Eiran's pov:

"You need to sleep, Mom," I say firmly, softening my tone to add, "I'll check on Seb and make sure he eats, alright?"

Her exhaustion is written all over her face; it's nearly 3:30 AM. Yet she stubbornly insists on going to see Seb herself.

"Come on," I say gently, taking her arm and guiding her upstairs to her room.

"Seb hasn't eaten. I don't know what's gotten into him," she mutters miserably, her voice heavy with fatigue.

"I'll make sure he eats," I promise, helping her sit on the bed. I lean down and kiss her forehead. "Good night, Mom."

She smiles faintly, replying, "Good night."

I leave her room quietly, shutting the door behind me. Now I have to deal with Seb.

As I stand before the heavy, dark doors of his office, a knot tightens in my stomach. How is he handling Iris's return? She was his other half—the closest to him out of all of us. Their "team" is broken now.

I raise my hand to knock, the dinner plate I'm holding trembling slightly.

"Seb, it's me," I call out, trying the handle. Locked.

No response.

"Seb, open the damn door!" I shout, my voice cracking as I kick the door repeatedly. "Don't make me break it down!"

Finally, the door swings open, and I stumble forward. Seb catches me before I fall. His hands are steady, but his eyes...dead.

I straighten myself and brush past him, setting the food down on his desk. "Why the hell was the door locked?"

"None of your business," he replies coldly.

His tone stings, but what hurts more is that unrecognizable emptiness in his gaze. I've long lost the ability to read him.

"Are you okay, Seb?" I ask, my anger dissolving into concern.

"I'm fine, Eiran," he says dismissively, picking up the dinner I brought.

Fine. Always "fine." He's not fine. This isn't the Seb I grew up with.

"What happened to you?" I whisper, my voice trembling. "What happened to the big brother who gave me advice before my first date? To Iris's Sebby?"

For a moment, I think I see a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but it vanishes just as quickly.

"I don't care, Eiran," he says, his voice flat.

Those words cut deeper than anything else he could've said.

I leave before my frustration boils over, slamming the door behind me. He doesn't stop me. Of course he doesn't.

Kai's pov

It's late when I wake up—already 11. After a quick shower, I head downstairs, where the clatter of dishes echoes from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom," I say, wrapping my arms around her shoulders from behind.

She jumps slightly, startled. "Ah! Morning, Kai," she says, laughing softly.

"What are you making?" I ask, peering over Eiran's shoulder.

"Pancakes," he replies, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Pancakes? My heart skips a beat. We haven't had those since...her. Those were her favorite, and none of us could bear to even look at them after she was gone.

"Oh," I exhale, my voice barely above a whisper. A smile breaks through. Maybe things really are changing.

"Kai, go call your sister and brothers," Mom says, a giddy tone sneaking into her voice.

"Yup!" I respond, bounding up the stairs two at a time.

First stop: Leo's room. I barge in, finding him fresh out of the shower, his hair still damp.

"Breakfast time!" I announce, flopping onto his bed.

He frowns. "Why are you so excited?"

"Just come downstairs. You'll see."

Next, I head to Akira's room. My heart races as I knock. Calm down, Kai. She's your sister.

"Come in," comes her muffled voice.

I step inside, and there she is, standing a few steps from the door. Her presence is...intimidating.

"Good morning, Akira," I manage, forcing a smile.

"Morning," she replies, her voice flat but not unkind.

"Um...breakfast is ready," I say awkwardly. She nods, brushing her hair quickly before following me out.

We make our way downstairs, but halfway there, I curse under my breath. I forgot to call Seb.

"I'll be right back!" I tell her, turning back toward his office.

I knock on the doors of Seb's office and turn the handle, stepping inside without waiting for a reply.

"Morning, Seb," I say, my voice bright with an excitement that quickly dies out when I notice him staring at me. Those dead eyes. I can't stand the way he looks at me like that.

He's already in his suit, working, a stack of documents in front of him. Always working.

"Come down for breakfast," I say with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. When he doesn't move, I add, "Quick."

"I'll come," he replies shortly, his eyes returning to the papers on his desk.

"Come on, bro. Keep your work down for a while," I urge, trying another approach. "We're having pancakes."

His hands keep moving, sorting through the documents. His voice is cold, detached. "I'll come."

