School was finally over for the day, and Ethan and Daisy were walking side-by-side on their way home.
The best thing to do at the moment is to put everything else aside and just study, Ethan thought, stoking his internal resolve. A sudden, intense look of conviction crossed his face, causing Daisy to glance up at him in surprise.
"Brother?" she asked.
Ethan blinked, looking down at her. "Yeah?"
"Are you... actually worried about exams?" Daisy asked, tilting her head.
Ethan gave a slow, singular nod.
"Well, you have been going on a lot of random trips lately," Daisy pointed out with a small teasing smile. "So yes, studying is definitely going to feel like a massive burden right now."
Ethan let out a heavy sigh, nodding in resignation. "You're completely right about that." He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the academic stress, before turning the question back to her. "What about you? How is your prep going?"
Daisy offered a confident smirk, tossing her hair back slightly. "I am always at the top of my class, Brother. I have nothing to worry about."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "Great. At least one of us is safe."
"Brother, I can tutor you if you want." Daisy said.
Ethan smiled and shook his head in denial, "You should focus on your study."
Daisy nodded.
They continued their walk through the bustling afternoon streets. After a few moments of quiet, Daisy nudged his shoulder. "But seriously, Brother, you should really start cracking open those books."
Ethan nodded, but before he could reply, his gaze caught a familiar figure on the opposite sidewalk. It was Finn. He was walking alongside a girl, the two of them laughing at something.
A faint smile touched Ethan's lips. So, Finn's out on a date, he thought, amused.
Daisy followed his gaze, her curiosity piqued. "Brother, is that an acquaintance of yours?"
"The guy is my classmate and friend," Ethan explained, keeping his eyes on the couple. "As for the girl... I've never seen her before. I don't know anything about her."
Daisy squinted, studying the girl's appearance. "Well, she's hard to miss. She's one of the very few students in the entire school with striking white hair."
Ethan paused, a memory clicking into place. "Come to think of it, Finn mentioned once that the girl he was seeing was a third-year."
Hearing the words third-year seemed to trigger something in Daisy's mind. Her expression turned serious as she looked up at Ethan. "Brother... do you know a third-year student named Jake?"
Ethan's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, a cold jolt hitting his chest, but he instantly forced his features back into a calm expression. "Jake? Why do you ask? Did something happen? Did he scare you?"
Daisy shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. I only saw him once. He looked normal enough, but... his presence was just incredibly strange."
Ethan listened intently, his mercenary instincts locking onto every word.
"Even when Madison was confronting him about something the other day," Daisy continued, lowering her voice. "She looked really upset, but her father had told her and stopped her, she said. And she also said that her father handed her something and told her to give it to Jake."
Ethan kept his expression perfectly neutral, but internally, his mind was racing. Madison confronted Jake? Why? And why would Mr. Murphy stop her? What exactly is Jake's relationship to Madison's father?
"Brother," Daisy asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Is Jake somehow related to Madison's family?"
"Well, I don't know the exact details of their relationship," Ethan said smoothly, keeping his voice level. "But he is definitely tied to that family. Or at least, that's how it looks to me and everyone else."
Daisy nodded, accepting the answer.
Ethan slowed his pace slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his sister with absolute seriousness. "Daisy, listen to me. Avoid him at all costs. Keep your distance from all the third-years from now on—especially Jake, and the masked boy who is always hovering around him."
I need to dismantle these Pillars first, Ethan calculated grimly as their house came into view. Once they fall, Jake will have no choice but to open his mouth.
Seconds later, they reached their front door and stepped inside.