The floorboards creaked under Bob's weight as he limped through his front door. "Jenette!" he called out, his voice carrying forced cheer. "We've got guests!"

  "Oh?" Jennette's voice echoed from deeper in the house. "Who's visiting?"

  Bob glanced back at the group following him into his modest living room. "Just some trouble makers!" he announced with strained enthusiasm that did nothing to ease the tension.

  Neiva settled onto an aged couch while Angelo and Ruel remained standing, neither quite willing to make themselves comfortable. Red leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his ever-present grin suggesting he found the whole situation terribly amusing. Blue had chosen to stay merged with Angelo for now, watching through their shared consciousness.

  "Well then," Bob eased himself into his chair with a grunt. "Let's not beat around the bush here."

  "I'd appreciate that," Angelo replied, his tone carrying the edge of someone who'd run out of patience.

  Bob settled deeper into his worn armchair, the afternoon light filtering through his living room windows casting long shadows across his weathered face. His eyes carried the particular weariness of someone about to reveal uncomfortable truths.

  "After the Ashworths met their end in that tragic accident," Bob began carefully, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on his armrest, "their son would have been the legal heir, of course." He shifted in his seat, the ancient springs creaking beneath him.

  "Then why-" Neiva leaned forward from her perch on the edge of the couch, but Bob raised a weathered hand.

  "Please, let me explain properly." His voice carried gentle authority despite his obvious discomfort. "We couldn't simply hand over property to an infant - imagine trying to deal with taxes and maintenance." He attempted a chuckle that died quickly in the heavy atmosphere. "Protocol required us to search for other relatives in Luminia first."

  Angelo stood by the window, his reflection a dark silhouette against the afternoon light. His jaw tightened with each word.

  "Sadly," Bob continued, absently straightening a cushion beside him, "that search turned up empty. Then we noticed their names - Cyrus and Nova Ashworth." He watched Angelo's shoulders stiffen at the mention. "Obviously Infernian in origin. We tried searching there as well, but..." He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Relations with Infernia were... complicated back then. Still are, really."

  "So what made you sell the property?" Angelo's voice carried carefully controlled calm, though his white-knuckled grip on the windowsill betrayed his tension.

  Bob's expression grew more complex as he leaned forward. "Here's where it gets strange. Three years ago, we received a letter from the Luminian Land Office." He paused, choosing his next words with visible care. "Someone had come forward to claim ownership of the property - only to immediately relinquish it."

  "What?!" Neiva shot to her feet, her brilliant red hair catching the indoors light. "Tell us who did this!"

  "That's just it." Bob shook his head, genuinely puzzled. "The letter carried the Director General's seal but gave no indication who had claimed and released ownership. One of the most peculiar things I'd seen in thirty years of property management."

  "The plot thickens," Red mused internally, shifting his weight as he leaned against the wall.

  Angelo turned from the window, his eyes carrying a storm of questions. "And after that?"

  "The property defaulted to Ashford's jurisdiction." Bob gestured vaguely. "Was sold soon after. And well... the rest is history."

  "Wait." Neiva's brow furrowed as she paced the small space between couch and coffee table. "If this all happened just a few years ago, why didn't anyone look for Angelo before then? He wasn't a child anymore - surely he had rights to the property?"

  Bob's shoulders slumped as genuine shame colored his features. "The truth is... I had no idea their son was still in Ashford." His voice dropped lower. "He never came forward, and I just assumed..."

  "How could you not know?" Neiva's voice rose with renewed fury, making Ruel flinch. Even Angelo tensed at her outburst while Red's soft chuckle floated from his corner. "Wasn't he practically a celebrity here?"

  The argument was interrupted by Jenette's arrival, a loaded tea tray balanced carefully in her hands. "My goodness," she said, her warm voice carrying genuine concern. "Why all the excitement, dear?"

  Bob seized the distraction like a lifeline. "Say, Jenette," he began, drawing his wife's attention. "Do you recognize that young man?" He gestured toward Angelo.

  She pressed one hand to her cheek, studying Angelo with careful consideration. "I'm sorry, but I can't say that I do."

