Tyler didn't like a lot of things—a lot. But out of all of them, his aunt Michelle Red Way was at the top of the list. He threw a disgusted look at her, reflecting the tension that always rose in her presence.

"Did you come to give me the password to my dad’s bank account?" Tyler walked past Michelle with contempt, lightly pushing her shoulder as he headed to the kitchen. His worn leather jacket brushed against the doorframe when he yanked the fridge open. "You could've emailed it. Or written a letter, old lady," he added, grabbing a can of soda and cracking it open with a pop.

Across the room, Monica Red Way, his cousin, was lying on the couch with a permanently disdainful expression. She raised an eyebrow when she heard her cousin speak.

"You’re not gonna talk to my mom like that, Rat One!" she shouted, sitting up slightly and crossing her legs with exaggerated flair, throwing him a sharp, challenging look.

The nickname "Rat One" pissed him off deeply. Tyler hated how she always used it, that sly smile of hers. As he glared back at her, his face was filled with barely-contained fury.

"Stop calling me that, freak!" he shot back, throwing the soda onto the counter with force. "And your hair’s gray too..." he added, trying to return the insult.

Michelle, with her imposing posture and unshakable expression, walked over to Hyan, who seemed frozen next to the table. Her long fingers touched the hair of Tyler’s younger brother in a way that felt almost intimate, but Tyler could only see it as manipulative.

"You’ve grown, Hyan..." Michelle said, her voice soft and enigmatic, her ruby-red eyes gleaming as she gazed at her youngest nephew. "You’re almost a little man now..."

Hyan shrunk slightly at his aunt's touch, trying to keep his shoulders straight. Tyler noticed his brother’s discomfort and rolled his eyes. Hyan always seemed vulnerable around Michelle, almost like he was hypnotized by her.

"Thanks, Aunt Michelle," Hyan replied, forcing a shy smile and looking away. "You look great too." He tried to maintain politeness, though the tension was clear in his voice.

Tyler, leaning against the kitchen counter, furrowed his brow as he took a long gulp of his soda.

"Great for an old lady..." he murmured, throwing a quick glance at Michelle. "Hurry up and give me the bank password..."

Michelle slowly turned toward him, her gaze piercing, sizing him up with a cold expression that made him want to leave right then. She watched him silently for a long moment, as if her calm hid a far greater strength.

"The other one’s still an idiot..." she finally said, her voice dripping with irony.

"Yeah, a lost cause..." Hyan tried to ease the tension, letting out a forced laugh, clearly uncomfortable.

Cassandra, the boys' mother, sat at the table, her hands clasped in her lap, her gaze distant, as if she was only physically present. Tyler noticed that his mom seemed drained, completely devoid of energy, which only fueled his anger.

"How about we all just calm down...?" Cassandra murmured, almost pleading, but lacking conviction.

Monica stood up from the couch with lazy elegance and, in a quick movement, grabbed the soda from Tyler’s hand.

"Chill out, Rat One," she said, taking a long sip before tossing it aside. "There’s no damn password."

The revelation hit Tyler like a punch. His face grew hot with rage as he took a step forward, nearly tripping over the rug.

"What do you mean?" His voice was thick with disbelief and frustration. "He dies and leaves us with nothing?"

Michelle moved quickly, and in an instant, she was behind him, locking him in a chokehold.

"Don’t talk about my brother like that!" she hissed in his ear, tightening her grip.

Air escaped from Tyler’s lungs, and his eyes widened as his face turned red. He could feel his aunt’s strength, but his rage was greater than the pain.

"Fuck it!" he managed to choke out. "Not only did he not raise us, he didn’t leave a penny! Is that it?"

Hyan stepped closer to his mom, worried, his eyes full of uncertainty.

"Mom, what’s going on?" he asked, trying to meet her gaze.

Cassandra barely turned her head, her expression empty.

"Let your aunt explain, sweetie..." she murmured, almost a whisper.

Tyler, with a desperate jerk, managed to break free from Michelle and collapsed beside the couch, coughing and gasping for air.

"I don’t want some damn explanation!" he shouted, rubbing his sore neck. "I want a new throat and my inheritance!"

Michelle raised her hand in the air, and glowing symbols began to snake around her fingers. The supernatural glow illuminated her eyes, now burning like embers, and the air around her became thick and suffocating. Tyler and Hyan felt a shiver run down their spines, their hearts racing as the atmosphere shifted drastically.

"You want an inheritance?" Michelle hissed, her voice heavy with power as she raised her hand, her words gaining weight. "I’ll show you his true inheritance."

She moved her fingers, and the symbols swirling around her formed a shining circle, spinning like stars in a vortex. A black hole began to open behind her, sucking in all the light around it, as if the very space was about to be devoured.

Monica, with a darkly amused smile, quickly moved toward Hyan and grabbed him by the jacket, holding him tightly.

"You’re coming too, Rat Two."

Shock filled Hyan’s face, and before Tyler could react, the black hole sucked them both in. The eerie silence that followed was unsettling—the room now empty, cold, echoing the absence of the two brothers.