"You're new to this stuff, aren't you?" Daniel said, wiping away his tears.
"What do you mean, new to this?" Gabriel asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Being like this... because I'm not trying to stir any feathers, and in your case, ruffle your wings, but you don't seem to have this flying thing down," Daniel said, his voice laced with amusement. "It's a little botched."
"Wow, shots fired, I guess," Gabriel said, laughing.
Daniel joined in, and the sound of their laughter echoed through the night.
"You know, man, you laugh just like my brother," Daniel said, a smile still on his face. "That's wild."
Gabriel's heart skipped a beat at the words, but he tried to keep his composure.
The house loomed ahead, and Gabriel felt a pang of relief.
"We're here," he said, dropping Daniel off by the back fence.
Just as Gabriel was about to fly away, Daniel shouted, "Wait!"
Gabriel turned back, a questioning look on his face.
"Are you trying to wake up the whole neighborhood?" Gabriel asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Oh... yeah, my bad," Daniel said, lowering his voice. "Thank you for tonight, man. Even though you're this weird-looking bug thing, you're pretty cool. But yeah, I better go before my parents or brother realise I'm gone."
Daniel jumped back over the side fence, landing on top of the box before getting down and heading toward the back door. He grabbed the handle and opened it slowly, easing it shut with a gentle click. His heart was pounding. His breath shallow.
He turned around and tiptoed toward the stairs. As he crept up, he tried to distribute his weight, praying each step wouldn't betray him. But no matter how gently he moved, every creak sounded like a gunshot in the silence. When he reached the top, he paused. The hardest part was over. He silently thanked God he'd made it back in one piece—uncaught. For a moment, the tightness in his chest loosened.
He began to walk with confidence.
Then it happened.
Just as he passed his father's bedroom door, the voice cut through like it was being shouted through a speaker.
"Young man… and where have you been?"
Daniel froze. Every part of his body turned cold. His heart slammed against his ribs, beating relentlessly. It felt like he'd been shot—paralyzed by fear. His legs wouldn't move. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
He wanted to run. Hide. Disappear. But his body betrayed him.
"I told you, never be late for work," the voice slurred. "We have so much work to do. You can't be late… we're on a deadline..."
Confusion crossed Daniel's face as he leaned his head in closer.
Then silence followed. Heavy, loaded silence.
Daniel's whole world felt like it was about to implode.
Then— the loud sound of snoring echoed through the hallway.
He paused, just to be sure. And no more words came. He tilted his head back slightly, closed his eyes, and let out a breath.
"I guess work for you never ends," he muttered. "Even in your dreams, you're talking about your lab..."
He shook his head and stepped into his room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
At the same time, just one wall over, Gabriel flew back in through his window, wings folding behind him as he landed. They sat at the same time — two brothers on different beds, separated by walls but connected by the weight of everything that had happened.
Mirrors of each other.
Daniel sat in silence as the night came flooding back, like a tidal wave he couldn't stop. The memories rolled in—thick, fast, unrelenting. The door being kicked in. The sound of boots on wood. The gun raised. Bullets screaming in slow motion. The old man dropping. The cold, lifeless body twisted on the ground. Blood pooling across the floor like spilled milk.
It was like his mind was playing a cruel trick, locking him in the moment. Kneeling beside the lifeless body, blood on his hands. No matter how much he wiped or scrubbed, it was just replaced by another layer of blood.
He squeezed his eyes shut, holding his head.
"No, no, no… stop..." he muttered. "Please, stop..."
But it didn't.
The flashes came faster. The gunshots louder. The man's last breaths clearer.
He screamed into his pillow, muffling the sound. "STOP! Please stop!"
Tears flowed like an endless river as his shoulders trembled, and no matter how much he begged or pleaded, the blood was still there—a symbol of everything he wanted to forget, but couldn't.
"How did my life get like this?" Daniel whispered, voice hoarse. "A murder... gangs... a cold lifeless body lying there... and I was a part of it. I may not have pulled the trigger—but I've still got blood on my hands."
In the room next door, Gabriel sat upright on his bed. He leaned against the wall, one hand pressed flat against it.
"You're not beyond saving, bro," Gabriel said softly. "It's not your fault. You were groomed—like all the rest. Taken advantage of. They made you think they were there for you... like they were family. That's how they control you. That's how they get you to do their dirty work."
Daniel wiped his face, voice shaking, and pressed his palm against the wall.
"I was manipulated... used. But that doesn't excuse my actions. Not for what happened tonight. Not for what I became a part of. My father might not have been there for me... but my mom—she was. She tried her best to raise two boys with a father who was there... but absent. I never missed a trip, or a meal. And I always had her love."
He looked up toward the ceiling, lips trembling.
"No matter what was going on... she gave everything she had."
"You are redeemable, bro," Gabriel said, his voice calm and steady.
Daniel sat up straighter, his voice clearer now. What had seemed like an endless drop through a tormented hell had stopped. Like something solid had finally formed beneath him.
"I am redeemable," he said.
Both brothers let out a deep sigh and leaned back, resting their heads against the walls of their rooms at the same time.
The weight hadn't disappeared.
But the burden was no longer Daniel's to bear alone. And if he had to walk through fire to make it out of the other side, Gabriel would be right there beside him, every step of the way.