The air snapped.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Adrian moved first.
One step—
And he was already in front of Ethan.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ethan barely had time to react before a sharp force slammed into his shoulder, throwing him sideways into the stairwell wall.
Pain exploded through his arm.
"Too slow," Adrian said calmly.
Ethan pushed himself up immediately, teeth clenched.
"I'm not done—"
He stopped.
His chest tightened.
His power—
It wasn't responding again.
Adrian stood a few steps away, watching him.
"You're relying on it too much," he said. "That's your weakness."
Ethan's breathing grew uneven.
No.
That wasn't it.
Something was wrong.
The air felt empty.
Silent.
Like all emotion had been drained out.
"…You're blocking it," Ethan realized.
Adrian didn't deny it.
"Of course," he said. "What you use… is nothing more than unstable output. Easy to suppress."
Ethan clenched his fists.
His chest burned.
But nothing came out.
Behind him—
"Ethan!"
Lena's voice.
Sharp.
Worried.
Real.
That was enough.
A spark ignited inside him.
Small.
But real.
Ethan inhaled sharply.
Focus.
Not on everything.
Just one thing.
Her voice.
The pressure cracked.
Just a little.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"…You're forcing it through."
Ethan stepped forward.
Slow.
Unsteady.
But moving.
"I told you…" Ethan muttered. "…I'll learn."
A pulse erupted.
Not wide.
Not chaotic.
Focused.
It shot forward like a wave compressed into a single point—
And hit Adrian.
For the first time—
Adrian took a step back.
Silence.
"…Interesting," he said.
But his tone had changed.
Slightly.
Ethan didn't stop.
He couldn't.
Because if he stopped—
He would lose it again.
Another pulse.
Stronger.
The stairwell lights flickered violently.
Cracks spread faintly along the wall.
The air vibrated.
Lena gasped behind him.
"…Ethan…"
Her voice trembled.
And that—
That made it worse.
The power surged again.
But this time—
It wasn't controlled.
Adrian moved instantly.
A hand shot out—
Grabbing Ethan's wrist mid-step.
"Too unstable," Adrian said.
Then—
He twisted.
Pain shot through Ethan's arm as he was slammed to the ground.
Hard.
The pulse shattered.
Everything went silent again.
Ethan coughed, struggling to breathe.
His vision blurred.
"You're forcing something you don't understand," Adrian said, looking down at him. "That's how people like you break."
Ethan tried to push himself up—
But his body wouldn't respond.
Behind him—
Lena stepped forward.
"Stop!"
Adrian's gaze shifted.
To her.
Ethan's heart stopped.
"Don't—" he tried to say.
Too late.
Adrian moved.
Not toward Ethan.
Toward Lena.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"She's your anchor," Adrian said calmly. "That's why you keep reacting."
Lena didn't move.
Didn't run.
Ethan's chest tightened violently.
"No…"
Adrian stopped in front of her.
Close enough to reach.
"Remove the anchor…" he said softly, "…and the reaction stops."
Something inside Ethan shattered.
Not gently.
Not slowly.
Violently.
A pulse exploded outward—
Louder.
Stronger.
Wilder than before.
The entire stairwell shook.
Lena's eyes widened.
Adrian turned—
Just in time.
The force hit him directly.
This time—
He didn't block it completely.
His body slid back slightly.
Shoes scraping against concrete.
For the first time—
There was resistance.
Ethan stood.
Slowly.
Unsteadily.
But standing.
His breathing was heavy.
His eyes—
Different.
Not calm.
Not focused.
Burning.
"…Don't touch her," he said.
The air twisted again.
This time—
It wasn't just emotion.
It felt like pressure.
Real.
Physical.
Adrian watched him carefully.
"…Now that," he said quietly, "is closer."
Ethan stepped forward.
The power surged again—
But now—
It didn't scatter.
It locked.
On Adrian.
The space between them compressed.
Adrian's expression shifted slightly.
Not fear.
But recognition.
"You're stabilizing under stress," he said.
Ethan didn't respond.
He moved.
Fast.
Not as fast as Adrian—
But faster than before.
Their movements collided.
Ethan's fist swung—
Not strong—
But carried with it that same pressure.
Adrian blocked—
But the impact pushed him back a step.
A step.
That was enough.
Ethan pushed forward again.
Another strike.
Another pulse.
Adrian countered—
But not effortlessly anymore.
The balance was shifting.
"…Impressive," Adrian admitted.
Ethan didn't stop.
Because now—
He understood something.
It wasn't about controlling everything.
It was about holding on—
To one thing.
Lena.
That feeling—
That connection—
It stabilized everything.
The power surged again—
Sharper.
Cleaner.
Adrian stepped back.
This time—
By choice.
Silence filled the stairwell.
They faced each other.
Breathing steady.
Tension high.
Then—
Adrian smiled.
"Enough," he said.
Ethan froze slightly.
"What?"
Adrian turned away.
"I've seen what I needed to see," he continued.
Ethan frowned.
"You're just leaving?"
Adrian paused on the step above.
"For now."
He glanced back slightly.
"You're not ready yet," he said. "But you will be."
Ethan's fists tightened.
"Next time…"
Adrian's voice lowered.
"…I won't hold back."
And then—
He was gone.
The pressure disappeared instantly.
Ethan stood there.
Frozen.
Then—
His legs gave out.
He dropped to one knee.
Breathing hard.
"…Ethan!"
Lena rushed to his side.
He didn't push her away this time.
He couldn't.
Because now—
He understood.
This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.