#manipulative caleb

The dust motes danced in the silence, suspended in the golden bars of light that had finally breached the gap in the heavy linen curtains. Rays, like fingers, ran over the bedding trying to wake the slumbering occupant gently. Cracking one eye open, MC didn’t reach for her phone. Instead, she let the warmth settle across her cheek, a quiet benediction before the organized chaos of the day began. 

In the Bloomshore district, morning didn't arrive with a bang; it arrived with the rhythmic snip-snip of a neighbor’s shears and the distant, muffled sounds of dogs barking. It was the kind of quiet that allowed a person to actually hear their own thoughts. With a sigh, MC checked the time and was glad that she wouldn’t have to rush to an appointment this time. 

The espresso machine hissed, a sharp, industrial contrast to the soft edges of her kitchen. MC had a big sweet tooth and always added cream and sugar to her coffee.  Her favorite part of her morning ritual was taking time to sip her freshly brewed coffee while staring out at the manicured lawn that looked almost too green to be real. The caffeine was needed for the massive interior decoration job she took on a week ago. 

Before heading to the garage, she did a final sweep of her leather tote. To anyone else, it looked like a mess of junk; to her, it was a mobile command center. She checked for her essentials:

The Laser Measure: For when "eyeballing it" isn't an option.

The Swatch Ring: A heavy wheel of fabrics ranging from 'Midnight Navy' to 'Vaguely Anxious Teal.'

The Sketchbook: Well-worn, with graphite smudges on every other page.

As she stepped out into the driveway, the air was crisp, smelling of damp grass and woodsmoke. She pulled the door shut, the click of the lock echoing in the stillness of the street. The district was waking up, and she had a three-thousand-square-foot canvas waiting for her downtown.

MC was halfway to her SUV when the rhythmic snick-snick of garden shears paused nearby.

"Going to make the world a little more beautiful today, MC?"

She looked over the low white picket fence to see Mr. Henderson. He was already knee-deep in his perennial bed, wearing a straw hat that had seen better decades and a pair of mud-caked gloves. He wasn't the type to pry; he was the type to notice the small things, like which flowers were in season and whose porch light had burnt out.

"That’s the plan, Arthur," MC said, her posture relaxing. She liked how Arthur’s garden followed its own, unhurried schedule. "Though today it’s mostly trying to convince a kitchen island to behave."

Arthur stood up, grunting softly as he stretched his back. He reached down and snipped a stem of vibrant, deep-purple Lavender. He stepped toward the fence and held it out.

"Take this for the road," he said with a gentle wink. "I find that when the world starts getting a bit too loud, a bit of English Lavender keeps your head level. Even the best eyes need a calm mind to see through."

"Thank you, Arthur. That’s exactly what I need today." MC took the sprig, the scent immediately cutting through the lingering smell of her morning espresso. She tucked it into the cup holder of her SUV, a small, organic anchor in her world of swatches and blueprints. 

Before pulling out of her driveway, she took a moment to look at her other neighbor's house. There was no noticeable movement or signs that he was back. If she was being honest with herself, MC really missed his bright smile and charm in the mornings. 

Caleb was the boy next door who filled many roles in her life. It didn’t matter what either of them was doing; they seemed to always find their way back to each other like gravity. MC still remembers the weeks that led to months of her physical therapy after the car crash that killed her grandmother and almost took her life. Like flipping a switch, her memories were completely erased, and she had to relearn basic motor functions. Caleb was like a guardian angel, always by her side. 

He took her to every appointment, tried to fill in memory lapses, and helped her get back on her own two feet. She felt grateful for him and for all the amazing people who surrounded her in Bloomshore. But she felt his absence deeply this past week and hoped his recent flight contract would be done soon. 

With a sigh, MC started to back up her SUV when a loud bang behind her made her slam on the brakes. Throwing her door open, MC looked around her vehicle until she spotted a large, blue metal object in the road, surrounded by broken glass. She looks over to see Mr. Henderson’s curious gaze, “Where did that come from?” 

“I’m not sure… It might have fallen from the sky.” Mr. Henderson walks beside MC as they go to investigate the foreign object. 

“What is it?” MC murmurs as she uses her shoe to nudge it. 

Mr. Henderson bends low to pick it up. After getting a better look, MC recognizes it’s an industrial-grade light of some kind. There was a weathered-looking piece of construction tape across the top saying “Sirius (9 Canis Major)”. 

