Morning didn't come peacefully.
It arrived quietly, yes the soft clink of cutlery, the faint hum of life returning to the house but beneath it, something was off. Like a calm surface stretched too thin over something unsettled.
Neo sat at the dining table, his plate untouched for longer than it should have been. His fork moved absentmindedly, pushing food from one side to another, like he was trying to convince himself he was present.
He wasn't, his mind kept slipping.
Back.
To a voice.
To eyes that looked at him like he was something owned.
To words he couldn't shake off no matter how hard he tried.
"…Neo."
No response.
"Neo."
Still nothing.
"Neo!"
He blinked, his head snapping up slightly as if he had been pulled out of somewhere deep.
"Yeah..yeah, I'm here," he said quickly, though even he could hear how far away he sounded.
Pia was already staring at him, her brows drawn together, worry clear in her expression. She wasn't even trying to hide it.
"You've been 'here' for the past five minutes but your brain has been in another country," she said, leaning forward slightly, her voice softer now. "What's going on with you?"
Neo forced out a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I'm fine."
Aiden snorted quietly from across the table.
"No, you're not."
Neo glanced at him.
Aiden wasn't smiling. He wasn't joking either.
His gaze lingered on Neo longer than usual, sharper, observant. Like he was piecing something together that hadn't been spoken yet.
Pia rested her chin on her hand, watching both of them now.
"Okay, this is getting weird," she muttered. "You two have been acting like secret agents since yesterday. If you don't talk, I'm going to start assuming something dramatic is happening."
Neo let out a breath, this time heavier.
He didn't answer immediately.
Didn't know how to.
But Pia wasn't done.
She reached across the table and grabbed his wrist lightly.
"Hey," she said, softer now, her tone losing the teasing edge. "Whatever it is… you're not carrying it alone, okay?"
That, that hit something.
Neo's eyes flickered slightly.
"You're not kids anymore, yeah," she continued, glancing briefly at Aiden before looking back at Neo. "Am the kid here, but you're still allowed to feel things. You don't have to act like everything is under control all the time."
Aiden leaned back slightly, arms crossing, but his gaze never left Neo.
"She's right," he added. "You've been off. Too quiet. Too… aware."
Neo frowned slightly.
"Too aware?"
Aiden nodded.
"You notice everything now. Every sound, every movement. Even just now, your eyes kept shifting to the door, the window, the hallway. You've been doing that a lot lately."
Neo stilled.
He hadn't even realized.
"…It's nothing," he started.
Aiden raised a brow.
"Neo."
That tone.
Neo exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"It's not nothing," he admitted quietly.
Pia's grip on his wrist tightened slightly.
"Then talk."
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then Neo looked up.
Not at Pia. At Aiden.
Because if anyone would understand,
It was him.
"It's all because we saw him, pia you might have not know him cause you we're still a baby but he was really a bad fathet" Neo said.
Aiden didn't blink.
"…D'uther."
The name sat heavy between them.
Pia's expression shifted immediately, confusion mixing with concern.
"Wait...what do you mean he's bad but the other day you spoke about him in front of mom no wonder she didn't take it likely?"
Neo nodded slowly.
"He's back, and am very sure he's not here for a peace offering."
Aiden's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't look surprised.
"Figures," he muttered under his breath.
Pia looked between them, trying to catch up.
"Okay, hold on, why does it sound like he did something unforgettable to you both ?"
Neo let out a humorless breath.
"Because he did."
Pia blinked.
Neo leaned back slightly, his voice quieter now.
"He trained us."
That made her go still.
"What?"
"Before everything changed… before we left… he's the one who…" Neo paused, his words catching slightly. "…made us who we are."
Pia's eyes widened slightly.
Aiden finally spoke again, his tone lower now.
"And he didn't just show up to say hi," he added. "He made it clear."
Pia swallowed.
"Clear… how?"
Neo's fingers tightened slightly around his fork.
"He wants us back."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Pia leaned back slowly, trying to process everything at once.
"…That's insane," she whispered.
"Yeah," Aiden muttered. "Tell me about it."
Pia looked back at Neo, her expression softer now but stronger too.
"Listen to me," she said firmly. "Whatever he wants doesn't matter. You're not there anymore. You're not his. You're here with us."
Neo didn't respond immediately.
But he listened.
"I don't care how scary he is or how much power he thinks he has," she continued, her voice steady. "You're not going back to anything that hurts you. Not if I have anything to say about it."
Aiden smirked slightly.
"Look at her getting all protective."
"Shut up," Pia snapped lightly, but her eyes stayed on Neo. "I mean it."
Neo let out a small breath.
"…Thanks."
And this time, he meant it.
The ride to the office was quieter.
Not awkward.
Just… thoughtful.
Aiden leaned slightly against the seat, his eyes flicking toward Neo again.
"You've been like this since yesterday," he said.
Neo didn't pretend not to understand.
"I know."
Aiden tilted his head slightly.
"You're thinking about him."
