𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄. [𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

002. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

After picking up a generous spread of sandwiches and scones, Y/N returned to the house, her arms full of paper bags. As she approached the door, she could hear music filtering through the walls-a familiar melody that seemed to breathe life into the old, somber mansion.

When she stepped inside, she was greeted by an unexpected sight: Vanya, twirling and swaying to the rhythm in the living room, lost in the music. For the first time that day, something felt genuinely alive in the house. A smile tugged at Y/N's lips as she watched her sister, the sight stirring a sense of warmth she hadn't felt in years.

When she reached the kitchen, she set the bags on the table, her mood lifted by the brief moment of joy. That's when she noticed Klaus, lost in his own world, dancing with their father's urn as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all— Klaus, spinning in circles, Reginald's urn clutched to his chest like a dance partner.

She sat on the table, swinging her legs like a child. she grabbed a sandwich from the table and took a big, satisfying bite. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

But the joy was short-lived. A sudden, massive crack of blue lightning struck outside the mansion, making the lights flicker ominously. The room plunged into a momentary darkness before the power sputtered back to life.

"Daddy?" Klaus said loudly, half-serious as he looked at the urn, thinking for a split second that Reginald had manifested. Before Y/N could respond, a knife flew across the room, embedding itself into the wall with a loud thud. The gust that followed shattered windows, sending glass shards scattering across the floor.

Instinctively, she grabbed his hand, pulling him close. "Something's not right!" she said, her voice tense. They rushed outside, joining the others who had already gathered on the lawn.

Before them, a swirling blue portal crackled with energy, spitting out thunder and wind that whipped through the trees and rattled the mansion's foundations. The sight of it was terrifying.

"Looks like some temporal anomaly!" Luther said loudly over the wind, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. "Either that or a miniature black hole!"

"Pretty big difference, Paul Bunyan!" Diego quipped, shooting him a skeptical look.

Klaus, ever the unpredictable one, suddenly pushed his way to the front. "Outta the way!" he shouted, hurling a fire extinguisher straight at the portal.

"Klaus, what the hell!" Y/N exclaimed, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. The situation was escalating, and she could feel the electricity in the air growing more intense.

The wind howled louder, and the lightning strikes became more frequent. Everyone instinctively moved behind Luther and Diego, bracing themselves for whatever was coming. The portal pulsed with energy, and then, out of nowhere, a figure began to emerge– an old man?. But just as suddenly as he appeared, his form shifted, shrinking down until a young boy was in his place and got thrown down.

The portal closed with a final crackle, leaving the boy lying on the ground. He groaned as he pushed himself up, and
Y/N's breath caught in her throat.

It was Five. He had survived.

Y/N's hands flew to her mouth, disbelief and shock washing over her. "Oh my God," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

"Shit."

___________

"What's the date? The exact date," Five demanded, his voice sharp as he grabbed a cutting board, not wasting a second. The entire family crowded into the kitchen, staring at their brother, who had been missing and presumed dead for nearly 17 years. But there he was, standing before them, looking exactly as he did when he vanished-a 13-year-old boy, unchanged by time.