MC notices a strange look of recognition come over Mr. Henderson’s face before it’s gone. He turns to her with his usual smile, “Don’t worry about a thing, MC. I’ll make some calls and clean this glass up. You don’t want to be late for your appointments.” 

“Are you sure, Arthur?” MC wants to help and finds their interaction odd. 

He just waves her off as he carries the broken light back to his home. “As I said, don’t worry about it.” 

Climbing back into the SUV, MC can’t help but roll her window down and look up at the sky one more time before driving to work. 

*****

Sitting outside on her lunch break, MC slowly chews her sandwich while watching the hustle and bustle move around the area. She sat at one of her favorite tables under an Asiatic apple tree that was in full bloom. The blossoms were an explosion of white and pink, bringing brightness to the area. MC was fond of the trees as they always reminded her of Caleb. 

In the relative peace MC found, her ears picked up chatter from a handheld radio behind her. 

Here’s a news flash just in. Earlier this morning, an aircraft in trouble began shedding parts as it flew over Bloomshore. Luckily, no one was hurt. Makes me rethink taking my flight later this week! ~chuckles~ This is Classical Clive with Classical Drive, so why don’t you forget about the perils of flying…

Her eavesdropping is interrupted when Gideon plops down at the table. 

“Heya, bestie!” 

If there is one person who can make MC’s day brighter, other than Caleb, it is her best friend, Gideon. Although she doesn’t remember much, there were a lot of pictures with her, Caleb, and Gideon. Apparently, Gideon came over often enough that he was jokingly referred to as her adoptive brother. MC only wishes she could remember. She’s sure they were very close as kids. 

MC’s grin grows, “What brings Mr. Troublemaker over this time?” 

Gideon smirks, “Ah, pfft. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He reaches into his jacket, looks around, and then plops a can of cold beer in front of MC. 

“I knew it.” MC giggles, but takes the can anyway. “Don’t tell me I’m drinking alone?” 

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you do that?” With a wink, he cracks open the can and takes a generous sip. 

MC hums in satisfaction, looking over the label. “That’s really good. Is this a new sour beer?” 

“Yeah, I guess the orchard here has been experimenting with some new flavors. Oh, hey! Did you hear the news?” 

MC nods, “Yeah, something about an aircraft shedding parts. It’s strange, though, because something fell from the sky as I was driving to work, and it didn’t look anything like a plane part to me.” 

Gideon is quiet as he takes another sip. “What did it look like?” 

MC describes the strange light in as much detail as she can, and Gideon nods along. “Yeah, that does seem strange… could have been cargo?” 

MC shrugs, “I don’t know. I didn’t see a plane in the sky either, but the sun was in my eyes.” 

Gideon reaches over and pats the top of MC’s head. “Hey, the good thing is that you’re okay and this weird day will blow over.” 

MC can’t help but fist bump Gideon’s shoulder, and he makes a faux sound of pain with a smile. They continue their lunch before MC sighs. 

“You know, I’m thinking about taking a long, overdue vacation, Gideon.” 

Gideon raises an eyebrow at that. “Yeah? Where are you going?” 

“Somewhere out of Bloomshore. I just want to go see what life is about off this island.” MC has a wistful look on her face as she dreams of flying with Caleb and watching the sun dip below the horizon. Their destiny remaining unknown until they just land somewhere. 

Gideon rubs the back of his neck. “What about your job?”

“I can always get another job.” MC shrugs as she downs the rest of her beer. 

“What the hell’s wrong with your job?” A miffed look crosses his face. “You have a great job, MC. I’d kill for that kind of work.” 

MC pouts, not liking how her best friend is trying to change her mind. “I never said I didn’t like my job.” 

“Yeah? Well, you should try stocking vending machines for a living. Now, there’s excitement!” 

They both laugh for a moment, MC glad that Gideon is willing to entertain this thought instead of outright refuting it. She leans back a little, her head looking up at the blossoms swaying in the light breeze. “Don’t you ever get antsy? Itchy feet?” 

Gideon thinks for a moment. “Where’s there to go?” 

Her eyes are still tracing individual petals as she thinks about her answer. Many nights, she dreams of walking through a maze, the hedges tall and their tops disappearing into clouds. It’s dark and stormy, the shadows reaching out to trap her. But every time she feels like she can’t breathe, Caleb is there, grabbing her hand and wrapping her in his arms. He leads her through the storm, and they come into a beautiful, sunny garden filled with Asiatic apple trees that are always in bloom. 

With a wry smile, MC looks back at Gideon. “Eden.” 

