Chapter 02

Shadawn knew the moment he stepped through those doors that he needed to expect change. He did not look up at any of them after meeting the three pairs of curious eyes, while beyond the frame of the brown antique door. To be vigilant of his surroundings, he kept track of each individual by the distinctive images of their feet through the side of his eyes.

"Sha-Shadawn?!"

He heard a broken male voice whisper with raw emotion.

He wanted to lift his eyes and drink in the features of this individual whose voice was clogged with emotions that confused him. But he didn't. He still looked at their feet.

The figure approached him with quick strides and embraced him in a hug that sent Shadawn rigid, making his heart beat quicken with dreadful discomfort. He tried pushing him away with silent ragged breaths and shaking hands that were hidden below his long rugged sleeves.

"Is it really you?!"

The figure questioned, yet again with clear emotions.

Shadawn didn't reply, his mind too occupied with the violation of his personal space.

Just as he was about to transition to a minor panic attack, the said figure was grabbed off him.

Shadawn finally looked up.

The young male brunette was clamped under the watchful gaze of a young shorter female who seemed to have a strong grip on him despite her mini stature next to the tall male.

"Can you not exert your unwanted golden retriever energy on someone who just got off a flight?!"

She yelled.

All of them were loud.

"It's been 12 years! I've got 12 years of catching up to do!"

The brunette exclaimed in frustration.

"Which you have time for the next few decades. So let him breathe"

Shadawn took the time to observe them.

Looking closely, he realized they were vaguely familiar.

Identical brown hair, the male with dark green eyes, and the female with warm brown eyes, like his own.

His own pair of identical brown eyes widened in recognition.

They were them.

Hynata and Hyaté.

They really had changed. The last time he saw them he was five, and they were four. Hynata still had the slightly chubby soft round face as back then, she was beautiful and one might often call her cute, but her personality was quite the contrast to what she was. She used to be the quiet one that never exerted any authority or dominance. Maybe he was too quick to judge, yet she did have a dominating aura around her.

Hyaté on the other hand, had gone from the once petite boy to a six-foot bloke. The absolute opposite of what Shadawn happened to be. Hyaté was younger than him by a year, yet he looked much older, confident and charming, he had always been a kid full of energy. Shadawn felt happy at how much better Hyaté was doing when compared to him.

"DAWN! "

Shadawn turned around expecting to see his little brother, but what he had not expected was to be embraced and pummeled to the floor by the little body that shot toward him.

"Hya! What are you doing!"

He giggled trying to escape his brother's attempt at a tackle.

"Dawn! will you come play-"

little Hynata tried pulling Hyaté off of him while speaking.

"No! play with meeeee!!!!!!!"

Hyaté interrupted his twin.

"I asked him first!"

she whined in annoyance.

"I got to him first!"

Hyaté stuck his tongue out at her hugging Shadawn even more tightly.

"I want to garden!"

She pouted at him.

"No we're going to play with my trucks! besides boys don't play with flowers"

Hyaté declared.

But Shadawn really did prefer gardening with his sister over being stuck playing trucks.

"How about we play hide and seek!? We can ask Ce-ce if he wants to join too!"

Shadawn suggested, not wanting to disappoint either of them.

They both agreed, which resulted in all of them going on a hunt to find their older brother.

"Ce-ce! Hya and Hyn want to play hide and seek! can you play with us!?"

Shadawn asked with big eyes knowing how reluctant his brother usually was since he was the 'big kid'

"Nah. I'm too busy"

he shrugged off, as usual, continuing his mission on his video game.

"Pleassseeee"

All three of them whined.

"Nope"

"We'll do anything for you"

Shadawn pouted and his statement did gain Hyacinth's interest.

"Anything......?"

They nodded.

"Give me half of each of your ice creams when dad brings us ice cream today."

He grinned while the three children's face fell in unison.

But realizing there was no way around it Shadawn said,

"You can have my whole ice cream. But let these two have theirs"

He pouted sadly. But it was worth it. All four of them had a lot of fun that day. It was the last time all of the siblings got to play together so carefree.

They had indeed changed so much.