THE HOPES Kyla once clung to shattered as she collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the softness of her pillow. Beside her, Kiloil flopped down, resting his head against her back, his feet dangling off the edge of the bed.
"Why?!" she groaned into the pillow.
Kiloil kicked off his shoes, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through an app. With a tap, he cranked up the volume, letting a melancholy melody flood the room.
"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn…" a familiar voice sang mournfully.
"Alright, stop being dramatic teenagers," Gavin interjected from the small, hand-shaped couch in the corner of Kyla's room.
"I am dramatic teenager, nerd." Kiloil clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes as he tossed a small ball into the air, catching it effortlessly.
"The music's a bit much, though," Gavin mused.
Kiloil turned to glare at him. "Your world didn't flip upside down this morning, did it?"
"It didn't," Gavin replied flatly.
"Then stop telling us how to feel—you're being pretentious."
Gavin sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Why do they even let you read books?"
"To outsmart dummies like you."
Gavin groaned dramatically. "Who would believe you're only fourteen? You sound like an old man—bald, saggy, probably in a retirement home—"
"Stuff you, Gavin." Kiloil sat up, scowling, and hurled the ball at his cousin's face.
Gavin dodged just in time, flinging himself onto Kyla's soft, circular pink rug. He rolled as Kiloil lunged, aiming a kick.
"You're the actual oldie," Kiloil huffed, stomping at him. "You can't even get a girlfriend because you're fugly."
"Ouch," Gavin clutched his chest dramatically, flopping like a fish out of water. "Woe is me! I, Gavin, forever single with this hideous face!"
He struck a ridiculous pose—hands on his hips, lips puckered, sprawled out like a lazy forest nymph.
Kyla, her tear-streaked face still buried in her pillow, lifted her head—and, to her own surprise, burst into laughter.
Hard.
"Guys, stop, please," she said between giggles, wiping at her face. She grabbed Kiloil's phone and silenced the music. "We have more important things to deal with."
"Like what?" Kiloil asked, elbows up, before launching himself at Gavin like a WWE wrestler.
Gavin rolled out of the way just in time.
"Like figuring out why we're here," Kyla snapped. "Coming up with a plan! Sorting out our lives!"
Kiloil, sprawled on the floor, blinked up at her. "I think we should just go with the flow."
" Go with the flow? Our mother is alive," Kyla hissed. "There's no just 'going with the flow.'"
"And you guys have siblings," Gavin added. "Ones that actually know you. So maybe get your act together."
"And act like what?" Kiloil questioned.
Gavin frowned, studying them. "Your personalities aren't that different from before, at least from what I've seen. Despite, you know, everything. Though you do smell a little different—probably could blame that on the second transformation. Can't say that about you, though, Koi."
"You're taking this surprisingly well, Vinny," Kiloil noted.
Gavin shot him a glare. "I've seen weirder things."
"Like what?" Kyla pressed.
"My mother's matchmaking profile," Gavin huffed. "So, no offense, but your guys' problems? Not exactly world-ending."
Kiloil burst into laughter. "Aunt Deb's using a matchmaking service?"
"Yeah," Gavin snorted. "She's had two beta ex-husbands and is looking for a new one."
"Wow. That's something," Kyla murmured, still watching him from her pillow. "I remember when Dad signed up for Flicker."
"What's that?"
"A dating app for people with disabilities," Kiloil answered, finally sitting up—only to flop back onto the bed with a groan.
Gavin's eyebrows shot up. "You guys have dating apps? That's illegal here."
"So how do people date here?" Kyla asked, curious.
Gavin cleared his throat. "Usually, you go through your highest-profile matches on the GCN, get to know them since you have an advantage. Or you use a matchmaking service to find a straight-up partner—no messing around."
"So Aunt Deb's not messing around, then?" Kiloil laughed.
Gavin kicked at him on the bed.
"Childish," Kiloil muttered, lifting his legs out of reach.
Kyla rubbed her jaw as she sat up. "Now that I'm an Alpha, an S-Grade with abilities, I should have high-ranking options, right?"
Gavin studied her. "You'll have the best options. Wealthy businessmen, elites in every field. Rich doctors, lawyers, and top-tier omegas with high capabilities. Because of your abilities, elite households will be gunning for you."
"So we're finally gonna be rich," Kiloil grinned. "Make sure to build me a game room when the money hits, Ky. My happiness depends on you."
Kyla slapped the back of his head.
"Ow!"
A knock startled the three of them.
"Ky-pie, Oily-bear, my children," a small voice choked from outside the door. "Your mothers left, and I've managed to get rid of the other relatives. I'm just checking if you're okay. Aunt Deb's still here—we're gonna make a bigger late lunch for us. Just know that I love you both."
The voice faded as feet shuffled away.
"What do we do now?" Kiloil voiced.
Kyla stood up, snapping her fingers as she grabbed a large book and pen from her white shelf.
"We strategise!"