Okay so first thing first, this chapter are requested by ArikuShiki

I hope this chapter met your expectations because you have a very detail request TvT

Abit warning tho, this chapter are cringe and rush since I trying to find time to finish this chapter

Okay again, read the first paragraf of this chapter.... Done? Yeah see the one I mention there?

So if all of you want to come after me, go for them too (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

We shall run together YnY

That is all, enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------- Blaze was a walking disaster, a whirlwind of chaos and mischief that left trails of trouble wherever he went.

If there was a rule to break, he would break it, if there was a prank to pull, he would be the mastermind behind it.

He was loud, fiery, and had a temper that could explode like a volcano at the smallest provocation.

But no matter how many times he got scolded by Halilintar, roasted by Ice, or chased around by an angry Solar for setting off another prank, he always bounced back, grinning like nothing could touch him.

Yet, beneath all the madness, Blaze was still a good brother, recklessly protective, fiercely loyal, and the first to throw himself into danger if it meant keeping his family safe.

He was the type to tease them relentlessly but would never let anyone else lay a finger on them.

His fire burned wild, but it also burned warm, a light that never wavered, no matter how much trouble he caused along the way.

No matter how many scoldings he got, Blaze always bounced back with the same fiery grin.

But what if someone manage to pushed the wrong button?

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"Blaze! Stop hiding my stuff!" Solar yelled as he failed to find his glasses and he was one hundred percent sure this was one of Blaze's pranks.

"Where are my glasses, crackhead?!" He demanded, glaring at the said brother who simply held up his hands and grinned.

"It's not me! I promise!" Blaze said casually, holding up his pinky finger.

"That's a lie, he hid it in the drawer over there" Ice said, not even looking up as he pointed toward the drawer near the TV stand.

"Ice! You are ruining the fun over here!" Blaze whined but Ice merely shrugged and continued packing his bag for school.

"Blaze! Where did you hide my cap?!" Blaze's attention soon snapped toward the stairs, where the eldest brother stood, glaring directly at him.

"I didn't see it!"

"That's also a lie, It's in the kitchen" Ice said nonchalantly.

"Ice!" Blaze yell while Halilintar groaned in annoyance before making his way to the kitchen, where he found Gempa preparing seven lunchboxes with the help of Taufan and Thorn.

"Oh! Hali!" Thorn greeted cheerfully, closing an orange colored lunchbox while flashing his biggest smile at Halilintar.

Halilintar gave him a quick pat on the head before looking around for his missing cap.

"It's in the top cabinet on the left, second row" Gempa pointed out while packing some fruit and handing it over to Taufan who happily took it.

"Thanks" Halilintar muttered before opening the cabinet, sure enough his black cap was sitting right there as he grabbed it and put it on with a huff.

"I swear, we need to put GPS trackers on our stuff if this keep going" he grumbled, rubbing his temple.

"Or you could just put it somewhere safe" Taufan teased while grinning which cause halilintar to shot him an unimpressed look.

"Nothing is safe when we have an idiot in this house"

"Me?" Thorn pointed at himself, blinking.

"No, Blaze" Halilintar deadpanned.

"Hey! I can hear you!" came the unmistakable voice of Blaze coming from the living room which make gempa sighed and shook his head.

"Oh, I thought you meant me" Taufan said, tilting his head and once again halilintar gave him the most deadpan stare.

"Oh, you are worse, you are a complete moron" Taufan gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.

"Language" gempa mumbled.

"How dare you Abang! My kokoro heart is hurt!"

"Ew"

Taufan sulked even more as he dramatically exited the kitchen, carrying two lunchboxes, one for Blaze and one for Ice.

He also dragged Thorn along, who obediently followed while holding a green and silver lunchbox in his hands.

As the two had just exited the kitchen, they can hear the argument in the living room grew louder.

"Blaze, you literally put my glasses in the fridge last week!" Solar accused, crossing his arms as he scowled at his older brother.

"It was an experiment!" Blaze defended, looking far too proud for someone who had committed such a crime.

"An experiment in what?! How long it takes for my patience to freeze?!"

"Relax, they were fine! They just had a little condensation"

"Condensation, my- " solar stop his sentence before taking a deep breath.

"Do you know how hard it is to see when your glasses are fogged up?!"

"Hey, that's just a free steam cleaning service, you should be thanking me"

Solar looked about five seconds away from throwing something at Blaze's face before he took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, and shaking his head.

"Whatever, I don't have time for this, i need to find my calculator"

He turned around and started rummaging through the couch cushions, then checked the shelves near the TV stand, but it was nowhere to be found.

A sinking feeling settled in his stomachas he slowly turned his head toward Blaze.

Blaze who had been watching the whole scene with a poorly hidden smirk suddenly stiffened when he realized Solar was now staring at him like a predator eyeing its prey.

"...What?" Blaze asked, feigning innocence.

"Where. Is. My. Calculator?" Blaze grinned, leaning back on the couch.

"Now now, why do you always assume it's me? Maybe you just misplaced it" Solar took a slow, threatening step forward which cause blaze to immediately pointed at Ice.

"Ice did it!" Ice who had been peacefully sipping his morning tea, didn't even glance up as he spoke.

"It's in the freezer" Solar let out a screech before storming off to the kitchen, while Blaze groaned dramatically.

"ICE, STOP RUINING THE FUN!"

"Not my fault you are predictable" Ice sipped his tea again.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Solar yanked open the freezer door and there it is, sitting neatly between a tub of ice cream and a frozen bag of peas was his calculator.

"BLAZE!!!" Back in the living room, Blaze flinched slightly before laughing nervously.

"Wow, he found it fast this time" blaze comment while Gempa who had been quietly packing lunch, let out a long suffering sigh.

"We need to start locking him outside" halilintar muttered loud enough that cause blaze to snap his head at his direction.

"Hey! Rude!" Blaze pouted before flashing his usual mischievous grin.

"Besides, who else would keep things interesting around here?"

Taufan who been watching the scene chuckle before he threw an arm around Blaze's shoulder with a grin.

"That's true! Our house would be way too quiet without him."

Solar came storming back while holding his freezer cold calculator.

