Aarya couldn't move.
Her legs felt frozen.
Her heart pounded violently as she watched Kabir struggle—
Helpless.
Lifted in the air like he meant nothing.
"Let… him go…" she forced out.
Her voice trembling.
But the cloaked figure didn't even look at her.
"Weak."
One word.
Cold.
Final.
Kabir's grip tightened around the figure's wrist.
Trying to break free.
But it was useless.
His strength—
Even with the darkness—
Was nothing compared to this.
Aarya clenched her fists.
Tears blurred her vision.
"No…"
Her breathing became uneven.
"No… I'm not weak…"
Her voice shook—
But something inside her was changing.
For the first time—
She wasn't just scared.
She was angry.
At herself.
At this situation.
At everything.
"I won't lose him again…"
The air around her shifted.
A faint energy began to rise.
Unstable.
Raw.
The cloaked figure paused.
Slightly.
Just enough to notice.
"…interesting."
Aarya took a step forward.
Slow.
But steady.
"I was scared before…"
Her voice grew stronger.
"I kept running…"
Another step.
Energy building around her fingers.
"But not anymore."
Kabir's eyes flickered slightly.
Even in that condition—
Something inside him reacted.
Aarya raised her hand.
Not trembling this time.
Focused.
Determined.
"You said I created this, right?"
Her eyes locked onto the figure.
"Then I'll control it."
The ground beneath her cracked.
Dark energy surged—
But it wasn't wild anymore.
It was responding.
Listening.
For the first time—
The power didn't feel like a curse.
It felt like something she could shape.
The cloaked figure's smile faded slightly.
"…so you've started to understand."
Aarya didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
She moved her hand forward—
And the air itself bent.
A force shot forward—
Directly at the figure.
A powerful shockwave hit it—
Forcing it to release Kabir.
He dropped to the ground.
Coughing hard.
Air finally filling his lungs.
"Aarya…!"
But she didn't look at him.
Didn't turn.
Her focus remained locked.
On the real enemy.
Chapter 27 Suspense:
The dust slowly cleared.
For a second—
It looked like it worked.
Like she had pushed it back.
But then—
A step forward.
From the smoke.
Unshaken.
Unharmed.
The cloaked figure emerged again.
Completely fine.
"…that was only the beginning."
Aarya's heart dropped.
Because even her strongest attack—
Did nothing.
And now—
It was her turn to be tested.