The Immortal World - Ikaris

Xavier slipped into the clothes Esme had so thoughtfully packed for him.
Denim jeans, white t-shirt, and old navy slippers.
Xavier recalled Old Navy had been established in the latter portion of 1994, meaning wearing Old Navy in 2005 was currently the modern-day equivalent of sporting the newest Jordans.
'I forgot The Cullens are insanely rich,' The Eternal internally mused.
It would come as no surprise to him if either Alice or Rosalie owned a significant stake in Old Navy.
The more Xavier thought about it, the more memories flooded his mind, reminding him that he owned stakes in several businesses worldwide, most of which had disappeared in the past couple of years.
Almost as if specifically targeted…
'Another mystery that I am in no place to solve…'
The things that terrified The Eternal the most were those he didn't know and had no interest in knowing… perhaps, someone he was meant to be protecting this entire time had died.
It could be that he left an unknown daughter on an abandoned island somewhere.
Countless things could have been left unfinished and Xavier, for all his willingness to be Ikaris once more, was not willing to inherit his own problems too early.
Amnesia came with a sense of freedom…
Xavier walked behind Emmett and Jasper, trailing them as they leaped from the backyard through the opened window of the living room.
Xavier, with his strength exhausted from the battle, was forced to take the long way up, using the stairs as normal humans were meant to.
He pushed open the door, noting the door had no locks.
'Whoever breaks into this house is in for a rude awakening,' The Eternal chuckled.
Xavier could imagine it would be akin to a free meal as if a pizza delivery was brought to the wrong house.
The Cullens' grand living room, with its elegant yet cozy décor, was filled with an air of anticipation, curiosity, and tempered serenity.
Esme, Rosalie, and Edward sat completely still for a couple of seconds after Xavier had entered the room, their eyes unblinking as not an ounce of life radiated from their bodies.
The Eternal had encountered Crystallis Bambir Variant Vampires before, some of the oldest amongst their kind having turned into statues for staying in one place too long.
That was, in a sense, their version of Eternal Rest…
However, unlike Esme, Rosalie, and Edward, Carlisle and Alice remained in constant motion, indistinguishable from their human counterparts.
Carlisle had been acting human for such a long time that it became second nature to him, and Alice was naturally energetic, lacking the discipline necessary for self-restraint.
As Jasper and Emmett found their place in the grand living room, The Cullens shifted their chairs ever so subtly into a semi-circular formation around Ikaris.
Xavier, for his part, stood near the fireplace.
It was both a strategic discussion and a place he naturally gravitated toward, the flames reminding him of better times in the ancient past.
The soft glow of the flames reflected in everyone's eyes, mirroring the complex emotions flowing through the room.
The Cullens felt a sense of apprehension as they met Ikaris again, eager to gain answers to questions that had haunted them for so long.
It had been decades since Rosalie and Edward had accepted vampires were all there was in the world, with Carlisle, Esme, and the others not once questioning it in any profound way.
But Xavier proposed a possibility… a possibility that there may be more to the world than just Vampires.
And if there was more to the world, then if one only looked hard enough, there was bound to be a remedy for everything, even if it was incomplete.
Carlisle, assuming his role as The Leader of The Olympic Coven, began the introductions anew. "Welcome, Xavier. I know we do not need formality but—"
He paused before continuing, pointing to each person as he introduced them. "This is Esme, my wife. You are, of course, familiar with Edward, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett."
Xavier nodded.
Out of all of them, except for Alice's perpetually excited smile, Esme was the only one who smiled warmly, her nurturing presence instantly putting others at ease.
"Och, I'm absolutely delighted to be here," The Eternal voiced, frowning when he realized he was defaulting to his Scottish Accent.

Xavier did not particularly dislike his accent, only the fact that it was considered a Scottish Accent when The Eternal existed long before Scotland even existed.
"Your accent is unique," Edward voiced. "Scottish?"