"Do you know how expensive this is?!"

"Yup"

"And you still put it in the freezer?!"

"Yup!" Solar took a deep breath.

"I hate you" Blaze grinned wider.

"Love you too nerd"

Solar looked about five seconds away from launching his frozen calculator at Blaze's face when a voice cut through the chaos.

"Alright, enough"

Everyone turned to look at Gempa who had set down the last lunchbox and was now giving them all a pointed stare with his usual friendly expression was replaced with one of mild exasperation.

"We are leaving in five minutes, so put on your shoes and stop fighting"

"But Gem-!" Solar started, only to be silenced by The Look.

The one that said, I am done with all of you.

Even Blaze, master of chaos himself, knew better than to test it as he huffed dramatically and slumping onto the couch.

"Ugh fine, bossy much"

"You are the reason I have to be bossy" Gempa deadpanned before gesturing toward the door.

"Shoes. Now." Grumbling, everyone moved to grab their shoes.

Solar still annoyed muttered under his breath as he shoved his frozen calculator into his bag.

"I swear you are getting more and more annoying" Blaze snickered at solar's remark as he slipping on his sneakers.

"What? you gonna freeze my stuff in revenge?" Solar shot him a glare

"Thats actually a great idea"

"Solar" Gempa warned which cause Solar to sighed and grabbing his shoes.

"Fine" Halilintar now fully ready leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Can we go now or is someone going to start another fight?"

"Give it ten seconds" Ice said flatly, tying his shoelaces.

Thorn who had been quietly putting on his tiny sneakers, looked up at Gempa with a bright smile.

"I am ready!"

"Good job, Thorn." Gempa patted his head before looking at the others.

"Alright everyone, lets go before we are late" As they stepped out the door, Blaze grinned before nudging Solar.

"So~ about that freezing revenge idea..."

"Shut up, Blaze"

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The school hallways were buzzing with activity, students chatting, lockers slamming, and the occasional rushed footsteps echoing against the tiled floors.

Blaze was alone for once, something that rarely happened as all his brothers had scattered to their own classes, leaving him in a pocket of quiet that felt almost unnatural.

It was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

And then, as if on cue, he appeared.

"Yo, firehead" a voice sneered, stopping beside Blaze's locker with blaze didn't even turn to look, he already knew who it was.

Ryan.

(No offensed to anyone name Ryan, i am sure you are not like this)

The guy had been on his case for the past two weeks, nothing physical, nothing obvious, just carefully timed words, dropped whenever no one else was around.

Blaze had ignored it, he wasn't stupid, He knew Ryan wanted a reaction and he had no interest in giving him one.

But Ryan wasn't the type to give up easily.

"Still playing dumb huh?" Ryan chuckled, leaning against the lockers beside Blaze.

"Guess it makes sense, I mean it must be hard to think when your whole personality is just 'set things on fire and hope for the best'"

Blaze grabbed his books, slammed his locker shut, and walked off without a word.

Predictably, Ryan followed.

"You know, it's kinda sad actually" Ryan let his words linger before smirking.

"I mean, your brothers? They are decent, Halilintar? Scary. Gempa? Could probably make people drop to their knees with one glare. Ice? Smart and sharp tongued"

Blaze kept walking, the words rolled off him like water.

"But you? You are just a walking disaster, aren't you?"

Ryan's voice was laced with amusement, enjoying the game far too much.

"Reckless, Loud, Annoying, Always causing trouble" Blaze stifled a yawn and Ryan took his silence as encouragement.

"No wonder people say you are a annoying Brat that keep giving trouble to your brothers" Blaze finally stopped.

Not because of the taunts, he heard worse before, but because he needed to check his class schedule.

Ryan mistaking the pause for hesitation, grinned and stepped closer.

"You are nothing but trouble" he whispered.

"Someone that people have to tolerate because they have no choice" Blaze didn't react.

"I guess you will always be the same kid that thought he could play the Hero when in reality, you cause destruction" he continue but blaze still remain silence.

No reaction.

No stiff shoulders.

Nothing.

Ryan's grin twitched, waiting for something.

Blaze only glanced at his schedule, tilted his head slightly and then turned his attention back to Ryan with a slow, lazy grin.

Ryan clicked his tongue in annoyance because of it as blaze rolled his shoulders, giving a mock yawn.

"Sorry, were you saying something? Kinda tuned out there for a sec" Ryan's eyes narrowed.

"Tch, Figures, Guess even your brain's overheated" Blaze chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Man, you really need to get a hobby if you are spending all your time trying to get my attention." He tilted his head slightly.

"Wait... don't tell me you have a crush on me or something? Damn Ryan, I am flattered, but I am just not interested" A few students nearby snickered as Ryan's face darkened.

"Screw you fire freak!"

"Aw, love you too buddy" Blaze shot back, already turning on his heel and walking away.

To anyone watching, it was just another one of Blaze's usual victories, another taunt shrugged off, another insult laughed away.

Always untouchable.

But as he walked down the hall, the grin faded just a little, his hands curled into fists inside his pockets, not from anger, not from doubt, just instinct.

Because for a moment, just a moment, he remembered being six years old again.

Flames licking at his fingertips.

Ash where a building once stood.

Gempa's unreadable stare.

Blaze shook his head.

Nah.

Not worth thinking about.

The past was the past.

And Ryan?

Ryan was just noise.

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Blaze had gotten used to their taunts.

Ryan and now with his gang, Nate and Ethan had been at it for weeks, Following him, throwing insults his way, hoping to get a reaction.

(Again, no offensed to someone name Nate and Ethan)

But Blaze had made it a point to not take their word seriously as he knew exactly what they wanted, to see him snap, and he wasn't about to give them that satisfaction.

That was... until today.

Ryan smirked as he and his two lackeys flanked Blaze on either side, effectively boxing him in.

"Still pretending you don't care, huh?" Ryan sneered while blaze rolled his eyes.

"Still pretending anyone actually listens to you?" Blaze shoot back, Nate snorted at the remark.

"Oh, we know you hear us Blaze"

"Yeah" Ethan added with a grin.

