ETHAN

"Ethan! Ethan! Where did he go?"

Here.

With his reflection in the glassy pond for the company.

Water trickled through the cracks of the rocks where he stood at its banks. He had snuck away with Jesti's attempt at showing off. An edevium lighter. Heat brushed against his fingertips as he gripped the capsule, while he held a piece of paper in his other hand. Quick, small footsteps sounded in the leaves, while distant shouts of other children rose into the air.

Fire in the palm of his hand.

Ethan glanced around, then brushed his thumb against the opener. Sparks shone and dripped to sizzle into nothing. Paper over its end, he smiled when it turned ashen orange. With the breeze, he allowed it to float, and sprinkle into the stars of night and scatter over his watery reflection.

"Ethan!" Jesti whined close by. Left to the scattered starlight, he turned when Urto and Jesti tumbled through the undergrowth in the schoolyard. Both their pudgy faces red from exertion. No doubt trying to find him in his usual hiding spots, but he pride himself on being the best to hide among his class. "Give it back! Daddy doesn't know I have it..." He jut out his lower lip, clasping his tiny hands together. "I'll get in trouble."

Ethan tipped his head at Jesti's barely held back tears. "Why bring it then?" He stepped closer to Jesti, who shrunk into his shoulders. When the other child didn't answer, he flipped the edevium lighter in his palm. Confusion curled his fingers against Jesti's 'toy' when Jesti whined again, while Urto hung back with a tight expression.

"I wanted to show it," Jesti argued with a tiny sniff. "I didn't want you to just take it and run..."

Ethan glanced at Urto, who jumped. "Don't look at me."

He shook his head at the two. "You're no fun." A distant alarm rang for the end of the school day. "Why do you still look like you're going to cry?"

Silence.

"Are you scared?"

Jesti frowned. "I just don't want to get in trouble with my dad and teacher, Ethan."

"So you are scared?"

"I am not." He snapped his hand forward to grab Ethan's wrist, stomping his feet and pulling hard. "Give it back!"

He didn't believe him. Not from the way water swam in his eyes as if he faced a monster under the bed, but everyone knew those didn't exist. Their family had no reason to be afraid of monsters. Ethan tightened his grip on the lighter, holding himself still as Jesti tried to pry open his fingers.

Father says so.

Ethan let go, causing Jesti's own strain to send him toppling to the ground.

Ethan stepped between Urto and Jesti to head back to the school yard. Cars slipped into the circled parking lot for parents to pick up their children.

Only the weak of heart would be afraid of their own actions, Father's deep tone rang out.

Children gathered around, but Ethan hung back waiting for Mother and whoever had the job of driving them back home that day. Urto and Jesti whispered behind him, but followed in his shadow. Minutes dragged on as his classmates dispersed with their parents, while the teachers waited until each one had found their family.

Urto and Jesti went their separate ways with their fathers.

Ethan sat on a bench, waiting. Alone, with nothing but the wind and the flicker of fire in his ears. Starlight still reflected off a distant surface. He blinked when Ms. Beylett, their Quadrum teacher, stepped up to him.

"Did you enjoy today, Ethan?" she asked with a kind smile. Similar to Mother's smile, but he hadn't seen that one in a while. "Did you struggle with anything?" It was a question she posed to the whole class, but always asked him again in private. Ethan folded his hands in his lap, watching the rounded car lot. "Can I sit with you?" she added.

"Why ask?"

"It's polite," Ms. Beylett said. "You never know when people just want to be left to their own thoughts. You can never assume."

Ethan lifted his head up to her. "I would just go where no one could find me."

Her smile fell. It did that sometimes whenever he spoke something that made sense. Ethan waited as she sat down beside him. "You didn't answer my other question," she pointed out.

Some questions are better left unspoken, Father's tone rang. And never asked at all.

He shook his head, and when a car drove into the roundabout, he jumped off the bench. Chalen's black-coloured Cobra, not one of Father's usual drivers. Each one different depending on the week. Sometimes alone, or driving either Mother or Father. Never both. The ones driving Mother spoke and chuckled, but the ones who drove Father never said a word. Chalen was Mother's driver, which meant it'd be a talking ride. And it was the fourth week in a row it had been Chalen driving.

"If you struggle with anything, Ethan, let me know," Ms. Beylett said.

He glanced at her before rushing to the car as the doors lifted open. In the back seat, in a carrier, Keren, his baby brother sat, playing with a squishy toy. He made a small noise through his gummy, his dark green eyes appraising him. If he even knew what he looked at.

He crawled beside him, and Ms. Beylett disappeared back into the school dome. Chalen flipped a strange button on the front board, and the cars slid into place.

"How was school?" Chalen asked in a calm, but not harsh voice.

Beside him, Mother sat in the passenger's seat with a datapad clutched in her hands. He ignored Chalen's question to ask his own instead, a much better one. "Why is he here?"

