Scene 5:
The taller man stood in the dappled shade of the porch tree, his expression calm, almost casual — but the way his eyes fixed on Kael made Aria's stomach twist. She instinctively moved a step in front of her brother.
Kael simply observed them, his hands at his sides, body still as stone.
"We're not interested in giving interviews," Aria said, folding her arms. "And unless you're with a hospital, you can turn right back around."
The serious-looking agent stepped forward. He was older than the first, with a faint scar along his temple and a voice that didn't waste time. "We're with a private agency. We're here because something happened yesterday. Something unusual. And we believe your brother was at the center of it."
"Something unusual?" Aria narrowed her eyes. "What does that even mean?"
"We don't have time for vague," the taller one added, his voice less stern but just as firm. "There was an event. Multiple witnesses. Some injuries. And your brother was seen walking away from the scene — unharmed. After doing something… impossible."
Aria blinked. "No. That's not—"
"He doesn't remember anything," Kael said flatly.
Both agents paused.
"What do you mean?" the taller one asked, watching him now with new interest.
"I woke up with no memory of who I was or where I was. I remember patterns, movement, names. Not people. Not feelings. I've been told my name is Kael. But I don't recognize it emotionally."
Aria flinched. Hearing him speak about himself like that, so… clinical, felt wrong.
The serious agent stepped closer, now intrigued. "You have no memory of using powers? Of any confrontation yesterday?"
"I used force," Kael replied. "To prevent harm. I remember the decision. Not the reason."
The taller agent raised an eyebrow. "Force? So you did do something?"
Kael didn't respond right away. "Someone was going to die. I responded. That is all."
Aria's heart thudded faster.
The older agent reached into his coat slowly and brought out a thin silver badge — not one from any police department she'd ever seen.
"We're not here to hurt him," he said. "But if what we suspect is true… he might not be safe out here much longer. There are others watching. Others who don't ask nicely."
Aria narrowed her eyes. "So what—you want to take him? Experiment on him? Lock him up because he saved someone?"
"No," said the younger one. "We want to make sure he's safe. We want to understand what he is."
Kael's head tilted. "What I am?"
"You're not normal," the agent said simply. "And that's not an accusation. It's a fact."
Aria stepped back, hand on Kael's arm. "I'm taking him to a doctor. You're not getting him."
"We didn't say you couldn't," the serious one replied. "We just needed to talk to him first."
Kael turned to Aria. "They have information."
"What?" she asked, startled.
"About what I am. You don't."
The words stung more than she expected.
"So you want to go with them?"
"I want data. If they can provide it, then yes."
Aria looked at him — really looked at him — and felt that pang again. He wasn't speaking from trust. Not fear. Not even hope. Just pure, cold logic.
The agents didn't move. They waited.
After a long pause, she sighed. "Fine. You can talk. But here. Outside. And then we're leaving."
The agents exchanged a glance.
"Fair enough," the older one said, folding his arms. "Let's start with this—what's the last thing you remember before waking up yesterday?"
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. Not from effort — from calculation. Then he answered, softly:
"A woman was falling. I caught her."
The agents went still.
"That's all?"
Kael nodded. "Then I was surrounded. By things that didn't look… human."
There was silence.
Then the younger agent muttered, "Devourers."
Aria's brow furrowed."Devourers? What is that?"
The older agent looked at her grimly. "They're the reason we're here. And if your brother really fought them and survived…"
Kael stared forward. "You've seen them?"
The taller one nodded. "Too many times."
"Then I want to see them again," Kael said.
That froze everyone.
Aria grabbed his sleeve. "Kael, no. You don't even know what they are."
"I will if I see them."
"Do you even hear yourself?"
Kael turned toward her. "It's the most direct route to understanding myself."
The agents exchanged another glance. The taller one finally exhaled.
"You might not have to look for them," he said. "If they noticed you, they'll come back."
Kael simply nodded.
"Then I'll wait."
The taller agent, Marx, exhaled through his nose, a faint sign of resignation. "Fine. We won't move him. But we can't leave things exposed."
The other agent — the one with the scar and sharp tone — nodded. "We'll need to set up perimeter tech. Drones. Pulse walls if we can install them fast enough. And we'll have two guards stationed outside your house at all times."
Aria folded her arms. "This isn't a war zone. You can't just turn my street into some secret base."
"It already is," the agent replied coolly. "You just didn't know it yet."
She grit her teeth, but before she could argue, Kael spoke:
"I accept the perimeter."
Aria turned. "Excuse me?"
"They're correct. If I am being tracked, we should create resistance lines."
"Kael…" she started, then stopped. The hollow clarity in his eyes made her chest tighten. It wasn't him agreeing — it was a machine ticking boxes.
"No way I'm agreeing to this unless you give something back," she said, turning to the agents. "You want to play base defense? Fine. But Kael needs help too. A doctor. A scan. Someone who can figure out what's happening inside him."
Marx raised a brow. "We're not exactly running a hospital."
"You want to keep him here? Then you will send someone. That's my condition."
There was a pause.
Then the older agent slowly nodded. "Alright. I'll request a medical examiner. Someone discreet."
"Not discreet," Aria snapped. "Qualified."
The two agents exchanged a glance, then Marx tapped his communicator. "Agent Marx requesting local lockdown clearance for perimeter Alpha-Zeta, and backup team for interior reinforcement. Medical priority: one. Civilian subject. Quiet but fast."