The next morning…
It was already past eleven when Theo, Aries, and Calix finally made it to the dining table for a late brunch. Theo rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he slumped into his seat. He had skipped his usual morning exercises, planning to do them later in the afternoon instead.
Aunt Brenda was already at work in the kitchen, setting plates and refilling juice glasses. Aries yawned again, earning a light chuckle from Theo.
"I told you not to stay up so late," he said, reaching eagerly for the food. "Now you're paying for it."
It was past three in the morning when they finally got home. Theo was just glad he had managed to slip out before the AMSO unit arrived at the scene.
"No regrets," Aries mumbled, still half-asleep.
Calix grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, hoping to catch the morning headlines as he buttered his toast. But the moment the news anchor spoke, his hand froze mid-air.
