**Return to Kael's Office**
Kael's office, the atmosphere has shifted, though it hardly feels tranquil. The once overwhelming noise has subsided to a consistent hum; the office's cooling fans now buzz softly in the background while the servers gradually regain their steadiness, their lights pulsating in a rhythm that hints at normalization. Yet, despite this newfound calm, the remnants of the preceding conflict linger like shards of broken glass, sharp and unsettling, hanging in the air.
Kael stands at his desk, his body tense and still, resembling a statue caught in a moment of struggle. His long coat lies discarded nearby, forgotten in the heat of the moment. With his palms pressed firmly against the cold, steel surface, it seems as if he is trying anything and everything to wrestle his chaotic thoughts into some semblance of order. His jaw is clenched tight, the knuckles of his hands pale with pressure. His eyes, usually so expressive, are now shadowed; yet beneath his carefully crafted facade, a flicker of something much more primal and raw stirs—feelings of betrayal and disappointment gnawing at his insides.
On the opposite side of the room, Ezra sits slumped in one of the sleek, modern chairs, clutching the holo-crystal tightly against his chest as if it holds the key to his survival. His injured arm trembles—not from the ache of physical pain, but rather from the immense psychological burden he bears, the heavy secret that threatens to consume him from the inside out. As tears blur his vision, a spiraling guilt rises within him, making it increasingly difficult to catch his breath.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity of heavy silence, Kael breaks the stillness. His voice slices through the tension, soft yet razor-sharp. "There's more to this, isn't there? Something you haven't shared with me."
Upon hearing Kael's words, Ezra's throat constricts painfully, leaving him feeling trapped. He desperately wants to avert his gaze, to escape the penetrating look Kael fixes on him—one that seems to demand unvarnished honesty. His lips quiver as the truth fights to escape, bursting forth in a jagged rush.
"I was never here by mere coincidence".
The revelation hangs heavily in the air between them—the fragile tension ruptured like a balloon meeting a pin. Without warning, Ezra's tears flow freely, shame coursing through him and engulfing him as he sobs, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
For a fleeting moment, Kael stands frozen, his body tense and rigid. The hardness of his expression conveys a storm brewing within him, his eyes dark and turbulent as he curls his fists against the desk, as if the weight of Ezra's confession has landed upon him with the force of a physical blow. Yet, beneath the exterior of anger, another emotion flickers to life—profound hurt, the kind that festers deep when trust has been established only to be so cruelly betrayed.
Just as the air between them grows thick with unspoken words, the atmosphere shifts once more.