The room where Kael was confined had the same constant white light, the same heavy silence that had already become part of his routine. Days had turned into a dull sequence of tests, exams, and questions.
But today, something was different.
One of the technicians, while removing the sensors from his arm, muttered something under his breath, as if it slipped out unintentionally.
"You won't last much longer. He's going to break soon."
Kael looked up for the first time in hours.
"Who are you talking about?"
The technician tensed, then shook his head.
"Nothing, forget it. I talk to myself."
"Are you talking about Sara?"
Silence.
"I want to see her."
"That's not up to me," the technician replied, trying not to meet his gaze. "I just follow orders."
Kael stayed still, but his voice didn't waver.
"Then tell them I demand a video call. Or I won't cooperate anymore."
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
An hour later, Kael was still sitting in the same cell, his hands still cuffed, when a screen appeared in front of him.
It wasn't Sara.
It was Commander Lorne.
"You've been cooperating. Good for you," he said with a smile as fake as his tone. "What is it you want now?"
"I want to see her."
"She's not a prisoner, Kael. She's just under temporary custody. For her safety. You know how these things are…"
"Is she alive?"
Lorne stared at him, not answering immediately.
"Yes."
"I want to speak with her. I want to see her right now or I won't keep cooperating."
The silence between them stretched like a taut rope.
"I'll see what I can do," the commander finally said, and the screen went black before Kael could reply.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
That night, Kael didn't sleep well. Partly because the light never turned off. Partly because his mind no longer found rest.
And when he finally closed his eyes, the world that welcomed him was far from peaceful.
It was the same scene from the day everything changed. The red hill. The gray sky. And the book.
Floating in front of him.
Blue. Silent. Alive.
"Are you going to give up that easily?"
The voice didn't come from outside. It was internal, deep, like an echo within his chest.
Kael swallowed hard in the dream.
"I don't know what else to do."
"You chose this path. You opened the book. And now you're going to let them lock you up like a dog?"
"I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me," he murmured.
"And what about the innocent? All those who will die if you do nothing?"
Kael clenched his fists.
"I'm not a hero."
"I never said you were. You're just the only one with the power to change anything."
The image of the book began to close slowly.
"Either you act… or all of this was for nothing."
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Kael jolted awake.
His body was soaked in sweat. His heart racing.
He looked at his hands. The hum of the cuffs reminded him he was still trapped.
But the feeling that dream left behind… wouldn't fade.
As if the book had truly spoken to him.
He sat on the edge of the metal bed. Rested his elbows on his knees, the chains creaking softly.
What if it's right?
He had believed surrendering was the right thing to do. Not causing more harm. But now he was starting to think that his passivity only empowered those who were using him.
"Not going to say anything anymore?" asked a voice from outside the cell.
It was Dr. Elian. Her face was more serious than usual.
Kael looked up.
"Tell the commander I'll only keep cooperating if he lets me talk to Sara. No more excuses. Otherwise, I'm done."
She hesitated.
"Do you know what you're saying?"
"Yes. And this time, I mean it."
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
In another room, isolated from the rest of the facility, Sara had lost track of time.
Food arrived now and then. The light remained constant. No one spoke to her.
Until the same woman who had brought her a tray earlier showed up again.
"Kael asked to see you."
Sara immediately sat up.
"What? How do you know?"
"He demanded it. He didn't threaten or shout, but… you could see it in his eyes."
Sara clutched her chest with one hand.
"Are they going to let me talk to him?"
"The commander is considering it."
"Then tell them if they let me talk to him, I'll cooperate too."
The woman looked at her with a hint of compassion. Then nodded.
"I'll see what I can do."
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Lorne tapped his pen lightly against the table. In front of him, the day's report.
"He's more stable than we thought," one of his advisors said. "Seems the dream affected him."
"Dream?"
"Records show abnormal brain activity. Intense REM stimulation during the night."
Lorne smiled.
"Perfect.
That means he's not broken anymore… he's about to fully awaken."
"And the girl?"
"We'll use that to our advantage."
He leaned over the microphone connected to the comm system:
"Grayson. Tomorrow morning, first thing, you'll see her. But on our terms."
"Then I won't give you another sample until tomorrow," Kael replied instantly.
Lorne leaned back, satisfied.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
The room was different. No doctors. No instruments. Just a black screen in front of Kael and a camera above it, fixed on his face.
"You have five minutes," a guard said. "Not a second more."
Kael nodded. No time for games.
The screen turned on.
Sara appeared. Tired, disheveled, but alive.
For a second, neither said a word. They just looked at each other.
Kael was the first to speak, his voice low.
"Are you okay?"
Sara nodded, swallowing hard.
"Yes. They've locked me up, but… they haven't hurt me."
"Are they treating you well?"
"Depends on the day."
Silence again.
"And you?" she asked.
Kael grimaced.
"I'm in one piece. But I don't know for how long."
Sara leaned closer to the camera.
"Don't let them change you, Kael. Don't let them win."
"I won't," he said.
"Why did you ask to see me?"
Kael looked at her, a new weight in his gaze.
"Because last night I dreamed… about the book."
Sara said nothing.
"It asked me if I was really going to give up that easily. If I wasn't going to protect the innocent."
Sara's eyes welled with tears.
"And what did you tell it?"
"Nothing. But I think I have the answer now."
A beep sounded. Time was up.
"Sara…"
"Yes?"
"Hold on. Just a little longer."
"You too."
The screen went black.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Kael returned to his cell without a word.
But something had changed.
His gaze.
His body.
His will.
He was no longer the broken man who had walked through that door.
He was someone who had remembered why he was fighting.
And even if he was still surrounded by steel walls, the fire within him had been reignited.
And this time, he wasn't going to let it die.