"We are not thieves
For a second, the soldiers froze, as though caught in an unseen grip. The lead soldier's eyes flickered, confusion threading through his hardened expression. The female soldier tilted her head, something unreadable crossing her face.
It was as though Kaelen's words held a weight they couldn't ignore. A command they couldn't resist.
The female soldier stepped back slightly. Her brow furrowed, but her tone softened, edged with curiosity.
"Yes," she said, nodding slowly. "We know."
Kaelen's breath caught in his throat. What?
"We... know you're not. Then tell us... what happened?"
He looked down, frustration lining his face. "I… I please let my friend explain."
Tenny shot Kaelen a sharp glance, startled, but understanding the silent plea. His voice shook slightly as he spoke, "We overheard some of the boys... talking. About hiding something in our section. We didn't see them, but we heard them planning it. Plotting to plant something where we keep our crates."
The soldiers' eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him.
"They framed us," Tenny continued, holding their gaze. "They hid it before we could stop them. Before we could catch them."
The female soldier exchanged a glance with her companions, doubt lingering in her eyes but wavering beneath Kaelen's calm certainty. There was a pause, a long, tense silence.
Finally, the lead soldier grunted. "We believe you're not the culprits. But until we investigate and find the real ones, you'll remain detained."
Kaelen stood. His posture was calm, but there was an edge to his voice—a subtle authority that didn't ask, but told.
"No. Let us go. Our parents will be worried," Kaelen said, his voice low but commanding.
The room stilled, the tension thick. For a heartbeat, no one moved.
The female soldier blinked, then nodded slowly, as if compelled by an unseen force. "Right," she said, her voice soft but firm. She turned to the other three soldiers. "They can go."
The other soldiers exchanged uncertain glances, but they nodded without protest. They were the ones in charge of the interrogation, and their decision was final.
"You're free to leave," the female soldier said simply.
Kaelen nodded once, as if it were only natural, though confusion flashed briefly in his eyes.
Tenny, however, stood frozen. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at Kaelen, wide-eyed. The soldiers had complied so easily, too easily. Why?
He was startled, confused, but said nothing. His thoughts raced, but the relief of freedom overrode his uncertainty. They stepped out of the military zone together, the weight of confusion heavy between them.
Tenny glanced sideways at Kaelen, his mouth opening as if to ask—but the words never came. Not here. Not now.
Instead, he remained silent, walking beside Kaelen, lost in thoughts he couldn't yet shape into words.
---
The cold night air greeted them as they stepped beyond the military gates, the heavy clang of metal shutting behind them. The moment they were out of earshot, Tenny grabbed Kaelen's arm, pulling him aside beneath the shadow of a towering tree.
"What... was that?" Tenny's voice was low but sharp, edged with confusion and a hint of fear. His eyes searched Kaelen's face, as though trying to find answers hidden beneath the calm surface.
Kaelen blinked, startled. "What do you mean?"
Tenny frowned, his grip tightening. "Don't act like you don't know. Back there, with the soldiers. The way you spoke. The way they—" He cut himself off, glancing back toward the gate as if expecting the soldiers to come rushing after them. "They just... listened. Like they didn't even think twice. One second, we're being dragged around like thieves, and the next, they're letting us walk free just because you said so?"
Kaelen shook his head slowly, confusion creasing his brow. "I don't know, Tenny. I just... said it. I didn't mean anything by it."
Tenny stared at him, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "It wasn't normal, Kaelen. It was like… like you were commanding them, and they had no choice but to obey. I e never seen anything like that." His voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "Even the soldiers, she looked like she wasn't thinking for herself."
Kaelen hesitated, his stomach twisting. "I didn't do anything." But even as the words left his mouth, doubt flickered in his eyes. He remembered the way they had all gone silent, how quickly they'd nodded and agreed. It had been too easy. Too strange.
Tenny ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "You don't know? Or you don't want to know?"
L
Kaelen's gaze dropped. His mind raced, but there were no answers, only questions circling in the dark. "I… I can't explain it."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable. The night seemed to press closer, thick with tension.
