The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
Ethan and Daisy stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, walking side by side down the familiar sidewalk toward home.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
Ethan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and tapped the screen, opening a text from Madison. Walking beside him, Daisy peeked over his arm, catching the name on the screen.
Madison: Ethan, after gym tonight, the whole group is heading out to eat.
Ethan: Why? What's the occasion?
Madison: I don't know all the details yet, but it's happening right after training. Just our inner circle.
Ethan: Okay. We'll sort it out once we get to gym.
Madison: I'm definitely going. I'll explain why later.
Ethan: Got it.
Ethan locked his phone and slipped it back into his jacket pocket. Turning his head, he caught Daisy staring at him with a wide, mischievous smirk.
"What?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Dinner after the gym..." Daisy sang out playfully. "So Madison goes to that gym with you too? Oh, Mom is going to love this."
"Daisy, it's not like that," Ethan said quickly, waving his hand. "It's just a group of friends from the gym. Yes, Madison is in that group, and yes, we're all grabbing food together. Nothing more."
Daisy nodded, though her smug smile remained intact. "I just thought—"
"Don't start," Ethan warned with a sharp look, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. He glanced at her.
"What about you, anyway? Any interest in guys at school?"
Daisy scoffed, tossing her hair back. "Please, Brother. I'm practically a kid. I'm nowhere near that age yet."
Ethan chuckled, reaching over to pat her head. "I'm still a kid too."
Daisy nodded, but as they turned down their street, her cheerful expression settled into something far more quiet and subdued.
"Brother..." Daisy spoke up, her voice dropping. "There's something I need to tell you."
Ethan slowed his stride, sensing the sudden shift in her tone. "What is it?"
"I think... Mom actually had siblings," Daisy said carefully.
Ethan stopped in his tracks, frowning. "What?"
"In total, they are three," Daisy continued, looking up at him. "One brother and two sisters. And based on the birth dates I found... Mom is the eldest."
"Daisy, how do you know that?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowing deeply. "Did Mom tell you this?"
Daisy shook her head. "No. Mom always told us she had no living family left. She said Dad's siblings were all overseas..."
Ethan stood silently on the sidewalk, slipping deep into thought.
Mom... why are you hiding all of this from us? You hide your own siblings, and you refuse to talk about my older brother... Why?
His mind drifted back to the quiet, fearful warning his mother had dropped weeks ago:
'That guy is dangerous...'
Ethan's eyes narrowed into a cold, sharp glare.
Who is that man? The one Mom was so terrified of... He has to be connected to all of this. Is he someone we know or someone else, entirely?
"...Brother?" Daisy's voice broke through his trance.
Ethan blinked, coming back to reality. "Yeah... I'm listening."
"Whenever you have free time, I'll take you there," Daisy said softly.
Ethan nodded.
They resumed walking in silence. Daisy noticed the heavy, serious look on Ethan's face and decided not to push him any further.
First, I need to tear down Loop's remaining branches and other pillars, Ethan resolved internally, staring down the road. Then I'll press Jake for every piece of history he has. Hopefully, his answers will finally connect the dots.
At evening, Ethan arrived at Benson's MMA gym.
This place really helped me, Ethan thought, pushing open the heavy doors as the smell of leather and sweat hit his senses.
Benson can be a massive headache after hours, but his training is top-tier.
Inside, Ethan wrapped his hands and stepped onto the mats to spar with Alberto, the gym's resident Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist.
The match was brutal and fast-paced, featuring heavy ground transitions and scramble work before the buzzer finally rang.
Ethan leaned against the cage padding, unscrewing his water bottle and taking a deep gulp. Alberto sat down beside him, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Man, that was a crazy match, Ethan," Alberto panted, offering a fist bump.
Ethan bumped his fist back. "Good match."
"Your takedown defense is getting ridiculous," Alberto said, shaking his head in admiration. "You stuffed every single one of my double-legs."
"You almost had me on that last sweep," Ethan replied with a faint smirk.
Alberto slapped him on the shoulder, laughing. "Nah, man, you're built different lately. Even Enzo didn't want to mess with my ground game. This is our fourth spar this month, and even though I've been grinding daily, it feels like your raw strength and reaction time keep jumping to a whole new level."
Ethan offered a vague nod, keeping his thoughts to himself. My endurance and physical output permanently surged after surviving the Second Branch explosion... Combined with Benson's conditioning, my body is adapting faster than normal.
"Ethan!" a voice called out.
Ethan turned to see Madison walking toward the mats, flanked by Alice, Lucas, and another gym regular, Emma.
"Alberto, we've been looking all over for you," Emma said, folding her arms.
Alberto let out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. "Look, I need to use the restroom—"
"Oh no you don't," Lucas cut in with a grin. "You're paying first."
Ethan glanced over at Madison, raising an eyebrow in question.
"A month ago, Alberto promised to treat the group to dinner the moment he landed his first paycheck," Madison explained softly, stepping up beside Ethan.
Ethan smiled, patting Alberto's shoulder. "So, where are we eating, big spender?"
"Fine, fine!" Alberto threw his hands up in defeat. "There's a ramen stall down the block."
"Excuse me?" Alice chimed in, crossing her arms with a pout. "I was promised a proper sit-down restaurant!"
"Alright, alright! Somewhere close, then," Alberto groaned.
"I know the perfect place," Alice declared, taking the lead.
The group packed up their gear and exited the gym into the cool evening air.
Ethan fell into step near the front alongside Lucas, leaving the girls and Alberto chatting behind them. "So, where is Alice actually taking us?" Ethan asked softly.
"No clue," Lucas muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alice is keeping the location a secret."
Ethan glanced sideways at him, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "Hey, Lucas... I heard about you two."
Lucas's face instantly flushed bright red. "W-what?! It's not like that at all!"
Ethan chuckled softly. "You really like her, don't you?"
"That's impossible," Lucas stammered, looking away. "We're just friends."
"If you say so," Ethan said casually, staring ahead at the streetlights. "Just don't come crying to me when she starts dating someone else."
Lucas froze, turning his head to stare at him. "What?"
"Can you honestly stand there and imagine her with another guy?" Ethan asked, his voice dropping into a calm, serious tone.
The image hit Lucas like a punch to the gut. The color drained from his face before he finally slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Okay... fine. Yes. I really like her."
"Then do something about it," Ethan advised smoothly. "Regret is a heavy thing to carry."
"No way... I don't want to live with regrets," Lucas muttered, setting his jaw. He grabbed Ethan's jacket sleeve, looking at him with desperate eyes. "Ethan... you have to help me with this!"
Ethan blinked, staring at Lucas's pleading face.
Why the hell did I just drag myself into this? Ethan thought, mentally facepalming.