Chapter 52: Beneath the Surface
A day later, Talia found herself back in Kali’s room. This time, she didn’t have any work pulling her away, no reports to file or operations to oversee. It was just her and the girl she had grown to care for much more than she should.
Kali was sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through another book, her face scrunched in concentration. The room was as pristine as ever, the walls gleaming white, devoid of any real personal touch except for the few bookshelves lined with volumes about the outside world.
Talia leaned against the doorframe, watching her quietly for a moment before speaking. “Another book?”
Kali glanced up, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Talia. “Yeah! This one’s about animals. Did you know that there are creatures out there that can fly? Like, without any powers—just wings.”
Talia chuckled softly, stepping further into the room. “Yeah, I’ve seen birds before.”
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Kali’s mouth dropped open in mock offense. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Talia smiled, shaking her head. “You’ve read about them in your books. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
Kali hopped off the bed, the book forgotten as she walked over to Talia. “You have to tell me more! What are they like? What’s it like to see them in real life?”
Talia looked down at the girl, the familiar pang of guilt settling in her chest. She had no answers that would satisfy Kali, not without pulling the curtain back on the reality the Academy had so carefully constructed for her.
“They’re… free,” Talia said finally, her voice quieter than she intended.
Kali’s eyes widened, her curiosity piqued. “Free?”
Talia nodded, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall. “Yeah. They can go wherever they want. They’re not bound by anything. They just… fly.”
Kali was silent for a moment, her eyes distant as if she was imagining herself in their place, soaring through the sky without any walls or restrictions holding her down.
“That sounds amazing,” she said softly, her voice filled with a longing Talia hadn’t quite heard from her before.
Talia stayed quiet, watching as Kali’s excitement faded into something more subdued, something more thoughtful. She hadn’t seen this side of Kali before—the side that wondered, the side that dreamed of something more.
And it made Talia’s chest tighten even more.
With each passing day, the guilt weighed heavier on Talia. She knew the truth after all, Kali wasn’t just another subject to the Academy—she was their prisoner, whether the girl realized it or not. And the more time Talia spent with her, the more she truly wanted to help her. But….
She had to keep the mask on, for both their sakes.