  "I'm Angelo," he offered quietly. "Most people knew me as Harry's rival. You remember Harry, right?"

  Recognition lit her features. "Oh! Yes, of course! My grandson is from your generation - he used to talk about you. The whole town buzzed about you for quite a while." She cleared her throat delicately. "Though I must admit, not all the talk was pleasant."

  Bob and Ruel's eyebrows rose in unison as they studied Angelo with renewed interest. "Did they now?" Bob asked his wife. "What exactly did they say? Seems I was out of the loop."

  "Oh Bob, you're getting so forgetful, mind you I will not be mentioning the bad things," Jenette waved off his question. "There were wild rumors about him being able to duplicate himself somehow. But you can't believe every story that flies around town."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The room fell into loaded silence as Bob and Ruel's gazes drifted to Red, whose grin only widened. Jenette, following their looks, finally noticed him leaning against the wall. Red offered a casual two-fingered gesture. "How you doin'?"

  The three locals blinked in perfect synchronization while Neiva and Angelo exchanged worried glances. To everyone's surprise, Jenette simply asked, "Oh my. So the rumors were true?" Her eyes bounced between Angelo and his duplicate with calm curiosity.

  "But you said they were intimidation tactics!" Ruel burst out. "Part of your powers!"

  "What did you want me to say?" Angelo shot back, frustration finally breaking through his composure. "How else could I explain why there were more of me? I needed you to believe I was an only child - which is true!"

  "Give it a rest, Roll," Bob attempted to defuse the situation. "No harm's done."

  "It's RUEL!" The correction carried more bite than the situation warranted. "And this is your fault! What happens now? I invested significant company funds into that property and construction. I can't just write that off!"

  Bob's shoulders slumped as the weight of the situation settled over him. But before he could respond, Angelo rose to his feet.

  "Don't worry about it, sir," he said, his voice carrying quiet resignation. "You bought the house fair and square. I share some of the responsibility here." His next words carried the weight of years of questions. "Right now, I just want to learn more about my parents. That's all that matters."

  A heavy silence settled over the room until Neiva turned to Bob with renewed intensity. "You seem awfully connected to all this," she said, studying his weathered features. "What is your role here really?"

  Bob shifted in his chair, joints creaking like old wood. "I'm the head of construction projects here in Ashford - have been for twenty-seven years now." A wry smile crossed his face. "You could say this job's my second wife!"

  "I heard that," Jenette's disapproving look could have frozen water.

  Neiva sat up straighter, excitement lighting her features. "Wait - so you oversaw the labs' construction in Ashford's school?"

  Bob studied her eager expression with careful consideration. "Yes, though that's hardly a secret around here. After so many years, most students know who I am and what I do."

  "Why am I not surprised Angelo didn't?" Neiva shot Angelo a look that somehow managed to be both fiery and glacial. He quickly averted his gaze, though Red's shared vision meant he couldn't completely escape her terrifying expression.

  "Why do you ask, dear?" Jenette interjected, trying to soften the tension.

  "Right," Neiva snapped back to focus. "Were you also commissioned to build the lab in Angelo's house basement?"

  The question made Angelo tense, a reaction he could feel echoing through Red and Blue's shared consciousness.

  "'Fraid not, lass," Bob said, crossing his arms. Angelo felt his hopes sink, until Bob continued: "However..." The single word drew Angelo's attention like a lifeline. "That lab was the most peculiar thing. Both house and lab were constructed before the Ashworths even moved in - by an Infernian construction company."

  The revelation landed like a physical weight. Neiva's mind visibly raced. "But- But wouldn't they need special permits to build in Luminia?"

  "Indeed they did," Bob confirmed. "Took months before the paperwork came through. I could hardly believe it myself - a foreign construction company building a house with a lab? In Ashford of all places? And Infernian at that?" He shook his head at the memory. "But the papers were legitimate, signed by all the higher-ups. All I could do was play along."

  "What was the company called?" The question burst from Angelo with desperate intensity.

  "Obsidian Foundation."

