Sam lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling as he tried to make sense of everything. His twin brother, Kenith—once the playful, mischievous half of his world—had changed. It wasn’t something Sam could put into words easily, but he felt it deeply. Kenith wasn’t the same anymore, not in the way that mattered. He was still fun, still his best friend and partner in all their usual antics, but there was something different, something off. And Sam, though only twelve, wasn’t dumb. He could tell when things weren’t quite right.
In the past week alone, Kenith had become a whirlwind of talent and popularity. At school, he was suddenly the smartest kid in every class, solving problems faster than anyone, making friends with kids he had never even talked to before. And in soccer? Kenith had become unbeatable. It was like no one could touch him. On the field, he was a blur of precision and skill, moving as if he had been playing at a professional level for years. Sam didn’t play soccer himself, but even he could tell that something extraordinary had happened. His brother had leveled up, seemingly overnight.
Even in parkour, Kenith now flew through the obstacles with ease. Where they once struggled together to master tricky moves, now Kenith could flip and leap as if gravity didn’t apply to him. It was impressive, sure, but Sam couldn’t help but feel left behind. Kenith was moving ahead, and Sam was watching from the sidelines.
But that wasn’t what bothered Sam the most. No, the thing that really hurt—the thing that gnawed at his insides—was the way Kenith had started treating their dad.
They had always been close to their dad. He was a loving, supportive presence in their lives, always there with encouragement, hugs, and playful banter. But lately, Kenith had begun pushing him away, and not just physically. He wouldn’t even call him Dad anymore. It was just Jeff, spoken with a sharpness that made Sam uncomfortable. When their dad tried to ruffle his hair or hug him, Kenith would pull away, sometimes with a snide comment or a scowl that didn’t belong on his usually carefree face.
The first time Sam had noticed it, he thought it was just a bad mood or a phase. But it kept happening. Every time their dad tried to get close, Kenith would push him away, anger simmering beneath the surface.
It hurt their dad, Sam could see that much. The way his face would fall, the hurt in his eyes whenever Kenith snapped at him. And Sam didn’t get it. He didn’t understand why his brother, who had always been so close to their dad, had suddenly turned on him. So one day, Sam had finally asked him.
“Why are you treating Dad like that?”
Kenith had just shrugged, barely looking up from his phone. “Jeff’s an ass,” he’d said flatly. “He doesn’t deserve our love.”
The words had stunned Sam, leaving him speechless. He had no idea how to respond to something like that. This was their dad Kenith was talking about—the man who had loved and supported them every step of the way. Where was this anger coming from? What had their dad done to make Kenith so furious?
Sam had left the conversation feeling uneasy, retreating to snuggle up with their mom on the couch, just like he and Kenith had always done. He found comfort in the warmth of her presence, but something still felt wrong. The house didn’t feel the same anymore, not with the growing tension between his brother and their dad.
Now, lying in bed, Sam rolled over to glance at Kenith, who was already asleep in the bed next to him. The soft glow of the moonlight from the window illuminated his twin’s face, calm and peaceful in sleep. But Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside his brother had changed in a way he couldn’t quite understand.
Kenith was still his twin, still the person he had spent every moment of his life with. But Sam knew his brother better than anyone, and he could see through the surface. Kenith wasn’t just angry at their dad—there was something deeper, something darker driving that anger.
And Sam didn’t like it.
As he lay there, the sounds of the house quieting down for the night, Sam made a decision. He was going to figure out what was going on with his brother. He didn’t know how yet, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch as Kenith pushed their dad away and acted like everything was fine. They were twins. They were supposed to be in this together. Whatever was bothering Kenith, Sam was going to find out.
Because if there was one thing Sam knew for sure, it was that he couldn’t lose his brother. Not like this.
With that thought in his mind, Sam closed his eyes, resolving to figure out the truth—whatever it took.