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.....As soon as Kael pressed a button to activate the console, Luka's hologram flickered back into view. The man's cybernetic eye scanned the expansive AI network with an unsettling precision, almost resembling a surgeon assessing the operating table. "Looks like you've been keeping yourself quite occupied," Luka noted, his gaze darting momentarily to Ezra before returning to focus on Kael.
"We're not here for flattery," Kael replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for deviation. "What's the current status?"
"The core's functioning along stable lines, but it's definitely attracting attention. I've noticed that Nico has been lurking around," Luka informed him.
The mere mention of Nico sent a wave of anxiety crashing over Ezra, tightening his chest in a vise-like grip. Just hearing that name, even in a casual context, bore a heavy significance, akin to the distant rumble of thunder heralding an approaching storm. He glanced at Kael, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of a reaction, but Kael's expression was as unyielding and stoic as stone.
"Let him lurk," Kael replied evenly, his voice devoid of any hint of concern. "If he gets too close, he'll find himself gasping for air."
Luka allowed a faint smirk to cross his lips, yet the tension threading through his body remained palpable. "Confidence is a rare commodity these days, boss. With Veyra ramping up actions, those drones weren't just for show—they were clearly a probe." His eyes sharpened with intensity. "And now, considering recent events, you've introduced a new variable into the mix."
Ezra quickly realized that the target of Luka's comment was none other than himself. A rush of heat flooded his face as a turbulent blend of guilt and anxiety churned within him.
Kael, however, interrupted before Luka could continue down that path. "He's not just some variable. He's an ally. End of discussion."
Those words hit Ezra with undeniable force, constricting his throat. After everything they had been through—the near-betrayal and the moments of doubt—Kael was still defending him. Ezra yearned to voice a promise to prove his worthiness of that unwavering trust, but the words became hopelessly tangled in the chaos of his chest.
In a spontaneous response, he managed a strained, "I'll prove it."
Kael turned to face him, and for a fleeting moment, the cold hardness in his eyes softened just slightly, enough to unravel the carefully maintained facade that Ezra had been clinging to so tightly.
Luka took in the exchange, his expression inscrutable, then exhaled a resigned sigh. "Alright then. But if he's going to stay, he must be ready to fight. No free rides here."
Kael nodded resolutely, his stance unyielding. "He'll fight."
Ezra swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the AI's presence in the air around him, its green light casting an eerie glow across his face as if delivering a judgment. He wasn't sure how to navigate a battle built on the backs of machines and the shadows of ghosts—but sitting there, engulfed in Kael's steadfast trust that wrapped around him like a protective shield, he understood one profound truth: he would fight, even if it meant risking everything.