A soft rustle made me glance around my room. I hadn't switched on the lights, leaving my room dark save for the single beam of moonlight streaming in from the window. The silver light cascaded on the carpet and I saw the familiar white origami. I jumped up to my feet, making my way over to the window and leaned down, my throat tight. I had to warn whoever it was to leave immediately. However, the sight below made my heart ache with longing.

Zeph.

I couldn't see his face well, save for the tuft of dark, wavy hair under his hoodie. He waved up at me, gesturing at our front door as I nodded and swiftly ran downstairs. It was dark outside, much to my relief. I didn't know where dad was, but I wished to never find out.

I opened the door and without waiting for him to say anything, grabbed his arm and pulled him in. His eyes widened as I quickly pressed a finger to my lips, urging him to stay quiet. I gestured at the staircase as we slowly made our way to my room. I finally let out a breath when we entered and I shut the door behind me before rounding on him and whispered, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Goldie," he smirked before completely ignoring my question and starting to stroll through my room. He shoved his hands into his jeans as he gave a low whistle. "Saving on electricity are we? How noble."

"Zeph...y-" I bit my tongue the moment that I spoke. I could tell him to leave, but I didn't want to. Besides, my dad was probably at the House anyway. We should be fine till the morning. And if not, maybe I could just leave with him?

A tiny click sounded and my dim yellow night lamp came on. Zeph walked over to the bedside table, his eyes falling on the dusty photo frame that I kept there. "This your mom?" he picked the frame up and showed it to me. I glanced halfheartedly at the photograph of my mom from her wedding day. I nodded.

"Hm, you look nothing like her. Odd. I've never seen your dad but I guess you look more like him. Is he pretty?"

"You can't stay here," I said finally, walking closer to him and ignoring his odd question. "We...we possibly can't stay here."

"Not very hospitable are you?" he chuckled. "What's the rush? Did you mayhaps have plans?"

I raked a hand through my hair. His casual attitude wasn't going to help. If my dad could use his powers on me, I shuddered to think what he would do to Zeph.

"Dad knows about you. And...he knows that I know you guys. He's...if he finds you here he will really hurt you."

Zeph was the most stubborn person I knew. Maybe in a way, it was necessary. For his survival out on the harsh streets. And I doubted he would take my warnings seriously

He didn't seem to hear anything I said, instead casually reclining on the bed as he moaned, "Damn. It's been like a decade since I've been on a real bed."

It struck me for half a second just how completely different our lives were. How I didn't think twice about the basic things I had been granted by birth, while for him, everything seemed remarkable.

"Your dad knows about me you say?" he asked. "What exactly?"

"I'm...I'm not sure," I said. "He asked me today who I'm fraternizing with. That he knows it's people from the underbelly. And...you know how much he's against all the gangs down there. Especially Hawks. If he finds out I'm in contact with you-"

He didn't react, in fact, he didn't seem to be listening at all. He was gazing at the mattress, his lips slightly parted in awe. 

"Zeph-?"

"It's so weird. It smells like you."

"Huh..?"

"The bed. The sheets. Odd. I never noticed..."

"How the fuck is it odd? I live here, don't I?" I clicked my tongue impatiently as he continued to stare, awestruck. 

"Yeah...I just...didn't realise-" he didn't elaborate further, his cheeks turning slightly pink. What the fuck was going on? Why was he blushing?

"Is that bad then? That it smells like me? I shower everyday you know," I said, slightly offended. 

He smirked. "No, it's not bad. It's just-" he took a deep breath before sighing. "Never mind. What were you saying?"

"My dad," I repeated. "He knows about you." 

He seemed to be thinking something, the origami bird in his hand as he studied it intently.

"Zeph-" I sat beside him. "This...is partly why I'm telling you. If...if you let me stay at the Nest-"

"How long will your dad be gone?" he asked suddenly, without looking at me.

I did a double take. "Er...dunno for sure. If he's at the House he won't be back till tomorrow afternoon. Especially with the carnival and stuff-"

"Good," he rose to his feet, his eyes ablaze with determination. "Show me his room."

"Wh-why?" I stuttered. "If you do go in there...he will know for sure. Besides...what do you want to see there anyway?"

I had been to my dad's room only a few times. Never really having the reason to get close to him. Similarly, he had been to my room only a handful of times as well, preferring to keep the distance he had maintained since so long.

