Night fell over the city like a secret waiting to be told.
By the time the streets emptied and the lights flickered on, Kai stood on the rooftop, staring down at the world below. The wind brushed past him, cold and quiet—just the way he liked it.
Or at least… the way he used to like it.
"Still thinking about her?" Axel's voice came from behind.
Kai didn't turn. "No."
Axel chuckled softly. "You're a terrible liar."
Kai stayed silent.
A few seconds later, Axel stepped beside him, already dressed in his gear. A dark mask covered his face, his jacket lined with tech they barely understood but somehow made work.
"Come on," Axel said. "We didn't do all this just to stand around and be sad."
Kai exhaled, then reached into his bag. Slowly, he pulled out his mask—the one that changed everything.
The moment he put it on, something shifted.
Kai wasn't just Kai anymore.
He was something else.
"Let's move," he said, his voice colder now.
They jumped from the rooftop.
Landing perfectly on the next building.
And then the next.
The city became their playground.
Their mission tonight was simple: patrol, observe, and step in if things got out of hand. Ever since they decided to act like real superheroes, they had been noticing more activity—strange groups, hidden deals, people moving like they had something to hide.
"Left side," Axel whispered through their comms.
Kai spotted it instantly.
An alley.
Three guys surrounding one person.
Not a fair fight.
"Got it," Kai replied.
Without hesitation, he dropped down.
Axel followed.
The men didn't even see them coming.
"Hey!" one of them shouted.
Too late.
Kai moved fast—one punch, one kick, precise and controlled. Axel handled the other two, using speed and smart moves to take them down without causing too much damage.
Within seconds, it was over.
The three men ran off, scared and confused.
The person they had surrounded looked up, shocked. "Th-thank you…"
Kai didn't respond.
He just nodded slightly and turned away.
No names.
No faces.
That was the rule.
As they climbed back onto the rooftops, Axel glanced at him. "You know… you're different out here."
Kai didn't answer.
But Axel wasn't wrong.
Out here, things made sense.
There were clear problems. Clear solutions.
No complicated feelings.
No Zara.
For a moment, Kai stopped, looking out over the city again.
But this time… his mind betrayed him.
Her face.
Her voice.
"Then explain!"
He clenched his fists.
"I don't need this," he muttered.
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Need what?"
"Distractions."
Axel sighed. "If that's what you wanna call her."
Kai shot him a look. "Drop it."
"Fine," Axel said, raising his hands slightly. "But running around at night isn't gonna fix what you broke."
Kai didn't reply.
Instead, he leapt to the next building.
Faster this time.
Like he was trying to outrun something.
Or someone.
But no matter how far he went…
He couldn't escape the one thing he refused to face.
Zara.