"He had to have a check-up," Mother said in her soft voice, but no smile. "So be nice."

Be nice.

"Straight home, Lucia?" Chalen rolled up the windows.

Mother's eyelids drooped and she leaned back into her seat. Ethan buckled himself in and peered at Keren as he knocked the toy against the back of Chalen's seat, who paid it no mind.

"Straight home, Chalen," Mother said. "I'm sorry to put this on you again, but Jozten—"

"Say no more, I don't mind."

Ethan focused on Keren as he jabbed the back of Chalen's seat. Over one of the small speed bumps, Keren gave a small, muffled gasp when they bumped into it. The toy dropped to the floor. Out of reach of his tiny arms. Both of the adults spoke in lowered tones, but Keren's eyes frowned deeper than Jesti, faced what Mother called 'consequences'.

Why are you crying? It's just a toy.

Ethan sat back in his seat, watching Keren try to reach the toy on the ground. Keren whined at him as their car rolled out into the roadways. Ships flew over their city, some of them larger than what he was used to. He returned his attention back to Keren when he bounced in his seat, folding his arms before leaning forward to get to his toy.

"You aren't going to reach it," Ethan said under his breath.

He continued anyway.

Ethan released his belt then slipped off his seat to grab Keren's toy. He sat up to pass it to Keren, who held both hands out.

Someone's hand latched onto his back. "Ethanius!" Mother hissed behind him. "Celestials, get into your seat before you get hurt."

Chalen slowed the car at her exclamation, rolling against the curb as city traffic sped by.

"I was just getting his toy," Ethan pointed out. "You should tell him not to drop it next time."

Mother's harried features fell into worry as she tugged him back into his seat. "I just don't want you getting hurt." She buckled him up, and Ethan considered her as she fell into her seat with a long sigh, rubbing her face with both hands.

"So..." Chalen rolled his shoulders. "What'd you do in school today, Ethan?"

"What did you do in school today?"

Chalen blinked. "I haven't been in school for quadrums, son."

Son.

Ethan dug his fingers into his chair, but shrugged. "Stuff."

"Okay," Chalen said. "What stuff?"

"Not talking stuff," Ethan stated. "Dad says I shouldn't tell anyone anything I wouldn't want them to know. So, not talking stuff." He smiled at them both, but they glanced at each other.

"I see," Chalen said, and the rest of the ride fell into silence save for Keren twisting his toy without another whine. Mother's lips thinned, but she said nothing either.

Ethan tucked his bookbag between his legs and then leaned against the window. Their home among the trees came into view when Chalen rolled past the gated community. Several people he knew from Father sat near the gate, playing cards with serious expressions. Chain Winch. Father enjoyed the card game. Ethan sat up as Chalen waved down one of the men before driving further.

"Well, we're here," Chalen said as he opened all the doors. Ethan hopped out, grabbing his bag as Mother rounded the car to pull Keren out of his seat. He raced around to meet her halfway, but stopped at the heaviness on her brow as she turned away from him, left in her shadow. Ethan followed behind her, into the cooled house, with Chalen at the back.

"I'll make something for dinner soon, Ethan," Mother said as Keren waved his hand at him with a smile. "I'm going to take Keren to his room."

Ethan frowned as she moved up the steps with sluggish movements, and placed his book bag to the side, but stopped at a large shadow moving out from the other wing of the house.

"Chalen," Father said.

"Boss," Chalen echoed with a respectful nod.

Ethan stepped up to Father's shape. "Mother took Keren up to his room." He shuffled out of the way when Father stepped towards Chalen, who stiffened.

"Chalen, there was a bit of trouble at the casino," Father grunted. "I need you to go head over there and check what's going on."

Chalen groaned and brought a hand against his nose. "Alright, Boss. I'll tell you what's going on when I get over there." He left Ethan behind, and the door slammed shut.

Silence remained between Father and himself as he picked up his book bag to rifle through it. Ethan hung by the counter, waiting. "My lucky deck of cards went missing a couple nights ago," Father said as he sorted through the contents of his work. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, Ethanius?"

Ethan held his tongue.

"Answer me."

"No," Ethan said. "I don't know anything."

Father considered him, then put his book bag back where he left it. "You don't know anything," he echoed. "I already know the answer." Ethan drifted behind him as they headed for his room, and Father opened his door. Ethan hung back at the corner as Father looked through his dresser, then pulled out a deck of cards.

"You still don't know anything?" Father questioned.

"I don't know how those got there," Ethan mumbled.

Father stepped up to him, tucking the deck of cards into his coat. Ethan nudged out of the way of his door, and pressed his lips together when Father put a hand on his head. "Try harder, Ethan."

"I don't know," Ethan pressed. He turned to Father when he left his room. "Can you teach me Chain Winch now?"

Father shuffled his lucky deck of cards without looking at him. "Don't steal from me, Ethanius." He tucked the cards back into his suit. "I'll teach you soon enough."

