Even the most brilliant flames flicker when left alone.
After his encounter with Voltline, Kai expected some form of rest. Instead, the buzzing chaos of Paris — both in its citizens and in his heart — only grew louder.
Being Phoenix Blaze wasn't just about wielding flames.
It was about standing against the shadows that sought to consume others — and himself.
Kai leaned against the counter inside Tangled Threads, the Dupain-Cheng bakery's side café. His mother, Mei, worked in partnership with Tom and Sabine. They'd opened a workshop corner where local designers and tailors could get supplies and collaborate. Marinette occasionally dropped by, though they rarely talked beyond school assignments.
The warmth of the bakery always made Kai feel grounded — a strange contrast to the fire dancing beneath his skin.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Juleka:
"Hey… You good? The tower thing last night was close to your block."
He smiled, thumbs tapping quickly:
"Yeah, all good. Just a blackout. Power's back."
She replied almost instantly:
"That's good. Your mom's café survived it?"
Kai looked over his shoulder. "Like a phoenix," he muttered, then replied:
"Still standing. Want free pastries?"
No answer yet. But he smiled anyway.
Alya slapped a new printout on her desk.
"I've cross-referenced every hero sighting, Ladybug's fights, and the new guy's patterns. Phoenix Blaze is not a one-off."
Nino raised a brow. "What tipped you off? The wings of literal fire?"
Alya ignored him. "He's strategic, trained, and his energy is different. Not kwami-based. Or at least, not one we've seen."
Chloé scoffed from her side of the class. "Maybe he's an alien. That would explain the fashion crime that is armor with feathers."
"Better than yellow leather and entitlement," Adrien muttered.
Chloé gasped. "Adrien!"
Kai, as always, kept his head low. But his heart beat faster.
They didn't know. And they couldn't know.
Gabriel stared at a board filled with photos: Ladybug. Cat Noir. Rena Rouge. Carapace. And now — Phoenix Blaze.
His fingers tapped rhythmically.
"One by one," he murmured, "they appear. And one by one, they will burn."
Nooroo floated closer. "You've already tried brute force…"
Gabriel's eyes gleamed. "Then let us try pressure."
He reached into a box.
There, sealed in dark crystal, waited a sliver of tech corrupted by emotion.
"Let's test the city's nerves. Start with someone they trust."
A sleek black car pulled into the school's parking lot.
From it stepped a girl around the same age as the rest — tall, blonde like Chloe, but with a sharper, more mature posture. Her uniform was perfectly ironed, her shoes polished, her steps precise.
This was Celeste Bourgeois, Chloe's older half-sister — transferred from a private international academy in Lyon.
And she had a reputation for breaking egos and perfect scores.
She walked into class without acknowledging Chloe, even though Chloe waved at her excitedly.
"Celeste!" Chloe called. "Come sit next to me!"
Celeste sat beside Juleka instead.
Everyone stared.
Even Kai looked up.
Celeste glanced at him, narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, and gave a soft, unreadable smile.
Then went back to her book.
On the far edge of Paris, in the cluttered home of an old electrician named Gerald, the television blinked erratically. His fingers trembled as he soldered a motherboard, only to have the power cut again.
"No one respects us," he grumbled. "Worked my whole life — fixed every damn wire in this city — and they still don't pay me enough to eat without counting coins."
His anger surged as he stared at a photo of his old team — a forgotten retirement package shoved under junk mail.
The lights flickered again.
And a butterfly crept in through the window.
"You've given power to others your whole life, Gerald… let me give you some now."
His eyes turned violet.
"Call me… Fuseburn."
The next target wasn't a flashy tower.
It was a crowded subway train — the power to the tracks cut by Fuseburn.
Panicking civilians were stuck inside as the temperature rose. The conductor was unconscious. Sparks flew from the control box.
And deep in the shadows of the tunnel, a figure in armor made of cracked copper and wires emerged.
Fuseburn.
"I'll burn it all. Let them see how important electricians really are."
Kai landed above the train, fire surging from his boots.
"Then let's light it up."
Fuseburn threw energized coils that wrapped like vipers. Kai barely dodged, his wings sparking as they grazed electrified rails.
"You think you're better than me?" Fuseburn hissed. "Some golden child saving the day?"
Kai ducked under a coil and launched a stream of flame at a fallen support beam, deflecting it onto the rails to sever the current path.
"No," he said, panting. "But I do think no one deserves to suffer like this."
Fiero buzzed beside him.
"His mask — it's wired to the power relay."
Kai nodded. "Got it."
He used a burst of flame from his palms to propel forward, sliding under a rail. He flung a concentrated blaze that struck the mask directly.
CRACK!
It shattered.
The akuma burst free.
"Phoenix Seal!"
The butterfly flew clean and white.
Gerald sobbed quietly in Kai's arms. "I just wanted someone to notice."
"They will," Kai whispered. "I promise."
Ladybug appeared just as the last cable crackled out.
"You're fast," she commented.
Kai stood, brushing dust off his coat. "You were busy?"
"Saving a kitten stuck in a balcony. Not as glamorous."
He smirked. "Important, though."
She paused.
"You're not from around here."
Kai froze. "What makes you say that?"
"Your style. Your energy. You're not like the rest of us."
He didn't answer.
Ladybug stepped closer.
"Just don't forget why we do this."
She leapt off into the night.
Kai stared after her.
"I won't."