The Lost Brother

Chapter 1: The Departure

The morning of the flight was chaotic, as was typical in Alex's household. At seventeen, Alex was used to being the glue that held his family of seven younger brothers together. Their mother had passed years ago, and their father worked long hours, leaving Alex to manage the whirlwind of their daily lives.

"Benji, you can't wear that on a plane!" Alex called out, tugging a crumpled sweatshirt out of his six-year-old brother's tiny hands. "We talked about this-clean clothes. You'll thank me later."

Benji pouted, crossing his arms. "It's my favorite hoodie!"

Alex sighed, ruffling the boy's hair. "Then it can be your favorite hoodie when we get back, okay?"

"Alex, where's my charger?!" called Ethan, the fourteen-year-old, stomping into the kitchen. "I told you I left it on the counter last night."

"Not my job to keep track of your stuff," Alex shot back, flicking a pancake onto a plate. "Check the couch cushions. That's where you 'left' it last time."

The house was a madhouse, a constant flurry of movement, shouts, and overlapping demands. Alex thrived in the chaos, though he'd never admit it. He loved being the one they turned to, the one who kept things running. It gave him purpose.

Will, the sixteen-year-old, sat at the table scrolling through his phone, an amused smirk on his face. "You really think Dad's business trip is gonna be that exciting? What are you even looking forward to on this plane ride?"

Alex paused, balancing a plate of food in one hand as he grabbed his travel bag with the other. "It's not the flight, genius. It's getting out of here for a few days. No dishes, no yelling, no-"

"Alex, Theo stole my notebook!" shouted Simon, bursting into the room with Theo, the eight-year-old, hot on his heels.

"Nope," Alex groaned, rubbing his temple. "I'm done refereeing for today. Work it out yourselves."

Will raised an eyebrow. "You really think we can survive a week without you?"

Alex grinned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You'll figure it out. Just don't burn the house down, okay?"

As he headed for the door, Benji tugged at his sleeve, his small face scrunched with worry. "You'll come back soon, right?"

Alex crouched down, his smile softening. "Of course, bud. A few days, and I'll be right back. You won't even have time to miss me."

But Benji didn't look convinced.

Neither did Will.

Ten Years Later: The Return

The airport was blindingly bright, the chaos of flashing cameras and shouting voices disorienting. Alex felt like he was swimming through a dream. Every sound felt muffled, every movement slow. He clutched the strap of his travel bag tightly, his knuckles white.

He'd expected confusion when he stepped off the plane. Questions, maybe. But he hadn't expected this: reporters clamoring for answers, flashing lights in his face, and a surreal hum of voices murmuring about his flight's "return."

Then he heard them.

"Alex?"

The voice froze him in place. He turned slowly, the crowd parting as seven figures moved toward him, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. For a moment, Alex thought his mind was playing tricks on him. The boys he'd left behind couldn't be these men.

But they were.

Will was at the front, now a towering man in his twenties, his sharp suit and commanding presence radiating power. Behind him stood Simon, Ethan, Theo, Benji, and the rest-each of them older, broader, their once-familiar faces marked by years Alex hadn't lived.

Benji, now sixteen, was nearly as tall as Alex, his wide-eyed expression frozen somewhere between awe and fear.

Alex's voice caught in his throat. "What...? How?"

Will stepped closer, his gaze sharp, but something in his eyes flickered-relief, maybe, buried under the shock. "Alex," he said, his voice low but firm. "It's you."

Alex nodded dumbly. "Yeah... yeah, it's me."

Simon pushed forward next, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. "Where the hell have you been?" His tone was sharp, but Alex could hear the tremor beneath it, the disbelief struggling to break free.

Alex shook his head, his heart racing. "I don't know. I got on the plane, and... it was just a flight. A few hours, I thought. But now..." He trailed off, his eyes darting between their unfamiliar faces. "You're... older."

Ethan let out a hollow laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, no kidding."

Theo, now eighteen, crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed. "You're exactly the same. You didn't age. Not even a day."

Alex blinked, his mind struggling to keep up. "Ten years?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "I've been gone for ten years?"

Will nodded stiffly, his expression unreadable. "Ten years, Alex. Ten years, and now you just... show up." His tone was clipped, his words deliberate, but there was a tension in his voice, a crack in the armor.

Benji stepped closer, his voice trembling. "We thought you were dead."

The words hit Alex like a blow, the weight of them settling over him. He reached for Benji instinctively, but the boy-no, the young man-stepped back, his expression guarded.

"Come on," Will said, breaking the silence. "We need to get out of here."

Alex hesitated, glancing around at the chaos of the airport. The cameras, the reporters, the overwhelming noise-it was too much. He nodded, following his brothers as they ushered him through the crowd, their presence forming a protective wall around him.

The Ride Home

The car was silent, the air thick with unspoken questions. Alex sat in the back seat, staring out the window as the city passed by, its skyline unfamiliar and daunting. His mind raced, struggling to reconcile the world he'd left with the one he'd returned to.

Will drove with practiced ease, his jaw tight as he gripped the wheel. Beside him, Simon sat with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed out the window.

In the back, Benji and Theo stole glances at Alex, their expressions a mix of confusion and something else-something Alex couldn't place.

Finally, Alex broke the silence. "What... what happened to you all? You're... different."

Will glanced at him through the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable. "We grew up, Alex. What did you think would happen?"

Alex flinched at the sharpness in his voice but didn't respond. He didn't know what to say.

The car pulled up to a sprawling mansion, its grandeur leaving Alex momentarily stunned. It was a far cry from the modest home they'd grown up in.

Will parked and got out without a word, the others following suit. Alex hesitated, trailing behind as they entered the house. It was elegant, pristine, and utterly unrecognizable.

Simon gestured toward the living room. "Sit," he said, his tone curt.

Alex sat, feeling out of place. The house, the wealth, the polished demeanor of his brothers-it was all so far removed from the family he'd known.

Will stood over him, his gaze steady but cold. "You've got a lot to explain, Alex. But for now, get some rest. You're going to need it."

Alex opened his mouth to argue but stopped at the look on Will's face. It wasn't the pleading look of the younger brother he remembered. It was the look of someone who had lived ten years of grief and wasn't sure what to do with the ghost sitting in front of him.

End of Chapter 1