The air around them still buzzed with the aftermath of the intense battle. The guardians, while incapacitated for now, were far from finished. But for a brief moment, the world seemed to pause. Kai stood there, eyes locked on his father, Eli Carter, the man he had believed lost to him forever.

“Dad,” Kai began, his voice shaky with the weight of so many questions, “I— I don’t know where to start. Where have you been? Why didn’t you come back for us?”

Eli’s gaze softened, his usually stern demeanor shifting slightly as he stood tall before his son. “Kai, there are things you need to understand. I never wanted to leave you, but my mission was greater than I could explain.”

“But I thought you were dead! Mom and I… we had no idea. You just vanished!” Kai’s voice cracked with the emotion he had been carrying all these years. The pain of abandonment. The years spent growing up with only memories of a man who had promised to be there.

“I’m sorry,” Eli said quietly, his voice filled with a weight that Kai couldn’t quite place. “I couldn’t risk coming back. If I had, everything I was trying to protect would have been destroyed.”

“But why didn’t you come back when you knew I needed you? Mom needed you.” Kai’s voice wavered as his anger bubbled to the surface. The years of longing, the confusion, the emptiness of a fatherless childhood—everything hit him all at once.

Eli’s expression hardened slightly, but there was a tenderness beneath it. He placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder, meeting his son’s gaze with intensity. “Kai… my duty to the Nexus, to the energy of the codes, it was more important than anything else. There were forces that would have killed you just to get to me, to control the codes. I couldn’t risk putting you in danger.”

Mara, who had been silently observing their exchange, stepped forward. Her voice was calm, but there was a quiet power in it. “Eli did what he thought was best, Kai. He knew you weren’t ready yet. The Nexus was always meant to be your responsibility. But only when you could understand what it truly was.”

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Kai’s mind was racing. He had so many questions, so many things that didn’t make sense. “I don’t understand. All these years, you’ve been gone. But… you’re here now. Why didn’t you—why didn’t you come back sooner? Mom needs you. I need you.”

A flicker of pain passed over Eli’s face, and his gaze softened as he thought of her. “I know,” he murmured. “And I know I failed you both. But the time wasn’t right. And as for your mother… she’s strong, Kai. She’s always been strong.”

Kai swallowed hard, the lump in his throat threatening to choke him. “Is she going to be okay? Is she alright?”

At the mention of his wife, Eli’s entire demeanor changed. For the first time since he appeared, a warmth radiated from him—a deep, undeniable love that Kai hadn’t seen before. His eyes softened, the weight of all those lost years briefly forgotten. “Your mother is more than capable of taking care of herself,” Eli said, his voice thick with emotion. “But more than that… she’s everything to me, Kai. Always has been. I’ll make sure she’s safe. And you, too. All of you.”

Kai could see the love in his father’s eyes. It wasn’t just a fleeting emotion, it was the kind of love that spoke of years of shared experiences, of promises made. It was clear that Eli had never stopped caring about his family, even if his actions had suggested otherwise.

“I’ve failed you,” Eli continued, his voice heavy with regret, “but I will make it right. I won’t leave you again. Not now. Not when you need me most.”

Kai nodded slowly, his anger slowly dissipating as the depth of his father’s feelings sank in. “Just don’t disappear again,” he said quietly, his voice raw with emotion.

Eli’s eyes locked onto his, and for the first time, there was no distance between them. No separation, no void. Just a father and his son. “I won’t.”

A silence passed between them, but it was different now. There was understanding, a quiet truce, an unspoken promise.

Mara, who had been quietly observing the exchange, stepped forward once again. “Kai,” she said softly, “the road ahead is still long, but you’re not alone. Not anymore.”

Kai looked at her, grateful for her steady presence. She had always been there when he needed her, always guiding him when he was lost.

“Thank you,” Kai said, his voice sincere.

Eli’s voice interrupted them, shifting the focus back to the present. “The time to prepare is now. The guardians will return. And when they do, we’ll be ready.”

Kai took a deep breath, his resolve firming. The questions about his father’s disappearance still lingered, but they were no longer the weight they once were. The future, the Nexus, and his training all loomed ahead.

But for now, he wasn’t alone.

And together, they would face whatever came next.