"If he strikes...we need to be prepared," he sighed. "Look, Goldie, I'm not beating around the bush, okay? I need formation on your dad. Anything against the Lightwielders that can help us be prepared. Any sensitive information and he has to have it in his office or bedroom or some place secure."

"You...you won't hurt him, right?" No way he would do that. At the end of the day, he was my father.

"Of course not, I don't need to," Zeph shrugged. "I only need to blackmail him. Enough that he leaves us alone. You're the only one who can help me here, Goldie."

I gazed at him, his eyes, shining as he pleaded. I remembered the way he had held me, comforted me. In a way that no one ever had. I would trust him with my life, even if he was rough around the edges.

I gulped but nodded. I led him outside into the dimly lit hallway. "Keep it down. Some of the servants are always on night duty."

He nodded at me as we tiptoed slowly past the shiny wainscotting and the grim photographs of my ancestors hanging on the wall. I was very aware of the painted eyes piercing through me, perhaps judging my every action. My stomach turned in guilt. Was I really going to help Zeph blackmail my own dad?

Almost as if on cue, a sharp sting on my hand reminded me of what he had done at dinner. Plus, Zeph was only doing this as a defense. If I told him not to hurt my dad, I knew he wouldn't.

We reached the ominous wooden door after a while, only distinguished by the intricate, carved lionhead door knocker which I remembered being terrified of as a child. He glanced up at the sconce of light and reached for it, my hand immediately burning as I hissed with pain, quickly retrieving the duplicate keys from it.

"Are you okay?" Zeph whispered as I nodded, cradling my burnt hand and handing the key to him with a warning that it was still hot. He nodded as he gingerly took the key and opened the door. I pushed it open apprehensively. Half wondering what would happen if my dad was inside, or worse, if alarms would blare off. None of the above happened however, and we locked the door behind us, basking us in impenetrable darkness.

"The switch should be here-" I felt along tapestried wall before coming across the small plastic switches. I clicked it on, basking the room in a soft yellow glow. Zeph gave a low whistle.

A large, four poster bed stood at a corner, neatly made with thick maroon quilts. A large portrait of my father and mother hung right above the bed. It was a very old photograph, possibly even before they got married and even though I had seen it a few times, it took me a second to realize that it indeed was my father.

Both of them wore matching colourful outfits. It looked way too silly for me to imagine my dad ever wearing it voluntarily. Both of them had cotton candies in their hands and were smiling widely at the camera. A smile which reached my dad's eyes. Something I had never seen in my lifetime.

A large fireplace stood on the left and a couch towards the right corner. A tall shelf stuffed with books stood beside it. The walls on the opposite side were covered completely with curtains, but I knew that the floor length windows overlooked the main street.

"That's your parents?" Zeph said, studying the photograph intently. "You really must have lucked out," he said, gazing at me sideways. "Did you maybe have a grandma or someone who was really beautiful?"

"Did you bring me here to talk about hot grandmas?" I sighed, my fingers already cold from anxiety. 

"Hey," he grinned. "You know some people are into that." Something about my expression must have tipped him off as he cleared his throat loudly. "Check his drawers," Zeph said. "I'll check his wardrobe."

I nodded, trying to swallow the bitter guilt rising up my throat. I walked over to the mahogany bedside table and reached for the topmost shelf. Spectacles, a notepad and a bunch of medicines. I flicked through the notepad, not understanding any of the gibberish written in there. It seemed to be some sort of financial statement, although I couldn't be too sure. I shut it and opened the next drawer, finding a thick album.

Out of curiosity, I picked it up, flicking through age old pictures of my parents and siblings. Arthur, my eldest brother with my parents on some beach holiday. Multiple photographs of them standing by the ocean, sitting around giant sea castles and eating junk food. The twinkle in my dad's eyes that I had never seen first-hand, seemed indomitable. I flipped over to a few pages later where Amelia, my sister had just been born. An excited Arthur peered over the infant Amelia. Multiple photographs of them at mountains, beaches, one at Amelia's music concert. Few more pages later there was Asher. With his signature toothy grin and thick rimmed spectacles. Pictures of three of my siblings playing in a park, at Arthur's national football match. All of them happy pictures, exuding joy and exuberance. Emotions I had never experienced in this household.

