The days that followed the revelation in Zeke's study passed like fragments of a dream that Fenix knew would eventually shatter. Each morning brought the same impossible warmth - breakfast conversations where his parents' love felt as natural as breathing, training sessions where his cousins treated him as an equal rather than a burden, evening gatherings where the entire family contributed to discussions that shaped their shared future.
But beneath the surface comfort, Zeke's words had planted seeds of doubt that grew stronger with each passing hour. The inconsistencies that had troubled his enhanced awareness became impossible to ignore and the gradual realization that this perfect life demanded nothing of him except passive acceptance.