"Yeah."
Silence.
Then, "So am I."
Neo looked at him.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"I didn't think I'd see him again," he admitted. "And now that we have… it's like everything we buried just decided to wake up."
Neo nodded slightly.
"Exactly."
Aiden let out a small scoff.
"Crazy thing is…" he added, "…part of me still remembers everything he taught us."
Neo's gaze darkened slightly.
"…Same."
They didn't say more.
They didn't need to.
When they got to the office, things didn't stay normal for long.
They barely stepped in before they were called.
Separated.
No explanation.
Just, "Neo, come with me."
" Aiden."
Lucas and Kellan.
Different directions.Different rooms.
Neo followed Lucas down a corridor he had never paid attention to before.
It felt quieter. Isolated. Purposeful.
When the door opened, Neo paused slightly.
A training room.
Clean.
Cold.
Empty except for space meant to be filled with movement.
Neo frowned.
"…We have this?"
Lucas stepped in without answering.
"Close the door."
And neo did.
The sound clicked behind him.
Final.
Lucas turned.
"You're going to train."
Neo blinked. "…Now?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Neo stepped forward slightly.
"…Why?"
Lucas's gaze didn't soften.
"Because what's coming doesn't wait for you to feel ready."
That, that settled something deep.
Neo exhaled slowly.
"…Okay."
Lucas stepped closer.
"Show me what you remember."
No countdown. No warning.
He moved, fast.
Neo barely caught it his wrist grabbed, twisted,
Instinct.
Neo reacted immediately, stepping back, redirecting the force.
Lucas let go. Watched.
"Again."
This time Neo moved first.
Their movements clashed sharp, controlled.
But something felt off.
Familiar.
Lucas shifted.
Adjusted his stance.
And suddenly,
Neo froze for half a second.
That movement, he knew it.
Lucas moved again.
Faster.
Neo blocked.
But his chest tightened.
Because it wasn't just Lucas anymore.
There was another pattern layered beneath it.
Something older.
Something buried.
"Focus," Lucas said.
Neo tried.
God, he tried but the more they moved
The clearer it became.
That stance.That rhythm.
That way of anticipating movement before it happened.
"…Stop," Neo said under his breath.
Lucas didn't, he moved again.
Neo missed.
His balance slipped.
His breathing became uneven.
"Stop," Neo said again, louder this time.
Lucas kept going.
Pushing. Testing.
Because he needed to see.
But Neo, Neo was already slipping.
The room blurred slightly.
Not physically, but mentally.
Because it wasn't Lucas in front of him anymore.
It was,
"Again." A voice.
Not Lucas's.
"Again." Sharp. Cold.
Demanding.
Neo's chest tightened.
His hands trembled slightly.
Lucas moved again,
Neo didn't react fast enough. He stumbled back.
"Too slow." That voice again.
Not Lucas. Not here. Not now.
But it was loud.
Too loud.
Neo shook his head slightly.
"…Stop," he said, but it came out weak.
Lucas paused for a second.
Then stepped forward again.
That was it. That broke it.
Neo's breath hitched suddenly.
His vision blurred completely this time.
"No...no...stop!"
His voice cracked.
His body froze completely.
Hands shaking.
Breathing uneven.
Too fast.
Too shallow.
"I said stop!!!!"
Lucas stopped. Immediately. Too late.
Neo's knees gave slightly, his body trembling as everything he had buried came crashing back all at once.
Voices.Commands. Pain.
Repetition. Failure.
"Again!!!" "Again!!!"
"Again!!!"
Neo dropped.
Not fully to the ground but enough.
His hands pressed against his head, shaking.
"Make it stop…" he whispered.
That, finally snapped Lucas out of it.
Completely.
"Neo." No response.
Lucas moved quickly, dropping to his level, his hands gripping Neo's shoulders.
"Neo, look at me."
Nothing.
Neo was shaking.
Hard now.
Tears spilling before he even realized.
"I can't—I can't—"
Lucas didn't think twice.
He pulled him in.
Firm.
Close.
One hand at the back of his head, the other steady on his back.
"Hey...hey it's not him," Lucas said quietly, his voice lower now. "You're not there. You're here."
Neo clutched onto his shirt without realizing.
His breathing uneven.
Breaking.
"It's okay," Lucas murmured. "I've got you."
Neo didn't respond with words.
He just, broke. Completely.
And Lucas let him.
Held him there.
Through every shaky breath.
Through every tear he didn't want to show.
Because for once, neo wasn't trying to be strong.
And for once.....
Lucas didn't ask him to be.
KELLAN'S POV
Kellan didn't say much when he led Aiden away.
He didn't need to.
Aiden followed anyway, hands tucked into his pockets, shoulders loose like he wasn't about to be dragged into something serious but his eyes? His eyes were sharp. Watching. Taking in every turn, every hallway, every quiet shift in direction.
"…You're being suspiciously quiet," Aiden said after a while, tilting his head slightly as he walked beside him. "Usually you'd have said something by now. A threat maybe. Or a warning."