"We just wanna hear you admit it" blaze sighed already exhausted by the contant taunt.

"Right Sure, Whatever helps you sleep at night" he said while pushing Ryan aside and walk away but this only cause ryan's smirk to widened.

"You know, it's funny for someone who acts so tough, you sure do run away a lot"

"Run away?" Blaze huffed a laugh.

"Buddy, I just have better things to do than entertain a bunch of losers with too much free time" Ethan whistled at his remark.

"Ouch, That's rich coming from a guy who almost burned down an entire town" Blaze tensed up just barely but forced himself to keep walking.

"Oh here we go again" Ryan grinned.

"What? Don't wanna talk about it?" Nate leaned in mockingly.

"C'mon Blaze, It's an important part of your history" Blaze didn't slow down.

"Yeah? So the time Ethan got stuck in a trash can, but you don't hear me bringing that up" Ethan's face turned red.

"That was one time!" Blaze smirked.

"And yet it lives rent free in my memory" Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Cute deflection, but we are not done here." His voice dropped, laced with mock sympathy.

"You do remember don't you? The fire? The screams? The way you completely lost control?" Blaze's jaw tightened.

"You act like I did it on purpose"

"But that's the thing, isn't it?" Ryan leaned closer.

"You didn't mean to and it still happened" Blaze inhaled sharply through his nose.

"Your point?" Ryan's grin turned sharp.

"My point is, you are dangerous Blaze, You always have been" Ethan clicked his tongue.

"Pyromaniac Freak"

"You can't control yourself" Nate added whole Blaze let out a dry chuckle.

"Man, you guys are really desperate for a reaction, huh?" Ryan smirked.

"Oh, we don't need a reaction" Then he stepped in front of Blaze, forcing him to stop.

"We already know the truth" Blaze clenched his fists.

"Move" Ryan ignored him, tilting his head.

"Tell me something Blaze, when was the last time your brothers really looked at you the same way?" Blaze scoffed.

"Oh, come on" Ryan's voice softened, almost pitying.

"Is sad to think that they been faking around you out of pity" Blaze's breath hitched before he shook his head.

"Yeah okay, We are done here" He turned to walk away, but of course they followed.

"Aww, whats wrong? Don't wanna face the facts?" Ethan teased.

"You can act like it doesn't bother you" Nate added.

"but deep down, you know it" Ryan's voice dipped lower.

"Your brothers must be unlucky to have you" Blaze groaned while Ryan smirked.

"Halilintar? Hes stuck cleaning up your mess"

"Gempa?" Nate continued.

"Probably wishes he didn't have to babysit you all the time." Blaze let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Oh no, Not babysitting, The horror" blaze rolled his eyes while Ethan snickered.

"Ice is obviously tired of you"

"Solar? Annoyed every time you open your mouth" Blaze waved a hand dismissively.

"Mmhmm Sure, Keep going, This is riveting"

"Thorn must hate you the most you keep burning his plants after all" Blaze's step faltered, It was barely noticeable, Just a split second hesitation.

But Ryan caught it.

"Oh? Struck a nerve?" His grin widened.

"We are not done yet"

"Taufan always laughs at you" Nate added, smirking.

"But has he ever laughed with you?" Blaze felt something twist in his chest.

It was stupid. Just words.

But... hadn't Halilintar sighed at him this morning? Hadn't Gempa given him that look, the one that screamed, Really, Blaze? Again?

Hadn't Ice been brushing him off more and more? Hadn't Solar been snapping at him? Hadn't Thorn...

Blaze clenched his jaw.

Stop, Don't think about it.

"Oh man, look at you! You are actually thinking about it aren't you?" Ryan chuckle while blaze gritted his teeth.

"Shut up" Ryan took a step closer.

"Face it Blaze, you want to believe they love you but deep down, you know the truth" Blaze spun around, eyes flashing.

"You don't know anything about my brothers!" Ryan tilted his head.

"Are you sure about that?" His voice was barely a whisper now.

"Or are you just lying to yourself?" Blaze opened his mouth, to argue, to yell, to do something.

But nothing came out.

Because for the first time after this whole week... he wasn't sure.

His fists clenched, his breath hitched, and then without another word... he walked away.

But the words didn't leave.

They stayed.

And as the minutes passed, as he watched his brothers interact with him, their sighs, their tired smiles, their moments of irritation.

He couldn't help but wonder.

...What if Ryan was right?

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Blaze refused to let Ryan's words live inside his head rent free, he wasn't going to let some loser ruin his day.

So, after walking away from Ryan and his gang, he shoved their words aside, shrugged off the lingering doubt, and carried on like normal.

Because nothing had changed.

Solar still called him annoying every time he got too loud.

Ice still ignored him sometimes, not because he was mad, just because he wanted to sleep.

Gempa still gave him exasperated looks whenever he messed around.

Taufan still laughed at him, with him, like he always did.

And Thorn...

Well, Thorn was still the same little brother who loved to give surprise hugs.

Everything was fine.

It was fine.

Until it wasn't.

It happened so fast.

One second, Blaze was walking past Thorn's garden, the next, an insect darted straight at his face.

It startled him badly.

A spark slipped.

Then another.

And then...

Fwoosh!

Flames licked at the leaves, curling and devouring the edges, blaze cursed under his breath and quickly stomped on the fire before it could spread.

But the damage was done.

One of Thorn's plants, his favorite one was nothing but ash.

Then...

A clatter.

Blaze flinched and turned.

Thorn stood frozen a few feet away, his watering can rolling on the ground, forgotten.

His wide eyes darted to the burned plant and then without a second thought, he ran.

"No!"

Thorn dropped to his knees beside the charred remains, his hands trembling as he reached out, like he could somehow fix it, bring it back.

But it was already gone.

"Thorn, I-"

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

Blaze's stomach twisted as Thorn's voice cracked, his little brother whipped around, eyes red, face wet with tears.

"Why?!" Blaze took a step back, hands raised.

"Hey, it was an accident-"

"You always do this!" Thorn's breath hitched as he gestured wildly.

"You don't think! You just act! And now look..." His voice wavered.

"You ruin everything!" Blaze flinched at the words.

