The dim candlelight flickered against the stone walls, casting long shadows across the underground room. Gia lay motionless on the makeshift mattress, her breathing slow but steady. Kyle sat beside her, fingers twitching in agitation.
He hated waiting.
Every second they stayed here felt like a risk. The Order would be looking for them.
But Gia needed time to recover.
Felix, on the other hand, didn't seem to share Kyle's concern. He leaned casually against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Gia with a contemplative expression.
Kyle noticed. And he didn't like it.
"What the hell are you staring at?" Kyle snapped.
Felix didn't even flinch. His golden eyes flickered to Kyle, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Relax, kid. I was just thinking."
"Thinking about what?" Kyle's tone was sharp, defensive.
Felix exhaled, his gaze drifting back to Gia. "She's… interesting."
Kyle's jaw tightened. "Yeah? So is a bullet to the head. You want one of those too?"
Felix chuckled. "Damn, you're possessive."
Kyle scowled but didn't respond.
Felix pushed off the wall, stepping closer. "I mean it, though. Portal manipulation isn't just rare—it's powerful. And for The Order to brand her like that? It means they were scared of what she could do."
Kyle's fingers twitched again, blood bubbling beneath his skin.
Felix knelt beside Gia, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "She's tough," he murmured. "Stronger than she looks."
Kyle stood up so fast the chair scraped against the floor.
"Don't touch her."
Felix raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Relax, I'm not gonna steal your girl."
Kyle's eyes darkened. "She's not—" He stopped himself, grinding his teeth. "Just stay the hell away from her."
Felix smirked. "Noted." But the way he looked at Gia… it was different now. A flicker of something Kyle didn't like.
Plans and Tension
Kyle forced himself to step away, breathing through his frustration. He wasn't about to start a fight when Gia was still recovering.
"Let's just get to the point," he said, rubbing his temple. "You said we needed to talk about The Order."
Felix nodded, standing. "Yeah. Because if you think running is gonna keep you safe forever, you're dead wrong."
Kyle crossed his arms. "I'm listening."
Felix leaned against the table. "The Order won't stop hunting you. Not until they either have you back under their control… or you're dead."
Kyle scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know."
Felix's eyes glowed slightly. "What you don't know is that there's a way to end them. For good."
Kyle frowned. "You're talking about taking the fight to them?"
Felix grinned. "Exactly."
Kyle exhaled, running a hand through his messy black hair. "And how the hell are we supposed to do that?"
Felix's smirk widened. "That's where things get fun."
Kyle already hated where this was going.
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