Selene's words lingered in the air like smoke:
> "Because I don't believe in miracles. But you… you feel like one."
Aeron kept his face neutral, the way a poker player holds his breath at the final card. But deep down, warning bells were going off in his mind.
> She's dangerous. Even her presence feels like a leash tightening around my throat.
"I don't know what you mean," he said softly, offering a polite half-smile. "I just woke up a few days ago."
Selene didn't blink. Her red eyes were unwavering, like they were searching for cracks in his act.
> "That's what they told me too," she said, voice smooth. "That you forgot everything."
She took one step forward.
> Too close.
Aeron didn't move. He didn't want to show discomfort. In this world, weakness was like blood in the water.
Selene's gaze dropped for just a second—trailing over his face, neck, and the faint scar along his wrist from the accident he'd been in… or the death he came from.
"You're Lyra's twin, aren't you?" she said at last.
That caught him off guard.
"…Yes."
Her lips curved faintly.
> "Interesting. You don't look like her."
That was true. Lyra's hair was a softer white, her eyes pure and glowing, her features more delicate. Aeron's silver hair had a slight shimmer to it, and his white eyes had a sharper clarity—almost inhuman, like polished stone.
"Fraternal twins," he replied, his tone even. "I was told we were born minutes apart."
Selene didn't look away. "Who came first?"
"…Me."
"Of course you did."
He didn't like how she said that.
---
A moment of silence passed between them. Aeron could feel her studying him—not with interest, but with purpose. It was like she was recording him.
> She's already suspicious. She thinks I'm hiding something. I have to redirect her attention.
"Forgive me," he said. "Miss Argent, is there a reason you came here?"
She tilted her head slightly. "You're polite."
"I try to be."
Her gaze flicked to the notebook in front of him. "You're also smarter than you pretend."
He gave a small, empty laugh. "I just like reading."
Selene said nothing.
Then, without warning, she turned and began walking out.
But at the door, she stopped—without facing him—and said quietly:
> "I'll be watching, Aeron Kael."
And then she left.
---
Aeron let out the breath he'd been holding.
His hands were clammy, but his mind was sharp.
> That wasn't a meeting. That was a warning shot.
She was staking her claim. Letting him know she saw him.
And the worst part?
She hadn't shown a single flicker of interest in Lyra. Not once.
> That's not how the story was supposed to go.
---
That evening, Lyra found him in the garden.
She sat beside him on the stone bench, holding a cup of warm tea for him. The moonlight hit her hair like silver threads.
"You met her," she said quietly.
Aeron didn't ask how she knew. Of course she knew.
"I did," he answered.
"…Was she rude?"
Aeron smiled faintly. "She was… cold. Careful. But not hostile."
Lyra looked thoughtful for a moment. "She used to ignore people completely. If she spoke to you, it means she sees you as important."
"Comforting," he said dryly.
She gave a small laugh and leaned against him.
For a moment, it was quiet.
"I missed you," she whispered.
Aeron glanced at her, surprised.
"I mean… when you were asleep. For days. I sat beside you, wondering if I'd ever hear you speak again."
Her voice trembled for just a second.
"We were born together," she said, voice softer now. "You've always been the calmer one. I was the one who cried first, remember?"
He didn't. But he nodded anyway.
"I don't want to lose you again, Aeron."
Her hand found his.
And for that moment—just a moment—it wasn't twisted or dramatic. It was just family.
Twin siblings sitting in the quiet night, afraid of a future they couldn't see.
---
But deep inside, Aeron was already preparing for tomorrow.
Because tomorrow… he would begin building his second identity.
And the first brick was money.
> No one will protect me. I'll protect myself.
I'll build something in the shadows no one can touch.
Even Selene.