I flipped onto the last page which had more photographs of Asher, Arthur, Amelia and mom before seeing that the rest of the album was empty. My heart seemed to turn to stone, settling somewhere near my navel as a tide of emotions overwhelmed me.

No sign at all of me in the family albums. Not a single mention anywhere.

"Found anything?"

Zeph's voice almost made me jump. The catatonic ringing in my ears making the world around me incoherent. I couldn't understand. How could my own father hate me so much? Or was it because he really did believe what they said? That I wasn't really his son? If so, then why didn't he just give me up when I was born? Why burden himself with my existence?

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak as I quickly shut the album and put it back into its place. I was aware of Zeph's stare, but I couldn't break in front of him again. He had already seen too much.

"I found a bunch of folders," he nodded at the pile of folders he had kept on the carpet. "Mind helping me look through them? It'll be faster that way."

I nodded, glad to have something to distract myself. We sat on the floor and started to sift through the seemingly innumerable files. Most of them seemed completely irrelevant. Bunch of real estate statements, birth certificates, graduation certificates. I didn't stop to look for mine, knowing that he probably burnt everything that reminded him of me.

A part of me was suspicious as to how easy it had been to get the keys to his bedroom. Was it possible, that in his sick twisted way, he had wanted me to break into his room? So I could discover that he kept nothing reminding him of my existence? I wouldn't put it past him. Petty and cruel. Just as I had known him all my life. 

Or maybe he truly didn't know that I had eavesdropped and snooped on him enough in my childhood to know where he kept the keys. But that seemed too innocent.

I realized after a while that Zeph had stopped looking through the files. I glanced at him questioningly. He stood completely still. Not breathing, not moving. His eyes remained fixed on something written on the sheet of paper that he held in his hands.

"Zeph?" I leaned over, glancing at the paper as my breath caught in my throat.

Academy of Advanced Science and Research

Enrolment list for final shadowcaster batch:

"What..is this?" he turned to look at me, his face pale.

I gulped. "A..an academy of sorts. For the shadowcaster children. The orphans who had been saved."

"You...knew about this?" he asked in a scandalized whisper.

"I-" my throat turned dry as I nodded. "Yes...but...I don't know if your bother is there. Or what they even do there, I...I didn't want to give you false hope."

He shoved the paper in front of my face, pointing to a name at the very bottom of the list.

Zelos Shadowcaster. Age: 5

"He would be...fourteen now," he whispered. "Unless they fucking killed him."

"They...teach them stuff. Try to turn them...use their powers," I said. He had to be planning to go there. I knew him that much. But I had to stop him. "It's really dangerous. You shouldn't try to go there."

"Sometimes you speak like someone who's never experienced any loss, Goldie," he said, smiling sadly. "He's my brother. My only visage of a family. And...if he's alive, I have to find him."

He kept the paper back in the folder and stood up shakily. "Do you know where this academy is?"

"North of The House," I replied. "The entire place is like a huge campus. The officiates, the elders, the scientists and the kids, they all live there. It...it's really really dangerous."

He piled up the folders and kept them back on the top shelf of the wardrobe before he shut it and turned to face me. "You don't have to come with me. I'll go alone."

"You...you don't know where it is," I pleaded. "Zeph....dad already knows about you guys. He....has to be on extra alert. Especially with the carnival coming. Please...just-"

"Don't try to stop me, Goldie," he said softly, his eyes ablaze with the same determination and stubbornness that had got him in trouble countless times. Before I could say anything else, he grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the room. I shut the door behind me, guilt feeling like sand down my throat. Despite his exterior, he still cared deeply for Zelos. Was it just love? Or survivor's guilt? Whichever, he was clearly desperate to be reunited with him.

As we left my dad's room, the uneasy knot tightened further and further in my stomach. All of my dad's contempt against me, his mistrust in me, maybe in a way I had earned all that? Maybe I deserved to be treated the way he treated me. All this time my he had strived so hard to pretend like he didn't have a third son, and from what I had done today, I had proven that he didn't.

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So, what do you guys think of Aster's dad? Hate him yet :P And what about Zeph's relationship with Aster? I'd say it's...interesting. Historians however say they were room mates. 

Either way, thank you so much for reading! Hope you liked the double update and I'm so so excited for where this is going.