Kai sat on the edge of her bed, phone pressed to her ear as she listened to her mother's voice on the other end.
The two discussed updates in their lives—how work had been for both Julia and Samuel and how Kai had been keeping herself busy in New Jericho. She answered her mother's questions with ease, keeping things light, not offering more than what was asked.
"You're still eating properly, right?" Julia's voice took on that familiar motherly sharpness. "You're not skipping meals just because you 'don't feel like cooking'?"
Kai scoffed. "When have I ever done that?"
Julia was unimpressed. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"…No."
"Then I'll take that as a yes and remind you of the obvious. You're living on your own now, Kai. No one's going to just drop off food for you when you forget to eat."
Kai huffed, flopping back onto the bed. "Noted."
Then, in a softer, more casual tone, Julia asked, "So, anything new coming up?"
Kai stilled for half a second, fingers tightening slightly around the hem of her hoodie.
Her mind immediately flickered to Zteel.
But before that, it briefly flickered to Naomi and Fazian.
There was a time when she'd talk to them almost every day—when late-night conversations, shared meals, and impromptu plans weren't rare but expected. Now, their messages seemed to sit unread longer than they should, and the invites to "come hang out" were met with excuses that, while not outright lies, weren't entirely honest either.
She could feel the distance stretching between them, not because of any fallout or argument, but because of time. Because of where she spent most of hers nowadays.
With Zteel.
The more she was around them, the more everything else faded into the background. It wasn't intentional. It wasn't even something she fully realized until moments like this, when her mother asked a simple question and her first thoughts weren't of Naomi or Fazian or any of the things she used to talk about freely.
It was, instead, of the people she spent most of her days with now.
Then, her mind flickered to him.
Nyota.
The one who appreciated her every little effort. The one who acknowledged her other responsibilities, who continued to remind her that she could walk away from their group endeavors and there wouldn't be any hard feelings.
His quiet persistence and the way his presence, no matter how unexpected, felt like a steady point in all the relatively new uncertainty. There were other members of Zteel, of course. But something about him felt different. Or maybe she was just imagining things.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the hem of her hoodie.
"…Kai?"
Her mother's voice pulled her back.
She sat up again, clearing her throat. "Uh—nah. Nothing crazy."
"Mm-hmm," Julia murmured, a knowing hum in her voice.
"What?"
"Nothing. You just usually have something to ramble about when I ask that."
Kai clicked her tongue. "Maybe I'm just becoming less talkative."
Julia chuckled. "Not a chance."
Kai rolled her eyes, but despite herself, she felt the corners of her lips twitch upward. Before she could change the subject, the sharp chime of the doorbell cut through the room, making her head turn.
She frowned, glancing at the time. She wasn't expecting anyone.
"I've got to go," she said quickly. "Talk soon?"
Julia sighed, but there was warmth in her voice. "Alright. Oh—one last thing! This is important. Your dad and I are still planning to visit, we haven't forgotten. It's just been difficult planning an exact date, but I'll let you know."
Kai ran a hand through her hair. "Alright, Mom, got it." Then, softer, "Love you."
"Love you too."
The call ended with a soft click. Kai tossed her phone onto the bed and made her way to the front door. She unlocked it, pulled it open—
And froze.
Nyota stood on the other side, a bag of takeout in hand.
"Hey…"
"Hey! Uh—are you going to let me in, or…?"
She hesitated for a moment.
"Is this a bad time?" Nyota leaned slightly, trying to glimpse past her into the doorway. "I can—"
"No, no! It's fine." Kai opened the door, allowing Nyota to enter. She locked the door behind him. "I just… no Sage, Kilo, Aurora?"
"Oh yeah," Nyota chuckled nervously. "The brothers were busy. I don't exactly know what Aurora's doing right now, either."
"Well, sure. Have a seat."
"Just thought I'd stop by and check in on you." He lifted his hands, gesturing to the food he carried. "I brought eats."
With a soft chuckle, Kai shook her head.
They settled onto the couch, the soft hum of the television filling the space as a familiar show played in the background. Nyota set the takeout bag on the end table, carefully unpacking the containers before handing Kai a plate. Without much ceremony, they dug in.
Between bites, Kai glanced at him. "So… what's the occasion?"
Nyota froze mid-chew. "Uh—our last mission," he said, recovering quickly. "It was a great team effort, you know? Felt like we never really got the chance to… appropriately reflect."
Kai smirked, side-eyeing him as she popped a piece of food into her mouth. "Without the team here. That makes sense." A pause. Then, teasingly, "It's cute."
Nyota visibly tensed.
Kai caught it immediately and waved her fork dismissively. "Cute as in awkward. But, like… in a nice way."
"Not helping," Nyota muttered, stuffing more food into his mouth.
Kai grinned, satisfied with his reaction. But after a moment, her teasing expression softened.
She set her fork aside and picked up a pair of chopsticks, effortlessly twirling them between her fingers before plucking up a piece of food. Across from her, Nyota did the exact opposite, abandoning his failed attempt and reaching for his fork instead.
"Not a fan?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He shook his head. "Never been able to use them well."
