It had been three weeks since the battle with Ryken.
Three weeks since Kael had stood amidst the wreckage, gasping for breath, his body bruised and burning, while pro heroes finally caught up to what he'd already endured.
Since then, the world had moved on. The streets were calm again—for now. Most of the villains had vanished into the shadows, those who hadn't already been apprehended. Cleanup was still underway, both physical and political. But the chaos had passed.
And Kael Ishiro—also known as the vigilante Equinox—was nowhere to be found.
The soft flicker of the TV illuminated the quiet bakery's upstairs apartment. Kael sat curled into the corner of the futon, a warm blanket over his shoulders, a half-empty cup of lukewarm tea on the table.
The news droned on, a segment revisiting the events of "that day."
"Three weeks since the mysterious Equinox vanished from public view," the anchor said. "His last sighting was during the major villain assault in downtown Musutafu, where he was seen fighting multiple high-level targets single-handedly before pro heroes arrived. Despite increased speculation, Equinox's true identity remains unknown…"
Kael turned down the volume, not bothering to mute it entirely. He watched the slow pan over the scorched streets and cracked pavement—the battlefield he'd left behind. One of the last frames showed him in blurry, silhouetted form, coat torn, smoke curling behind him.
He leaned forward and shut the TV off.
No point in dwelling on it.
With a groan, he stood, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs. He'd been lying low, resting, and for once, letting his body heal properly. No training, no missions, no night patrols. Just sleep, food, and silence.
But he couldn't stay in bed forever.
The scent of something sweet baking downstairs nudged at his senses, warm and nostalgic.
He headed down to the bakery.
The bell chimed softly as Kael pushed open the back door and stepped into the warm morning light of the kitchen. Aunt Nari stood behind the counter, already deep into her rhythm—kneading dough, brushing pastries with egg wash, humming softly to herself. The shop smelled of honey-glaze and roasted almonds.
"Well, look who finally rolled out of bed," she said without turning.
Kael rubbed his eyes. "Didn't realize it was already noon."
"Noon? It's 3 o'clock in the evening."
"Even better."
She glanced over her shoulder, smiling gently. "You sleeping okay?"
He shrugged. "Better than I used to."
That was true, in a way. The dreams were still there, but they didn't choke him like they used to. And when he woke up, it wasn't to blood in his mouth or sirens outside. It was to the sound of the oven timer or Hana arguing with the toaster.
Yuto sat at a booth near the front, a mug of coffee in hand and one leg resting on the bench. "Yo, sleeping beauty," he called. "You gonna eat something or keep pretending to be a cryptid upstairs?"
Kael grabbed a seat across from him and accepted the pastry Aunt Nari handed over. Flaky, warm, with something peachy in the middle. He bit into it gratefully.
"You guys know how much I appreciate you taking me in, right?" he mumbled.
"You're family, why wouldn't we?" Aunt Nari said, as though it didn't even need to be said.
He ate in quiet comfort, the rhythm of the bakery settling around him like a favorite sweater. Then came the inevitable burst of footsteps and high-pitched cheer.
"Kael!"
Hana's voice rang out as she dashed from the hallway behind the kitchen, face bright with excitement. She wore overalls and sneakers too big for her, holding a crayon drawing of a bird. "You're finally downstairs!"
Kael smiled as she bounded over. "Hey, Hana. Nice drawing."
"It's a hawk," she said proudly. "I named him Clawbeak."
"Excellent name."
She put her drawing on the table, eyes shining. "Soooo, Kael…. Will you take me to the park today?! You promised once you got better!"
Kael blinked. "I said that?"
"Yes! Three weeks ago!" she insisted, crossing her arms. "You said, 'Once I stop being sore, I'll take you anywhere.' And now you're not sore anymore!"
"I'm still emotionally sore."
"Doesn't count."
Yuto snorted. "She's got you there."
Kael looked at Hana's hopeful little face, then at his now-empty plate, then out the window to the cloudless sky.
The bakery smelled like cinnamon and warmth. The world felt… quiet.
"Alright," Kael said with a sigh of mock defeat. "You win, you win. Park it is. Go get dressed okay? Comb your hair and brush your teeth."
"YES!" Hana laughed as she bolted into the back room.
Aunt Nari looked over her shoulder with a knowing smile. "You should take your own advice too Kael."
Kael nodded quietly, and went upstairs to get ready himself. After around ten minutes, he and Hana left to go to the park.
The park hadn't changed. Even after all the destruction that was caused to it weeks ago, it still looked the same: the wide grassy field, the gravel paths, the flower beds just starting to bloom. The air smelled clean, sweet with pollen and the faint scent of food from nearby stalls.
Hana ran ahead to the swings, and Kael followed at a slower pace, his hands tucked in his pockets.
"Push me!" she yelled once she climbed aboard.
"Say please."
"Push me pleeease! Or I'll tell Aunt Nari you said a bad word last night!"
Kael gave her a look. "You little blackmailer."
She giggled as he began to push the swing, gentle at first, then higher. The wind tousled her hair, and her laughter rang out like windchimes.
"Higher, Kael!"
"You tryna go to the moon or something?"
"YES!"
They played like that for a while—swings, the seesaw, racing up the jungle gym. Kael let himself get pulled into her world, letting go of the weight on his shoulders just enough to breathe freely.
At one point, Hana sat down beside a duck pond, watching the birds paddle by.
Kael joined her, the two of them quiet for several minutes.
Then Hana spoke softly, almost shyly. "I missed you, you know."
He turned to her. "Ive always been here Hana, haven't I?"
"Not really," she said. "Your body may have been. But your mind was always somewhere else."
Kael looked down at the water, then at his reflection rippling on the surface.
"You're right Hana. I was just so caught up in doing what I was doing that I completely neglected you guys. I…neglected you. Im truly sorry Hana. I really am. Could you find it in your heart to forgive me just this once?"
Hana didn't say anything else. She just leaned her head against his arm.
"Mm just this once okay? I love you Kael. We all do."
Kael watched the breeze ripple across the pond and the sky shift colors above them.
He thought of the nights spent bleeding in alleyways, of the burns on his hands and the pressure in his chest every time a fight pushed him past his limits. He thought of Yuto's words weeks ago, when the bruises were still fresh.
"Give her the kind of days you never had."
Kael inhaled deeply.
Maybe he hadn't noticed it until now—but in these weeks of quiet, he hadn't missed the cape. Or the mask. Or the fight.
He'd missed this.
Laughter. Sunshine. Hana's small hand grabbing his sleeve. Her giggles. The peace.
Kael closed his eyes and made a decision—softly, without drama.
He wasn't going back.
Not when he had a little sister to take care of.
He looked down at her as she pointed excitedly at a duck splashing in the water.
'I love you too, you little rascal..' Kael placed his hand on her head, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long time.
"Ah, are you okay, Kael? Your eyes are.."
"Im just find little lady. Now look at that duck over there! You see its tail? Its so strange looking!"
"Haaa, your right…I'm gonna name that one Beakwaddle!" she announced.
Kael laughed, genuinely, and ruffled her hair.
"Thats perfect Hana. Thats perfect."
…