𝗦 𝗜 𝗟 𝗩 𝗘 𝗥

𝟮𝟭 | "𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸"

Enzo is powerful — like, extremely powerful.

But his powers are caged, locked inside his body, waiting for a chance to be unleashed. And that's the problem. He doesn't know how to release them, or worse, how to control them.

At times, they slip out unintentionally, surging like a wild beast desperate to break free. Other times, he can intentionally summon them, but without direction. Either way, the results could be dangerous. Which is why Jada, at 9:32 am on a brisk autumn morning, is trying to help him.

Having learned to control her own powers recently, she's the best person to guide him. Well, except for one thing: she hasn't told their other soulmates about her powers. Not yet. She doesn't know how they'll react, so only her sisters are in on the secret.

"I can't do it!" Enzo groans in frustration, pushing his fingers through his curly hair as he paces in circles.

"You're not focused." Jada rises from her meditative position on the floor, the tension between them making her feel his frustration like static in the air. "Take a deep breath. Stop stressing."

"I'm not stressed!" He snaps, standing abruptly and walking toward the bench with a scowl.

Jada watches him, feeling the energy radiating off his body. She knows better. "Yes, you are. I can feel it."

Enzo scoffs, twisting open his water bottle and chugging its contents like it might drown the tension building inside him. But beneath the bravado, there's something else. Fear.

"What's scaring you?" Jada asks softly, her voice cutting through the space between them.

"Nothing," he mutters, avoiding her eyes as he sits down heavily on the bench.

"Don't lie to me." She walks back to the mats, her tone gentler this time. "What's scaring you?" She pats the empty spot beside her, waiting for him to join her.

Enzo hesitates but eventually sits next to her, leaning back and covering his face with his hands. His voice is barely a whisper when he finally speaks. "What if I hurt someone? Or... what if I kill someone?"

Jada sighs, her heart aching for him. She brushes a loose curl away from his forehead and cups his face gently. "You won't."

"How do you know that?" His voice cracks, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "What if I hurt you?"

Jada's chest tightens. She knows this fear. It's familiar, like a shadow that never leaves. She wraps her arms around him, pulling him close. His body trembles slightly against hers.

"Can I tell you something?" she whispers, her voice low, intimate. "Something I've never told anyone? Not even my sisters."

Enzo lifts his head, his curiosity momentarily eclipsing his fear. "Yeah... okay."

"When I was younger, Hydra ran this program — 'The Red Program.' They would pair up their top agents and force them to try and... make a child. A future weapon. I was one of their first subjects." Jada swallows, her grip on Enzo tightening slightly. "They paired me with a guy named Julian. We didn't have a choice."

She pauses, her voice quieter now, more fragile. "I got pregnant. They took me to a lab when I was five weeks in. I don't remember what they did to me, but I woke up, and the doctors told me the baby was gone. Just like that."

Enzo's eyes widen, but he doesn't interrupt. He knows there's more.

"I wasn't happy, but... I wasn't sad either. It was all so... numb," Jada says, blinking back the tears gathering in her eyes. "A few years later, when I turned sixteen, they tried again. This time, with a guy named Cal. But I couldn't get pregnant again. They abandoned the program after that."