Wait… why’s it unlocked? Dad went to the supermarket. He locks this thing even when he’s home—especially when he’s not,—Lil C. muttered, looking around. His sister was already standing in awe inside what turned out not to be a study at all—but a laboratory.

  —Nope, doesn’t look like one,—he argued. —If this were the real deal, we’d see metal tables, glass beakers bubbling and hissing, steaming with who-knows-what. I learned that from a quest in one of my games!

  —And scientists need instruments, right? Like musicians have pianos and violins. Scientists should have strange but awesome gadgets instead.

  —And it’s supposed to be quiet, like a library! Could you hush for once? Don’t you get it? Dr. Chaffy can only work in a lab. That’s how it goes. Even if it doesn’t look… super atmospheric,—Yuki added less confidently, eyeing the plain wooden panels and a bookshelf without a single book.

  Lil C. wandered over to the coat rack and rubbed the sleeve of their dad’s white lab coat.

  —See? If this is here, then it’s definitely a research center. The coat rack itself must be one of his inventions.

  Yuki, already annoyed (again, not for the first time today), wanted to prove him wrong. She scanned the desk—nothing but a soldering iron. In the corner, on a small stand, lay a pair of glasses.

  Ordinary, round, cracked, with one arm snapped. Nothing special… except they looked exactly like—

  —Mom’s glasses!—the twins gasped, passing them back and forth, inspecting them from every angle.

  They were hers. Not a copy, not a replica. The very same glasses the kids had found on the doorstep the day their mom disappeared. She never made it inside that night—never even crossed the threshold. The glasses lay there. She didn’t.

  -Did someone take her? the children had asked, terrified.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  —Of course she was kidnapped!—they insisted back then. —Some crook stole the most precious thing we have and will demand ransom any minute!

  Yuki remembered their father’s pale, trembling whisper:

  —If she didn’t leave on her own…

  But a year had passed, and the supposed kidnapper never called. Not even a message—no shady Facebook friend request, nothing. Hope had faded, and even the police couldn’t keep it alive.

  —He broke them!—Lil C. gasped, stroking the object that meant more to them than anything. —Look, he split them in two!

  —You’re right,—Yuki whispered. —Let me see. Don’t hog it… come on… give it here! You little—

  They wrestled, Lil C. lifting the glasses high above his head, forcing his shorter sister to jump in vain.

  —Mine!—he yelled right in her face, bolting out of the study. Of course Yuki had no choice but to chase him down.

  The hunt was back on. She tore through the house faster than a thousand winds plus one tiny tornado. Stools, cabinets, and every piece of furniture seemed to leap under her feet, trying to trip her. She dodged and leapt like a pro, refusing to slow down.

  Her brother wasn’t so lucky. He crashed near the front door, colliding with a side table. Flat on his back, he offered:

  —Let’s share. One half for me, one half for you. Look, the cord makes it just like those old-school headphones!

  —And what’s stopping me from just taking them all?—Yuki’s eyes flashed predator-bright. She wouldn’t really do it, of course—she wasn’t a vandal like him, just a decent girl.

  —Uh… I could clean your room. Someday. Not today, not tomorrow, and…

  —So never,—she nodded wisely. —Fine. Hand me my half.

  They split the glasses evenly and slipped them on. The elastic cord stretched nearly four feet, keeping them connected.

  —Whoa, cool! Just regular glasses, not some kind of super-weapon,—Lil C. joked. —Too bad Dad only fixed the cord. Still, at least he kept them safe. That means they’ll always be with us.

  Yuki stayed quiet—he’d said exactly what she was thinking.

  —C’mon, let’s go outside. We’ve been cooped up too long.—Lil C. led the way, and together they stepped into sunshine, chirping birds, and everything else worth leaving a cozy house for.

  Their garden, once cared for by their mom, now looked a little wilted despite their efforts. Beyond it stood the low fence and the street beyond.

  Down the sidewalk trudged a tired-looking man in a business suit. His haircut was neat, his shoes soft, but his briefcase dragged heavy in his hand. Dark circles sagged under his eyes, and a patch of stubble showed he hadn’t had time for his daily shave.

  —Why can I see the zit on his neck?—Yuki gasped.

  —And my half zooms in so much I can count every hair on his head! These glasses aren’t normal. They’re for looking inside people!—her brother exclaimed.