Chapter 22: Mental Breakdown

The Enemy

Chapter 22: Mental Breakdown

Kai turned to Noah, his voice low and rough, the weight of the night evident in his tone. "I'm heading home."

Noah smirked slightly, attempting to cut through the tension. "Be careful, old man. Don't go breaking a hip."

Kai shot him a sharp look but didn't respond. He was too consumed by the gnawing fear in his chest to retort. Lily's face—her bright smile, her innocent laughter—flashed in his mind, immediately replaced by the grainy footage of her being dragged away. His fists clenched as he walked out of the secret base, the weight of his responsibility suffocating him.

The drive home was a blur. The streets were eerily quiet, the darkness pressing in on him from all sides. Kai couldn't stop thinking about Sarah—how she was holding up, how much pain she must be in. Lily wasn't just their daughter; she was their entire world.

When he pulled into the driveway, the house loomed in the shadows, silent except for the faint glow of the living room lamp. Kai stepped inside, his heart pounding as he spotted Sarah sitting on the couch.

Her blue eyes, usually so full of fire, were rimmed red with tears. She sat hunched over, her hands gripping a pillow so tightly her knuckles were white. She didn't even look up as he approached.

"Sarah..." Kai began, his voice soft and cautious.

She finally raised her eyes to meet his, and the sheer anguish in her gaze hit him like a punch to the gut. "Did you find her?" she asked, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

Kai hesitated. "Not yet, but—"

"Not yet?" Sarah's voice rose, her grief morphing into fury. She stood abruptly, the pillow falling to the floor. "Kai, it's been hours! Hours! She's out there, scared and alone, and you're telling me you still have nothing?"

Kai's jaw tightened, his own emotions threatening to boil over. "We're doing everything we can," he said through gritted teeth. "I went back to the base to—"

"I don't care about your damn base!" she shouted, cutting him off. "I care about Lily! Our daughter is out there, Kai! She's out there, and you're wasting time!"

Kai's temper snapped. "Wasting time? You think I'm wasting time? Do you have any idea what I've been doing? I haven't stopped for a second, Sarah! I'm doing everything in my power to find her!"

"But it's not enough!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "You promised me, Kai! You promised me you'd keep her safe!"

The words cut deeper than she could have known. Kai's fists clenched at his sides as he took a step closer. "And you think I don't know that? You think I don't blame myself every second for what happened? I failed her, Sarah. I know that. But I'm trying to fix it!"

"Fix it?" she said, her voice trembling. Tears streamed down her face as she glared at him. "You can't fix this, Kai. She's gone. She's gone, and I don't even know if she's still—"

"Don't you dare," Kai interrupted, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't you dare say that. Lily is alive, and I will bring her back."

"How can you be so sure?" Sarah shot back, her voice breaking. "How can you stand there and make promises you might not be able to keep?"

Kai froze, her words hitting him like a sledgehammer. For a moment, the room was silent, save for the sound of Sarah's sobs.

"I don't know," he admitted finally, his voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can keep that promise. But I have to try. I have to believe I can, or I'll lose my mind."

Sarah sank back onto the couch, her hands covering her face as she broke down. Kai's chest tightened as he watched her, feeling utterly powerless. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but the truth was, he didn't know if it would be.

After a moment, he sat beside her, reaching out to take her hand. "Sarah..."

She didn't pull away, but her voice was raw with pain. "I can't lose her, Kai. I can't. She's my baby."

Kai's throat tightened as he squeezed her hand. "I know. I can't lose her either."

For a moment, they sat in silence, their shared grief and fear filling the space between them.

Finally, Sarah looked at him, her expression weary. "What if we don't find her?"

Kai met her gaze, his own eyes filled with desperation. "We will," he said, though his voice wavered. "We have to."

But even as he said the words, he felt the crushing weight of his own doubts.

He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Get some rest," he said gently.

Sarah stared at him, her exhaustion evident. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Kai," she said softly.

The words stung, but Kai didn't respond. He stood, his movements heavy, and left the room. He paused outside the bedroom door, leaning against the wall as his hands trembled.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before heading back to the secret base. The drive was long and silent, the tension in his chest growing with every passing second.

When he arrived, Noah glanced up from his work. "You look like hell," he said, though there was no humor in his voice.

Kai ignored the comment, his voice hoarse. "Did you find anything?"

Noah shook his head, his expression grim. "Not yet. But I'm not stopping until I do."

Kai nodded, his jaw tightening as he sat down beside Noah. The night stretched on, the weight of their mission pressing down on them both.

No matter what it took, Kai vowed to himself, he would find Lily. He had to.