Damon tried to speak.
Tried to force even a single word out.
But the moment he opened his mouth, nothing came, because there was no air to carry it, no breath to shape it, only that suffocating emptiness pressing in from all sides as though he had been submerged beneath an invisible ocean, his lungs burning as they struggled for something that simply wasn't there.
His chest heaved.
His throat strained.
But every attempt failed.
And in front of him—
Miss Elowen watched.
Her posture relaxed, her expression soft and almost amused as she took another quiet sip of her tea, as if Damon's struggle was nothing more than a mild curiosity rather than a matter of life and death.
The contrast was suffocating in itself.
Something in Damon snapped.
His eyes sharpened.
His will surged.
And in that moment—
His resonance activated.
Fractured Ruin.
The mana around him distorted violently, the space itself seeming to crack and bend as invisible fractures spread through the air, disrupting the suffocating force just enough for a thin pocket of breath to return to him, a fragile, fleeting relief as his lungs finally managed to draw in a shallow gasp.
The pressure lessened slightly.
Enough for his body to respond.
Enough for him to fight.
Elowen's eyes widened just a fraction.
"Oh my…"
She set her cup down.
Then—
She snapped her fingers.
The world collapsed inward again.
The pressure returned—More heavier and denser.
Overwhelming the distorted mana as though crushing it entirely, doubling the force that wrapped around Damon's body as the brief space he had created vanished instantly, his breath catching mid-inhale as his lungs failed him once more.
His eyes widened.
His body trembled violently.
His struggle grew desperate.
j-just what the hell…
His thoughts fractured.
Yesterday… the assassination attempt…
His vision blurred.
And today… when I was actually looking forward to this—
His fingers twitched uselessly against the invisible restraint.
t-this…
His chest burned.
Just why the hell is everyone trying to kill me…
Something darker rose.
…but the more you want me dead—
His gaze sharpened.
—the more I will survive.
A scream tore out of him.
"AAAAAAAHHH—!"
And with it—
The mana shattered further.
Distorted beyond its limits as cracks spread violently through the surrounding space, the pressure wavering for just a fraction of a second as his pupils darkened, black swallowing the gold as the resonance surged uncontrollably.
Then—
Elowen snapped her fingers again ,as everything vanished.
The pressure. The restraint. The suffocation. All of it.
Damon's body dropped—but before it could even fall ,he moved mid-air like a released spring.
He dashed forward with explosive force, his body cutting through the space where Elowen stood as his strike landed—
Only to pass through her.
Her figure dispersed instantly, flowing apart like water.
Rippling.
Reforming.
A warm voice came from the other side of the room.
"Oh my… are you looking for me?"
Damon didn't turn nor hesitate.
His body reacted instantly as he hurled himself toward the voice, his leg snapping out in a powerful kick aimed directly at her—
But once again—She dissolved.
Her form breaking apart into a flowing current before slipping away.
And again—From another direction—
Her voice came, light and almost playful.
"I am here."
"I am here…"
Her voice echoed lightly through the room, shifting from one direction to another as though the space itself obeyed her, and before Damon could fully turn, it came again—
"Where are you looking…?"
Then again—
"Find me…"
Each time he moved, he committed fully, his body lunging toward the source of her voice with explosive force, his strikes fast, precise, and relentless, yet every single time his attacks met nothing, her figure dissolving into flowing water just before impact, slipping through his reach as if she had never been there at all, only to reappear somewhere else with that same calm, almost teasing presence.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Damon's movements grew sharper.
More aggressive.
The rhythm of his breathing broke entirely as frustration began to seep into his system, his control slipping inch by inch as faint strands of black smoke started to leak from the corners of his eyes, curling upward into the air while thin, dark streaks crept into his hair, staining the white with something far more ominous.
His eyes darkened.
His strikes lost restraint.
Then—
She didn't disappear.
Damon closed the distance instantly, his attack about to land—And his body stopped completely ,frozen mid-motion.
