Broken Home: Grey Eyes

prologue 2

Finally, for the first time in his life, Aidan had a friend.

Zara and Aidan became inseparable. They spent their days in the playground, shared their meals during recess, and were always by each other's side. The cheerful Zara never ran out of stories to tell, and Aidan was always her loyal listener. He remained the same quiet soul who spoke very little, but he would find his voice whenever it mattered, especially when Zara asked him something important.

Zara never questioned Aidan's silence. To her, his mere presence was enough. There was something deeply comforting about the way he shared the world with her without needing many words.

However, that happiness was not meant to last.

A year later, the day Zara dreaded finally arrived. Aidan stood before her with an unreadable expression, but his tone was heavy with gravity.

"I am moving to Penang," Aidan said softly. "My parents have a business there. We won't be coming back."

Zara's world seemed to tilt on its axis. Her smile vanished, and her eyes began to brim with tears. "Are you really leaving?"

Aidan only nodded. "Thank you for being my friend. Even if it was only for a year."

Zara couldn't find the words to respond. Instead, she stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. Her tears fell freely, soaking into his shirt.

"I am going to miss you so much," she sobbed into his shoulder.

Aidan didn't know how to comfort her. His heartfelt heavy, and a wave of guilt washed over him for breaking the heart of the only person who had ever truly welcomed him.

When her tears finally subsided, Zara pulled back and wiped her eyes. With a shaky but determined voice, she made a vow.

"Don't forget me, Aidan. Because I will never forget you."

Aidan watched her for a long moment before giving a slow, solemn nod.

"That is a promise."

The moment Zara reached home, she threw herself onto her bed. Her heartfelt hollow, and a deep sadness settled into her bones. She stared blankly at the ceiling of her room.

Even though Zara had many friends, none of them were like Aidan. His silence, the way he looked at the world, and those rare smiles made him someone she could never replace.

Zara sighed and buried her face in a pillow to stifle another sob. But then, a thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

Wait. Wasn't Aidan leaving tonight?

She realized she still had time. There was still a window to give him something to remember her by. With a sudden surge of energy, Zara scrambled off her bed and began rummaging through her room. She dug through drawers, opened old boxes, and scanned her bookshelves.

Finally, she made a choice.

She would give him a sketchbook, a pen, and a few of his favorite candies. She knew Aidan was talented at drawing because she had seen his sketches hidden in the back of his workbooks. She also knew he liked dark colors, so she chose a deep chocolate-brown box to hold everything.

Zara tied a small ribbon on top. It was simple but neat. She hugged the box to her chest, refusing to let it go.

"Mom! I'm going out for a bit! It's important!" she shouted toward the kitchen before grabbing her shoes.

Her mother gave a quick nod of approval. Zara didn't waste a second. She sprinted out the door with the gift held tight. She knew where Aidan lived because he had shown her once. Even as the sky began to bleed into the colors of dusk, Zara kept running toward the house that might be the place of their final goodbye.

There was a small smile on her face with every step. She wanted their last memory together to be something special.

As she reached the front of Aidan's house, she slowed down. Her lungs burned from the run, but her eyes searched the driveway.

A man, likely Aidan's father, was loading large suitcases into the trunk of a car. Nearby, a woman Zara recognized as Aidan's mother was carrying more bags toward the vehicle.

Behind her stood three boys. They each held their own bags and wore identical, serious expressions. They looked remarkably alike with their fair skin and light brown hair, which stood in stark contrast to the boy standing further back.

Aidan.

Zara smiled when she spotted his jet-black hair, the only one of its kind among the siblings. Aidan seemed to be scanning his surroundings, searching for something or perhaps someone.

"Aidan!" Zara screamed. Her voice pierced through the chilly evening air.

Aidan flinched and turned toward the sound. His usually stoic face shifted the moment he saw her.

Zara kept running, the gift box still clutched at her chest. Her hair flew behind her, and a small smile played on her lips even though her eyes were still red from crying. She had to do this.

Aidan stood frozen as she approached. Zara was panting for breath but her smile remained. Before she could hand him the gift, her eyes drifted to the three boys standing near him.

They looked like triplets. They had pale skin, golden brown hair, and emerald-green eyes, though one of them had eyes as black as ink. Their expressions were calm yet piercing, as if they were observing a suspicious intruder.

