Kael woke up on the couch.
Not in a bed. Not in a room. Just... there. Sitting upright. Awake, but doing nothing.
The house was quiet.
The kind of quiet that made you suspicious.
---
In the hallway—
Raegal leaned in toward Aira, whispering.
"Today's his birthday."
"REALLY?!" Aira practically screamed.
"Quiet...!" Raegal hissed.
Kael glanced at them.
He saw the huddle. Heard the tone.
But didn't move. Didn't react.
He just stared forward, pretending he had no idea what they were plotting.
---
Nila walked in from the kitchen.
She knew what today was. She'd found it in one of the old files—Kael's birth record.
---
"Hey, Kael. Good morning," she said softly.
"Mhm…" he grunted, not even turning his head.
"Y'know… today's something speci—" she began, then caught sight of Raegal and Aira in the background violently mouthing:
DON'T. TELL. HIM.
She cleared her throat.
"Nevermind."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "No, tell me."
"It's Sunday, so… we're gonna go buy weapons," Nila blurted.
"…From where?"
Raegal walked up, shrugging. "It's America, son. There are more guns than food here."
He turned to the girls. "Nila. Aira. Come with me."
"Okayyy~!" Aira chirped.
Nila gave a nod and grabbed her coat.
Raegal turned to Alex. "You stay with him."
Alex looked up lazily from his chair. "Alright."
---
They left.
---
Kael sat in silence for a moment, then glanced at Alex.
"So. About yesterday—"
"Let's not talk about that now."
"But you sai—"
"Today's… special."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "What's special?"
Alex smirked. That annoying little smirk he always wore when he knew something you didn't.
"You'll know."
He got up and headed upstairs without another word.
---
Kael sighed.
"I'll go to the garden," he muttered.
"You wanna come?"
"Sorry, I gotta… uh… clean my gun," Alex called back.
"Ugh," Kael groaned.
---
He grabbed a coat and scarf, then stepped outside.
The garden was quiet. The air smelled fresh.
Birds chirped. Kids laughed in the distance.
For a moment, everything was... normal.
---
Then—
"Ahh!"
Kael turned.
A young boy had tripped and scraped his knee on the gravel path. He sat sniffling, clutching his leg.
Kael walked over slowly.
"You good?" he asked.
"I'm hurt…" the boy whimpered.
Kael paused, then knelt down.
He tore a strip from his scarf and gently wrapped the wound.
The boy blinked, then smiled.
"Thank you!"
He got up, limping slightly, and waved as he ran off.
"Bye-bye!"
Kael raised a hand and waved back.
---
He sat on the bench near the pond. The water reflected the soft clouds above.
So still. So peaceful.
Kael closed his eyes and whispered to himself—
"It's so peaceful…"
---
Then—
BZZZT.
The radio clipped to his belt buzzed violently.
"Kael, come in! It's an emergency!"
---
Kael stormed through the front door of the safehouse, kicking it open.
"What happe—"
POP!
Confetti exploded in the air.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAEL!!"
---
Kael froze.
His eyes widened slightly. "Wha–what…?"
Raegal stepped forward with a wide grin, wrapping an arm around Kael's shoulder.
"It's your birthday, kid."
He pointed toward the table.
A chocolate cake, slightly melted, sat in the center.
Not perfect. Not even close. But it was real.
"Kael! The candles are melting!" Alex called.
"Go, go, go!" Raegal laughed, giving Kael a gentle push toward the cake.
Kael hesitated—then slowly walked up.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then took a breath.
And blew.
---
Clapping. Smiles.
Kael blinked, stunned.
Raegal pulled him into a hug—tight and father-like.
Nila joined in, wrapping her arms around them both.
Kael froze, just for a second.
Then let himself relax into it.
Warmth. Foreign, but not unwelcome.
---
Alex approached next.
He didn't say anything. Just handed Kael an envelope.
"Open it later," he said. "Alone."
Kael nodded.
---
Then Aira stepped up, grinning like she'd been waiting all day.
"So," Kael asked quietly, "…what did you get me?"
Aira placed her hands on her hips. "First! Close your eyes."
Kael gave her a side-eye, but obeyed.
"Alright… now come closer."
He took a step forward.
Gently, she reached up and looped something around his neck.
A thin black cord. A pendant. Cold against his skin.
"Okay," she said. "Open."
Kael looked down and opened the pendant.
Inside: a tiny photo.
Him. Aira. Raegal.
Laughing. Hanging out. Smiling.
It didn't even look real.
But it was.
His voice came out barely a whisper.
"I… I'll treasure it."
Aira smiled softly.
Everyone smiled.
For once…
Kael didn't feel like a weapon.
He felt like someone who belonged.
---
The safehouse was quiet again.
Everyone had gone to bed, the laughter and cake now just a memory.
Only the soft hum of the fridge and the occasional creak of wood remained.
Kael sat alone by the window, the pendant still around his neck.
In his hands…
The letter.
He unfolded it slowly.
---
Handwritten. Slanted. Slightly shaky.
---
I'm sorry for blaming Aira.
She looked… suspicious to me. And after everything we've been through, I couldn't take chances.
But when I saw her making that pendant… the way she handled it, so carefully… like it meant something…
I realized I was wrong.
I'm sorry, Kael.
– Alex
---
Kael stared at the letter.
No smile. No tear. Just stillness.
He folded it carefully and tucked it into the notebook Aira gave him.
Then leaned his head back against the cold wall and whispered—
"It's alright."
But deep down…
He was glad Alex had said it at all.