"Well," she mused before taking another bite, "one of these days, someone's going to have to teach you."
A quiet moment stretched between them, easy but unspoken, like the space between waves before they crest. The television hummed faintly in the background, casting a soft glow over the room, but neither of them were really paying attention to it. There was a shift—something subtle but present, a lingering air of expectancy, as if they both knew the conversation was inching toward something else.
"You know," Kai started, twirling a piece of food idly between her chopsticks, "back at the bus stop—when we first officially met—I asked you a question."
Nyota glanced up, his chewing slowing slightly. "I remember," he admitted. "I thought you'd forgotten."
"No." She shook her head, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "I saved it for a time like this. Didn't know when it would happen, but it had to happen eventually, right?" She tilted her head. "And you never bothered to remind me?"
Nyota hesitated, his grip tightening slightly around his fork. He struggled to find the words, but before he could force out an excuse, Kai spoke again, softer this time.
"You didn't want me to know… did you?"
Silence.
Nyota didn't react at first—not in any obvious way. He sat still, eyes fixed on his plate, fingers lightly tapping against the handle of his fork. The television flickered in the background, casting shifting shadows across the room, but the warmth of their easy banter had cooled into something quieter, something weightier.
Kai studied him for a moment, waiting, but when the silence stretched a little too long, she exhaled softly and leaned back against the couch.
"Well," she continued, her voice even, "I'm not clueless. I just thought I'd get to hear it from your own word of mouth." She turned her chopsticks idly between her fingers. "The archived letter we uncovered—from Noriko—it told me just about everything I needed to know in terms of what your ambitions are."
She let that sit for a moment, watching him carefully. When he still didn't respond, she set her chopsticks down with a quiet clink and offered a small shrug.
"I'm sorry, by the way," she said, her voice softer now. "What I read was… unimaginable. I just couldn't believe it. It's like we're living in some kind of fantasy." She exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "And I'm not going to force you to tell me anything. But if you want to share, I'm all ears."
She meant it. And maybe that was why Nyota finally looked up.
For a moment, he simply studied her, as if weighing something in his mind. Then, without a word, he set his fork down and leaned back against the couch.
Kai did the same, settling in beside him.
The space between them felt different now—no longer just playful or awkward, but open.
Waiting.
Nyota exhaled, his hands resting loosely on his lap. His voice was steady, but there was a distance to it, as if he were reaching across time, speaking from a place far removed from the present.
His gaze drifted toward the far wall, unfocused, as though the memories were too heavy to hold in the present. "One night in Lunenrane, everything changed." His voice grew quieter, almost detached, as if speaking the words made them more real. "The RSAA came. They burned everything to the ground. Killed all the adults. Rounded up the youth."
He paused, his grip tightening slightly. "They loaded us into the backs of their trucks and took us to some… hybrid of a hospital and prison complex." His voice faltered for just a moment. "They altered our memories there, rewrote everything. Changed who we were."
Kai didn't move, barely even breathed.
Nyota's jaw tightened. "The head of the operation was Noriko's second-in-command, Elwin Newton. The same one who took Jora's life." He shook his head slowly. "The things I would give to see him suffer."
Kai remained silent, listening.
"Back then, during the raid, I tried fighting him once." Nyota let out a hollow chuckle, one that held no trace of humor. "He used his 'Elemental Modus.' Evidently, it didn't go well."
Kai hesitated before speaking, her voice tentative but filled with concern. "And you don't know where your dad is now."
Nyota shook his head.
Another pause lingered before Kai spoke again. "How do you remember all this?"
Nyota met her gaze, his eyes locking onto hers. He leaned slightly closer, his posture tense. "What I'm about to say is going to sound crazy, but I need you to trust me."
Kai nodded, her expression one of deep concern.
"My mind… it isn't normal. I don't know how to explain it, but for some reason, I can remember everything." His voice dropped lower, as though the truth he was about to share was dangerous, even to himself. "When they alter your brain, they tell you you're an orphan—raised in one of the many orphanages set up throughout the District. You're supposed to be forever grateful, indebted to her. Noriko puts you into the forces with some job you don't even question."
He exhaled slowly, his hands resting in his lap, fingers twitching. "They sedate you right before the memory alteration. And the next thing you know, you're waking up in a dorm room, confused, disoriented."
He looked away briefly, as if struggling with the next part. "The memory alteration process—it's done with some head-scanning machine. I don't know exactly how it works or how long the sedation lasts, but I think it's a few days, at least. Long enough for them to distribute us across the country, separate us. Because, you know… you can't have too many people with the same backstory concentrated in one place."
He clenched his jaw. "I think the sedation itself is meant to make you forget the first twenty-four hours of consciousness. When I first met the brothers in our dorm room, they knew me, spoke to me like I'd been there for a full day. But I had no idea who they were."
Kai's brow furrowed as she listened, her gaze unwavering.
"They convince you that Noriko's king, that she's a god. But it's a lie. She doesn't govern like she's supposed to. She's a dictator. A blasphemous one." His voice grew colder, bitterness edging into his words.
