Rian's POV
The streets were unusually quiet that morning.
It was still early.
Too early, probably.
I walked down the almost-empty road with my hands in my pockets, occasionally glancing at my phone.
I hadn't brought his bike.
I had only intended to check on Kaizer and leave.
I knew my little brother.
After what had happened yesterday, there was a good chance Kaizer would lock himself inside his room, stop answering calls, and convince everyone that he was perfectly fine.
He had done it before.
After Lara mumma died, Kaizer had barely spoken to anyone for days.
And I still remembered that period too well.
Lara mumma wasn't my biological mother.
But that had never mattered.
She had been there when I was little.
She fed me, scolded me, listened to me complain, and treated me like another son.
Losing her had been losing a mother for the second time.
So had yesterday.
Two mothers.
One life.
Sometimes I wondered how much grief one person could carry before it became too heavy.
I took out my phone.
There were no notifications.
I opened the office group chat anyway.
Nothing.
Of course.
Everyone was probably asleep.
Except,
My eyes narrowed.
A typing bubble appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
And again.
I stared at it for a few seconds.
Ten minutes.
The same thing.
I tapped the profile.
Oh.
The silly girl.
I raised an eyebrow.
What is she even typing at this hour?
I almost opened the chat.
Then decided against it.
Whatever it was, it wasn't my business.
I locked my phone and put it back into my pocket.
By then, I had already reached the house.
I looked at the front door.
I had a spare key.
I could simply walk in.
But there was also a doorbell.
I stared at it.
Then at the key in my hand.
Ringing the doorbell this early felt unnecessarily formal.
Besides...
This was my brother's house.
I unlocked the door.
The moment I stepped inside, I regretted choosing my aura over basic courtesy.
I stopped.
The living room was...
I didn't know what the word was.
Kaizer was asleep on the sofa.
Peacefully.
Actually peacefully.
And beside him,
A girl's head was resting on his arm.
She was sitting on the floor beside the sofa, her head tilted slightly to the side, fast asleep.
I stared.
Then blinked.
Then stared again.
My first thought was relief.
Kaizer looked okay.
He wasn't awake and staring at the ceiling.
He wasn't locked inside his room.
He wasn't alone.
That was enough.
Then my eyes moved toward the girl.
Iris.
My expression changed slightly.
There was something about her face.
Something familiar.
I had been wondering about it for a while now.
Her name was Iris.
Her face seemed familiar.
And Kaizer...
Kaizer was far too comfortable around her.
I looked between them.
Could it really be her?
The little girl from all those years ago?
I shook the thought away.
No.
Too much time had passed.
People changed.
Children grew up.
And yet...
I looked at Iris again.
There was something.
Before I could think about it any further, Iris shifted in her sleep.
Her movement disturbed Kaizer.
He slowly opened his eyes.
I remained standing to the side.
Kaizer didn't notice me
Instead, his sleepy gaze immediately fell on Iris.
He stared at her.
There was something so natural about the way he looked at her that I almost felt personally offended.
At least my little brother has a girl.
And I don't.
I sighed.
Of course.
Then Iris stirred again.
Kaizer's eyes remained on her.
And I quietly decided I had seen enough.
I was about to leave them alone when—
Kaizer's POV
Something felt warm against my arm.
I opened my eyes slowly.
For a moment, I didn't understand what I was looking at.
Then I saw Iris.
She was sitting beside the sofa.
Her head was resting against my arm.
I stared at her.
Then everything from last night slowly returned.
The cemetery.
My father.
Coming home.
Iris staying.
Talking.
And then...
Nothing.
I looked at her again.
She had fallen asleep sitting like that.
My arm must have been terribly uncomfortable.
"Iris..."
She stirred.
Her eyelashes moved slightly before her eyes opened.
She slowly raised her head.
Our faces were suddenly much closer than I expected.
I froze.
She froze too.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then her eyes shifted.
Behind me.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Ahh!"
I almost jumped up.
"What—?"
I turned around.
And saw my brother.
Standing there.
Watching us.
With an expression I couldn't understand.
There was a long silence.
I looked at Iris.
Iris looked at me.
Then back at Kuya.
None of us said anything.
I suddenly felt the need to explain.
At exactly the same time, Iris spoke.
"I was sitting."
"I was sleeping."
We both stopped.
Looked at each other.
Iris cleared her throat.
"I fell asleep by mistake."
I nodded.
"Yes."
My brother raised an eyebrow.
Then slowly nodded.
"By mistake."
I looked away.
Iris was rubbing the back of her neck.
I frowned.
"Does your neck hurt?"
She shook her head.
"No. It's okay now."
Kuya suddenly coughed.
We both looked at him.
He smiled.
"Do you two have breakfast, or do you plan to feed me with being lovey-dovey?"
My brain stopped functioning.
Iris's face turned red.
