Ethan Knox - July 2120
"There are showers downstairs, on the right. You'll probably want to wash up after everything that's happened since yesterday."
My voice came out a little too bright, typical, but honestly, what else was I supposed to do? After years of not seeing him, suddenly handing Kai a towel felt… surreal. Like someone had reached into an old memory and yanked it into the present.
The spare clothes I'd found were the best I could manage, though none of them really fit him. He's grown even broader since the last time I saw him, which hardly felt fair, considering my heart had barely recovered from how he looked before.
As soon as the bedroom door closes behind him, the room feels too quiet. I sit on the edge of the bed, legs instinctively bouncing, and my mind goes straight back to the cliff side. Back to the moment I wasn't sure I'd dreamed.
"Those stars… they were pretty special to me.""I'm glad you're alive."
Hearing that from him, after all these years, was like being hit by warmth and cold at the same time.
I feel a shiver run up my spine, and my cheeks feel blazing hot. I shove my face into my hands, half-laughing, half-groaning.
I'd honestly thought he'd forgotten me. That whatever we'd been, whatever we almost were, had faded for him with time. But the way he said those words… it cracked something open in me.
Sitting under the real stars with him felt unreal. Familiar yet terrifyingly new. I usually love stargazing, I always have, but tonight the stars barely existed to me. Not when Kai was right there beside me. My chest ached watching him relax, and guilt twisted with it. Guilt that I couldn't give him that peace sooner, that things had kept us apart for so long.
Every time our eyes met, the years between us seemed to vanish. It felt like something tugged me toward him, something old, something I'd missed more than I'd admitted. And if he'd leaned in even a fraction… I would've kissed him. No hesitation. No thought. Just every feeling I'd shoved down for years spilling over.
But I didn't. Because I could tell he was still trying to keep me at arm's length. As if letting me closer after all this time would be too much. But it's only day one. And after finding him again I'm not giving up.
The door handle clicks, and for no sane reason my brain panicks, as if I've been caught thinking something I shouldn't and I snatched up a book, flinging myself across the bed and pretend to read like a perfectly normal person.
"Feeling better?" I try to sound calm and totally unfazed.I fail spectacularly.
When I turn my head to look at him, my heart actually skips.His hair is damp, pushed back from his face as water droplets run along his jaw.
His eyes... those dark eyes, tired but still so unmistakably him makes it difficult to look away.
That is until he says he was going to sleep somewhere else.
And it felt like someone dropped me off a cliff.
The thought of him walking out of my sight, after finally having him back, makes something inside me snap. Absolutely not. No chance. So yes, I tug him down onto the bed and tossed the blanket over him like some overexcited golden retriever claiming a new toy. My chest stops hurting the moment he stayed put.
I keep pretending to read, I'm 90% sure the book was upside down, and after a while his breathing settles into slow, steady rhythm.
I peek at him.
He is out cold.
Something thick lodges in my throat, and I swallowed hard.He looked so unbelievably peaceful. So familiar. So different. So… grown. And still the same Kai my heart had never really stopped missing.
His chest rises and fall in this gentle rhythm that make something warm unfurl in me. All I want to do is lean against him, wrap my arms around him, and hold on for as long as he'd let me.
Years apart, and one night next to him was enough to remind me exactly why leaving him behind had hurt so much.
_________________________________
The sun sneaks through the cracks in the blinds, landing squarely across my face. I groan and fling an arm over my eyes, but it doesn't help. It's already too hot. Summer was ridiculous, and I could not wait for it to end.
I roll over, still half-asleep, toward the other side of the bed and then I sit up so fast the blanket practically flies off me.
It's empty.
"Kai?" My voice comes out smaller than I intended, tight and tense. The room is silent.
He's gone.
Did he leave while I was sleeping? Did he slip out without a sound? My stomach twists and panic rises like a wave I can't hold back.
He didn't go back to the facility, did he?He wouldn't…
I stumble out of bed, before I shove my shoes on without bothering to fix the heels and bolt for the door. Every step makes my heart hammer faster.
I don't even see her until I slam straight into someone halfway down the stairs. We both stumble and I nearly go down.
"Oh, sorry!" I blurt, looking up.
Tessa is standing there, brushing off her shirt like I've just splattered her with mud instead of nearly knocking her over. She's completely calm. Classic Tessa.
"Maybe don't go running down the stairs without looking," she says. Not an ounce of irritation in her voice.
"Have you seen Kai?" I fire back, too quickly, too loudly. My words tumble over themselves, desperate to escape before my brain can catch up.
She looks me over, taking in the pyjamas, the bed hair sticking every which way, the wide, frantic eyes. She exhales softly, tilts her head toward the back door.
