Amari and Daniel woke up at the same time, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They grabbed a quick snack before stepping into the yard.
Amari stretched his arms. "Let's spar again. We need to focus on physical strength and stamina… but more importantly, we need to train our powers. That's why we're skipping the usual workout this morning."
Daniel tilted his head. "Ohhh, okay. I was wondering why you didn't start with push-ups again."
Amari walked back toward the tall tree at the edge of the yard. As he leaned against it, his hand brushed the bark—
Click.
The tree split open. A hidden panel shifted aside, revealing what looked like… an elevator.
Amari's eyes widened. "Daniel. Come here. Now."
Daniel rushed over. "Whoa… how did that happen?"
"I… I don't know," Amari admitted. "I just touched the tree and it opened."
Daniel swallowed. "Should we go down there?"
Amari thought for a moment. "If we're going to live here and train here, we need to know what's beneath us. If this place is hiding something dangerous, we can't ignore it."
Daniel nodded. "Alright. Let's check it out."
The brothers stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind them. With a low hum, they descended deeper and deeper underground. When the doors opened, darkness swallowed them.
Then—click. A row of lights flickered on overhead.
Their jaws dropped.
"This place…" Amari whispered.
"It's huge!" Daniel finished.
The underground base stretched out before them, lined with six massive rooms. In the center stood a sleek console with a glowing, giant screen.
The screen came alive, showing the image of a man. His voice was calm, mechanical.
"Hello. My name is Sam. How may I help you?"
Amari and Daniel froze.
"Who… are you?" Amari asked cautiously.
"I am Sam," the figure replied. "A system designed to assist you. I can provide information, create tools, and maintain this base. But first—allow me to give you a tour."
⸻
The first room to the right slid open.
"This is the wardrobe," Sam explained. "It can create any clothing you desire."
Amari's eyes gleamed. "Can it make weighted clothes that still look normal?"
"Yes."
The wardrobe glowed, and two sets of weighted outfits appeared. Each piece looked ordinary, but when Amari and Daniel slipped them on, the weight nearly pulled them to the floor.
"F-fifty pounds?!" Daniel groaned, his knees trembling.
Amari gritted his teeth. "Perfect."
⸻
Sam guided them left, to the second room.
"This chamber creates weapons or gear to enhance your combat abilities."
Daniel raised his hand. "Can it make speed boots? My powers are speed and strength—I need something to help control it. Maybe gloves too, so I can punch better."
The machine whirred, producing sleek boots and reinforced gloves.
Daniel slipped them on, his face lighting up. "Now this… this feels good."
Amari stepped forward. "My powers are beams. Can you make something to help me aim better?"
The machine crafted dark gloves with open holes in the palms.
"These," Sam explained, "will let your blasts flow through the openings, allowing greater precision."
Amari slid them on, his hands glowing faintly through the holes. "Now we're talking."
⸻
They continued.
The third room contained ordinary clothing. "For when you do not wish to wear your weighted gear," Sam said.
Daniel grinned. "We can layer the weighted clothes under these. No one will even notice."
"Good thinking," Amari agreed.
The fourth room opened into a vast training arena.
Daniel's mouth dropped. "This… is massive."
"It will adapt to any training program you choose," Sam explained.
The fifth was a storage area for equipment, also containing sleek earpieces.
"With these," Sam said, "you can communicate with me anytime."
Finally, the sixth chamber revealed a glowing platform.
"The teleport room," Sam explained. "Step inside, and it will transport you anywhere. To return, simply triple-tap your earpiece."
The boys stood in awe.
"Wow," Amari whispered.
"Wow is right," Daniel echoed. "We basically have a whole secret base under our house."
Amari's lips curled into a small smile. "Not just a base. A place to become stronger."
⸻
By the time they finished exploring, the day was gone. They pulled pajamas from the wardrobe and slipped them on.
"Let's skip training today," Amari admitted. "This… threw us off."
"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Tomorrow, though… no holding back."
The elevator doors closed behind them as the tree sealed shut once more, blending back into the night.
The brothers ate dinner, their minds racing with possibilities, and soon fell asleep.
⸻
Meanwhile…
Deep in a prison cell, their family's suffering continued.
The guard returned, sneering. "I told you I'd be back."
Grandpa glared at him. "I don't care."
The guard slammed his fist into Grandpa's face, blow after blow. Blood spilled onto the stone floor.
"Stop!" their mother screamed. "Don't hit him!"
The guard turned toward her with a laugh. "Or what? You'll stop me?"
He kicked her hard, sending her sprawling unconscious.
Their father roared, eyes burning with fury. "I'll kill you!"
The guard smirked and struck him down with a brutal punch, knocking him out cold.
The cell was quiet once more, except for the faint dripping of blood.