Cael sat in the middle of his cramped room, surrounded by organized chaos.
The table in front of him was a mess of metal scraps, scattered screws, and tangled wires.
At the center, propped up on a makeshift stand of wood and plastic, was a blue sphere.
The sphere gave off a flickering glow, like it was fighting to stay lit. Several wires snaked out of it, hooked to a jumble of circuits Cael had pieced together himself.
His fingers, smeared with grease and nicked with tiny cuts, worked carefully as he connected one more wire to the device.
'Come on…' Cael thought, holding his breath, praying this time it would work.
But just as the wire clicked into place, a sharp snap echoed through the apartment.
Beep!
The room's lights went out in an instant. The sphere, faintly glowing a second ago, plunged into total darkness.
Cael froze, staring at the table now cloaked in shadows.
"Not again…" he muttered, running a hand through his short, messy hair.
Before he could stand to check the breaker, a shout pierced through the closed door of his room.
"Cael!"
It was his sister, Yuna.
Her tone was unmistakable—she was pissed and ready to chew him out.
Cael sighed, already bracing for what was coming. He heard quick footsteps stomping down the apartment's hallway.
The door flew open, and there stood Yuna in the doorway. Her long black hair, still damp from a recent shower, spilled over her shoulders. She wore a white bathrobe that looked a bit too big for her, and her golden eyes glinted with annoyance under the dim light filtering in from the hall.
"I was watching my movie!" Yuna snapped, crossing her arms. "It was the best part! A huge plot twist, and now I'm never gonna know what happened because you killed the power!"
Cael dropped his gaze to the dead sphere on his table.
"Sorry, Yuna," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to. I was testing something with the project, and… well, the system overloaded again."
Yuna pursed her lips, clearly trying to rein in her anger. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, but after a moment, she let out a long sigh and relaxed her shoulders.
"Fine…" she said, though her voice still carried a hint of frustration. "I know tomorrow's a big day for you. It's for that project you're presenting at her company, right?"
Cael managed a tired smile.
He knew Yuna wasn't a fan of his girlfriend, Lena.
She never said it outright, but her snarky comments and side-eye glances were loud enough.
"Yeah, that's the one," Cael replied, leaning back in his chair. "Thanks for getting it, Yuna. I really appreciate it."
Yuna studied Cael, noticing his slumped posture. His shoulders were tense, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.
She knew he was exhausted—not just from the late nights spent on this project, but from everything else.
Living in their rented apartment, small and with peeling walls, wasn't easy.
Yuna knew Cael skipped meals to leave more food for her, though he'd never admit it. She also knew his relationship with Lena was one of the few things that made him smile lately, which is why she bit her tongue whenever she wanted to trash-talk that girl.
But in her head, Yuna couldn't help wondering:
'What's so great about that chick that you're killing yourself for her?'
Every time Lena visited the apartment, Yuna caught the subtle looks of disdain she threw around.
It was faint, but it was there.
Lena would raise her eyebrows at the sight of their worn-out couch.
Don't even get Yuna started on the grimace Lena made when she touched the kitchen table with its burn marks.
Lena never said anything outright, but Yuna wasn't dumb.
Those little gestures made her blood boil.
Yuna didn't trust Lena, especially not after what happened that day.
A couple of weeks ago, the three of them had dinner together at the apartment.
Lena had excused herself to use the bathroom, and Yuna, driven by a nagging curiosity, had quietly followed.
She knew it wasn't right to snoop, but something about Lena's vibe that night had set her on edge.
When Yuna reached the hallway, she heard Lena's voice from the bathroom, speaking in a low, almost whispered tone on the phone.
Yuna couldn't catch everything, but the words she did hear chilled her to the bone.
"Of course, babe, don't worry… Yeah, he's doing all the work… No, he doesn't suspect a thing."
Yuna had stood there, paralyzed, her heart pounding so loud she thought Lena would hear it.
When Lena emerged from the bathroom, Yuna was already back in the living room, pretending nothing had happened. But those words had seared into her mind like a warning.
Since then, Yuna couldn't look at Lena without a stab of suspicion.
Still, she hadn't told Cael. She didn't want to break his heart. Her brother was already under enough pressure, slaving away day and night on this project for the company where Lena apparently held a high-up position.
It was a massive opportunity, one that could change their lives. But Yuna couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
That phone call… was it a misunderstanding?
Maybe Lena was talking to a family member?
Or was she using Cael somehow?
A sudden click snapped Yuna out of her thoughts.
The room's lights flickered back on, illuminating the table cluttered with tools and the now-dark sphere.
Yuna blinked, realizing Cael was no longer in front of her.
She stepped into the hallway and saw her brother shutting the apartment's breaker panel.
"Fixed it," Cael said with a weary smile, wiping his hands on his stained T-shirt. "You should be able to finish your movie now."
"Thanks," Yuna replied, offering a small smile in return.
She watched as Cael shuffled back into his room, closing the door behind him.
Yuna wandered back to the living room, where the TV was still on, frozen on her movie's pause screen.
She sank onto the couch but didn't hit play. Instead, she stared at the screen, lost in thought.
'Should I tell him?' Yuna wondered.
That meeting Lena had set up for Cael with her company gave her a bad feeling.