Kael floated in an endless void, as if he were sinking into his own body. The sound around him was muffled, distant. He didn't know if he was dead… or just falling deeper into himself.
A flame trembled somewhere in the void. Weak. Unstable.
— I was weak.
His own voice echoed in the darkness. Not in words, but in pure, dense thoughts.
— I thought that just awakening that power was enough. I thought that feeling the light was enough… but it's not enough.
He saw flashes of the fight. The shots. The blow that threw him into the tree. The pain burning inside. And then… the green eyes of that girl before they went out.
— I am the Son of the Sun… but I am still a candle trying to face the entire sky.
The flame inside him wavered stronger. More intense. The energy was still there. But there was something wrong. As if he was only using the surface of what he could truly be.
— They can hide the sun with satellites. They can blot out the sky. But if the sun is inside me… they won't be able to stop me.
Suddenly, something vibrated inside his chest. A memory. A phrase.
"Don't force the sun. Guide it with your heart."
His father's voice.
Kael felt tears burning in his eyes—even there, where nothing was real.
— So this is it… I can't run away anymore. I need to merge everything. The soul. The body. The light. Even if it hurts. Even if it consumes me. Because if I fall… no one will stop HelionTech.
The flame exploded.
Golden light filled the darkness. He felt his body respond, as if his cells were waking up from a deep sleep. As if they finally understood that it wasn't just about absorbing the light—it was about becoming it.
And then… he woke up.
Kael gasped, sucking in air like someone coming back to the surface after nearly drowning. The ceiling was made of metal. He was on a makeshift bed. The pain was still there, but something inside him had changed.
"Are you awake, little darling?" said the familiar voice.
Aria was sitting in the corner, sharpening a knife. Her clothes were still dusty, but her eyes were alert.
Kael tried to get up, but she held up her hand.
"Calm down. You were bleeding inside, and your body started to glow. I almost ran away. But… I think it was just your way of saying 'I'm alive.'"
Kael ran a hand over his forehead. He was sweaty. The heat in his chest still throbbed.
"Where…?"
"A safe base." At least for now. HelionTech is still looking for you, but I blocked the tracking signal. They won't find that hole for a while.
He nodded, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you... for saving me."
Aria shrugged.
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for what you can be." She looked him in the eye. "There are people out there waiting for a miracle. Maybe you're that miracle. Or just another walking disaster. Let's find out."
Kael smiled slightly.
"Then I think it's time to stop stumbling around in the dark... and start shining for real."
She crossed her arms.
"Nice line. Now you prove it's not just talk."