"Aurora's story is damn near identical to mine—except she somehow bypassed the memory alteration process altogether. After that, she played the part, pretending she'd endured it until she was free to do what she's doing now." He paused, frustration flickering in his eyes. "The reality is, a lot of people in this country aren't even from here. And even in the cases where countries signed away their sovereignty, I wouldn't be surprised if they were forced to."
Kai's expression softened as she leaned forward, her fingers gently wrapping around his hand. She pulled him a little closer, her eyes meeting his with an optimistic smile, though he could still see the glistening of tears threatening to fall. The gesture was simple, but it carried a depth of meaning.
Her voice dropped to a quieter, more sincere tone. "We'll figure it out. We'll find the answers you deserve—each of you. Sage, Kilo, Aurora… we'll get to the bottom of it all, alright? It's as you've said before: if I'm going down, you're coming down with me."
Nyota nodded, his gaze lingering on her, reading the sincerity in her eyes. "Yeah."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the moment hanging between them, but somehow it wasn't uncomfortable—just… real.
Finally, Kai broke the silence, her voice still warm but carrying a gentle hesitation. "Okay…" She let the word trail off, giving herself a moment to choose the right question. Her expression softened, her gaze filled with compassion. "Well, what happened to your mom? Was she…?"
"Yes, but no. She's both dead and alive at the same time."
Kai blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait, what?"
"It's difficult to explain," Nyota muttered, running a hand through his hair as though he were bracing himself for the inevitable misunderstanding.
Kai frowned, tilting her head slightly. "I mean, I get it, Nyota. It's not rare for kids to have complicated relationships with their parents. I mean, I can't exactly relate, but I've heard about it…" She trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.
"No, it's not that," Nyota shook his head, his hands resting on his knees as if trying to find the right words. "We had a wonderful relationship. She's just… I don't know… ethereal?" He cringed slightly as the word left his mouth, not liking how it sounded.
Kai blinked, her confusion deepening as she processed what he'd said.
"Never mind," Nyota muttered, shaking his head. "I probably sound crazy. Forget I said anything."
"No," she said softly, shaking her head. Her voice was patient, understanding. "No, I think I get it."
Nyota gave her a small, reluctant smile, but he didn't press the conversation any further. There was a weight to it that he wasn't sure he was ready to share just yet.
After a beat of silence, he spoke again, his tone shifting. "Anyway, enough about me. How about you? What's your story?"
"Me?" Kai blinked, surprised by the sudden change in topic. She leaned back a little, her eyes wandering to the ceiling as she gathered her thoughts, then shrugged as though the answer were simple. "Well," she began, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile, "I guess I'm just a regular ol' school girl."
Nyota raised an eyebrow and shot her a deadpan look, clearly unconvinced.
Kai chuckled at his expression. "Okay, okay," she continued, relaxing back into the couch. "School-wise, things have always gone smoothly for me. I'm at Polaris Academy—got good grades, good social standing. I guess you could say I'm the kind of student that blends in without trying to, but somehow still gets recognized for being… well, a good student. And my parents, Julia and Samuel, are pretty amazing. They've always been supportive of me, you know?"
Nyota gave her an appraising look, the corner of his mouth twitching. "So you never feel alone?" He raised his arms with a smile. "I mean, you live alone in this pretty, spacious house."
Kai laughed, but it didn't reach her eyes this time. Her mind, for a brief moment, drifted toward Naomi and Fazian. Sure, she had friends—people who genuinely cared about her. But did any of them know the real her? The part of her that had chosen a path no one could understand? Did they know she was more than just the good student or daughter? Did they know the person who, beneath the surface, was an undercover anti-heroine—fighting to resist Noriko Tachi and her regime, a rebellion she could never reveal?
She took a deep breath, choosing her words with care. "I'm not… alone. I have… friends," she shrugged. "I'm just…"
"Lonely?" Nyota completed her thought. His voice was gentle, understanding. "Is that it? I'm sorry if that's not the word you were looking for, but there is a difference. You can be by yourself, whether it's a choice or not, and not necessarily be sad or uncomfortable. But loneliness… it's different. It's longing for social connection. For companionship. Longing to be understood."
Kai froze for a moment. The words, though simple, hit a little too close to home. She hadn't expected him to pick up on it. It was as if he could see through the façade she'd carefully constructed. The weight of his insight made her feel… exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt before. It wasn't just that she felt vulnerable around him; it was that, somehow, he seemed to understand her loneliness. As if he could truly comprehend what it felt like to carry that emptiness, even surrounded by people who loved her.
She let her gaze fall to her lap, trying to hide the vulnerability she felt. Nyota, turning away, seemed to sense her hesitation. His words were soft yet grounded. "I get it. I promise you; I get it."
Kai felt something shift in her chest. There was a strange comfort in his words, a quiet acceptance that she hadn't realized she was seeking. For the first time in a while, it felt like someone understood.
"Yeah, I guess."
They both chuckled, the tension easing, and continued eating as the evening stretched on. The conversation drifted from topic to topic, easy and natural, their laughter filling the quiet room as the hours slipped by unnoticed.