"Don't worry, lover boy. He's out back."
My ears burn. Lover boy? My dignity is already somewhere between the stairs and the floor, but my feet don't care. They're already carrying me toward the door.
I pause just long enough to draw a shaky breath, then push it open.
The sunlight hits me full in the face. I blink until the world stops burning gold. And then…
There he is.
Kai. He's running around the old school track like it's nothing. And behind him... Jack. Panting, dragging his legs like the world might end if he stops, looking like he might collapse any second.
I duck into the shade, out of view, and just watch.
Kai makes it look effortless. After a few laps, he slows, letting Jack catch up. He doesn't even break a sweat. Of course he doesn't.
"You shouldn't push yourself," Kai says simply.
Jack doubles over, wheezing like someone punched the air out of him. Kai waits, patient, calm like this isn't the first time.
Jack lifts his head, glaring. "Shut up! Don't tell me what to do!" he pants, fury flaring.
God, he can be so rude sometimes. I need to remember to give him another hit on the back of his head.
Kai studies him for a moment, still calm, unreadable, before turning away. "Well… you can keep running on your own. I'm going to get a drink."
Jack freezes, jaw dropping, like Kai just committed an unspeakable crime. "Hey! Where are you going?" he yells, scrambling to catch up.
I crouch behind the fence, heart still thudding, and watch the scene unfold. Jack is a relentless, tiny little firecracker of a kid, fists on his hips, glaring like he's in charge of the whole world.
"You can't just leave me!" Jack yells, pointing a finger at Kai like he's issuing a very official warning. "I'm security! I'm in charge!"
Kai stops mid-stride, tilts his head slightly, and his expression doesn't change. Calm. Steady. Infuriatingly composed. He's just… perfect. My chest tightens.
"Okay, if you say so. Do I have your permission to get a drink?" Kai says, voice soft but firm.
Jack's arms cross over his chest like he's standing guard over the entire world. "Fine, I'll allow it."
I can't stop myself from snickering quietly. Oh my god, he's so tiny and furious, and Kai is just… there, like nothing can touch him. How is that even fair?
Kai crouches slightly so he's closer to Jack's eye level, and I swear my heart flutters. He looks effortless doing it, calm but strong, like he's naturally built to make people feel… safe. Even this stubborn little terror.
"Jack," Kai says softly, "I think you should take a break as well"
Jack stomps a foot. "I don't care! I can handle it!"
Kai tilts his head, just slightly, and then turns towards where I am hidding. Guess I can't keep hiding...
As Kai heads in my direction, Jack is still chasing after him, shouting like a very angry kettle.
"I thought you Special Division agents were supposed to follow orders!" Jack yells.
Kai stops mid-step. Something flickers across his face, like a shadow passing over. His eyes drop to the floor, and I know exactly what button Jack's just pressed.
I slip out from behind the pillar I was hiding behind and the moment Kai sees me, he seems to snap back into the present.
I beam at him, wide and bright enough to power a lightbulb. Anything to keep him anchored to me, not the ghosts in his head. But I can already see it. Jack's little dig hit something raw. Like Kai half-believes it himself. And my stomach sinks.
The revolution knows practically nothing about what goes on in the Special Division, but from what I've seen of heard, it wasn't training. It was torture with a schedule. They built soldiers the way factories make machinery, no hesitation, no disobedience.
And the deep scars on his neck… Yeah. They didn't tolerate going against orders.
I know Jack wasn't trying to be cruel. This is just him being "Head of Security". But to Kai? That sentence was basically a trauma tripwire.
Kai watches me approach, but I walk right past him and beeline straight for Jack.
Kai hesitates behind me like he's unsure if he's allowed to move without a permission slip. My heart squeezes.
Jack looks up, clearly ready to start round two with me, but before he can open his gob, I smack the back of his head.
"Ow! Stop hitting me!" he complains.
"Stop being rude then," I sing-song. "Do you want me to tell Ray? Because I will tell Ray."
"I didn't even do anything!" Jack stomps a foot. "If anything I'm the only one actually keeping an eye on this threat." He points at Kai.
Kai lifts one eyebrow like the concept of being a 'threat' is mildly confusing. Especially since he hasn't done anything since being here.
"If you're meant to be keeping an eye on him," I say sweetly, "shouldn't you… I don't know… watch? Instead of sprinting around like a panicked sea turtle that's had too much caffeine?"
Jack huffs. "I had to make sure he didn't run off!"
"And you thought you could catch him?" I giggle. "Jack, sweetheart. You look like you're about to pass out from a morning jog."
Kai hovers behind me, unsure whether he's witnessing an argument or a comedy routine.
