It was around 11 PM, and Aaron was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. His thoughts kept drifting back to Ivy, and a shy smile tugged at his lips as he remembered how he had instinctively helped her tighten her hair earlier that day. The sensation of her soft, pink locks slipping through his fingers replayed in his mind, leaving him flustered all over again.
To distract himself, he decided to get up for a drink of water. Aaron walked over to his desk, only to find the jug completely empty. With a sigh, he stepped out of his room and made his way downstairs, the house eerily quiet at this late hour. As he entered the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and reached for the tap. But just as he was about to take a sip, he felt a strange sensation, like the world was glitching around him.
In the blink of an eye, the glass he held felt like vanished from his hand for a second. Confused, Aaron looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Maybe I'm just exhausted, he thought, brushing it off as a trick of his overactive mind. It had been a long day, and his thoughts about Ivy weren't helping him relax.
Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken by the distant roar of an engine. Aaron turned towards the sound, just in time to hear the tires screeching on the pavement outside. He rushed to the front door, peeking through the gap to see his father's car speeding away, its red taillights disappearing into the darkness.
Aaron frowned. It was unusual for his father to leave at such a late hour. In fact, Aaron realized he didn't even know what his father did for a living. Every time the family asked about his work, his father would dodge the question, changing the subject or brushing it off as unimportant.
Shaking his head, Aaron decided it wasn't worth worrying about. He turned to go back upstairs when a faint glow caught his eye. The light was coming from the basement, a place that had always been off-limits to him and his family. The door to the basement was slightly ajar, something Aaron had never seen before.
His heart began to race. Father must have forgotten to lock it, he thought, curiosity bubbling up inside him. This could be his only chance to see what secrets the basement held. With a deep breath, he walked towards the door, the urge to explore overpowering his hesitation.
As he reached the basement entrance, Aaron hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the old, brass handle. The air around him felt colder, a shiver running down his spine. Gathering his courage, he slowly pushed the door open, its rusty hinges creaking ominously. The dim light from below cast eerie shadows on the walls as he descended the narrow staircase.
With each step, the sound of his heartbeat grew louder in his ears. The basement was shrouded in darkness except for a faint, flickering light coming from the far end of the room. Aaron squinted, trying to make out shapes in the shadows. The air was heavy with a metallic scent, like old machinery or perhaps something else entirely.
As he reached the bottom, he could see rows of shelves filled with strange gadgets and dusty files. A large table in the center was cluttered with old maps, blueprints, and what looked like confidential documents.
But what caught his attention was a tilted painting on the wall, featuring a human and a monstrous being locked in combat. Aaron thought it was just a regular piece of art, but he couldn't shake off the eerie feeling it gave him. He knew time was ticking, and his father could return at any moment. He needed to find out what his father was hiding. The basement was filled with strange documents and unfamiliar machinery that seemed far too significant to be kept secret without reason.
Determined, Aaron began his search. The first thing he came across was an ID card. His father's name was clearly printed: Victor Gray. As he studied the ID, he noticed other details like employee id. There was a symbol of a strange organization, one he'd never seen before. His eyes quickly darted to the organization's name, which read: "Kage Corporation".
Aaron's mind spun with questions. What was this organization? Why had his father never spoken of it? He felt a sense of urgency as he continued to explore, uncovering files labeled with strange codenames and dates that seemed to link to events he couldn't comprehend.
Determined to find more, Aaron continued his search, hoping to uncover the mystery of what his father had been hiding all these years.
While searching aaron found a photograph, Aaron's hands trembled as he scanned the photograph in front of him. The image showed three boys standing together, their faces frozen in time. The one on the left was unmistakably his father, Victor Gray, dressed in a high school uniform, his face younger but still recognizable. The boy in the middle, however, was a stranger to Aaron his name and identity a mystery. The third boy, standing on the right, gave Aaron a strange sense of déjà vu. Something about him seemed eerily familiar, yet his mind couldn't quite place it.
As Aaron stared at the photo, he continued his search, his eyes landing on an old blueprint pinned to a yellowed document. The diagram was intricate, featuring complex machinery, but much of it was faded or smudged. Still, the words he could make out sent a chill down his spine. Phrases like "time disruption" and "reset" caught his attention, though the document's age made the details hard to understand.
Then Aaron's gaze locked onto a line that made his heart stop: "Human sacrifice to be used as the core."The words were clear and chilling, and they filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread. His instincts screamed for him to leave the room, but his curiosity kept him rooted to the spot. He needed to know more, to understand what his father was involved in.
