Chapter 123: A Secret
Reid found Julian in the quiet garden behind the medical wing the following evening, sitting alone on a stone bench, the fox curled beside him in the fading light.
"we need to talk," Reid said, settling carefully onto the opposite end of the bench.
"talk about what," Julian said, tone easy, though something careful settled behind his calm expression, some old, practiced instinct bracing for a conversation he’d known was coming eventually.
"your captivity," Reid said, choosing his words slowly, deliberately. "the fox. where your powers came from. we haven’t asked, because we didn’t want to push you before you were ready. but Jayden and I both think it’s time we understood more of what actually happened to you."
Julian was quiet for a moment, watching the fox’s tail flick lazily against the stone bench, weighing how much of the truth he was willing to hand over tonight.
"I created the fox myself," Julian said finally, voice even, careful. "some part of the abilities I manifested. as for the powers—" he paused, something firmer settling into his tone, "—that’s a secret. one I’m not ready to share with anyone yet. not you, not Jayden, not even the Emperor."
Reid’s brow furrowed slightly, though he kept his voice gentle. "Julian—"
"let him be."
The voice came from beside them, small and quiet but unmistakably clear, and Reid’s whole body went rigid, staring down at the fox with sudden, disbelieving shock.
"he’s been through more than any of us properly understand," the fox continued, tails curling protectively closer against Julian’s leg, golden eyes fixed steady on Reid. "give him room to share things in his own time, not because you’re demanding it of him."
Reid stared, genuinely, thoroughly stunned. "it— it talks."
"obviously," the fox said, something dry and faintly amused threading through its voice despite the seriousness of the moment.
"you can talk," Reid repeated, still processing, disbelief cracking wide open across his usually composed features. "this whole time, it’s been— you’ve been able to talk, and neither of you ever—"
"there hasn’t exactly been an easy moment to bring it up," Julian said, something wry cutting through the tension. "’by the way, my pet fox is sentient’ isn’t really a conversation starter that fits neatly into ’good morning’ or ’please pass the bread.’"
Reid’s mind raced, trying to fold this fresh, impossible detail into everything else he thought he understood about Julian’s strange, unprecedented abilities, and something old and unplaceable stirred again at the edges of his memory, sharper now that the fox had actually spoken aloud, its voice carrying a cadence that tugged uncomfortably familiar somewhere in the back of his mind.
"guess you haven’t recognized me yet," the fox said, something almost fond and faintly teasing in its tone now, watching Reid’s confused, searching expression with obvious amusement.
"recognized you," Reid repeated slowly. "we’ve met before?"
"in a manner of speaking," the fox said, tails swishing, clearly enjoying the moment far more than the gravity of the conversation probably warranted. "though I won’t spoil it for you just yet. some things are more satisfying figured out properly."
Julian shot the fox a faintly exasperated look. "you’re enjoying this too much."
"I’ve earned a little enjoyment," the fox said primly. "weeks of being serious and terrified and strategic. let me have my moment."
Reid sat back slowly, still working through the sheer disorientation of the past several minutes, exhaustion and disbelief both tangling together as he studied Julian’s calm, careful expression, the fox’s satisfied golden eyes, the strange, unresolved fragment of memory still nagging at the edge of his thoughts.
"I’m not going to push you," Reid said finally, voice softening, sincerity bleeding through despite the lingering shock. "about the powers, or whatever you’re not ready to share. but Julian—" he hesitated, something raw and careful in his voice now, "—we spent six weeks not knowing if you were alive. I sat beside your bed every single night, not knowing if you could even hear me. I think I’ve earned at least a little bit of trust that whatever you’re protecting, you’re protecting it for a good reason, not because you don’t trust me."
Julian’s expression softened slightly, some of the careful guardedness easing at the raw honesty in Reid’s voice. "it’s not about trust," he said quietly. "it’s about— some things are complicated enough that I need to be the one who decides when and how to share them. not because I doubt you. because some of it isn’t fully mine to explain yet, even to myself."
Reid studied him a long moment, something understanding settling behind his exhausted eyes despite the lingering confusion about everything else. "okay," he said finally. "I can accept that. for now."
"I’ll talk about the rest soon," Julian said, something quiet and sincere threading through the promise. "properly. once I’ve figured out how to actually put it into words that make sense. it’s not— it’s not a simple story, Reid. and some of what happened to me during those weeks isn’t easy to talk about yet."
Something in Reid’s chest tightened at that, old protective instinct flaring hot and immediate despite his best effort to stay calm and patient. "whatever happened," he said quietly, "whenever you’re ready to share it — I’ll be here. we all will."
Julian nodded slowly, something grateful and tired settling behind his calm expression, and the three of them sat together in the quiet garden a while longer, the evening settling soft and peaceful around them despite everything still unresolved between them.
"for what it’s worth," the fox said eventually, breaking the comfortable silence, tone considerably gentler now than its earlier teasing, "he’s stronger than anyone gives him proper credit for. whatever he decides to share, whenever he decides to share it — it’ll be worth the wait."
Reid glanced toward the small, golden creature curled against Julian’s leg, still turning the unresolved, nagging fragment of recognition over in his mind, though he let it rest for now, unwilling to push any further than Julian had already allowed tonight.
"I believe that," Reid said quietly, rising slowly from the bench as the evening deepened around them. "take whatever time you need, Julian. truly."
He left them there in the quiet garden, the fox’s satisfied, knowing golden eyes watching him go, the mystery of its own familiar cadence still unresolved and settling deep and curious in the back of Reid’s mind as he made his way back toward the academy’s main grounds.