The corridor was almost completely dark.
Only two things stood out in the silence—
The faint blue energy surrounding Aarav…
And the cold, empty black eyes of the man standing ahead.
For a few seconds, no one moved.
But the tension in the air was unbearable.
Aarav was different now.
His breathing was heavy, but his eyes held no fear.
Only anger.
And a decision.
"I'm not becoming you," he said, his voice low but steady.
The man smiled slightly.
"Everyone says that… in the beginning."
Aarav stepped forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly.
Blue energy began to gather around his hands, flickering like unstable lightning.
For the first time—
He wasn't running.
"Stop!" Meera shouted.
But it was too late.
Aarav clenched his fist and rushed forward.
In a flash, he threw a punch.
Blue energy exploded outward as his fist moved through the air.
The impact should have been massive.
But—
It never landed.
The man didn't even move.
A thin layer of dark energy formed in front of him, stopping the attack effortlessly.
The blue energy scattered into the air.
Aarav's eyes widened.
"How…?"
Before he could react—
The man lifted his hand slightly.
Aarav's body was thrown backward as if hit by an invisible force.
He crashed into the wall hard.
The breath left his lungs instantly.
"Aarav!" Meera ran toward him.
He struggled to get up, his body shaking.
"That's it?" the man said calmly.
"This is the power you're trying to protect?"
Aarav clenched his teeth.
"No…"
He pushed himself up again.
This time slower.
More focused.
Meera stood beside him.
"You can't fight him like this," she said quietly.
"He's not using full power yet."
Aarav looked at her.
"Then what do we do?"
Meera's eyes hardened.
"We fight smarter."
The man watched them both.
A faint interest appeared in his expression.
"Good," he said.
"Now it's getting interesting."
Suddenly—
The lights flickered again.
A second later, they went out completely.
Darkness swallowed the corridor.
Meera moved first.
"Left," she whispered.
Aarav reacted instantly.
He shifted his position just as a wave of dark energy cut through where he was standing a second ago.
The wall behind him shattered.
"He's fast," Aarav said.
"Faster than us."
Meera shook her head slightly.
"No. He's predicting us."
Aarav focused.
If the man was predicting movements—
Then he needed to be unpredictable.
Blue energy surged again around his body.
But this time—
He didn't attack directly.
He moved to the side.
Then forward.
Then suddenly stopped.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
For the first time—
He reacted.
"Now!" Meera shouted.
Aarav released the energy outward.
Not as a punch—
But as a burst.
The force spread across the corridor, shaking everything.
The man stepped back half a step.
A small step.
But it was enough.
Aarav saw it.
"He moved…"
The man looked at him again.
And this time—
There was no smile.
"Good," he said quietly.
"You're learning."
Suddenly—
He disappeared.
Aarav's eyes widened.
"Where did he—"
Before he could finish—
A sharp pain hit his side.
He was thrown across the floor again.
This time harder.
Meera turned instantly.
But she was too late.
The man was already behind her.
"Still too slow," he said.
Meera spun around and released a burst of energy.
But he caught her wrist mid-air.
Easily.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
"Let go," Meera said, struggling.
The man looked at her carefully.
"Interesting," he said.
"You're stabilizing his energy."
Aarav heard that.
His mind clicked.
"Meera…"
The man continued.
"That's why he hasn't lost control yet."
Aarav forced himself up again.
His body was hurting, but he ignored it.
"Get away from her," he said.
The man looked at him.
"And what will you do?"
Silence.
Aarav took a deep breath.
Then—
He stopped thinking.
Blue energy exploded around him.
Stronger than before.
Wilder.
But controlled enough.
He moved faster this time.
Not straight.
Not predictable.
The man released Meera's wrist and turned—
Just in time to block Aarav's next attack.
But this time—
The impact pushed him back.
Both of them stopped.
Facing each other.
For the first time—
The gap between them felt… smaller.
The man smiled again.
But this time—
It wasn't calm.
It was dangerous.
"Yes," he said softly.
"This is where it begins."