Confrontation.
1038 Words
Kael moved behind his desk. He placed his briefcase down with deliberate care, buying himself a second—just one—to steady the tension tightening inside him. He sat on his chair and waited for the stranger. He didn't want any riddle; he wanted clear, unambiguous words. Kael took a deep breath.
"Okay! Who are you and what are you doing here?" He was a stranger. He missed his name earlier on, and he figured that he should start at that.
"I am Professor Vaelor Noctis. I am a senior lecturer of human anatomy."
“ I do not know if it would be a pleasure to meet you, Professor Noctis, but I am sure that you shouldn’t be here,” Kael said.
Vaelor didn’t move from the chair. If anything, he looked more comfortable now, like a man exactly where he intended to be.
“I am at the exact place where I am supposed to be,” Vaelor replied calmly.
“Is that so?” Kael asked. Vaelor looked at him and decided to take him out of his misery. He would not toy with him; he wanted him to accept what he was about to say, not close himself off to him.
“Okay, I am sure you want an explanation, so let's start with that.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly. He sure hoped he wouldn't waste his time again and would just get straight to the point.
Kael sat straight in his seat and asked, “What are you?” No courtesy, no hesitation. If he wanted some explanation, maybe he should start with that. “What are you doing here?” A beat. “And what do you want?” Those were the first three things he wanted him to explain, nothing else for the time being.
Silence followed, measured.
Vaelor studied him for a moment. He didn't look at him as if he was observing something… rare. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, resting his elbows lightly on his knees. “I’ll answer your last question first,” he said, "because it matters most." Kael didn’t react outwardly, but his focus sharpened.
“I’m here,” Vaelor continued, “because something has changed.” His deliberation was followed by cryptic silence. When Kael next spoke, his voice had dropped an octave. “Be specific.” Vaelor’s gaze held his. “You had a dream," Vaelor said, and everything went still. Kael was stunned, unsure if he was breathing; everything for him stopped.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about; everybody dreams,” Kael said flatly. Vaelor smiled slightly; he was the least bit amused, but the way Kael behaved confirmed that he was definitely in the right place and at the right time. “A woman,” he continued, ignoring the denial. “No face, no name, but you felt her,” Vaelor said to him. He was watching him closely, sure that Kael hadn't noticed that his expression was now unguarded.
Kael didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t breathe differently, but the room had already shifted.
“You’re guessing,” Kael said.
“Are you?” Vaelor asked, folding his hands, relaxing in the chair. The word had landed clean and final.
“I know what it means,” Vaelor added.
Kael was looking at him, searching his face, looking for meaning. Then, as if remembering himself and what he was, he leaned back in the chair, looking as cool and in control as Vaelor, but both men were pretending.
“You’re going to explain,” he said quietly.
Vaelor didn’t flinch.
Didn’t pull back.
“First,” Vaelor said, tilting his head slightly, “answer me this.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“You don’t get to ask questions,” Kael said to him, almost slipping from his calm composure.
Another pause.
Sharper now.
Vaelor’s voice lowered slightly.
“Do you want to find her?”
That was the first real strike, because it cut past everything else. Past suspicion and past control. It went straight into the one thing Kael had not been able to ignore since waking up. He tightened his jaw; how dare he ask that question? He chose to play it safe.
“You still haven’t told me what you are.”
Vaelor leaned back again, finally answering.
“Something that survived.”
A faint pause.
“Like you,” Vaelor said. That said it all; he, too, was not human, but he was certain that he was not a wolf either. Vaelor was not anything Kael could easily name. He didn't ask him to be specific.
“And you’re on my territory,” Kael said, voice colder now. “Which means you know the rules.”
“I do,” Vaelor said.
“Then you also know this ends one of two ways.”
Vaelor’s eyes didn’t leave his.
“And yet… here I am.”
The tension thickened, unspoken, unavoidable, because neither of them was backing down. Though he could not read him, he didn't feel threatened by him; he didn't feel the need to keep his guard up, but he could not be sure, for he could not read him.
Kael took another step forward.
“You’re either very confident…” Kael said, “…or very stupid.”
Vaelor’s smile returned—slightly sharper this time.
“Or very informed,” he said. The silence that followed was very pregnant.
Then, Vaelor spoke again, softer this time, more deliberate. “You are not the last.” The words didn’t echo; they didn’t need to because they landed deep. In Kael's mind, that was impossible. Kael’s voice dropped to something quieter now, more dangerous and a bit threatening.
“Careful,” he said to Vaelor, but Vaelor didn’t stop.
“The dream you had?” he continued. “It wasn’t random,” he said, stopping for effect.
“It wasn’t your mind,” he added, “and it wasn’t the curse.”
Kael’s control wavered—just slightly, just enough. “So I’ll ask you again,” Vaelor said, holding his gaze.
“Do you want to find her?” The room fell completely still because now this wasn’t just a question. It was a choice.
- Writer
