The facility was too quiet.
Not peaceful—
Tense.
Like everything was waiting for something to break.
Kael stood alone in the training chamber.
The lights above flickered faintly.
Unstable.
Just like him.
"…Aetherion."
"…Active."
"…Status."
A pause.
Longer than usual.
"…Fluctuating."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…That's not helpful."
But it was honest.
The energy inside him pulsed—
Uneven.
One moment calm.
The next—
Violent.
"…Focus…" Kael muttered.
He raised his hand.
Energy gathered.
Small at first—
Then suddenly—
It surged.
Too much.
Too fast.
BOOM.
The blast hit the far wall—
Cracking it instantly.
Kael froze.
"…That wasn't controlled…"
"…No."
The voice wasn't Aetherion.
Kael's expression hardened.
"…You again."
Silence.
Then—
"…You're holding back."
Kael clenched his fist.
"…I'm controlling it."
A faint chuckle echoed inside him.
"…No."
A pause.
"…You're afraid of it."
That hit deeper than expected.
Kael stepped forward.
"…Show yourself."
"…I already am."
The energy around him flickered—
Then split.
For just a second—
Kael saw it.
Not clearly—
But enough.
A shape.
Mirroring him.
But darker.
Sharper.
Watching.
"…What are you…" Kael whispered.
"…You."
The answer came instantly.
Calm.
Certain.
"…The part you keep suppressing."
Kael shook his head.
"…No."
"…Yes."
The presence grew stronger.
Closer.
"…You felt it, didn't you?"
A pause.
"…When you touched it."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…That wasn't me."
"…It was."
Silence.
Then—
The door burst open.
"…Kael!"
The man stepped in.
Sharp.
Alert.
"…We have a situation."
Kael turned.
His energy flickering dangerously.
"…Now?"
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…Multiple signals."
Kael's expression hardened.
"…Where?"
"…Outside."
Moments later—
They arrived.
The scene—
Was chaos.
A wide street.
Cracked.
Distorted.
Three entities.
Not like before.
More stable.
More aggressive.
And already attacking.
People were running.
Screaming.
Kael stepped forward instantly.
"…I'll handle it."
"…Careful," the man warned.
But Kael was already moving.
Fast.
Too fast.
He reached the first entity—
Struck—
Destroyed it instantly.
No struggle.
No resistance.
"…Too easy…" he muttered.
The second attacked—
Kael didn't dodge.
He caught it.
Crushed it.
Energy exploding outward.
Uncontrolled.
The shockwave shattered nearby windows.
"…Kael—!"
He didn't hear it.
Because inside—
The voice was louder.
"…There it is…"
Kael's breathing changed.
Heavier.
Rougher.
The third entity hesitated.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
"…You see it too…" the voice whispered.
Kael smiled.
But it wasn't normal.
It wasn't him.
"…Run."
The entity tried.
Too late.
Kael moved—
Faster than before.
A blur.
He struck—
But this time—
He didn't stop.
He kept hitting.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The entity was already breaking—
But Kael didn't care.
"…Enough!"
The man's voice cut through.
Sharp.
Powerful.
Kael froze.
Mid-strike.
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
The energy around him collapsed inward.
Suddenly.
Violently.
Kael staggered back.
Breathing hard.
"…What…"
His eyes returned to normal.
Slowly.
"…What did I just do…"
The street was destroyed.
More than it should've been.
More than necessary.
The man approached slowly.
Watching him carefully.
"…You lost control."
Kael looked at his hands.
They were shaking.
"…No…"
A pause.
"…I let go."
Silence.
Because deep down—
He knew the truth.
That power—
That feeling—
It wasn't forced.
It wasn't accidental.
It was him.
Or at least—
Part of him.
"…This is just the beginning…" the voice whispered softly.
Kael closed his eyes.
Trying to steady himself.
But one thought remained—
Clear.
Unavoidable.
He wasn't just getting stronger.
He was becoming something else.