The prison was quiet that day.
Too quiet.
Kai sat in the visiting room, his hands resting calmly on the metal table. The guards had been acting strange all morning—more alert, more cautious. Like they were expecting something.
Or someone.
The door opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed in.
Kai didn't look up immediately.
But when the chair across from him scraped against the floor—
He knew.
"…You," Kai said coldly, finally lifting his eyes.
It was him.
The same man from the rehabilitation facility.
The one who ordered the injection.
The one who took everything.
The man folded his hands calmly, studying Kai like he was still some kind of experiment. "You look… different," he said.
Kai leaned back slightly. "And you look exactly the same. Still hiding behind people and needles."
A faint smile appeared on the man's face. "Sharp tongue. Even after everything."
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Unfinished.
Kai's eyes hardened. "Why are you here?"
The man tilted his head slightly. "To talk."
"I'm not interested."
"You will be."
That made Kai pause.
The man leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "You think losing your powers was the end of your story?"
Kai didn't respond.
But his attention sharpened.
"Let me tell you something," the man continued. "That injection didn't destroy your abilities… it suppressed them."
Kai's eyes flickered.
"…What?"
The man smiled faintly. "Permanent removal is… complicated. What we gave you is more like a lock. A very strong one."
Kai's fists clenched under the table. "So you lied."
"We controlled the situation," the man corrected calmly. "You were unstable. Dangerous. We needed a guarantee."
Kai leaned forward now, his voice low. "And now?"
The man's expression shifted—slightly more serious.
"Now… things have changed."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
The man placed a small device on the table. It wasn't active, but Kai recognized the design instantly.
Dragon tech.
"They're evolving," the man said. "Stronger drugs. Better suppression devices. And they're not hiding anymore."
Kai's jaw tightened. "And you expect me to care?"
"I expect you to understand," the man replied. "You've fought them. You've survived them. You're connected to them in ways you don't even fully understand yet."
Kai's mind flashed back—
The lab photo.
His mother.
The missing years.
"…My mother," he said quietly.
The man didn't deny it.
"Involved," he said simply.
Silence hit harder than any punch.
Kai's heart started pounding again.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
The answer came instantly.
"A deal."
Kai let out a dry laugh. "I'm in prison. You took my powers. What deal could you possibly offer me?"
The man leaned closer, his voice steady.
"Your freedom."
Kai froze.
"And," the man added, "a chance to get your powers back."
The room went completely still.
Kai stared at him.
Trying to read him.
Trying to understand if this was another trap.
"Why?" Kai asked.
"Because," the man said, standing slowly, "you're no longer just a problem."
He paused at the door.
"You're an asset."
The door opened.
Then closed behind him.
Kai sat there, unmoving.
Freedom.
Power.
His mother.
Everything he lost… suddenly within reach again.
But at what cost?
Kai leaned back slowly, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time since prison—
He had a choice.
And something told him…
Whatever he chose next—
Would change everything.