CASSEDY GONZALEZ349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3moIBvEjfG
I stared hard at the white-haired boy standing across from me. Not just at him—through him. Like I was trying to laser-cut his thoughts open.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOCIibqzgI
Just how the hell did my 14-year-old brother meet this guy? Davis looked like he was at least 17—stone-faced, pale, and way too serious to be hanging around Adan.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAHK1ZD6pP
Giselle and Brielle were doing what twins do: asking rapid-fire nonsense questions.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEvj4M65C8
“What’s your favorite food?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE1Y7QMa8Q
“What’s your favorite show?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTVhz3vY0c
“What’s your least favorite show?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cfCK1BTu7
“What food do you hate the most?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4DwUAhB8K
They fired like two machine guns set to “annoy.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSjWIeGcLn
Davis answered every question.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVho930yXm4
Julian raised his voice from the back. “Hey, Albino! What happened to ‘Hi, nice to meet you’? You forget your introductions at home or what?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQsnFh4g9O
Davis didn’t even flinch. “No. And… sorry. I’m Davis. I thought Adan told you.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDqSBEjJeP
“Bro,” said Adan, arms crossed. “Assumptions aren’t nice, bro.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM1Fm51VgY
“Bro, you’re not nice,” Davis shot back.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLg3bUHqZj5
“Bro—”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxdpNkfsDB
“Bro, shut up before I beat you till you can’t bro, bro,” Julian growled.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ554EVEnprP
Davis looked uncomfortable. “Okay, fine…”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRLgYpIY9W
I sighed. The testosterone in the air was practically visible. I stepped forward and fixed Davis with my best ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ look.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoEp72oe8P
“So…” I began, stretching the word out like it was made of gum, “how’d you meet Adan?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy2Ndqmb2F
I tilted my head and waited for his response.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSykx5FjdRh
“We met at the park. Just talked.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvgrEXuoxU
“Mhm. And how old are you?” I asked, folding my arms.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonPJ85gBSN
“Seventeen.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlqkkQqNjO
I kept staring. Should I trust this guy? Something about him was off. Not in a “bad vibes” way. Just... hidden.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡludFF9eW9F
“How come I’ve never heard of him, Adan?” I asked, eyes still locked on Davis.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEezae0eyg5
Adan shrugged. “Cuz you never asked. Or I forgot. Doesn’t matter.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdStHvfHkoJ
I opened my mouth for another question—but Davis cut me off.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2ASYtPUAJ
“No more questions.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNax9wSDtoV
I blinked. “What?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RclciaXgY
He clenched his jaw, looked me dead in the eye. “No more questions.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5nP5dmWOS
Oh? He wanted to play that game? Cute.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58HQsfMUSW
“Why?” I asked, matching his energy, staring back into his soul with laser-beam eyes. I couldn’t explain it, but I just felt something was up with him.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXrzAkEChz
Julian broke the silence with a spark of sarcasm. “What is he, a mafia lord or something?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNfghHpqCT
Davis scoffed, only slightly. “What? No.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7UIripTdN
I turned toward Adan. “Well then, what do you know about this guy?”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSHOR6ylpC
Davis started to protest. “Hey—”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnDYkSBvz8
“It’s fine,” Adan said with a shrug. “We’re probably gonna see his dad anyway. You’ll figure it out.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjBAUu5MS3
Davis relaxed a bit, nodding to himself. “Good point.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK150tqsvyb
We finally arrived at Davis’s place.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgJa2oKoVX
It wasn’t what I expected. Not creepy, exactly—but sterile. Quiet. Like no one actually lived there.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtV4rHmyXgn
Julian stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with a grin. “Well... let’s invade this place.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsa86DmXMI
The twins bounced up and down, whispering about how huge the house looked, pointing at the windows and weird garden statues that didn’t quite match the vibe.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTi3ZNncuO
I followed in silence, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. That lingering stare. Probably Davis, mad at me for grilling him. But I wasn’t gonna give him the satisfaction.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATdJZze2Hx
When Davis opened the door, the first thing we saw was a grumpy man washing dishes. His back was hunched. His movements were stiff. He turned slowly, like someone had activated him.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cw50Cjif8
One look at his face, and my stomach dropped.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5V6utNQw1
Dr. Berithman.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwDFLKl35I
The scientist. The legend. Or, at least, he used to be. Before the incident. Before the people died.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtVyePhKYm
“What’s up with him?” I asked without thinking.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkf4E2pVt5y
Davis sighed. “That’s my dad.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpjwdYRgi1
I looked back at him, shocked. This is the son of the most infamous scientist in modern history?349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo9yFB89RH
Suddenly Julian’s voice called out from down the hall. “Hey!!”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8IqvlhBh1
How did I not hear him leave?349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mAQyhsckU
He was standing by a set of stairs—leading to a basement.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNXCwprB6Q
“Let’s go in there,” he said casually.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1oYPdr1k2
Davis bolted and slammed the door shut in front of Julian. “No. You can’t. It’s private. If we go down there, I’m dead.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqnhchiJBd
I stepped forward and nudged Julian back. “Sorry. He didn’t mean anything by it.”349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc1gyDKVuQ
The twins were already on the case.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpQUbVkGbo
“What’s in there?” Giselle asked, tilting her head.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXSZWTIDo6
“Why can’t we go in?” Brielle followed, louder.349Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGfE7KcjdN
Davis rubbed his temple, clearly done with everything. “Because. Rules. Now let’s go.”
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