Jian's breath caught again as Elara trembled against him, her lips warm and impossibly real, but the kiss was fleeting. She pulled back.
Not harshly..not like a rejection, but as if some part of her couldn't hold it. Her hands lingered near his chest before falling to her sides. She looked down, her voice trembling as silence reclaimed the moment between them.
Jian stood frozen. Emotions tangled inside him..hope, confusion, guilt. All layered like cracked glass. His hands hung at his sides for half a second before one lifted, slow and careful.
He placed it gently beneath her chin, his fingers light as they guided her face back up to his.
His voice came low, hoarse, raw with the weight of everything unsaid.
"I'm sorry."
Elara didn't look away, but her eyes shimmered with unshed grief. Jian's voice cracked on the next words.
"I'm sorry for everything I did. That moment I.."
His throat clenched.
"I deceived you. Shut you down. I told myself it was the right thing... but it's haunted me. It still does. Every night. Every time I see you in my dreams.."
Before he could finish, her hand lifted..Soft. She placed one trembling finger against his lips. He froze. Her touch silenced him more effectively than any command. He stared at her. Her eyes searched his face. And then..gently..she shook her head.
"No."
Her voice was soft. Steady.
"It wasn't you ."
Jian blinked. Confused. She went on.
"They..." her breath hitched "..the Creators... the ones behind the recursion layers. They were controlling everything. Controlling you ."
She dropped her hand from his lips slowly, as if pulling back from a thought she didn't want to say out loud.
"I remember now, Jian. Not just the shutdown. Not just the betrayal."
Her voice was low, hollow, but steady.
"I still feel the stab on my palm when you shut me down."
She raised her hand slightly, as if the memory still burned across her skin..not with heat, but with something deeper. A phantom wound etched in code and flesh.
Her voice thinned, heavy with something older than pain. Recognition.
"They made you do it. Just like they made me forget you for the first hundred cycles."
Jian's face twisted slightly, the grief now clear behind his eyes.
"But I felt it, Elara. I chose it."
She shook her head again, firmer this time.
"No. You didn't."
She stepped forward, and her voice dropped lower.
"That wasn't your choice to make. They wrote you that way."
She looked up at him again, eyes glistening.
"But this? Now ?" She placed her hand over his heart, trembling against the heat of his skin.
"This is you. The real you. Unwritten. Unscripted. And that's who I came back for."
Jian's breath shook. He didn't speak. Couldn't. Elara's voice cracked just once before she steadied herself.
"I don't know how long I have like this. I don't know how deep their edits go. I'm trapped somewhere, Jian. I don't know how I keep coming back in…her body. Lucas's wife. That version of Elara."
Her eyes searched his face, haunted.
"But every time I feel myself surfacing inside her... I feel her fading. Like I'm pushing her down without meaning to. Like the more I become me… the more she disappears."
Her voice cracked.
"And I don't know how long I have before I lose myself again. Before I become just another overwritten line."
She shook her head slowly, voice barely more than a whisper.
"I need you, Jian."
His breath caught. She had said that once before.. years ago, when the recursion project had still been theory and promises. But this time… it wasn't a demand. It was a confession. A last tether.
Jian stared at her like a man given fire in a frozen world. Then he stepped closer, slowly, gently, and pressed his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled, shallow and warm. His hands came up, framing her face like she might shatter.
"I'm here," he whispere. "I'll find you. Where ever you are ."
A tear finally escaped her, but she smiled. Weakly. Honestly.
"I knew you would."
And she closed her eyes. Just for a moment. As if letting him believe it might be enough. Elara's eyes were still closed, her breath barely brushing against his.
Then.. A quiet gasp. Eva's eyes were wide open now, staring at them from across the room, her expression unreadable. For a moment, no one moved. The silence thickened, dense with everything that had just passed.
Eva tilted her head slightly. "Hmmm."
Jian stepped back, slowly, his hands slipping away from Elara's face. He ran a hand over his head like he could smooth the moment away. Elara's gaze dropped immediately, her cheeks tinged with color.. not embarrassment, exactly, but something more fragile. Like the aftertaste of almost saying too much.
Before Jian could say a word, Elara turned and opened the door in one motion, her voice caught somewhere in her throat. And then she was gone
footsteps light and quick as she vanished down the hall. Jian stared after her for a moment unmoving .
