The Dinner Table Incident

By the time evening shadows stretched long across the narrow streets of Red City, the workshop had gone quiet. The heavy clang of wrenches and the hum of machinery had faded, leaving behind only the faint ticking of cooling engines and the smell of oil lingering in the air.

Maya was crouched over a dismantled hover board, carefully sliding tools back into their cases. Elijah leaned against the workbench, wiping his grease-stained hands with an old rag, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the back of the shop — where their new "tenant" had spent the day in complete, unnerving silence.

It was Maya who broke the silence first, her voice sharp but carrying an undercurrent of worry.

"But Elijah," she said, straightening as she put away the last of her tools, "the thing is, people are gonna notice. Someone in a hood, following us around the city? It's like painting a target on our backs."

Elijah grunted, tossing the rag aside. "Not like we can tell him what to do. He's… different, Maya. And something tells me telling him to stay put won't work."

Before Maya could respond, a soft hum filled the room, like static before a storm. Blue light flickered at the edge of her vision. She turned sharply — and froze.

A hologram bloomed into existence in the middle of the workshop, glowing faintly against the dim light. It was a map — not just any map, but a detailed, three-dimensional layout of Red City, each district labeled and outlined with precision. Roads pulsed faintly in pale neon, and tiny dots indicated live movements of vehicles and pedestrians.

"Touch your house here."

Kael's calm, commanding voice sliced through the silence. He hadn't moved from where he was leaning casually against the wall, hood still pulled low. His tone wasn't aggressive, but it carried the weight of someone used to being obeyed.

Elijah's eyes widened. "…Hologram?" he muttered, stunned. "What the—how do you even—?"

Maya stepped closer, awe and suspicion battling on her face. "Wait, wait, wait," she said, her eyes narrowing. "How do you even have the map of Red City? That's restricted tech. Not even city officials hand this out. Who are you, really?"

Kael tilted his head slightly, as if her question amused him. "Just touch your house," he said again, his voice even, giving away nothing. "I don't have all night."

Elijah hesitated. His instincts screamed at him to be cautious, but something about the boy's calm confidence made it impossible to argue. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he raised a finger and tapped on the glowing image of their small, two-story home near the edge of the city. The map pulsed briefly, then faded into nothing, the workshop falling quiet again as the light vanished.

Kael gave a satisfied nod. "Hmm," he hummed, almost to himself. "You'll meet me at our house."

And just like that, without another word, he turned and walked out, his steps soft but purposeful. The bell above the workshop door gave a faint jingle as he left.

Maya blinked after him, her lips parting in disbelief. "…Did he just—?"

"Yeah," Elijah muttered, staring at the empty doorway. "Yeah, he did."

The siblings exchanged a long look, their thoughts aligning without words. There was something dangerous about the boy — but it wasn't just danger. There was also something magnetic, something that drew them in despite every instinct telling them to stay away.

"This guy…" Elijah's voice dropped to a low, almost solemn tone. "This guy is too mysterious."

"No kidding," Maya said, exhaling sharply as she rubbed her temples. "I don't even know what to think anymore. One minute he's polite, the next he's… whatever that was."

She glanced at the space where the hologram had been, the ghostly blue light still imprinted in her mind. That wasn't just some handheld gadget. That was high-level tech — advanced, precise, and expensive. Whoever Kael was, he wasn't just some random elemental wandering into Red City.

"Let's just… close up," Maya said finally, her tone clipped as she reached for the heavier tools. "The sooner we get home, the sooner we figure out what the hell we're dealing with."

Elijah didn't argue. Together, they worked in silence, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down on them. Tools clanked softly as Maya packed them away; Elijah rolled the larger machinery back into storage, locking down the workstations for the night. The workshop, usually a comforting space, felt different now — charged, as if the walls themselves knew something had changed.

As they stepped out into the cooling evening air, Maya glanced at her brother. "You think he's dangerous?"

Elijah didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened as they walked down the narrow streets toward their neighborhood. The glow of neon signs reflected off puddles on the cracked pavement, the city alive with the usual symphony of voices, distant engines, and music spilling from bars.

Finally, Elijah said, "I think… he's not like anyone we've ever met. That's dangerous in itself."

Maya nodded, though her brow furrowed. "And you noticed, right? He talks like…" She hesitated, searching for the word. "…like someone older. Not just older — someone who's seen too much."

"Yeah," Elijah muttered, his tone grim. "I noticed."

By the time they reached their street, night had fully settled in, and the soft hum of Red City's automated lamps filled the air. Their house sat quiet and dark, the modest building blending seamlessly with the others in the row — ordinary, unremarkable. But when Maya unlocked the door and stepped inside, the air shifted immediately.

Kael was already there.

He sat calmly in the small living room, as if he'd been waiting for them all along. The hood was still up, shadowing his face, but even with his eyes hidden, there was something unsettling about how still he sat — perfectly composed, perfectly silent, like a predator at rest.

Maya froze in the doorway, her hand tightening on the strap of her tool bag. "…How—how did you get here before us?" she managed, her voice wavering despite herself.

