Born to burn

9. THE QUIET BEFORE. _________________________

FEZ’S PLACE – 8:24 A.M. TUESDAY

•

„Are you in?” Fez says. Kimi is silent, she walks to the curtain and draws it back. Outside, the city hums with morning softness. Summer wind. Streetlights. Cicadas. It looks peaceful, the kind of false calm that only exists before something terrible happens. Fez watches her. He knows better. The quiet is a pause. The inhale before the scream. He lights a cigarette he doesn’t remember reaching for. Smoke curls like a premonition.

„Guess that means we’ve got front-row seats to the resurrection of a legacy the Council swore was dead.” Kimi whispers, still staring at the street.

„Better stock up on whiskey and train.” Ash grins, sharp and reckless. Fez doesn’t grin back. His voice stays low, like steel being drawn against steel.

„Phoenix isn’t just prophecy. She’s the daughter of ruin. The blood-ink signature the Council tried to erase. The fire they couldn’t smother. And now she’s waking. When she remembers who she is? When the seals fall? They won’t just remember. They’ll kneel. Or they’ll burn.” But they know. Power means nothing if they can’t reach her. If she won’t trust them. So now comes the harder part.

„So… how the f.uck do we get close to her?” Ash asks, raising a brow.

„You mean without her clawing our eyes out?” Fez shrugs, voice bone dry.

„Yeah, kinda. Before we talk to her… we need to know who she really is.” Kimi says quietly, her voice laced with thought.

„Not just what she is. Not her bloodline. Her life. Her rules. Her rage.” Ash nods, the humor fading from his expression.

„We need to know her life. Not just who she is. Who she had to be, to survive till now.” Kimi lowers herself into the chair across from him, legs tucked under her, eyes sharp.

„We need to understand the girl behind the prophecy… or we’re gonna f.uck this up before we even start.” She adds, voice clear with certainty. So again, they gather files. Photos. Testimonies. Shadows and scars collected across sixteen years of silence. Kimi flicks through a school record. Thin. Incomplete. Suspensions. Fights. Missing person reports that never stuck. Fez taps one sheet.

„Where she’s coming from? The gutter. Ghetto streets. And it wasn’t kindness that made her leave.” He mutters, scanning the damage.

„What was her life like?” Kimi tilts her head, voice sharp with curiosity. Fez doesn’t answer. He lets the silence say it first. Then… Ash types something fast, then spins the screen. Names. Dates. Police reports. Fez scans the files and exhales through his teeth.

„F.uck me…” He utters, voice low with disbelief.

„Brutal.” Ash reads aloud, his voice dry and steady.

„She grew up in a g.oddamn warzone.” He adds, flicking through the report. Kimi’s hand clenches around the edge of the table. Fez doesn’t speak for a moment. He’s staring at the police report like it insulted him. Or like it’s lying, but he knows it isn’t. Ash scrolls slowly, lips pressed tight, eyes locked on the glowing screen. His tone, when it comes, is brittle. Dry. A cut wrapped in fabric.

„She’s been in the system since age five. Entered foster care after that car crash… her mother died shielding her from impact. Biological father officially unknown, of course.” Ash reports, scanning the file.

„Six different foster homes and f.uck… so many foster families I don’t even wanna read it. All before age nine… seven suspected for p.hysical and s.exual a.buse. Three confirmed. No convictions. No follow-up. CPS closed the case due to 'inconclusive evidence'.“ Ash said, his voice flat with disbelief. Fez leans back, jaw working, unreadable. Kimi doesn’t blink.

„Where’s she been since?“ Kimi asked, her tone clipped and low. Ash exhales through his teeth.

„Seven years in South Rainier.“ He starts, scrolling slowly. His voice is quieter now.

„Placed with Michelle and Gregory Langston. Labeled as 'stepfamily' by the courts.“ He pauses, then reads deeper. His eyes narrow before he clicks his tongue.

„Michelle’s got three charges for possession… opiates, benzos, something unmarked in a pill bottle. All pled down. No rehab. Just fines. No stability. She bounced between jobs, rehab check-ins she never finished, and psych evaluations flagged for mood disorders and chemical dependency.“ He said, scrolling again. Kimi leans in, brow furrowed.

„Was she ever reported for neglect?” Kimi asked, her voice edged with quiet fury.

„Three times…“ Ash replies without hesitation.

„One teacher. Two neighbors. Same story. Phoenix showing up to school looking malnourished, bruises in odd places, falling asleep in class. One time she came in with a black eye and told the nurse she 'fell off the porch.' Social worker stopped by once. Michelle said she was 'spirited,' and Phoenix backed it up. Case closed. Again.“ He finishes, voice bitter.

„And the stepfather?“ Fez asks, though he already knows the answer. Ash’s expression hardens. He doesn’t look up.

