The Father's Shadow :
Rayne and Kael stepped out of the detention A black hovercar waited at the curb—sleek, quiet, too expensive for most to even glance at. Inside, a man leaned back, waiting calm, calculated. Sorius Vexis.
As the car door opened, Rayne hesitated.
Rayne: "Dad... is that you? Did you get us out?"
Rayne was surprised to see his father after such a long time, but he never wanted him to see him like this.
Sorius (smiling faintly): "Yes, my son."
His voice wasn't cold—but it carried weight. Like a man used to being obeyed.
Rayne (nervous): "It wasn't Kael's fault it's my fault please don't inform Kael's parents . We just... we were curious. I convinced him."
Sorius raised a hand calmly.
Sorius: "Relax. You're both adults now. You'll make mistakes. That's expected."
Kael watched the exchange. He hadn't seen Sorius and Rayne like this in years.
"It's been what... one... two—no, no, must be three and a half years since they've spoken like this?" Kael thought. "Feels like another lifetime."
Sorius turned to Kael, his expression softening.
Sorius: "Kael. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Kael: " Huh..? Yes, Mr. Vexis."
Sorius laughed.
Sorius: "Now you call your uncle 'Mr', huh? Where's the little boy who used to raid my wine cabinet?"
Kael (smile awkwardly): "Sorry... Uncle."
Sorius' comm rang. He answered, his voice shifting to formal in an instant. A few seconds later, he hung up.
Sorius: "I have to go. Rayne, Kael—enjoy the city. And remember..." (he smirked) "Don't fall for the first pretty face you see."
Rayne: "Dad, wait—when will you—"
But Sorius was already gone, the hovercar disappearing into traffic like a ghost.
Rayne sighed and looked
------
Cracks in the Surface :
"Want to clear our heads for a bit?" Rayne asked, his voice casual but carrying a trace of tension. "I know a spot."
Kael raised a brow. "Yeah? But what'll we do there to chill? There's nothing to do."
Rayne grinned. "Oh my dear baka, have you forgotten what my dad said earlier? That we are adults now."
Kael squinted suspiciously. "So what are you planning? Don't tell me you're thinking about drugs."
"Hell nah, man! Those powders are old-gen stuff," Rayne waved him off. "Let's try something new."
Kael's tone sharpened. "New? There's something new in the market?"
"Yeah, I just bought it two days ago. Haven't tried it yet—saved it for you."
"I know why you saved it," Kael muttered. "I'm not interested in that crap."
Rayne chuckled. "Oh, so little Kael's going home to play with toys, huh?"
"Joke's on you, motherfucker. You can't tease me with these cheap tricks."
Rayne gave a shrug. "Come on, bro. If you don't want it, I'll try it myself. It's safe. I'm not addicted."
"No means no," Kael said firmly. "Our families will find out about this stuff."
Rayne's voice dipped. "They don't even care about us."
------
Ride Through the Divide :
Despite the tension, Kael ended up following Rayne, though irritation still simmered behind his eyes. They rode in silence, the roar of the hoverbikes filling the void between them. The buzz from their earlier argument faded but left behind a weight neither of them addressed. Rayne led them through the outer edge of the city, beyond the gleaming towers of the OX districts.
As they cruised past the glowing structures, the landscape began to shift. The polished glass towers and flashing holograms dissolved into crumbling walls and grimy streets. The smog thickened, and the sky turned a dirty yellow-gray. The buzz of life turned from fast-paced and futuristic to desperate and raw. The air felt heavier here—like the dreams had been scraped out of it.
------
Entering EXO Territory :
Kael frowned. "We're heading toward EXO? My dad banned me from this place. I thought yours did too."
Rayne smirked. "They banned us from breathing too, but we still do that."
Kael didn't laugh. His mood remained sour.
"There's an old watchtower here," Rayne continued. "We used to sneak out during school. Good place to think."
"Think? I know what kind of thinking you're planning," Kael shot back. "You've known this spot since high school, man?"
"Hey, be serious," Rayne said, glancing around. "This place isn't safe for us."
"So why the fuck did you bring me here, you jerk?" Kael said
Rayne adjusted his jacket, the fabric stiff from dust and wind. "Feels like a different world down here."
"That's because it is," Kael muttered.
They crossed from the OX zone into EXO territory, the dividing line nearly invisible but deeply felt. As they neared a cracked plaza, the distant sounds of shouting grew louder—voices chanting under flickering streetlamps and half-lit holograms. Hundreds of EXO citizens had gathered, their faces tired, scarred, and furious.
------
The Protest Unfolds :
"They've cut our rations again!" someone shouted.
"We work their factories, breathe their poison, and they call us dangerous?" came another voice.
Above the crowd, signs swayed in the air:
"We build their ships but starve at home."
"We are not machines."
"EXO is not your trash bin."
Kael's gaze caught on a mural spray-painted across a wall. A slender, humanoid silhouette with glowing eyes loomed over a pile of corpses—both Dra and human. Underneath, someone had scrawled:
"This is your peace?"
Rayne saw it too. "That's... dark," rayne said to kael
A figure in the crowd drew Kael's attention—a man dressed in sleek, patterned clothing with tattoos crawling down his arms like circuitry. Unlike the others, he was smiling. His clothes, shoes necklace looks like he's also from OX kael thought.
------
Suppression Begins :
A crackling speaker interrupted the chants. Government drones floated overhead, red lights blinking like watchful eyes.
"Disperse immediately," the drones announced. "This gathering is unauthorized."
Kael's chest tightened. "That's not a good sign."
Police officers poured into the square, shields raised. Tension exploded as they charged the crowd. Batons struck indiscriminately—men, women, even children and elders who weren't part of the protest.
Kael moved instinctively. "Hey! They can't do that—it's against our rights!"
Rayne yanked his arm. "This is the place where even rights don't have rights!"
Gas canisters were hurled into the crowd. One detonated nearby—not lethal, but loud enough to scatter people in panic. Smoke filled the air, stinging eyes and lungs. Through the fog, a single masked figure emerged, voice amplified and unwavering.
------
A Voice in the Smoke :
"Look around you!" the figure called. "Is this what peace looks like? You are not free. You are managed. Controlled. The Dra did not enslave us. Our own leaders did. Greed started this war—not the stars."
Police barked orders. Drones redirected their aim.
Kael and Rayne dove behind a cracked concrete pillar.
"You good?" Kael asked, coughing.
"Y-Yeah," Rayne rasped.
A shadow passed above them—a tall, black-cloaked figure moving effortlessly through the chaos, untouched by fear or confusion. The red glint in his mask pulsed as he turned toward them.
Kael froze. "What the hell...?"
The figure stared directly at them, then vanished into the smoke.
A nearby drone exploded in midair, showering sparks across the plaza. Screams rose. More confusion. Fire began to spread. Kael's eyes scanned the crowd—and there it was again.
That same tattoo. It couldn't be.
The Escape :
Kael's pulse spiked. There was no time to think. He and Rayne turned to flee—racing through smoke and debris—toward where they'd left their hoverbikes.
But something was wrong.
Kael's bike was still there, humming quietly. But Rayne's was gone.
"What the fuck?" Rayne's voice cracked with panic. "Where's my bike?"
------
A missing bike.
Protesters crushed, and the city set ablaze under the veil of order.
Rayne and Kael had only come to "clear their heads."
But now ? They were being hunted—or worse, watched.
Will they escape the EXO district before night falls completely? Or is the city already closing in on them? And who was that figure in the smoke… the one who stared straight into Kael's soul?