Kai slammed his bedroom door harder than necessary.
The sound echoed through the hallway—
—but no one came.
Of course not.
They didn't need to.
They were always watching anyway.
"…Tch."
He kicked off his shoes and threw his bag across the room. It hit the wall and dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Annoying.
Kai ran a hand through his hair, pacing once, twice, before dropping onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, jaw tight.
"…Unbelievable."
His chest still felt tight from the confrontation.
From Leon's voice.
From that suffocating presence.
And worst of all—
From those words.
Because you're my brother.
Kai squeezed his eyes shut.
"…Doesn't mean you get to control me."
His voice came out quieter this time.
Weaker.
He turned onto his side, facing the wall.
"…Idiot."
A knock came at the door.
Kai didn't move.
"Go away," he said flatly.
The door opened anyway.
Kai didn't even need to look.
"…You don't listen either, huh?"
Footsteps.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Cale.
Kai sighed, not bothering to sit up. "What do you want?"
Cale didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked further into the room, glancing around casually—the discarded bag, the shoes, the clear signs of frustration.
"…You're messy," Cale remarked.
Kai scoffed. "Then leave."
Cale ignored that completely and leaned against the wall, arms loosely crossed.
"You slammed the door."
Kai turned his head slightly, glaring at him. "Yeah. And?"
Cale shrugged. "Just confirming. I didn't think you had it in you."
Kai sat up now, irritation flaring again. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Cale met his gaze, completely unfazed.
"It means," he said calmly, "you're usually smarter than that."
Kai's expression hardened. "I didn't do anything wrong."
Cale tilted his head slightly.
"That's not what I said."
"Then what are you saying?"
Cale pushed off the wall and walked a little closer—not threatening or imposing like Leon.
But still controlled.
Still sharp.
"I'm saying," he replied, "you chose the worst possible way to handle it."
Kai clenched his fists. "Oh, here we go."
Cale raised an eyebrow. "You don't agree?"
"No," Kai snapped. "I don't."
Cale studied him for a moment.
"…You think arguing with Leon like that was a good idea?"
Kai hesitated—
Just slightly.
Then looked away.
"…I don't care."
Cale huffed quietly. "That's not an answer."
"Yes, it is."
"No," Cale said, his tone still calm but firmer now, "it's avoidance."
Kai shot him a glare. "Why are you even here?"
A pause.
Then, Cale simply said, "To talk."
Kai blinked.
"…You?"
Cale's lips curved faintly. "Surprising?"
"Yes." Kai responded immediately.
"Fair enough." Cale replied.
Kai frowned, watching him more carefully now.
"Did Leon send you?"
Cale shook his head. "No."
That made Kai pause.
"…Then why?"
Cale didn't answer right away.
Instead, he walked over and sat on the edge of the desk, facing Kai directly.
"Because," he said, "you're making things harder than they need to be."
Kai let out a dry laugh. "For who? Him?"
"For you."
Silence.
Kai's jaw tightened.
"I'm fine."
Cale's gaze didn't waver.
"No, you're not."
Kai's eyes snapped back to him. "You don't know that."
"I do."
The certainty in Cale's voice made something in Kai's chest twist.
"I've seen this before," Cale continued. "Not exactly like this—but close enough."
Kai frowned slightly. "…What do you mean?"
Cale leaned back slightly, resting one hand against the desk.
"When you feel trapped," he said, "you push back. Hard."
Kai didn't respond.
Because it was true.
"And when that doesn't work," Cale added, "you push even harder."
Kai looked away again.
"…So what?" he muttered.
Cale's voice stayed level.
"So eventually, you're going to do something reckless."
Kai's hands clenched slightly.
"I already do reckless things," he said.
"Yes," Cale agreed. "But this will be different."
That made Kai pause.
"…How?"
Cale's gaze sharpened just a fraction.
"You'll stop thinking."
Silence.
Kai didn't like how easily Cale read him.
"…You're overthinking it," he muttered.
Cale shook his head. "No. You're underthinking it."
Kai let out an annoyed breath. "Can you just get to the point?"
Cale held his gaze.
"The point is," he said, "you're not going to win against Leon."
Kai flinched—
Barely.
But it was there.
"I'm not trying to win," Kai snapped.
"Then what are you trying to do?"
Kai opened his mouth—
Then stopped.
Because he didn't have an answer.
Cale watched that hesitation carefully.
"…Exactly," he said quietly.
Kai looked away again, frustrated.
"…I just don't want him controlling everything," he said finally.
Cale nodded once.
"That's understandable."
Kai blinked, surprised.
"…It is?"
"Yes."
That threw him off more than anything else.
Kai frowned. "Then why are you defending him?"
"I'm not," Cale said. "I'm explaining reality."
Kai's irritation returned. "Same thing."
"It's not."
Cale leaned forward slightly now, his tone still calm—but more focused.
"Leon isn't doing this to control you for the sake of control," he said. "He's doing it because he can."
Kai stared at him.
"…That's worse."
Cale shook his head. "No. It's simpler."
Kai frowned.
"Leon controls everything," Cale continued. "Governments. Military. Information. People."
Each word landed heavily.
"You think he wouldn't control his own brother?"
Kai didn't answer.
Because… he couldn't.
"…You're part of his world," Cale said. "And his world is built on control."
Silence.
Kai's chest felt tight again.
"…So what?" he muttered. "I just go along with it?"
Cale studied him for a moment.
"…No," he said.
Kai blinked.
"…No?"
Cale's lips curved slightly—just a hint of something sharper.
"You adapt."
Kai frowned. "That sounds the same."
"It's not."
Cale stood up again, looking down at him now.
"Fighting him head-on is pointless," he said. "You've already seen that."
Kai clenched his jaw.
"…Yeah."
"So stop doing that." Cale said.
Kai looked up at him. "Then what do I do?"
Cale's expression didn't change.
"You think."
A pause.
"Carefully."
Kai stared at him, trying to understand.
"You want freedom?" Cale asked.
Kai didn't hesitate this time. "…Yeah."
"Then earn it."
Kai's brows furrowed. "How?"
Cale's gaze sharpened.
"By proving you're not a liability."
The words hit harder than expected.
Kai looked away again.
"…That's what he thinks I am."
Cale didn't deny it.
"For now."
Silence.
Kai's chest tightened.
"…And if I don't?" he asked quietly.
Cale's expression didn't soften.
"Then nothing changes."
The answer was simple.
Brutal.
Honest.
Kai swallowed.
"…Tch."
Cale turned toward the door.
"I've said what I came to say."
Kai didn't stop him.
But just before Cale reached the door—
"…Cale."
He paused.
"…What?" he asked without turning.
Kai hesitated.
"…Do you think I'm weak?"
Silence.
A long one.
Then—
Cale glanced back at him.
"…Yes," he said.
Kai's expression fell slightly—
But Cale continued.
"For now."
Kai looked up.
Cale's gaze was steady.
"You're twelve," he said. "You're inexperienced. You rely on instinct instead of strategy."
Each word was precise.
Measured.
"But weak doesn't mean worthless."
Kai froze.
Cale turned away again.
"Figure out the difference," he said, opening the door.
And then he left.
The room fell silent once more.
Kai sat there, unmoving.
"…Weak… but not worthless…"
He leaned back slowly, staring at the ceiling again.
His mind racing.
For the first time—
Not just with frustration.
But with something else.
Something sharper.
"…Tch."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"…I'll prove it."