Mira's POV
The numbers blur again.
"…no, that's not right…"
Mira leans closer to the screen, her brows knitting slightly as she stares at the same line again. And again. And again.
It's not difficult.
It shouldn't be.
And yet—
Her fingers hover above the keyboard, unmoving.
Because typing means committing.
And committing means risking being wrong.
"…okay… slowly…"
She exhales softly and begins correcting the entry. One digit at a time. Careful. Intentional.
She checks the reference file.
Cross-checks the sheet.
Then checks it again.
"…this should be fine…"
A small breath escapes her lips.
It's not relief.
Just… temporary stability.
Like standing still in the middle of something that could collapse at any moment.
For a brief second—
It feels okay.
Like she's doing it right.
Like she's not behind.
Like she's not going to mess up.
That feeling lasts three seconds.
"Still double-checking everything?"
Her body freezes instantly.
That voice—
It's not cold like his.
Not sharp like Adrian's.
But something about it—
Something underneath the ease…
Isn't safe either.
She turns slowly.
"…sir?"
He's standing there like he belongs everywhere.
Relaxed posture. Hands in his pockets. Slight tilt of his head.
Smiling.
But his eyes—
They're watching too closely.
"…you don't recognize me?"
Mira blinks, her grip tightening slightly around the edge of her desk. "…I… I'm sorry…"
His smile widens.
"That hurts."
A small pause.
"I'm Kael."
"…nice to meet you…"
"…is it?"
The question is light.
Playful.
But it lingers longer than it should.
Mira nods quickly anyway. "…yes…"
Because that's the right answer.
Isn't it?
Kael's POV
There it is again.
That… absence.
I stand in front of her. Close enough to read every detail.
Every flicker of her eyes.
Every shift in breathing.
Every micro-expression that should reveal something deeper.
But there's nothing.
No layers.
No guarded intent.
No hidden calculation.
Just… Mira.
Raw. Unfiltered.
Unprotected.
My grin softens—just a fraction.
"…you're really strange, you know that?"
She stiffens instantly. "…I'm sorry—"
I blink once.
Then laugh.
"Relax. That wasn't an insult."
Mostly.
My head tilts slightly as I observe her again.
"…you always this careful?"
"…I just don't want to make mistakes."
Same tone.
Same honesty.
No adjustment.
No attempt to impress.
No attempt to defend herself.
Just truth.
That's… rare.
"…and if you do?"
She pauses.
A small pause. Barely noticeable.
"…I fix them."
That's it.
No fear.
No embarrassment.
No self-judgment.
Just… correction.
Something shifts.
Subtle.
Not around her.
In me.
Interesting.
Azael's POV
Kael is too close.
My gaze remains fixed on the screen, unmoving.
Every angle. Every frame. Every second of interaction.
Tracked. Observed. Controlled.
Or at least—
It should be.
But something about this…
Is slipping.
He's leaning slightly toward her.
Too relaxed. Too interested.
My fingers curl slowly against the edge of the desk.
"…step back."
The words leave my lips quietly.
Pointless.
Because he won't hear them.
And even if he did—
He wouldn't listen.
My eyes darken.
"…don't touch what isn't yours."
Mira's POV
"…did I do something wrong?"
The question slips out before she can stop it.
It always does.
Kael pauses.
Then smiles again.
"…no."
A beat.
"…that's the problem."
She blinks, confusion settling in. "…I don't understand…"
"Yeah," he exhales lightly. "I figured."
Silence follows.
Not awkward.
Not tense.
Just… unfamiliar.
Mira glances back at her screen. "…I should get back to work…"
"Probably."
But he doesn't move.
And she doesn't know why that makes her feel…
Slightly uneasy.
Kael's POV
I should leave.
I don't.
Because something about her—
Doesn't match anything I've encountered before.
Not power.
Not absence.
Something else.
Something… untouched.
Like standing near still water that reflects nothing.
No distortion.
No interference.
Just quiet.
My expression shifts slightly.
"…hey."
She looks up again instantly.
Responsive.
Untrained.
"…what do you feel right now?"
Wrong question.
I know it is.
But I ask anyway.
Mira's POV
"…feel?"
Her brows draw together slightly.
