The hallway stayed quiet long after he left.
Too quiet.
Ethan didn't move.
His body was still pressed against the wall where Adrian had slammed him, his breath uneven, his heart refusing to slow down.
It was over.
But it didn't feel over.
"…Ethan."
Lena's voice pulled him back.
Soft.
Careful.
Like she wasn't sure how close she was allowed to get anymore.
Ethan exhaled slowly and pushed himself off the wall.
"I'm fine," he said automatically.
It was a lie.
They both knew it.
Lena stepped closer, her eyes scanning him quickly.
"You don't look fine," she said.
Ethan let out a short breath.
"Yeah… well, I'm still standing."
"That's not the same thing."
He didn't argue.
Because for once—
He didn't have the energy to.
They stood there in silence for a moment.
The tension from earlier had faded…
But something else had taken its place.
Distance.
Not physical.
But emotional.
Lena crossed her arms slightly.
"…You knew something like this could happen, didn't you?"
Ethan looked away.
"…I had a feeling."
"A feeling?" she repeated. "Ethan, that guy just attacked you in your own building."
"I know."
"And he said he's coming back."
"I know."
Her voice tightened slightly.
"Then why are you acting like this is normal?!"
Ethan flinched.
Not because she was loud.
But because she was right.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.
"…Because I don't know what else to do."
That answer came out quieter.
More honest.
Lena's expression softened slightly.
But only a little.
"That doesn't mean you handle it alone," she said.
Ethan let out a small, tired laugh.
"I don't really have a choice."
"You do," she said immediately.
He looked at her.
"You can tell someone. You can get help. You can—"
"From who?" Ethan cut in.
That stopped her.
Because neither of them had an answer.
Silence settled again.
But this time, it wasn't empty.
It was heavy.
Ethan leaned back against the wall, staring at the floor.
"…He said I was emitting something," he muttered. "Emotional waves."
Lena listened.
"He's not normal either," Ethan continued. "He knew exactly what I was."
"And what are you?" she asked quietly.
Ethan didn't respond right away.
Because now…
That question mattered.
"I don't know," he admitted.
Lena's gaze didn't leave him.
"But whatever it is," he added, "it's not just me."
That much was clear now.
There were others.
People like Adrian.
People who understood this world—
A world Ethan had just been pushed into.
"…Then we figure it out," Lena said.
Ethan blinked.
"We?" he repeated.
"Yes, we."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Firm.
Lena frowned. "What?"
"You're not getting involved in this."
"And you are?" she shot back.
"I don't have a choice!"
"And I do?" she challenged.
Ethan stepped forward slightly, frustration rising.
"Yes. You do. You can walk away from this."
"And pretend nothing happened?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I can't."
That answer hit harder than expected.
Ethan stared at her.
"Why not?"
Lena hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then she spoke.
"Because I saw it."
Her voice was quiet now.
"But more than that… I felt it."
Ethan's chest tightened.
That again.
His power.
"…That wasn't normal," she continued. "But it wasn't wrong either."
Ethan shook his head.
"You don't understand."
"Then explain it to me."
"I can't!"
The words echoed sharply in the hallway.
Both of them froze.
Ethan's hands clenched slightly.
"…I can't explain something I don't even understand myself," he said, his voice lower now.
Lena didn't respond immediately.
She just looked at him.
Not angry.
Not hurt.
Just… thinking.
Then she stepped closer again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Until she was standing right in front of him.
"You don't have to understand everything," she said softly. "Not yet."
Ethan swallowed.
"That's not how this works."
"Maybe not," she replied. "But running from it won't help either."
Ethan looked at her.
Really looked this time.
At the way she stood there.
Unafraid.
Unmoving.
Even after everything that just happened.
"…You should be scared," he said quietly.
Lena tilted her head slightly.
"I was," she admitted. "For a moment."
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"But not of you."
That silence again.
But this time…
It felt different.
Ethan let out a slow breath.
"…That's the problem."
"What is?"
"If you're not scared of me," he said, "then you're going to get hurt."
Lena's expression didn't change.
"Then don't let me."
That simple answer caught him off guard.
"I can't promise that."
"I'm not asking for a promise."
Ethan frowned slightly.
"Then what are you asking for?"
Lena met his gaze directly.
"Just don't push me away."
Those words lingered.
Longer than anything else.
Because that was exactly what he had been trying to do.
And failing.
Ethan looked down briefly.
Then back at her.
"…You don't make this easy."
Lena smiled faintly.
"I'm not trying to."
For a moment—
Things felt almost normal again.
Almost.
Then Ethan's expression shifted.
Slightly.
Subtly.
But enough.
"What?" Lena asked immediately.
Ethan didn't answer.
Because he felt it again.
That sensation.
Faint.
But familiar.
Not from her.
Not from himself.
From somewhere else.
Ethan's eyes moved toward the stairwell.
Then toward the hallway.
Scanning.
Listening.
"…He's not gone," Ethan said quietly.
Lena's body tensed.
"What do you mean?"
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But…"
That feeling again.
Cold.
Sharp.
Watching.
"…we're not safe."
The air felt heavier once more.
Not as strong as before.
But enough to make Ethan's instincts scream.
Lena stepped closer to him unconsciously.
"…What do we do?"
Ethan didn't hesitate this time.
"Stay close," he said.
Because something had changed.
Not just outside.
But inside him.
Before—
He didn't understand anything.
Now—
He understood one thing clearly.
This wasn't over.
And next time—
He might not be able to protect her.