The phone felt heavier than it should have.
Kael sat on the edge of the hospital bed, the white sheets creased beneath his fingers, staring at the unfamiliar number glowing on his screen. He hadn't saved it. He didn't need to. The digits were burned into his memory the moment they had been spoken.
He inhaled once.
Then pressed call.
The call connected on the second ring.
"You remembered after all," a calm voice said.
Kael tightened his grip on the phone. "I don't think I ever forgot."
A pause. Not surprise—assessment.
"Good," Artemidorus said. "That usually means the mind resisted."
"Resisted what?" Kael asked.
"Comfort."
Kael exhaled slowly. "You said your name. That night. It didn't leave me."
"It wasn't meant to," Artemidorus replied. "Tell me—do you want to stay ignorant, or do you want the truth?"
Kael frowned. "That's not a fair question."
"It never is."
"If I say truth," Kael said, "what does it cost?"
Artemidorus didn't answer immediately.
Then, "Your public life."
Kael's stomach tightened. "Explain."
"You disappear," Artemidorus said plainly. "No civilian job. No records that matter. No normal ladder to climb."
"So I just vanish," Kael said. "Like I never existed."
"Like you stopped belonging to the version of the world you knew."
Kael swallowed. "And my name?"
"It becomes operational."
"And my face?"
"Recognized only by people who won't speak of it."
Kael let out a short laugh. "That's not an answer. That's a threat."
"No," Artemidorus said. "It's honesty."
Kael paced the room. "What about living? Rent. Food. Treatment."
"Covered."
"With what?" Kael snapped. "Ideals?"
"With money."
Kael stopped. "That didn't answer my question."
"It did."
"No," Kael said sharply. "You said money like it solves everything. I'm asking how I live."
"You live efficiently," Artemidorus replied. "Out of a million ways to die, hunger won't be one of them. Nor lack of treatment."
Kael went quiet.
"You'll have shelter," Artemidorus continued. "Rations. Medical priority. Not luxury. Survival."
"That's your pitch?" Kael asked. "Survival?"
"That's the foundation," Artemidorus said. "Purpose comes later."
Kael pressed the phone harder to his ear. "And if I refuse?"
"Then you forget," Artemidorus said. "Or you pretend to."
"I can't," Kael said. "I already tried."
"I know," Artemidorus replied. "That's why I answered."
Kael hesitated. "What are you?"
Another pause.
"I am not your commander yet," Artemidorus said. "If that's what you're asking."
"Yet?"
"You asked about cost," Artemidorus said. "You didn't ask about difficulty."
Kael's jaw clenched. "I'm listening."
"Training will not be humane," Artemidorus said, his voice flattening. "You will be broken. Physically. Mentally."
"That's dramatic," Kael muttered.
"No," Artemidorus said coldly. "It's literal."
Kael felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"You will unlearn hesitation," Artemidorus continued. "You will learn to function on pain, exhaustion, and incomplete information."
"And if I can't?" Kael asked.
"Then you won't be here to complain about it."
Silence stretched.
Kael finally said, "Where."
"Sector Eleven."
Kael froze. "You're joking."
"I don't joke about locations."
"Leo's Den?" Kael whispered.
"Yes."
"That place doesn't exist," Kael said. "It's a—"
"—a devil's nest," Artemidorus finished. "So they say."
Kael laughed, but it came out hollow. "People say no one comes back from there."
"Some do," Artemidorus replied. "They just don't return the same way."
Kael dragged a hand down his face. "You train people in a myth?"
"We hide truth in myths," Artemidorus said. "It keeps the curious away."
Kael's voice dropped. "Why me?"
"Because you saw," Artemidorus said. "And because you didn't break."
"I did break," Kael snapped. "I just kept standing."
"That's the qualification."
Kael looked at the floor. "If I go… there's no going back, is there?"
"No," Artemidorus said. "There's only forward. Or buried."
Kael closed his eyes.
"When?" he asked.
"Prepare yourself," Artemidorus said. "Physically. Mentally. Say your goodbyes."
"And then?"
"Come to Sector Eleven," Artemidorus said. "Find Leo's Den."
Kael opened his eyes. "How will I know I've found it?"
There was the faintest hint of a smile in Artemidorus's voice.
"It will know you first."
The call ended.
Kael stared at the silent phone.
Then he picked it up. Opened a familiar app, selected a white suv. He called a driver and asked him the price for 2 hours of journey.
A white suv pulled over and kael gets in only to hop out at NDRO office.
Kael pushed the office door open.
"An hour and twelve minutes late."
Norton didn't look up from his screen.