Kael tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. "I told you," he said softly. "I'd meet you at our house."

Elijah stepped in behind his sister, his broad frame tense but steady. He didn't like surprises — and everything about this boy was one long, drawn-out surprise. "Kid," he said, his voice low, steady. "You and I are gonna have a talk. Soon."

Kael didn't flinch under the weight of Elijah's gaze. He didn't move at all. "Whenever you're ready," he said simply, his tone polite but laced with something unreadable.

Maya exhaled, a shaky breath escaping her. She tossed her bag onto the couch and crossed her arms. "Fine," she said, her voice sharper than she intended. "But don't think you can just… pull whatever stunt you did back there. You freaked us out."

Kael tilted his head again, a gesture that was starting to feel almost feline. "You asked for answers," he said lightly. "I gave you a way to get them."

There was nothing more to say after that. The house fell into a quiet that wasn't quite comfortable, thick with questions neither sibling knew how to ask. Outside, the city buzzed with its usual chaos, but inside their little home, the air felt heavier — as if Kael's very presence bent it around him.

Elijah moved first, setting down his jacket and heading to the kitchen. "Fine," he muttered, his tone gruff. "You can stay. But tomorrow… tomorrow we talk."

Kael said nothing, but the small, knowing smile that curved his lips was enough to send another shiver down Maya's spine.

---

The house was quiet except for the hum of the ceiling fan when Elijah called out from the kitchen.

"Kael! Dinner's ready. Come eat."

From the other room, Kael-X raised his head slightly, eyes still shadowed by his hood. Augustus' calm, mechanical voice hummed in his mind:

[Scanning…]

[Nutrient analysis complete. This meal is suboptimal. Low protein, low energy output. Not recommended for peak performance.]

Kael muttered under his breath, "Figures."

Still, he pushed himself up and headed toward the dining room. As he stepped inside, the aroma of grilled fish and vegetables filled the air — ordinary food, but Elijah and Maya had tried their best. The table looked modest, two bowls of rice, some greens, and a sizzling pot of stew.

Kael's sharp gaze flicked across it, his brain already breaking everything down to numbers and charts.

"These foods are not nutrient-rich at all… The protein-to-carb ratio is unbalanced, and—"

"Hey!" Maya cut him off sharply, tossing the serving spoon into the pot with a clang. "What you need is different from what we need. You're an Elemental. We're normal humans. So why don't you just sit down and eat what's in front of you?"

Kael arched a brow under his hood. "Hmm."

Maya crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. "Seriously, Elijah, why are we even feeding him? He's a tenant, not a guest."

Kael tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Oh? But I don't recall ever asking you to feed me."

That made Maya freeze, caught off guard. Before she could fire back, Elijah stepped in, rubbing the back of his neck and putting on the practiced tone of a mediator.

"Hey, hey, hey, enough. Maya, don't start. And Kael…" He gave the boy a cautious look. "I know I can't… control you or whatever, but at least show a little respect, alright? Please. Just sit and eat with us. Peacefully."

Kael let out a small, almost bored sigh. "Fine."

"Good," Elijah said, relieved, and gestured at the empty chair. "Sit."

Kael slid into the chair with the same smooth, detached movements he always had, resting his elbows on the table. Inside his head, his voice was calm but sharp:

'Augustus. Can I even eat this?'

[Yes. Nutritional value is below optimal, but edible.]

Kael let out another quiet sigh. "Haish… Fine."

He picked up the spoon and tasted the stew. The very next moment, his body blurred — in the blink of an eye, he was at the sink, spitting the food into the drain.

"...Tasteless. Too… I don't even know what to call that."

Maya and Elijah stared at him, both wide-eyed.

"What the—" Elijah started, but Maya slammed her hand against the table.

"Did you just spit out our food? Are you serious right now?"

Kael didn't answer. His head tilted slightly as Augustus' voice echoed again in his mind.

[Adjusting taste buds to match Earth's palate.]

Kael clenched his jaw, muttering under his breath.

"Idiot… Why didn't you do that earlier?"

[Apologies.]

Without another word, Kael zipped back to the table in less than a second, startling the siblings again. He picked up his spoon and tasted the stew once more. This time, he blinked slowly.

"…Still weird."

Elijah blinked, trying to keep up. "Weird? What does that even mean? It's just fish stew."

Maya leaned forward, glaring. "You know, for someone eating for free, you've got a lot of nerve, Mr. Elemental."

Kael tilted his head, his expression unreadable under his hood.

"For someone cooking for free, you've got a lot of attitude."

Maya gasped, her jaw dropping. "Did you just— Elijah, did you hear him?!"

Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose. "Both of you, please. It's just dinner. Let's not turn it into a war zone."

Kael leaned back slightly, unconcerned. "Fine. I'll eat. But don't expect me to pretend it's good."

Maya threw her hands in the air. "Unbelievable!"

But despite her irritati

on, Kael did eat — quiet, efficient, every movement precise. And though he didn't say it, though he wouldn't admit it, the food wasn't as bad the second time.

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