***
As night fell, the towering glass buildings of New Avalon sparkled like stars scattered across the sky. Apex Dynamics was mostly deserted now, its sleek hallways softly humming with the last remnants of the day's energy. The boardrooms were quiet, and the tech floor lay in darkness, save for the glimmer of code still running on standby.
In his office, Kael sat by himself, his jacket off and sleeves rolled up, the dim light from his desk casting shadows over his features. Unread reports blinked on his screen—everything was stable, and progress was ahead of schedule—but his mind was elsewhere.
He had spent the day watching Ezra work—efficient, focused, a blend of softness and sharpness in his movements. The young man possessed that unique mix of chaos and calm that no machine could replicate.
A soft chime sounded from the door.
"Come in," kael replied, not looking up.
Ezra entered, the dim light revealing the faint circles under his eyes. He held a small data drive. "I finished calibrating the firewall," he said, his voice low but steady. "You'll want to check out the update logs before the morning."
Kael motioned for him to come closer. Ezra crossed the room, and a fragile silence enveloped them as he set the drive on the desk, his fingers brushing against the glass surface—just close enough to Kael's hand to seem intentional.
"You really should've left hours ago," Kael said quietly.
Ezra offered a faint smile. "After you."
Kael chuckled softly. "Still figuring out how to take charge, I see."
"Still ignoring your orders, apparently," Ezra shot back.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The lights from the city outside created shifting patterns on the glass wall, the rain beginning to fall softly again. Kael leaned back, studying Ezra with that calm demeanor that always quickened his heart.
"Lila mentioned you've been working with the old tech crew," Kael said. "That's great."
"Yeah," Ezra replied softly. "It feels… right. Like I can finally fix what I messed up."
"You didn't break it," Kael reassured him. "You were just caught in someone else's fight."
Ezra met his gaze, a question lingering in his eyes. "And now?"
Kael's expression softened, his tone steady. "Now you rebuild. And you'll rest when I tell you to."
Ezra let out a small laugh, but his smile faltered as Kael stood, closing the distance between them. Kael reached past him—not touching, but close enough for Ezra to feel the warmth radiating from him as he picked up the drive from the desk.
"Great work today," Kael said, his voice low, almost reverent. "You handled everything better than I anticipated."
Ezra tilted his head slightly, searching Kael's eyes. "You mean you were worried."
"Worried," Kael confessed after a moment, "and proud."
Another moment of silence enveloped them, fragile as glass. Outside, a distant rumble of thunder echoed across the skyline.
Ezra's voice broke the silence gently. "Kael?"
He looked up.
"If you keep looking at me like that," Ezra said, a small, nervous smile creeping onto his lips, "I might just forget how to breathe."
Kael's smile deepened—slow, alluring, tender. "Then remember to do it quietly."
Ezra let out a laugh before turning toward the door, pausing at the threshold. "See you tomorrow, boss."
"Make sure you get some sleep, Ezra." he whispered
As the door clicked shut behind him, Kael let out a deep sigh. The stillness of the moment hung in the air, while city lights danced against the glass. For just a moment, he could almost feel the comforting presence of Ezra, his resolve starting to fade.
"He's going to drive me crazy. But who are you, really?"
The war could wait for now. Tonight, he chose to embrace this fragile sense of peace.
He stayed by the window long after Ezra was gone. Rain trickled down the glass, forming delicate silver trails, and for a fleeting instant, it brought to mind a woman he'd spotted at the market—a stranger who had never spoken to him. Her hair gleamed like mercury in the neon glow, and her gaze held a familiarity that left him questioning whether they had crossed paths before.
Moving back to his coffee maker, he prepared a brew for himself.
Furrowing his brow, Kael gripped the cool mug tightly. It wasn't just her face that haunted him; it was the sensation that time had stood still, as if the very air had whispered his name.
He had brushed it off at the time—just fatigue, too much caffeine, a lack of sleep. But now, with the city quiet and the hum of his surroundings grounding him, that memory resurfaced with a stubbornness he couldn't ignore.
Who was she?
Why did it feel like she was observing him, even now?
Setting the mug down, Kael tried to push the thought aside. He had reports to go over and tasks to complete—logical, manageable things. Yet, beneath the surface, a sense of unease curled up inside him, a lingering echo of the silver hair and eyes that seemed so out of place in his world.