At Morning Arion a 17 years old blond Boy is driving to his Parents.
Parking his car, he stepped out and rang the doorbell. It wasn't long before Dale, his younger brother, opened the door, his expression shifting from surprise to cautious curiosity.
"Arion?" Dale asked, his voice uncertain. "What are you doing here?"
Arion sighed. "Can you get Mom and Dad? I need to talk to them."
Dale hesitated but eventually nodded, disappearing inside. Moments later, their father appeared, followed closely by their mother.
His father's gaze was cold and unyielding. "What do you want, Arion?"
"I want to come back home," Arion said firmly.
His mother crossed her arms, her voice sharp. "And what about your... extracurricular activities? The gang?"
Arion straightened his posture. "I'll go back to school. I'll even graduate. But I'm not leaving the gang."
His father's expression darkened, his voice rising. "Then you're not coming back here.
"You can't just throw me out," Arion shot back, his voice steady despite the tension. "I'm still a minor."
"Then maybe we should take this to the police," his father countered. "I'm sure they'd love to hear about your little activities—and your friends."
Arion clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
As he turned to leave, his father called out again. "Wait. Leave the car keys. That's my car, not yours. And don't think for a second you'll see a cent from me in the future."
Arion froze, then tossed the keys onto the ground without a word. He walked away, his heart pounding with anger and defiance, but he didn't look back.
---
The Auroralis Woods stretched vast and untamed, a labyrinth of towering trees and shadowed paths. It wasn't a place most people ventured into willingly, but for Ethan and Jake, it was the perfect spot for their latest mission.
"Keep up, Logan," Ethan called, brushing past a thicket of brambles. "We're close."
Logan scowled, swatting a branch out of his way. "Close to what? Getting lost?"
Jake, a step ahead, turned to face them. His dark hoodie and worn sneakers blended into the forest, but the faint glimmer of determination in his eyes stood out. "Ethan thinks there's an old stash out here. Gold or something. Found an old map online that points to this area."
Ethan grinned, holding up a crumpled piece of paper. "Not *gold*, genius. Coins. From some smuggling operation way back when. They say the loot's still buried out here."
Logan shook his head, his skepticism growing. "You dragged me out here for a treasure hunt? At night?"
Ethan adjusted his flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness. "It's not just for fun. Think about it—if we find this, we could sell it and make a fortune. Enough to get out of this dead-end town."
Jake chimed in. "Exactly! You always complain about how boring Hallinos is. This is our shot at doing something exciting."
Logan sighed but kept following. He didn't fully believe in their treasure story, but the look of determination on Jake's face and Ethan's enthusiasm made it hard to walk away.
The deeper they went, the quieter the forest became. Their flashlights cast long, jittery shadows on the uneven ground, and the occasional rustle of leaves kept them on edge.
"I don't like this," Logan muttered under his breath.
Jake glanced back, his voice calm but firm. "We're fine. Just a little further."
As they pushed through a dense patch of undergrowth, they stumbled upon a clearing. At its center was a rusted gate, half-hidden by vines and moss. Beyond it, a dark tunnel beckoned ominously.
Ethan let out a low whistle. "Now this is interesting."
Jake's flashlight beam danced across the gate. "Looks old... really old."
Logan frowned. "What's a gate doing out here?"
"Protecting something," Ethan said with a grin.
The three exchanged nervous glances before Jake stepped forward, pushing the gate open. Its hinges creaked, sending a chill down their spines. They ventured closer to the tunnel's entrance, the air growing colder with each step.
From deep within, faint voices echoed, distorted by the damp walls.
"Did you hear that?" Logan whispered, his heart pounding.
Jake nodded, his grip tightening on the flashlight. "Someone's in there."
Ethan leaned forward, peering into the darkness. "Think it's other treasure hunters?"
Before they could speculate further, shadows moved within the tunnel. Two armed men appeared, dragging a young boy between them.
"Phil," Logan gasped.
The boy, pale and frightened, struggled weakly against his captors.
One of the men spotted them. "Hey! Who's there?"
Panic surged through the trio.
"Run!" Jake shouted, his voice breaking the silence.