His limbs locked in place as if bound by invisible chains, his muscles straining violently against the unseen force that held him there, his fingers twitching, his legs trembling as he tried to break free, a low, animalistic hiss tearing from his throat as the frustration twisted into something far more primal.
Elowen stepped closer.
Calm and unhurried.
She leaned in until her face was just inches away from his, her blue eyes meeting his darkened gaze directly, her expression no longer playful, no longer amused—
But serious.
"Damon…"
Her voice softened.
"Control yourself."
He hissed again, his body jerking against the restraint as the black smoke thickened faintly around his eyes.
"It's not you…" she continued, her tone steady, grounding. "Your power is controlling you."
Her gaze did not waver.
"Control it yourself."
For a brief moment—
A flicker of clarity surfaced within Damon's eyes, his breathing stuttering as if his mind had momentarily broken through the chaos, the struggle easing just slightly as that single thread of awareness tried to take hold—
Then it slipped.
The darkness surged back more strongly
His arm jerked violently ,and broke free.
Elowen sighed softly.
And in the very next moment—
Darkness swallowed Damon's vision whole.
Damon's eyes flickered open slowly, his vision still slightly unfocused as the haze of what had just happened clung faintly to his mind, but as clarity returned bit by bit, the first thing he saw was Elowen sitting calmly in front of him, her posture relaxed, her usual warm smile resting on her lips as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
He realized, almost immediately, that he was seated.
On a chair.
Facing her.
The sudden awareness made him react.
Damon stood up abruptly.
"You—"
The word left his mouth instinctively, sharp and edged, but it stopped there, cut off midway as he forced himself to pause, his jaw tightening slightly before he exhaled and lowered himself back into the chair in a more controlled manner.
Elowen watched him the entire time, her smile unchanged.
"It seems clarity has finally returned to you."
Damon didn't respond, his gaze steady as his thoughts moved inward instead.
She was provoking me on purpose…
The realization settled without resistance.
Elowen tilted her head slightly, studying him.
"What you are thinking now…" she said gently, "…did you think it the moment you were submerged by me, or when you activated your resonance?"
Damon remained silent.
Not because he had no answer—
But because he understood what she was doing.
So Elowen continued.
"A spike in emotions… a loss of reasoning… uncontrollable output of power…"
Her voice remained calm, almost instructional, yet the weight of her words pressed clearly.
Damon's gaze lowered slightly.
He could see it now.
Feel it.
How quickly his control had slipped.
How easily his thoughts had fractured.
How little it had taken for his own power to turn against him.
Elowen observed the shift in his expression and continued.
"I thought that once you had vented enough, you would regain some level of clarity…"
She paused briefly.
"But—"
"My resonance controlled me even more heavily," Damon finished for her, his voice quieter now, more grounded than before.
Elowen nodded, her smile softening just slightly.
"Good… at least you are admitting it. That's a step forward."
A brief silence followed before she leaned back slightly and asked,
"Tell me… what are the emotions that are most intense?"
Damon answered without hesitation, his voice steady.
"Anger, fear, sadness, stress, lust, guilt, jealousy… and frustration."
Elowen nodded once, then continued,
"And what did you feel in those moments?"
Damon paused for a fraction of a second.
"…Anger."
"And?" she prompted.
There was a slight hesitation this time, but he answered nonetheless.
"…Fear… of losing my life."
Elowen nodded again, her expression approving.
"Good. It is important to understand your own emotions before trying to control them."
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before her tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious.
"But the situation is more severe than I initially thought."
Damon didn't respond outwardly, but the thought surfaced clearly within him.
Me as well.
Elowen exhaled softly before straightening slightly in her seat.
"This is enough for today," she said. "In every session, we will focus on controlling one specific emotion."
Damon gave a small nod.
Then Elowen continued,
"I have one assignment for you. There is no time limit for it… but the sooner you complete it, the more beneficial it will be for you."