"Thorn-"

"I hate you!" The words slammed into him, knocking the air from his lungs.

Everything went silent.

Taufan, hearing all the shouting from the house, quickly stepped in and placed a hand on Thorn's shoulder.

"Thorn?, calm down okay?"

Thorn's breath was shaky, his hands clenched into fists, he was still furious but even he looked surprised by what he had just said.

Blaze swallowed hard, forcing himself to shrug it off, to say something stupid, to act like it didn't matter...

But then he looked up.

And saw Halilintar.

His oldest brother had just stepped out of the house, he wasn't yelling, He wasn't scolding him.

He just... stared.

Not angry, Not mad.

Just disappointed.

And for some reason, that made it worse.

Much, much worse.

Taufan looked between them, struggling to find the right words, he always backed Blaze up, always tried to smooth things over.

But this time... he hesitated.

And that's when it happened.

The words.

Ryan's words come rushing to him.

"Your brothers must be unlucky to have you."

"Halilintar stuck cleaning up your mess."

"Gempa probably wishes he didn't have to babysit you all the time."

"Ice is obviously tired of you."

"Solar annoyed every time you open your mouth."

"Thorn? He must hate you the most, you keep burning his plants, after all"

"Taufan always laughs at you, but has he ever laughed with you?"

Blaze sucked in a sharp breath, the words looped in his mind, over and over, like a broken radio.

He tried to shove them down, to shake them off, but they wouldn't go away.

Because this time, they weren't just insults from some bully.

This time...

They felt like the truth.

And Blaze didn't know how to fight against that.

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Is been days since that incident, and blaze try his hardest to push down all the negative thought that have been haunting him.

Blaze clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he walked aimlessly, No matter how hard he tried to push Ryan's words away, they clung to him like a shadow, whispering doubts into his mind.

"You are a monster."

No, he wasn't... He couldn't be.

It was an accident! It wasn't his fault.

Yet, the guilt wrapped around his chest like chains, tightening with every step, The warmth of his brothers' love should have been enough to drown out Ryan's voice, but the doubt had already taken root.

"He is loved... He is wanted"

But was he really?

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Ice had always been good at noticing things.

Not because he was nosy, but because watching took less effort than talking.

And right now, as he watched Blaze from across the room, he saw what the others didn't.

Blaze wasn't himself.

At first it was subtle, he still smiled, still laughed, still messed around like always.

But Ice noticed the cracks, the way his laughter never quite reached his eyes, the way his smiles faded too quickly when he thought no one was looking.

The way he hesitated just for a second before joining the others in their usual chaos.

It wasn't like him.

Blaze never hesitated.

Taufan thought he was just tired, gempa figured he will get over it, halilintar as usual didn't say much, but even he had been watching Blaze more closely lately.

But Thorn..

Thorn still hadn't forgiven him.

That, Ice noticed the most.

Thorn used to follow Blaze around like a shadow, bright eyed and full of admiration, but now whenever Blaze was near, he would left.

"Thorn" Taufan had tried to talk to him once, voice softer than usual.

"Blaze didn't mean it"

Thorn stay silent and merely shrug before leaving the room but there something in thorns eyes that Ice couldn't quite name.

Blaze had been in the same room when it happened, he hadn't said anything. He hadn't even looked up.

And thats when Ice knew.

Blaze was breaking.

Maybe he hadn't noticed it himself yet, maybe he was trying to fight it, but Ice could see it clear as day.

The way Blaze avoided Thorn now, like he was afraid of making things worse.

The way he shrank slightly when Thorn walk pass him, when their brothers hesitated before patting his shoulder, when no one told him out loud that it wasn't his fault.

They didn't mean to and unknowingly to them that they were proving Ryan's words true.

"You are a monster."

Blaze was starting to believe it.

Ice let out a slow breath, leaning back against the wall, it was getting worse if no one did anything, Blaze would...

He didn't want to think about it.

So that evening, when the others were distracted, Ice found Blaze staring blankly at the backyard and without hesitation approached him.

"You are off" Ice said simply as Blaze barely reacted.

"Just tired"

"Liar." This time, Blaze stiffened as ice waited for a snap, an eye roll, an insult, Something, Anything.

Instead, Blaze let out a bitter laugh.

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"The truth" Blaze shrugged.

"There's nothing to say" Ice wasn't convinced, but before he could push further, Blaze suddenly tensed.

His gaze flickered to the doorway and Ice followed his eyes.

Thorn.

He stood there, watching with his fists clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line.

But he said nothing.

And that silence, Ice could feel how much it crushed Blaze, the moment stretched too long and blaze was the first to look away.

"See?" His voice was quiet, distant.

"Nothing to say" Then he turned and walked off.

Ice didn't stop him.

Instead, he looked at Thorn and for once, there was no anger in his eyes.

Only hesitation, Only conflict, Only pain.

Thorn wasn't the only one who hadn't forgiven Blaze as blaze hadn't forgiven himself either.

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It become more and more obvious that something is wrong, terribly wrong.

It started with silence.

At first, no one noticed, blaze was still there, still moving, still doing things.

He just wasn't talking, wasn't causing trouble, isn't loud and didn't complain to every little thing happened.

Which was strange.

Blaze always had something to say whether it was teasing, complaining, or just making noise for the sake of it.

But now? Nothing.

At breakfast, Blaze didn't argue when Solar called him annoying, he didn't complain and being dramatic when Halilintar sighed and muttered something about him being a handful.

He didn't even react when Gempa scolded him for being reckless the other day.

He just sat there... Quiet.

And that wasn't Blaze.

Ice studied him carefully, his usual fire was gone, replaced by something... hollow.

And the worst part? Thorn was still mad at him.

Thorn who usually forgave quickly still refused to talk to him, still avoiding him and looking away when their gaze met.

And Blaze just took it.

Like he agreed with it.

Ice frowned, something was wrong.

The others started to notice too.

"Blaze?" Solar call out with frown, but there is no response.

"Are you sick or something?" Taufan nudged him while blaze only blinked at him, like he barely heard the question.

"No" His voice was flat, Lifeless even which cause gempa to put down his spoon.