Zara swallowed hard, feeling a prickle of intimidation under their gaze. Still, she gathered her courage.

"Hi. I am Zara Liayana. But you can just call me Zara," she said with a small smile.

The three brothers didn't react. They simply stared, as if they were measuring her worth from head to toe. They looked like a cold blend of Japanese and Russian heritage. No smiles, no greetings, just a heavy, judging silence.

Zara felt a shiver of discomfort, but she kept her smile steady. She then turned her attention to Aidan's parents.

His mother was standing by the car. She had dull brown hair and a porcelain complexion that carried an Eastern charm, reminiscent of a Japanese woman. Her eyes were a deep, kind of black. When Zara approached, she offered a sweet smile.

"Thank you, Zara, for being a friend to Aidan," she said softly while patting Zara's head.

Zara smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease. However, when she turned to Aidan's father, the atmosphere changed instantly.

The man was tall and built like a fortress. He had light skin, reddish-brown hair, and a stern face with a sharp nose and bright green eyes. A faint scar ran across his cheek, marring his handsome features and adding to his intimidating aura.

He stared at Zara with a cold, serious expression and said nothing. His gaze was so intense that Zara reflexively looked down, her heart racing with fear. Despite the terror, she gave him a small, respectful nod.

Zara turned back to Aidan. Her smile faltered slightly as she held out the box filled with the sketchbook, pen, and candy.

"This is for you," she whispered.

Aidan looked stunned for a moment before taking it. He handled the box as if it were made of glass. He looked into Zara's eyes for a heartbeat before speaking.

"Thank you, Zara."

Then, a small smile touched his lips. It was a rare, beautiful sight.

Zara's heart skipped a beat. The boy, who was always silent and expressionless, was finally smiling for her. It was enough to make her feel a rush of warmth and joy.

Suddenly, a loud "Huh!" came from behind them. Zara jumped slightly and turned around.

Aidan's father was glaring at them with clear dissatisfaction. He slammed the car trunk shut with a violent thud. The sound made

Zara flinched, and she looked back at Aidan with a confused frown.

Why is his father like that? She wondered. He seems so terrifying.

The man walked straight to the driver's side and climbed in without a word. Aidan's three brothers followed suit, their eyes never leaving Zara as they entered the car.

Only Aidan, Zara, and Aidan's mother remained outside.

Aidan stepped closer to Zara and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I am sorry about my father. And my brothers, too."

Zara looked up at him, their eyes meeting. She simply shook her head and smiled.

"It's okay. I understand."

Her sincerity seemed to put Aidan at ease.

"Zara," his mother's soft voice interrupted. "You should head home, dear. It is getting late, and it isn't safe to walk alone. Your mother will be worried."

Zara nodded respectfully. But before she walked away, she gave Aidan one last, tight hug.

"Don't forget our promise," she whispered.

Aidan remained silent, but he returned the hug for a brief moment before she let go.

As Zara walked away, she turned back to wave. Aidan stood there, waving back with that tiny smile still lingering on his face.

On her way home, Zara couldn't stop thinking about Aidan's smile. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to her. However, as she walked, her own smile began to fade, replaced by a growing note of confusion in her mind.

Aidan has black hair. But his brothers, his mother, and his father all have brown hair.

Zara stared at the road ahead, her thoughts drifting back to the family photo she had just witnessed. They looked like a family, yet Aidan stood out like a shadow in the light.

And his eyes...

The image of his blue and hazel eyes flashed in her mind. They were nothing like his family's. One brother had black eyes, the other two had green like their father. His mother's eyes were black too. But Aidan? To have two different colors was so rare and extraordinary.

"Could he be adopted?" Zara whispered to herself.

She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. But the questions kept coming. Was he not their biological child? Was he an orphan they were just looking after?

The thoughts felt too heavy for a child of her age to carry. A nagging feeling in her gut told her that something wasn't right.

"I am just overthinking it," she muttered, trying to soothe her own mind.

Lost in her thoughts, Zara didn't realize she had walked past her own house. She snapped back to reality when she saw that the street ahead was unfamiliar.

"Wait! I've gone too far!"

She quickly turned around and ran back toward her house. When she finally reached her door, she breathed a sigh of relief and stepped inside.

That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her mind was still with Aidan. Before she drifted off to sleep, one final question echoed in her heart.

Who exactly is Aidan Reza?