The soft glow of dawn filtered through the buildings and trees of Schoolville, casting a serene light on the bustling village. Bird chirped merrily, and the distant hum of activity suggested that another busy day was beginning. Inside their modest home, Jillian and Carlos were already deep in a heated discussion.

“I’m telling you, Jillian, this place is too stifling,” Carlos said, pacing back and forth. His frustration was evident in his furrowed brow and the way he ran a hand through his short curly hair. “There’s not enough action here. How am I supposed to gain experience and get stronger if there’s nothing to fight?”

Jillian, her hair cascading over her shoulders, stood by the kitchen table, her arms crossed defensively. “Carlos, you’re being unreasonable. Schoolville is our home now. We’re safe here, and we’re building something meaningful. Running off into the wilds just for the sake of fighting is reckless.”

Carlos stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression a mix of determination and exasperation. “You don’t understand, Jillian. I’m a tactician. I need to stay sharp, to keep improving. If I don’t, I’ll become a liability, not an asset. And I can’t stand feeling useless.”

Jillian’s eyes softened as she looked at him. “You’re not useless, Carlos. You’re valuable here. Your skills help us plan and prepare for any threats. We need you. I need you.”

Carlos sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I know you do. But it’s not enough. I need to feel like I’m growing, like I’m contributing in a real way. And I just don’t see that happening here.”

Jillian took a step closer, reaching out to touch his arm. “So what, you’re just going to leave? Abandon everything we’ve built here? Abandon me?”

Carlos’s expression softened, but the resolve in his eyes remained. “I don’t want to leave you, Jillian. But I can’t ignore this feeling. I need to find a way to balance both. Maybe I can come back, but for now, I have to go.”

Tears welled up in Jillian’s eyes as she looked at him, her heart breaking at the thought of him leaving. “I can’t stop you, Carlos. But please, be careful. And remember that you have a home here, with me.”

Carlos stood there. “Do I? Do I really? What about you and Gavrin?”

Jillian froze. “What do you mean? Gavrin is a friend. I’ve told you that before.”

Carlos clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. “A friend? You spend more time at Gavrin’s tree than you do here with me! Always tinkering with his projects, always at his beck and call. Don’t you see how it looks?”

Jillian’s face flushed with anger, her eyes narrowing. “How dare you insinuate that! Gavrin and I are working to make this place better, for all of us! Maybe if you spent more time contributing and less time feeling sorry for yourself, you’d understand."

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Carlos’s eyes flared with anger, and he took a step closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Feeling sorry for myself? I’m out there every day, trying to keep us safe, trying to make sure we have a future. And what do I get in return? Nothing but doubt and suspicion.”

Jillian’s hands were shaking now, tears of anger and hurt streaming down her face. “You think you’re the only one who wants a future? We’re all trying our best. But your constant need to prove yourself, to be the hero, it’s tearing us apart. Maybe you should take a good look at yourself before you start pointing fingers at me.”

Carlos’s face twisted with fury. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I do need to take a good look at myself. But I also need to find my own path, and it’s clear that it’s not here, suffocating under all these expectations and this… this jealousy.”

Jillian’s breath hitched as she tried to steady her voice. “If you walk out that door, Carlos, don’t expect things to be the same when you get back.”

Carlos took a deep, shaky breath, his eyes hardening with resolve. “Don’t worry, Jillian. I won’t be back to see what you’ve built Gavrin. You’ve made your choice.”

With that, Carlos turned on his heel and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Jillian stood there, trembling with a mix of rage and heartbreak, the echo of the door reverberating through the now silent room. She sank to the floor, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed, feeling the weight of the confrontation settle over her like a heavy shroud.

Outside, Carlos marched away from the house, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. Up above in a tree, a pair of green emerald eyes followed Carlos’s disappearing form.

“Hey, Gav,” a voice crackled through the mental link, thick with a Bronx accent. “Ya ain’t gonna believe what’s goin’ down with Jillian and Carlos.”

I paused in my work, my hands stilling over my current project. “What it is, Fernando?” I asked, a mixture of concern and curiosity in my voice.

“It’s a real soap opera ova here,” Fernando continued, his tone both amused and serious. “Carlos just stormed out on Jillian, all hot and bothered ‘bout her spendin’ too much time with you. He’s talkin’ ‘bout leavin’ Schoolville.”

I sighed. I don’t know who was teaching Fernando his accents, but when I caught them, there was going to be a discussion. “I knew things were tense between them, but I didn’t see this one. Did he say where he was going?”

“Nah, he just took like a bat outta hell. Looked like he was ready to punch the first tree he saw,” Fernando replied. “You want me to keep an eye on him?”

“Yes, please,” I said, my mind racing about what to do next. “Just observe and report. Hang back. I have always suspected he has a danger sense skill or some sort of reconnasence skill. He always seems to know too much. So try not to think too hard at him.”

“Will do, boss,” Fernando responded, his voice softening slightly. “Ya know, it’s tough bein’ stuck in the middle of all this drama. But don’t worry, I gotcha covered.”

“Did you see what Jillian did after?” I asked.

“Naw, boss. You said peeping on people in their private moments was wrong, or something.” Fernando replied.

I nodded my head. “So are you are not peeping, or you just not getting caught?”

“Little of column A, little of column B.” Fernando said.

I closed the mental link and took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. I knew I should talk to Jillian, to reassure her and to understand what had led to this blow up. And I needed to track Carlos, I felt there was something off about him and I shouldn’t let this thread go.