There’s a momentary pause before Gideon barks a laugh and MC follows, their shoulders shaking. 

“Okay, Ms. Dreamer,” Gideon wipes a tear from his eye. “When are you going to go?” 

MC sighs, “I guess it’s not that simple. It takes money and planning. I can’t just up and go.”

Gideon nods in agreement. “You’re right.” 

I can’t just up and go without him, MC thinks to herself. 

“Well, we have probably gone way past our allotted lunch breaks.” Gideon stands up to stretch while MC checks her phone, and her eyes widen. 

“Shit! You’re right! I’m late for an appointment.” MC rushes to shove what’s left of her lunch, trash and all, into her lunch bag. 

“Hey, you want to go out for a drink tonight?!” Gideon calls after her, but MC shouts back, “Can’t tonight. Call me later?” 

Gideon smiles at her retreating figure before pulling his phone out. Once she’s out of sight, he turns around dialing a familiar number, a heavy sigh coming out of him before he hits the call button. It only takes two rings for the call to pick up. 

“Status report.” 

“Only one of the lights got loose and happened to be the one that was right over the damn house.” Gideon’s voice is clipped, but his frustration bleeds through. 

“I want the entire dome checked for any abnormalities. We might be able to explain this one incident away, but we need to be cautious.” 

“Understood, sir.” 

“I’m counting on you to keep things in order when I have to be away on Fleet business.” 

Gideon stood to attention at that. “Yes, sir, Colonel Xia.” 

*****

It was dark outside, long past when the sun had set, but MC was sitting on the porch, lost in thought. She had found herself thinking about Gran, the little flashes that she can get of her, and her mind wandered to the car accident. She remembers being engulfed by overwhelming heat. The flames were so bright, and the heat was inescapable. 

She’s grateful she doesn’t remember the pain. It felt so sudden. When she tries to remember the car they were driving, the images become fuzzy. There are moments where her mind supplies fragments of her home before it goes up in flames. It doesn’t make sense, but it has happened enough that she trembles before opening the front door sometimes. 

MC groans, covering her face with her hands, feeling the start of a headache coming on. She probably needed to go inside and eat her dinner, but the footsteps approaching caught her attention.

“Missed ya, pips.” Caleb's signature smile was like a beacon of light, and before he could prepare for it, MC launched herself off the porch, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Caleb let out an audible “oof” when they made contact.

“Oh my God, you're back!” MC squeeled in delight. 

Caleb wrapped his arms around her tightly, breathing her in. “I am.”

She looks up at him, but her smile falters a bit when she sees his piercing eyes. Their usual warmth is missing. Deep amethyst with the rays of the sun peeking through looks more calculated, as if he’s studying her. His touch feels rougher, possessive, but his smile is still there as if to reassure both of them that everything will be alright. 

“Caleb?” MC feels unsure of herself as an unsteady feeling slithers up the back of her neck. 

Yet, Caleb is ridiculously perceptive, and his hand finds the small nape of her neck to soothe any worry there. “Everything is okay, MC. I’ve just had a long week, and I’ve missed you.” 

With a sigh, MC wraps her arms around his waist this time, melting into him and his scent. “Let’s get inside. You must be hungry if you just got back.” 

Caleb happily obliges the request, leaving his packed bag just inside her entryway. MC starts warming up leftovers from the dinner she made. 

“Anything interesting happen while I’ve been away?” Caleb probes as he leans back into the dining chair. 

MC chuckles, oblivious to how his gaze slowly roams over her features while she’s busy at the stove. “It was a fairly boring week until today. I was on my way to work before something literally fell out of the sky and almost hit my car.” 

“Oh? You don’t seem out of sorts about it, so I take it you’re okay.” 

“Yeah, it was just weird. It looked like one of those industrial lights you see on stage or used to light up a larger area. Just fell right outside my driveway as if it came from the heavens itself.” 

MC hums to herself as she recalls the day, plating Caleb’s food and joining him at the table. 

She continues, “I overheard a broadcast saying that it was plane debris, but the funny thing is, I didn’t see a single plane in the sky. Is it strange I have never seen a plane fly over us, ever?” 

She’s flipping through memories in her head like the pages of a book, trying to recall if she was wrong. She knows Caleb is a pilot, but has never actually seen him near a plane…

Caleb’s warm hand gently grasps hers. “I can see you overthinking again. I wouldn’t worry about it. Bloomshore is not near an airport or an active air space, so it makes sense you haven’t seen a plane. They fly so high above us that we do not even hear them.” 

