan. Only a few days ago, he would have jumped at the chance to go on a date with Evan Relock, but now-considering he was Aka’s soulmate-he wanted to leave the question unanswered. He felt that the best solution, at that moment, would be to hide in his room for the rest of the day.

“Evan, um, this is really sweet, but I can’t. Sorry.” Calum said, fighting his impulse to curl into a ball. The whole situation was embarrassing for Evan, but it felt humiliating for Calum.

“Oh,” Evan rubbed his arm awkwardly. “Can I ask why?”

Calum looked over at Aka, who was talking to Cora in the kitchen. “I’m already in a relationship.”

Evan followed his gaze, and ended up watching Aka. “Wait, you two are-” Calum nodded shyly, and Evan paused for a few moments. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I thought you were only friends... I didn't know- God, I’m an idiot.”

Calum shook his head. “It’s not your fault. We’re kinda keeping it on the down-low," he said. "Though, both Jack and you know now. So, it’s not really a secret anymore, is it?” Calum laughed nervously.

Evan stood up from the coffee table, where he had still been perched. “But, still. I’m really sorry.” Evan spoke. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he turned and left the house.

Calum groaned, throwing himself down onto the couch and closing his eyes. “That was so humiliating,” Calum muttered, silently hoping the world would open up and swallow him whole.

Aka, who had overheard the entire conversation but had also sensed his soulmate’s distress, walked over and knelt beside Calum. “Hey, you shouldn’t feel guilty. He didn’t know. Besides, you can’t really help being my soulmate, can you?” Aka grinned at him, even though Calum still had his eyes closed.

Calum opened his eyes to look at his soulmate. “Yeah, but he’s Jack’s best friend and he was like another older brother to me.”

Aka cocked his head, confused. “But... Isn’t he the same age as you and Jack?”

Calum laughed bitterly. “He is, but he acted so much older than us. Sure, he still acted like a nineteen-year-old, but there was something about his eyes. I can’t really describe it. His eyes were... old. As if he had more knowledge than any person our age could hold. Like was old, as if he’d had years of experience.” Aka listened intently, hanging onto every word the human spoke. Calum shrugged. “I don’t know... It’s stupid.”

Aka shook his head. “It’s not stupid. What’s the old human saying...? The eyes are the windows to the soul?” Calum nodded in confirmation. “There's more truth in that than fiction. In every being on this Earth, their eyes show raw emotion. Someone can hide thousands of years of information to the outside, but as long as they still know it, the eyes will reveal the truth. That’s why most sirens who have committed a crime gauge out their eyes.”

Calum grimaced. “To conceal what they did?” Aka nodded. “That’s... horrible!”

Aka smiled, but didn’t disagree. “Maybe Evan IS hiding something. Something neither you nor Jack know about.”

Calum sat up at this, looking at Aka curiously. “We’ve known him for almost our whole lives. We would’ve known if he was hiding something.”

Cora, who was still sitting at the kitchen table, piped up. “There is a myth that has passed from generation to generation through our pod,” She picked up the fake apple in the bowl of fruit, examined it, then put it back down. “That there is another supernatural species that has never been named or seen before. There’s not much information on this species, but it is guessed that they can change their appearance, age, and voice.”

Calum and Aka walked back towards the female siren. “Like... shifters?’ Calum asked.

Cora pondered it for a second. “Yes, like shifters. But shifters are actually real.”

Aka had heard this myth once or twice, but had never paid it any mind. Now, he was intently listening to what Cora had to say. “Are you saying Evan is this myth?” Aka asked, glancing to the door that Evan had left through only minutes before.

Cora raised her hands in defense. “I’m not saying anything. He’s probably just a regular human, with an old soul.”

Calum looked back and forth between the two before sitting down across from Cora. “But... if he was this myth, how should we react? Is he dangerous?”

Cora looked at the innocent human watching her with curious eyes, then nodded slowly. “Very. If he is this myth... He can destroy battleships with a mere snap of his fingers.”