Chapter 5: Echoes of Home

The evening air was warm, the fading sunlight casting a golden hue over the houses that lined the quiet street. Levi walked beside Jake, his thoughts lingering on their earlier conversation. The tension between them had faded for now, once again replaced by the familiar comfort of being in each other’s company. But even with the ease of their friendship, there was still an undercurrent of worry tugging at Levi’s thoughts—worry about Jake, about his powers, about what might happen if Jake kept pushing himself. Levi didn’t want to be overly concerned about it but he couldn’t help it.

As they approached the street where they lived, the familiar sights of home came into view. Levi’s house sat at the end of the block, a modest two-story with peeling white paint and a porch swing that had long since stopped swinging. The yard was overgrown, the grass creeping up around the edges of the cracked walkway, but to Levi, it was home. It was where he had spent most of his life, surrounded by the same walls, the same creaky floors, the same smells of old wood and dust.

Jake’s house was just across the street, a single-story bungalow with a wide front yard and a rusted basketball hoop that leaned slightly to the left. The two of them had spent countless afternoons shooting hoops in that driveway, the thud of the ball against the pavement filling the quiet of the neighborhood. It was a different kind of home from Levi’s, more worn but full of life in its own way.

“You heading home for dinner?” Jake asked, glancing over at Levi as they neared their houses.

Levi shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. My mom’s probably already yelling about something.”

Jake grinned. “Sounds about right. My dad’s probably still working on that stupid engine in the garage. Dude never gives it a rest.”

They stopped at the corner where their streets split off, their footsteps slowing as they stood under the soft glow of the streetlamp. The familiar quiet of home settled over them, the kind of quiet that came with routine, with knowing that no matter what happened, there was always a place to come back to.

“You wanna come over after dinner?” Jake asked, leaning against the lamp post. “We can finish that Tekken game we started yesterday. I’m pretty sure I was winning.”

Levi smirked. “You wish. I was kicking your ass.”

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, man. You’ve got it all wrong. I was just letting you think you had a chance.”

Levi rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. It was all part of the game, the back-and-forth that had defined their friendship for as long as they could remember. It didn’t matter who won or lost. It was just about being there, about having someone to mess around with, someone who always had your back.

“I’ll catch you later,” Levi said, turning toward his house.

Jake gave him a two-finger salute. “Later, man.”

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As Levi walked up the cracked path to his front door, the familiar creak of the porch steps echoed in his ears. He pushed the door open, stepping into the cool, musty air of the house. The smell of dinner—something overcooked—filled the air, mingling with the scent of old wood and dust that always seemed to linger no matter how many windows were opened.

“Levi!” His mom’s voice rang out from the kitchen, sharp and impatient. “You’re late for dinner…Again.”

Levi winced, shutting the door behind him as he kicked off his shoes. “Sorry, Mom,” he called back, making his way toward the kitchen. “Lost track of time.”

His mom was standing by the stove, her hands on her hips, a spatula clutched in one hand. She was a small woman, barely five feet tall, but her presence filled the room. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and her face was set in a stern expression that Levi knew all too well.

“Dinner’s getting cold,” she said, her voice laced with irritation. “You can’t keep running off with Jake every night and leaving me to eat alone.”

Levi sighed, sliding into one of the worn chairs at the kitchen table. “I wasn’t gone that long.”

His mom shot him a look, one that made it clear she wasn’t in the mood for excuses. “You need to be more responsible, Levi. You’re not a kid anymore.”

Levi didn’t argue. He knew better than to try. His mom had been on his case about responsibility for as long as he could remember, always reminding him that he needed to focus on his future, on making something of himself. It was exhausting, but he understood where she was coming from. She worked hard—too hard, really—to keep their small family afloat, and she wanted more for him than the life she had.

“I’ll be better about it,” Levi said, his voice tired.

His mom’s expression softened slightly, but there was still a hint of frustration in her eyes. “I just want you to take things seriously, Levi. You’re getting older. You need to start thinking about what comes next.”

Levi nodded, though the idea of the future felt distant, like something he couldn’t quite grasp. He didn’t know what came next. He didn’t even know what he wanted. All he knew was that right now, the only thing that felt real was the present—the moments he spent with Jake, the small pockets of time where nothing else seemed to matter.

His mom set a plate of overcooked spaghetti in front of him, her stern expression softening as she sat down across from him. “Eat up. You’re too skinny.”

Levi chuckled, though his heart wasn’t in it. He picked up his fork, twirling the limp noodles around the tines as he stared down at his plate. The weight of his mom’s words pressed down on him, the constant reminder that he needed to figure things out, to have a plan, to be responsible.

But how could he focus on the future when everything around him felt so uncertain? How could he plan for what came next when he didn’t even know what and who he was?

As he ate in silence, the sounds of the house creaking around him, Levi’s thoughts drifted back to Jake. His best friend, his partner in crime, the one person who seemed to understand him better than anyone. Jake had always been the one to push the boundaries, to take risks without worrying about the consequences. And now, with his powers growing stronger, those risks felt bigger. More dangerous.

Levi didn’t know how to stop him. Didn’t know if he even could. Didn’t know if he even should.

The sound of the front door opening jolted Levi from his thoughts, and he looked up to see his older sister, Amy, stepping into the kitchen. She was taller than Levi by a couple of inches, with the same dark hair as their mom, though hers was cut short and always looked perfectly styled, even after a long day at work.

“Hey, fucker,” Amy said, flashing him a grin as she dropped her bag on the counter. “Mom giving you a hard time again?”

Levi shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. “What else is new?”

Amy chuckled, ruffling his hair as she passed by. “She’s just worried about you. You know how she is.”

Levi nodded, though the weight of his mom’s concern still sat heavily on his shoulders. He knew she worried—about him, about their family, about everything. But sometimes, it felt like too much. Like he couldn’t live up to the expectations she had for him.

“Jake’s been hanging around a lot lately,” Amy said, leaning against the counter as she watched Levi eat. “Everything okay with him?”

Levi hesitated, the fork frozen in his hand. He didn’t know how to answer that. Jake was… Jake. He was the same as he had always been—reckless, fearless, determined to push the limits. But lately, something had changed. The way Jake looked at his powers, the way he talked about them—it was like he wasn’t just testing his limits anymore. He was looking for something more. Something bigger.

“Yeah,” Levi said finally, though his voice lacked conviction. “Everything’s fine.”

Amy raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. She knew Levi well enough to know when he simply didn’t want to talk. Instead, she grabbed a glass of water and leaned against the counter, her eyes flicking toward their mom, who was busy cleaning up the kitchen.

Levi finished his dinner in silence, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him like a heavy blanket.