secrets beneath the surface : A tale of mystery and power

{ Mia }

I should've locked the door.

That was the stupid part — I always locked the door. But this time, I didn't.

And now Mom was standing there, staring at a scene that didn't belong in her world.

Three kids. One busted teleport attempt. Zero explanations.

Her eyes jumped from Lex to Ace, then back to me.

"Mia, who are they?"

I forced a breath into my lungs.

Lie.

It was the only way.

Because the truth?

The truth would break everything.

"They're… classmates," I said, each syllable stiff and hollow. "We were working on a tech project for school, and something went wrong. That's all."

Ace didn't move.

Lex's jaw flexed once, but he said nothing.

Mom blinked, trying to compute. "Classmates?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah. Robotics club. You know how I've been working with new circuitry? We… may have shorted something."

Her eyes narrowed. " Where did they come in from ? "

I quickly scrambled for another excuse. " .... T-They c-came in through the back door." I chuckled nervously.

" But it's rusted Mia, I haven't opened it in two weeks. "

I froze. " I - I wanted it to be a surprise but... I FIXED ITT !!"

" I'll check later, thanks !"

That wasn't the worst lie I'd ever told. But it was close.

Her gaze swept over Lex again. "I've never seen him before."

"He's new," I said. "Transfer student."

Lex gave the faintest smile — polite, harmless, the kind that could almost pass for normal.

Ace, bless him, kept his mouth shut.

The silence stretched.

Then Mom's shoulders eased — just slightly. "You scared me. I thought something terrible had happened."

I forced a laugh. "Nope. Just nerd stuff gone a little haywire."

But even as I smiled…

Inside, I knew this couldn't hold.

I'd bought us time.

Not safety.

Mom lingered for another second — eyes darting between us again — then, finally, nodded.

"I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything… or if you blow something up."

She tried to smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes.

The door shut softly behind her.

Silence.

For one heartbeat, two, we didn't move.

Then Lex turned to me, voice low but razor-sharp.

"Classmates? Seriously?"

I winced. "Did you want me to tell her you're my long-lost twin with a target on your back?"

Ace snorted. "Honestly? That would've been less awkward."

I glared at both of them. "You're welcome, by the way. I just stopped her from calling the cops or grounding me until college."

Lex crossed his arms. "We need to talk. Now."

I sank onto the edge of the bed, pulse still spiking from the near disaster. "Yeah. We do."

He stayed standing, posture tense.

"She doesn't know anything, does she?"

I shook my head slowly. "Not about you. Not about the powers. Not even that I know that I'm adopted."

Ace let out a long breath. "Damn."

Lex's expression softened just a fraction. "That's why you lied."

"Of course I lied," I said, quieter now. "If she knew everything… I'd lose her."

No one said anything for a second. Then Ace sat on the floor, arms resting over his knees.

"So what's the plan? Because whatever this was…" — he gestured vaguely around the room — "…it's only going to get worse."

I looked at them both — Lex, sharp and steady; Ace, bruised but loyal — and felt the weight of the question settle in my chest.

The plan.

I didn't have one.

But I knew one thing for sure:

We couldn't stay hidden forever.

{ Larissa }

I walked out of the room, my face as hard as stone.

Mia thought I believed her.

But I knew better.

She was hiding something — and not just the kind of teenage lie about sneaking friends over. No. This was deeper. Sharper. Darker.

I reached the bookshelf at the end of the hallway.

I reached up and pressed the small, smooth button tucked between two dust-covered volumes.

Click.

The sound was subtle — but I felt it in my bones.

The shelf shifted, gears grinding softly, and swung inward with a whisper of displaced air. Cold air rushed out, tinged with the scent of metal and earth. The hidden passage loomed before me, a staircase spiraling down into shadows.I paused only for a breath, then stepped through.

The door closed behind me automatically, sealing off the world above. Silence wrapped around me like a second skin.

As I reached the bottom I ordered. " Colin bring up the file named ' Targets '."

" Right away ma'am." Colin's robotic voice cut through the air.

The holo-display shimmered to life, glowing blue against the dim lighting. One by one, files unfolded in the air — photographs, data logs, redacted documents blinking with security seals.

I flipped through the first few absently.

Rogues. Ex-agents. Dangerous anomalies tagged for monitoring.

Then I saw it.

I froze.

A familiar face stared back at me, younger but unmistakable — same sharp eyes, same smirk curled just barely at the edge of his mouth.

Lex.

But it wasn't the photo that made my breath catch.

It was the label beneath it.

Status: Witness Protection. High-Level Clearance. Relocated.

Do Not Engage Without Clearance.

Subject Tied to Project Mirror.

My hand slowly lowered. My pulse thudded in my ears.

Witness protection?

What the hell was he doing in my house?

My daughter had just lied to me — about him.

And she had no idea who she was dragging into her orbit.

Or maybe…

Maybe she knew exactly who he was.

I leaned in closer, scanning the document. Half of it was encrypted beyond even my clearance. But one fragment caught my eye:

"Twin anomaly. Memory containment failed. Relocated under code 'Mirror'."

My stomach turned.

Twin?

My fingers clenched at my side.