Ezra Kane crept into Kael Voss's apartment late at night after receiving a call, the sounds of the bustling city fading away behind him. He needed a break from the pressures of his work in surveillance, and Kael's invitation for a drink was just what he needed. In the kitchen, Kael was struggling; pasta was boiling over, and the sauce was a charred disaster. "Not exactly a culinary genius, are you?" Ezra joked, a smile breaking through his earlier tension. Kael shot him a glare and tossed a spoon in his direction—sauce splattered across Ezra's shirt. They got into a playful scuffle, laughter ringing in the air until Kael pinned Ezra against the counter, an electric energy crackling between them. As their lips nearly met, their hearts racing, a sudden knock on the door shattered the moment. Nico Chen, Kael's tech assistant, breezed in, unmistakably cheery. "Boss, we've got a system alert!" he exclaimed, completely unaware of the charged atmosphere. Ezra pulled back, the moment slipping away, while Kael's eyes reflected a deep longing left unexpressed.
After Nico dashed out, Ezra lingered in Kael's penthouse office, the dim light spotlighting the ominous glow of the Prophecy App. The latest #VeilFracture vision—Kael with a blade, succumbing to a fall—gripped at his insides. His heart raced as Veyra's voice crackled through his earpiece, teasing, "Tick tock, pretty." Just then, Nico popped back in from monitoring the systems, his smile almost too bright. "Pretty cool app, right?" he said, lingering nearby. Kael stormed in, a storm of tension radiating from him. "Who leaked this?" he demanded, his hand unintentionally brushing against Ezra's arm, sending a jolt of energy between them. Just then, Talia's urgent voice broke through, "Raid at The Pulse!" Nico still wore his grin as they hurried out, a faint shadow in the midst of the chaos.
Ezra trailed Kael to The Pulse, the pulsating bass hitting them as they slipped in through the back door. Talia's Sentinels were already in a fierce standoff with Kael's crew, sparks flying from the clash of essences. Ezra ducked for cover, heart racing as he watched from the sidelines, but Kael pulled him closer. "Why are you hiding?" he hissed, their bodies almost touching, heat radiating between them. Talia's furious gaze locked onto them. "Voss, make your choice!" she shouted. In a surge of jealousy, Ezra broke free, recalling Veyra's teasing words, "Contract binds!" A Sentinel lunged at them just as Nico burst in from the office, tech rig in hand, gasping, "I've got your back, boss!" In a moment of chaos, Ezra found himself pressed against Kael, their lips almost brushing, and the crowd gasped at the unexpected intimacy.