The trap worked better than we hoped.
We didn't use tech. We didn't use powers. Just sound.
Broken metal sheets, hollow concrete, angles that bent echoes the wrong way. Kazim figured out where noise would travel, Ren adjusted the placements,just like domino and Aira timed the strikes. When the sound hit, it didn't just travel—it lied.
Hunters heard us everywhere.
They stormed the ruins, boots slamming against stone, voices sharp and confident. They were sure we were hiding inside.
Then the engine roared.
Their jeep.
The sound snapped their attention instantly. Shouts turned frantic. Orders overlapped. They ran—hard—trying to reach it before we could get away.
They were too late.
By the time they realized what had happened, we were already moving, the vehicle tearing across broken land while their voices faded into nothing.
For the first time in days, my chest felt lighter.
Monisha walked beside me now, no longer dragging her feet. The fear was still there—but it wasn't controlling her anymore.
As the land blurred past us, I finally asked, "What exactly is your power?"
She didn't answer right away.
"I don't just summon," she said finally. "I control the portal itself. I decide what comes through, how long it stays… and sometimes, I can use parts of the creature's abilities."
That made my stomach twist.
"And you?" she asked, glancing at me. "How do you use yours?"
I looked away.
"I don't," I admitted. "I can't trust myself. When I try, something inside stops me."
She stared at me for a second, then smiled—soft, familiar.
"You're still the same," she said. "Always afraid you'll hurt someone."
I didn't deny it.
"You won't," she continued. "We're not helpless. We have powers too. And if you don't use yours, how will you protect us—from bounty hunters, from VIPs, from what's coming next?"
Kazim spoke up quietly. "If you hadn't stepped in back there… I'd be dead."
Aira nodded. "All of us would be. And Monisha would still be trapped."
Ren stopped walking and turned toward me. "Accept yourself," he said. "And trust us too. Let us help you."
Something inside me finally gave in.
I closed my eyes.
The mirror appeared again.
That other version of me stood there, smiling like always.
He laughed.
"Fine," he said. "Take care of them."
The darkness stirred— It pulsed.
I felt it.
I can Control it.
I opened my eyes.
Black liquid flowed from my hand wrapping around the chain and axe like it belonged there. I swung.
A tree fell.
Clean.
Another swing.
Two more trees dropped, sliced like paper.
I stood there, breathing hard.
I wasn't scared.
For the first time, my power didn't feel like a curse.
It felt like mine.
And somewhere deep inside, the mirror smiled—not mocking this time.
Watching.