The room fell into a strange silence.
Kai stood there—barely holding himself up—his body shaking, his breath uneven. The faint red glow in his eyes flickered like a dying flame.
But then—
It changed.
The glow deepened.
Darker.
Colder.
Not just red anymore… something heavier.
Something ancient.
Kai's head dropped slightly.
"…Kai?" Axel said, unsure.
No response.
Leo stepped back a little. "Something's wrong…"
Kai's body went still.
Too still.
Then—
He lifted his head slowly.
But the eyes that looked back—
Weren't his.
The glow had turned sharp.
Intense.
Almost… alive.
A voice came out of him.
Not fully his.
Deeper.
Calm.
Terrifying.
"…So… this is the body that carries me."
Axel froze. "What… what was that?"
Leo's eyes widened. "That's not Kai…"
The guards didn't understand.
They charged anyway.
Big mistake.
Kai—no… something else—moved.
Not fast.
Not rushed.
Perfect.
One step.
One motion.
A guard flew across the room like he weighed nothing.
Another tried to strike—
Blocked.
Twisted.
Dropped instantly.
No wasted energy.
No anger.
Just… dominance.
The man from rehab leaned forward slightly.
"…The Underlord," he whispered.
The presence inside Kai smiled faintly.
"I was sealed… suppressed… silenced…"
He looked at his hands slowly.
"…and yet… here I am."
More guards rushed in.
Weapons ready.
Fear in their eyes now.
The Underlord didn't even look at them fully.
"You challenge something you don't understand."
He raised his hand slightly—
A pulse of energy burst out.
Not explosive.
Controlled.
Every guard was thrown back at once.
Walls cracked.
Glass shattered.
Silence followed.
Axel stepped back. "…Kai wouldn't do that…"
Leo shook his head slowly. "That's not Kai… but it's inside him."
The Underlord turned toward them.
For a moment—
It felt like everything stopped.
"…Friends," he said calmly.
But the tone wasn't warm.
It was… observing.
Like studying them.
Axel swallowed. "Kai… if you're in there… fight it!"
For a split second—
The glow flickered.
Just a little.
The Underlord paused.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
"A will strong enough to resist."
The man from rehab stepped forward.
"This is exactly what I was looking for," he said. "Not just power… but what lies beneath it."
The Underlord's gaze shifted to him.
Cold.
Ancient.
"You…"
The air grew heavy instantly.
"…are the one who tried to cage me."
The man didn't move.
"Not cage," he said calmly. "Control."
The Underlord smiled slightly.
Dangerously.
"No one controls me."
Energy pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
The room trembled.
Axel shouted, "Kai! You need to take control!"
Leo added, "If you don't, that thing will take over completely!"
Inside—
Somewhere deep—
Kai heard them.
Faint.
Distant.
But real.
His fingers twitched.
The glow flickered again.
The Underlord paused once more.
"…You still fight," he said quietly.
A battle had begun.
Not just in the room—
But inside Kai himself.
Power vs control.
Darkness vs will.
And only one of them…
Would win.