Arin and Peter left the academy gates together, walking down the wide street that led toward the small market area near the campus.
The evening sun had begun to soften, turning the sky into a quiet shade of orange. Students passed them in groups, laughing and talking loudly about classes, powers, and the usual competitions.
Arin walked beside Peter but his mind was somewhere else.
The invitation to eat a burger had sounded simple when Peter said it. Casual. Friendly. Almost normal.
But normal things often felt strange to Arin.
He kept glancing at Peter from the corner of his eye, trying to understand something that did not quite make sense.
Why is he being nice to me?
The question kept repeating inside his mind.
For the last few days, Arin had grown used to a different kind of attention. People stared at him, whispered behind his back, laughed when they thought he couldn't hear. Some openly mocked him.
Because he had no power.
In a world where power was everything, kindness toward someone like him felt… unusual.
Suspicious even.
Arin kicked a small stone along the road as they walked.
Peter was speaking about something simple—classes, the new cafeteria menu, some boring assignment—but Arin was barely listening.
Inside his mind another conversation had started.
Maybe he feels sorry for you.
Arin frowned slightly.
Or maybe he just wants to laugh at you later.
He hated that thought.
But it was difficult to ignore it.
Because the world had rarely given him any reason to trust kindness.
They reached a quieter street where small shops and cafes stood in a line. The smell of grilled food drifted through the air.
Peter pointed ahead.
"There's a good burger place near that corner," he said.
Arin nodded quietly.
But the question in his chest had grown heavier.
He tried to ignore it.
He failed.
Finally, after a few more steps, he spoke.
His voice came out slower than he expected.
"Peter…"
Peter looked at him.
"Yeah?"
Arin hesitated.
For a moment he almost decided not to ask.
But the words pushed themselves out anyway.
"Why… did you invite me?"
Peter blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Arin looked down at the road as he walked.
"Back there… everyone else was making fun of me."
His voice was calm, but something inside it felt fragile.
"You saw it."
Peter stayed quiet.
Arin continued, his tone slightly uneasy.
"So why are you treating me normally?"
He paused.
"Why are you being… good to me?"
The street felt strangely silent for a moment.
Peter didn't answer immediately.
Instead he slowed his steps slightly.
When he finally spoke, his voice sounded softer than before.
"I had a brother."
Arin looked up, surprised.
Peter continued walking as he spoke.
"His name was Ajax."
The name hung quietly between them.
Peter smiled faintly, but the smile carried something heavy behind it.
"Ajax was older than me," he said. "Two years older."
Arin listened carefully.
Peter looked ahead toward the road as he continued.
"He was born with almost no power."
Arin's eyes widened slightly.
"Almost none?"
Peter nodded.
"Technically he had an ability… but it was so weak people barely noticed it."
Peter: Voice shaked and he said his always said to me
" Be kind without any reasons".
Arin waited.
Peter chuckled softly.
"But you know what was strange?"
"What?"
"He was the happiest person I've ever met."
The world see kindness as the weakness.
They walked past a small bookstore as Peter continued his story.
"Everyone in school used to talk about becoming powerful fighters, great leaders, heroes of their domains."
Peter shrugged slightly.
"Ajax never cared about any of that."
"What did he care about?" Arin asked.
Peter smiled again, this time more warmly.
"People."
He pointed toward a small park they were passing.
"When we were kids, Ajax used to spend hours helping the old gardener there."
"Why?" Arin asked.
Peter laughed quietly.
"Because the gardener had a bad back and couldn't lift heavy tools."
"So Ajax did it for him."
Arin imagined the scene silently.
Peter continued.
"Once there was a winter storm that knocked down a lot of trees near our neighborhood."
He paused slightly.
"While everyone else stayed inside, Ajax went outside and spent the whole day helping clear the road."
"By himself?"
"No," Peter said. "He convinced half the street to come help."
Arin looked at him curiously.
"How?"
Peter smiled.
"That's the funny part."
"He just asked."
They both walked quietly for a few seconds.
Peter's voice became softer.
"He didn't have strength."
"He didn't have impressive abilities."
"But people liked being around him."
"Why?" Arin asked.
Peter thought for a moment before answering.
"Because he made them feel… human."
The wind moved gently through the street.
Peter's expression changed slightly.
"One day," he continued quietly, "someone asked him if he was sad about being weak."
What did he say?Arin asked.
Peter's smile returned, though his eyes looked distant.
"He laughed."
"And then he said…"
Peter's voice lowered slightly.
'Power is useful. But kindness is rarer.'
And with the emotions he said
"World was never good for the weak "
Arin felt something shift in his chest.
Peter kept walking but his tone grew quieter.
"I see my brother in you."
Arin blinked.
"In me?"
Peter nodded slowly.
"The way you stayed calm when they mocked you."
"The way you still showed up today."
Shows the sprit of fearlessness
"That reminded me of him."
For a moment Peter stopped speaking.
Arin noticed something then.
Peter's eyes had grown slightly wet.
Peter quickly rubbed his face as if wiping away dust.
But Arin understood.
Those weren't tears from the wind.
They walked a few steps in silence.
Arin's voice came out quietly.
"I'm… sorry."
Peter waved his hand lightly.
"Don't be."
He took a slow breath.
"He lived the way he wanted."
They continued walking toward the small cafe at the corner.
The glowing sign read Milo's Burgers.
Warm light spilled from the windows, and the smell of grilled meat drifted into the street.
But before entering, both of them paused for a moment outside.
Neither spoke.
Not because there was nothing to say.
But because sometimes silence understands things words cannot.
Then Peter pushed the door open.
"Come on," he said gently.
"Let's eat."
And together, the two boys stepped inside