Six years ago…
A light-brown-haired girl was standing in front of the big window, staring out into space. The stars seemed so far, so quiet — too quiet. She was fiddling with a little keychain in her hands, flipping it over and over.
Behind her, a tall white-haired lady in a fancy suit walked up softly. Her heels didn't even make a sound.
"What's on your mind, Alisa?" she asked, her tone soft but steady.
Alisa didn't answer right away. She pressed her forehead to the glass and closed her eyes. Then she turned around, still holding the keychain like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"Just thinking…" she said quietly. "About the twin brothers. They… they always used to fight over stupid little things, remember? But now… I'm more worried about Edward. What if the universe made some… opposite version of him? Someone cruel? And then there's Ravi and Bolt… they were only six when everything fell apart. If they survived… they'd be seventeen by now. But…"
Her words trailed off, caught in her throat.
Elenore sighed and came closer, resting one hand on Alisa's shoulder. "Silly girl," she murmured. "They're royal siblings. And more than that — children of Alex and Rimini. You know Alex. They all inherited his bad habit of surviving everything and disappearing whenever they feel like it. And trust me… when he comes back, he always comes back stronger. Don't worry. They'll show up again, and they'll surprise you."
Alisa let out a weak little laugh but still kept her eyes on the stars.
Earth — Present Day
Jake was sitting in a quiet library, hunched over a notebook. His long blond hair, streaked with black highlights, kept falling in his face as he scribbled something down. Then — ah-choo!
The sneeze echoed through the whole room.
"Bless you," said the boy across from him, barely even glancing up from his book. "Don't catch a cold. I don't want your germs on me."
Jake scowled. "Ed! How can you be so cold?"
Edward didn't even flinch. He flipped another page and smirked faintly. "Not my fault. Germs are disgusting. Anyway… did you make up your mind about high school yet? I'm going to Zandora."
"I'm staying on Earth," Jake said flatly.
When the twins got home later, their mother was already waiting for them in the living room. She was tall, black-haired, and sitting with her arms crossed like she already knew trouble was coming.
Edward barely made it through the door before the argument started. His voice was sharp, and hers was sharper.
Jake stood there awkwardly, caught between them, trying to calm them down.
But Edward eventually threw up his hands and stormed off upstairs, muttering something under his breath.
Their mother sat back on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "He's just like his father…" she murmured, almost to herself. Then she looked at Jake. "I guess there's no stopping him. Tell your brother I've agreed — but only under certain conditions."
Jake lingered by the doorway, fiddling with his sleeve. "…Mom? Can you tell me about Dad?"
Her lips twitched into a faint, sad smile. "Figured you'd ask me that sooner or later," she said. And then she began talking — stories about a man Jake could barely remember, stories she'd kept quiet for years.
Somewhere else — On a spaceship
On a ship floating somewhere between stars, a blonde man sneezed.
Across the table, Elenore raised an eyebrow. "Someone's definitely talking shit about you," she deadpanned.
The man rubbed his nose. "Eli, not now. Probably my wife."
Tio, sitting beside her, snorted. "Yeah, she's probably the only one with the guts to."
The meeting dragged on — tense voices, harsh words, but the man's mind was already far away.
Back on Earth — Edward & Jake
Later that night, Edward was packing his bag. His room was messy, clothes scattered everywhere, but his movements were precise, almost robotic.
Jake leaned against the doorway, watching him.
"Okay," Jake finally said, "what did you do now? It's kind of creepy how you suddenly decided to run off to space. You always wanted Stanford. What changed?"
Edward froze, then slowly turned around. His bangs fell into his eyes as his green irises shimmered faintly — alive, shifting.
Jake stared. "…What the hell?"
Edward gave a dry laugh. "We're aliens," he said flatly. "You know that jewelry Mom makes us wear? It seals our powers. I'm going to Zandora to figure this all out — and to find Dad. You stay here. Keep Mom and our sister safe."
Jake snorted. "Ha ha. Funny."
But Edward didn't laugh. Instead, he raised a hand, and a glowing silver orb formed in his palm. Without waiting for Jake to react, he pressed it against his brother's forehead.
Warmth flared through Jake, and his breath hitched.
"Not a joke," Edward said quietly. "We're royals. From Auratisia. Famous for mana control and the arts."
Jake stumbled back, clutching his head as strange memories flashed — hallways, sunlight on marble floors, whispers of a palace life he didn't even know he remembered.
After a long, tense silence and a lot of arguing, Jake finally muttered, "…Fine. Whatever."
Before he could say more, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," their mom called from the kitchen.
When she opened the door, her breath caught.
"Ryuu!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you?!"
A boy with messy red hair and a bruised face stood there, swaying slightly.
"Jake! Get your ass down here! Ryuu's hurt!" she barked, ushering him inside.
Ryuu's voice cracked as he spoke in Auratisian. "Mom and Dad are fighting… the secret's out… please save my mom…"
Rimini's eyes narrowed. She didn't even hesitate — just grabbed her coat, locked the door behind her, and ran out into the night.
Jake, Edward, & Ryuu
Jake scrambled down the stairs and froze when he saw Ryuu sitting on the couch, pale and trembling.
"R! Who did this to you?! Are you okay? Damn — you look like hell," Jake blurted, rushing over.
He helped Ryuu up and half-carried him to his room. Without even realizing it, Jake's hands glowed faintly, sealing Ryuu's cuts and straightening his tangled hair.
From the stairs, Edward's voice cut through the air. "Blinds. Now."
Jake glanced up. Edward flicked his fingers, and the blinds snapped shut with a clatter.
"Jake," Edward said, walking down a few steps, "he's showing signs of… omegaverse heat. I'll grab painkillers and suppressors from the basement. You stay with him — and use your fanfic knowledge or something."
Jake gawked at him. "Excuse me?!"
But Edward was already gone.
Jake muttered under his breath as he scooped Ryuu into a bridal carry. "You're heavy as hell. And this is way too much for one night."
He laid Ryuu on his bed. "Okay — what do you need? One of those… nest things? Or—?"
"Shut up," Ryuu groaned, clutching his stomach. "Just get the damn painkillers, jackass. I swear, I'll never laugh at fictional characters again…"
Jake grinned faintly despite himself. He threw his jacket over Ryuu. "Fine. I don't even know my second gender yet, but maybe my scent will help calm you down. Stay put. Text me if you need anything."
Edward — alone
When Jake left the room, Edward was already waiting halfway up the stairs, holding a small bottle of pills.
"Here," Edward said, tossing it to him. "I used magic to find these. You should monitor Ryuu — it's dangerous for me to be around him right now. I'm an alpha. You… haven't presented yet. You were marked beta as a kid."
Jake rolled his eyes. "You're loving this, huh?"
Edward ignored the jab. "Anyway, I'm older — so technically, the throne's mine. But that doesn't matter now. Right now we help him. Got it?"
Jake could tell his brother was hiding something. He didn't press — because he knew what happened when Edward got pushed too hard.
Jake returned to Ryuu's room, quietly handing him the medicine.
Later, Edward climbed to the rooftop with a small, beat-up box under his arm. He opened it, adjusted the dials, and listened as the machine sputtered to life.
Then — through the static — came a faint, unmistakable Morse code signal.
Edward leaned closer, eyes narrowing as he listened to the message.