"What?"
He only smiled wider.
Iris stood up immediately.
"I'll go freshen up."
And she disappeared into her room.
I stared after her.
Then looked at my brother.
He sat down beside me.
"Tell me something honestly."
"What?"
"Is she the same Iris I know or not?"
I went silent.
For a moment.
Then—
"Hmm."
His eyes widened slightly.
Then he chuckled.
"No wonder my little brother found a girlfriend before me."
"She's not my girlfriend."
I paused.
"...yet."
His eyebrow rose.
"What do you mean by yet?"
I stood up.
"I'm coming."
"Kaizer—"
I walked into my room and closed the door.
I leaned against it.
Then slowly covered my face with one hand.
Yet?
I had actually said that.
Out loud.
To Kuya?
I sighed.
Great.
Absolutely great.
---
Ten minutes later, I came out.
My brother was still sitting on the sofa.
Iris was beside him, apparently talking about something.
She looked up when I entered.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
Then Kuya stood up.
"Let's go, kiddos."
I frowned.
"Where?"
Iris answered before he could.
"Your brother wants to take us to have breakfast outside."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Because I have a lot of money today."
I shook my head.
Of course.
The three of us left the house.
We walked toward the nearest store.
My brother bought some light food.
Iris bought milk too.
She pushed the straw into the packet and began sipping while walking.
She was in the middle.
My brother on one side.
Me on the other.
For some reason, the sight felt familiar.
I slowed down slightly.
I remembered being younger.
Kuya walking beside me.
And another girl walking between us.
The three of us had walked like this before.
Back then, everything had been simpler.
No powers.
No disappearances.
No golden threads.
Just three children walking home together.
I looked at Iris.
She was listening to my brother talk about something completely meaningless.
A small smile appeared on her face.
I smiled too.
Then—
She stopped.
I almost walked past her.
"Iris?"
She had grabbed the sleeve of my shirt.
I followed her gaze.
And my smile disappeared.
A man was standing ahead.
At the edge of an alley.
Golden threads surrounded him.
My heart dropped.
The same threads.
The same golden glow.
And then—
The thoughts.
*Come.
No one likes you.
Come with me.*
My eyes widened.
Not again.
Iris was staring too.
She could see them.
My brother couldn't.
He looked toward the man.
Then frowned.
"What is this man doing here?"
He sounded confused.
"Is he drunk?"
I looked at him.
He couldn't see it.
How?
The man slowly stood up.
The threads moved with him.
Then another thought reached me.
*I will go with you.*
I stepped forward.
Kuya immediately caught my shoulder.
"Kaizer, leave him."
I turned toward him.
"He's going to disappear."
He stared at me.
"What?"
I didn't answer.
I looked at Iris.
She was already looking at me.
She understood.
I started walking toward the alley.
Iris followed.
My brother sighed and came after us.
"Why are you two following him?"
No answer.
"Seriously, leave him alone."
We continued.
The man's steps became slower.
The golden threads seemed to tighten around him.
I could hear more voices.
Not just his.
Other thoughts.
Other loneliness.
All tangled together.
Then—
A shout came from inside the alley.
We froze.
Kuya stopped behind us.
"What the—?"
I ran.
I don't remember deciding to.
One second I was standing beside Iris.
The next, I was already inside the alley.
And then I saw him.
My father.
For one terrible second, he was standing there.
Surrounded by golden threads.
His face was distorted with confusion.
Fear.
Then—
The threads tightened.
His body disappeared.
Not slowly.
Not gradually.
He was simply there—
And then he wasn't.
I stopped breathing.
My feet refused to move.
I stared at the empty space where he had been.
"No..."
Iris came running behind me.
"Kaizer!"
She reached me and grabbed my arm.
I turned toward her.
My voice barely came out.
"He disappeared."
Her eyes were wide.
"I saw."
Kuya finally reached us.
He looked around.
Then at me.
Then at Iris.
Then back toward the empty alley.
His face was filled with confusion.
"Where did he go?"
I couldn't answer.
He looked around again.
"Why did he shout?"
Silence.
"Why are you two looking at that spot?"
Iris and I exchanged a glance.
He followed our gaze.
There was nothing there.
Nothing he could see.
His expression slowly changed.
"What..."
He looked at me.
"Kaizer."
I didn't respond.
"Where is Dad?"
I stared at the empty space.
I could still see the last traces of golden light fading away.
And suddenly,
I understood something.
My brother couldn't see them.
He couldn't see the threads.
He couldn't hear the thoughts.
He had seen a man standing there.
Then heard him shout.
Then watched him disappear.
But Iris and I...
We had watched something else entirely.
Something only we could see.
I looked at Iris.
She looked back at me.
Neither of us said it.
We didn't need to.
For the first time, those golden threads felt connected to only the two of us.
How?
That was the question I had no answer to.