Kellan didn't slow down.
"Would it make a difference?"
Aiden smirked faintly.
"Depends. Are you about to beat me up or educate me?"
Kellan stopped in front of a door.
"Both."
Aiden's smirk widened.
"…Nice."
Kellan pushed the door open.
The room inside was similar to the one Lucas had taken Neo to open, clean, stripped down to nothing but space and purpose. No distractions. No comfort.
Aiden stepped in first this time, eyes scanning the room with interest.
"So this is where the real fun happens," he muttered.
Kellan closed the door behind them.
The sound echoed.
Sealed.
Aiden turned to face him, rolling his shoulders slightly like he was already preparing.
"So what's the plan?" he asked casually. "You test me, I impress you, we call it a day?"
Kellan stepped forward.
"No."
That single word shifted the air.
Aiden's smile didn't drop but it changed.
Sharpened.
"Show me what you remember," Kellan said.
Aiden blinked once.
"…Remember?"
Kellan didn't elaborate.
Didn't need to.
Aiden's expression stilled for half a second.
Then he stepped forward.
"Alright." No warning.
He moved first.
Fast.
Kellan met him halfway.
Their bodies collided into motion sharp, controlled, deliberate. Aiden's movements were clean, instinctive, almost effortless in how he adjusted mid-action.
Kellan noticed immediately.
Too quickly.
Too familiar.
Aiden twisted out of his grip, pivoted, countered.
Kellan blocked. Redirected. Stepped in.
The rhythm built.
Not chaotic.
Structured.
And that's when Aiden felt it.
That shift. That pattern.
He frowned slightly mid-movement.
Kellan adjusted his stance,
And Aiden froze for half a second.
"…Wait."
Kellan didn't stop.
He moved again.
Aiden blocked but slower this time.
His brows pulled together.
"Do that again."
Kellan didn't respond.
He just did.
Same stance. Same angle.
Same precision.
Aiden's breath hitched slightly.
"…No way."
He stepped back.
Actually stepped back.
"Where did you learn that?"
Kellan's eyes didn't leave him.
"Focus."
Aiden laughed under his breath but there was no humor in it.
"That's not funny."
Kellan moved again.
Aiden reacted but this time, his movements weren't just instinct.
They were recognition.
He mirrored it.
Matched it.
Countered it.
And for a split second, they were perfectly in sync.
Kellan stopped.
That, that was it.
Aiden's chest rose and fell slightly faster now, his eyes sharper than before.
"You've seen it," Kellan said.
Aiden ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly now.
"Seen it?" he scoffed. "Try lived it."
His smile faded.
"That's his pattern."
Silence.
Kellan didn't deny it. Didn't confirm it either.
But Aiden already knew.
"…Why are you using it?" Aiden asked, his voice lower now.
Kellan stepped closer.
"Because your enemy will."
That hit hard.
Aiden's jaw tightened.
"So what? You want me to fight ghosts now?"
"I want you to survive reality."
Aiden laughed again but this time it broke halfway through.
"Yeah?" he muttered. "Because last time I checked, reality looked a lot like that ghost."
Silence stretched between them.
Kellan studied him.
Carefully.
Aiden wasn't breaking.
Not like Neo would.
No.
Aiden held it differently.
He masked it.
Turned it into sarcasm.
Into deflection.
But it was there.
Kellan stepped forward again.
"Again."
Aiden exhaled sharply.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
Aiden stared at him for a second longer.
Then, he stepped forward.
"Fine."
This time, there was no hesitation.
No confusion.
Just… intensity.
Aiden moved faster.
Sharper.
Matching the pattern.
Breaking it.
Rebuilding it mid-fight.
Kellan pushed harder.
Mixing his own style into it.
Forcing Aiden to adapt.
To think.
To feel.
To remember, without losing himself in it.
But even then, Kellan saw it.
The slight tension in Aiden's shoulders.
The way his breathing changed when certain moves repeated.
The flicker in his eyes when memory overlapped with present.
He didn't stop.
Because Aiden hadn't asked him to.
And Aiden, Aiden didn't break.
But when they finally paused.
He stood there, chest rising and falling, hands resting briefly on his hips as he looked away.
"…Damn," he muttered quietly.
Not amused. Not impressed.
Just… processing.
Kellan stepped back slightly, giving him space.
Aiden let out a breath.
"That man really messed us up, huh."
It wasn't a question.
Kellan didn't answer immediately.
Then..
"He doesn't get to define what you become."
Aiden glanced at him.
For a second, Something real showed.
Then he smirked again.
"…Good," he said lightly. "Because I'd hate to give him that satisfaction."
Kellan didn't react.
But he noted it.
Aiden straightened, rolling his neck again.
"Let's go again," he said.
Kellan nodded.
And this time, It wasn't just training.
It was reclamation.
Somewhere in the building
Something had already gone wrong.
But Kellan didn't know that yet.