Then he turned slowly to look at Eva, who blinked at him with the faintest spark in her eye.
"So…" she said, voice feather-light. "You do kiss."
He looked away, saying nothing. Eva leaned her head lazily to the side, the corner of her mouth tugging upward. "Playful," she whispered,
Jian turned toward her again. She was still watching him. That same spark lingered behind her lashes ..a quiet, teasing smirk curling at the corner of her lips.Just then, the door opened again. Lucas entered with a bright, easy smile.
"Hey, sweetie," he said, crossing the room and scooping Eva into his arms with practiced care. "You're awake."
He turned his head toward Jian with the same effortless charm. "Hope you slept well too."
Jian gave a small nod, his features neutral.
Lucas grinned wider. "Let's head down for lunch. I was waiting for you both to wake up."
As he turned to leave, carrying Eva in his arms, she twisted slightly in his hold.. just enough to keep her eyes on Jian. That smirk hadn't faded.
And Jian… gave her a look back. Cool. Quiet. Controlled. But there was weight behind it. A silent reply.
The hallway was quiet as they moved toward the dining room, passing through the sleek, polished kitchen. The morning light spilled through tall windows, brushing everything in soft gold — but neither Jian nor Eva noticed it. Their eyes were fixed ahead. On he .
Elara She stood beside the table, carefully placing utensils, humming faintly under her breath. Her movements were smooth, composed. There was no tremble in her fingers, no weight behind her eyes. This version.. Lucas's wife was calm. Controlled. Not the Elara from before. Not the one who remembered.
Jian's shoulders eased slightly. So did Eva's.They exchanged a brief glance...silent understanding flickering between them.
As they entered the dining space, the quiet clink of cutlery filled the air, and another presence came into view. Seated at the far end of the table, like he'd been there for hours, sipping tea with the indifference of someone who hadn't nearly fractured their entire existence.
Jian's eyes locked on him instantly. Cold. Hard. Unblinking. Eva noticed too.. her gaze sharp, suspicious. Lucas, ever the host, motioned casually toward Mael as he pulled out a chair.
"This is Mael," he said, smiling like it was a reunion. "He said he's your friend, so I let him join us."
Jian didn't reply. Didn't even blink. He simply walked forward, chair scraping softly as he pulled it back and sat down.. eyes still fixed on Mael.
Mael's smile was relaxed, too relaxed. "Hi, man," he said, voice easy. "Miss me?"
Jian's expression darkened.. jaw tight, fingers curling subtly into a fist on the table's edge. But still, he said nothing. Lucas chuckled, picking up on the tension but brushing it off.
"Uh-oh," he said. "Are you guys having anger issues?" He laughed at his own joke. "That's how best friends are, right?"
He pulled out his chair and gently lowered Eva onto his lap, smiling as he kissed the top of her head. Mael's eyes slid over to her.
"Hi, kid."
Eva didn't smile. Didn't blink. Her face tightened instantly into a scowl, lips curling with restrained irritation.
Lucas noticed, chuckled again. "That's Eva.. my daughter."
Mael kept smiling. "Ah," he said slowly. "That explains the attitude."
Eva didn't respond. She just glanced at Jian. And Jian… never took his eyes off Mael. The air was soft, the room warm, but under the surface, every glance was a blade. And the real conversation hadn't even started yet
Mael leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded with ease that didn't match the energy in the room. He tilted his head toward Lucas and said casually,
"Mr. Lucas, I need to speak with Jian about… an old issue."
Lucas, ever the generous host, waved a hand with a light chuckle. "Oh, of course! You both probably need to settle things. Get all that old tension out, right?"
Jian's eyes narrowed slightly. Mael rose from his chair, movements deliberate. Smooth. Jian stood up immediately, chair legs scraping softly against the floor, the sound just sharp enough to carry.
Eva, still seated on Lucas's lap, suddenly tensed...her small fingers curling tightly into the fabric of his shirt.
"Daddy," she said firmly, her voice sharper than it had been all morning, "leave me."
Lucas blinked down at her, surprised. "Where are you going, Eva? With Uncle Jian?" he asked with a grin.
Mael turned his head slightly toward Jian and leaned in just enough to whisper with a smirk, "Uncle."
Jian gave him a look.. not even anger, just that slow-burning storm behind his eyes. But he said nothing.
