Who Is Who?

”Wake up, Liilii! Or you’re gonna sleep your life away.” Lilith slowly opens her eyes, temporarily blinded by the light shinning in through her bedroom window. As she raises up and sits on the edge of the bed, turning to her left and staring at her reflection in the mirror, she is overcome with a feeling of fatigue. Her mother, Athena, walks back to her room to see if she's awake. "Good afternoon, my little night owl. You plan on doing anything productive today?" Lilith with an annoyed look on her face replies, "I planned on fighting crime. With your permission, of course." "Great!" Exclaimed Athena, adding "you can start by helping your brother clean house. He seems to be Setti today, so it shouldn't go as bad." Lilith turns and looks at her mother, asking "so you're asking the hero to help clean up the world alongside the villain, who made the mess? That's not how it works, mom." Athena smiles as she turns to walk away, responding, "that's how it works in this world, my little hero. Or are you the villain?" Lilith turns back towards her reflection in the mirror, mumbling, "good question."

20 Years Later

"Earth to Lilith!" Snapping out of a deep trance like state, Lilith comes back to, "sorry, I zoned out there for a second. What were you saying?" Her friend, Christina, looks at her for a few seconds before responding. "I was mentioning how Setti always seemed to know what to say. Whether the intention was good or bad. Is everything alright? You've been zoning out quite a bit lately." Lilith puts on a smile, "yeah, I'm fine. Just dealing with life. You know how it is." Suddenly, Lilith gets a concerned look on her face out of nowhere. While pulling out some cash she lets Christina know she has to go, and that it's urgent. A confused Christina questions her, "what do you mean? You haven't even glanced at your phone. Ok, what's going on with you? I'm concerned." Lilith gets up from the table and starts to rush out of the dimly lit bar, "I'll explain later, but I gotta go. Talk to you soon."

Walking with urgency along the sidewalk and checking her surroundings, Lilith dips off into a dark alley. An older man following behind her at a safe distance gets to the alley but doesn't see her. A loud "WHO!" rang out, scaring the mysterious older man, as a barn owl flies over his head, a little too close for comfort. A few blocks over the owl arrives outside the window of a business office where a couple of men are having an intense conversation. "There wasn't anybody around, Seth. No one knew about what was going on." A deep voice hidden in the shadows replied, "you confuse no one being present with no one knowing. Those are not the same, Sunny." "WHO!" Shouted out the owl perched on a tree branch just outside the window. "That owl" Seth notes. "It was there the night it happened. It's that exact owl. I remember those eyes. Something familiar about them." The two men walk towards the window, both revealing themselves more clearly in the light shining in. The owl stares at them for a few more seconds and then flies off into the night.

Lilith finally arrives back home, pulling out her keys to unlock the door. "You were following me earlier. Who are you?" she asks with her back turned to the same mysterious older man from the alley. "How did you know it was me?" he asks. "Your heart rate." replied Lilith. She continues on, "you're nervous, slightly in fear. But nonthreatening." Opening the door, she pauses and glances back slightly over her shoulder, "and vaguely familiar, from a long time ago." The man begins to speak with a shaky voice, "I'm your father, Lilith." She turns around to look at him, "I don't have one of those." Proceeding to go inside her home she begins to shut the door behind her when the older man quickly yells out, "I know your secret. I know your gift. I know that you shapeshift." The cracked door slowly opens back up with Lilith standing there, with a look of being exposed. She invites him inside.