"Okay whats up with you? You have been acting weird"

"Nothing" Blaze muttered.

That was a lie.

Even Halilintar looked concerned now.

"Blaze" Ice finally spoke, carefully choosing his words,

"whats going on?" Blaze looked at him for a long moment, then in the softest, most broken voice Ice had ever heard from him.

"Does it really matter?" The air in the room turned heavy, the table went silent and ice felt his stomach drop.

"What?" Solar asked, suddenly unsure.

"What do you mean?" Blaze didn't answer, He just sat there and staring at his barely touched plate, fingers gripping his fork too tightly.

"Of course it matters" Gempa said, frowning.

"Why would you say that?" Blaze let out a humorless chuckle, but there was no humor in his eyes.

"I dunno" he muttered.

"Maybe because… maybe because it doesn't" His brothers exchanged looks, shifting uncomfortably.

"What’s going on with you?" Halilintar finally asked, his voice quieter than usual while blaze shook his head.

"Nothing, Just forget it" But Ice couldn’t, none of them could.

Because Blaze wasn’t okay and none of them had any idea why.

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The school hallway was quieter than usual as Halilintar, Ice, and Thorn walked together.

Students passed by, chatting and laughing but none of them paid attention to the three brothers deep in conversation.

Taufan was in class, Gempa was busy with student council duties, and Solar had gone straight to the library, leaving just the three of them.

And Blaze?

Blaze had left earlier than them, alone.

Which was another thing that wasn’t normal.

"I still don't get it'" Halilintar muttered, crossing his arms.

"Blaze never shuts up, Now he won't even talk"

"He's been like this for days" Ice added, his voice calm but laced with concern.

"It’s not just the silence, he doesn't fight back anymore, he doesn't argue, He just… takes it" Halilintar frowned at his word.

"You think something happened?"

"I know something up" Ice sighed, rubbing his temple.

"The question is what?"

Thorn had been quiet the whole time, walking slightly behind them with his usual bright, innocent expression was missing, replaced by something guilty.

Ice noticed the look as he glanced at Thorn before asking,

"What about you?" Thorn stiffened.

"W-What about me?"

"You are still mad at him" Halilintar pointed out.

"That’s not helping" Thorn flinched.

"I…" He hesitated, gripping the strap of his bag tightly.

"I was mad, But… I am not anymore" Ice and Halilintar both stopped walking while Thorn lowered his head.

"I forgave him" he said quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

"I forgave him a while ago…" Ice narrowed his eyes.

"Then why haven't you said anything?" Thorn swallowed hard.

"Because… because I was scared" Halilintar blinked.

"Scared?" Thorn nodded.

"I… I thought that I went too far and that I made him feel worse" he pause for a moment with his eyes slowly getting glassy.

"I am scared if I tried to talk to him now, I will just upset him more…" His voice wavered.

"I didn't want to make things worse, so I didn't say anything, but now…" He looked up at them, his eyes filled with guilt.

"Now I think I already did" The weight of his words settled between them as Halilintar sighed and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ice didn’t say anything.

But in his mind, pieces of a puzzle were starting to form.

Blaze had been acting different ever since that day, the day he and Thorn fought, The day Thorn shut him out.

And now Thorn was scared to approach him, thinking it was his fault.

But Ice had a sinking feeling that Blaze's behavior wasn't just about Thorn.

Something else was going on.

Something none of them saw.

And they need to figure it out soon…

Ice had been lost in thought, his mind replaying the conversation with Halilintar and Thorn over and over again.

Something was wrong with Blaze, that much was clear but what exactly...

"No one loves you, fire freak!" Ice’s entire body froze.

Fire

There was only one person that word could be referring to.

Blaze.

His heart skipped a beat before it dropped, and then he was running.

"Oi?! Ice?!" Halilintar called, startled by the sudden run.

Thorn barely had time to react before both of them hurried after him, following as Ice sprinted down the hallway like a storm ready to strike.

Ice didn't stop.

Didn't think.

Didn't care.

His feet carried him to an open space near the stairwell, where he saw them.

Blaze.

And three boys standing in front of him.

Blaze wasn't saying anything.

He just stood there, his usual fire... his usual Blaze-ness... completely missing.

He looked small.

And then...

one of the boys shoved him.

It wasn't hard, not enough to make him fall, but enough to send a message. A cruel, taunting push meant to see how far they could go before Blaze finally snapped.

But Blaze didn't snap.

He didn't push back, didn't glare, didn't even react. He just stood there, his head slightly bowed, his fists clenched at his sides, shoulders tense but unmoving.

As if he already given up.

"You are a monster, Blaze" Ryan smirk seeing how his word manage to get inside Blaze's head.

"A problematic psychopath that did nothing but cause trouble" he lean closer to him, giving fake sympathy.

"You know your brothers would be happy if you weren't around" nate casually said as if its the most obvious truth.

"Much, much happier" ethan added as he now chuckle at his reaction.

"So why don't you do everyone a favor and jump off the rooftop?" Ryan happily suggest which cause blaze to flinched, his eyes wide, but he didn't deny it.

He just stood there, before nodding his head, like he agreed with them.

That was the final straw.

Ryan barely had time to react before

CRACK!

Ice's fist slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the floor. The sharp sound of bone snapping echoed through the hallway. Blood dripped from Ryan’s nose as he groaned in pain, clutching his face.

The air turned frigid.

Ice never played violently.

He never needed to, He always relied on sharp words, cold glares, and well placed sarcasm to get his point across.

But right now?

Right now, he didn't care.

His usually tired, indifferent gaze was now terrifyingly sharp, glowing an eerie blue as his power crackled around him.

The air around them seemed to freeze as the temperature dropped, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

Ice was mad.

Mad at Blaze for believing these words.

Mad at these scumbags for daring to say such word to his brother.

Mad at himself for not noticing sooner.

"Say that again" Ice's voice was unnervingly calm, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Go on! Say it to my face!" Ryan groaned, trying to scramble up.

Ryan clutched his bleeding nose, his face contorted in pain and shock as he scrambled backward with his mind raced, trying to regain control of the situation, but the moment he locked eyes with Ice, a shiver ran down his spine.

