The throne of dominance

Chapter 3: Echoes of Vengeance

Jean woke up with a slow stretch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as the first rays of morning light filtered through his window. He blinked, feeling the warm, quiet calm of a new day settling over him, the remnants of last night's strange atmosphere already fading into the back of his mind. He yawned, pushing himself up, his thoughts quickly turning to Jonas and Yuri. They had spent the night, after all, and he couldn't help but feel a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. Maybe they'd finally gotten over being scared of Zane, he thought with a chuckle.

He got up, pulling on his shirt and lacing his boots before slipping out of his room. The house was quiet, a cozy stillness filling the air, and Jean padded down the hallway toward the main room, where he figured his friends would already be up. Sure enough, as he turned the corner, he spotted Jonas and Yuri, both awake and rubbing their eyes as they sat around the low table.

"Hey, look who's still alive after a night in my house," Jean greeted them with a grin, dropping down beside them. "Did you two sleep okay, or were you still afraid Zane was going to pop out and haunt you?"

Jonas rolled his eyes, though a faint smirk appeared on his face. "She wasn't exactly... inviting," he replied, his voice laced with a dry tone. "And it's not like you did much to make us feel better."

Yuri let out a small laugh, shaking his head as he glanced at Jean. "Honestly, Jean, I don't think I've ever been that close to jumping out a window before. Your sister is... something else."

Jean feigned an innocent look, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "Hey, don't blame me for Zane's... charms. And besides, I'm the one who has to live with her every day. You two only had to survive one night."

Jonas raised an eyebrow, a faint glimmer of amusement in his green eyes. "Oh, and I'm sure you didn't enjoy making us think she was going to sneak up on us in the middle of the night."

Jean shrugged, his grin widening. "I mean, what's a sleepover without a little harmless terror? Admit it—you both were just jealous that I've got the coolest family."

Yuri gave him a mock glare, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Right. Remind me to never stay over here again. I'd rather face down a pack of wild wolves."

Jean laughed, swatting Yuri on the shoulder. "Oh, come on! You two were fine. Look at you—still alive and in one piece." He paused, casting a playful glance at Jonas. "Though, I could've sworn I heard someone whispering about 'vengeance on Jean' in their sleep."

Jonas smirked, folding his arms. "That might still be on the table, depending on how the rest of the day goes."

Jean's laugh echoed through the room, filling the cozy space with a lightness that matched the warm morning. They sat together, trading easy, relaxed jabs as the last traces of the previous night's tension faded away. It felt good, this ordinary morning, the comfort of routine and friendship pushing aside the faint unease that had lingered.

As they chatted, Jean glanced toward the hallway, noting the stillness that filled the rest of the house. "Speaking of family, I should probably check on Jake," he said, standing up with a stretch. "He's probably still asleep, that little troublemaker."

Yuri and Jonas nodded, watching as Jean headed down the hallway. Jean moved with a casual gait, his steps light as he made his way to Jake's room. He rapped his knuckles gently on the door, calling out, "Hey, Jake! Rise and shine, lazybones."

Silence greeted him, and he raised an eyebrow, leaning his ear against the door. "Come on, Jake. Don't make me come in there and drag you out of bed."

Still, there was no response. Jean sighed, rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open, already prepared to tease his little brother for being such a heavy sleeper.