„Gregory Langston. Former mechanic. History of alcoholism and 'disciplinary concerns' at three jobs. Two assault priors, both pled down to disorderly conduct. The system scrubbed what mattered. What’s not in the official files? Witness statements that got 'lost.' One from a neighbor who said he’d seen Phoenix flinch whenever Gregory got within arm’s reach. Another flagged 'possible grooming behavior,' but it never went further.” He says coldly. Kimi’s jaw clenches.

„Let me guess. He passed the background check just well enough to stay legal.“ She mutters, her tone dry and furious. Ash nods once.

„There’s a line here from a counselor at Rainier High. Says Phoenix showed signs of 'complex trauma response.' Described her as 'hyper-vigilant, emotionally classified, socially distant, aggressive under threat.' No surprise there.“ He murmurs. Fez leans back in his chair, rubbing the edge of his thumb with his other hand. His voice is low, gravel.

„She was living in a pressure cooker. Locked doors at night. Pocketknives under the pillow. Sleeping with one eye open. She didn’t act like a victim because she couldn’t afford to. And the system? It never looked closely enough to see past the silence.“ He says, each word weighted with rage. Ash scrolls to the next image. It’s a school photo… low resolution, probably a yearbook ID. Phoenix, fifteen. Eyes flat. One white streak in her raven hair. Her posture rigid. Jaw set. There’s a faint bruise under her right cheekbone, but she’s not hiding it. She’s daring the camera to notice it. Ash lifts the tablet slightly, turns it toward them.

„She doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t smile. Doesn’t soften.“ He says, voice quiet.

„No…“ Kimi says. Her voice is like glass, cold and clear.

„But she doesn’t need to. Everything about her says don’t try me.“ She adds, the edge in her voice cutting sharp. Ash keeps reading.

„Police were called out to the house seventeen times in last two years. Domestic disturbance. Yelling. Broken glass. One report says Phoenix was seen climbing out her bedroom window. Michelle claimed she was sneaking out to 'party.' But no drugs ever showed in her tox screens. Just… bruises. Missing time. Money.“ He lists off, voice clipped and bitter. Fez mutters under his breath.

„Jesus.“ He says, jaw tight. Ash finishes the summary.

„She had three suspensions for fighting. One for theft. One for threatening a teacher who grabbed her wrist. But every teacher who actually saw her said the same thing. She was too smart. Too sharp. Too still. The kind of girl who’d already learned not to waste energy on fear.“ He says, each word soaked in something colder than anger.

„And the money?“ Kimi asks, eyes narrowed. Ash nods slowly.

„She has cash. More than she should’ve. Mostly clean bills. No known job. Rumors say pills. Rumors say favors. But the system never tracked it.” He answers quietly.

•

Fez stares at the photo again, then exhales through his nose.

„They called it delinquency. Rebellion. But really? She was just building an exit strategy.” He said, voice dark and steady.

„She’s not just surviving.” Kimi said, her voice like stone.

„She’s engineered herself for war.” Kimi exhales slowly, the photo still in her hand. Her voice, when it comes, is soft, but razor-sharp. Like velvet over steel.

„So let me get this straight.” She begins.

„Her stepfather’s a violent drunk with sealed priors and open access. The kind of man who treats locked doors like invitations. Touches like they’re owed. No paper trail, but the patterns are there. She flinches at male voices. Sleeps with a blade under her pillow. You don’t learn that unless something teaches you.” She looks down at the next report.

„Stepmother’s worse in her own way. High more often than not. Pills. Barbiturates. Burnt spoons and bruised silences. Neglect isn’t just what she didn’t do, it’s what she let happen. What she turned away from.” Ash doesn’t interrupt. No one does. Kimi keeps going, voice quieter.

„Phoenix survives by staying one move ahead. She trades what she has to. Pills stolen from cabinets. Favors no one talks about. Parties where money and danger blur. She walks in like smoke and walks out with enough cash to keep planning her escape.” Fez shifts beside her, but Kimi’s eyes are locked forward now.

„And through it all, she’s still thinking. Still watching. She’s smart. Sharp. Always a backup plan. Always a knife in the boot or money in the mattress or somewhere hidden from her so-called 'family.' She doesn’t trust anyone. And honestly? She shouldn’t.” She said, flipping one last page and tapping it.

„And somehow, beneath the bruises, above the silence? She’s a fivefold hybrid. Mage. Lycan. Unseelie Fae. Siren. Demon. Five bloodlines wrapped in one girl’s bones. She shouldn’t be standing. But she is. Because her uncles cloaked her in enchantments so old the ink hums. They didn’t just hide her, they shielded her. Sealed her. Buried every trace of what she really is.” She added, her voice steady. Kimi looks up now. Her voice steady.

