The prison was silent.
Too silent.
Kai sat on his bed, staring at the wall, but his mind was far from still. The man's offer kept replaying in his head. Freedom. Power. Answers.
But Kai didn't trust him.
Not after everything.
"If I'm getting out…" Kai whispered to himself, clenching his fists, "…I'm doing it my way."
Midnight.
The lights flickered once.
Then—darkness.
A blackout.
Kai's eyes snapped open.
Now.
He moved instantly. The guards outside shouted, confusion spreading through the halls. Doors buzzed, security systems glitching.
Kai stepped back as his cell door unlocked with a sharp click.
Leo.
A small smirk appeared on Kai's face. "Took you long enough…"
He stepped into the hallway. No powers. No backup. Just instinct.
Two guards turned the corner—
Kai reacted fast.
He ducked the first strike, grabbed the arm, twisted, and pushed the guard into the second. Both hit the wall hard and dropped.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
Kai kept moving.
Alarms suddenly blared, red lights flashing.
"Escapee! Block all exits!"
Too late.
Kai ran through the corridors, every step calculated. He remembered the layout from observation, from the way guards moved, from the patterns.
One final door.
Locked.
Kai exhaled slowly… then kicked it hard.
Once.
Twice—
It broke open.
Cold night air hit his face.
Freedom.
Kai didn't stop running.
Through streets. Across rooftops. Through shadows.
His body screamed from exhaustion, but he kept going.
There was only one place in his mind.
One place he trusted.
Axel's house.
The lights were off. Quiet.
Kai stood outside the door, breathing heavily. For a second… he hesitated.
Then he knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Harder the third time.
Inside, footsteps.
The door opened.
Axel stood there—half-asleep, confused—until he saw him.
"…Kai?"
Silence.
Kai looked different.
Tired.
Bruised.
But still standing.
"Hey…" Kai said quietly.
Axel didn't think.
He pulled him into a tight hug. "You idiot… you actually did it…"
Kai let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"I didn't have a choice," he said.
Axel pulled back, looking at him seriously. "You escaped prison. Do you know what that means?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah… I'm not just wanted anymore."
Axel sighed. "You're hunted."
Kai's eyes hardened slightly.
"Good."
Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Because now…" Kai said, stepping inside, "…I'm done running."
The door closed behind them.
And just like that—
Everything started again.