Eric. The name didn’t leave Ryvan’s mind even as the driver arrived to pick him up. In the backseat of the car, he watched the soulless lights calling out to each other as they moved through traffic, blurred by the raindrops on the window. The rhythmic staccato of the windscreen wipers combined with the earthy leather smell from the seats felt like he was travelling back in time. Back to the day of Eric’s mysterious escape from the family mansion. 

It had been a rainy day as well seven years ago when twelve-year-old Ryvan had eagerly awaited his brother’s return. He still remembered peering outside one of the large muntin windows of the house, hidden behind the heavy satin curtains. 

Outside, Ryvan could see the driveway, a large circle of asphalt with skillfully sculpted shrubs in the middle. But his focus wasn’t on the sculpted greenery, nor the freshly mowed lawn, or the security guard patrolling despite the rain. All he had eyes for was the black Mercedes S-class that had just stopped outside the front door. The driver got out of the car, opened an umbrella and held it over the backdoor where Eric emerged. 

Ryvan smiled when he saw his brother. Eric looked tired, his hair was slightly messy and the top of his shirt unbuttoned. Despite being siblings, they didn’t look much alike, Eric had light-blond hair, a strong and sharp jawline, and usually wore a confident smile that made him popular with girls. In looks and personality alike, his sixteen-year-old brother was the perfect heir to the large conglomerate. 

Excited, Ryvan ran out of the front door, down the few steps and into the rain without caring. “How was the factory?” he wanted to know. “How was the journey? Did you get me something?”

“Mind your manners and don’t bother your brother.” Their mother appeared between the large white pillars of the neo-Palladian-style mansion, sheltered from the rain by the overhanging building. 

Eric smiled at him and put one hand on his head. Instantly, Ryvan frowned—he hated when people did that because he always put in the effort to exactly mimic his brother’s hairstyle. But it was Eric so he could just about tolerate it. 

“I'll tell you later, I promise,” his brother replied, walking up the steps to the mansion, the driver with the umbrella hurrying to keep up.

Ryvan nodded excitedly. “I’ll wait for you!”

Only when Eric had vanished into the mansion, did he realise how wet and cold he was. The rain hadn’t stopped and staff hurried to bring Eric’s luggage into the house. 

Back inside, Ryvan left a trail of water behind on the varnished floor. He watched the water drops, falling to the ground, flowing as if seeking each other, and forming small puddles. The spectacle didn’t last long though, as one of the cleaners swiftly arrived with a mop. Ryvan wondered how long he would have to wait for his brother as he walked up the stairs.

The stairs were made of marble and each of his footsteps produced an echo in the entrance hall. It stopped when Ryvan reached the first floor where a dark-blue runner absorbed all sound. 

In passing, the boy noticed the door of his mother’s study being ajar—he could faintly hear his parents talking. Their voices were louder and a pitch higher than usual when they spoke to his brother. Cautiously, Ryvan sneaked into the otherwise empty corridor—luckily most staff were still occupied downstairs and nobody saw him. 

“Why didn’t you fire her? You need to be more disciplined, Eric.” Their mother’s voice. It was obvious that they were talking about his brother’s recent visit to his steel factory that had been his sixteenth birthday present. Its sole purpose was to serve as a practice for managing a company; currently, the factory was in the red and Eric’s task was to turn it into a profitable business before he turned eighteen.

“She apologised for the incident and said it won’t happen again,” Eric explained. “She is a single mother and has three children to feed so I can’t just make her jobless.”

Their mother spoke next. “This woman also failed to properly secure the steel bars. What if they fall off and get damaged? How do you think you’ll make a profit like this? Honestly, we have no space for staff who can’t do their job properly.” 

“You should have at least called for a thorough safety inspection; I agree with your mother that this woman is a hazard to your company,” their father added.

“You said I could manage the steel factory as I wanted. She said it’s not gonna happen again so that’s that.” Eric’s voice sounded more tired than angry. “If you excuse me now, I’m exhausted from the journey.”

Eric left the room in a hurry, pounding past Ryvan without noticing him and opening and closing the door to his bedroom so noisily that Ryvan could still hear him even though his room was on the other side of the building. He didn’t understand why his parents had argued with his brother over such a silly topic when he had only just returned from his week-long journey.  

Afterwards, Ryvan waited and waited but his brother didn’t re-emerge. Not for dinner, even though the chef had prepared his vegan dinner courses with special care, and not for their evening lessons. The whole atmosphere in the house had changed—his parents remained in deep silence and their polite smiles looked more fake than usual. Even the staff was tip-toeing around the family; the tension in the air was almost visible. 

The frown on Ryvan’s face grew bigger when he went to sleep without having heard from his brother. 

It wasn’t until early morning when Ryvan woke up from noises in the hallway that he saw his brother. Curiously, he peered out of his bedroom and, immediately, his heart leapt and his frown finally turned into a smile. It was Eric. 

Ryvan jumped into the dark corridor. Windowless, the only light came from the spiral staircase in the centre of the mansion. “Where are you going?” the boy asked, rubbing his eyes and wondering if he was dreaming. 

“Shhh,” Eric made, putting one finger in front of his lips to signal his brother to stay quiet. “I’m leaving for a while. Make sure you keep up with your studies while I’m gone. And eat your vegetables and drink plenty of water.”

"I'm not a child." Ryvan didn’t understand why Eric’s voice was heavy nor why his eyes were moist. Eager to find out more, he followed his brother downstairs. “I’ll go with you.”

The large entrance hall was deserted and; in the pale light of dawn, the varnished floor seemed even colder, almost cruelly so. Even the walls, supposed to be painted in beige, seemed grey and colourless as if the tension in the house had absorbed all their vigour.

Eric turned around and put his hands on Ryvan’s shoulders. “You can’t.”

“Why?”

Now Eric sighed, probably realising that his brother wouldn’t let him go so easily. “I’m no longer part of this family. You’re now the heir.”

“Why?” Ryvan repeated his question, trying to make sense of the words that seemed disconnected and meaningless. 

Eric sighed again, looking around the dark hall restlessly and avoiding eye contact. “Remember when I told you that I like guys?”

Ryvan only nodded in response, still failing to comprehend.

“That’s why I need to leave this place,” Eric said hesitantly. “But don’t hate mum and dad for this,” he added quickly.

The words still didn’t make sense but somehow Ryvan understood that he couldn’t stop his brother. All he could do was look after him as Eric unlocked the front door and disappeared into the dawn like a ghost.