The Supernova Effect

Chapter 14

Nova

It's been a week since I started working at the museum and somehow I already felt settled there.

Comfortable.

Like I'd slipped into a version of myself I forgot existed before boarding school.

Me and Darius spent most of our lunch breaks together now.

Usually arguing over art styles.

Today we sat across from each other in a tiny pizza place across the street from the museum while he scrolled through photos on his phone.

"What about this one?" he asked, handing it over.

I looked down at the painting on his screen and blinked.

The detail was insane.

It looked almost like a photograph until you noticed the brush strokes.

"When did you even paint this?"

"Last night."

"What?" I laughed. "Do you sleep?"

"Barely."

He leaned back casually in the booth.

"Most of my ideas come from dreams. If I don't paint them immediately, I forget them."

"That's actually kinda cool."

I swiped to another photo accidentally.

This one wasn't a painting.

It was an old picture of a little Asian boy.

Round cheeks.
Dark hair.
Big eyes staring angrily at the camera while holding what looked like melted ice cream.

I smiled immediately.

"Oh my God wait— who is this?"

Darius glanced over.

Then laughed softly.

"My little brother."

"He's adorable, I didn't even know you had siblings."

"Half sibling," he corrected casually. "We never grew up together though."

Something about the way he said it felt strangely detached.

I looked back at the picture.

Even as a kid, there was something oddly familiar about the boy's face.

I just couldn't place it.

"You never met him?"

"Nah."

Darius took another sip of his drink.

"My dad said things got messy between him and the kid's mom."

"That sucks."

"Yeah."

But despite the casualness in his voice—

he still took the phone back carefully.

Like the picture mattered more than he wanted to admit.

"You ever try finding him?"

"Thought about it."

A small shrug.

"Wouldn't even know where to start."

Before I could answer, a familiar voice called my name.

"Nova."

I turned immediately.

"Daisuke?"

He stood near the entrance holding a takeout bag in one hand while looking mildly offended.