Ethan knox - October 2120
The party goes a lot better than I expect.
Honestly, I half expect Kai to take one look at the cake and walk straight back out the door. It would be very him. But instead I watch him from across the room as people come up to wish him and Noah a happy birthday.
And he laughs... actually laughs.
He talks with them, nodding politely, a little awkward but trying. The sight warms my chest in a way I can't quite explain. Seeing him like this… relaxed, even for a moment… feels like a tiny miracle.
It's late now, and only a few of us remain in the canteen. I'm standing near the window with Sophie, Daniel, and Tessa. Daniel is thanking Sophie again for fixing his injury earlier, while she keeps trying to brush it off, clearly embarrassed.
"You know he's not going to disappear if you stop staring at him for five seconds" Tessa says, nudging my arm.
I blink, realising I've been watching Kai the entire time. He's across the room talking with Noah and Finn.
"Sorry," I admit with a small laugh. "I was just… nervous."
She nods like she understands completely.
"Well, he didn't run away" Daniel mutters before taking a sip of his drink. "So you can stop hovering now."
"He did look a bit… nervous when he first saw the cake," Sophie adds quietly. "But… he seems fine now."
I sigh.
They're right. I need to relax and actually enjoy the party I helped plan.
"So," Tessa asks, raising an eyebrow, "did you end up getting him a gift?"
"He told me not to get him anything" I say.
She smiles instantly. "So what did you get him?"
A small laugh escapes me. As if I'd ever listen to that request.
"It's a surprise," I say, giving her a wink.
Daniel rolls his eyes like I'm being ridiculously obvious.
"By the way," I add, glancing around the room, "where's Ray? I haven't seen him all day."
The others look around too.
"I saw him briefly this morning," Tessa says. "He said he had to pop out for something. Guess he's not back yet."
"You… you don't think something happened to him, do you?" Sophie asks nervously.
"It's Ray we're talking about" I say with a grin. "If anyone tried to start something with him, they'd regret it."
"Or maybe he's still sulking about killing our only lead" Daniel mutters.
The mood drops instantly. He's not wrong.
Ray must feel awful about that. But disappearing alone isn't exactly the best way to deal with it.
"Anyway," Tessa says quickly, clearly trying to shift the mood, "it looks like your lover boy wants you."
I glance across the room and Kai is watching me.
The second our eyes meet, he looks back at Noah and Finn, saying something quietly. They both wave him off before turning away.
Kai starts walking toward me.
"Well," I say to the others, "I guess I'm being summoned."
They laugh softly as I step away.
I meet Kai halfway across the room. He smiles down at me before gently taking my hand.
"Did you have fun?" I ask.
He nods. "Yes… thank you, Ethan. Really."
My heart does this ridiculous little flip in my chest. He looks happy... Actually happy and that makes me ridiculously happy.
"No problem," I say, smiling before leaning up to kiss his cheek. "How about we go to bed? I'm starting to feel tired."
He nods, and we head back to our room together.
The moment we step inside, I flop dramatically onto the bed.
"Ohhh, this bed is heaven" I groan, stretching out like a starfish.
Kai kicks off his shoes and walks over. He sits on the edge of the bed and calmly pulls my shoes off too before tossing them toward the door.
"Are you planning to take the entire bed again?" he teases.
I kick him lightly.
"That was one time. And I apologised!"
He laughs softly.
A second later I feel the mattress dip as he moves closer. When I open my eyes again, he's leaning over me.
His knees are planted on either side of me, his dark hair falling slightly into his eyes.
For a moment neither of us says anything. We just look at each other.
I see him swallow, and my heart skips.
Then he leans closer-
"Wait!" I blurt.
He pauses instantly, sitting back with a confused look.
I quickly reach over to my bedside table and pull out a small box from the drawer.
"I need to give you this before your birthday ends" I say with a grin.
I practically shove the little wrapped box into his hands.
He studies it for a moment.
"Go on," I urge. "Open it."
"I told you not to get me anything" he sighs.
Ignoring him completely, I shift behind him on the bed and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.
"Just open it" I whisper, planting a quick kiss at the back of his neck.
He carefully unwraps the box and inside are two bracelets.
He lifts them out slowly.
They're simple braided rope with small metal pendants. Engraved on them are the images of stars and a date.
06 July 2120
"What's the date for?" he asks, confused.
I take one bracelet from him and gently slide it onto his wrist.
"It's the happiest day of my life," I say softly. "The day I got to meet you again."
Something shifts behind his eyes. His gaze drops for a moment. Then he lifts my hand and presses a kiss against it.
My heart practically melts.
"Now," I say quickly before things get too emotional, "you have to put the other one on me. That way technically it's not a birthday gift."
He looks up at me, amused. "You can be very sly sometimes."
"Only when it benefits me."
The moment he fastens the bracelet around my wrist, he grabs my arm and pulls me back onto the bed.
Suddenly I'm on my back again and he's leaning over me.
"God, I love you so much" he says.
I grin up at him, warmth flooding my chest.
"I love you too."
_____________________
The next day Edmund called us all to his office again to go back through the plan.
Once the meeting finishes, Noah, Thomas, and Edmund walk toward the old science block. I glance back and see Kai and Finn talking.
