The morning sun slipped softly through the curtains, carrying with it the smell of food.
"Wake up, you two. Breakfast is ready," Mom's gentle voice called.
Amari blinked himself awake, nudging Daniel. "Come on, let's go."
Daniel yawned, rubbing his messy hair. "Oh yeah… I can smell it already."
They made their way to the kitchen, where Dad and Grandpa were already seated at the table. The air felt heavy, even though the table was filled with warm food.
"Sit down, sons," Dad said, his voice calm but serious.
Amari hesitated, glancing at Daniel before pulling out a chair. "Okay… is something going on?"
Grandpa folded his hands. "No… but we need to tell you something important. Something we left out before."
Amari's chest tightened. Left out?
Dad leaned forward. "Remember when you first arrived at the mansion, Amari? When we told you about the history of our eyes?"
"Yes," Amari answered carefully.
Grandpa nodded gravely. "Well… some things were never said."
Daniel frowned. "Like what?"
Mom sighed, her face troubled. "People don't just want to kill us. They want our eyes—so they can use them for themselves."
Amari's stomach dropped. "What…?"
Grandpa's voice grew heavy. "Our eyes weren't created by chance. Long ago, a person with special eyes and another with their own unique eyes came together. That's how the Light Eyes were born. Which means… there's another family out there with powers like ours. They are called… the Dark Family."
Daniel's eyes widened. "The Dark Family?"
Dad's jaw clenched. "Yes. And I believe Vasa and Roach… they were sent by them. Their mission is simple: destroy us."
Amari's fists tightened. "Why? Why would they want to kill us?"
Mom's gaze hardened. "Because the Dark Family lives for destruction, while we seek peace. That difference alone makes us enemies."
Dad's voice cut in, firm and unyielding. "But don't mistake our wish for peace as weakness. We will fight for our family. For each other."
Grandpa looked to the boys, his expression grim. "That's why we must be cautious. After what you did at their base, the Dark Family won't stop hunting us. Their eyes… are just as powerful. Maybe stronger."
Amari slammed his hand on the table, his voice sharp. "So you mean to tell me—you left out the fact that there's a whole other family out there, just like us? That they want to kill us? That they want to take our eyes?" His voice shook with anger. "How could you keep something like that from us?"
Silence fell.
Finally, Grandpa lowered his head. "We didn't want to… but it was for your safety. The less you knew, the safer you were."
Amari's heart burned. "What safety?! They still found me! They still captured you! Keeping secrets didn't protect anyone!"
Dad's voice broke slightly. "If I could go back in time, I'd tell you everything. I'm sorry, Amari. I truly am."
Daniel placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. His voice was calmer, though his eyes carried pain. "I understand why you did it. It was all for us. But… you should've trusted us with the truth. Still…" He drew in a breath. "That's in the past now. What matters is what we do next."
Amari clenched his jaw, then finally exhaled. "…We don't go looking for them. We stay low. Quiet. Just like you were doing before." His eyes flashed with determination. "But if they bring the fight to us—we'll be ready."
Daniel nodded firmly. "Yeah. Next time… we'll be ready."