Christina stared at Kai for a long moment, her sharp gaze drilling into him. "You really expect me to believe you had no idea about this?"
Kai sighed, letting his head rest on his hand. "I'm sure you guys did a background check before I even showed up. I was staying in a rundown hotel with my uncle before I got here, and before that, I lived in a condo in the outskirts. I don't know why Angelo came to see me, but I really had no clue about any of this. This is stressful enough as it is. Honestly, I'd prefer if all of them stayed far away from me—they're a pain in the ass and more trouble than they're worth. I just want to become an agent and leave all this nonsense behind."
Christina glanced at her watch before dismissing him with a wave. "That's all for now. You're free to go."
After he left, she leaned back, staring at her watch again. The chair he sat on had functioned as a lie detector, monitoring his heart rate and physiological responses. The entire time, his heart rate remained steady—not even a spike out of fear or nervousness. It seemed like he was telling the truth.
But that level of calm, Christina thought, was unsettling. Too calm.
Kai scoffed as he made his way to the training center. Of course, they figured out he showed up. Angelo shows up all cryptic, stirs things up, and then leaves me to deal with the fallout. What a pain.
As he stepped into the training center, Asher was quick to approach him, frustration clear on his face. "Where the hell were you? We almost got into trouble waiting around!"
Kai sighed, brushing past him as he headed toward one of the machines. "Miss Deyvinne called me in," he said flatly, adjusting the settings. "Figured they would've told you guys. Sorry about that."
He didn't bother to elaborate further, focusing instead on his workout, trying to push the morning's tension out of his mind.
Amaya approached Kai as he was bench pressing, her arms crossed and an almost predatory smirk on her face. She leaned casually against the rack nearby, watching him with a feigned air of nonchalance.
"You know," she began, tilting her head slightly, "for someone who claims to be from the outskirts, you're surprisingly... put together. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but in a rugged kind of way."
Kai paused mid-rep, his arms straining as he pushed the barbell back up. He set it back onto the rack and glanced at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh, thanks? I think?"
Amaya leaned in closer, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder. "Just saying, you're full of surprises. I like surprises."
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. He grabbed his towel, wiping his face as he studied her carefully. "Right... You need something, or are you just here to critique my workout?"
Amaya laughed lightly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "What, can't a teammate make conversation? Besides, with me correcting your form all the time, I feel like I deserve a little credit. Maybe a thank-you dinner?"
Kai blinked, his expression shifting from confusion to suspicion. He draped the towel around his neck, leaning back slightly to put some distance between them. "A dinner? For correcting my squats? You seem... really interested in me all of a sudden."
Her smirk faltered for a moment before she quickly recovered. "Just trying to get to know my team better. We're supposed to bond, remember?"
Kai didn't buy it. "Right. Team bonding. If you wanted to bond so badly, Asher's been hanging around nonstop. Why not drag him into this instead of hovering over me during my workout?"
Amaya hesitated, realizing her usual charm wasn't landing. She straightened up, brushing it off with a casual shrug. "Well, maybe I just thought you were more interesting. But fine, I'll leave you to your... squats or whatever."
She walked off, muttering something under her breath, and Kai watched her go, his suspicion deepening. Why is she trying so hard all of a sudden? he thought. There's definitely more to this than just 'team bonding.'
Shaking his head, he turned back to his workout, resolving to keep an eye on her.
Amaya continued her awkward attempts at flirting, throwing out lines that felt more forced than genuine. Kai, unimpressed and mildly annoyed, ignored her, focusing entirely on his workout. Whether it was a sly compliment about his form or a random question about his interests, he brushed it off with a polite but dismissive response.
After they wrapped up their training, the group headed to the cafeteria. On the way, Asher fell in step beside Kai, his expression thoughtful.
"Hey," Asher began, lowering his voice, "Amaya's been acting... weird, right? I mean, all that flirting during the workout? It's so obvious she doesn't actually like you. It's like she's trying to act a part or something."
