Rumors spread faster than fear.
Leo realized that the very next morning.
The moment he stepped onto the main training grounds, the atmosphere changed.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Something quieter.
More uncomfortable.
Conversations stopped briefly as he passed.
Eyes followed him from a distance.
Groups that normally crowded the training fields unconsciously shifted farther away whenever he approached.
And though no one openly confronted him—
the fear was obvious.
Leo felt it everywhere.
In the silence.
In the hesitation.
In the way people avoided standing too close.
The black mark beneath his wrist remained hidden under the sleeve of his training uniform, yet somehow it no longer mattered.
Because the rumors had already created something worse than proof.
Imagination.
"…They say he collapsed an instructor."
"…No, the chamber shook…"
"…I heard council members came personally…"
"…Someone said he isn't fully human anymore…"
The whispers drifted faintly through the training grounds as Leo walked.
Most were quiet.
But not quiet enough.
His chest tightened slightly.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Something emptier.
Because only days ago, these same trainees had barely noticed him at all.
Now—
they looked at him like something dangerous hidden beneath human skin.
"Leo."
The voice came suddenly from nearby.
Leo turned slightly.
Kael stood several steps away near the edge of the training field.
Unlike the others, he had approached directly.
But even now—
there was hesitation in his posture.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Are the rumors true?"
Leo already knew which rumors he meant.
The chamber.
The council.
The mark.
The pressure.
The monster.
"…I don't know anymore," Leo answered honestly.
Kael frowned slightly.
That answer unsettled him more than denial would have.
"You disappeared for days," Kael said quietly. "Then suddenly everyone starts talking about forbidden training and council intervention."
His eyes lowered briefly toward Leo's covered wrist.
"…And now people are scared of you."
The words were not cruel.
That made them worse.
Leo looked away slightly.
"…They should be."
Kael's expression tightened immediately.
"Don't say that."
For the first time in days, genuine emotion flickered faintly across Leo's face.
Exhaustion.
Confusion.
Fear buried beneath restraint.
"I don't even know what's happening to me anymore."
The words escaped more quietly than intended.
And for a moment—
Kael saw something beyond the rumors.
Not a monster.
Not a threat.
Just someone exhausted.
But then—
the whispers stirred again.
Faint.
Cold.
Leo's breathing faltered slightly.
Instantly, Kael noticed.
"…Leo?"
Leo stepped backward immediately.
"Don't come closer."
The sudden sharpness in his voice caused nearby trainees to look over immediately.
The atmosphere tightened across the field.
Kael frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Leo pressed a hand against his forehead slightly.
The whispers were growing louder again.
Not words.
Pressure.
Like countless distant voices speaking beneath water.
"…Leave."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What?"
"Leave."
This time the word came harsher.
More unstable.
The training grounds slowly grew quieter around them.
People were watching openly now.
Kael took another cautious step forward.
"Leo, look at me."
The moment he moved closer—
pain exploded behind Leo's eyes.
Another flash.
Blood across stone.
A broken battlefield.
Kael standing in darkness—
dead.
Leo staggered violently backward.
His heartbeat accelerated instantly.
"No…"
The vision disappeared.
But the fear remained.
Sharp.
Immediate.
Real.
"Leo!"
Kael moved forward instinctively to catch him.
The moment his hand touched Leo's shoulder—
the whispers erupted.
A violent pressure burst outward from Leo uncontrollably.
The air around them distorted sharply.
Dust exploded across the ground.
Several nearby trainees were thrown backward instantly.
The wooden training racks near the edge of the field cracked violently.
And Kael—
was launched several meters across the ground.
Silence crashed over the training grounds.
Absolute.
Leo froze completely.
Kael hit the ground hard, skidding across the dirt before finally stopping near the edge of the field.
Several trainees shouted immediately.
Others backed away in panic.
Fear spread across the grounds almost instantly.
Leo stared at his own hands.
Breathing unevenly.
The black mark beneath his sleeve burned violently now, dark lines spreading farther up his forearm.
"I didn't—"
His voice shook slightly.
"I didn't mean to—"
But no one approached him.
Not a single person.
The fear in their eyes had changed now.
Before, it had been rumor-driven uncertainty.
Now—
they had witnessed something directly.
Kael slowly pushed himself upright in the distance, clearly injured but conscious.
The moment his eyes met Leo's—
Leo felt his chest tighten sharply.
Because even Kael looked afraid now.
Trying not to.
But afraid.
That hurt more than anything else.
"Instructor!"
Voices echoed across the grounds as several trainers rushed toward the scene.
The atmosphere descended into chaos immediately.
Some trainees moved toward Kael.
Others backed farther away from Leo.
No one knew what to do.
Then suddenly—
silence spread again.
The instructor had arrived.
He stepped onto the training grounds slowly, his gaze immediately locking onto Leo.
Then toward the damaged field.
Kael.
The terrified trainees.
The spreading black lines beneath Leo's wrist.
The instructor's expression darkened immediately.
"…Everyone leave."
No one argued.
The pressure in his voice alone forced movement instantly.
Within moments, the field began clearing rapidly.
But even while leaving—
people kept looking back at Leo.
Fearfully.
Cautiously.
As though expecting something worse to happen.
Only Kael hesitated.
He stood slowly near the edge of the grounds, holding his injured shoulder.
For several seconds, he looked at Leo silently.
Then finally—
"…You really couldn't control it."
The words were quiet.
Not accusing.
That somehow made them unbearable.
Leo lowered his gaze.
"…No."
Kael remained silent briefly.
Then turned away slowly and left with the others.
Leo stood alone near the center of the ruined training field.
The broken wood around him suddenly felt symbolic somehow.
Because something else had cracked too.
Something quieter.
Human.
The instructor approached slowly.
"You felt something."
Leo nodded weakly.
"A vision."
The instructor's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Of what?"
Leo hesitated.
Then answered quietly.
"…Kael dying."
Silence followed immediately.
The instructor exhaled slowly.
"The connection is evolving faster than expected."
Leo clenched his fists tightly.
"I almost hurt him."
"You did hurt him."
The correction came calmly.
Leo's breathing became uneven again.
The guilt settled heavily inside his chest.
Because this time—
there was no mystery.
No vague supernatural danger.
He had lost control publicly.
And people got hurt.
The instructor studied him carefully.
Then spoke quietly.
"This is the point where most vessels begin breaking mentally."
Leo looked at him sharply.
"…Vessels."
The word sounded worse every time he heard it.
The instructor continued.
"They isolate themselves. Fear themselves. Eventually they stop resisting the whispers because resistance becomes exhausting."
A faint pause followed.
"And that is when the Watchers begin taking more."
The cold fear inside Leo deepened immediately.
Because part of him understood exactly what the instructor meant.
Resisting was exhausting.
Every moment now felt unstable.
Every emotion dangerous.
Every interaction risky.
"…What if I can't stop it?" Leo asked quietly.
For several seconds, the instructor said nothing.
Then—
"You must."
The answer should have sounded reassuring.
Instead—
it sounded desperate.
The wind moved softly across the damaged training grounds.
In the distance, Leo could still feel eyes watching him from beyond the surrounding buildings.
Fear.
Suspicion.
Rumors growing stronger.
And deep beneath the whispers inside his mind—
something ancient stirred softly.
Patiently.
As though waiting for Leo to finally stop fighting.