The ground shattered beneath his feet.
Kael moved first.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
Too… wrong.
The air screamed as he closed the distance—
His hand struck forward without hesitation.
Not testing.
Not holding back.
Killing intent.
The stranger didn't move.
Not at first.
Kael's attack was inches away—
And then—
It stopped.
Not because Kael chose to stop.
Because something held him there.
The space itself had tightened.
Like invisible pressure locking his body in place.
His arm trembled violently.
Trying to move.
Failing.
"…Pathetic."
The stranger's voice was calm.
Disappointed.
Kael's glowing eyes snapped toward them.
No recognition.
No restraint.
He forced his body forward—
The pressure cracked.
Just slightly.
Then he moved again.
Faster.
Stronger.
The stranger stepped back this time.
Effortless.
Kael's strike hit nothing—
The ground behind them exploded instead.
Dust rose.
Cracks spread outward like fractures in glass.
"…So it's not just energy."
The stranger's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's an influence."
Kael didn't hear it.
He moved again—
Relentless.
His body blurred through the space—
Attacking again and again.
Each strike was heavy enough to break the ground.
Each movement is less human than the last.
The stranger dodged them all.
Minimal movement.
Efficient.
Untouched.
"…You're not controlling it."
Another step back.
"It's controlling you."
Kael's body froze for a fraction of a second.
Just long enough—
For the stranger to move.
They appeared in front of him instantly.
A single hand pressed against his chest.
Right over the core.
Kael's body locked.
The energy inside him surged violently—
Reacting.
"Interesting…"
The stranger's voice lowered slightly.
"…It's responding to me."
Kael's vision flickered.
Red.
Black.
His thoughts—
Breaking apart.
And then—
He heard it.
Not the calm, emotionless voice from before.
Something deeper.
Something… older.
"Remove… interference…"
The words echoed through his mind.
Not directed at him.
Directed at the stranger.
The energy surged again—
This time—
Violent.
Kael's body moved.
Faster than before.
He grabbed the stranger's arm—
Forcing it away from his chest.
The pressure around them shattered.
The air distorted violently.
The stranger stepped back—
Not forced.
But choosing to.
Their eyes sharpened now.
For the first time—
There was real interest.
"…So that's what you are."
Kael's body trembled.
The glow around him intensified—
Space bending slightly with every breath.
His voice came out distorted.
Not fully his own.
"…Stay… away…"
The stranger tilted their head slightly.
"…That's not you talking."
Kael's hand twitched.
His body leaned forward—
Ready to attack again.
But something stopped him.
A flicker.
A fragment of control.
His eyes shifted—
The red is fading slightly.
"…Stop…"
The word was weak.
Strained.
But real.
The energy surged again—
Fighting back.
"Host resistance… detected."
Aetherion's familiar voice returned—
But even that…
I felt unstable.
"Stabilization… failing…"
Kael dropped to one knee.
His body is shaking violently now.
"…I said…"
His hand pressed against his chest—
Forcing it down.
Fighting it.
"…STOP!"
The air exploded outward.
A shockwave tore through the space—
Then—
Silence.
The glow faded.
The distortion disappeared.
Kael collapsed forward—
Catching himself with one hand.
Breathing hard.
His body—
Finally his again.
The stranger watched him quietly.
"…You forced it back."
No mockery this time.
No sarcasm.
Just… observation.
Kael didn't respond.
He couldn't.
His breathing was too uneven.
His body is too heavy.
"…Good."
A pause.
Then—
"…That means you might survive this."
Kael let out a weak breath.
"…That's… reassuring…"
The stranger turned away slightly.
Looking out into the empty expanse.
"…What's inside you…"
A brief pause.
"…isn't just power."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Yeah…"
He already felt that.
The stranger's voice lowered.
"…It's something that shouldn't exist anymore."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
And far beyond the broken sky—
Something ancient…
I was watching.