„She’s not just a girl who survived what would’ve broken most. She’s the weapon the Council forgot. The legacy they tried to erase.” Silence follows. Heavy. Thick with something just shy of awe.

„She’s still breathing.” Kimi said at last.

„And when she remembers who she is…?” Ash begins, but he doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t have to. They all know how it ends. Kimi nods slowly, voice low, like she already knows the answer doesn't need to hear it aloud.

„What about school?” Ash flips through another folder, pages whispering secrets they were never meant to keep.

„Attendance was spotty. She’d vanish for days, then show up like nothing happened. Suspended six times. One for setting fire to a locker. Charges dropped. No one asked too many questions. Two near-expulsions… one for distribution, one for violence.” He said, eyes scanning. Kimi lifts a brow. Ash doesn’t look up.

„She was fourteen. He was seventeen. She put him in the hospital. Orbital fracture. Broken nose. Mild concussion.” He added flatly. Fez exhales, sharp through his nose.

„She win?” He asked. Ash smirks faintly.

„Didn’t even break a nail. Testimonies say he cornered her in the stairwell. Groped her. She didn’t scream. Just broke him.” He answered. Kimi’s voice is quiet, not soft, just deadly clear.

„She doesn’t wait for help. She is and always was her own help.” Ash clicks through the database.

„Her name isn’t listed in any official clubs or programs. No extracurriculars. No awards. No friends, except one name that keeps showing up.” He said, then tilts the screen toward them.

„Donovan Reece. Street dealer. Franchesca Silas, his girlfriend. Handles the money. The drops. Both flagged in multiple precincts for narcotics movement. Never caught. Phoenix shows up on two separate surveillance videos during raids. Always walking out untouched. Never tagged. Never even spoken to.” Fez mutters under his breath.

„Ghost.” He said quietly. Kimi shifts.

„What does that say?” She asked.

Ash leans back.

„Says she knows when to vanish. When to watch. When to disappear and when to burn.” He replied. Kimi stares at the folder like it’s something alive.

„She sells. Pills. Mostly benzos. Amphetamines. Swiped from Michelle when she was too high to count. Parties. Schools. Behind dumpsters. In stairwells. Parking lots. Wherever the money was. Sometimes she took cash. Sometimes… she took favors.” She said, voice calm but burning underneath. Fez’s jaw tightens.

„She trades what she has to.” Kimi continues.

„Her body. Her silence. Her secrets. Always on her terms, though. Always with rules. She doesn’t drink much. Smokes, sometimes. Coke here and there, but only enough to stay sharp. Never sloppy. Never stupid. Control is the only thing she ever owned, so she holds it like a blade.” Ash reads from a file now, voice detached.

„Teachers also flagged her as 'emotionally volatile.' 'S.exually manipulative.' 'Disruptive presence.' Counselors wrote things like 'hypersexual coping mechanisms' and 'possible borderline tendencies.' But none of them asked why. They just labeled her and passed the file down the line.” Fez lights another cigarette. The click of the lighter is sharp in the silence.

„Because if they had asked, they’d have seen it.” He mutters. Ash nods grimly.

„Three anonymous reports were filed over the years. Neglect. Suspected grooming. Descriptions of inappropriate contact with the stepfather. Michelle too high to notice. Or care.” He said. Then he clicks once more.

„Each report was buried. 'Insufficient evidence.' 'Minor recanted.' 'Lack of corroboration.' You know the lines.” Fez mutters again, voice bitter.

„The system’s favorite smoke screen.” Ash’s tone shifts.

„There was one sealed hearing. She was fifteen. Details redacted. But after that? She vanished. School records end. No phone activity. No GPS. Same name. Different ID. Somebody scrubbed her file.” Kimi closes her eyes for a second, like she’s trying to imagine it. Or maybe trying not to.

„Her stepfather’s a predator. The kind that doesn’t need proof to be dangerous. She learned early how to keep quiet. How to keep moving. She’s slept on floors, couches, backseats of cars, with a blade under her head and one eye always open.” She said softly. Ash nods.

„Her body’s been currency since thirteen. But her soul? Still locked up tight. Untouched. Untamed. Just… buried. Under bruises. Silence. And sheer will.” Fez exhales smoke.

„She’s not just fierce. She’s calculated. Cold when she needs to be. Smart enough to survive what should’ve killed her. And still… she’s more than all of it.” Kimi speaks last, voice low and steady.

„She’s a fivefold hybrid. Shielded by enchantments so strong not even the Council caught her scent. Mage. Lycan. Demon. Unseelie Fae. Siren. Five bloodlines running through one girl’s veins. Sealed away. Hidden behind pain, rage, and a survival instinct sharp enough to cut gods.” She looks between them both.

„Tell me how the h.ell she’s still alive?”