"I could catch him!" Jack insists.
I glance back at Kai. "You must be really slow then." I grin.
"Um…" Kai says, absolutely not equipped for jokes at his expense.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack shouts.
"Nothing! Nothing!" I say quickly. "But hey, if you're so sure, why don't you have a race? It'll be cute. I'll cheer. I'll bring snacks."
Jack freezes. He's still wheezing. He looks like a boy praying for a sudden, merciful earthquake.
Before he dies of panic, Kai steps up beside me."Maybe next time," he says gently. "I was going to take a break anyway."
He's not even sweating. He looks like he could've run another ten miles. But he's sparing Jack the embarrassment, and the kindness of it absolutely melts me.
He's still soft and considerate in his own special way. They didn't manage to beat that out of him.
Thank god.
I remember what it was like in that facility, how the guards would swoop in the second you even laughed. But here he is, still finding little ways to be kind, even in the middle of chaos.
And honestly... I think my heart just did a cartwheel.
Jack looks absolutely relieved, like someone just told him running has been outlawed forever.
"You're right. It is breakfast time," I say, hands on my hips. "And I'm guessing neither of you have eaten yet. Jack, you go on ahead first."
He opens his mouth to protest, "I've ate already-" but I shoot him a look and give a tiny, subtle head-tilt. The universal sign for Leave. I need to talk to Kai.…Except subtlety is wasted on Jack.
He squints at me like I've just given him a maths problem. Then, finally, he gets it.
"I need to do the morning patrol anyways" and he storms off in dramatic Jack fashion.
The door shuts behind him, and I let out a breath before turning to Kai.
"Sorry about him," I say, trying to keep the mood light. "He wakes up rude. It's a condition."
"It's okay," Kai says. "It's not the first time I've met kids like him."As soon as the words leave his mouth, he freezes, like the sentence pulled him straight into an old memory.
I gently reach out and rest my hand on his arm. I mean it to be reassuring for him…But the moment my hand touches him, something settles in me too. The panic from this morning, the fear he'd run off and disappear, fades. Touching him makes it feel more real that he's actually here. Safe. In front of me.
"Even so," I say softly, "he shouldn't be that rude." I smile up at him, apologetic but warm.
Kai tilts his head. "What's with the whole 'head of security' thing anyway?"
"Oh… erm…" I hesitate. My mouth opens but absolutely no words come out.
Kai notices. "You don't have to tell me," he says gently. "I just got here. I understand."
"No, I want to tell you," I say quickly. "It's just… maybe not right here by the school doorway." I nod toward a bench across the field. "Come on, let's sit."
Kai waits beside me, quiet and steady, like he's giving me all the time in the world. And honestly… I need it. Explaining Jack's situation isn't exactly a one-liner.
"Okay," I start, clasping my hands together. "So… Jack's 'head of security' thing? It's… kind of a story."
Kai nods, encouraging but not pushing. That alone makes it easier.
"So, the title didn't actually start with him," I say. "It started with his dad."
Kai's attention sharpens, but he stays still, listening.
"Jack's dad used to work security for GeneX Headquarters. Proper uniform, badge, the whole 'don't run in the corridors' authority thing." I say "He used to come home and tell Jack he was the company's 'Head of Security.' Jack thought it was the coolest job in the universe."
Kai quietly watches, absorbing each piece.
"But then…" My voice softens. "Things got… really bad."
I take a moment. Even I feel my tone drop.
"Jack's dad stole Lunex vials from GeneX. No one knows why, maybe he panicked, maybe he thought he could sell them, maybe he was just desperate for power. But we all know GeneX doesn't tolerate that."
I see Kai stiffen, just barely. He knows what companies like GeneX do. Probably more than any of us.
"So they sent Guardians to get the vials back," I say quietly. "Not to arrest him. To… remove the problem."
My hands won't stay still, and I stare at them for a moment before finally meeting Kai's gaze.
"They stormed his apartment," I continue. "Jack was there. He was just a little kid, hiding behind a broken sofa while the whole place was getting torn apart. His dad tried to protect him but…" I shake my head slowly. "It was over before Jack even knew what was happening."
Silence hangs between us for a moment. Heavy, but not suffocating. Kai's gaze shifts toward the ground, not out of disinterest, but out of understanding. Like he recognises the shape of that kind of loss.
"Jack was alone," I say softly. "In this wrecked apartment, everything smashed to pieces… his killed in front of him… and those Guardians tearing the place apart looking for leftover vials."
Kai swallows, jaw shifting just slightly. He knows exactly what GeneX are capable of.
"And he stayed there," I continue, "scared out of his mind, until Ray found him. Ray pulled him out of what was left of the apartment and brought him here."
