Theo's POV
The training ground was supposed to be empty.
Quiet.
Safe.
That's why I came back.
Not to push myself.
Not to test anything dangerous.
Just to… understand.
But the moment I stepped inside—
Something felt off.
Not outside.
Inside.
A faint pressure settled behind my eyes.
Subtle.
But persistent.
Like something was trying to… surface.
"…Not now," I muttered.
I walked toward the same dummy from yesterday.
The mark was still there.
Distorted.
Wrong.
A reminder.
Of what happened.
Of what I couldn't control.
I raised my hand slowly.
Moisture gathered.
A simple Water Ball formed.
Stable.
Normal.
I exhaled quietly.
Good.
That's how it should be.
I launched it.
It struck the dummy cleanly.
No distortion.
No pull.
Nothing unusual.
"…So it doesn't just happen randomly," I said under my breath.
For a moment—
Everything felt under control.
But then—
Something flickered.
Right in front of my eyes.
I froze.
"…What—"
For a split second—
Dark text appeared.
Faint.
Distorted.
Then disappeared.
My heart rate spiked.
"…Did I just—"
It came back.
Clearer this time.
[— System Initialization Failed —]
[Fallback Interface: Active]
I stepped back slightly.
"What… is this?"
No sound.
No presence.
Just—
Words.
Floating in my vision.
Then—
They changed.
[Host Detected: Theo Vale]
[Primary Core: Water – Stable]
[Secondary Core: ??? – Active]
My chest tightened.
So it knew.
About the second core.
About that.
The text shifted again.
[Synchronization: 37%]
[Stability: 63%]
[Anomaly Level: Rising]
"…Anomaly…"
That word lingered.
Uncomfortable.
Like I wasn't something that should exist.
I swallowed slightly.
"…What are you?" I asked.
No answer.
Just silence.
Then—
A pulse.
From inside my chest.
Sharp.
Sudden.
My breath caught—
And the text reacted instantly.
[Warning: Core Activity Increasing]
[Warning: Unknown energy detected]
The pressure surged.
Stronger than before.
I clenched my teeth.
"…Not here…"
My hand lifted instinctively.
Water gathered again—
But this time—
It felt heavier.
Denser.
Wrong.
The system flickered violently.
[— Interference Detected —]
[External Influence: ???]
[Override Attempt … Failed]
"…Override?"
The sphere trembled.
Not unstable—
But changing.
Compressing.
Without permission.
Without control.
"…Stop," I muttered.
It didn't listen.
The pressure deepened.
My focus sharpened—
Trying to contain it.
Trying to understand it.
Then—
[New Technique Detected]
[Mutation in progress …]
"…Wait—"
Too late.
The sphere collapsed inward—
Then shot forward.
Faster than anything I'd ever cast.
It struck the dummy—
And the air twisted.
Just for a moment.
Then—
Silence.
The dummy remained standing.
But the impact mark—
Was warped.
Distorted.
Like space itself had bent around it.
I lowered my hand slowly.
Breathing heavier now.
Because this time—
I saw it clearly.
Not just the result.
But the change.
And in front of me—
The text updated.
[Technique Registered]
[Void Sphere – Incomplete]
[Distortion level: 14%]
"…Void…"
So that's what it was.
Not water.
Something else.
Something deeper.
The system flickered again.
[Warning: Continued use mayresult in...]
[...Error]
[Data Missing]
"…You don't even know," I whispered.
That made it worse.
Not better.
I stared at the incomplete message.
Then—
Another line appeared.
[Observation: Host Adapting]
[Conclusion: Acceptable]
My body went still.
"…Acceptable?"
That wasn't guidance.
That wasn't support.
That was…
Evaluation.
Like something was watching me.
Judging.
Not interfering.
Just… observing.
I slowly lowered my hand.
The air felt heavier now.
Not physically.
But mentally.
And that's when I remembered—
After Aeris left yesterday…
I stayed here longer than I should have.
Long after the training ground emptied.
I kept practicing.
Pushing.
Ignoring the warning signs.
That strange pressure in my chest…
The slight distortion in my magic…
I didn't stop.
I didn't question it.
I just kept going.
Trying to get stronger.
Trying to close the gap.
"…So this started before today," I murmured.
Not here.
Not just now.
This…
Was already growing.
The system flickered again.
Almost like it reacted to that thought.
But said nothing.
I looked at the distorted mark again.
Then back at the floating text.
Still unstable.
Still incomplete.
Just like whatever was inside me.
"…Fine," I said quietly.
"If you're going to watch…"
My gaze hardened slightly.
"…Then I'll figure you out."
The text didn't respond.
Didn't change.
But for a brief moment—
It flickered.
Differently.
Like it heard me.