I sigh, giving up. "Okay," I say, turning to leave. My chest tightens as I walk away. I thought pancakes might pull some kind of reaction out of him. What was I even thinking? Pancakes were his favorite—mostly because they were her favorite too.

Is he not happy about our little sister's return? No, that's not it. Of course he's happy. He adored her. She was his Luna, as he always used to call her.

I head downstairs to find Leo and Akira already sitting at the table. Leo looks too quiet, even for him. He should be thrilled about eating pancakes with his little sister. Something's off.

I grab a plate, and Mom slides a pancake onto it. I sit beside them, digging in.

"How's it?" Mom asks, watching us closely.

"It's good," Leo replies with a smile and a cheery voice. But it feels forced.

"Good," Akira says, her face almost blank, though I see a glimmer of happiness in her eyes before she quickly masks it.

"It's really good, Mom," I say through a mouthful, trying to keep the mood light.

Mom smiles, and Eiran pulls out the maple syrup from the fridge, setting it in front of Akira. She looks at it, puzzled, and he explains with a small smile, "These little gremlins hate maple syrup, but you used to love it. Try it—you might still."

Akira stares at the syrup bottle and then her plate, clearly unsure.

"Want me to help you?" Leo asks, glancing up at her.

She hesitates, then nods. Oh, my heart. She's so damn cute.

Leo takes the bottle and carefully draws a smiley face on her pancakes. We all watch discreetly, trying not to make her uncomfortable as she takes a bite.

No reaction. Absolutely nothing.

"Did you like it?" I ask cautiously.

She nods. But it's more than obvious how much she loves it when she ends up eating more pancakes than any of us. Still her favorite.

Seb never came down. He's so distant these days, so far removed from our lives. I had hoped Akira's return would change that—that it would bring him back to us. I guess I was wrong.

After breakfast, Akira heads up to her room, and I follow Leo to his. He knows I'm behind him but doesn't say anything. He just flops onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

I shut the door firmly behind me. "What's going on, Leo?" I ask, cutting straight to the point.

"Nothing," he says with a nonchalant smile, his voice too casual to be real.

I sit beside him, watching him closely. "Tell me. You know you can't hide from me."

He sighs and continues staring at the ceiling, his expression heavy. Finally, in a small voice, he admits, "I showed Akira those pictures."

I freeze, staring at him. He had that box—his box of old photos—hidden deep under his bed. He hated looking at them because they dragged up memories he couldn't bear to face.

"You had a breakdown?" I ask gently, keeping the worry out of my voice as much as I can.

"Tsk—no," he says, his voice detached. "I showed her those pictures and told her the stories behind them. Even apologized for hitting her. I told her about...my issues."

My chest tightens, but I can't help the proud smile creeping onto my face. He told her how he felt. He owned up to his anger issues. He even faced the pain of those memories just for her.

"I hoped she'd remember something," he continues, his voice barely above a whisper.

I lay down beside him, staring at the same spot on the ceiling. "Did you cry after she left?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"How many times have I told you it's not good to bottle up emotions-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I acted asleep," he says. "I knew she'd want to take some of the pictures, the way she looked at them. So I pretended to sleep, so she'd feel comfortable enough to take them without me noticing."

That catches my attention. "So which ones did she take?" I ask quickly.

"Our family photo," he says simply.

"After she left, I let myself actually fall asleep," he adds, his voice distant.

I know that tone too well. I turn to him sharply. "Did you take the pills this morning?"

He nods.

"What the hell, Leo?" I snap, losing my calm. "Why would you do that? To avoid dealing with what happened last night?"

He nods again. "It's for the best, Kai."

The best? How is it the best when those pills make him numb, make him feel like a robot? I told him a hundred times he didn't have to take them if they made him feel that way. I'd even help him lie about it if it came to that.

"Why, Leo?" I ask, keeping the helplessness out of my voice with great effort.

"I hurt my sister yesterday," he says flatly. "I can't risk that again."

Diana's pov

My feet move towards Akira's room, my mind heavy with memories—of us, of better times when everything felt right. My hand hesitates as it knocks on the white door. Part of me wants to pull my daughter close and shield her, while another part wants to bury myself in guilt for failing her as a mother.

I couldn't save her. My daughter. She lived on the streets and then with another mafia. I wasn't a good enough Donna. She won't forgive me. I can't forgive myself.

The door swings open unexpectedly, and I can't help but smile at the sight of her. Her eyes are still the same.