Xavier smirked. "Or did The Scottish get it from me?" The Eternal posed a question that startled The Cullens.
"Either way," Esme interrupted, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "We're delighted to have you. Please, make yourself at home."
Rosalie, ever the skeptic, folded her arms and leaned against the back of the chair. "So, forgive me for being skeptical. How did you come to be… what you are?"
Xavier took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. "I am closer to humans than you might think… or more accurately, you can say humans are close to me?"
"Am I to understand it means we are the same species?" Edward inquired.
Xavier shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine," He stated, refusing to focus on such memories at the moment. "What I do know is the fact that I just died regardless of what I am."
"Died from what?" Alice questioned, her eyes gleaming with foresight.
"Something more terrifying than The Volturi," The Eternal revealed, measuring the surprise in each of their eyes. "There is a magic force that separates Supernatural creatures."
"You are saying this is the phenomenon that occurred with the man who was sitting next to Sam previously?" Edward confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "Alice was the only one who could see him for who he is."
"My senses told me one thing and my eyes told me another," Carlisle muttered, finding such an event memorable since his senses had been honed over countless centuries. "And you are saying this is a normal event?"
Xavier nodded. "Only this time, it was so blatantly obvious that you could see it. Usually, you and everyone else would just end up ignoring it," He explained. "And that could have been a vampire of a different species, a dragon flying over the skies, or even a leviathan sticking its head out of the sea."
"And we would remain completely oblivious to their appearance," Edward muttered.
"But that's impossible," Rosalie growled, not wanting to believe that she would fail to notice something so obvious.
"The magic that caused this is called 'THE VEIL' and only a few people have the authority to see beyond it, seeing the world as it truly is."
Carlisle gestured to the empty seats.
"Yes," Xavier confirmed. "Sam, Kaulder, myself, and several others from around the world. The battle we fought was to preserve the existence of The VEIL."
"Why preserve something so obviously harmful?" Emmett questioned.
It was the type of question Xavier expected from Emmett, someone who had more muscles than brains.
"Because if a magical technique is sealed on one side of The VEIL and it reaches the hands of the most powerful witches sealed on another side of The VEIL," Xavier did not need to say more.
Everyone understood the picture…
Knowledge was dangerous in normal times but knowledge in the hands of those more suited to use it for destructive purposes would be world-ending.
"And is there any way to know when we have come in contact with This VEIL?" Carlisle always asked the pertinent questions.
Xavier shrugged. "You are asking the question mark a question," He voiced, trying to relay the irony. "I am not even sure what is going through my head half the time."
"I can attest to that," Edward voiced.
Xavier sighed. "Remind me to help you control your abilities," The Eternal was growing drowsy. "Most minds are open but some of them, the ones that matter, are very… strange."
The cramped expression Ikaris wore on his face as he said this was enough to give Edward a general sense of the danger involved.
The Cullens and Xavier discussed several things.
Alice, her eyes following Xavier's every move, leaned forward and whispered into his ears. "So, you've seen the rise and fall of civilizations.
Ikaris smiled wistfully. "Which one would you prefer," He met Alice's eyes, showing a hint of his history hidden within his gaze. "—the rise, or the fall? You are young; you have yet to understand. It's a perspective that few can truly understand."
"Understand what?" Jasper interrupted, pulling Alice to his side.
If anything, Xavier was relieved at the increased distance between himself and Alice; after all, she was someone capable of harming him in the blink of an eye.
"Understand…" The Eternal met Jasper's eyes. "—how about this? If every piece of clay you shape becomes a child, would you be able to give it less than your best? To me, that is the same as civilizations; whether intentionally or not, I shape them."
"And you feel responsible for them?" Rosalie questioned.
Xavier stared at Rosalie with an intense sort of interest, piercing her soul and searching for something that lay deep beneath the surface.
"You should understand better than most," The Eternal had sensed Rosalie's potential countless times, noting its distinct feeling of beauty. "Given you are a fashion designer, of course."
