Faltering Bonds

Kaia stood amidst the fiery flames, her back a looming silhouette. The air around her seemed to warp, crackling with heat as if she could consume the whole of Zenith in her rage. She wasn't just angry; she was a tempest, her fury igniting everything in her path.

I've never seen her like this...

Yona's thoughts fragmented as she stared at the ruins. The rubble, the shattered remains of what had once been a city, now nothing more than lifeless stone and ash. A part of her wanted to turn away, but her eyes couldn't leave Kaia. The girl was different. The anger radiating from her was pure, unrelenting. Could it be… that Kaia wasn't the person Yona thought she knew?

What happened? What went wrong?

Her muscles tensed, her thoughts racing faster than she could catch them. Was she even looking at the same Kaia anymore? Her gaze swept over the landscape—nothing but rubble and scorched earth.

This... this was a city?

The buildings that once stood tall, the streets bustling with life—gone. Reduced to dust. How had it all fallen apart so quickly? The mysterious explosion had become a destructive force far greater than anything Yona could have imagined. If Kaia's rage had gone unchecked… What would have happened?

Her chest tightened as her thoughts spiralled. What if I hadn't stepped in? What if I hadn't stopped her?

A breath caught in her throat as the realization hit. Kaia might've ignited something far worse. Far more devastating than this mess. And now, she snapped back to reality, there was no one right now.

No one but her.

The Apostles had already come and gone, leaving behind nothing but their investigations and unanswered questions.

Yona closed her eyes, fingers gripping her head, trying to piece the puzzle together. What if... What if they'd never gone to investigate the President? What if her brothers hadn't shown up at the party? They could've left sooner, reached their homes, but could that really make any difference?

What had caused this? Was it Kaia's fault? Or someone else's?

Her mind drifted back to Meryt.

Why would Meryt want Thalia dead? The question gnawed at her, relentless. She knew Meryt's power, and also the fact that she teleported the entire crowds—nothing missed her. Nothing. Had she failed to protect Thalia in time?

Yona's stomach churned as her mind whirled.

Meryt… She couldn't believe it. But was it possible? Could Meryt have chosen to let Thalia die?

Her breath hitched. Why was Meryt even here?

The pieces clicked into place slowly, painfully. Meryt wasn't just here by accident. She had a purpose. And that purpose… might have been to kill. To make sure Thalia died.

I need to go back. To the Corporation. To find Meryt.

The thought almost brought a sense of urgency, and she moved to turn, but the moment her foot shifted forward, a cold voice sliced through the air, freezing her in place.

"Quite a lot of thinking for a certain person," the voice taunted, low and mocking. "Are you always this lost in your thoughts?"

Yona's body stiffened, her heartbeat accelerating. Slowly, she turned, her eyes locking onto the figure standing behind her. The familiar angelic figure, with his long, golden hair flowing like silk in the wind. His wings, large and ethereal, unfolded behind him like something out of a fairytale. A smirk tugged at his lips as he tilted his head, studying her like a puzzle piece.

"Why does Kaia's business concern you so much?" His voice was laced with amusement.

Yona's gaze sharpened, her spine stiffening with determination. "I have more important things to worry about than you, Solomon."

His expression flickered, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. He hadn't expected her to speak to him like this—not after everything. "So, you're calling me by my name now? Where's that little girl who used to call me 'Brother' when I snapped those feathers behind your back?" He stepped closer, his hand settling casually on her shoulder. Yona flinched, her body tensing at the contact. "How long has it been since you even used those wings?"

"Enough," Yona snapped, her voice sharp as a blade. She shook his hand off her shoulder, her gaze unwavering. "What do you want, Solomon? Spit it out. Was this your doing? I thought this was between us."

The smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a dark, calculating expression. He glared at her, his eyes narrowing. "I have no personal quarrel with your little partner unless she gets in my way. This destruction… was someone else's doing. Someone far more insane than me."