Aaron's eyes moved down the document, where he saw a section detailing the approval process. He saw three people's signatures were required for approval to develop that machine, which Aaron did not know what it would be used for. The names on the document were Victor Gray, Rentaro Hawke, and Elias Reid. After reading this, Aaron wondered if Elias Reid was the father of his friend Ren Reid. Maybe I'll ask him tomorrow if his father's name is Elias Reid, he thought. Then he took a closer look at the blueprint. Though much of it was unclear, he noticed a container in the center of the machine filled with some kind of fluid.
Before he could investigate further, the sound of a car engine reached his ears. His father must have come back. Panic set in as Aaron quickly ran back to his room, his heart racing, hoping to avoid being caught as he tried to process everything he had just discovered. He barely made it in time, slipping into his bed and pulling the covers up as if nothing had happened.
The door to his father's room creaked open downstairs, and Aaron lay still, listening. He had to find out more, but for now, he would need to keep his discoveries hidden at least until he could learn more about Elias Reid and Rentaro Hawke, and why their names were connected to something so mysterious.
Aaron was trying to sleep, but he couldn't. His mind kept drifting back to everything he had learned that day, making him feel unsettled. The realization that his father had been hiding so many secrets made Aaron feel betrayed. His thoughts were a mix of confusion and dread.
In the morning, Lily came as usual to wake him up, but she noticed something was off. Aaron had already woken up, and when she came near him, she sniffed his hand. "It smells fishy, like a woman," Lily teased. "No wonder you don't need your sister's help anymore." As Lily bounced around, Aaron quickly got ready, and they headed to their respective classrooms. However, Aaron's exhaustion showed; he had barely slept the night before, and he couldn't focus on anything. He was yawning, and his eyes were sore.
When he reached classroom, Aaron saw his friend, Ren Reid, and after some casual greetings, Aaron asked, "What's your father's name, Ren?" Ren seemed puzzled. "Why do you want to know?" he asked. Before Aaron could explain further, he blurted, "Is your father's name Elias Reid?" Ren's face shifted, but he didn't respond. Instead, he just said, "I need to get some fresh air," and stepped outside the classroom.
Aaron felt guilty, worried he might have upset Ren. He rushed outside to apologize, but by the time he reached the school door, Ren was already getting into a car. Aaron stood there, feeling helpless and anxious about losing his first high school friend. The whole day, he couldn't concentrate on his studies, consumed by worry.
During class, Ivy noticed something was off and asked Aaron what was bothering him. "I had a fight with my friend," Aaron replied, not wanting to share his worries about his father's secrets. He didn't think Ivy could handle such heavy information. After school, Ivy asked if Aaron wanted to walk home together, hoping it might offer him some comfort. Aaron agreed, appreciating her company.
As they walked, neither of them knew how to start a conversation. Aaron noticed Ivy looking at him, but she seemed hesitant. Finally, Aaron broke the silence, asking, "How was your first day as class rep?" Ivy smiled and said, "It was pretty good, but I had a lot of work to do." Then, with a genuine concern in her voice, she added, "You know, you can come to me if you ever need someone to talk to or if you need company."
Aaron smiled in return. "Thanks, Ivy." Ivy smiled back, a little more seriously now. "You're the first person to win my trust, so please don't do anything reckless that could hurt those close to you." There was emotion in her voice and worry in her eyes, and it made Aaron blush. "Yeah, why not. You're my friend, after all," Aaron said, trying to hide his own feelings. Ivy blushed too, feeling touched by his words. They parted ways, and Aaron rushed home, his heart still racing.
When Aaron arrived, Lily was there, waiting for him. "You look kinda depressed, dude. Did some girl dump you?" she asked, teasing. Aaron didn't want to burden her with their father's secrets, so he lied. "It's nothing. Just exhaustion," he said, claiming he had stayed up late gaming. Aaron hurriedly ate dinner, exhaustion from the previous night's discoveries weighing heavily on him. As soon as he finished, he headed straight to his room, laid down, and fell asleep almost instantly.
The moment he closed his eyes, he was pulled into a dream, this time in the early morning light. It was the same dream he had been having, but now it was clearer than ever. He was running with a girl, gasping for breath, while she held his hand. Her face was still unclear, but she spoke to him. "This is the thing I want to show you," She said.
