The pain didn't stop.
It repeated.
Again.
And again.
Kael hit the ground for the third time.
Harder than before.
His breath caught in his throat as his body rolled across the cracked surface.
"…Tch—"
He forced himself up.
Slower now.
His muscles screamed in protest.
His side burned where the last hit had landed.
"Reaction time… insufficient."
The voice came calmly from behind.
Watching.
Measuring.
Kael didn't respond.
His eyes stayed forward.
Locked on empty space.
Waiting.
The air shifted.
There—
For a split second—
Something moved.
Kael reacted instantly—
Turning—
Too slow.
Impact slammed into his shoulder.
His body spun—
Dropping him to one knee.
"…Damn it…"
He clenched his jaw.
It wasn't strength.
He could feel that now.
The thing attacking him—
It wasn't stronger than the Hunters.
But it didn't matter.
Because he couldn't see it.
Couldn't track it.
Couldn't predict it.
"…Then stop trying to see it."
The words came suddenly.
Kael froze.
"…What?"
"Your eyes are slow."
"Your mind is slower."
"Both will get you killed."
Kael's expression darkened slightly.
"…Then what am I supposed to use?"
A pause.
Then—
"…Everything else."
Silence.
The air shifted again.
The presence circled him—
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Kael exhaled slowly.
His stance lowered slightly.
Not focusing on sight.
Instead—
He listened.
The faint shift in air pressure.
The subtle vibration under his feet.
The way the space itself… reacted.
His breathing slowed.
His mind cleared.
The world sharpened—
Not visually.
But… differently.
There—
A shift.
Behind him.
Kael moved.
Not perfectly—
But enough.
The attack grazed past him instead of hitting directly.
His body twisted—
Instinct taking over—
And his hand shot out.
Contact.
For the first time—
He felt it.
Solid.
Real.
The distortion flickered—
Revealing a shape for just a fraction of a second.
Kael's eyes widened.
"…I—"
The moment broke.
The creature struck again.
Hard.
Sending him crashing back.
But this time—
Kael didn't stay down.
He pushed himself up immediately.
Breathing hard.
Eyes sharp.
"…I felt it."
No frustration.
No anger.
Just… realization.
Behind him—
A faint shift.
The stranger watched quietly.
"…Again."
Kael steadied himself.
This time—
He didn't focus on his eyes at all.
He let them relax.
Almost unfocused.
Instead—
He listened.
Felt.
Waited.
The attack came—
Faster than before.
But this time—
Kael moved earlier.
A step to the side—
A turn—
His hand struck forward—
And connected again.
Longer this time.
Clearer.
The distortion flickered—
Its shape is beginning to form.
Not fully visible—
But no longer invisible either.
Kael smiled faintly.
"…There you are."
The creature recoiled slightly.
For the first time—
It reacted.
The air shifted again.
But something had changed.
Kael wasn't just reacting anymore.
He was starting to understand.
Behind him—
The stranger spoke quietly.
"…Good."
A pause.
Then—
"…Now survive the rest."