  The name seemed to seal something in the air. Red finally straightened from his wall, his usual grin taking on a sharper edge. "Guess we've got to pay them a visit. Unless you'd rather send an angry email?" His laugh carried bitter amusement.

  "I don't know, Red..." Angelo's gaze dropped to the floor. "Going to Infernia? After what those terrorists did in Novaria?"

  Blue materialized beside Angelo, his presence a stark contrast to Red's restless energy. "The Sundering Flames are terrorists, nothing more. Even Infernia condemns their actions."

  Red's laugh held no humor as he kicked at broken festival streamers on the floor. "Bitch please, keep telling yourself that, blueberry. Everyone knows they've got friends in high places."

  "Young man!" Jenette's voice cracked like lightning, making Red flinch. "Watch your language in this house!"

  "Sorry..." Red muttered, looking as startled by his own meek response as everyone else.

  Angelo paced the worn floorboards, the wood creaking beneath his boots. "I just don't understand. All this hatred, all this violence - over what?"

  "Over a wound that never healed," Bob said quietly. His weathered hands traced patterns on his armrest as festival music drifted through the windows.

  "My mother fled here from Infernia. She used to tell me about the civil war that tore her homeland apart - royalists against reformers, neighbors fighting neighbors. When Lu-Min intervened, helped create Luminia..." He shook his head. "Some called it the new light. Others called it the Sundering. And here we are, a century later, still bleeding from old scars."

  "It doesn't justify terrorism," Angelo snapped, but his voice had lost its edge.

  "No," Blue agreed, watching dust motes dance in the afternoon light. "But understanding why an enemy fights is not the same as excusing their actions."

  "Right then!" Bob clapped his hands, dispersing the heavy atmosphere. "Think that's enough heavy talk for one day. Listen, lad - let me make some calls, see if I can make this right somehow. Come back tomorrow and we'll see what I've managed to dig up."

  "I'd like to help too," Ruel spoke up, his earlier hostility completely gone. "I feel terrible about my part in all this."

  Angelo blinked, caught off guard. "You, Mr. Ruel?"

  "Yes - I'm CEO of Swords & Shields Incorporated. We manufacture Auron weapons and armor."

  "So that's how you afforded such a mansion!" Neiva's eyes sparkled at the prospect of potential gifts.

  Angelo's skepticism dripped from every word: "Really? Armor and weapons that can actually withstand Auron combat?"

  "Of- of course they can!" Ruel's defensive response made him flush. He took a breath, composing himself. "Sorry. Yes, they absolutely can. We use a rare metal called 'Auranium' - it activates when exposed to Auron auras. Hardest, sharpest steel in existence."

  Red slid over to Ruel, draping an arm across his shoulders with exaggerated familiarity. "'Auranium?' That's the silliest name I've ever-"

  "Unhand me!" Ruel jerked away like he'd been burned. The veins in his neck stood out as he straightened his jacket with sharp movements. "I didn't name it! But I am serious about its capabilities!"

  "I'll... consider it," Angelo managed, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden generosity. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Bob. I'll return tomorrow."

  "Nothing to it, lad. For now, go enjoy the festival!" Bob's gesture encompassed the celebration sounds drifting through his windows.

  Ruel pressed a business card into Angelo's hand before they said their goodbyes. The evening air carried the mingled scents of festival food and autumn leaves as they stepped outside, letting the parade's energetic atmosphere wash away the weight of revelations.

  Colorful lanterns painted the crowd in shifting patterns while performers danced through streets transformed by decorations. For a moment, it seemed they might actually relax - until Red's voice cut through their temporary peace:

  "Hey, isn't that Lin? Harry's mom?" His predatory grin stretched wider. "Come on, Angelo - I've got to see Harry's face when he realizes we've evolved!"

  Before anyone could stop him, Red was already pushing through the crowd, carving a path straight toward the elegant woman in the distance. Angelo's panic propelled him after his duplicate with Neiva close behind, her confusion forgotten in the urgency of the moment. But even as they pursued Red through the festival chaos, one thought hammered through Angelo's mind: after all these years, was he really ready to face Harry again?

  The answer would come whether he wanted it or not - Red was already calling out Lin's name.