Moments before Ruby and Siro arrived—
"What did you do to my son?!"
The voice belonged to a heavyset woman whose anger rolled through the yard like thunder.
"I didn't do anything to him," Kael replied flatly, glancing at Setnov from the doorway.
"Where are your parents? I want to speak to them."
Kael didn't answer. He stood there, still in his school uniform, unmoving, unreadable.
"Are you ignoring me, boy?"
"His bike's over there," Kael said at last. "If you came for it, take it. I never touched it."
He turned and walked inside, leaving the door wide open behind him.
"Hey! Where's your manners?! Didn't your parents ever teach you respect?!"
The woman—Setnov's mother—kept shouting toward the open doorway, her voice echoing against the wooden walls.
Then came a sound.
A whisper of air, sharper than any breath.
In the blink of an eye, Kael was suddenly in front of her—his sword drawn, the blade resting cold against the soft skin of her neck.
"W–what are you doing?!" Her voice trembled, her body rigid with fear.
"Kael, stop! Put the sword down!" Setnov cried.
"Kael?" Ruby's voice came next—calm but shaken, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Beside her stood Siro, frozen, saying nothing.
"Calm down, Kael. Do you even know what you're doing?" Ruby said again, this time slower.
"I–I warn you," Setnov's mother stammered, forcing a smile that twitched with terror, "if you hurt me—even a scratch—you'll regret it!"
Kael didn't reply.
The blade pressed closer until the steel grazed her skin.
Siro moved. A reflex, pure instinct. He lunged toward Kael, reaching for his arm—
—but Kael's reaction was faster. He twisted his wrist, pivoted on his heel, and struck with the hilt of his sword.
The handle connected squarely with Siro's temple.
The boy dropped, unconscious before he hit the ground.
"Stop it, Kael!" Ruby's scream cut through the tension.
Kael halted.
The air around them stilled.
He spun the sword in one smooth motion, letting the metal sing as it retracted into its sheath.
"Leave," he said, voice low and steady. "Once again—I didn't do anything to your son."
He turned his back on her and walked back inside.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Only the sound of the wind brushing through the grass.
Then the woman's voice returned, trembling with fury.
"I'll remember this, boy."
She turned and marched off, dragging Setnov and his dented bicycle behind her.
Ruby stood in silence, staring at the doorway where Kael had disappeared.
"What… what just happened?" she whispered.
It had been too fast.
From the moment she saw them arguing to the instant Kael's blade met the woman's throat, it all felt like one impossible blur.
"Kael—help me get Siro inside!" she shouted, bending to lift him by the arms.
Kael stepped out again, still holding the sheathed sword, and sat cross-legged on the porch.
"Are you just going to sit there?" Ruby snapped.
"Why are you here, by the way?" Kael asked without looking up.
"Are you serious right now?! You're the one who told me to come!"
"Did I?"
"Yes, you forgetful idiot! Now get over here and help me!"
Kael sighed. He raised his hand, palm up.
A circle of glowing batik symbols formed around his wrist, and a soft current of air lifted Siro's body gently from the ground.
Ruby blinked, her shock dulled only by familiarity.
She had seen too many impossible things from Kael to react like a normal person anymore.
"Ugh… what even happened?" she asked, slumping beside him on the porch.
"What you saw," Kael answered simply. His gaze stayed on Siro's unconscious face.
"What I saw," Ruby repeated, exasperated, "was you almost killing a registered island staff member! What I want to know is why!"
Kael smiled faintly.
Ruby scowled. "Don't you dare laugh, you damn anomaly."
"I don't feel like explaining. Tell me instead—can you sense Arkanum yet?"
Ruby blinked. "Wait, what? Are you mocking me? And I'm the one asking questions here!"
"Just answer."
"Ugh… fine." She sighed. "A little. Not much."
"That's enough."
Before Ruby could ask why, Kael pressed his index finger to her temple.
"Wha—Kael, what are you—Aaargh!"
Pain shot through her skull like fire. She clutched her head.
"Don't resist," Kael murmured. "Just let it in."
Ruby forced herself to relax—and suddenly, visions poured into her mind.
Images, memories—Kael's own. The confrontation, the shouting, the moment the blade touched flesh.
When it ended, she gasped.
Her heart pounded, and she felt the weight of it as if she had been the one holding the sword.
"You insane—! You absolute anomaly!" she shouted, still dizzy.
Kael tilted his head. "Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Because of you!" Ruby growled. "You're the reason my head feels like it's melting!"
He stared at her, genuinely confused.
"There are two reasons I'm angry," Ruby continued, pointing at him. "First—how the hell can you already control Arkanum well enough to inject memories? And second—why did you pick a fight with a government staff member over something so stupid?!"