MC nods, his words making sense and easing back those nagging voices and discomfort that like to poke through. He’s always been there for her, so why has today put her on edge so much? 

Her eyes trace the dog tags proudly sitting on his chest, and her free hand reaches to trace the silver chain down to the metal. Her heart swells anytime she sees it, recognition holding her tightly as the giver of such a simple gift. The corner of Caleb’s mouth lifts at the affection, his other hand wrapping around hers and holding it against the soft pitter-patter of his heart. 

“You know, I think Gideon is tired of hearing my flights of fancy.” MC chuckles. 

Caleb smirks, knowing exactly where this conversation is going. “Ah, my pipsqueak is wanting to spread her wings.” 

“I just… I’m jealous you get to leave this place and soar into the sky. I know it’s your job, and you have a home here, but some days I would love to disappear into the sky. Maybe see the stars closer…” 

Caleb’s hands haven’t let go of hers as his thumb brushes her skin. “What has you wanting to leave so badly?” 

MC sighs, “With so much of my memory just gone, I want to learn what’s out there, but I don’t want to do it without you.” 

Her eyes are pleading as she looks into his, and Caleb pulls her into an embrace. She complies, having to sit on his lap, leaning into his touch. If she’s honest with herself, she could stay like this forever with him. 

“One day, I’ll take you out on my plane. Just be patient, pips.” 

She sighs and nods on his shoulder. MC is slightly disappointed because he has made this promise before, and it hasn’t come to fruition yet. But if Caleb says he will do something for her, she has to trust it will happen. It’s just that this promise in particular seems to be in standby hell. 

“Pinky promise?” MC holds her pinky up, and Caleb chuckles before wrapping his pinky around hers. 

“Yeah, pips. Pinky promise.” 

They say their goodnights at her threshold. Caleb takes a couple of steps away before stopping and turning to look back at her. MC holds her breath, seeing that possessive look in his eyes again, before he walks back to her. 

He wraps his arm around her, his free hand gently tipping her face up before his lips gently catch hers. MC gasps at the kiss before melting into it. His lips are warm and hungry as he kisses her deeper, pouring all of his longing and need into it. 

They separate, their breathing heavy as their eyes stare into each other. Caleb gently caresses her cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” 

MC leans into his touch, her cheeks dusted with a light pink. “I’m glad you did.” 

Their foreheads lean on each other, Caleb taking slow, long breaths before disengaging. “I should let you get some sleep, or I’m not going to stop.” 

She giggles as she watches him step backwards a couple of steps. “Goodnight, Caleb.” 

“Goodnight, pips.” 

He watches her close her door, like the good girl he knows she is, and then walks over to Mr. Henderson's house. His knuckles rap on the door a couple of times as his eyes watch the perimeter. 

Caleb notices the lights go out in MC’s house and is pleased to know she’s actually going to get some sleep. 

Mr. Henderson opens the door and stands straighter when he realizes who is standing there. “Colonel Xia. You’re back.” 

“I believe you collected the debris from today.” Caleb easily slips back into the command befitting of his rank, like putting on a glove. He doesn’t wait for an invitation to step into the home. As far as he is concerned, he owns this entire district along with his rank, and everyone in it knows it. 

They all work for him, after all. 

*****

MC has a rare day off during the week and decides to take a trip to the library. It has been a while since she last sat amongst that unique book smell and let her imagination run wild. 

Even now, she’s thinking about Caleb’s promise to whisk her away to the sky, and she’s giddy at the prospect. Her thoughts led her to some astronomy books, and she pulled a hefty one off the shelf. The thickness feels like it will keep her attention for a while. 

She dives into the constellation section of the book, wondering if they will recognize some of the stars up there, when she suddenly stops reading. 

Sirius, known as the "Dog Star" and located in the constellation Canis Major, is the brightest star in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 1.46. Situated only 8.6 light-years from Earth, it is a binary system consisting of a brilliant blue-white main-sequence star (Sirius A) and a faint white dwarf companion (Sirius B).

Her eyes reread the passage. 

Sirius… Canis Major…

The piece of tape on the industrial light flashes from memory: “Sirius (9 Canis Major)”. 

MC’s hand is shaking. She doesn’t know the true implications of this yet, but something about it has completely unsettled her. Surely this was coincidental. Maybe the label wasn’t about a star, but it fell from the sky. 

Determined to understand more, she keeps reading. 

