The grand doors of the mansion opened without a sound.
Leon stepped inside, carrying Kai effortlessly in his arms, as though the struggle from moments before had never happened. The vast entrance hall stretched before them—polished marble floors, towering pillars, and cold, golden light spilling from chandeliers above. It was as imposing as ever. Unforgiving. Controlled.
Kai stiffened in his father's hold, his body tense, unyielding despite the position he'd been forced into. His arms, still wrapped instinctively around Leon's neck, betrayed him in a way he hated. He shifted slightly, trying to pull back, but Leon's grip adjusted with quiet precision, leaving no room for escape.
"You can stop struggling," Leon said calmly as he walked forward. "You're not going anywhere."
Kai's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond. His eyes flicked around the hall, taking in the place he had once called home—the place he had fled without looking back. Nothing had changed. It was still suffocating. Still controlled. Still his father's domain.
Leon, however, was not looking at the hall.
He was looking at Kai.
For a brief moment, something quieter passed through his expression—not weakness, not softness, but memory.
Kai had been smaller once. Much smaller.
Leon remembered carrying him through these very halls years ago, when his youngest son had still fit easily against him without resistance. Back then, Kai's arms had wrapped around his neck without hesitation, without defiance—seeking stability rather than fighting it.
And yet…
Even then, Kai had been difficult.
Rebellious.
Restless.
Leon's grip tightened ever so slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to ground. "You were always like this," he said, almost thoughtfully. "Even as a child."
Kai frowned, his brows pulling together. "Don't—" he started, but his voice faltered as Leon continued walking, completely unaffected.
"You never liked being told what to do," Leon went on, his tone even, almost reflective. "You resisted everything. Orders. Structure. Even your own training."
Kai's eyes flashed. "Maybe because I didn't want to be turned into one of you."
Leon didn't stop walking. Didn't react outwardly. But the faint crackle of blue lightning along his fingers flickered once in response.
"You already are," he said simply.
The words hung heavy in the air.
Kai stiffened again, his grip tightening involuntarily as they moved deeper into the mansion. The familiarity of it all pressed down on him—the halls, the silence, the weight of expectation that had never truly left him.
Leon adjusted him slightly in his arms, the movement practiced, controlled. "You were easier to carry back then," he added, almost as an afterthought.
Kai scowled. "I'm not a kid anymore."
"No," Leon agreed. His gaze lowered briefly, meeting Kai's with a calm, assessing intensity. "You're not."
There was a pause.
Then, quieter—
"But you're just as rebellious."
Kai's breath hitched, frustration bubbling under his skin. He shifted again, trying to pull away, but Leon didn't let him. Not harshly. Not forcefully. Just… completely.
The realization settled heavily in Kai's chest.
Nothing had changed.
Not really.
He could run. He could hide. He could build an entirely new life across the world—but in the end, he was still here. Still in his father's arms. Still caught in the same unbreakable grasp of blood and legacy.
Leon continued down the hall, his steps steady, unwavering.
And Kai, despite everything — despite the anger, the resistance, the burning need to break free — couldn't ignore the truth pressing in around him.
This place…
This family…
This power…
It had never let him go.