Chapter 2: Whispers in the Dark
Arjun's hands trembled as he clutched the worn photograph, his reflection distorted in the cracked glass. A million questions swirled in his mind, mirrored by the confusion and longing in his eyes. "You know everything, don't you?" he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. He directed the question at his brother, Sam, who sat across from him, a troubled crease etched between his brows.
"Why did Mom and you never talk about our family?" Arjun continued, his voice thick with unshed tears. "Why wasn't she ever mentioned?" He gestured to the faded image, the weight of his unspoken questions threatening to crush him.
Sam's expression softened, a flicker of sadness chasing across his features. He reached out, a hesitant hand landing on Arjun's shoulder. "There are things, Arjun," he began, his voice laced with regret, "things about our family that we haven't shared. It's...complicated."
Arjun's brow furrowed. Theories danced in his head, each one more unsettling than the last. "But why?" he demanded, his voice rising with a tremor of frustration. "What secrets could there possibly be?"
Sam hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. A wave of memories washed over him, some painful, some shrouded in a fog he couldn't quite penetrate. "There's a reason we never spoke of Dad, Arjun," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "He was a brilliant scientist, handpicked to lead a groundbreaking project – a collaboration between NASA, ISRO, and some Japanese AI experts. They were on the cusp of something revolutionary, something about manipulating DNA with artificial intelligence."
Arjun's breath hitched. The enormity of the revelation slammed into him, leaving him breathless. "But what happened? Did it go wrong?" The words tumbled out, laced with a sliver of dread.
Sam's face hardened, tears welling up in his eyes. "Dad... he didn't come back, Arjun," he choked out. "The project... it all went terribly wrong twenty years ago. And there was someone else... someone we lost too." He stole a glance at the photo, a flicker of raw pain lancing through him.
Before Sam could elaborate, their mother, Maya, swept into the room, her face etched with worry. "Sam, what are you saying?" she interjected, her voice laced with urgency. "Don't fill his head with those old stories. It won't do him any good."
Arjun spun towards her, a desperate plea hanging in his voice. "Mom, please," he pleaded. "I need to know. I need to understand what happened to our family."
Maya's shoulders slumped, a wave of sadness washing over her. "I know, honey," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "But some things are better left undisturbed. Your father's death... it's a wound that never truly heals."
A heavy silence descended upon them, thick with unspoken grief and unanswered questions. The weight of the past hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of what they had lost. In that moment, Arjun understood that some truths were too painful to confront, and some mysteries were destined to remain forever shrouded in shadow.
Yet, despite the darkness that threatened to engulf them, a flicker of hope remained. Maya, Sam, and Arjun clung to each other, bound by the invisible threads of family and the silent promise of a future where they could heal, together.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Scorpio007
Scorpio007 Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Load failed, please RETRY
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone