The Ascendant Shadow

Chapter 1: In the Wake of Change

Valentina's POV:

I watched my brother, Lucas, snatch another fry off my plate. "Touch my fries again, and I'll kill you," I warned, smacking his hand. He shot me a glare, unfazed by my threat.

"Just two more hours and we'll be in our new home," my mother, Sarah, said with a smile. She began straightening up the mess Lucas had made, her movements almost robotic. It was like she could only function when she was cleaning or organizing. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Yes, we're so thrilled about moving into our new home," Owen muttered sarcastically, his irritation impossible to miss. My lips twitched.

"Owen," my dad's voice cut in, a quiet warning.

I glanced at my twin sister, Veronica. She just shrugged, unfazed by the tension. We'd learned a long time ago that this was how things worked with our parents. We coped by sticking together.

Lucas and I resumed our game of pinching each other, escalating into a small spat. Across the table, Owen, my other twin brother, was completely absorbed in his phone, uninterested in the chaos that always seemed to follow when the six of us were together.

To be clear, there are eight of us: my parents, Sarah and Thomas, and my six siblings. Though, to be fair, our oldest brother, Landon, is already off at college, so at home, it's mostly just the five of us now—Veronica and I, the twins Owen and Lucas, and little Charlie, who just turned four. We're a big family. Too big, if you ask me. But no one asked me.

"Stop it, or I swear I'll kill you," I shouted, this time louder, as Lucas pinched me harder, drawing a few curious glances from the other diners.

"Valentina!" My mother's voice was sharp, full of that familiar exasperation.

Lucas, of course, tried to hide his laughter, but I wasn't in the mood for his antics. I shot him a glare and turned back to my mom.

"Why are we moving again?" Vero asked, her tone thick with frustration. It was a rhetorical question, but I knew the feeling well.

"Eat," was all Mom said, her response clipped. No one bothered to answer Vero's question, and I wasn't in the mood to push it.

I sighed, lifting little Charlie into my lap as she waddled over to me, arms outstretched. She was the only sibling who could get away with anything, her innocent eyes and small stature an unspoken shield against our mother's wrath.

As we finished eating, my dad glanced at his watch. "Ten more minutes, then we head back to the car."

"How big is this new house, anyway?" Veronica asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's big enough for all of us," Mom replied. "Eight rooms. Owen and Landon will have their own rooms, you two will have your own rooms, and little Charlie will have hers."

Veronica and I exchanged a glance. We'd shared a room our entire lives, and the idea of finally having separate rooms was both strange and exciting.

After a few more minutes, we all piled back into the car. Dad and Owen drove the trucks filled with our things, while Mom took the Dodge with the rest of us. Even though we were heading to our new house, we would still be attending the same prestigious academy, commuting every day from home. It wasn't a boarding school, but it felt just as intense.

"I don't want any trouble this year," Mom said as she merged onto the highway, her tone strict.

"We get it, Mom," Veronica and I chimed in unison, barely hiding our boredom. We were known for causing trouble—it wasn't our fault, really. Skipping a grade and ending up in the same year as our brothers was bound to lead to some chaos.