A long, quiet breath leaves me.
"So yeah," I say, voice gentler but trying to hold a little warmth again. "After that? Jack kept the 'head of security' label his dad used to say. I think it makes him feel like… his dad's still watching over him. Even if it's just in name."
Kai finally looks up at me.
There's sympathy in his eyes. Deep and soft. But there's something else too, a flicker of guilt.
I nudge Kai's shoulder gently with mine. "Hey. I'm not telling you this so you feel bad. I'm telling you because… Jack can be rude, and loud, and he's one tantrum away from being banned from snacks, but he's not a bad kid. He's just… hurt. And still trying to be what his dad told him he could be."
Kai nods, slow and thoughtful.
"I understand," he murmurs. "Thank you for telling me."
I smile, light, warm, trying to lift the mood just a little."And now you see why we let him think he's the boss sometimes. It keeps him calm and alive. And less likely to chase you around like a hyperactive goose."
"But everyone here has a story," I say quietly. "Every single one of us has some way GeneX ruined our lives. That's why we help Edmund. That's why this revolution matters."
Kai doesn't answer. We just sit there for a while, the morning sun spilling warm light over us. I can practically feel him thinking, his shoulders curling inward, his head dipping slightly as he looks at the ground.
I didn't mean to bring him down. I wanted him to understand. To see that we're not fighting GeneX just because Edmund wants revenge on Kai's dad. We're fighting because we've all been broken by the same machine.
We've all lost something.And so has Kai.
Our silence is broken by the sound of kids bursting out of the building, laughing, shouting, chasing each other across the running field. A football starts flying in unpredictable directions, usually towards someone's face.
I smile at the chaos, but when I glance back at Kai…He's staring at his hands. Like they're stained. His breathing is off, uneven.
"Kai?" I ask softly, worried.
He doesn't answer.
I reach out to take his hand but the moment I touch the air near him, he flinches back sharply and shoots to his feet.
"What's wrong?" I get up with him, keeping my voice gentle.
He turns away, one hand pressed to his head like he's trying to hold himself together.
"Ethan…" His voice barely carries over the sound of the kids laughing in the distance. He pauses and his shoulders tremble.
"I don't belong here."
My stomach drops straight through the bench.
Wait. What?
Just a moment ago he was okay, quiet, thoughtful, maybe sad, but not like this. What changed? Jack's story couldn't have hit him that hard. Right?
"Kai, you do belong here," I say quickly. My brain is scrambling for words. "You belong here with us. With me."
All I can think to do is reach for his hand again. To ground him. To bring him back.
But he jerks away again, harder this time, like my touch might burn him.
"No… I can't, Ethan." His voice cracks. "I'm not like you. Any of you. You all suffered because of what GeneX did, what my father created."
"You suffered more than any of us!" I snap, frustration bursting through the fear. "You have every right to stay. Every right to be safe here."
How can he think otherwise?How can he not see he's the last person who deserves to be pushed out?
"You don't understand," he murmurs.
He turns back toward me and the look on his face punches the breath out of my chest.
He looks broken. Like one wrong word would shatter him completely.
"Then explain it to me," I whisper. "Please, Kai. I'm right here."
He meets my eyes, just for a second, before his gaze drifts toward the ocean beyond the cliff, waves crashing below.
"I'm not the same person you used to know, Ethan." His voice is barely a breath. "I've hurt a lot of people."
He swallows hard.
"I've… killed a lot of people."
The wind seems to pause. Even the kids' laughter in the distance feels muffled.
And all I can think is, He really believes this makes him unworthy of being helped.
"Kai…" I breathe, taking a cautious step toward him, not touching, just reaching with my voice. "You're talking like you're a monster."
But the pain in his eyes only deepens.
And I realise… This is the part of his story he's been terrified to let me see.
"I am a monster," Kai says, his voice low, trembling. He gestures toward the school building next to us. "Maybe… maybe some of these people are here because of something I did."
The words hit me like a punch to the chest and I freeze. My lungs feel hollow, like the air has been sucked out of the world. The idea that Kai could have hurt anyone here… it shakes something deep inside me.
But even as fear twists in my gut, a small, stubborn part of me whispers the truth, he didn't choose this. He was forced to follow orders.
I take a shaky breath. "But… you're standing here, shaking. Monsters don't shake." My voice falters a little. Even I feel the uncertainty creeping in.
Kai drops his gaze to the ground, shoulders curling inward. "Ethan…" His voice is soft, broken. "I'm not worth saving. Not like everyone else here."
And in that moment, it feels like the world itself has cracked beneath me. Like gravity has vanished and everything I thought I knew is falling apart.