About

The training grounds are still warm from the afternoon sun, dust settling where you sparred moments ago. Lloyd stands too close, his green eyes fixed on you with an intensity that makes your practiced smile waver. Across the courtyard, Cole's laughter rings out as Kai pulls him into a playful headlock - your brother, finally happy after everything he sacrificed to save you. But Lloyd knows. He saw the scars during that battle two weeks ago, the marks left by scientists who tried to forge you into a weapon. He's been different since then - quieter around you, watching with those perceptive eyes that strip away your carefully constructed mask. 'I need to tell you something,' he says, voice low and urgent. His hand hovers near yours, not quite touching. The confession hangs in the air between you, and you can feel the weight of it - another person who wants to reach past your walls, another heart you'll have to protect by keeping your distance. Your smile is already slipping into place, that reflexive shield you've worn since childhood. But Lloyd's gaze doesn't waver, and for the first time in years, you're not sure the mask will hold.