Monti and Kínitos found themselves surrounded by shelves stretching fifteen feet high, lined with small handmade wooden creatures. Crows, pigeons, wolves—it was as if someone had taken the liberty to craft every animal in the kingdom. In the middle of this menagerie sat Axe, a small knife in hand as he carved what looked like a wooden spider. Wood shavings surrounded him like fallen snow.
"Took you long enough," Axe called out without looking up.
"Was showing them the training, you know," Jes replied, brushing sawdust off her sleeve.
"Alright, well sit down." Axe pulled out three knives from a leather roll. "You too, Jes."
"Wait, I'm not gonna be joining y'all today," Jes said quickly.
"You already missed two lessons. You're doing this—I don't tolerate excuses." Axe's voice carried the weight of a disappointed father.
"Well, Jade wants a debriefing," Jes said nervously.
Axe looked at her with suspicion, then at both men. The room smelled of mahogany and citrus, warm and inviting despite the tension. He stood up and walked over to her, taking her hand in his calloused palms.
"Your hands are soft. You haven't been working." His disappointment was evident. "Go, but be back right away."
"Yes, dad," Jes mocked, rolling her eyes as she waved goodbye.
"Now sit and make me an animal. You got twenty-five minutes," Axe commanded, settling back into his cross-legged position.
"I don't really know h—" Kínitos started.
"Watch or Google it, your decision. But you have twenty-five minutes."
Kínitos looked over at Monti, who shrugged. Letting out a sigh, both men dropped to the ground, studying Axe intently. They began carving as Kínitos' knife struggled against the wood grain. With each stroke, the blade seemed to disobey him more. As it got stuck, he pulled with all his might, then felt a sharp pain shoot through his finger.
"Shit!" Kínitos blurted out, watching blood well up.
"You alright?" Monti asked, looking up from his work.
"Yeah, just cut my finger."
"Would you like a bandage?" Axe asked with genuine concern.
"I'm good, but what is all of this? Like, this power thing?"
"It's called a paradox," Axe said, not stopping his carving.
"Yeah, yeah, but what exactly is it?"
"Power. Some people are born with what's called an anchor. Those with anchors have the chance to be gifted a paradox."
"And we're making wooden creatures because?" Kínitos raised an eyebrow.
"To figure out what type of paradox you are."
"There's types? What types are there?" Monti blurted out.
"There's three, well four. Logical—which you've met before. Think of them as mind puzzles, like the hanging paradox. Then there's scientific paradoxes like the twin paradox. Mathematical paradoxes, like mine—Hilbert's Hotel. Lastly, Unbounds."
"What are Unbounds?" Kínitos asked.
"Paradoxes that don't really fit any group. But these categories aren't set in stone."
"Where do they even come from?" Monti pressed.
"No one knows. Paradoxes just exist in the world and find hosts. Those hosts then have the ability to control and use that paradox."
Several minutes passed in silence, only the sound of knives scraping against wood filling the air.
"Time's up. Let's see your creations," Axe commanded.
Both men handed over their carvings. Axe examined them carefully before handing them back, then collected their knives. The difference in skill was stark—Monti had crafted a well-sculpted lizard with detailed scales, while Kínitos' creation was a chaotic mix of sharp edges and bumps that looked like it might draw blood if handled carelessly.
"Okay, we're going to meditate while you hold your objects," Axe instructed.
"What the hell is that supposed to do?" Kínitos questioned.
"Just meditate and focus on the wood."
Closing his eyes, Kínitos tried to block out the world. Flashes of his childhood came to him as he gripped the rough wooden sculpture. Black smoke began rising from his skin. Thoughts of work and his apartment invaded his mind.
Hell, how am I gonna explain this to them?
The black smoke shifted to purple as it seeped into the piece of wood. His body shook and he began to sweat. His breathing became erratic.
"Shit, how am I gonna explain this to my landlord?" he whispered.
"Calm yourself," Axe's voice cut through his panic.
"I am calm," Kínitos replied with barely contained aggression.
"No, you are not."
"Fuck all this! I'm not gonna take this—I got shit to do!" Kínitos yelled, standing abruptly. He noticed the purple smoke hovering around him as the piece of wood in his hand began changing shape. When he dropped it, it hit the ground with such force that it cracked the concrete floor.
"Interesting. Math and letters," Axe murmured, studying the energy patterns. "Hmm."
"I want to leave," Kínitos said flatly.
"Wait, what? Kin, we have a great opportunity here. We have powers!" Monti stood and walked over to him.
"I know you'd do good with powers, but this life isn't for me. I just want a normal life, man." Kínitos' anxiety was palpable.
"Okay, I get that, but you do need training to control it," Monti reasoned.
"Well, there's something else you can do," Axe interjected.
Both young men turned to look at the bearded craftsman. Axe set down his own carving—a perfect miniature bear—and stood, brushing wood shavings from his jeans.
"What do you mean?" Kínitos asked, though his defensive posture suggested he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.
"You can leave," Axe said simply. "Walk out that door. Go back to your apartment, your job, your normal life."
Monti's face fell. "But—"
"But," Axe continued, holding up a finger, "that purple smoke doesn't care about your plans. Your paradox doesn't care about your landlord or your boss or your normal life. It's part of you now, whether you like it or not."
Kínitos looked down at his hands, still faintly shimmering with residual energy. "So what, I'm stuck with this?"
"You're stuck with a choice," Axe corrected. "Learn to control it here, with people who understand, or try to figure it out on your own when it decides to manifest again. And trust me, it will manifest again."
The room fell silent except for the distant sounds of training from other parts of the facility. Monti fidgeted with his wooden lizard, clearly torn between supporting his friend and pursuing this new world of possibilities.
"What happened to the people who tried to figure it out alone?" Kínitos asked quietly.
Axe's expression darkened. "Some figured it out. Some didn't. Some hurt people they cared about. Some…" He paused, seeming to weigh his words. "Some aren't around anymore to tell their stories."
The weight of those words settled over the room like a heavy blanket. Kínitos stared at the cracked floor where his wooden sculpture had fallen, the reality of his situation beginning to sink in.
"Look, kid," Axe said, his voice gentler now but with an underlying steel that reminded them both why he was second in command. "I like you. I see potential in you. Hell, I see potential in both of you." He gestured toward Monti, who clutched his wooden lizard like a lifeline.
"But let me be crystal clear about something." Axe stepped closer, his imposing frame casting a shadow over Kínitos. "If you choose to leave, and you become a threat—if you lose control and endanger innocent people—I will come for you. And I will put you down."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. There was no malice in Axe's voice, no anger. Just the calm certainty of a man who had made such decisions before.
"That's not a threat, son. That's a promise. Because I've buried too many good people who got hurt by folks who thought they could handle this alone."
Kínitos swallowed hard, feeling the purple smoke still swirling faintly around his fingertips. The choice had never felt more real, or more terrifying.
"Everything else," Axe said, his voice returning to its usual paternal warmth, "is up to you."