Kael said nothing.
"You think this is a café?" Norton continued. "People here work on schedules. Systems. Discipline."
Kael walked to the desk and placed an envelope down.
Norton finally looked up. "What's that."
"My resignation."
Silence.
Norton laughed once. "Very funny. Pick it up."
Kael didn't move.
Norton's smile faded. "You're serious."
"Yes."
Norton leaned back in his chair. "You can't just walk out."
"I can."
Norton sighed. "Is this about the paycheck?"
Kael shook his head.
"The delay was temporary," Norton said quickly. "You know how budgeting is after incidents."
Kael's eyes hardened.
"Or is this about your mother?" Norton added, slower now. "The fire breakout?"
Kael stiffened.
Norton cleared his throat. "Look, I didn't mean—"
"She died," Kael said flatly." She can't come back now."
Norton winced. "I know. And I'm sorry. But grief doesn't mean you throw your career away."
Kael looked at him. "This isn't a real career."
Norton stood up. "You're talented. You don't just leave talent on the table."
Kael finally met his eyes. "I already did."
Norton clenched his jaw. "Where will you even go?"
Kael turned toward the door. "Somewhere that doesn't pretend everything is normal."
Norton called out, "If you walk out now, don't expect a recommendation."
Kael paused.
"I wasn't planning to ask."
He left the office.
The door closed.
Norton stared at the envelope for a long moment.
Then, quietly, "Damn it…"
Kael gets in his cab, "rose colony, house 15" he said. Edwards home came into view as kale got down the cab.
Kael stood near the doorway longer than necessary before speaking.
Edward say's "You plan on entering or haunting me from there?"
Kael enters.
"I'm leaving Sector 18."
Edward looked up from the couch. "Leaving?"
"For Sector 11."
Edward blinked. "That's… far."
Kael nodded. "Yeah."
Edward let out a slow breath. "So that's why you're here."
Kael didn't answer.
Edward shifted, wincing slightly at the movement. "Work?"
"Something like that."
Edward studied him. "You don't sound convinced."
Kael looked away. "I just need to go."
Silence filled the room again.
"They said I'll be walking fine in a week," Edward said, trying to sound casual. "Guess you won't be around to see it."
Kael's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry."
Edward waved a hand. "Don't be. People leave. That's normal."
He paused, then added, "Just didn't think you'd be one of them."
Kael sat down heavily.
"You remember the fire clearly?" Kael asked.
Edward nodded. "Heat. Smoke. Chaos." He frowned. "Everything else feels… empty."
Kael swallowed. "Nothing strange?"
Edward tilted his head. "Why? Should there be?"
Kael shook his head. "No."
Edward leaned back. "Doctors say stress does that. Brain trims the mess."
Kael forced himself to nod.
Edward glanced at him. "You look like you're the one who went through hell."
Kael didn't respond.
After a moment, Edward spoke again, softer.
"Remember when we skipped school and went to the canal road?"
Kael blinked. "What?"
Edward smiled faintly. "Thought we'd drown. Still jumped in."
"You pushed me," Kael said.
"You dared me."
"And then we stole mangoes," Kael added quietly.
Edward laughed. "From that grumpy old man. He almost caught us."
"He would have," Kael said, "if Rebel hadn't distracted him."
Edward's eyes softened. "Rebel."
"Always bought us candies," Kael said.
"And yelled at us to eat them before dinner," Edward replied. "Said sweets weren't meals."
Kael smiled for the first time.
The smile faded quickly.
"Do you ever feel like something's missing?" Kael asked.
Edward considered it. "Sometimes." He shrugged. "Probably nothing."
Kael stood up.
Edward frowned. "So… when are you leaving?"
"Tonight."
Edward exhaled. "Of course."
Kael hesitated, then stepped forward and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder.
"I'll come back."
Edward looked up at him. "You better."
Kael nodded, even though he didn't believe it himself.
As he turned to leave, Edward called out,
"Hey."
Kael stopped.
"When you're done in Sector 11," Edward said, "we'll steal mangoes again."
Kael's throat tightened. "Yeah."
He stepped outside without looking back.
Sector 18 felt quieter than it ever had.
And for the first time, Kael realized that leaving wasn't just about distance.
It was about carrying memories no one else could.
The plane lifted smoothly.
Kael sat by the window, forehead resting against the glass. Sector 18 stretched beneath him—clean streets, bright rooftops, familiar lines.
His phone buzzed.
**Unknown Contact:** *You're on your way.*
Kael typed back.
**Kael:** *Yes.*
The city grew smaller.
A tear slipped free.
He didn't wipe it away...