Constellations change on two distinct timescales: annually due to Earth’s orbit, and over thousands of years due to stellar proper motion. As Earth revolves around the Sun, different parts of the galaxy become visible each season. Meanwhile, individual stars move in their own orbits...

There! MC determines that if she can conclude what the constellations were supposed to be that night, she can put this spotlight debris to rest. Maybe it was just plane debris, and she is reading too much into it. 

Standing up quickly, MC bumps into someone. 

“Oof!” A younger woman with sleek black hair in a ponytail wobbles back from the impact. 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” MC gently grabs the woman, apologizing profusely for her lack of awareness. 

“It’s okay, no sweat. I’m Simone by the way.” Simone smiles, but something about her feels familiar to MC. 

“I’m MC. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry again.” 

There’s a melancholy look in Simone’s eyes that has MC tilt her head to the side. “You don’t have to keep apologizing, friend. You seem eager to find something, though?” 

“Oh, right!” MC shakes her head. “Can you help me? I’m trying to see what constellations were supposed to be over Bloomshore last week.” 

Simone perks up. “Ah, digging into some astronomy, I see! There are some apps for that I can pull up.” 

She swipes through her phone, downloading an app fast, and pulls up the screen. MC puts in the date of the falling light and gasps when she realizes the constellations do not line up where the “Sirius” light fell from. But what does that mean exactly? 

Simone is studying her, “You look like you found something unsettling.” 

“Yeah, I kinda did, but I am not sure what to make of it.” 

“Well, I say some of the best thinking happens over pizza. Wanna get some with me?” Simone looks past MC for a second before returning her gaze. MC can see that her posture suggests she hopes to come with her. 

Is she really contemplating getting some food with a stranger she just met today? Yet, MC cannot shake this feeling of recognition and comfort around Simone. 

Against her better judgment, she nods. “That sounds great, actually.”

“Perfect! I know just the place.” Simone is eagerly guiding the two of them to a nearby pizza place. 

Simone and MC are crossing the street when they notice more than one person stops to watch them. Goosebumps raise along her skin as MC finds the staring strange. Simone is about to push open the door at the pizza place when she notices one of the employees is staring at both of them while talking on the phone. 

Simone huffs before grabbing MC’s hand. “I can’t talk to you here.” 

“What do you mean?” MC sees a few more people just stop what they were doing to watch them. It was unnerving. 

Simone is desperate as she raises her voice. “We’ve been trying to find you for a while now and seeing you today… I know you are searching for answers.” 

MC’s mind is reeling. “Wait, trying to find me? I don’t understand.” 

Some of the people who were just watching moments ago are now walking towards them. Their hands up against an ear, listening to someone. 

“What the hell…” MC whispers. 

Simone is pulling MC with her. “If we don’t go now, I can’t help you.” 

MC doesn’t know why she starts running with Simone, but she does. Their feet are pounding pavement, weaving between buildings and across roadways until they find themselves crossing the sandy dunes to the Bloomshore beach. They are breathing heavy, checking behind them for any of their pursuers. 

Simone is looking around, feeling the noose slowly tighten. “Listen to me, MC. They’re going to be here any minute.” 

“Who are?” MC’s mind is clouded in confusion, yet she’s desperate to hear what Simone has to say. 

“They don’t want me talking to you.” 

The sound of vehicles approaching has Simone and MC looking back at the dunes they crossed. 

Simone curses. “They’re here already.” 

Grabbing MC, the desperation in Simone shakes MC to her core. “MC! Listen to me. You’re not safe here. Everyone is watching you. Everyone knows everything you do because they designed it that way.” 

“What do they want?!” MC is desperate for clarity, yet the more she listens, the more questions she has than answers. 

The roar of engines grows louder, and MC turns to see military-style black vehicles racing up the beach towards them. Simone turns MC back towards her. 

“Everyone in your life is pretending, MC. Do you understand? You’re in a gilded cage designed for you! You have a group of friends and loved ones trying to free you. We have a codeword, so you know if someone is safe to talk to you or not.” 

The doors opening behind MC have her on edge. “What’s the codeword?” 

Simone whispers, “Fiji.” 

Rough hands grab Simone and MC, separating them. Simone immediately fights back as more hands seize and restrain her. The person with MC is gentle but firm as they guide her away from the scene. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but this woman is a patient from Akso and escaped before her treatment was completed.” 

MC's head spins. “Treatment?” 

