Kai woke up stiff on the couch, the blanket slipped half to the floor. He hadn't remembered pulling it over himself—probably Neo, probably Flicker meddling. His body ached like concrete, but Thursday meant no excuse. GRARC didn't care if you were tired; the precinct clock kept eating days.
He dragged on his black-and-blue uniform, boots scuffed from alleys and stairwells, and clipped the badge marked Resonant Aid Officer. It still felt like a loaner title, something that could be taken back any second. Slinging his pack, he walked into the thinning morning light, Zone Alpha humming with the grind of a thousand other workers too busy to notice him.
---
The precinct was already boiling by the time he arrived. Phones screamed. Detainees cursed from holding cells. The air smelled like rain trapped in concrete. Two crime scenes today—one uptown, one in the derelict district by the canal.
Avren was already at the board, pale hair catching the glow of a holo-map. Beside him stood Officer Derrick, thick-necked and perpetually bitter, arms crossed like he owned the place. Derrick had made a hobby out of giving Avren shit, muttering about "soulless lab rats" and "parasites who let mercenaries clean their mess." Avren, for his part, never snapped back. He just let Derrick's words slide off like water on glass, eyes fixed on his casework.
Kai joined the first team. They found the body in a tenement stairwell, a middle-aged man sprawled halfway up the steps. Avren crouched beside the corpse, flicked on his resonance lamp, and bathed the scene in violet light. Shadows bloomed across the cracked walls, marking the angles of impact like ghostly brushstrokes.
"First blow came from behind," Avren said evenly, tracing the arcs. "Victim fell forward, struggled, bled here." His gloved hand tapped the step, precise, reverent. "The resonance trail says panic lasted five seconds before cessation. Clean kill. The killer knows how to end resistance."
Derrick snorted. "You make it sound like a goddamn art project."
Avren didn't look up. "It is."
Kai said nothing, watching the officers scribble notes. He respected the clinical tone, but something about Avren's calm unsettled him.
The second scene was worse—a woman in a canal alley, her body slumped like trash bags. Rats scurried at their boots. Avren's lamp lit a smear of resonance across the wall, like handprints smeared in invisible fire.
"She fought harder," Avren murmured. "See how the resonance splays wide? She clawed at the wall, tried to pull herself up. The killer allowed it—watched her struggle." His tone sharpened slightly. "Cruelty layered on efficiency."
Derrick muttered a curse and spat. The other officers went pale. Kai's jaw tightened, but he held position, keeping the perimeter clear. That was his job—make sure no one else ended up cooling on the floor.
---
By nightfall, the precinct's chaos had chewed up every ounce of energy Kai had. He filed reports he barely read, stacked equipment back into lockers, and let the fluorescent lights buzz him into exhaustion. When the day finally spat him out, he walked the cracked streets home, shoulders heavy, boots dragging.
That's when he saw Avren. The analyst was across the street, his pale hair catching the last smear of sunset. He moved with the same calm he showed at crime scenes—measured, quiet. Kai slowed, shadowing him from half a block back.
Avren slid into a black car parked beneath a dead streetlight. Just before the door closed, a muffled thump rattled from the boot. A sound—something between a fist and a foot striking metal. Kai's chest tightened. He stood frozen, watching, waiting for Avren to react.
But Avren didn't flinch. He started the engine and pulled away, taillights fading into the city haze.
Kai remained on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, unsure whether he should have shouted, chased, stopped him. By the time the silence swallowed the car's hum, the choice was gone.
He didn't know what to do.
-
Kai's boots dragged all the way home, mind still hooked on the echo of that sound in Avren's car trunk. A thump like a body fighting to get out. He'd told himself a dozen times to let it go—precinct life was a river of noise and secrets. But the thought clung like oil on his skin.
When he opened the apartment door, the smell of food caught him first—something hot, spiced, and far better than the ration boxes he'd grown used to. Matt was already at the table, sleeves rolled up, proudly ladling stew into mismatched bowls. Neo sat across from him, chin propped on his hand, half-smile flickering as he toyed with a bread roll.
"About time," Matt said, smirking. "We were starting without you."
Kai kicked off his boots and slid into the empty chair. For a moment, the quiet hum of a home—actual plates, steam rising, friends breathing nearby—swept away the memory of the car trunk. He hadn't realized how much he needed it.
They ate in the soft clatter of spoons and small talk before Matt leaned back, grin wide. "So. News. I got a promotion." He tapped his badge on the table with mock ceremony. "Officially bumped up the ladder. Not bad for a guy no one ever remembers."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Congrats. Guess invisibility pays off."
"It does when your boss forgets you're on the payroll and just signs the form anyway." Matt chuckled, then waved his spoon toward Neo. "Your turn, miracle boy."
Neo shrugged, eyes steady. "Been looking into the clans. Thought it might be worth joining one. They've got resources, training. If I want to do more than just tag along, I need to stand on my own." His tone was matter-of-fact, but there was a weight behind it—like he'd already made a choice and was testing how it sounded out loud.
Matt whistled low. "Big step. Clans chew people up, spit 'em out."
"They chew the weak," Neo said, calm as always. "I won't be weak."
The room fell quiet for a beat. Then Neo's gaze shifted to Kai. "Your turn."
Kai toyed with his spoon, thoughts circling. He could have brushed it off, talked about hauling gear or paperwork or Derrick's mouthy insults. Instead, the image came back unbidden: Avren's pale hair in the streetlight, the muffled thump in the boot.
"I worked with Avren again today," Kai said finally. His voice came slower than usual, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to let the words out. "Two crime scenes. He's…good. Too good. Reads resonance like it's ink on paper. But he disappears a lot. No one asks why." He paused, eyes on his bowl. "I saw him leaving tonight. Getting into a car. Thought I heard something in the trunk. Didn't stick around long enough to know for sure."
Matt frowned, the grin gone. "You saying he's hiding something?"
Kai shrugged, forcing it casual. "Maybe. Maybe not. Just feels…off."
Neo studied him in silence, eyes unreadable. Then he nodded once, like he was storing the thought away for later.
The conversation shifted, but the air had changed. The food was still warm, the laughter came back in patches, but Avren's shadow lingered at the table like a fourth guest no one had invited.