The aftermath of the mission hung over the family like a fragile mist—thick with exhaustion, relief, and the simmering tension of unspoken questions. The Commission had been pushed back, their plans crippled, but the war for control over time was far from over.
Inside the mansion, the siblings moved through the day in a haze, each processing the events in their own way. Some sat in quiet reflection; others paced restlessly, unable to shake the shadows clinging to their minds.
Zero found himself retreating—not to his private planet this time, but to a new world he'd built here on Earth: a sprawling network of businesses and investments grown from the careful manipulation of time and information. The secret empire he'd constructed behind the scenes was thriving, yet it remained a hidden fortress, one he'd kept separate from the family.
(Time is wealth. And wealth is power. But power can isolate.)
It wasn't long before the rift between Zero and the others began to widen. Subtle at first—curious glances, whispered conversations behind closed doors—but growing steadily into something heavier.
Allison confronted him one evening, her voice gentle but firm.
"Why didn't you tell us about the empire you're building? About the money, the influence?"
Zero met her gaze, steady but guarded.
"I didn't want to distract from what mattered. Our survival. The family."
She shook her head, disappointment flickering in her eyes.
"We're supposed to be in this together. Secrets only breed distance."
Diego's frustration was more direct.
"You're living a double life. We fight and bleed on the front lines, and you're off playing tycoon."
Zero's jaw tightened.
"I do what I must to protect us. Sometimes that means making choices you don't understand."
Luther watched the exchange, his silence heavy with unspoken conflict.
Vanya approached Zero later that night, her voice soft.
"I don't know if you trust us anymore."
Zero sighed, the weight of his isolation pressing down.
"It's not about trust. It's about responsibility. If I share everything, I risk losing what little control I have."
She reached out, touching his arm.
"Control can't replace family."
The tension simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. Yet, amid the fractures, small moments of connection appeared—Allison inviting Zero into a quiet conversation, Klaus sharing a rare laugh, Five offering a tentative nod of acceptance.
Zero found himself caught between two worlds: the powerful, wealthy figure he'd become, and the brother yearning for connection.
(Time is a web of choices, and each thread pulls me in a different direction.)
As the Commission's threat loomed, and the family struggled to heal, Zero knew that his greatest challenge was not the enemies outside—but the walls he'd built within.