"Why not now?"

Father glared down at him. "You should listen when you're told to do something, Ethanius Malakai. Whether that is to wait for something to do or to do it." Ethan watched Father leave without another word.

Ethan sat on his bed, still clutching onto his school datapad before putting it on his desk, slipping it into the slot. Ms Beylett's weekly activity taunted him from behind the hologram. He closed it, where the datapad hummed into stasis. Doing it at the last minute is more fun, anyway.

He left it behind to head for Keren's room, where Mother often sat on the rocking chair while Keren pressed toys into puzzle slots, which dinged with a noise whenever he succeeded. Though his baby brother didn't seem to understand the concept, and enjoyed the failure noises. Ethan headed up to her, and asked, "What are you making for dinner?"

"I haven't decided yet," Mother said as she gazed at Keren as he continued to fail the toddler puzzle with wriggly movements, a look of glee on his face. "Have you done Ms Beylett's work yet? She mentioned you seem to be rushing them."

"It's a weekly activity, I have a week," Ethan pointed out.

Mother smiled down at him, it almost brought the mother before Keren back. "You wouldn't have to worry about it if you did it early." Her smile switched to Keren, and Ethan stared at his little brother as he kept pressing the cubes into the toy tower, which beeped, and beeped.

It sent pinpricks down his skin. "Can't you tell him to do the puzzle correctly?" he asked.

"He'll figure it out, Ethan," Mother joked. "He's playing, what does it matter?"

Ethan stepped up to her. "What's the point of playing if you don't win?"

Mother leaned forward. "Why is it about winning, Ethan?"

Ethan clenched his fists as Keren continued to fail at something simple. Fail, over and over again. Father's shadow glared down at him. He knew, and he said nothing still. That was the game they played. Mother played different games with Keren. Games she used to play with him. Mother withdrew from him, the exhaustion returning. "I'll get up and make dinner soon, Ethan, I just need you to wait, sweetie."

You'll listen when you're told to do something.

Beep.

Are you feeling okay today, Ethan?

Beep. Beep.

Ethan rushed forward to Keren, kicking down the play stand as all the puzzle cubes tumbled out, the noises echoing throughout his eardrums. He stretched his hand forward to tip his brother onto his hindquarters with a small oof. Mother jumped out of her chair, and Ethan whipped around when she pulled him away from Keren.

"What has gotten into you?" she snapped, letting him go.

Heat rose through his entire body, and he turned away from her as she did at the car. He stopped when Keren hauled himself up to clutch onto him with a small noise.

As always in their family, it fell silent.

"Why is he hugging me?" Ethan asked, turning back to Mother for answers.

Mother's steely expression fell again. Pain replaced it. Ethan frowned when Mother brushed his hair.

"Ethan, what is going on?" she asked with a gentler tone. "Did something happen at school?"

Ethan switched between Keren and Mother. "No?"

"Are you telling me the truth?"

Don't talk about the things you don't want others to know.

"Yes."

"What is making you angry?"

"I didn't say I was angry. You're angry at me."

Mother sighed. "I'm not... angry at you, Ethan. I'm just tired, alright? It's been a long day for mom." She hugged him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do the exact thing I'm scolding you for." Mother smiled at him. "You want to help me put Keren's toy back? I think we've scared him a little, and then I'll go make your favourite for dinner."

Ethan peered at Keren, who kept a grip on him. "Can't he put it back himself?"

Mother raised an eyebrow. Ethan withdrew away from them both to lift up the playset, where it chirped back into place. Ethan jumped when Keren tried to press one of the puzzle blocks into his hands.

"I don't want to play, Keren," he said.

Mother tipped her head back, then said, "Play with him, Ethan. I do need to make dinner. So watch him for a bit. Be nice," she echoed her previous statement, getting up to leave the room with him alone. Something she hadn't done before.

Keren pushed the puzzle cube into his hands, and Ethan watched as the failure noises continued. "Keren." He took Keren's puzzle cube, making sure Keren watched as he placed it in the correct slot. "What you're doing isn't the right way."

Keren stared at him as he pulled the cube out of where he put it, only to toss it into the wrong one with a smile.

"No." Ethan pulled it out to put it back. Only for Keren to do the same with a bigger smile. "Why?"

Keren giggled when Ethan placed it back and then echoed his movement.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "You're doing it wrong."

Keren blinked.

"Wrong. Bad," he drawled out.

Keren picked up the rest of the cubes. "Beep."

"You're not even trying," Ethan observed.

Try harder.

Keren placed all the blocks where he must have thought they belonged, and Ethan couldn't be bothered to change it to the correct way. Keren didn't care, he liked the noise.

"Ethis?"

"Ethan, not Ethis, and what?"

Keren sat in front of him with wide eyes, holding the cubes. "Mamma crying."

Mamma crying... Ethan lifted his head to the door.

He never knew why, and he didn't know what to ask.