Between Walls and Mirrors

Kai woke up late, his body heavy, muscles still tense from last night's escape. The sun was already lighting up the cramped room, slipping through the cracks in the curtain, but everything felt dull, as if the entire world had lost some of its shine.

Lina slept on the other side of the room, curled up under a thin blanket, coughing quietly. For a moment, Kai just watched, trying to memorize every normal detail of that everyday life that would never be the same.

The iridescent core thumped hard inside his chest. It was almost a second heart, speeding up every time memories from the previous night tried to creep in. Kai rubbed his face, his fingers trembling slightly. He just wanted a few minutes of silence before facing reality.

But there was no such thing as silence with Zero whispering deep in his mind, that cold, calculating voice always ready to analyze even the slightest sign of danger.

He got up slowly, careful not to wake Lina, and headed for the bathroom. The foggy mirror on the wall showed him a strange image: his eyes were lighter, with a silvery shine that didn't belong to him, and his skin looked almost translucent in the morning light.

Kai looked away, avoiding his own image for too long. The longer he stared, the more he swore he saw the reflection ripple, distort, as if a shadow moved behind the glass. It wasn't just exhaustion.

He washed his face with cold water, trying to convince himself he could fake normality. Deep down, he knew there was no turning back. His body was no longer just his. His senses were too sharp—smells, sounds, even the metallic taste in the air seemed multiplied.

The core reacted to everything: fear, anger, anxiety. It was like carrying a wild animal in his chest, ready to leap at the slightest scare.

In the kitchen, he made a weak coffee, hands still trembling. Lina woke up soon after, her weak cough echoing through the tiny space.

"Bad night again?" she asked, her voice rough from sleep.

Kai forced a smile, trying to sound lighter than he felt. "Nothing much. Just a weird dream. Want some coffee?"

Lina nodded, sitting at the improvised table. "Did you go out last night?" she asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

He looked away, stirring the sugar. "Just went out for some air. My head was full. I didn't stay long."

She seemed to accept it, but didn't take her eyes off her brother. Kai felt the core throb even harder, as if it reacted to the embarrassment, the fear of being discovered.

It was like this all the time now: every intense emotion made his chest heat up, a colored light leaking under his skin, hard to hide even from himself.

When Lina went to take a shower, Kai took the opportunity to test, for the first time at home, the sensations his new body brought. He touched the bedroom wall with his fingertips.

Instantly, a wave of vibration shot through his hand, as if he could feel every particle vibrating, every centimeter of that old concrete. He closed his eyes and, for a second, perceived the tiny shadows in the corners, the stains of light leaking through the windows. It was like seeing the space from the inside out.

Zero spoke quietly, right in the back of his mind.

"Enhanced capacity. Surface manipulation available. Caution recommended."

Kai didn't answer, but the urge to experiment was strong. He ran his finger over the tabletop, feeling the pulse of molecules. All he had to do was think, and for an instant, the shadow of his hand stretched, blurring the lines of the object, almost disappearing in the room's weak light.

When he opened his eyes for real, everything looked normal again, but the chill down his spine lingered.

Almost invisible for a second. Almost nothing.

"Don't do it again," he whispered to himself, nervous.

Zero didn't let it slide.

"Emotional control is essential. Indiscreet exposure may cause detection."

Kai shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore the voice.

He spent the rest of the morning pacing back and forth, helping Lina with simple chores, avoiding anything that might seem odd. Always watching his reflection in shop windows, in the glass, in parked cars.

And always, every time he looked too quickly, the reflection sent back a strange image: a slightly distorted face, shadows stretching where they shouldn't be, eyes shining brighter than normal. It was as if something else shared the same space, just waiting for the moment to reveal itself.

Outside, his fear of crowds only grew. The city's movement made the core heat up, his whole body vibrating in a rhythm impossible to control. At every corner, Kai felt like someone could notice the difference. His steps were lighter, his skin seemed to catch even the faintest breeze, and every shadow around seemed to move with him.

Sometimes he wanted to disappear, to let his body dissolve in the light and never come back. But Lina was always waiting at home, and that was a reminder that he couldn't lose himself completely.

Later, Kai went into a pharmacy to buy medicine for his sister. The clerk, a man with a suspicious look, eyed him strangely, as if he recognized something wrong, but said nothing.

Kai avoided everyone's gaze, paid quickly and left, his heart pounding. The core throbbed so hard it felt like it might explode.

"Calm down," he muttered under his breath, trying not to panic in the middle of the crowded street.

On the way back, he stopped in front of a shop window. On impulse, he stared at his own reflection, expecting to see the same old, tired image.

But what he saw was worse: behind his face, the shadow seemed to smile. His eyes, for a second, were pitch black.

Kai took a step back, bumping into someone passing by.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" the person complained.

Kai apologized, hurried off, holding his breath. He didn't know if all this was in his head, paranoia, or if the fusion with Zero was already starting to overflow into the real world.

He tried to push away the thoughts, but the fear grew.

Suddenly, he heard familiar voices behind him. He looked over his shoulder and recognized three old clanmates—guys who always made it clear he was a misfit, a jinx, a factory defect. They stopped when they saw him, one of them stepping forward.

"Kai Ender, thought you'd disappeared for good," the biggest one said, smiling that smile that was never just friendly. The other two hung back, arms crossed, snickering quietly.

Kai stood still, trying to seem calm, but felt the energy building inside, threatening to escape.

"Just passing through. I don't want any trouble."

The biggest of the three bumped him, heavy shoulder.

"Trouble? You're already trouble, aren't you? Look who's back, looking like he messed with things he shouldn't."

The other two closed in, forming that old humiliation circle he knew so well. His blood rushed, the core responded with a heavy beat.

Zero whispered, icy:

"Retreat suggested. Public exposure not recommended."

Kai took a deep breath, trying to control himself, but the anger was almost physical, heat rolling out of his chest. When the guy shoved him, Kai felt the shadow vibrate at his back, ready to spring.

For a second, the light around seemed to vanish, voices grew distant, and he had the impression he could disappear right there, vanish from everyone's sight.

But no. He stopped. Clenched his fists, held back the impulse. Just replied softly, "I don't want to fight. Let me go."

The leader laughed, but when he saw the weird glow in Kai's eyes, he stepped back, suspicious.

"What's up with you, Ender? You're different. You're… weird."

Kai didn't answer. He took advantage of the opening, slipped past the three of them and walked away quickly, heart pounding, core almost burning inside.

The fear was as strong as the anger, and each step felt heavier than the last. He knew if he used his power there, everything would be over. He'd lose Lina, lose himself, maybe never be who he was again.

In a side alley, he stopped, leaned against the wall and gasped for breath.

Zero spoke again, firmer:

"Self-control is essential. Risk of exposure elevated. Trust the process, Kai Ender. Protection depends on your trust."

Kai closed his eyes, feeling the weight of everything that was changing. There was nowhere left to run.

It wasn't just the city that seemed different, it was his own body, his own reflection, his own shadows. Running from himself was impossible.

When he got home, Lina was lying on the sofa, reading an old book. She looked at him, worried.

"Are you alright? You seem… kind of strange today."

Kai smiled, trying to act normal.

"Just tired. Nothing much."

He sat beside her, feeling the core slowly calm down. No matter how much he tried to convince himself things could go back to normal, he knew nothing would ever be the same again.

And maybe, deep down, all that was left was to learn to live with what he was becoming.