The house felt colder than usual when they returned.
The lights were on. The agents were already waiting inside, seated casually like guests overstaying their welcome. A few had removed their gear, draped jackets over chairs, and brought up faint traces of coffee and field tablets from their emergency packs.
Kael stepped through the door first, then paused, eyes scanning every corner of the room.
> "No visible threat."
"Positions relaxed, but posture suggests a briefing is imminent."
Aria stepped in behind him, still quiet from the earlier confrontation. Her shoulders were tense, her lips pressed in a thin line.
One of the agents, a woman with short brown hair and eyes too sharp to trust, stood and offered a half-smile.
"You're back. Good."
Kael said nothing.
Another agent—a stocky man in a tan undersuit—stood as well and cleared his throat. "We've received an update. From HQ."
Aria folded her arms. "And?"
"You're to resume your normal lives. As a front."
She blinked. "You're kidding."
"No. Boss's orders." He looked at Kael now. "That means you—school, daily routine, no sudden changes. If someone asks, you've just been sick. The fewer suspicions, the better."
Kael's gaze didn't shift.
> "Cover story activated. Social pattern camouflage."
The female agent stepped in. "But this doesn't mean it's over. Not by a long shot. We'll be monitoring you both. And we'll be coming by regularly."
"For what?" Aria asked, frowning.
"Analysis. Observation. Combat trials, maybe. Controlled exposure. We need to understand how his power works before the next attack comes. That means field agents will be rotating in and out to observe his behavior."
Kael's eyes flicked toward her—no resistance. No reaction.
One of the agents tossed a small device onto the table. "This is your alert link. If something happens, you use it. Otherwise, act like everything's fine."
"And if people ask questions?" Aria said.
"They won't. And if they do, improvise."
The agent gave a long look around the room, then locked eyes with Kael again.
"And one more thing," he said. "Anyone who knows about Kael's condition—what he is, what happened—whether they're family, friend, or just unlucky to find out... they're now part of this. That includes you, Aria."
She nodded slowly.
"I figured."
The agents began gathering their things.
"We'll keep the monitoring gear installed. Stay sharp. You're both part of something bigger now, like it or not."
As they filtered out one by one, silence returned to the room.
Kael walked to the window, looking out at the street below. A boy was riding past on a bicycle, laughing as he shouted something to his friend. The sound faded quickly.
Behind him, Aria sat down on the couch. She didn't say anything for a while.
"You're really going to go back to school like nothing happened?" she asked quietly.
Kael's answer came as he turned from the window.
> "That's what they instructed."
Then he walked away again, heading upstairs.
Aria looked after him, her face unreadable.
The house was still.
But nothing about this life was normal anymore.