The corridor was silent.
Too silent.
Kael stood still.
"…They know I exist."
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Real.
The man didn't respond immediately.
Instead—
He looked down the corridor.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…And now they'll come faster."
Kael's fists tightened.
"…Then we deal with them."
The man glanced at him.
"…You're confident."
Kael's eyes hardened.
"…I survived the first one."
"…Barely."
Silence.
Kael didn't argue.
Because he knew it was true.
"…So what now?" Kael asked.
The man turned.
"…We move."
The facility wasn't what Kael expected.
It wasn't just corridors.
It was a maze.
Levels.
Hidden paths.
Rooms sealed behind reinforced doors.
Everything built for one purpose—
Containment.
"…How many are here?" Kael asked quietly.
"…Too many," the man replied.
That wasn't reassuring.
As they moved deeper—
Kael felt it again.
A faint pull.
Then—
Another.
"…There are more…" Kael muttered.
"…Yes."
"…Close."
The man slowed.
"…Stay alert."
The lights flickered again.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
A low vibration spread through the floor.
Kael stopped.
"…That's not one."
The man's expression darkened.
"…No."
The vibration grew stronger.
Then—
Multiple distortions appeared.
Not one.
Not two.
Five.
The air warped in different directions.
Each distortion forming a shape.
Unstable.
Shifting.
"…They're multiplying…" Kael said.
"…No."
The man's voice lowered.
"…They were already here."
The first entity stepped out.
Then another.
And another.
Their eyes—
Locked onto Kael.
At the same time.
"…Target confirmed…"
"…Resonance detected…"
"…Extraction priority—high…"
Kael felt it instantly.
Their energy—
Was reacting to him.
All of them.
"…Why me…" he muttered.
"…Because you're different," the man said.
"…More than them."
The entities moved.
Fast.
All at once.
Kael stepped forward.
Energy surged inside him.
"…Aetherion."
"…Active."
The first entity attacked.
Kael met it head-on—
Their energies clashed violently.
But before he could react—
Another struck from the side.
Kael barely blocked.
"…Too many—!"
A third attacked—
A direct hit.
BOOM.
Kael was thrown back—
Sliding across the floor.
He gritted his teeth.
"…Damn it…"
They weren't like the first one.
They were faster.
More aggressive.
And working together.
"…You can't fight them like that," the man said calmly.
Kael pushed himself up.
"…Then how?"
A pause.
"…Stop thinking of them as enemies."
Kael froze.
"…What?"
The entities charged again.
"…They're fragments—like you."
Kael's eyes widened.
"…Then—"
"…Control them."
Everything slowed.
The world dimmed.
The entities closed in—
But Kael didn't move.
Not outwardly.
Instead—
He focused inward.
The energy inside him pulsed.
Stronger.
Deeper.
"…Aetherion…"
"…Synchronizing."
The moment they reached him—
Kael raised his hand.
The energy exploded outward—
But not violently.
Controlled.
Focused.
The entities froze mid-motion.
Their forms flickering.
"…What is this…?" Kael whispered.
Their movements slowed.
Then—
Stopped.
For a brief moment—
Everything stood still.
Then—
Cracks.
Their forms destabilized.
One by one—
They collapsed into light.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Kael stood there.
Breathing slowly.
"…I didn't destroy them…"
The man stepped forward.
"…No."
A pause.
"…You overrode them."
Kael looked at his hand.
The energy pulsing around it—
Was different.
Stronger.
More controlled.
"…So I can control them…"
The man's expression darkened slightly.
"…For now."
Kael looked up.
"…What does that mean?"
A pause.
"…It means they'll adapt."
Silence.
"…And next time…"
The man turned away.
"…They won't be so easy."
Kael exhaled slowly.
His energy pulsing once more.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Unfamiliar.
"…Then I'll get stronger too."
But deep inside—
Something stirred.
Not Aetherion.
Something else.
Watching.
Waiting.