Yona raised a brow, skeptical. Despite her lack of magic, she knew Solomon wasn't lying. "Fine," she muttered, turning away. "I'll take your word for it."

But before she could make another move, his hand shot out, grabbing her chin with a grip that was unyielding, forcing her to face him. His eyes gleamed, pupils like daggers.

"Where did you get this attitude?" he hissed, his voice low, dangerous. He leaned in closer, his breath cold against her skin. "I didn't come here to discuss them. I'm here for you."

Yona's chest constricted. No. Not now. Panic began to rise, but she pushed it down, her fingers itching for a way out. She slapped his hand off her chin and bolted, but as she took a step, something coiled around her left foot.

Her breath caught in her throat as she was yanked off the ground, upside down, the world spinning around her. She struggled against the tight grip—a tentacle, she realized in horror. His hand, now twisted and monstrous, was holding her aloft.

"Since you tried to run," Solomon's voice rumbled, low and menacing, "you're of no more use to us—or to Mother. We might as well feed you to the Luminara's Halcyon."

Yona's muscles locked up, her heart hammering in her chest.

No...

"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing in the air, but Solomon ignored her protests, his smirk only widening.

A veil of shadow surrounded them both. The air shifted. Yona knew exactly what was coming. Teleportation. And without her powers to fight it…

I'm trapped.

***

[J-city, Zenith]

Kaia opened the door, only to be met with an unexpected sight—a sleek, black car parked at the front, its presence out of place in the quiet of the moment. Her eyes narrowed instinctively as she stared at the figure in the driver's seat.

"Were you following me, Kiaan?" she asked, her voice cold, yet laced with something sharper beneath.

Kiaan didn't flinch. His voice remained calm, a slight concern hidden beneath the casual tone. "No, I was watching you," he said, his eyes still focused on her with quiet intensity. "Are you alright, Kaia?"

Kaia turned her head, her gaze moving away from him, unwilling to face the weight of his question. She didn't answer. She couldn't.

"How is Mom?" she asked, her words almost mechanical as her chest tightened.

"Kyros is with her, and your biological father arrived too," Kiaan replied, his eyes flickering to her, noticing the subtle rise and fall of her chest. "Where were you going? Something caught your attention from the balcony?"

Kaia's mind raced—how long had he been watching her? The thought gnawed at her, but it wasn't important right now. She had something else on her mind.

She glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. "Drive the car. I'll lead you," she said, the tone final, commanding.

Without waiting for his reply, Kaia moved toward the car, her feet heavy, like they were carrying the weight of everything she didn't want to face. She opened the passenger door with a swift motion, the cool night air rushing in as she slid into the seat. The leather was cold against her skin as she sat, her posture rigid, as if the car itself could offer some kind of escape from her thoughts.

"Where to?" Kiaan's voice drifted from the driver's side, his gaze now fixed on her.

"Just follow me for now," Kaia replied, her voice distant, as though her body was there, but her mind had already wandered far off, into the vast emptiness that consumed her. Her hand instinctively moved to cover her mouth, as if to silence the chaos within.

Before Kiaan could respond, a sharp voice echoed from the doorway behind them.

"Hey!" Maya shouted, her voice cutting through the tension. "Come again!"

Kaia felt the smile creep onto her face before she could stop it—a soft, almost melancholic expression that seemed so out of place for what she was feeling. It surprised her, but the warmth of the moment, fleeting as it was, brought some light to the darkness consuming her.

"Yeah, kid..." Kaia's voice softened as she leaned toward the window, her eyes briefly flickering to Maya. The moment was fragile, but it lingered just long enough to soften the coldness that had taken root in her heart.

Kiaan watched her, his face a mix of satisfaction and something else—something almost paternal in the way he observed her. He didn't speak, but his gaze held a silent understanding, an acceptance of the unspoken bond between them.

And then, without another word, the car rolled forward, the tyres grinding against the pavement as they drove off into the night.