The forest didn't change.
But Kashikari did.
Each step felt heavier, not because of exhaustion, but because something inside him refused to stay quiet anymore. Jinwi no longer waited patiently. It pressed against his control, testing the limits every second.
He stopped near a narrow stream, the faint sound of water cutting through the silence. For a moment, it grounded him. Something real. Something untouched.
He knelt and looked at his reflection.
It wasn't stable.
The surface trembled, distorting his face even without movement. His eyes… darker than before. Not physically, but deeper. Hollow in a way that didn't belong to a human.
"...This isn't me."
The words came out low.
Jinwi pulsed in response.
Not denial.
Not agreement.
Just presence.
Kashikari dipped his hand into the water. Cold. Sharp. Real.
For a second, it worked.
Then—
A shift.
Sudden.
Violent.
His reflection changed.
Not fully.
But enough.
Another face overlapped his own. Older. War-torn. Eyes filled with something far worse than anger.
Kashikari jerked back.
"What—"
Pain struck instantly.
Not physical.
His mind twisted as fragments flooded in again. A battlefield. Screams. The same broken images from before—but clearer now.
Closer.
Too close.
He grabbed his head, teeth clenching.
"Stop—"
Jinwi surged.
Not outward.
Inward.
Forcing.
Pushing.
Overwriting.
His breathing broke as the pressure built up, crushing his thoughts. His control slipped, piece by piece.
The ground beneath him cracked.
This time, he didn't step back.
He couldn't.
"Get out—"
The air around him warped.
Trees bent slightly, their branches trembling without wind. The stream rippled violently, water rising unnaturally.
Energy gathered.
Unstable.
Wild.
For a moment, it aligned.
A single point.
His hand.
Jinwi focused.
Ready.
Kashikari's eyes widened.
He felt it.
If it released—
Everything in front of him would disappear.
Not break.
Not burn.
Erase.
"No—"
His arm trembled.
The pressure increased.
The command formed again.
Not his.
"Bitir."
His fingers tightened.
Closer.
Closer—
Then—
He forced it down.
Not clean.
Not controlled.
But enough.
The energy collapsed inward, snapping violently before dispersing. The trees stilled. The water dropped back into place.
Silence returned.
Kashikari fell forward, catching himself barely. His body shook, breathing uneven and sharp.
"…I almost…"
He didn't finish.
Didn't need to.
Jinwi pulsed again.
Calm.
Like nothing happened.
That made it worse.
Kashikari pushed himself up slowly, his limbs heavy but responsive.
"This isn't control…"
He looked at his hand.
"…This is survival."
And survival wouldn't be enough forever.