"Purity does not mean power…"
"…it means loss of control."
"The purer the bloodline…"
"…the closer you are to the beast."
---
Those words clung to my mind.
Like glue.
Unshakable.
---
"Dismissed."
---
Caelion's voice cut through the air.
And just like that—
The oppressive weight behind his words vanished.
---
The gravity returned to normal.
A faint mechanical hum echoed as the chamber powered down.
The invisible pressure that had been pressing on our bodies…
Disappeared completely.
---
Without another word—
Caelion turned.
And left.
---
No explanation.
No reassurance.
No guidance.
---
He simply…
Walked away.
---
Leaving us behind.
---
To our own thoughts.
Our own fears.
Our own understanding.
---
One by one—
The others began to leave.
Quietly.
Slowly.
---
Some avoided eye contact.
Others whispered among themselves.
A few looked shaken.
---
None of them were the same as when they entered.
---
And neither was I.
---
I remained where I stood.
Still.
Silent.
---
Lost in thought.
---
Was I destined to become a vessel…
Or to die from losing control?
---
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
---
Good thing I haven't gone berserk even once…
---
…or so I thought.
---
Memories surfaced.
Moments.
Subtle.
But real.
---
Times when my power surged.
Unnaturally.
---
When anger took hold—
My strength spiked.
My presence shifted.
---
Just like earlier.
When I faced Caelion.
---
That pressure…
That reaction…
---
It wasn't normal.
---
Nothing leaked out…
---
But still—
At his level—
He should have noticed.
---
He wasn't the type to miss something like that.
---
Which meant—
---
He knows.
---
Silence filled the chamber.
Empty now.
---
Only me.
And my thoughts.
---
"…System."
---
I called out inwardly.
---
A familiar blue screen flickered into existence before me.
---
> [Host Information]
Name: Velzahar
Race: Blue-Eyed White Tiger
Pure Beast Blood: 100%
Accessible Power: 5%
Threat Classification: ¿¿¿
---
My eyes narrowed slightly.
---
Five percent…?
---
The last time I checked—
It had been lower.
---
Two percent.
---
So it was increasing.
Without me doing anything.
---
That wasn't good.
---
Not at all.
---
The screen flickered again.
---
> [Warning]
Host bloodline seal is weakening.
Recommendation: Increase strength immediately.
---
A cold silence followed.
---
So it wasn't just growth.
---
It was a release.
---
Something inside me…
Was breaking free.
---
I clenched my fist.
Slowly.
Tightly.
---
"I knew it…"
---
A quiet breath escaped my lips.
---
I can't risk becoming the cause of my own death.
---
Power without control—
Wasn't strength.
---
It was a countdown.
---
I lowered my head slightly.
Eyes shadowed.
---
"I have to get stronger…"
"…not just to fight…"
---
My grip tightened further.
---
"…but to control whatever is inside me."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
---
A voice.
---
Soft.
Familiar.
---
"…Welcome back."
---
My body froze.
---
"…my cat."
---
The words echoed inside my mind.
---
Not loud.
Not forceful.
---
But undeniable.
---
Like a whisper—
Right beside my ear.
---
Cold.
Intimate.
---
Ancient.
---
My eyes snapped open.
---
"…Who—?"
---
No response.
---
Only silence.
---
But the feeling remained.
---
Watching.
Waiting.
---
Like something had just stirred…
From a long sleep.
---
Deep within me.
---
And for the first time—
---
A thought surfaced.
Clear.
Unavoidable.
---
I am not alone in this body.
---