The tension in the room snapped into place the moment Kael turned around.
Four agents stood at the entrance, all armed, all poised. Their weapons were not aimed at him—but slightly to the side.
Toward Aria.
The tallest one, a scar running across his temple, gave a smug tilt of his head. "Nice of you to walk in so easily," he said. "You made this simple."
Kael said nothing.
The man gestured toward Aria. "You move, she dies. It's that simple too."
Kael glanced sideways.
A faint shimmer on the floor near Aria's chair. Tripwire sensor—improvised, linked to a pressure trigger beneath the seat. Her cuffs weren't real restraints. Decorative. False security.
> "They anticipated resistance."
"Chose leverage over strength."
"Predictable."
The scarred agent stepped closer, still smug. "Now, here's what's going to happen. You're going to come with us. Quietly. We don't care how strong you are—we're prepared. Don't make us do something irreversible."
Kael looked directly at Aria.
She stared at him silently, shaking her head just once. Her lips barely moved: Don't.
> "No instruction from her. No emotional signal detected."
"Self-preservation."
"Understandable."
He looked back at the agents.
Then spoke, calm as a falling feather.
"I'll pass."
There was a beat of silence.
"What?" the lead agent blinked.
Kael's voice remained steady. "Not a favorable trade."
"You—" The scarred one stepped forward. "Are you seriously saying she's not worth—"
"Incorrect," Kael interrupted. "I'm saying the outcome is already decided."
One of the agents moved to press something on his device, but hesitated. The tension hung like a blade in the air.
Kael continued, unfazed. "You are assuming I care enough to surrender. That's incorrect. I do not make choices based on feeling."
His gaze swept the room once, slowly.
"Your leverage is flawed. If she dies, the mission remains. If I die, you lose your only variable. Your equation is broken."
Aria didn't say a word. Her expression had gone blank—except for her eyes. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Not fear. Just disbelief.
One of the agents muttered, "Is he bluffing?"
The leader looked rattled now. "You'd really just let her—"
Kael cut in again, his tone sharp. "You misunderstand."
He took one step forward.
The lights above flickered—faint pulses echoing off the marks on his arm.
"I'm not letting anyone die."
> "But I also do not bend to fear."
"That would be inefficient."
The air thickened.
The pressure in the room seemed to weigh on the agents. Their grip on their weapons shifted—uncertain. Shaken.
Aria still didn't speak. Her breathing had slowed. Her posture changed—less tense, more composed. Almost like she understood something now.
Kael took another step forward.
No one fired.
No one dared.
> "They are no longer in control."