The room went still.
Kai stood his ground, breathing steady, eyes faintly glowing red. The officers didn't rush him this time. They watched. Waited. Calculated.
Then—
A slow clap echoed from the doorway.
A man stepped forward, different from the others. Older. Calm. Dangerous in a way that didn't need force to prove it.
"Impressive," he said. "You've learned control… faster than expected."
Kai didn't respond.
"Unfortunately," the man continued, adjusting his gloves, "control isn't enough."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The man nodded slightly.
Two officers moved. Fast.
Before Kai could react fully, something sharp pierced his neck.
A syringe.
Kai's eyes widened. "What—?"
He grabbed one of them, but his strength…
It dropped.
Fast.
The red glow in his eyes flickered violently—then dimmed.
"No… no…" Kai stumbled back, clutching his neck. "What did you do to me?!"
The man watched calmly. "A permanent inhibitor. Designed specifically for unstable ability users. Your powers… are gone."
Kai froze.
Gone?
"No…" he whispered, shaking his head. "That's not possible… I just— I just got control…"
He tried to summon it.
Nothing.
No glow.
No energy.
Just… silence.
His breathing became uneven. "No! Give it back!" he shouted, charging forward—but this time, he was just a normal person. The officers restrained him easily, forcing him to his knees.
Axel stepped forward, panic in his voice. "What did you do to him?! You can't just take that away!"
Leo's face hardened. "That wasn't rehabilitation… that was removal."
The man didn't flinch. "He was a threat. Now he's manageable."
Kai struggled, but his strength wasn't the same. His body felt empty, like something important had been ripped out of him.
"…I can't feel it…" he said quietly, almost to himself.
No power.
No energy.
Nothing.
His fists slowly unclenched.
For the first time…
Kai wasn't dangerous.
He wasn't powerful.
He wasn't even a hero.
He was just… human.
The room felt colder.
Axel looked at him, his voice breaking slightly. "Kai… say something…"
But Kai didn't respond.
His head lowered.
Not in defeat—
But in something worse.
Silence.
Because the one thing that made him who he was…
Was gone.
Forever.