The Truth Revealed: A New Friendship Forms

The day had ended with the chaos of training, confusion, and laughter that followed Lucien's antics. The night felt unusually still, as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for something monumental to happen. Ren, Kael, and their older brother had spent the entire afternoon exhausted after intense training with their father, Tsukihara. Their bodies ached from the relentless exercises, but their minds were filled with something more troubling—Lucien. The new kid, with his incessant teasing and eccentric behaviour, had slowly embedded himself into their lives, causing more disruption than either twin could have anticipated.

But that wasn't the most shocking thing.

No, the real shock came later when Lucien revealed something that shook the very foundation of their relationship with their father. And this moment, despite all the chaos, would turn out to be the turning point in their bond with him and with Lucien.

The sun had set by the time they gathered in the spacious training hall at their family estate. It was an open area, filled with wooden pillars and training dummies that had seen years of practice. Tsukihara was in the centre, sharpening his blade, his expression unreadable. His eyes, always sharp and full of emotion, seemed distant tonight. Ren and Kael stood beside him, each uncertain of what to say, the events of the day still fresh in their minds.

Lucien had been unusually quiet for the past few hours, a small but noticeable shift in his demeanour. He wasn't making jokes, wasn't flirting, or pulling pranks—he seemed almost… serious.

"Something on your mind, Lucien?" Kael asked, breaking the silence. His tone was casual, though there was a flicker of concern in his voice.

Lucien's gaze drifted toward the two twins. "Yeah. I have something I need to say to you both… and to your father."

The air grew heavy, and Tsukihara glanced up from his sharpening stone. His expression remained calm, but Ren could tell there was an underlying tension.

"Go on, Lucien," Tsukihara said softly, his voice much gentler than usual.

Lucien stepped forward, the mood suddenly shifting from light-hearted to serious. "I… I'm not just some random kid who's been sent here for training. I'm more than just the annoying new guy." He paused, his eyes flickering briefly to Kael and Ren before settling on Tsukihara.

"I have history with you—both of you." Lucien's voice dropped. "But I couldn't say it before because it… didn't feel like the right time. Not until now."

Ren blinked, confused. "History with us? What are you talking about?"

Lucien's expression hardened. "I wasn't always a stranger to you. I've known your family for a long time, Ren, Kael." He turned to Tsukihara. "And especially you, Father."

The words hung in the air, sending a chill through Ren's spine. His father? Ren exchanged a quick glance with Kael, whose brow furrowed.

Tsukihara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lucien, are you saying you know me… personally?"

Lucien nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes, and more importantly, I know what you've done. I've seen things, Father, that you've hidden away from us. You've kept the truth from them—everything that happened before they were born."

Ren's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? What truth?"

Kael, ever the composed one, stepped forward, his voice steady but laced with curiosity. "Lucien, if there's something we need to know, now's the time to tell us."

Lucien hesitated, then turned to the side, taking a deep breath. "The truth is… I'm not just some random student who walked into your lives. I used to be your brother's—Tsukihara's—apprentice, back when I was a child."

Ren's mind whirled as he processed the revelation. "Your apprentice?" he repeated, his voice shaky with disbelief. "What does that mean?"

Tsukihara's gaze was filled with shock, his face slowly falling into a more serious expression as the past began to come into focus.

"I… I used to be your father's student, too," Lucien continued, his voice tinged with emotion. "But things went wrong. I remember—some of what happened, at least. I remember the promise you made to me, Tsukihara. You promised that we would always fight side by side. But when the darkness came, you… you left me behind. You forgot me."

Ren could feel his heart hammering in his chest. This was more than just a casual revelation. This was the unravelling of something far deeper than any of them had anticipated.

Tsukihara's eyes grew pained. "Lucien… I never wanted to leave you behind. I tried—"

"Don't lie," Lucien interrupted, his tone sharp. "You sealed the memories. You took away the truth, and you erased everything we had, everything that connected us. I wanted to be your equal, to fight beside you, but you chose to forget me. I'm the one who remembers the truth, Tsukihara. You chose to bury it."

The room went deathly silent.

Ren's breath caught in his throat. His father… lied to them? He had sealed away parts of his past, and now they were here, exposed for all to see. His eyes locked with Tsukihara's. "You lied to us? You lied to me?" His voice was almost a whisper, but the pain behind it was undeniable.

Tsukihara stood still, his face a mixture of guilt and sadness. He didn't immediately answer, and that silence was enough.

"I only sealed a small portion of the truth," Tsukihara said quietly, almost to himself. "But I never meant to hurt you, Ren, or you, Kael. I was just trying to protect you from the pain, the darkness I couldn't escape from."

Ren felt his anger rising, the pain in his chest giving way to frustration. "So all this time, you kept secrets from us? Everything we went through, and we had no idea who you really were?"

Lucien's gaze softened as he watched the twins. "I think you deserve the truth now," he said quietly. "Because in a way, I've also been hiding something from you. I'm not just your classmate… I'm someone you should trust, someone who will stand beside you from now on. We're connected. We always were."

Ren and Kael exchanged uncertain looks, the weight of Lucien's words settling over them like an invisible storm.

"You're… serious, aren't you?" Kael asked, his voice much quieter than usual.

Lucien nodded. "I'm not the same person I was back then. But I can be a friend to both of you. I want to fight with you. I want us to be a team."

Ren hesitated for a moment, his anger still simmering, but as he looked at Lucien, something changed. Lucien's sincerity was clear, his past pain mirrored in his eyes, but there was a quiet resolve in him now, a determination that Ren couldn't ignore.

"Alright, Lucien," Ren said, his voice firm but not unkind. "I don't know everything yet, but if you're telling the truth, then I'll give you a chance. But if you hurt us again—"

Lucien raised his hands in mock surrender, his eyes glinting with a rare, genuine smile. "I won't. Promise."

It was an uncertain beginning, but it was a beginning nonetheless. The twins had made a new ally in Lucien, someone who was more connected to them than they could have ever imagined. It would take time to rebuild the trust and heal the wounds that had been inflicted by the lies and secrets, but Ren and Kael were willing to try.

As they stood together in the quiet aftermath of their conversation, something unspoken passed between them—a bond forged through shared pain, a bond that would only grow stronger as they faced the challenges ahead.