Kael blinked. "Is it really that serious?"
Ruby gawked. "Listen to me, Kael Arda Tirta."
Her tone hardened.
"Fine. I'll accept that you're some reincarnated general from the Old Republic or whatever. Logic doesn't apply to you anyway.
But this—this is different. If she uses her connections, she could ruin your life."
Her voice softened. "You're alone, Kael. Your parents aren't here. Even with me and my family, we can only protect you so far."
Kael fell silent, sinking into thought.
He began mapping possibilities in his head, calculating outcomes.
Ruby's expression softened. "Sorry… for bringing up your parents."
"It's fine," Kael said quietly. "And you're right. I think I know what kind of trouble this will bring."
"Huh…? I doubt it," Ruby muttered, rubbing her temples. "Anyway, I'll talk to my parents—and Grandpa too. Maybe they can help."
Kael's lips curved slightly. That same small, inexplicable smile.
Ruby sighed. "Still… I don't get why you went that far."
Kael looked up, eyes darkening.
"I don't care about most things," he said. "But if someone insults my mother and father, that's different."
His voice carried no anger, only weight.
Ruby followed his gaze to Siro, still unconscious.
"And what about him?"
"I have no idea," Kael said, the edge in his tone fading. "He said he came because of a… 'feeling.'"
Ruby huffed. "You call him weird? You're the one who's a walking paradox."
"Get me a drink from the cooler," Kael said.
"I'm the guest, you know."
"Then go home."
Ruby grumbled and stomped inside. "Unbelievable. Damn anomaly…"
---
The afternoon dimmed into red.
Kael trained in the yard as usual, each swing precise, his breathing even.
Ruby sat nearby, munching snacks, while Siro slept soundly beside her, face peaceful as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, wake up," Ruby said, poking him. "I know you're faking it."
"Mmm… what happened?" Siro cracked one eye open.
"You seriously don't remember?"
"When I started to wake up, it felt… nice here. So I went back to sleep."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Drink this. Maybe it'll jog your memory."
Siro sat up, blinked at his surroundings, and frowned.
Then it hit him. "Wait—Kael! That crazy bastard knocked me out!"
Ruby smirked. "Oh, so you do remember. He's out there." She pointed toward the yard.
Siro peered out. Kael sat cross-legged, sword resting across his lap, perfectly still.
"What's he doing now?"
"Training. Or meditating. Same thing, I think. Just let him be," Ruby said, handing him another snack.
The sky's red glow faded into soft gray.
They talked idly about school, about the confrontation, about how unreal it all still felt.
Then Kael approached them, bottle in hand.
"So, you're awake."
"Oh—done already?" Siro said, flustered, setting the snack jar aside.
Kael caught the bottle Ruby tossed him and sat down beside them.
"Where are your parents?" Siro asked. "I thought I'd say hello, but I didn't see them around."
"Ow!" Siro yelped. Ruby had pinched his thigh hard.
"It's alright," Kael said quietly. "He didn't mean anything by it."
Siro's face fell with guilt. He knew. Everyone on the island knew.
Changing the subject, he asked, "Do you always train like this?"
"Yes. Always. And I'll keep doing it until they return," Kael replied.
"I want to surprise them—prove that their son was worth being proud of."
Siro fell silent, taken aback by the raw sincerity in his voice.
In that moment, he saw himself reflected in Kael—different lives, same loneliness.
"Mind if I come here after school sometimes?"
"What for?"
"I don't know… I just feel like we're similar. And I've been kind of stuck lately."
Kael tilted his head. "I don't understand what 'similar' or 'stuck' means for you. But why come here?"
Siro chuckled. "I used to train with my dad too. He disappeared last year. Left me, my sister, and Mom behind.
I hate to admit it, but… that bastard was the only reason I ever got stronger."
"Wai yuu hate yuur dadd.? " Ruby mumbled with his mouth full.
Kael stayed silent, watching Siro instead.
Siro smiled bitterly. "He was strict. Cold. But he taught me everything I know. Guess… I just miss that."
Kael and Ruby both listened—Ruby with quiet sympathy, Kael with something heavier in his thoughts.
Something about Siro's story felt… incomplete. Like a missing piece that brushed against his own life in ways he couldn't yet name.
By the time the red sky darkened fully, Kael still hadn't found the answer.
He pushed the thought aside.
"Aren't you two going home?" he asked at last.
"Oh—right. Didn't realize it's this late!" Ruby jumped up, gathering her things. Siro followed.
They waved as they hopped onto their bikes.
Kael stood at the porch, watching their figures shrink into the dusk.
The faint glow of their bike lights shimmered down the long road between the silent rice fields,
leaving Kael once again alone with the wind.
To be continued…