The feeling didn't fade this time.
It grew.
Ethan stood still, eyes scanning the street, senses stretched thin.
That presence—
Cold.
Focused.
Closing in.
"…They're coming," he said quietly.
Lena's body tensed.
"Already?"
Kai didn't look surprised.
"Of course," he said. "You sent out a signal again."
Ethan frowned.
"I barely used it."
Kai glanced at him.
"That's all it takes."
That didn't sit well.
"…So every time I use my ability…" Ethan muttered.
"You get noticed," Kai finished.
Silence.
That meant no mistakes.
No wasted effort.
Ethan inhaled slowly.
"…Then I'll make it count."
The presence got closer.
Stronger.
Footsteps echoed from around the corner.
This time—
No hesitation.
A man stepped into view.
Tall.
Sharp gaze.
Expression unreadable.
Not Adrian.
Not the woman from before.
Someone new.
"…Another one," Lena whispered.
Ethan nodded slightly.
The man stopped a few steps away.
His eyes locked onto Ethan immediately.
"So it's you," he said.
Ethan didn't respond.
Because the moment their eyes met—
He felt it.
Pressure.
Not like Adrian's suppression.
But heavy.
Dense.
Like something weighing down on his chest.
"…You're unstable," the man continued.
Ethan clenched his fists.
"I've heard that before."
The man didn't react.
"…Then you should understand why you can't be left alone."
That was enough.
Ethan stepped forward.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"…That's not your decision."
Then—
He moved.
Fast.
Ethan reacted instantly.
Focus.
Lena.
The connection formed.
He held it.
Guided it.
A pulse built—
Controlled.
He pushed—
The force met the man mid-step—
Slowing him.
But not stopping him.
"…Not enough," the man said.
He broke through.
Ethan's eyes widened.
Too fast.
Too strong.
The pressure increased.
His focus wavered—
The connection flickered—
"No—"
Pain shot through his head.
The pulse shattered.
Everything collapsed.
The man closed the distance instantly.
A strike—
Ethan barely blocked it—
The impact sent him sliding back.
His breathing turned uneven.
"…Your control is shallow," the man said.
Ethan forced himself to stand.
"…Still learning," he replied.
The man didn't wait.
He attacked again.
Faster.
Ethan reacted—
But this time—
He didn't push.
He adjusted.
Focused.
On one point.
Not everything.
Just one.
The connection formed again.
Stronger.
Steadier.
He held it.
Then—
Guided it forward.
The pulse hit—
Sharper.
More precise.
The man stopped.
Just for a moment.
"…Better," he said.
Ethan didn't stop.
He pushed again—
But this time—
The drain hit harder.
Sudden.
Heavy.
His vision blurred.
"…Too much," he muttered.
The connection shook.
Unstable again.
Kai's voice cut through.
"Stop."
Ethan didn't.
He couldn't.
Because if he stopped—
The man would move again.
And Lena—
Ethan's chest tightened.
"No…"
He forced it further.
The pulse surged—
Stronger—
But unstable.
The air cracked.
Lena gasped.
"…Ethan!"
The control slipped.
The feeling twisted—
Too much.
Too fast.
The man stepped back.
Watching.
"…There it is," he said.
Ethan's breathing broke.
The connection shattered completely.
He dropped to one knee.
Everything went silent.
Too silent.
"…That's the price," Kai said calmly.
Ethan couldn't respond.
His head pounded.
His body felt empty.
Drained.
The man looked down at him.
"…You're not ready," he said.
Ethan clenched his fists weakly.
"…I will be."
The man paused.
Then—
Stepped back.
"…Then survive long enough to prove it," he said.
And just like that—
He turned—
And left.
Silence returned.
Ethan stayed on the ground.
Breathing hard.
"…Ethan," Lena said, rushing to his side.
He didn't push her away.
He couldn't.
"…I lost it," he said quietly.
Kai stepped closer.
"Yes."
Ethan looked up.
Frustration burning.
"I had it," he said. "For a moment—"
"And then you forced it," Kai interrupted.
Ethan looked away.
"…I didn't have a choice."
"You did," Kai said.
Ethan frowned.
"…What?"
Kai's gaze sharpened.
"You chose power over control."
That hit harder than the fight.
"…So what should I have done?" Ethan asked.
Kai didn't hesitate.
"Stopped."
Ethan stared at him.
"…And let him attack?"
Kai's expression didn't change.
"Yes."
Silence.
Lena frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
Kai looked at her briefly.
"It does," he said. "Because losing control puts both of you in more danger."
Ethan clenched his jaw.
He didn't like it.
But he understood.
Slowly.
"…So I need to know when to stop," he said.
Kai nodded.
"That's the real lesson."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"…Control isn't just using it," he muttered.
Kai smirked faintly.
"It's knowing when not to."
That stayed.
Deep.
Ethan looked down at his hands again.
They trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From exhaustion.
"…I'm not there yet," he said.
Kai nodded.
"No."
Ethan looked up.
"But I will be."
Silence.
Then—
That feeling returned.
Faint.
Distant.
More than one.
Ethan's expression hardened.
"…They're still coming," he said.
Kai smiled slightly.
"Of course they are."
Lena tightened her grip on Ethan's arm.
"…Then what do we do?" she asked.
Ethan stood slowly.
This time—
Steadier.
More aware.
"…We get ready," he said.
Because now—
He understood the truth.
Power alone wasn't enough.
And the price of using it wrong—
Was everything.