That look... sharp, cold, and filled with something terrifying made his stomach churn.

"I-It was just a joke!" Ryan stammered, his voice higher than usual.

"You guys are overreacting! I didn't mean it!" Ice let out a short, humorless laugh but there was no humor in his eyes, only pure seething rage.

"Joking?" His voice was dangerously quiet, almost a whisper, but it carried a weight that sent chills down everyone's spine.

Then, without warning.

BANG!

Ryan barely had time to yelp before Ice grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the lockers, the metal dented slightly from the force, rattling loudly through the hall.

A gasp rippled through the crowd as students began gathering, drawn by the commotion.

Ice's grip on Ryan's uniform was unyielding, his knuckles turning white with his normally indifferent eyes glowed an intense, terrifying blue.

Beneath his feet, frost began to creep outward, spreading like cracks in shattered glass.

"JOKING?" Ice's voice boomed, his breath visible in the suddenly frigid air.

Ryan tried to shrink away, but Ice pushed him harder against the locker, the cold seeping through his clothes, biting at his skin.

"YOU CAN'T SAY THAT AND EXPECT TO WALK AWAY LIKE IT'S NOTHING!" Ice snarled, his voice shaking with fury.

His fingers twitched and the frost beneath him spread faster, creeping up the lockers, freezing the air itself.

Ryan was frozen in fear, literally and figuratively, his lips trembled but no words came out with his usual smirk was completely gone.

Blaze still standing a few steps away finally snapped out of his daze, his heart pounded as he watched Ice lose control, the temperature dropping dangerously low.

This was bad.

He knew Ice rarely got truly angry, but when he did, things could spiral out of control fast.

And right now, Ice wasn't stopping.

Acting on instinct, Blaze rushed forward and grabbed Ice's arm, gripping it tightly.

"Ice, stop!" he shouted, his voice sound desperate.

Ice didn't move, didn't blink, didn't even acknowledge him at first, the blue glow in his eyes remained, the frost continued to spread.

"Let him go ice!" Blaze said, his grip tightening.

Still, no reaction.

Blaze gritted his teeth.

Fine.

If Ice wasn't going to listen to words, he will make him listen another way.

With all his strength, Blaze yanked Ice back.

Ice stumbled slightly, blinking in surprise as Blaze forcefully pulled him away from Ryan. His glowing eyes flickered as he turned to face Blaze, anger still burning in his gaze.

But before Blaze could even calm him down.

BUGH!

another punch was landed, but this time it wasn't ice's,

It's halilintar's.

Halilintar stood over him, his face unreadable but his stormy eyes said everything.

He was furious.

Not just at Ryan.

At himself.

He had failed, failed to notice the signs, failed to protect his brother, failed to stop this before it got this far.

And so, for the first time in a long time...

Halilintar didn't hold back.

Ryan groaned and trying to crawl away, but Halilintar grabbed his collar, his voice dangerously low.

"You think you can say that kind of crap and walk away?" Ryan whimpered.

"You think breaking someone down makes you powerful?" Halilintar's grip tightened.

"You are pathetic"

THUD!

Ryan let out a pained gasp as Halilintar's fist slammed into his stomach, knocking the air out of him, He barely had time to recover before...

WHAM.

Another punch. Then another. And another.

Ryan’s gang could only watch in horror as their leader was beaten into a bruised, trembling mess on the ground.

"Stop!" One of them finally had the courage to shout.

"H-Halilintar, you are gonna kill him!"

But Halilintar didn't stop.

He would have kept going.

Until-

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

A new voice rang through the air, cutting through the tension like a blade.

Everyone turned toward the source

Gempa.

Before Halilintar could throw another punch, a strong hand grabbed his arm, stopping him mid swing. Another wrapped around his other arm, pulling him back with steady force.

"Hali, stop!" Gempa's voice was firm but not angry, his grip was unyielding as he struggled to hold Halilintar back.

Halilintar thrashed for a moment, breathing hard, still burning with fury.

"Let me go!" he barked, eyes still locked onto Ryan, who was already on the ground, bloodied and shaking.

"No" Gempa shot back, his voice unwavering.

"Not until you tell me what's going on, What did he do? Why are you beating him to a pulp?"

Halilintar's teeth clenched, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his hands still curled into fists.

He didn't answer.

"Hali!" Gempa pressed.

"Talk to me, What did he-"

"He told Blaze to kill himself!" Ice’s voice tore through the tension, raw and furious.

Gempa's head snapped toward Ice, stunned. Ice’s hands were balled into fists at his sides, his body trembling with unspent rage.

His eyes, usually so calm, were glassy with unshed tears.

Gempa barely had time to process those words before Ice turned again, this time to Blaze who been holding him from behind, his expression twisting into something even more painful.

Something close to devastation.

"And this idiot is thinking about it!" Ice choked out.

Blaze still gripping Ice's arm to hold him back, stiffened as gempa felt the air leave his lungs.

His grip on Halilintar slackened slightly as he turned his gaze to Blaze, searching for any sign that Ice was wrong, that this was some kind of mistake.

But Blaze wouldn't meet his eyes.

Gempa's hands curled into fists, his usual warmth was gone, replaced with a cold, simmering fury. His jaw tightened as he turned back to Ryan, who was still cowering on the ground.

For the first time in his life, Gempa wanted to hit someone who isn't an evil alien in space.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus to blaze fully, letting halilintar go in the process.

"Why?" Gempa's voice trembled as he asked to his brother.

His eyes searched Blaze’s face, desperate for an answer, but Blaze only looked away, lips pressed into a thin line.

His hands clenched into fists as if holding back everything he wanted to say but couldn't.

Before Gempa could push further, Ice suddenly turned around and pulled Blaze into a tight hug, gripping him like he would disappear if he let go.

"You moron" Ice muttered, voice thick with emotion.

"Don't you dare to think about it!" He choked on his words, his arms tightening even more.

Blaze stiffened at first, then exhaled shakily, his body slumping slightly into Ice’s embrace. His fingers curled around Ice’s hoodie, holding on like a lifeline.