They turned and sprinted back the way they came, branches tearing at their clothes and adrenaline propelling them forward. The men's shouts and the crunch of boots on leaves followed close behind.
By the time they reached the safety of the open road, their lungs burned, and their legs ached. But none of them could forget what they'd seen—or the realization that they'd just stumbled into something far more dangerous than treasure hunting.
---
Later that evening, Logan sat on the bench in the high school gym, staring blankly at the polished floor. The basketball game had started poorly for him, his movements sluggish, his focus shattered by the events of the day.
The opposing team's lead was growing, but Marcus and Damian's exceptional teamwork kept The Knights in the game. Marcus's precise passes and Damian's aggressive scoring held the crowd's hope alive.
By the time the buzzer signaled halftime, Logan felt the weight of his failures pressing down on him. In the locker room, Damian was the first to speak.
"What the hell was that, Logan?" he snapped, his voice echoing in the tense silence. "You're supposed to be our point guard, not a liability."
Logan shot to his feet, his face red with anger. "Don't act like you're perfect, Damian! You think you're so much better than everyone else!"
The room grew tense as the two glared at each other, the air thick with hostility.
"Enough!" Marcus, the team captain, barked as he stepped between them. "We're here to win.Not to argue."
The room fell silent, the tension slowly dissipating. Logan slumped back onto the bench, his fists clenched. He knew Damian was right, but that didn't make the sting any easier to bear.
---
The tension in the gym was palpable as the buzzer signaled the start of the second half. Logan adjusted his jersey, forcing himself to refocus despite the distractions in his head. His team, though ahead by a narrow margin, looked weary, and Damian's sharp remarks from the locker room still stung.
The other team wasted no time in taking advantage of the Knights' disorganized start. Within minutes, their star player executed a flawless three-pointer, bringing them closer to tying the game. Logan's coach yelled from the sidelines, but Logan could barely hear him over the roaring crowd and his own thoughts.
Damian grabbed the ball during the next play, weaving through defenders like a machine. He scored a layup and shot Logan a quick, smug look on his way back to defense. Marcus clapped him on the back, but his eyes darted to Logan, silently urging him to pull himself together.
"Logan, wake up!" Marcus barked during a timeout. "We need you out there. Forget whatever's going on off the court!"
Logan nodded but felt the weight of expectation settle on his shoulders. On the next possession, he got the ball near the three-point line. He hesitated, then fumbled as a defender closed in, forcing a turnover.
Damian slapped his hands in frustration. "Why is he even on the court?" he muttered loudly enough for the bench to hear.
Logan gritted his teeth. As the opposing team scored another basket, the Knights fell behind for the first time that night.
---
Marcus called a play, and for a brief moment, Logan found himself at the top of the key with the ball. His defender was quick, but Logan saw an opening. He drove into the paint and passed the ball to Damian, who sunk a contested jumper.
"Finally," Damian muttered under his breath, but the crowd erupted in cheers as the Knights regained the lead.
From that moment, Logan seemed to find his rhythm—stealing a pass, grabbing a rebound, and setting up Marcus for a slam dunk that brought the crowd to its feet. Even Damian began to acknowledge Logan's efforts, giving him a quick nod after a successful defensive play.
---
With thirty seconds left, the Knights were clinging to a one-point lead. Logan found himself on the free-throw line after being fouled during a fast break. The gym went silent as he dribbled the ball, every eye on him.
The first shot rattled in. Relief washed over him, but there was no time to celebrate.
He took a deep breath and released the second shot. It bounced off the rim, and the other team grabbed the rebound, rushing to the other side of the court.
Damian and Marcus sprinted back, forcing the opposing star player into a difficult shot that bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Knights had won.
---
In the locker room, the team celebrated, but the tension between Logan and Damian lingered. As Logan sat on the bench, sipping from a water bottle, Damian walked over.
"You almost cost us the game," Damian said, his tone sharp but quieter than before.
Logan met his rival's gaze and stood. "But I didn't."
Damian smirked and turned away. "Don't let it happen again."
Marcus clapped both of them on the back. "Great game, guys. Let's keep this going."
But as the celebration continued, Logan's thoughts drifted back to the tunnel and Phil. Something about that discovery wouldn't let him rest.