Leo found him on the rooftop.
Rain still clung to the rails, the sky overcast with thick gray clouds. Kieran stood near the edge, his jacket unzipped, shirt slightly damp. He didn't look surprised when Leo approached.
"You saw it," Kieran said without turning around.
Leo's jaw clenched. "I saw blood on the wall. I saw the word traitor. I heard the scream. And you're just up here pretending none of it matters?"
"It doesn't concern you."
"You concern me!"
Kieran flinched.
Leo stepped forward, eyes blazing. "You act like you're made of steel, but you're not. I've seen the cracks. And I know someone's after you. So stop pushing me away like I'm just another stranger."
Silence.
Then Kieran finally spoke. "The people I'm running from… they don't give warnings. They give consequences."
Leo stared, breath caught.
"You don't know what I used to be," Kieran added, voice low. "Who I worked for. What I've done."
"Then tell me," Leo whispered. "Let me in."
Kieran looked at him. Really looked at him.
A storm behind his eyes.
"I was one of them," he said. "I wore their jacket. I followed orders. Until I saw what they really were. And I tried to walk away."
"And they didn't like that," Leo murmured.
"They never do."
Leo reached out, gently gripping Kieran's wrist. "You don't have to face them alone."
Kieran stared at that hand. Trembled—just for a second.
Then, quietly…
"Okay."