Chapter 5: Fractured Currents

The aftermath of the emergency summoned Calen to the heart of Aeris’s operational center. He worked tirelessly alongside Rion, adjusting panels and recalibrating the balance systems, ensuring the island’s stability. The crisis had been narrowly averted—the water had diverted harmlessly, albeit improperly—but the fallout was undeniable.

It wasn’t just a technical mishap; this was deliberate. Someone had tampered with the systems, and Calen knew it. This tragedy was unbelievable and could torn apart all Calen had worked so hard to achieve, though he masked it behind the stoic resolve that came naturally to him.

Later that evening, Calen found himself summoned to the office of Administrator Fin Valtheris, one of the key figures in Aeris’ governance. The man’s presence was as sharp as the metallic lines of his suit, his piercing eyes scanning Calen with the precision of a hawk.

“Mr. Ardyn,” Valtheris began, his voice a low rumble that carried authority. “You’ve served Aeris loyally for years. I trust you understand the gravity of what occurred last night?”

Calen nodded stiffly. “I do, sir. I’ve been reviewing the data—there’s no question someone altered the radiation levels for the lake’s release protocol. It wasn’t a system error. It was sabotage.” Calen said, his voice firm despite the unease creeping into his chest.

Administrator Valtheris sat silently for a moment, his fingers steepled beneath his chin as he studied Calen. The air between them grew thick with unspoken implications.

“That’s a serious claim,” Valtheris finally said. His tone was measured, but there was an edge to it. “Do you have proof?”

Calen hesitated. “Not yet. But the patterns in the data are unmistakable. The release systems were tampered with—deliberately. Someone wanted the lake’s water to fall where it did.”

Valtheris leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze not leaving Calen for a moment. “I appreciate your candor, Mr. Ardyn. However, the fallout from this incident is already monumental. Two of our wealthiest floating colonies benefited from the water, while the Lowlands continue to suffer. Accusations of sabotage are… inconvenient, to say the least.”

Calen’s stomach sank. He knew where this was going before Valtheris said the words.

“Effective immediately,” Valtheris continued, “you are relieved of your duties. The investigation will proceed without you.”

Calen’s hands curled into fists at his sides, but he forced his voice to remain calm. “You think I’m responsible?”

Valtheris shook his head, a faint smirk crossing his face. “I don’t. But someone needs to take the fall, and you were overseeing the systems at the time of the incident. You understand, don’t you?”

The calm, almost condescending way Valtheris spoke made Calen’s blood boil, but he didn’t let it show. He nodded stiffly. “I understand.”

Valtheris rose from his seat, signaling the end of the conversation. “I wish you the best in your future endeavors, Mr. Ardyn. And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe you’re incompetent. I just think you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

As Calen left the office, his mind raced. He hadn’t argued, hadn’t fought the decision. There was no point. The weight of Aeris’ bureaucracy was unmovable, and Valtheris had made it clear that this was a political maneuver, not a personal one.

But beneath the calm façade he’d maintained, a fire had ignited. He wasn’t going to let this go. He’d find out who was behind the sabotage, and he’d make sure they paid for it.

Meanwhile, back in his office, Administrator Valtheris watched the door close behind Calen. A deep thought crossed his mind.

He didn’t trust Calen—not because he thought the man was guilty, but because he was certain Calen wouldn’t simply walk away. Calen was too precise, too principled to accept failure without pursuing the truth.

Valtheris tapped a small device on his desk, activating a hidden monitor. A live feed from a covert surveillance drone appeared on the screen, showing Calen walking briskly through Aeris’ corridors, his expression unreadable.

“Let’s see where your principles take you, Mr. Ardyn,” Valtheris murmured to himself.

Later that evening, when Calen opened the door to his apartment, he expected darkness and silence, the kind of solitude that usually greeted him after a long day. What he didn’t expect was Livra, sitting cross-legged on his couch, with her dark hair collected in a bun. She had her sketchbook balanced on her lap, and the soft scratching of her pencil was the only sound in the room.

Her presence startled him. For a moment, he froze in the doorway, caught between surprise and a strange sense of relief.

Livra looked up as the door clicked shut behind him, her deep, striking eyes lighting up at the sight of him. “You’re back,” she said, her voice as warm and melodic as ever. “Took you long enough.”

“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” Calen admitted, setting his bag down by the door.

She tilted her head, a playful smile curving her lips. “Where else would I be? You didn’t exactly kick me out this morning, you know.”

Calen couldn’t help the small, tired chuckle that escaped him as he crossed the room to collapse into the chair opposite her. “Long day,” he muttered, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

Livra closed her sketchbook and set it aside, leaning forward slightly as if trying to get a better read on his mood. “Want to talk about it?”

He hesitated, the weight of his dismissal still fresh and raw. But there was something about her—maybe it was the genuine concern in her expression, or the way her presence seemed to ease the knot of frustration in his chest.

“I got fired,” he said finally, his voice flat.

Livra’s eyes widened, her brows knitting together in concern. “Fired? Why?”

“Something went wrong on my watch, and someone had to take the fall,” Calen replied bitterly. “Turns out that someone was me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she said, her voice sharp with indignation. “You’re one of the most capable people I’ve ever met. They can’t just—”

“They can,” Calen interrupted, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. “And they did. Welcome to Aeris.”

Livra’s expression softened, and she moved from the couch to sit on the arm of his chair. She reached out, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Calen. You didn’t deserve that.”

For a moment, he simply stared at her hand, her delicate fingers contrasting with his calloused skin. The touch was light, almost hesitant, but it grounded him in a way he hadn’t expected.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “I guess I should be madder about it, but…”

“But you’re not?” she prompted gently.

He shrugged. “Maybe I’m just too tired to be angry. Or maybe I’ve gotten used to the idea that things don’t always work out.”

Livra’s gaze lingered on him, her dark eyes full of something he couldn’t quite name. “That doesn’t make it any less wrong,” she said firmly.

Before he could respond, she leaned closer, her expression softening. Her dark eyes searched his for a moment, as if asking for permission—or perhaps testing her own resolve.

Then, without a word, she pressed her lips to his in a gentle, fleeting kiss.

It was soft, almost hesitant, but it carried with it a warmth that Calen hadn’t realized he needed. When she pulled back, her cheeks were tinged with color, and a small, shy smile played on her lips.

“Sorry,” she murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just…you looked like you needed that.”

Calen stared at her, momentarily stunned. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the thought of his dismissal and everything else fading into the background.

Livra moved her hand to his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly against his skin. “You’ve been through enough tonight,” she said softly. “Let someone else take care of you for a change.”

He opened his mouth to protest, to tell her he didn’t need anyone’s pity, but the words didn’t come. Instead, he found himself leaning into her touch, the warmth of her hand grounding him in a way he hadn’t felt in ages.

“Thanks,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

She smiled, a radiant expression that lit up her entire face. “You’re welcome.”