Chapter 12:Curiosity's Price

Several years after Hikari's death, Aoiro and Kurata went their separate ways, their bond shattered by the grief of losing their father. Life had moved on, though the memories of that painful time never truly faded. Aoiro had built a new life with his wife Catherine, raising their three children—Takeshi, Kori, and Raiden.

Takeshi, the eldest, was already showing signs of greatness. At 11 years old, his red lightning powers had fully bloomed, crackling beneath his skin with vibrant energy. Kori, just 9, had begun to exhibit yellow lightning powers, though they had yet to fully mature. Raiden, the youngest at 7, had no visible powers yet. Though he was small and his abilities were uncertain, his restless spirit was undeniable.

It was a quiet afternoon, and Raiden was bored. He paced back and forth, his small feet shuffling across the floor, eyes filled with mischief. "Hey, Takeshi, Kori, come on!" he called, leaning into his siblings' room. "Let's play hide and seek!"

Takeshi groaned. "Not near Dad's lab, though," he warned, sitting upright with a knowing look. Their father had always been strict about staying away from the lab—he had made that clear from day one.

"Come on, we won't break anything," Raiden said with a grin. "We'll just hide close to it! What could go wrong?"

Kori gave Raiden a hesitant look but, with a sigh, agreed. "Fine, but no going inside."

Raiden's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I promise!" he chirped, but the thrill of disobedience was already flickering in his heart.

As Kori began to count, Takeshi and Raiden dashed off to hide. But Raiden, being as curious as ever, didn't follow the rules. Instead, he grabbed his older brother's arm and pulled him toward their father's lab. "Come on, let's hide inside. She'll never think to look for us there!"

"No way, Raiden!" Takeshi hissed, resisting. "We're not supposed to go in!"

"Just this once! We won't touch anything, I swear!" Raiden insisted, pulling harder. Takeshi finally relented, sighing in defeat. The temptation of an unbeatable hiding spot was too good to resist.

Once inside the lab, the brothers moved quickly. Takeshi found a hiding spot behind a tall shelf stacked with books and strange tools. Raiden, on the other hand, crawled under a large table where several flasks and beakers bubbled ominously with glowing liquids.

Raiden's eyes were drawn to one in particular—a green, bubbling chemical that seemed to shimmer under the light. He was thirsty, and the liquid looked oddly like water. "Is water supposed to be green?" Raiden whispered, his curiosity growing.

"Don't touch anything, Raiden," Takeshi whispered back, glancing nervously from behind the shelf. "We'll get into so much trouble!"

But Raiden's curiosity, combined with his stubbornness, got the better of him. Ignoring his brother's warning, he reached for the flask. Without thinking, he brought it to his lips and took a sip.

The effect was immediate.

Raiden screamed as the liquid burned his throat, a fiery pain that shot through his body. His small hands gripped his neck, his face twisted in agony. His eyes, once brown, turned a shocking, unnatural shade of red, glowing like embers. His entire body shook as he collapsed to the ground.

Takeshi ran to his brother's side, panic rising in his chest. "Raiden! What did you do?!" he shouted, grabbing his brother's shoulders. Kori's footsteps echoed as she rushed in, her face pale with fear. "What happened?!"

Raiden didn't answer. He screamed again, louder this time, his voice hoarse as purple spots began to appear on his skin. The mysterious chemical had spread quickly through his body, leaving marks that neither Takeshi nor Kori had ever seen before.

As the two older siblings watched in horror, they could only wonder what kind of nightmare their brother had unleashed upon himself—and what it would mean for them.