Leaned against the counter in her kitchen, Lilith examines the older man. "So, you're my ghost of a father? Why now, Cyrus?" Glancing around her home, checking out her display of eclectic taste, he responds, "Was never dead. More-so, asleep. That's why I'm here. To help you make sense of things, Liilii." Lilith quickly grows frustrated, "don't call me that!" Cyrus smiles while he looks her in the eyes, "where do you think Athena got that nickname from?" Growing impatient she abruptly asks, "how do you plan to make sense of the fact that I can shapeshift into an owl?" Cyrus walks over to the kitchen window just over the sink and stares out. "Liilii. You have something powerful inside of you. Something primordial. It gives you certain abilities as you've already discovered. Super senses. Enhanced vision at night. Heightened hearing. But those can be crippling. That's what happened to your brother, Setti. He had the ability to shapeshift, as well. Difference is, he'd change into a different person." Lilith walks closer to her father, fully invested in the conversation at this point. "I had no idea Setti had abilities." She added, "he's been on my mind a lot lately. It's as if he's still alive. Like, I can feel him." Cyrus turns and looks at her, "you two shared a world before coming into this one. Your mom had a tough time carrying you two. There's a bond that can't be broken, even in death." That's when Lilith receives a phone call from her friend Christina. "I'm sorry, I have to take this. One moment." Her facial expression quickly drops into terror, "what's wrong?! Seth? I heard that name tonight after I left you. Ok, stay quiet, stay hidden. I'm on my way." After ending the call she looks at her father, moving hastily towards the door, "we'll have to finish this talk later. I'll find you." He nods and leaves out in front of her then says quickly, "Liilii, remember to use your abilities. And not allow them to use you. That's the difference between being a hero, and becoming a villain. I've seen someone at that crossroad, and he chose the latter." She nods, then shifts into her owl form as she flies off into the night.

Lilith arrives to Christina's home and shifts back into her human form. Hidden and on the look out, Sunny sees the owl approaching and informs Seth. "Just as I suspected" Seth replied. Lilith enters into the house quietly and approaches the voices coming from the living area. "See Christina." says Seth loudly, "no one is really who they say they are. The truth is, most people don't even know who they really are. They're confused. They're afraid. You know what's that like. Don't you, Christina?" Christina in utter terror, tied up and afraid for her life cries out, "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know you!" "True!" yells Seth. "You don't know me. But you did know me. Albeit, a false version of me. A lie. Isn't that right, Lilith?! You're a smart woman, I'm sure you've put two and two together by now. You don't even need your super hearing, or advanced sight." Lilith comes from around the corner out of the darkness, with a look that could kill, piercing into Seth. "You claim to have loved this woman, yet you hold her captive, in bondage. Your outer appearance may shift forms, but inside you're still as much of a monster as you've always been. Christina may have seen some good in you, but I've always questioned if any actually exist. Brother or not." As Christina listens to Lilith speak she begins to catch on, looking at Seth in disbelief, "Setti?! But you're dead. I saw you laying there, leaking out in our bedroom. I don't understand." Lilith takes a couple steps closer, "oh, he's dead alright. Dead inside." At that moment Seth changes form back into Setti, "now you see me. I have the ability to appear the way you want to see me. Just as I have the ability to appear how you don't want to see me. A master of duality! A student of the dark arts! One who understands that humanity is a prison. Lilith you walk around as if you know what's going on in this world but you're just a self-serving, naive little girl still upset with being different. You've never truly embraced yourself. We all saw it. Mom included." Lilith grows in rage, "don't you dare put her name in your mouth! You're the reason she's not here today!" Setti responds in rage of his own, "she knew what we were going through and she kept it to herself! She knew dad wasn't dead, and she kept that from us. I know he's visited you by now. Or else you'd be in as much shock to see me as Christina here. Cyrus cursed us. He's the reason we're like this. And our dear mother, Athena, knew it all along. So imagine my surprise learning that my physical body and mentality, and emotional state all can change form in the drop of the hat. How hard that is to understand, accept, and embrace all in silence, all alone. Knowing that the woman you love and care about couldn't possibly understand. Because this is beyond being human. What's the word Cyrus used? I know he mentioned it to you, sis. What's the word?" Lilith, taken back in the moment softly responds, "primordial." "Primordial!" exclaimed Setti. "Before humanity. You know what humans call things outside of humanity? Monsters. This woman would see me as a monster. Threatening. Not able to be trusted. And how could she? Anytime she's out in public, feeling like she's possibly being watched by me in the shape of some random stranger. I had to leave, Christina. It was ruin your world, or ruin my own. I became that monster, and our mother was a casualty of a war raging within. Because of her secrecy." Lilith looks at Christina, then back at Setti, shaking her head, struggling to find the words to respond.

