Chapter 17: Kylian

Felix quietly slipped through the door, careful not to make a sound. The clock on the wall read 4 a.m. He was hoping to sneak into his room without anyone noticing. But just as he passed the kitchen, he froze.

There, standing with his arms crossed and a look that could burn through stone, was Kelvin.

Felix froze, caught off guard. He was expecting a quiet night, but this... this was not it. Kelvin's eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched, and his whole body screamed frustration. Felix swallowed hard, trying to come up with something to say, but the silence between them was deafening.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kelvin's voice was sharp, colder than Felix had ever heard it.

Felix tried to keep his voice steady, but it came out a little too weak. "I... I was out."

Kelvin didn't buy it. He stepped forward, closing the space between them, his eyes never leaving Felix's face. "You think I'm an idiot?" he spat, his voice low but furious. "I've been calling you for hours. And now you show up at this hour, sneaking around like nothing happened?"

Felix didn't know what to say. His mind was still hazy from the alcohol, and the weight of the night crashed down on him all at once. He could feel the tension between them, and it hurt. "I... I'm fine, Kelvin," Felix finally said, trying to brush it off, but even to his own ears, the words didn't sound convincing.

Kelvin's glare softened for a second, but then it hardened again. "No, you're not. You're drunk. And you didn't answer my calls because you didn't want to deal with me, didn't you?"

Felix opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came. He was stuck. He was tired of pretending.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kelvin shook his head, his expression a mix of frustration and hurt. "You're sorry? You're always sorry after you do something stupid. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with you anymore."

Felix stood there, feeling his heart race, unsure of what to do next.

Felix barely heard Kelvin's last words as the pain hit him like a wave. It started in his chest, spreading through his limbs—a familiar, burning sensation that made his vision blur. His heart raced, his breathing became shallow, and he knew exactly what was happening. Not now, not in front of him.

Without a word, Felix bolted towards his room, slamming the door behind him. He clutched at his sides, feeling his body twist and change as the curse took over. His bones shifted, his muscles realigned, and his reflection in the mirror was no longer his own.

Kelvin wasn't going to let him get away that easily. He followed, throwing the door open just in time to catch Felix mid-transformation.

His breath caught in his throat.

There, standing in front of him, was not Felix. It was Kylian—his little brother. Long black hair cascading over his shoulders, the same wide eyes that once stared up at him when they were kids.

"What the—" Kelvin's voice cracked, his pulse thundering in his ears. His head was spinning. Was this real? How could this be real?

Felix—or Kylian—stood there, trembling, sweat dripping down his face. His voice was barely recognizable. "Kelvin... I can explain."

Kelvin took a step back, his mind racing. His brother? Why Kylian? Does this curse have some kind of pattern?

Felix knew the curse wasn't random. It never was. It always followed a pattern. He had learned that much during his trip back to his hometown three years ago. He could usually trace the reason—except for one transformation that baffled him.

The time he had turned into a girl.

He didn't fully understand it yet, but one thing was clear—every time he got closer to Kelvin, every time they shared a genuine, intimate moment, the curse shifted him into that form.

But this... turning into Kylian... this was something else entirely.

He must've thought of Kylian recently or met him. But why now?

Felix's heart pounded as the realization hit him. This curse was more than just bad luck —it was messing with their lives in ways far deeper than he'd ever imagined.

Kelvin's eyes locked on him, his breath caught in his chest. "What the hell is going on, Felix?"

Felix opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out all reason. He was out of time. Out of excuses.

And Kelvin wasn't going to let this go. Not this time.

Felix decided that since Kelvin knew his secret, he should just tell him all info he has relating to the curse.

"I think it's time we had the talk about this...thing." Felix sighed gesturing to Kelvin to take a seat.

Kelvin sat down on the chair next to the bed while Felix-or Kylian- sat on the bed. "So," Kelvin said with crossed arms and crossed legs.

The blonde-haired boy took a deep breath as if bracing himself for impact. "It all started three years ago, the first time I met you."

"Me? How is this related to me?!" Kelvin replied, rather defensively.

"Shut up! And let me talk!" Felix scolded and Kelvin scoffed his eyes. "Go on, Kylix."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Why are you always like this? You're so—argh, forget it! See, this is why I didn't want to tell you anything."

They started bickering, their voices overlapping as the tension from moments ago melted into something more playful.

Kelvin leaned forward, his expression amused now. "Also, can we talk about how annoying it is to have my little brother's face tell me off like this? Seriously, seeing Kylian's face disrespecting me? That's next-level annoying."

Felix grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying this. "Oh? Annoying, huh? Maybe you should listen to me for once, big brother."

Kelvin narrowed his eyes. "Don't. Call. Me. That."

"But I look like him, right?" Felix smirked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, right," Kelvin scoffed. "Kylian would never talk to me like this. You're just borrowing his face. It doesn't come with the vibe."

Felix leaned closer, his smirk widening. "But it annoys you, doesn't it?"

Kelvin groaned, rubbing his temples. "Unbelievably."

"And that's why I'm gonna keep doing it."

"You're impossible," Kelvin said, fighting back a laugh.

"Impossible? Nah, I'm just... adaptable," Felix teased, winking before settling back on the bed, looking far too comfortable.

The air had shifted entirely. The tension from earlier was gone, replaced by something lighter, almost like the banter between two friends—or maybe something more.

Kelvin chuckled despite himself. "You're lucky I'm too tired to fight with you right now."

Felix relaxed, relieved he had successfully steered the conversation away from the curse for now. He wasn't ready to go deeper into that mess yet—not tonight.

"Good. Now, can we both just pretend this never happened and go to sleep?" Felix asked, raising a brow.

Kelvin stood up, giving Felix one last suspicious glance. "For now. But we're not done with this conversation."

"Yeah, yeah," Felix waved him off with a smirk. "Sweet dreams, big bro."

Kelvin shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he walked out of the room.

Felix flopped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd dodged the curse conversation tonight, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Kelvin would demand real answers.

And heck! He wasn't ready for that.