Tenny finally spoke, quieter this time. "Well, whatever it is… it worked. We're free." He let out a humorless chuckle. "I should be happy, but I'm not. I'm confused, Kaelen. And I'm worried."
Kaelen met his gaze, uncertain. "Me too."
They stood there for a moment, the weight of their escape settling over them.
Then Tenny sighed, shaking his head. "Come on. Let's get home before anyone else starts asking questions."
Kaelen nodded, but his thoughts lingered behind, trapped within the walls of that interrogation room, haunted by the power he didn't understand—and the fear that it wasn't entirely his to control.
And as they walked away, Tenny glanced at Kaelen one last time, a storm of questions behind his eyes.
He said nothing, but the silence was heavy with things left unsaid.
-----
The heavy wooden door creaked shut behind Kaelen and Tenny, their footsteps fading into the distance. The air in the interrogation room remained thick, heavy with an unspoken tension that refused to lift.
Seren Voss, the female soldier, stood still. Her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes lingered on the door long after it closed, her expression tight with something she couldn't quite name—disbelief, confusion, unease.
"What... just happened?" one of the other soldiers asked, breaking the silence. His voice was low, uncertain.
Seren didn't answer immediately. Her mind raced, replaying the moment Kaelen had spoken. The way his words—simple, calm, almost casual—had sunk into her, deeper than logic should've allowed. She wasn't the type to obey so easily, not without question. And yet… she had. Without a second thought.
"It felt... wrong," she muttered finally, her brows drawing together. "Like I didn't have a choice."
The other soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them spoke. They had all felt it—the strange pull, the compulsion. An unspoken command that bypassed reason.
"But it was just a boy," one soldier said, though his voice lacked conviction. "A boy with no status. No power."
Seren shook her head slightly, her gaze distant. "It wasn't about status," she said quietly. "It was... something else." She couldn't explain it, and that unsettled her more than anything.
Another soldier hesitated, then added, "Maybe it was just the situation. Maybe we overthought it."
But Seren wasn't convinced. There had been something unnatural in the way her body had reacted. Like her will wasn't entirely her own at that moment.
She turned away from the door, her jaw tight. "Keep an eye on them," she said, her tone sharp. "Something isn't right. I want to know what it is."
The soldiers nodded silently.
But Seren remained still for a moment longer, her gaze shadowed with doubt. The feeling of that moment, the strange pressure in her mind, refused to fade.
And as she walked away, a thought echoed in her mind—one she didn't dare voice aloud.
What if it wasn't me deciding at all?
---
The door creaked open, hesitant, as if afraid of what lay beyond it. Kaelen stepped inside first, his shoulders slumped under the invisible weight of the day. Tenny followed close behind, glancing around as though expecting shadows to leap from the corners. The warmth of the modest home greeted them—wooden walls, the soft crackle of fire, the faint aroma of herbs simmering. Comfort, but distant.
His mother turned sharply from the cooking pot, her eyes widening. For a second, she stood frozen, her breath caught in her chest. Then she rushed forward, arms open, eyes glossy.
"Kaelen!" Her voice cracked, relief and fear tangling together. She threw her arms around him, pulling him close. "I was—I was afraid they wouldn't…" Her voice broke off, and she clung tighter for a moment before stepping back. She looked him over, scanning for bruises, for wounds, for any trace of the cruelty she feared he'd faced
Kaelen managed a tired smile. "I'm fine, Mama."
Her gaze shifted to Tenny, softening. "And you too, Tenny. Thank the stars." She reached out, brushing a hand over his head in a motherly gesture. "I worried for you my son."
Mrs. Jara treats and loves Tenny just like he is hers. So, occasionally she calls him "my son." alongside kaelen. And this was one of those times.
Tenny grinned, his usual lightness dimmed but not extinguished. "You know me. I'm like a stubborn stain. Takes more than a little prison time to get rid of me."
Ll
Despite everything, she chuckled softly, though it sounded strained. "Don't say such things," she said, but her lips twitched in a reluctant smile. "Come, both of you. Sit. You must be hungry.
They moved to the small wooden table, settling onto the worn benches. She turned back to the pot, ladling steaming stew into clay bowls. The scent of herbs and vegetables filled the air, a welcome comfort.
