We packed our clothes, our necessities, and everything we might need. The rest—things that couldn't be carried—would be handled later. Thorne's men were tasked with completely erasing all traces of us ever living here.
In the quiet of my room, I sat with my thoughts. My gaze fell on the two luxurious boxes that housed the Star Rings—cold, elegant, and heavy with pressure. I wore the Sun Ring on my right middle finger. The Moon Ring, I slipped onto a black chain and placed around my neck.
They were beautiful. Overwhelming, even. Their presence wasn't just visual—it pressed down on me, But there was no time to sink into that weight.
I picked up both boxes and slung my backpack over my shoulder, then made my way downstairs. Behind me, I could already hear Letisha stumbling down in a rush.
"Brother! The photo frames? The albums?" she called out.
"Don't worry. I took them all," I replied. "You done?"
"Yes! ...Ah, but I still have three more bags to pack. Wait for me!"
"Three more?!" I turned around halfway down the stairs, catching sight of her leaning over the railing above me. "Seriously?"
She stood there like she was ready for a seaside vacation: wide sunhat, pristine white dress, and her purse swinging dramatically from one hand.
"You do realize we're not going on a picnic, right?" I sighed, setting my bags down on the first floor. "Also, Thorne said we're not going to Italy yet. We're staying here for now."
Letisha blinked. "Ehhh?? We're not going tonight?" Her disappointment was loud. "He said we have a castle! I thought we were finally rich and I could swim in a money bath!"
"Tia," I groaned. "Go pack your other stuff—and take that ridiculous hat off."
"Okay, okay! You don't have to shout!" she pouted, turning back toward her room. "Oh, while we're at it, take this bag down for me, would you?"
She smirked and disappeared.
"I swear she wasn't like this as a kid..." I muttered under my breath. Then I tried to lift her bag.
I immediately regretted my decision.
"What in the world...?" I whispered, my arms straining. "What did she put in this thing? It's heavier than the boxes from the factory..."
...
It was already 11 PM when we stepped outside. Three black-tinted luxury cars waited near the edge of the property. each sleek, glossy, and silent. There weren't many neighbors left in this area, and the few that did live nearby were too far to notice anything at this hour.
I realized now that all these homes—the empty ones surrounding us—probably belonged to Uncle Edward. His reach had gone further than we'd imagined.
Letisha stepped out beside one of the men I had seen the night before. He greeted me first, looking calm and casual, and—judging by the way Letisha talked to him—they'd already become friends somehow.
"Mister... uh," she looked up at him playfully, "I'm sorry my weakling brother couldn't bring down the bags. You had to go up and down like three times."
"Exactly how much did you put in them?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow. "For me to not even be able to lift one?"
Letisha spun around with her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on. You couldn't even handle a single bag. Talk about weak muscles!" she smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be the amazing telekinetic prodigy?"
I glared. "You do know I already used my powers today."
Her eyes widened mid-sentence. "Oh... right. You used it all up." She let out a small, awkward laugh.
"Yeah," I muttered, rubbing my temple. "So unless you want me on the ground, maybe don't talk about my muscles right now?"
"Kids. Enough." Thorne's calm voice came from behind us. Hands in his pockets, he gestured to the car. "Get in."
Letisha and I exchanged glances before sliding into the same car as Thorne. As we pulled away, I watched our house disappear into the darkness behind us.
It felt like being thrown out of a world we'd known—but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
The ride was long.at some point, letisha fall asleep beside me, her head leaning against the window, her mouth opening slightly. I sat quietly with box boxes on my lap, throne said nothing the whole way.
About half an hour ride. the place we reached was far from everyone. A lake shimmered quietly on one side, while on the other stood a tall black fence. Beyond the fence stretched a flattened garden with rows of towering trees—so many that it was hard to even see the building behind them. The fence seemed endless, and the car drove along it for another ten minutes before we finally reached a massive gate. From the gate to the main building at the center of the estate took another seven-minute ride.
And then—we finally arrived at the house.
Or should I say… mansion?
Letisha woke up at that moment, instantly drifting off into her own dreamy world. Admiring the scenery.
The mansion sprawled both horizontally and vertically, so vast we couldn't even count how many rooms it had. A large, grand fountain welcomed us at the front gate. Just beneath the white staircase was a full garage, filled with luxurious cars. Gardens stretched in every direction around the building, blooming with flowers in all colors. From somewhere behind the mansion, I could hear the soft sound of water—maybe a pool?
It was a very quiet place. I assumed it was because it was already past midnight.
Thorne walked ahead of us. "Kids, come along. Stop gaping already," he called, hands casually tucked into his pockets.
We both flinched at his voice. I mean—how could we not? It was our first time seeing something like this.
We followed after him, Letisha practically buzzing with excitement beside me. Well... I won't lie. Even I started getting my hopes up to explore every corner of this breathtaking place.
When we reached the front door of the mansion, the doors split open from the inside—opened by two men in black suits and crisp white shirts.
The inside was just as insane as the outside.
A long carpet stretched forward, leading to a grand staircase at the center that branched off to both sides. Everything glowed in tones of gold and white—the railing, the walls, the ceiling itself—all carved with intricate patterns and lit with warm, ambient lights. Multiple windows towered along the wide room, letting the moonlight shine through.
"Waoahh…" escaped both my and Letisha's mouths at once.