Edward focused on Rosalie, noting her peculiar ideas that did not form true thoughts.
"If you don't mind me asking," Edward, always the inquisitive mind, measured all responses. "What are your abilities? I know that you have a sort of Telepathy."
Ikaris shrugged. "I can fly. I am strong. I shoot beams from my eyes," He voiced, revealing only the ones The Cullens already knew. "Any other questions?"
"I guess I know who The UFO is now," Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "Just make sure not to fly over this section of the forest too much. Someone already came by asking Carlisle if they could set up cameras nearby," She complained.
"Have you ever wondered what it was like? Flying, I mean," The Eternal questioned.
Rosalie looked intrigued.
Edward and Jasper frowned.
Carlisle and Esme were considering matters about the information Xavier had revealed.
Alice was, of course, interested, so much so that Xavier suspected she was somehow leading the conversation to this inevitable result.
...…
It was a couple of hours before morning…
Ikaris stood on the upper floor's balcony, the one immediately outside of Edward's room.
Xavier had climbed the tree outside, working his way up to Edward's balcony before perching himself on the railing.
A sense of dizziness overtook The Eternal.
For a second, he blocked out and only came to a couple of seconds later, with Alice's hand holding his shoulder, preventing him from a fall that would barely inconvenience him.
Amani: "How long was I out of it?"
Alice smiled softly. "Five minutes," She revealed. "You must be really exhausted."
Xavier turned to Alice, unsure of when Emmett and Rosalie had joined them but in hindsight, he recalled that they had climbed the tree together.
'Something is happening to my memory…' The Eternal realized.
It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed he was mentally compromised long ago but with the return of his memories, it seemed his condition had worsened.
"I need to recharge my abilities. The cosmic radiation is stronger at night and I have to fly high into the sky to absorb it."
Alice's, Emmett's, and Rosalie's eyes sparkled.
"You guys don't seem afraid," He observed.
"Will you drop us?" Rosalie questioned.
Xavier shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Emmett and Rosalie turned to Alice.
"He won't," She confirmed. "—but it will be a bit scary at first."
Ikaris focused his energy, channeling Cosmic Force throughout his entire body, interacting with the gravitons in the surroundings in such an intimate manner.
Slowly, The Eternal and the three vampires began to rise, levitating effortlessly a couple of feet off the ground.
Xavier gave The Cullens some time to find their bearings, watching as they, as he once did, fumbled in the air as if toddlers learning how to walk.
They ascended higher and higher, leaving the forest and the house far below.
Carlisle, Esme, Edward, and Jasper exited the house upon hearing Alice's whoops of enjoyment, watching as she, Rosalie, and Emmet ascended higher into the skies.
There was nothing to be done and judging by Alice's very vocal enjoyment, there was nothing that should be done.
The wind whipped past Xavier, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett, carrying the exhilarating scent of freedom and the promise of more to come.
Emmett whooped in delight. "This is incredible! I feel like I'm flying on my own," He voiced.
Alice twirled gracefully in the air, her laughter echoing through the night. "This is like a dream! Look at the stars, Emmett! They're so close!"
Rosalie, initially tense, began to relax, a serene smile spreading across her face as she floated effortlessly. "I've never seen the world like this. It's… breathtaking," She stuck to her elegance, even at the cost of trying to float more efficiently. "I think I have an idea for a new dress, maybe a Float Series."
Xavier was locked in a deep concentration.
They rose above the clouds, where the moonlight cast an ethereal glow on the cloudtops, making them look like a sea of silver.
The stars twinkled brighter here, undisturbed by the light pollution below, making for a suitable breathing location for any Eternal.
After all, Eternals were naturally inclined to tranquility birth in a location free from external energies… cosmic energy was to Eternals what sunlight was to humans.
Xavier stopped their ascent, the dizziness in his head beginning to subside as he closed his eyes and started to meditate.
Cosmic rays enveloped him, renewing his strength.