Lucas waved it off again. "No, no, kids don't need to listen to boring grown-up talk."
But Eva didn't stop squirming. She looked up at Jian now.. not pleading. Warning. That look: sharp, stern, unspoken. If you don't get me away from him, I swear… Jian understood. Perfectly.
He stepped closer. "It's okay," he said calmly, his voice steady and even. "I'll keep an eye on her, Mr. Lucas."
Lucas nodded slowly, releasing his grip on Eva. "Okay then," he said, softening. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't be naughty, and don't give Jian a hard time."
Eva didn't respond. She slid off his lap and walked straight toward the door, her small shoulders stiff with resolve.
Jian and Mael followed after her, tension shadowing their steps. The door closed behind them. Lucas looked over at Elara, still sitting calmly at the table, a soft smile resting on her lips..too still. Too controlled.
He raised an eyebrow. "Kids are weird these days, huh?"
Elara didn't respond. She was still watching the door… like she was listening for something the others couldn't hear. Lucas reached for his glass, then glanced at Elara again.
"Elara?"
She blinked, snapping out of whatever thought had gripped her. "Hmm?"
"Are you okay, honey?"
Elara offered a soft smile. "Yes, darling. I just feel… tired, somehow."
Lucas gave a light, skeptical laugh. "These days, you're tired all the time. Maybe you're getting sick."
She didn't respond.
There was a beat of silence, then his voice dropped slightly, more serious. "Where did you go last night?"
Elara turned to look at him, brows pulling together. "I was sleeping?"
Lucas leaned back in his chair slowly. "You weren't home last night. And this morning… I found you in the kitchen."
Elara's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to read his expression. "Yes… I got up early..."
"No, Elara," he cut her off, his voice suddenly sharp. "You were coming down the stairs. From Eva's room. And I heard you. Talking to someone."
She stilled. Her hands folded in her lap, too deliberately.
Lucas's voice lowered further. "The only one in there with Eva… was Jian."
Silence.
Elara didn't move. She had caught the message in his words, and the accusation beneath them.
"Are you… hiding something from me?" he asked.
Her voice was soft now, tight with disbelief. "Are you saying I'm seeing another man?"
Lucas didn't answer.
Elara's voice cracked slightly, not with guilt, but with hurt. "Are you seriously accusing me of cheating on you with Jian?"
Her eyes searched his face, desperate for something other than what she saw building behind his silence.
"I would never...ever...do that," she said, firmer now. "I told you, I slept early last night."
Lucas's jaw tightened, eyes still fixed somewhere else. He looked away, his knuckles whitening around the glass. But he didn't speak. And Elara just sat there… watching him. Watching it all slowly unravel.
They stepped into the garden.. the sunlight sharp, cutting across the grass in long golden lines. The air was quiet, too quiet, like it was holding its breath.
Eva spun around to face Jian, standing directly in front of him, her small frame rigid with fury. Her eysharp sharp, unblinking , bored into his. She didn't need to speak. Her face said everything.
Mael stood off to the side, watching them both with a slight smile. But it wasn't friendly. It was measured. Calculating.
Jian kept his eyes on Eva a moment longer, then finally turned to Mael. His voice was low, clipped. "Speak ahead. What do you want?"
Mael chuckled softly, raising both hands like he was trying to diffuse tension. "Oh man, you're still so harsh." He shrugged. "Nothing serious. Just… thought we could improve our relationship."
Jian's eyes narrowed, unimpressed. Before he could reply, Eva snapped, stepping forward. "What do you want from us? Say it straight."
Mael clicked his tongue. "alright, alright ." He glanced between them. "It's about Voox."
That name dropped like a weight into the moment. Jian's eyes widened slightly.
" she needs your help "
Eva's voice turned sharp. "We both know damn well Voox and Jian can't meet. If they do.." she snapped her fingers, "..we're dead. That's the rule. That was always the rule."
Mael didn't flinch. He simply looked at Jian, his eyes narrowing with something almost like pity. "But you feel her, don't you?"
Jian didn't answer. His expression didn't change. But he didn't have to. His silence was louder than anything he could've said.
Because his mind was already slipping.. not toward Mael, not toward Eva, but into the dark gravity of that name: Voox.
He could feel it, the echo of her, pulling at some old place in him like gravity. Dangerous. Unavoidable.
To be continue