"…I don't know…"
Her fingers rest gently against the desk.
"…a little nervous…"
Honest.
"…but it's okay."
That part surprises even her.
Because it is okay.
Even though she doesn't understand him.
Even though something about him feels… dangerous.
"…it's not bad…"
And the moment she says it—
Something shifts.
Kael's POV
…
There it is.
Not visible.
Not loud.
Not forceful.
But undeniable.
Something moved.
Through me.
Not against.
Not around.
Through.
My breath stills.
My thoughts pause—just for a fraction of a second.
And in that space—
There is… nothing sharp.
Nothing calculating.
Nothing defensive.
Just… calm.
My eyes narrow slowly.
"…you did that."
Her expression goes blank. "…what?"
Yeah.
She doesn't know.
Of course she doesn't.
That makes it worse.
Azael's POV
I felt it.
Clear. Immediate.
Wrong.
My entire body stills.
That wasn't power.
That wasn't influence.
That wasn't anything I can define.
And yet—
It reached.
It changed something.
Kael felt it.
I can see it in the way his posture shifted.
In the way his smile disappeared.
In the way his eyes sharpened.
My jaw tightens slowly.
"…no."
This is not acceptable.
Not controlled.
Not contained.
Not safe.
Adrian Vale's POV
Again.
Stronger this time.
I don't react.
I don't move.
But I feel it.
A subtle shift in the environment.
Not physical.
Not visible.
But present.
My gaze lifts slowly.
Locks onto her.
Mira.
And Kael standing in front of her.
Something just happened.
And neither of them understands it.
That makes it… dangerous.
My eyes narrow slightly.
"…what are you?"
Mira's POV
"…did I do something wrong?"
Her voice is softer now.
Because the way he's looking at her—
It changed.
It's no longer light.
No longer teasing.
Focused.
Sharp.
Careful.
Like he's looking through her now.
Kael exhales slowly.
"…no."
A pause.
"…you didn't."
But his tone says something else entirely.
Something she doesn't understand.
And that makes her uneasy.
Kael's POV
I step back.
One step.
Then another.
Distance.
Not for her.
For me.
"…you should keep working."
My voice returns to normal. Easy. Casual.
But inside—
Everything is shifting.
Because now I know.
She's not just strange.
She's affecting things.
Without trying.
Without knowing.
And that?
That changes everything.
But I'm not done.
Not yet.
"…hey."
She looks up again.
"…if someone was angry around you…"
I watch her carefully.
"…what would you do?"
Mira's POV
"…angry?"
She thinks.
Really thinks.
"…I don't like it…"
A small pause.
"…so I try to make it better."
"…how?"
"…I don't know…"
That's the truth.
"…I just… stay."
Silence.
"…until it's not bad anymore."
Kael's POV
…
That's it.
That's exactly it.
She doesn't do anything.
She doesn't try anything.
She just… exists.
And things change.
My smile fades completely this time.
"…you're dangerous."
She flinches slightly.
"…I'm sorry…"
Yeah.
Of course she says that.
I exhale softly.
"…you don't even know, do you?"
Azael's POV
Enough.
I stand.
The chair shifts slightly behind me, the sound quiet—but final.
This has gone far enough.
Kael has seen too much.
Adrian has noticed.
And whatever that was—
It cannot spread.
My gaze locks onto the screen one last time.
On her.
Still sitting there.
Still unaware.
Still… the same.
"…you shouldn't have done that."
Not because she's wrong.
But because now—
She's visible.
???'s POV
There it is.
A soft laugh echoes in the silence above the city.
"…finally…"
My gaze remains fixed.
Not on the building.
Not on the world.
On her.
Mira.
"…you moved."
Not power.
Not force.
Something far rarer.
Something far more dangerous.
"…you're waking up."
A slow smile forms.
"…this time… I won't wait."
Azael's POV
No.
Too soon.
Too exposed.
Too dangerous.
My eyes darken completely.
Because now—
It's no longer just me watching her.
"…this changes everything."
And if others come for her—
They won't hesitate.
They won't hold back.
They won't understand what she is.
But I do.
Or at least—
I will.
My voice lowers.
Cold. Final.
"…no one touches her."