— The Power That Shouldn't Exist
The hallway was no longer stable.
Cracks spread across reality like broken glass.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Aren stood in the center of it.
Breathing heavily.
His hand still glowing with that unstable light.
[SYNC RATE: 28%]
[WARNING: SYSTEM INSTABILITY CRITICAL]
"…So this is my power?" Aren muttered.
But it didn't feel like power.
It felt like something trying to break out.
Across from him—
The entity stopped moving.
For the first time…
It hesitated.
"…You are evolving," it said slowly.
Its voice no longer calm.
Something like… caution.
Aren laughed softly.
"Funny. You came to erase me."
He clenched his fist.
"And now you're scared?"
The entity didn't respond.
Instead—
The pressure increased again.
[HOST PRESSURE: 700%]
Aren's body trembled.
His legs almost gave out.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
But this time—
He didn't fall.
"…Not enough," he whispered.
Something inside him snapped.
Not painfully.
But like a lock breaking.
The system exploded with light.
[SYNC RATE: 28% → 41%]
[NEW FUNCTION DETECTED]
Aren's eyes widened.
"…New function?"
Before he could react—
The world around him slowed.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to see.
The entity's movement.
The distortion in space.
The weakness.
"…I can see it," Aren whispered.
The entity moved.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
Aren stepped forward.
For the first time—
He moved first.
The air cracked around his hand.
A distorted pulse exploded outward.
The entity was pushed back violently.
Slamming into the broken wall.
Silence.
[ABILITY UNLOCKED: PARTIAL DISTORTION]
Aren stared at his hand.
"…Distortion…"
The entity rose again.
But slower now.
Less certain.
"…This should not be possible," it said.
Aren smirked slightly.
"Get used to it."
The cracks in reality spread further.
But now—
They were responding to him.
The system flickered again.
[WARNING: CONTROL UNSTABLE]
[OVERUSE MAY RESULT IN COLLAPSE]
Aren exhaled slowly.
"…Figures."
But his eyes didn't lose focus.
"Come again," he said quietly.
This time—
He wasn't running.
And for the first time since the hunt began…
The hunter wasn't sure it would win.
End of chapter
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