The apartment felt eerily quiet after the creatures had vanished, as though their departure had sucked all the air out of the room. Kairo leaned against the wall, his body trembling from the exertion of channeling the golden energy again. His mind raced with questions, but the adrenaline still coursing through him made it impossible to focus on any one thought.
Lina's door creaked open slightly, and her hesitant voice cut through the silence. "Kairo? Is it... over?"
Kairo turned toward her, his chest tightening. She shouldn't have to deal with any of this. Whatever madness had just unfolded, it was his burden to bear—not hers.
"It's fine," he said, forcing his voice to sound steady. "You can come out now."
Lina peeked her head out, her wide eyes scanning the room for any lingering danger. When she didn't see any, she stepped into the living room cautiously, her hands gripping the edges of her hoodie like a lifeline.
Her gaze fell on Zephyr, who stood by the window with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out at the rain-soaked city. She looked back at Kairo, her expression a mix of fear and curiosity.
"Who's he?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kairo rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Zephyr. "Apparently, he's... here to help. Not that I'm convinced yet."
Zephyr turned, his pale blue eyes meeting Lina's. His demeanor softened slightly, and he inclined his head in greeting. "You must be Lina. Your brother has spoken of you."
Lina blinked, her brow furrowing. "He has? When?"
"Not with words," Zephyr said cryptically, a faint smile playing on his lips. "But his actions speak volumes."
Kairo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Great. Just what I needed—a mentor who speaks in riddles."
Zephyr chuckled softly. "Clarity comes with time, Kairo. For now, you should rest. The events of tonight have taken a toll on you, whether you realize it or not."
Kairo opened his mouth to argue but stopped when a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He hadn't noticed it in the heat of the moment, but now that the immediate danger had passed, his limbs felt like lead, and his head throbbed with a dull ache.
"Fine," he muttered. "But tomorrow, you're giving me some answers. I want to know exactly what's going on."
"Of course," Zephyr said, his tone reassuring. "Rest well, Kairo. The storm is only beginning."
That night, Kairo tossed and turned, his sleep plagued by vivid dreams. He found himself standing in a vast, empty space, the ground beneath his feet glowing faintly with golden light. Above him, the sky shifted between blinding brightness and impenetrable darkness, the two forces clashing like waves in a storm.
In the distance, he saw a figure—a man shrouded in shadows, his features indistinct. The figure raised a hand, and the darkness surged forward, swallowing the light in its path. Kairo tried to run, but his legs felt like they were moving through molasses.
"Help me," he shouted, though he didn't know who he was calling to.
As the darkness closed in, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. "Breathe, Kairo. Focus. The light is within you."
He closed his eyes, desperate to find the golden energy again. He felt it stir, faint and flickering, like a candle in the wind. Just as the darkness was about to consume him, the energy flared to life, bursting out of him in a blinding wave.
Kairo woke with a gasp, his body drenched in sweat. The room was quiet except for the sound of Lina's steady breathing in the next room. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady his racing heart.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he whispered to himself.
The morning came too quickly, bringing with it a dull, overcast sky and the lingering chill of the storm. Kairo stumbled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and craving coffee. Lina was already there, perched on a stool with a bowl of cereal in front of her.
"You look like crap," she said, not unkindly.
"Thanks," Kairo muttered, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Zephyr was nowhere to be seen, which was both a relief and an annoyance. Kairo had questions—more than he could count—and the absence of the one person who might have answers was frustrating.
"He left early," Lina said, as though reading his mind.
"Left? Where'd he go?"
She shrugged. "Didn't say. Just that he'd be back later."
Kairo frowned, sipping his coffee. Part of him wanted to take the opportunity to pretend none of this had happened, to go about his day like everything was normal. But he knew better. The things he'd seen, the power he'd felt—it wasn't something he could ignore.
Lina set her spoon down, her expression turning serious. "Kairo, what's going on? Last night... that wasn't normal. And neither are you."
He sighed, leaning against the counter. "I don't know, Lina. I wish I had answers, but I'm just as lost as you are."
"But you did something," she pressed. "That light—it came from you, didn't it?"
"Yeah," he admitted reluctantly. "I don't know how, but... yeah."
Lina stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?" Kairo repeated, surprised. "That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?" she asked with a shrug. "You've always taken care of me, Kai. If you say you've got this, then I believe you."
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut—not because they hurt, but because they made him realize how much she trusted him. It was a trust he wasn't sure he deserved, but he wasn't about to let her down.
"I'll figure it out," he promised.
"You better," Lina said with a small smile. "Because if you don't, I'm telling everyone my brother's a superhero. Capes and all."
Kairo laughed despite himself. "Yeah, right. Like I'd ever wear a cape."
The day passed slowly, uneventfully. Kairo tried to distract himself with chores and errands, but his mind kept drifting back to the events of the night before. The golden energy, the shadow creatures, Zephyr's cryptic warnings—it was all too much to process.
As the sun began to set, casting the city in a muted orange glow, Kairo felt the familiar prickling sensation on the back of his neck. He stopped in the middle of the living room, his senses on high alert.
The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to stretch and twist, their edges rippling like water. A cold breeze brushed against his skin, though the windows were closed.
And then he heard it—a faint whisper, barely audible but unmistakable.
"Kairo..."
His blood ran cold.