Kira's POV
"Power down."
The words left the three of us almost in unison, and the moment our morphers disengaged, our collective groans filled the lab. I slumped into my chair, muscles screaming in protest, armor-induced adrenaline finally bleeding away. Across from us, Dr. O watched with unmistakable pity—but, true to form, he stayed seated, arms folded, calm as ever.
"I apologize for not being present, Rangers," Dr. O said sincerely.
I waved it off with a tired smile. "It's alright, Dr. O." He smiled back and gave a small nod.
"Yeah," Ethan added, letting out an awkward laugh, "besides, it was pretty uneventful. You know—just the usual. Getting our asses handed to us by the White Ranger."
That earned a few weak snorts, mostly from Ethan himself.
Dr. O opened his mouth, clearly preparing one of his motivational speeches—the kind that somehow involved dinosaurs and destiny—but Conner suddenly stood up, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white.
"Dr. O," he said firmly, "I think the White Ranger might be under some kind of control."
The room went still.
'Controlled?'
The word hit me harder than any blast we'd taken earlier. Judging by Ethan's wide eyes and Dr. O's sudden silence, I wasn't the only one caught off guard. Dr. O studied Conner carefully.
"What makes you believe that?" he asked evenly.
Conner took a deep breath. "When the White Ranger was fighting the Violet Ranger… he said something. About his ego. And—" he hesitated, brows knitting together as he searched for the right words. "The Violet Ranger said something like… she was trying to free her friend."
My stomach twisted.
"So," I said slowly, "the person we were fighting… might not have wanted to fight us at all." I frowned. "That doesn't exactly sound great. Or feel great."
Conner nodded and sat back down. "Yeah. That's exactly it."
The lab grew uncomfortably quiet.
I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, staring up at the ceiling. Ethan and Conner—normally incapable of silence—were unusually quiet. Even Dr. O looked distant, lost in thought.
'Being controlled… that wasn't just dangerous. It was tragic.'
How much pain must the White Ranger be in right now? And the Violet Ranger too—watching someone she cared about hurt others against his will. The thought made my chest ache.
And then there was something else.
Something I couldn't shake.
Those two Rangers felt… familiar.
I didn't know how else to describe it. Like there was a thread connecting us, tugging quietly at the back of my mind. Especially the Violet Ranger. There was this persistent, annoying feeling that I knew her somehow.
My thoughts drifted before I could stop them.
'Amaris.'
I frowned immediately. 'No—that was ridiculous.'
Amaris was busy enough as it was, especially now with her heir studies and… Trent.
'She and Trent were getting closer lately.'
The realization made me pout before I could stop myself.
I mean—come on. I was literally the first person she befriended at Reefside High. And yet Trent was the one she called by his first name? Not me? Seriously?
And the weird thing was—I wasn't jealous in the way I should have been.
If anyone asked why, the explanation was simple:
First, the girl involved was my best friend.
Second, I trusted her completely—Amaris would never go after someone else's lover, not that Trent and I were dating.
And third… I didn't really feel anything for Trent anymore.
…Okay, that was a lie.
I did feel something—but it wasn't jealousy.
It was an annoyance.
Not because Amaris was close to Trent.
But because she was spending less time with me.
As for Trent… whatever crush I'd had on him felt like it had quietly fizzled out. No drama. No heartbreak. Just gone. Maybe it was never meant to be anything more than a passing thing. We balanced each other sometimes, sure—but we didn't fit. Not the way people who last are supposed to.
If there was someone I felt like I fit with it would be—
'Amaris.'
The thought came so easily it scared me.
I didn't know why. It was just… a feeling. A vibe. Like standing on solid ground after being off-balance for too long. She felt right. She was the right—
"Guys."
Dr. O's voice cut through my spiral.
I snapped out of my thoughts so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.
'What the hell was I thinking?'
Was I seriously just… rationalizing why I might like my best friend?
Heat rushed up my neck, blooming across my cheeks. I quickly took a few steady breaths, forcing myself to calm down.
'Now is not the time, Kira. Definitely not the time.'
I'm a Ranger. And Ranger duties came first.
Even if my heart clearly didn't get the memo.