Tenny watched her bustle around the kitchen, his grin widening. "You know, Ma, prison food is terrible. I think they were trying to kill us slowly—one bad meal at a time."
She shot him a sharp look but shook her head with a soft sigh. "Don't joke about that, Tenny. It's not funny."
"But it's true," Tenny insisted, trying to lighten the mood. "They gave me something that looked like it was supposed to be bread. I think it was a rock. I almost cracked my teeth."
Kaelen managed a small, tired laugh, and even his mother's lips quirked despite her worry. She shook her head but didn't scold him.
"You boys," she murmured, placing the bowls before them. "Always turning the worst things into jokes."
"It's the only way to survive," Tenny said, his smile dimming for a second before it sparked again. "That, and dreaming about this stew. You have no idea how many times I imagined sitting right here, eating your cooking."
Her expression softened, but worry lingered in her eyes. She crouched beside Kaelen, her hand reaching for his. "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why were you taken? Why—why did they arrest you?" Her hand trembled slightly as she cupped his. "I heard about stealing and I said to myself, my boys are not thieves. I heard a lot I heard rumors. The rumors... they were saying things. Awful things."
Tenny cleared his throat, breaking the heavy silence. "It's a long story," he said lightly, though his eyes darted to Kaelen with quiet understanding. "One where we're the heroes, of course."
Her gaze didn't waver. "Tenny."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We were framed," he admitted. "They accused us of something we didn't do. Said we were part of the trouble." His tone turned bitter. "As if we'd ever be stupid enough to pick a steal from soldiers."
Her hand tightened around Kaelen's. "Framed?" Her voice trembled. "But why? Why would anyone do that?"
Kaelen opened his mouth, but no words came. He didn't know how to explain anything because he could only recall the story Tenny told the soldiers. As the memory of the whole event has disappeared from his head. It's like it was formatted.
Tenny tried again, voice soft. "It doesn't matter why. It just matters that we're back. We're okay."
She looked between them, her worry sharp and cutting. "But you're not okay." Her eyes flicked to Kaelen's face, to the tension in his jaw. "Something happened."
Before the silence could stretch any further, Kaelen's father stepped into the room, leaning against the doorway. His face was lined, shadowed by years of hardship, but his eyes were calm and steady. Watching. Listening.
"Let them be," he said quietly. His gaze met his wife's, firm but gentle. "Let them rest tonight."
"But—" She started, voice tight with concern.l
"Tomorrow," his father said, his voice like steady stone. "We'll talk tomorrow. Let them eat. Let them sleep."
She hesitated, torn, but finally nodded. Her hand lingered on Kaelen's shoulder, a silent promise.
Tenny tried to break the heavy air. "See? Even your Mister Orin knows not to argue with me when I'm hungry."
She let out a soft, reluctant laugh. "Of course. How could I forget how stubborn you are?" She turned, moving to the fire, stirring the pot though the food was already done.
Kaelen's sister, a small figure of energy, peeked around the corner. Her eyes lit up as she saw them, and she darted forward, throwing her arms around Kaelen's neck. "You're back!" she cried, voice bright and innocent. "I missed you!"
Kaelen hugged her tightly, the warmth of her embrace easing the tightness in his chest. "I missed you too.
She turned to Tenny, grinning. "And you too, Tenny! Mama was so worried. She cried a lot."
Tenny gasped dramatically. "Cried? For me? I feel honored. I always knew I was her favorite."
His mother shook her head, but there was laughter in her eyes now. "You're impossible, Tenny."
"Impossible, but charming," he replied, flashing a grin.
His sister giggled, and for a moment, the shadow lifted. There was only family, only warmth.
His mother watched them, her smile faint but real. She stepped forward, pressing a hand to Kaelen's cheek. "Rest, my boy," she said softly. "Tomorrow, we'll talk. Tomorrow, you'll tell me everything."
Kaelen nodded, though the thought of speaking the truth still weighed heavy. But for now, food, warmth, and family were enough.
And tomorrow… tomorrow, the rest would come
As kaelen lay on the the bed that night, his mind wandered.
Why did they listen?