Aaron asked, "What is this statue of?" She replied, "It's the statue of the goddess of love. People say that those who promise in front of her will have their wishes come true. Let's make a promise, Aaron."
"I will always protect you, Kiwi, and love you with all my heart," Aaron promised. Kiwi smiled. "I love you, Aaron," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Before Aaron could process everything, he heard a shout from downstairs. "Aaron! Get down here right now!" It was his father, calling him.
Aaron's heart skipped a beat as he heard his father's voice booming from downstairs. He quickly shook off the remnants of his dream, the promise to Kiwi still lingering in his mind. For a moment, he hesitated, his heart heavy with the secrets he had uncovered. But he couldn't ignore his father's summons; it would only raise more suspicion.
Reluctantly, Aaron got out of bed and made his way downstairs. He found his father, Victor Gray, standing by the kitchen counter with a stern expression. "What took you so long?" Victor asked, his tone sharp.
"Sorry, I overslept," Aaron mumbled, trying to avoid eye contact. He could feel the tension in the room, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.
Victor studied Aaron for a moment, as if trying to read his thoughts. "You seem tired. Are you staying up late playing games again?" he asked, his voice softening slightly.
Aaron nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just got carried away. I'll be more careful," he lied, hoping to keep his father off his trail.
But Victor's gaze lingered, and Aaron felt a shiver run down his spine. It was as if his father knew there was more to the story, but chose not to press further. "Make sure it doesn't affect your studies," Victor finally said, turning away. "We'll be having a family meeting tonight. I expect you to be there."
Aaron felt a pang of dread at those words but simply nodded. As his father left the room, Aaron let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The air felt lighter, but only for a moment. There was still so much he didn't understand, so many questions swirling in his mind.
After being scolded by his father, Aaron hurried through his usual morning routine, the echoes of last night's revelations still fresh in his mind. Soon enough, he was heading to school, trying to push aside the unease that lingered from his dream.
Determined to find answers, Aaron decided to approach Ren again. During the lunch break, he made his way to Ren's classroom. He found Ren sitting alone by the window, staring out into the courtyard, lost in thought. Aaron hesitated but knew he had to clear the air.
"Ren, I'm really sorry about earlier," Aaron began, his voice sincere. "I didn't mean to pry. I just... I found something, and I was hoping you could help me make sense of it."
Ren turned to face him, his eyes guarded. For a moment, there was only silence between them. Then Ren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's fine," he said, though his tone was distant. "But why do you care about my father's name?"
Aaron took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "I found some documents among my father's things. There were three names: Victor Gray, Elias Reid, and Rentaro Hawke. I just need to know if your dad was ever a close friend of my father."
Ren's eyes widened, and for a split second, Aaron saw a flash of fear in his expression. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by a forced calm. "I need to go," Ren said abruptly, grabbing his bag and walking out of the room before Aaron could stop him.
Aaron felt a mix of frustration and guilt. He had pushed too hard, and now Ren was avoiding him. The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Aaron barely able to focus on his classes. Even Ivy noticed his distracted state, but he brushed off her concerns with a weak smile.
That evening, Aaron dreaded the family meeting. He knew it would be tense, especially with the secrets weighing on him. As they gathered in the living room, his father took his usual seat at the head of the table, his presence commanding the room.
"We need to talk about some changes," Victor announced, looking each family member in the eye. Aaron's mother sat quietly, her hands folded on her lap, while Lily fidgeted in her chair.
Aaron braced himself, expecting some vague explanation about work or a new rule in the household. But instead, his father's next words sent chills down his spine.
"We'll be moving to another city soon. It's for my job," Victor said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Start packing your things. We leave in a week."
Aaron's mind raced. A move? Now, of all times? He had just uncovered the beginnings of a mystery that tied his father to something dark and dangerous. Leaving now would mean abandoning all hope of uncovering the truth.
"But why?" Aaron asked, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Why do we have to move so suddenly?"
Victor's gaze hardened. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Aaron. Just do as you're told."
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Aaron clenched his fists under the table, trying to rein in his emotions. But inside, he was seething. There was no way he was leaving without getting to the bottom of this mystery.
Later that night, as Aaron lay in bed, he knew he had to act fast. He couldn't just leave without answers. He needed to figure out what his father was hiding, what connection Ren's father had to all of this, and who the mysterious Rentaro Hawke was.
With his father's sudden decision to move, time was running out. Aaron made up his mind. He would return to the basement tonight, no matter the risk.