Kai Langford - August 2120
As I cross the courtyard, I can't stop my eyes from flicking back to the main school building. To Ethan.
I don't understand what's happening. Years of training myself to feel nothing, to move through life like a ghost, are unraveling. That night… it changed everything. My walls, my control, everything I relied on—they're crumbling, and it terrifies me.
I don't understand what's happening to me these last few days. I've spent years training myself to feel nothing, to walk through life numb, keeping every feeling locked away. But after that night… my walls, my control, everything I relied on, they're crumbling, and it scares me.
Being near him is like standing on the edge of something I've spent my life avoiding. I want to hold him, to keep him from disappearing, and yet a voice in my head, the one that's always kept me disciplined, warns me to pull back. Stay in control. Don't lose yourself. Don't hurt him.
But I can't. Not fully. Every glance, every word, every quiet moment with him pulls at something deep inside me. I crave it, the safety, the warmth, the rare peace he gives me. And at the same time, I'm scared. Scared that wanting this, feeling this, makes me... weak.
But the part that scares me most is when it's just the two of us in his room. My mind goes hazy, like I'm somewhere I shouldn't be. I want him. I want to press him against me, feel him, let go. But then reason hits, I can't let this slip. I don't want to hurt him, don't want to push too far, don't want to take more than he's willing to give.
When it's just the two of us in his room, the fight inside me intensifies. My mind drifts, hot and hazy, and all I want is to be closer, to press him against me, to give in. But i'm afraid to hurt him or to push him to far.
And yet, every second with him feels electric. Every touch, every glance, it burrows into me. I hate that it makes me vulnerable, but I can't deny it. I need him. More than I've ever needed anyone.
As I approach Edmund's office, I force my mind away from Ethan. It's difficult, far more than it should be, but I manage, at least on the surface.
I knock on the door. A muffled voice answers almost immediately.
"Come in."
I open the door and let it shut behind me with a soft click.
"You called for me?" I ask. I remain by the door, hands clasped behind my back out of habit, old training that never really leaves.
"Ah, Kai," Edmund says warmly as he rises from his chair. "Please, take a seat." He gestures to the chair in front of his desk.
We sit at the same time.
Sunlight pours in through the window behind him, catching on the bookshelves and filing cabinets that line the walls. The place reminds me of the head teacher's office from when I was a kid. It feels strangely… nostalgic. I'm not sure I like that.
"I wanted to check in on you," Edmund says calmly, folding his hands together. "You haven't visited in a while, so I was concerned."
"Sorry," I say automatically.
"No need to apologise," he replies with a small smile. "I'll take it to mean you're… happy here?"
I nod.
When I first met him, I didn't trust him. How could I? He helped create the Lunex Vial alongside my father. I expected him to be like everyone else at the facility, cold, clinical, always analysing, never caring. But after our conversations… I've learned he isn't like them. He cares about the people here. He cares about what the Vial has done.
He told me once that he wants to take down GeneX, to end the Lunex Vial entirely. He said that if he helped create the pain, he has a responsibility to end it.
I'd never really let myself think about destroying GeneX. It's always been there, woven into every part of my life. My father's involvement, my grandfather's leadership, and Noah works there now. The idea of tearing all of that down… it feels unsettling. Like betrayal.
But after hearing the stories from people at Trinity, after everything I saw in the facility… I understand why the Vial needs to be destroyed.
"So, have you thought about what I asked you last time?" Edmund asks gently snapping my attention back.
I hesitate. My eyes drop to my hands.
"Yes… I- I don't think it would be a good idea," I say quietly.
His expression softens in that way that makes me feel exposed, like he can see right through me.
"Noah would be happy to know you're alive, Kai."
When Edmund first started to call me to his office I thought he wanted something from me, information, cooperation, obedience. But all he wanted was to talk. About my mother. About Noah. Every time I visited, he'd tell me something new, some story or update, and somehow… I started to look forward to it.
But the last time I was here, he told me I should seek Noah out now that I'm… free.
"He's built a life without me," I say quietly, twisting my fingers. "I don't want to interfere with his work."
Edmund sighs and looks down, disappointment written across his face.
"It's okay to be scared," he says.
The words hit harder than they should. My stomach drops. He sees right through me far too easily.
The truth is, the moment I decided not to go back to the facility, the first thing I wanted to do was find Noah. But every time I let myself think about it, my chest tightens so badly I can barely breathe. I have to hold onto something, anchor myself until it passes.
Thankfully Ethan's never seen it. I don't want him worrying about this too.
"What if he hates me?" I finally whisper.
"Why would he hate you?" Edmund asks.
"I- I was the reason our uncle died. If it wasn't for me, maybe everything would've been fine. Maybe he would still be-"
I stop. The words choke me.
Edmund leans back slightly, watching me with a patience I don't feel I deserve.
"Kai," he begins softly, "your uncle's death was not your fault."
My jaw tightens. I don't respond. I can't.
He exhales slowly, as if choosing each word with care. "I know what happened."
My head snaps up at that.
Edmund's expression doesn't change, calm, steady, almost painfully understanding.
"You were a child who just wanted to celebrate winning his tornament" he says gently. "A frightened, overwhelmed child with a power no one taught you to control. The responsibility lies with that Fire Guardian who failed you, not with you."
My throat burns. I look away. I feel my shadows swirling around my feet.
"That's not what it felt like," I mutter.
"No," Edmund says quietly. "I imagine it felt like the whole world fell on your shoulders."
The truth of that settles heavily in my chest. I swallow, but it does nothing to ease the ache.
A long silence stretches between us.
"He wouldn't hate you," Edmund continues. "Noah has spent years grieving you. Years wondering if you were alive. Years wanting to believe his brother was still out there."
He hesitates, then adds, "You disappearing shattered him."
My breath catches. I didn't expect that.
I always thought Noah simply moved on, went deeper into his research, buried himself in GeneX the way he buries himself in everything. Efficient. Untouchable. Unaffected.
But hearing that he grieved…
My hands clench in my lap.
"I don't know how to face him," I say, voice barely above a whisper. "I wouldn't know what to say. What if I ruin his life again?"
"Kai." Edmund leans forward, elbows on his desk. "You being alive would not ruin anything. It would change him, yes. But change is not destruction."
I shake my head. "I don't know if I can."
"And that," he says gently, "is why you're scared."
His words slice straight through me.
"I'm not-"
"You're terrified," Edmund interrupts, but without accusation. "Because seeing him means confronting everything you've been running from. Your past. Your guilt. Your grief. And most of all… the fact that you still love him."
My breath stutters.
It feels like he's reached inside my chest and pulled out the truth I've kept buried for years.
He sits back again, giving me space.
"Love is not a weakness, Kai," he adds softly. "Not with Noah. And not with Ethan."
The air leaves my lungs. Too sharp. Too fast.
"Don't," I say quietly. It comes out harsher than intended. "Don't bring Ethan into this."
Edmund only nods, accepting the boundary.
But the damage is already done, the name alone sends a flush of warmth and panic through me.
Another long silence wraps around us.
"You don't have to decide today," Edmund says finally. "But don't deny yourself a future out of fear of the past."
I stare at my hands.My fingers tremble before I force them still.
"I'll… think about it," I manage.
Edmund smiles. Not hopeful. Not pushing. Just gentle. "That's all I ask."
I stand, give a stiff nod, and leave the room.
The soft click of the door behind me feels louder than it should.
As I step into the hallway, I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding.
Noah.Ethan.My past.My future.
It's too much. All of it is too much.
But one thought rises through the chaos, steady and painful...
I miss my brother.