Silence swallowed the alley.
The body hit the ground with a dull thud, landing awkwardly against the damp concrete. The shadows around it receded slowly, like they were reluctant to let go.
I stood there, breathing evenly.
Too evenly.
The warmth from the assimilation hadn't faded yet. It spread through my limbs in slow pulses, carrying with it fragments that weren't mine—panic, regret, a half-formed thought about money owed and a sister waiting at home.
I pushed the memories down.
This wasn't the time.
Mina hadn't screamed.
That surprised me.
She stood frozen a few steps away, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, staring at the corpse like her mind refused to accept it was real. Her grip on her bag was so tight her knuckles had gone white.
The man in the black coat, on the other hand, looked pleased.
Truly pleased.
He clapped once, slow and deliberate.
"Well done," he said. "Impressive control for a newly awakened."
I turned to face him fully.
Up close, the pressure he gave off was stronger. Not overwhelming, but sharp—like standing too close to an exposed wire. His power wasn't leaking out uncontrollably. It was focused. Refined.
Experienced.
"Who are you?" I asked.
My voice didn't shake.
Mina flinched as if the sound alone hurt her.
The man smiled faintly. "That's not an important question. Not yet."
His gaze flicked to the body at my feet. "You absorbed him cleanly. No wasted residue. That ability of yours… it's rare."
I said nothing.
The whisper inside me stirred, agitated.
Kill him. Take him.
Not yet.
I needed to know more.
Mina finally found her voice. "W-what is this?" she whispered. "This wasn't—this wasn't what you said would happen."
The man didn't even look at her.
"Mina," he said calmly, "step aside."
She hesitated.
Then she obeyed.
That was when something inside me finally cracked.
Not the power.
The illusion.
I looked at her—really looked this time. At the way she avoided my eyes. At how quickly she'd moved when ordered. At the fear in her expression that had nothing to do with the corpse and everything to do with disappointing the man in the black coat.
"So that's how it is," I said quietly.
Mina flinched.
"I didn't have a choice," she said quickly. "You don't understand—"
"I understand perfectly," I cut in.
My gaze never left hers.
"You sold me."
Her lips trembled. "I—I thought they were just going to take you in. Question you. I didn't know they were going to—"
"Shoot me?" I asked.
The alley felt colder.
The man in the black coat finally laughed. "Ah. So you remember."
That made Mina's head snap toward him. "What do you mean—remember?"
I stepped forward.
She backed away.
"I died here," I said. "Right here. Same alley. Same night. Same lie."
Her knees nearly gave out.
"That's impossible," she whispered. "You're alive. You're standing right there."
"Barely," I replied. "And only because something decided I wasn't done yet."
The man tilted his head, studying me with renewed interest. "Regression. Or temporal recall. Fascinating."
He took a step closer.
Power flared subtly around him, the air distorting faintly near his shoulders.
"I was going to kill you cleanly tonight," he continued conversationally. "Tie up a loose end. But now…"
His smile widened.
"…now you're an asset."
The whisper roared.
LIAR.
I felt it too.
The hunger surged violently, far stronger than before, reacting to the awakened power standing in front of me. My chest tightened as the shadows at my feet deepened, stretching unnaturally toward him.
Mina noticed.
She screamed.
"Stop! Both of you—stop!"
She rushed between us, arms spread, tears streaming down her face. "This isn't what I wanted! Please—just let me go. I did what you asked. I brought him. I didn't know he was like this!"
The man sighed.
"You were useful," he said. "Don't make this difficult."
His hand moved.
Too fast.
Mina gasped as an invisible force wrapped around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Her feet kicked uselessly as she clawed at the air, eyes bulging in panic.
Something inside me snapped.
The shadows exploded outward.
Night Step activated instinctively, the world folding violently as I crossed the distance between us in an instant.
I slammed into him.
The impact sent both of us skidding across the alley, cracking concrete beneath our feet. The force shocked even me—my body moving with speed and strength I hadn't fully realized I possessed yet.
The grip on Mina's throat vanished.
She collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
The man laughed as he regained his footing. "There it is," he said, eyes bright. "Raw, but powerful."
He struck.
Pain blossomed across my ribs as something hit me—hard. I was thrown into the wall, breath knocked from my lungs as bricks shattered behind me.
I slid down, gasping.
"So fragile," he said, approaching calmly. "You rely too much on your ability. Your body hasn't caught up yet."
He was right.
I felt it.
My power surged, but my flesh lagged behind. Each movement strained muscles that hadn't been reinforced yet.
A flaw.
A fatal one—if I didn't adapt.
Mina screamed my name.
I pushed myself up.
Blood ran from my mouth, warm and metallic.
I smiled.
"Then let's fix that."
The whisper howled in agreement.
TAKE HIM.
The shadows coiled tighter than ever before, responding to my intent. They didn't just wrap around him this time—they resisted.
The man's eyes widened slightly.
He raised his hand, power flaring as the shadows collided with an unseen barrier, sparks of black and pale blue energy bursting where they met.
For the first time—
He was serious.
"You really are dangerous," he said quietly. "But you're not ready."
He stepped back.
The pressure vanished.
Before I could react, the space around him distorted—and then he was gone.
The alley fell silent again.
Too silent.
I stood there, chest heaving, shadows slowly retreating as the hunger subsided into a dull ache.
Mina sobbed on the ground.
I turned to her.
She looked up at me with terror, hope, and regret all tangled together.
"Please," she whispered. "I'll do anything. I swear."
I stared at her for a long moment.
Then I looked at the body still lying in the alley.
The future had already changed.
And tonight—
I hadn't just survived.
I'd been noticed.
And that was far more dangerous than dying.