I step closer, trying to sound casual, though my stomach tightens anyway. "Should we go to the basement?" I ask, keeping my voice light, trying to hide the flutter of worry I feel.
Yesturay was so good and now I feel like Christopher is going to ruin it.
But we need to gather as much information as we can before the others head to the warehouse. But there's a pause. A hesitation in Kai. Finn takes a small step back, just enough for me to notice.
I look between them, my chest tightening more with each second of silence.
"Ethan," Kai says finally, his voice calm but carrying a weight that makes my stomach twist. Something about it makes my chest squeeze.
I swallow hard. "What?"
He takes a breath, eyes briefly flicking to Finn, then back to me. "Me and Finn will head to the basement first."
My heart stumbles, like it's skipping a beat. My throat tightens and I feel a surge of panic I can't hide. "What?" I repeat, sharper this time.
"I don't think you should be there when I go to speak to him," Kai says. His words are steady, but there's something unspoken beneath them.
"No!" I protest, stepping closer. "You can't go alone." My voice is more desperate than I intend.
"I won't be alone. Finn will be with me," he replies evenly.
I glance at Finn, whose calm, unflinching expression only makes my worry spike. Then Kai's eyes shift to mine, and I swear I can see a silent plea in them... an unspoken trust me.
"You know that's not what I mean," I say, my voice softer now, almost a whisper. I hate this. I hate the idea of him going to Christophere alone. Not for Christophere's sake, but for Kai's. I can't bear the thought of him losing himself, of believing once again that he's a monster. I can't live with that.
Kai takes a step closer and holds my hand. His touch is warm, grounding, but it only tightens the knot in my chest. "Ethan, I know you're worried," he says, squeezing my hand gently. "But this is the only way."
I feel the weight of his words. He's calm, collected, unshakable, and yet, I can feel the tension under his surface, the careful control he's maintaining. "I know," I say, voice rough. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."
He tilts his head slightly, a half-smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "You'll have to trust me on this," he murmurs. "And I trust you to stay here, keep your head clear, and not lose yourself worrying."
I bite the inside of my cheek. Part of me wants to argue, to refuse, to insist I go with him. But I know I can't. I can't smother him. Not now, not when he's holding himself together so well for both of us.
I squeeze his hand back, harder than I probably should, just to remind him that I'm still here, that I'm always here. "Just… promise me you'll stay calm," I say. "Promise me you won't let him get to you."
"I promise," he says, a quiet determination in his voice. "Finn and I will handle it."
I exhale slowly, the tension in my chest loosening just a fraction. My hand lingers in his, unwilling to let go completely. Even if I'm not walking beside him into that basement, I'll be with him in every step, every breath.
Because that's what I do. I protect him. And even when he has to face things alone, I never stop.
I stay standing a moment longer, watching Kai and Finn head back toward the school building. Something in my chest tells me this is a bad idea, but I promised him I'd stay away. I just need to trust him, and trust Finn to hold him back if things get too heated.
With nothing else to do, I head toward the science block. Better to keep myself busy than spiral into worry.
When I step through the door, Noah and Thomas are sitting in front of a computer, while Edmund leans over a notebook I haven't seen before.
"Ethan," Thomas says, a flicker of surprise in his voice. "I'm surprised to see you here."
Noah looks up from the screen, glancing past me as if checking the hallway. "Where are Kai and Finn?"
I keep my expression calm. "They went to speak to Christopher."
Noah gives me a quick look before nodding and returning to the laptop. I move closer, standing behind them as I watch fingers fly across the keyboard.
"You'll need to enter the encryption code," Thomas says. "Luckily, I can still generate one with the technology I took from the facility."
As soon as he stands up, I take his chair, curiosity tugging me forward.
"I'm surprised you need encryption," I say, glancing at Noah.
"Under normal circumstances, I would be able to bypass it," he explains. "However, the encryption on this folder changes every time it's accessed. Only software specifically designed for it can unlock it, and unfortunately, I couldn't copy that other."
Ah. That makes sense. No wonder Thomas has to help.
A moment later, Thomas returns and types rapidly on his laptop. He reads a code aloud, which Noah inputs carefully. The file hesitates for a heartbeat, like it's thinking, and then… unlocks.
"Oh, good," Thomas says, exhaling. "I was worried it had been updated again."
"Thank you, Dr. Thomas," Noah says. "Would it be alright if I look at the file myself?"
Thomas nods. "Go ahead. I'll head over to help Edmund."
As Thomas moves away, I push my chair back slightly.
"You may stay if you wish," Noah says, eyes calm but watchful.
"Are you sure I won't be a distraction?"
He shakes his head. "You won't be. Sit."
I settle back in, heart beating a little faster as the file loads. I understand immediately. Each file is numbered, 001, 002, 003… and a few numbers catch my attention. 004 and 012. Kai's file… and mine.
"Judging by your reaction, I take it you understand what these files are?" Noah asks calmly.
I rub the back of my neck. "Yeah. But the only one I've ever opened… was mine. 012."
He studies me for a moment. "If this makes you uncomfortable, you can leave. I won't hold it against you."
I shake my head. "No. I want to know. I need to understand."
We both look at the screen, the tension between us unspoken but palpable. We know exactly which file matters most.
Kai's file. From the facility. The one I've wanted to read and been afraid to.