The air felt wrong.
Not heavy.
Not light.
Just… wrong.
Kael slowed his steps.
"…You feel that?" he muttered.
No response.
But he didn't need one.
Because the energy around him—
Was shifting.
Subtly.
Then—
Violently.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
A distortion appeared ahead.
Small at first.
Barely visible.
Like heat bending the air.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…There it is."
The distortion pulsed.
Growing.
Expanding.
Until—
Something stepped through.
Its form unstable.
Flickering between shapes.
Not human.
Not anything Kael could recognize.
"…Another one…" he said quietly.
The entity didn't move immediately.
It just stood there.
Watching him.
Then—
"…Target… detected…"
Its voice glitched.
Broken.
Kael clenched his fists.
"…Yeah, I figured."
The entity moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Kael barely reacted—
He blocked—
But the impact sent him sliding back.
"…Stronger than the last one…"
He steadied himself.
Energy rising within him.
"…Aetherion."
"…Active."
The familiar response grounded him.
Centered him.
The entity attacked again—
This time—
Kael moved first.
He stepped forward—
Struck—
Their energies clashed.
A sharp burst of force echoed through the corridor.
Kael pushed harder.
Forcing it back.
"…You're not taking me down that easily."
The entity's form flickered violently.
Then—
It adapted.
Its movements sharpened.
Faster.
More precise.
"…That's new…" Kael muttered.
It attacked again—
Kael dodged—
Countered—
But this time—
The entity blocked.
Then struck back.
Direct hit.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…It's learning…"
That wasn't good.
Not at all.
The entity tilted its head.
"…Adaptation… confirmed…"
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Then I just have to end it faster."
Energy surged through him.
Stronger.
More focused.
"…Aetherion—boost output."
"…Confirmed."
The air around him shifted.
The energy gathered—
Condensed.
Controlled.
Kael stepped forward.
One move.
Clean.
Precise.
He struck—
Directly through the entity's core.
Silence.
For a split second—
Everything froze.
Then—
The entity shattered.
Fragments of light dissolving into nothing.
Gone.
Kael stood still.
Breathing steady.
"…It's getting harder…"
No answer came.
Only silence.
But deep inside—
He knew.
This wasn't the end.
It was just the beginning.