The knock at the door came again—soft, hesitant, nothing like the sharp urgency Phineas used.This one felt… human.Normal.The kind of knock Kayden used to ignore on peaceful days that no longer existed.
"Kayden?" Alex's voice floated through the wood, a little tired, a little worried."Are you awake?"
Kayden's pulse tightened. His eyes still shimmered faintly with that lingering silver. The room still carried the cold imprint of the unauthorized signal, the walls still humming with the echo of something that didn't belong in this world. He didn't want Alex to see any of it.
But Alex knocked again, softer this time."Hey… can I come in?"
Kayden swallowed, forcing the tremor out of his voice."Yeah. It's open."
The door creaked.Alex stepped inside, hoodie half-zipped, hair messy like he'd run here from somewhere. His eyes scanned the room instantly—looking for danger, for Kayden, for anything that felt off.
He found Kayden sitting on the floor beside his bed, back against the wall, hands still shaking slightly.
Alex froze."Oh my god… Kayden?"
Kayden looked up too quickly, trying to act normal. "I'm fine."
He wasn't.And Alex saw it immediately.
He shut the door quietly and crossed the room, lowering himself beside Kayden without asking permission—like this wasn't the first time he'd sat beside him after something broke inside him.
"You don't look fine," Alex whispered. "You look… scared."
Kayden's breath hitched. He hadn't realized until now how tight his chest had been. He looked away, staring at the floorboards as if they could anchor him.
"It's nothing. Just a bad moment."
Alex shook his head. "No. I know what your 'bad moments' look like. This is different."
It was.
More different than Alex could imagine.
Kayden's voice came out thin."Alex… if I tell you, you'll wish you never asked."
Alex didn't flinch."You said that before. I stayed then. I'm staying now."
Kayden opened his mouth——but the air wavered.
Just a flicker.A faint aftershock from the signal.Like reality cleared its throat behind him.
His expression cracked.
Alex's eyes widened. "Kayden? What was that?"
Kayden shut his eyes, pressing his palms to them."Please don't ask."
Alex gently rested a hand on Kayden's shoulder. "You're shaking. And you weren't earlier. Something happened."
Kayden's voice trembled before he could stop it."I saw something. And it tried to pull me in."
Alex stiffened. "What do you mean pull you—pull you where?"
Kayden opened his eyes slowly.
Silver threaded through them like moonlight mixed with fear.
Alex's breath caught."Your eyes…"
Kayden turned away, ashamed, exhausted."It's nothing. Just… a side effect."
"Side effect of what?" Alex demanded softly. "Kayden, talk to me."
Kayden buried his face in his hands."I'm losing myself, Alex."
Alex didn't move. Didn't breathe.He just stared at him, stunned.
Kayden forced himself to continue."There was… a system. Not APEX. Something older. Stronger. It tried to connect to me. It tried to—replace me. Or restore me. I don't even know anymore."
Alex's jaw tightened, eyes softening with fear and protectiveness at the same time.
"Kayden… that sounds like—like something trying to control you."
Kayden let out a small, broken laugh."It already tried."
Alex reached forward, catching Kayden's wrist before he could hide his expression."Look at me."
Kayden didn't.
Alex tried again, voice gentler."Kayden. Look at me."
Kayden lifted his head.
Alex's expression was not fear.Not disgust.Just pain—pain from seeing someone he cared about break quietly.
"You're not losing yourself," Alex whispered. "You're scared. That's human."
Kayden looked away, a tremor running through him."I don't think I'm just human anymore."
Alex shook his head firmly."I don't care what's changing. You're still Kayden. You're still here. Right now. With me."
Kayden swallowed, the words hitting deeper than Alex realized.
A faint pulse rippled through the room—APEX rebooting weakly somewhere behind Kayden's vision. But APEX didn't speak. It almost stepped back, giving them space.
Alex shifted closer, lowering his voice even more."I came because I heard something fall. And because Phineas texted me."He hesitated."He said you looked… broken."
Kayden clenched his jaw."Great. Now both of you get front-row seats."
Alex nudged his shoulder lightly."I'm not here to watch you fall apart. I'm here so you don't have to do it alone."
Something inside Kayden cracked.
Not loudly.Not visibly.Just enough that his breath stuttered and he let his head rest back against the wall.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Alex leaned his shoulder against Kayden's.Warm.Alive.Grounding.
Finally Alex whispered, "Whatever's happening to you, we'll figure it out. Even if the world is… thinning, or breaking, or whatever this is. I'm not leaving."
Kayden exhaled shakily."You should."
Alex shook his head immediately."Not happening."
Kayden looked at him, eyes still faintly silver."You don't know what's coming."
Alex held his gaze without fear."Then tell me."
Kayden hesitated—but the memory of the white-haired commander flickered across his vision again.
The signal's whisper echoed in his bones:Come back.
He shivered.
Alex noticed instantly."Kayden… what did you see?"
Kayden's voice finally broke.
"A war."
Alex's breath hitched."A war… here?"
"No." Kayden closed his eyes."A war from before this world even began."
Alex swallowed. Hard."Kayden… what are you becoming?"
Kayden didn't know. He had no answer.All he knew was the thin line was tightening, the signal would return, and something ancient—something wearing his name—wanted him.
He took a shaky breath.
"I'm scared, Alex."
Alex didn't hesitate this time.He wrapped an arm around Kayden, pulling him close. A simple, human gesture that felt like a wall against the chaos crawling beneath reality.
"I know," Alex whispered."And I'm not going anywhere."
Kayden let his eyes fall shut, leaning into him just enough that the shaking finally began to quiet.
Outside, the city continued breathing, unaware that the world had taken one more step toward unraveling.
Inside the dim room, Kayden let himself break silently—just for a moment—because he wasn't alone anymore.