"You're right, Setti. I am self-serving and naive. Struggling to accept myself. Embrace "Who" I am. But if you think that you have things figured out because you gained a little knowledge that the masses aren't privy to, that just proves that you really don't know anything. Yes, I spoke to Cyrus tonight right before I came here. My first time ever seeing him. I don't know what happened in the past and why we're the way we are, but the last thing he said to me tonight was "use your abilities. Don't let them use you. That's the difference between being a hero, and becoming a villain." See, Setti, I don't totally disagree with you. Humanity wears a mask to hide a hideous face that may be just as much a monster as anything outside of it. But the soul, the sun within, the eternal light that shines in us, is worth all the hardship, pain, and curses that come with humanity. A reminder that all of this is temporary at the end of the day. But that sun within us will always be there to light the way. I choose to be the hero in my story, because it's my birthright and my duty. You see us as cursed, I see me as gifted. And to keep it real, Christina was my best friend, long before you two had a thing, and I'll be damned if I let you do anything to harm her!"

Lilith charges Setti as long, sharp talons extend from her hands and claw into him. Christina sits in shock, unable to fathom what she's seeing. The two siblings fight it out in the living room until Lilith kicks Setti through the window, landing him outside. Lilith takes the opportunity to free Christina and help her escape the house. Cyrus shows up and captures Sunni, putting him into restraints. He then sees Lilith helping Christina escape, rushing over to help get her somewhere safe. Lilith begins to instruct to Cyrus, "take her somewhere discrete so that Setti can't find her. I'll find you two. If I'm not there in a hour, get out of town. Both of you." Cyrus responds, clearly concerned, "are you sure? I can come back to help you." "No, you take her away and stay with her. I can handle him." Urged Lilith. "Ok, but keep this in mind. He's a trickster. Very slick. You have to remember who you are. Trust only what you feel. Trust yourself. I saw him head into the woods. Good luck. Come back to us!" Responded Cyrus. Full of adrenaline, Lilith runs towards the woods, shifting into her owl form, disappearing high into the trees. "This has been the weirdest, craziest yet somewhat exciting day of my life. Oh yeah, I'm Christina. Best friend of Lilith's, a literal night owl. Ex-girlfriend of Setti. Seth. And God knows who else." Cyrus laughs, "you're a very strong person to be able to joke and laugh after all of this. It's a pleasure to meet you, Christina. I'm the father of the night owl and the guy with many faces. I apologize." They both have a laugh as they head to a secret location to hide.

"We've always taken sibling rival to the next level, isn't that right Liilii?!" As Setti walks deeper into the woods he keeps his head on a swivel, looking in all directions, especially up. He reacts to every little sound that he hears while in the wild, prepared for any sudden attacks. Realizing that attempting to be silent is pointless because of Lilith's super hearing, and hiding is also pointless because of her ability to see in the dark. So, he decides to antagonize her, as he did when they were kids. "You shift into an owl. Well, I'm a bit of a fox. Or jackal. A bit nocturnal myself, sis. I can smell you. Still wearing that same perfume from college? And still, no man. Guess it's kind of hard explaining the talon cuts in the mattress when the animal comes out, huh? You know..." "WHO!" comes out of nowhere and just as Setti looks up he sees Lilith shifting back as legs appear and strikes him in the chest. "Coming from the guy who is afraid to have sex with the light on. Oh, my bad. Christina told me that in confidence." Lilith rebuttals. The sarcasm of Setti quickly disappears and turns into anger. "That's a low blow sis. Didn't know you had it in you. Figuratively and literally. Oh, my bad. Your last boyfriend liked to vent a bit, too." The two siblings collide in battle, trading blows. After multiple attacks and counterattacks, Lilith finally gets the upper hand on Setti and has a chance to put him away, but holds back. With her talons outstretched, less than a quarter of an inch away from Setti's chest, she restrains herself from piercing his heart. "No matter what, I am my brother's keeper." States Lilith, then she gets up and starts to walk away. "Leave Setti, and don't ever come back." Filled with anger that she spared him and walked away, Setti lifts himself back up and charges Lilith from behind in a quick sneak attack, welcoming death with a suicidal last attempt. Lilith hears him approaching and leaps up into the air shifting into her owl form. She changes back into her human form midair, falling back down with the aid of gravity, extending out her razor sharp talons and decapitating Setti with a swift and powerful leg strike. Setti falls to the ground on his knees, headless, before falling flat on the wood's terrain. Lilith stands with a blank stare as she looks at the body of Setti, "now you're free from humanity, brother." She walks out of the dark woods, headed north out of the heart of city, to be with her best friend who reminds her of the good parts that humanity has to offer. To catch up with her long lost father, who reminds her that we're more than just our humanity. "This father of mine has some more explaining to do about these abilities." She thinks as she journeys back to them.