A fragile Connection

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly as Kai and Ethan walked down the shadowy path, the distant hum of the city fading into the quiet rustle of wind through the trees. Neither spoke at first, the weight of their unspoken fears settling between them like an invisible wall.

Ethan stole a glance at Kai. The artist’s face was shadowed, his hood obscuring much of his expression, but the way his shoulders slumped and his head tilted slightly downward told Ethan more than words could.

Kai Lennox was a man barely holding himself together.

“Why art?” Ethan asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Kai slowed but didn’t stop walking. He glanced at Ethan out of the corner of his eye, a hint of suspicion creeping into his expression. “What?”

“Why did you choose art?” Ethan clarified. “Was it a calling? A hobby that spiraled out of control? Or just the thing you were good at?”

Kai scoffed quietly. “Do you always dig into people’s lives like this, or am I just special?”

“Special,” Ethan said, his voice lighter than he felt. “But seriously. I’ve been wondering. You’re obviously talented, and it’s not just technical skill. There’s… something in your work. Something raw.”

Kai sighed, his hands slipping deeper into his jacket pockets. “I didn’t ‘choose’ art. It just… happened. My mom liked to paint. She wasn’t great at it, but it made her happy. I used to sit with her in the kitchen and copy what she was doing.”

Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Your mom? Is she—”

“Gone,” Kai interrupted, his voice flat. “She died when I was sixteen.”

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said, his voice soft.

Kai shrugged, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed him. “It is what it is. After that, it was just me and my brother, Jordan. He was the one who pushed me to stick with art, even when it felt pointless. Said it was the only thing I was any good at.”

A faint smile touched Kai’s lips, bittersweet and fleeting.

“What happened to him?” Ethan asked gently.

Kai stopped walking, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Black Thorn happened to him.”

Ethan’s stomach twisted. “Your brother…”

“They killed him,” Kai said, his voice low and raw. “He got too close to something he shouldn’t have, trying to protect me. And they made an example out of him.”

Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t expected Kai to open up like this, but the pain in his voice was obvious, cutting through the cool night air like a blade.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said again, and this time, he meant it in a way that went beyond words.

Kai let out a bitter laugh, his gaze fixed on the ground. “Don’t be. If it weren’t for me, he’d still be alive. He would still be here. I’m the one who dragged him into this mess.”

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