The hangar loomed out of the mist like the shell of a dead giant. Its metal ribs were rusted and warped, the roof half-collapsed, vines creeping through the cracks. The wind whispered through the holes, carrying a low metallic groan that made Ezra's skin crawl.
"Looks abandoned," Jace muttered, his voice echoing faintly.
Kai raised his hand, signaling for silence. "Appearances lie."
They approached slowly, weapons drawn. The air smelled of oil and old smoke — like something that had burned long ago but never fully died.
Ezra's boots crunched against the gravel as they neared the entrance. The wide metal doors were half-open, just enough for a man to slip through. Kai went first, his silhouette tense, movements fluid and precise. The others followed, breaths shallow, hearts thudding in sync.
Inside, the hangar was eerily still. Dust hung thick in the light streaming through the cracks. A single plane sat in the center of the floor — a military-grade transport, wings chipped but intact. Its faded emblem glimmered faintly beneath years of grime.
"Holy hell," Jace breathed. "It's real."
Kai didn't answer. He was already circling the plane, scanning the ground for tripwires or footprints. His expression didn't change, but Ezra could tell something was off.
"What is it?" Ezra asked quietly.
Kai's eyes flicked toward the corner of the hangar. "We're not the first ones here."
Ezra followed his gaze — and saw it. A pile of cigarette butts. Fresh. A cracked mug still steaming faintly. And near the back wall, a faint trail of muddy footprints leading into the shadows.
"Someone's inside," Kai said.
Before anyone could respond, a voice drifted from the far end of the hangar — low, calm, and almost amused.
"Still sharp as ever, Kai."
Ezra froze.
Kai's head turned slowly. "Draven."
From the shadows stepped a man in a black coat, tall and broad-shouldered, his face half-hidden under the brim of his cap. His smile was thin and cutting, his eyes sharp enough to draw blood.
Ezra didn't need to ask who he was. The tension in Kai's stance said it all.
"Well," Draven drawled, spreading his arms slightly. "It's been a long time."
"Not long enough," Kai said coldly.
Draven chuckled. "You wound me. After everything we've been through."
Mara shifted beside Jace, whispering under her breath. "Who the hell is this?"
Ezra didn't take his eyes off Kai. "Someone from his past."
"Smart boy," Draven said, glancing at him. "You must be the reason he's gone soft."
Ezra stiffened, but Kai stepped in front of him before he could reply. "Say another word, and I'll put you down."
Draven raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Relax. I'm not here for blood. Not yours, anyway."
"Then why?"
"To offer you a deal."
Kai's laugh was short and humorless. "I don't make deals with ghosts."
Draven's smile didn't fade. "You might want to reconsider once you hear what I'm offering." He reached into his coat slowly, deliberately — and pulled out a small black device. "You recognize this?"
Ezra's eyes narrowed. "A detonator."
Draven nodded. "Smart and observant. Yes. It's linked to the fuel lines under this hangar. One wrong move, and we all become dust."
Mara groaned. "Fantastic. Another psycho with a bomb fetish."
"Watch your tone, sweetheart," Draven said mildly. "I'm the only thing keeping this place from exploding."
Kai's voice was steady, deadly calm. "What do you want?"
"Simple." Draven took a few steps closer, his boots clicking against the concrete. "You have something that belongs to me."
Kai's expression didn't change, but his eyes flicked briefly toward Ezra — so subtly most would've missed it.
Draven didn't. "Ah. So I was right." His smile widened. "The boy."
Ezra felt the air around him tighten. "Me?"
"Oh yes." Draven's gaze raked over him with unsettling interest. "You're the key. The only one who can unlock the coordinates buried in that cursed drive you stole."
Ezra's pulse spiked. "How do you know about that?"
Draven's grin sharpened. "Because I'm the one who built it."
The words hit like a punch.
Kai's eyes darkened. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Draven tossed a small, charred chip onto the ground. "Prototype One. Your little friend here carries Prototype Two — the perfected version. The only one still active."
Ezra stared at the chip, then at Kai. "What the hell is he talking about?"
Kai's jaw tightened. "Later."
Draven sighed. "He hasn't told you, has he? How sweet. Trying to protect you from the truth."
"Enough," Kai said.
Draven ignored him. "That device in your head, Ezra — the one you can't explain — wasn't an accident. It was engineered. You were engineered."
Ezra's heart stopped. "What?"
Kai's voice was low. "Don't listen to him."
Draven's tone turned mocking. "Oh, come now. You can feel it, can't you? The way your memory fractures. The way your blood reacts to their scanners. You're not broken, Ezra. You're programmed."
"Shut up," Kai snapped, raising his gun.
Draven only smiled. "You can kill me, Kai, but you can't kill what's already inside him."
Ezra's hands trembled. The room felt like it was tilting, the air too heavy to breathe. "Tell me he's lying."
Kai hesitated. Just a second. But it was enough.
Ezra stepped back, voice cracking. "You knew?"
Kai took a step toward him. "Ezra—"
"You knew?"
Kai's throat worked. "I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted—"
Draven's laughter cut through the air like a blade. "Ah, the great protector. Always lying for love."
Ezra's voice broke. "You should've told me."
Before Kai could answer, Jace shouted, "Guys — company!"
Gunfire erupted from the far side of the hangar. Soldiers in black armor stormed through the doors, weapons blazing.
"Move!" Kai barked, shoving Ezra behind a crate as bullets tore through the air. Draven ducked to the side, pressing the detonator against his palm with a grin.
"Tick-tock, Kai!" he called. "You've got three minutes before this place goes sky-high!"
"Damn it!" Jace cursed, returning fire.
Kai grabbed Ezra's arm. "We have to go!"
Ezra resisted. "We can't leave him with that thing!"
"I'll handle Draven," Kai said firmly. "You get the others out!"
"No!" Ezra's eyes burned. "You'll die!"
Kai's voice softened — a dangerous kind of calm. "Someone has to stay."
Before Ezra could argue, Kai pulled him close, pressing their foreheads together. The firelight from outside painted his features in gold and shadow.
"I meant what I said," Kai whispered. "You're not just something I have to protect."
Ezra's breath caught. "Then don't make me lose you."
Kai smiled faintly — the kind of smile that hurt to see. "You won't. Not really."
Then he turned, pulling his gun and sprinting toward Draven.
"Kai!" Ezra shouted, but the roar of gunfire swallowed his voice.
Jace grabbed his shoulder. "We have to move!"
Ezra hesitated only a heartbeat before following, dragging Mara toward the emergency exit as the hangar exploded into chaos.
Behind them, the detonator's light blinked red — steady, pulsing, merciless.
Kai and Draven circled each other through the smoke.
"You always were too sentimental," Draven sneered.
Kai fired. "And you always talked too much."
The bullet grazed Draven's arm, knocking the detonator loose. They both lunged for it — colliding, fists flying, rage and fire all around.
Outside, Ezra turned just as the hangar ignited. A wall of heat and light threw him backward, the explosion lighting up the sky.
"Kai!"
For a moment, all he saw was flame. Then — silence.
Ezra stumbled forward, eyes burning, searching the smoke. There was nothing left but wreckage.
Mara gripped his arm weakly. "Ezra… we have to go."
He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. His body was numb, his mind blank.
Kai was gone.
And somewhere deep in his chest, something strange and cold began to stir — like a signal waking up after years of sleep.