The Weight Of Remaining

CHAPTER 4

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The alley felt strangely smaller now, narrow and quiet. Like the city had faded away around us.

I didn’t like it. I liked even less that he seemed perfectly comfortable standing there.

“You haven’t actually explained why you’re following me.” i said still trying to figure out if it's a good idea to continue talking to him.

“I did.” he said calmly

“No.” I said as I pointed at him “You complimented my fighting.”

Then, to my immense irritation, he looked like he was trying not to laugh.

“I wasn’t complimenting you.” His mouth twitched.

“You chased me through six streets.” I protested.

“Seven.” he corrected.

“That wasn’t the important part of that sentence.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Maybe it was.” he grinned.

He was definitely annoying. Possibly dangerous. Almost certainly both, which was a terrible combination.

I glanced toward the mouth of the alley, not because I planned to run.

Again.

Mostly because I liked knowing where my exits were. Old habit. One that had kept me alive for years.

Unfortunately, Kaiden noticed and his gaze followed mine.

“You don’t trust people very much.”

“That’s an interesting observation from a man who followed a stranger into a dark alley.” I scoffed.

“You got me there.” he agreed as a playful spark flickered in his eyes.

“See? We agree on something.” I concluded with a sarcastic smile.

A smile appeared on his face. It was brief and unexpected, which was dangerous. Attractive men smiling at me had never historically improved my decision-making. And I mentally added that fact to the growing list of reasons I should leave.

Immediately.

Instead, I remained exactly where I was.

“You know what those creatures are.” Kaiden said as he crossed his arms.

Not a question. A statement.

“Everyone does.” I shrugged.

“Not really.” His voice had lost some of its teasing edge. “Most people know the stories.”

I stayed silent.

“They don’t know what it’s actually like to fight them.” His gaze sharpened. “And they definitely don’t know how to predict their movements before they happen.”

I felt my pulse stumbled just for a second. A tiny betrayal from my body.

And judging by the look in his eyes—

He saw it.

Damn it.

“I got lucky.” I forced myself to look bored.

“No.” The answer came immediately.

He was certain. Confident. Like he’d already decided that explanation wasn’t good enough.

I hated that. Because he was right. And because he was smart enough to know it.

“You’re very interested in me for someone who doesn’t know me.” I tried to change the subject.

Something flickered across his face. It wasn't suspicion or curiosity. It was more like recognition. The kind that made my stomach tighten. Like he’d found something he’d been looking for. Or maybe someone.

The thought sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t like where it led. Fortunately, he looked away first.

Just for a moment. Long enough to break whatever strange tension had settled between us.

“My team protects people.” he stated.

I blinked in surprise. This conversation wasn't going where I expected it to.

“From monsters?” I raised a brow.

“Among other things.”

“And you recruit random women from bars?” I said sarcastically.

“Only the ones who punch monsters through tables.” His expression remained completely serious.

We stared at each other and neither of us moved.

Then, despite myself, I laughed. A small sound, barely more than a breath, but it escaped anyway.

His eyes widened slightly like he hadn’t expected me to laugh in his face.

Honestly, neither had I.

The silence that followed felt different, lighter. Which was exactly why I didn’t trust it. People weren’t supposed to get comfortable this quickly.

Especially not people who noticed too much or looked at me the way Kaiden was looking at me now. Like I was a mystery worth solving. And mysteries had a nasty habit of ending badly.

“Come see the base.” his words interrupted my thoughts and caught me off guard.

“What?” I blinked confused by his boldness.

“Just once.” His tone was calmer now, less recruitment speech, more like... invitation. “If you hate it, you leave.”

“And if I say no?” I folded my arms tighter.

A shadow of disappointment crossed his face before he could hide it.

“Then you say no.” he concluded.

I studied him, he was waiting. People always pushed when they wanted something. But Kaiden simply stood there waiting for an answer. As though he genuinely intended to let me choose.

A small part of me was curious. And curiosity had always been my greatest weakness, even before The Knowledge and the powers that came with it.

My gaze drifted upward toward the night sky and then back to him.

One visit. That was all. One visit couldn’t hurt...

Right?

The thought arrived immediately, followed by another. A much older one. The kind my power occasionally offered when it felt particularly unhelpful.

Nothing begins with the choice that matters.

A strange unease settled in my chest. As if something had just shifted. Something I couldn’t yet see. Something already moving toward me.

I looked back at Kaiden and for the first time since meeting him... I seriously considered saying yes.

“I’ll listen.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Kaiden looked entirely too pleased with himself.

“Don’t.” I pointed a finger at him.

“Don’t what?” His eyebrows lifted.

“Look like that.”

“Like what?” he said pretending to not understand what I'm talking about.

“Like you just won.”

“I didn’t.” A grin threatened to appear on his face.

“You absolutely did.”

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Kaiden pushed away from the wall.

“Come on.”

I hesitated for a second, then followed him.

The first mistake is rarely the one that destroys you. It’s the one that convinces you the next mistake is safe.