Meanwhile Halilintar was back at Ryan, his anger unchecked, but Gempa barely registered it. His focus was entirely on Blaze, on the brother who had actually considered Ryan’s words.

The thought sent a sharp, painful pang through Gempa’s chest.

"Blaze…" Gempa’s voice was quieter this time, filled with raw emotion.

He wanted to shake Blaze, to demand why he would even think about something like that, but at the same time, he didn't want to scare him off.

Instead he gently placed a hand on Blaze's back, grounding him and reminding him that they were here.

That he wasn't alone.

Ryan let out a pained grunt as Halilintar landed another punch, but at this point, no one seemed to care.

Not even gempa who despise violence.

.

.

.

.

.

The infirmary was silent except for the occasional rustle of movement, the nurse had reluctantly agreed to give them space, leaving the brothers alone in the dimly lit room.

Blaze sat on one of the beds, his hands resting limply on his lap, eyes downcast, His mind was a storm as Ryan’s words still echoed in his head, wrapping around his thoughts like chains.

Then, before he could react, something warm crashed into him.

"Blaze!" Thorn’s arms wrapped around his torso, gripping him tightly.

His body trembled and when Blaze hesitantly looked down, he saw Thorn’s face buried in his chest, his fingers clutching his shirt like he was afraid Blaze would disappear.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, I didn’t mean it" Thorn choked out, his voice high pitched and raw.

"I never meant it, i swear! Please, please don’t be mad, don’t-" His breath hitched as he tightened his hold, his whole body shaking.

Something in him wanted to believe it, to believe Thorn’s words, but Ryan’s voice still slithered in his mind.

"Is sad to think that they been faking around you out of pity"

His hands hovered uncertainly before resting on Thorn’s back.

"…It’s fine" he muttered, but even he wasn’t sure if he meant it.

"No, it’s not!" Thorn sobbed, shaking his head against Blaze’s chest.

"You are my big brother! I love you! I didn’t mean it, I was stupid, I was mad, but I didn’t...” His voice broke, and he sniffled, his grip never loosening.

"I don't hate you! Please don’t believe what Ryan said!" Blaze flinched, his fingers curled into Thorn’s shirt.

Blaze slowly look down to see thorn's cheek were wet with his tears.

Blaze hated it.

Hated that he was the reason Thorn was hurting.

Hated that he couldn't just accept their words.

Hated that Ryan had planted a seed of doubt so deep it refused to leave.

The mattress dipped slightly beside him, he barely registered it until a familiar presence settled next to him.

"Blaze" Ice’s voice was calm but there was an underlying weight to it, blaze didn’t move, didn’t look at him.

Then Ice reached out and took his free hand, the one that wasn’t caught in Thorn’s desperate grip.

"If you think we would be happier with you dead" Ice said, voice quiet yet unwavering,

"then you are very wrong" Blaze swallowed, his throat suddenly tight.

Ice’s grip on his hand tightened slightly as he lowered his voice, his words slow and deliberate.

"We won’t be happier without you"

Blaze exhaled shakily, his vision blurred for a moment, his fingers curled around Ice’s hand without thinking.

He wanted to believe them.

He really, really did.

Blaze continue to sat in silence, his fingers still loosely curled around Ice’s hand with thorn’s quiet sniffles were the only sound in the room.

The weight in his chest didn’t feel as crushing as before, but the doubt still lingered, stubborn and unshakable.

Then, Gempa finally spoke.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” His voice was quiet, but there was something raw beneath it... Hurt, frustration, maybe even guilt.

Blaze clenched his jaw and looking away, he didn’t want to answer, he didn’t know how to answer.

Why?

Because he didn’t want to be a burden?

Because he thought they wouldn’t care?

Because deep down he wasn’t even sure if he believed he deserved to be listened to?

"…It doesn’t matter"

"Yes, it does" Gempa’s response was instant and firm but before he could push further, the infirmary door suddenly burst open with a loud BANG!

Everyone jumped as the door slammed against the wall, and in the next second-

"BLAZE!"

Taufan came barreling in, his usual carefree energy nowhere to be found and instead, His eyes were blown wide with panic, his breathing ragged like he had sprinted the whole way.

And right behind him was Solar, his brows furrowed in deep concern.

Blaze barely had a second to process before Taufan lunged.

Thorn and Ice instinctively moved back just in time as Taufan grabbed Blaze by the shoulders and shook him. Violently.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Taufan’s voice cracked, loud and desperate.

His hands trembled as they gripped Blaze’s shoulders tighter, shaking him again as if trying to force an answer out of him.

Blaze’s head snapped forward and back from the movement, and he barely managed to grab Taufan’s wrists to steady himself.

"T-Taufan"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SCARED WE WERE?!" Taufan practically yelled in his face, his usual playful tone replaced with raw, unfiltered panic.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Why?!"

Solar placed a hand on Taufan’s shoulder, his grip firm despite the obvious worry on his face.

"Taufan, Calm down"

"Calm down?!" Taufan’s voice was strained, his eyes wild with emotions he wasn’t used to handling.

"How do you expect me to calm down after...after..." His breath hitched, his grip on Blaze shaking even more.

Blaze stared at him, stunned, unable to find the words.

Taufan was never like this.

He was always the carefree, easygoing one, the one who laughed things off, who made stupid jokes even in the worst situations. Seeing him like this...so desperately upset felt… surreal.

Something deep inside Blaze twisted painfully.

He had scared them.

Really, really scared them.

Blaze barely had a second to recover from Taufan’s outburst before a sharp smack landed on his head.

He flinched, blinking in surprise as he looked up only to meet Solar’s gaze.

Solar stood before him, his usually sharp eyes clouded with something heavy, something aching. His lips were pressed into a thin line, but his voice was barely above a whisper as he mumbled,

"You didn’t believe his words, did you?" Blaze froze.

"Tell me, why you didn't want to tell us about this?" The raw hurt in Solar’s tone made something inside him crack, He swallowed hard, dropping his gaze.

"…I didn’t want to bother you" His voice was quiet, hollow.

"I don’t deserve to be loved or cared for..." His word cause them to widen in suprise.