"Akira, you've got some packages," I say, trying to keep my voice steady while searching her face for any sign of emotion.

"Okay," she responds, her gaze unwavering.

"D-don't you want to check them out?" I ask, hoping to coax her into engaging.

She shrugs and steps outside, closing the door behind her. I lead her down the stairs, her footsteps trailing behind mine. I want to tell her how much I love her, apologize for not finding her sooner, but the words remain stuck in my throat.

Once in the living room, I turn to find her staring at the piles of bags scattered across the furniture. Her eyes scan the mess—bags everywhere.

"It's not mine," she says, ready to turn back.

I mentally facepalm. "Akira, it's yours. These are clothes we got at the mall," I explain quickly.

I take her hand, hoping she might feel comforted, but she tenses up. Pretending not to notice, I let go of her hand and gesture to the bags.

"Come on," I encourage, and after a pause, she cautiously opens one.

She pulls out a navy blue hoodie, the one she picked, and checks the tags before looking up. "I can pay—"

I cut her off, my voice firm. "You will do no such thing." I soften, adding, "I'm your mother, Akira. Let me treat my daughter."

She stares at me with those unreadable eyes, and I miss the time when I could understand what she was feeling.

"Do you want help carrying these to your room?" I ask.

She nods, picking up five bags, and I follow her, carrying the rest. We reach her room, and she places the bags on her bed. I follow suit and put mine down beside hers.

"Do you want help putting them in your wardrobe?" I ask, ready to leave if it makes her more comfortable.

"Yeah," she answers.

I almost jump with excitement but manage to stay composed. "Alright."

For the next hour, I arrange her wardrobe while she pulls out the new clothes, inspecting them.

"Do you like it?" I ask, holding my breath as I watch her hold up the leather jacket I bought, hoping she'd like it.

"Yeah," she says, her tone distant. But I notice the discomfort in her voice. "Something bothering you?" I ask softly.

She shakes her head, but I press on. "If you don't like it, I can return it. It's no problem."

"No. It's nice," she says, trying to sound polite, before continuing flatly, "It's just... are you sure you don't want me to pay for it?"

"No, Akira," I reply, hoping the love in my eyes is evident. "You are my kid, Akira, and kids don't pay."

She just stares at me, that familiar blank expression on her face, but I notice how tightly her other fist is clenched. Without thinking, I reach out and gently hold her hand.

"Oh, Akira..." I whisper, opening her clenched fist to reveal the marks her nails left on her palm.

She continues to stare at me, ignoring her hand completely. I gently run my fingers over the indentations her nails left, soothing her hand.

"Never do this," I say firmly, and she just keeps staring at me.

We finish arranging the clothes quickly.

"Are you hungry?" I ask as I prepare to leave her room and to make her more comfortable, add " 'cause I am."

"Yeah," she responds, and I gesture for her to come with me.

I lead her into the garden with a plate of melted chocolate and strawberries. She looks around at the tulips and fruit trees before her gaze fixes on the strawberries.

"You can take some," I say gently, breaking her focus.

She steps forward, picking a strawberry.

"Just one?" I chuckle, noticing how cute she looks as she eats it. Some things never change.

We pick a few more strawberries and settle on the blanket.

"Try this," I say, dipping a strawberry into the chocolate and taking a bite.

She gives me a skeptical look but eventually tries it herself. Her eyes light up with delight as she eats the chocolate-covered strawberry, quickly reaching for another.

"Like it?" I ask casually, picking up another strawberry.

"It's good," she says, her mouth full.

We lie down on the blanket, staring up at the clear blue sky, and before long, sleep claims her. She looks so peaceful.

Soon, we lay down and stare up at the clear blue sky and sleep engulfs her. She looks so peaceful sleeping. I have my daughter sleeping in front of me and she still has the same innocent look that she used to when she was small on her face. How could I have believed that she was dead? Did we visit an empty grave every year then?

I lean in, hand ready to wipe a chocolate smudge from her lip, but then I freeze. A bead of sweat slips down her temple, her fists clenched, her body stiff. She was peaceful just moments ago. Now, her breath quickens, her face twisted in fear—like she's fighting something I can't see.

"Akira"

A.N---------

hey guys:)

Hope you like the chapter. It didn't turn out the way I hoped but I can't keep re writing anymore.

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