“Don’t believe anything they say! I’m telling you the truth!” Simone is screaming as she thrashes between her captors. “It’s all fake! The sky, the sea, everything! He made it all for you!” 

They continue to lead MC away. “I’m sorry, ma’am. This particular patient has extreme episodes and believes nothing is real. We will get her back to her doctor.” 

Simone’s shouts are cut off with a door closing, and MC is gently placed inside another vehicle to be taken home. She curls up into a ball in the back seat, shaken by today, no longer sure of what is true anymore. Her memories are incomplete or unreliable, yet her instincts have been firing off that something is off. Running into Simone was either a coincidence or it was fate. 

Either way, MC just wants to go home where she feels safe, and Caleb can help her straighten her jumbled thoughts. 

*****

Caleb exhales a long and heavy sigh. He’s exhausted by this game of chess, where he has to anticipate every move by people who want to hurt his MC. In his naivety, he kept his sights on EVER and threw himself on the sword as he climbed the ranks in the fleet to be her shield, but ultimately, he would be betrayed by someone close to him. 

Yet, he presses on because he loves her. He will stand in the line of fire every time if it means protecting MC. He only wishes he could have anticipated the explosion that took her life and her memories of him away. 

A groan behind him interrupts his musings, and Caleb is instantly irritated again. He turns to look at this person, no, thing that tried to ruin everything he had built. She had tried to take his meimei away by bursting the illusion he had carefully curated, even down to the light that fell from the artificial sky and shattered in front of the house. 

“Simone, is it? I’m going to ask again, who sent you?” Caleb never wears his uniform around MC, but when he has to get his hands dirty, he likes how it cuts an intimidating figure. 

Flecks of blood dot some of the white of his sleeves and collar. He knows there’s more, but the midnight blue of the uniform hides most of it. 

Simone’s right eye is puffy and swollen. Her fingers and hands are bruised, likely due to some broken bones from his evol, and she spits some blood from her mouth. “Fuck… you…” she hisses. 

Caleb doesn’t need her to answer because he already knows, but he wasn’t going to let her off so easily for what she did. He already has his adjutant and Gideon parsing out where the crack in their operation developed. If Simone was able to get in, how many others have weazled their way in? 

Deciding to turn up the charm and soften the Colonel's look a bit, Caleb slid a chair over to her and took a seat. Simone jumped slightly at the proximity, but couldn’t move far with the cuffs keeping her tethered to the metal table and chair. 

“Can’t you see she is safer here than she ever was out there?” Caleb goes to brush a wild strand of hair from her face, but Simone jerks backward from his touch. “Those monsters hurt her, and for a while, she lived in peace… until they found her again.” 

Caleb’s hand suddenly gripped a handful of her black hair and slammed her face down onto the table, his rage rolling off of him again as he leaned toward her exposed ear. “And you would drag her back out there and make her a sitting target again.” 

Simone’s nails scraped against the metal. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that? You think keeping her in a gilded cage is protection? She has a life outside of here-” 

“Had.” Caleb quickly corrects her before releasing his hold and standing back up. “That life ended when she died.” 

Simone scowls at his backside, resentment reaching a boiling point. “How can you speak of her like that? How could you plan a funeral and have all of us attend it, thinking she had died horribly?! Yet she was recovering somewhere else! You’re sick!” 

She’s breathing heavy, and Caleb doesn’t answer at first. His shoulders start shaking, and when he turns to look at her, there’s a manic smile plastered on his face as the laughter bubbles out of him. For the first time since the interrogation started, Simone was terrified. The unhinged look in his eyes sent fear down her spine as he stepped back towards her. 

Caleb’s laughter has died down, but the smile hasn’t left as he looms over Simone. “MC’s special. She has an aether core in her heart, and paired with her evol, she comes back to life every time those bastards try to kill her.” 

Simone’s eyes are wide, her mind trying to process this information. 

“Every time she has died in this life, I have been right by her side to remind her who I am and who she is.” Caleb’s smile descends into a frown. “She loses her memories with each death, like a slate wiped clean.” 

“So, that’s why she seemed so confused when I…” Simone’s voice cracked as pieces of the puzzle started to come together. 

“Yes.” Caleb stands taller and puts his cap back on, the brim cutting a deep shadow across his face. “As stimulating as this conversation has been, I need to get back to her before she wakes up. Because of your little stunt, I had to have her sedated from her spiraling. It was putting stress on her heart.” 

Caleb opens the door, but pauses to look back at Simone. “Since you want to be near your old friend so much, I’m sure we can find a good use for you.”