"I am just a mistake, a problem, a monster" He clenched his fists, shoulders trembling.

"It would be better if I was-"

SMACK!

Another hit landed on his head, sharper than the first which cause Blaze’s eyes to widened, he turned slowly, expecting to see solar again

But it wasn’t.

It was Halilintar.

Blaze stiffened.

Halilintar stood in front of him, his hand still raised from the smack, his eyes dark with something unreadable, something heavy.

"You idiot" Halilintar's voice was quiet, but it was the kind of quiet that carried weight, that settled deep in the bones and refused to leave.

Blaze flinched but said nothing, his head lowered, fists clenched in his lap.

"Do you have any idea how annoying you are?" Halilintar’s tone was sharp, but his voice wavered, betraying the emotions barely held together beneath the surface.

"You are a pain Blaze, A reckless, stubborn, frustrating pain"

"Hali don't-" gempa word got cut off when hali raise his hand to him, signaling gempa to let him finish.

"You mess up all the time, you get into trouble, you act before you think, and you drive us insane with the way you throw yourself into danger like you don’t care what happens to you"

Blaze swallowed hard, his fingers curling tighter, he didn't need to hear this.

He already knew.

"You make me so mad that sometimes I want to shake you until you get it through your thick skull to stop causing so much trouble for us!" Halilintar’s voice cracked, his breath unsteady as he took a shaky step closer.

Taufan tried to block his path, afraid that he will do something that they will regret if they didn't stop him, but Taufan saw something in hali's eyes and stop.

"And yet…" His voice broke completely, and for the first time, Blaze saw it..

The raw, unfiltered pain in his oldest brother’s eyes.

"And yet, you are still my brother" Halilintar's voice was nothing more than a whisper now, barely holding itself together.

"My little brother, my reckless, stubborn, frustrating little brother" he pause before looking at Blaze's amber eyes.

"And no matter how much you annoy me, no matter how much trouble you cause... I-" He clenched his jaw, his hands trembling at his sides.

"I still love you, damn it" blaze's breath caught in his throat.

"I still and always will" Halilintar sucked in a deep breath, tilting his head back as if to stop the tears from falling.

"You think we will be happier if you were gone? That we pity you? That you don’t matter? You absolute idiot" he took a deep breath as all their brother watch.

"You don’t get to decide that" Blaze felt something crack inside him, something deep, painful and impossible to ignore.

"You are our family api, you are my little brother and I swear" blaze eyes slowly fill with tears as hali took another step to him.

"if you ever, if you ever think of leaving us again, I will drag you back myself, even if I have to fight the whole damn world to do it"

The room was suffocatingly silent, the air thick with something heavy and unspoken.

Blaze sat frozen, staring at his eldest brother, his vision swimming as something warm trailed down his cheeks, he hadn’t even realized he was crying.

Halilintar exhaled shakily, his shoulders trembling before he moved...

And then Blaze was pulled into a crushing embrace.

He stiffened, barely able to process the warmth engulfing him, the way Halilintar clung to him like he was afraid Blaze would disappear the moment he let go.

"You are not allowed to leave us," Halilintar whispered, his voice hoarse.

"You hear me? You don’t get to leave us behind."

Blaze squeezed his eyes shut, his breath shuddering as the weight in his chest finally cracked and shattered.

A broken sob tore out of his throat as he clutched onto Halilintar’s shirt, his body shaking.

The others moved in, Thorn, Ice, Gempa, Taufan, Solar pulling into the embrace, surrounding Blaze with warmth, with love, with everything he thought he didn’t deserve.

But they were here.

They were here and they weren’t letting go.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Blaze let himself believe it.

.

.

.

.

Ryan, covered in bandages and bruises, trudged down the hall, muttering a train of curses under his breath.

Every movement cause his body to ache painfully but then, he was suddenly slammed against the lockers, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his battered body.

He looked up, his vision slightly blurred only to meet the unsettlingly sweet smile of Thorn. Behind him, Solar and Taufan stood silently, their expressions cold and dark.

Ethan and Nate was wrap with thornie vines, both seem to be unconscious.

Thorn tilted his head, his smile widening.

"That wasn't very nice of you" he mused, his voice light and almost playful.

Then he paused, his emerald green eyes glowing ominously.

"Making my brother feel like nobody loves him"

Vines slithered out from behind Thorn, twisting and coiling around Ryan’s body with a slow, deliberate tightness.

Ryan gritted his teeth, struggling against the constricting hold, but the more he fought, the tighter the vines squeezed, creeping toward his chest like a looming threat.

Solar crossed his arms, his gaze sharp and glow slightly while Taufan who are usually carefree, stood rigid, his fists clenched at his sides.

There was no escape.

Ryan swallowed hard, for the first time, real fear flickered in his eyes.

Then out of the corner of his eye, Ryan spotted Gempa walking past, desperation flared in him, and he shouted.

"Gempa! Help!"

Thorn, Taufan, and Solar groaned, already bracing themselves for the inevitable scolding but what surprised them was when Gempa merely gaze before he sighed, rubbing his temple, barely slowing his pace.

"Be back before 3, and don't kill him" he said before continuing down the hall.

A beat of silence passed before the three brothers exchanged smirks, their grips on Ryan tightening with renewed amusement.

They going to teach him a lesson he will never forget

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ello my little waves! I am back again with another very very VERY long chapter.

Hope you like it :D

Again, if all of you want to come for me, read the very first paragraf of this story XD, you are going down with me!(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

We shall run together~

Ehem anyways

There some news I want to share with all of you, so...

I been stressing alot lately, irl work, personal problem and such

I didnt have enough rest this past two weeks, working from 8am to 9pm (I have overtime until the end of February T-T), no rest at Sunday either due to personal problem that I will not mention here.

That also the very reason on why this chapter took so long for me to post.

So I am gonna inform you all that I will take a break from posting any chapter until the end of March, hopefully I will feel better in April and be back posting Chappie every once a week.

I hope all of you understand TvT, I am still going to respond to any comment or message so don't worry.

That is all, thank you for your understanding and I will see you all when I am back!

Stay happy and healthy!

Peace out everyone!

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