Kai shrugged, keeping his tone neutral. "I don't know, man. She's probably just... weird. Maybe it's her way of coping with all this. Honestly, with everyone convinced I'm some kind of double agent, I wouldn't blame her for being cautious."
Asher raised an eyebrow. "Cautious? Is that what you think that was? 'Cause I'm telling you, whatever she's doing, it's not working."
Kai smirked faintly. "Look, I'll give her some space. Maybe show her I'm not the enemy she thinks I am. It's probably less about me and more about her trying to deal with her own problems."
Asher sighed, shaking his head as they reached the cafeteria. "Well, good luck with that. Just don't let her rope you into anything stupid."
Kai chuckled dryly as they grabbed their trays. "Don't worry. I've got enough on my plate without adding her drama to the mix."
After dinner, as Kai walked back to his dorm, a sudden chill prickled at the back of his neck. Before he could react, his feet were encased in ice, locking him to the ground. Turning his head sharply, he spotted a masked figure behind him—but it didn't take much to figure out who it was.
"Amaya, what the hell are you doing?" he snapped, irritation laced with disbelief. "I'm not in the mood for pranks right now."
The figure stepped closer, her face obscured by a white mask adorned with purple snowflakes. It was eerie—no visible eye holes, just an expressionless facade. In her hand, she held a blade of ice that shimmered coldly under the dim light. She pressed it lightly to his neck, her voice carrying a chilling edge.
"Tell me what you're hiding already," she demanded. "I'm done being patient. My father wants answers."
Kai sighed, his frustration evident. He knew exactly what this was about. "Look," he began calmly, "I get why this looks suspicious. If I were you, I wouldn't believe me either. But I'm telling you the truth."
Amaya tilted her head, her icy weapon unwavering. "Then prove it. Show me something that backs up what you're saying."
Kai clenched his jaw, biting back the urge to retaliate. Fighting her would only make her suspicions worse. For now, he had no choice but to cooperate.
"Fine," he muttered, resigned. "Follow me."
She kept her blade ready as they made their way back to his room. Once inside, he gestured for her to sit down. As she took a seat, her mask remained firmly in place—a silent reminder that she still didn't trust him.
Kai retrieved a small device from his belongings and sat beside her, taking a deep breath. He was about to open a part of himself he'd much rather keep closed, but he knew he had no other option. "Alright," he said, setting the device between them. "Let's start with this."
Kai pulled out a small device and activated it, projecting a series of images into the air. The first was a photo of him as a child, standing beside his mother and father, surrounded by moving boxes as they settled into a modest new home.
He scrolled through more pictures, each one telling a quiet story of his upbringing. There were shots of him as a kid playing in the yard, school photos where he smiled awkwardly, and family dinners in a small but warm dining room. The narrative was clear: his life wasn't one of luxury or secret power plays—it was humble and ordinary.
Then came more recent pictures. One showed him standing next to Rick, the two of them grinning outside a shabby motel. Another captured moments with friends he hadn't seen or spoken to since all this madness started.
Amaya's posture stiffened as she watched, her ice blade dissolving into mist. She leaned forward, staring at the images as if trying to find cracks in his story, but they were undeniably genuine.
Kai's voice broke the silence. "See? This is my life—no secret plans, no hidden agenda. Just a guy who got caught up in something he didn't ask for."
For a moment, Amaya said nothing, the mask concealing her reaction. Then, slowly, she let it disappear, revealing a conflicted expression. Her usually sharp gaze softened, though skepticism still lingered in her voice.
"Alright," she admitted grudgingly. "This… looks real. But if you're lying to me, Kai, I'll find out. And you won't like what happens next."
Kai nodded, exhaling a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Fair enough. But maybe now you can stop threatening me with ice blades and start trusting me, at least a little."
Amaya stood, pocketing her mask. "We'll see." She turned and left his room without another word, leaving Kai to sit in silence, relieved but still uneasy.
Kai laid back on hs chair. "I hate this already."