Corvin stood at the window of his study, jaw tight, hand clenched around his phone so hard the screen dimmed from pressure. The sky outside looked like shit—gray, angry, same as his insides.
"He's awake," Corvin said, voice low. "And remembering."
A deep voice crackled from the phone. "How much?"
"Not enough to run. But enough to start asking things."
"You said he was stable."
Corvin laughed, bitter. "No one's stable when ghosts come knockin'."
There was silence. Then: "They know. We intercepted something. A photo. Him and you... at a diner. They probably started investigating after they found out you had custody of a boy who would be around Silas age now, that's how they probably found out"
Corvin's blood iced.
"They know he's alive now."
"Fuck, I have done so much to prevent this" he hissed.
"They're moving, Corvin. They're gonna come for him. You probably should let Silas know somethings already, that way it would be easier to protect him"
"I won't let 'em, and if Silas finds out anything or know anything at all. God knows where he's going to run off too. He would probably hate me, swears" Corvin snapped, pacing now. "They take him, I burn the whole goddamn city. He's mine."
"Keep him quiet. And don't screw this up again."
The line went dead.
Corvin stood there. Breathing hard. Vision all static.
They know.
He turned to the desk, shoved everything off it. A loud crash. Glass shattered. He didn't care.
---
Silas woke up to an empty mansion and a headache. The silence felt louder than a damn concert. He walked barefoot through the marble-floored halls like a ghost.
The scent of smoke still clung to the air—Corvin must've been up all night. Probably still locked in that damn study. God knows what have gotten to him for the past couple of days.
He passed by the big hallway mirror. Stopped. Looked at himself.
Who even are you?
A honk echoed outside. One of Corvin's drivers waited out front.
"Let's go, sir," the man said, stiff like all of 'em were.
Silas rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag and hoodie. "Yeah yeah, I'm comin'."
---
School wasn't really school. Not when your brain felt like it had been put through a blender.
Silas sat at the back of class, half-asleep, texting someone under the desk.
ELIOT – yo u good?
SILAS – fine. corvin on stalker mode again.
ELIOT – still think u should tell him about me. we been friends since before u even remembered his name.
SILAS – nah. he'd freak. thinks I'm some fuckin porcelain doll.
ELIOT – or a hostage lol
SILAS – not funny.
Eliot was the one person Corvin didn't know about. Silas kept it that way on purpose.
Eliot wore ratty sneakers and had a crooked tooth but a solid heart. They met on a rainy day behind the gym, both hiding from PE.
---
After school, Silas didn't go straight home.
"Tell him I had detention," he told the driver and waved him off.
He hit the court behind school instead, hoodie up, ball in hand. Eliot and two other guys were already there.
"Bet you still can't shoot for shit," Eliot grinned.
Silas snorted. "Bet your mom can."
They played. Laughed. Shoved each other around.
It felt normal. Like before his brain got all scrambled and Corvin started showing up in his dreams and real life and every breath in between.
But Eliot froze mid-laugh.
"Yo. Silas. That car... it's been there forever."
Silas turned.
Black sedan. Tinted windows. Parked half a block away.
Eliot added, "That dude's watchin' you. Like, hard."
Silas's throat dried. "Shit."
He grabbed his bag. "Tell no one I was here. Not even your cat."
Eliot nodded, serious now. "You good?"
"No idea."
He booked it.
---
Back at the mansion, Corvin was already waiting at the door.
"You went off schedule."
Silas blinked. "Detention."
"You lied."
"Damn. Did you chip my tooth too?!"
Corvin didn't laugh. Just moved aside, letting him in.
"New rules. You don't go anywhere alone. You come back exactly when you should. No unsupervised phone calls. You breathe when I say breathe."
Silas backed up. "Excuse me?!"
Corvin stepped closer. "You heard me."
"You're not my—"
"I am now."
Silas almost swung. Almost.
But then Corvin disappeared into his study again.
---
Inside, Corvin opened a sleek envelope. Official court seal.
Legal Guardianship Notification.
Filed against him.
By someone who knew Silas was alive. He had protected Silas for years by changing his birth name.
Someone who wanted to take him back.
His hand shook.
He grabbed his phone, hit the secure line.
"They filed it. Guardianship claim. They're makin' it legal."
A pause.
Corvin's voice dropped low. Like a storm cloud before it splits wide open.
"They know. They know he's alive now. They're gonna try to take him away from me."