The air between us grew heavier the moment Mal stepped closer. It wasn't loud. It wasn't obvious. But I could feel it pressing down on my chest, like the world itself was waiting to see what would happen next.
Lia stood between us, confused. "Mal… what are you doing here?" she asked quietly.
He finally looked at her, but there was no warmth in his eyes. Only control. Only ownership.
"I've come to take you back," he said calmly.
My hands tightened. My breathing slowed. Something inside me began to shift again.
"…She's not yours," I said.
Mal let out a short laugh, almost disappointed.
"You still don't understand anything," he replied. "You think effort changes reality? You think standing up a few times makes you equal to me?"
He took another step forward.
I didn't move back.
Not this time.
Lia looked at me, her eyes flickering with worry. "Please… don't do this," she whispered.
But I wasn't listening to her anymore. Or maybe I was… but something else was louder now. Something deeper. Something boiling under my skin.
All the times I was pushed down.All the times I stood back up.All the times I was laughed at.
It all came together in one moment.
"I said," I spoke slowly, "she's not yours."
The air around me shifted.
Not fully. Not clearly. But enough for Mal to notice. His expression changed slightly. Just for a moment.
"…Interesting," he muttered.
Then he moved.
Fast.
Too fast for someone normal.
His fist came straight at me. I tried to block it, but my body reacted just a fraction too slow. The impact hit my side, sending me crashing to the ground.
Pain exploded through me. My vision blurred.
But I got up.
Again.
Mal frowned slightly. "Still standing?"
He stepped in again. Another strike. Faster. He wasn't even trying anymore. It was like he was erasing me piece by piece.
I blocked one. Missed the next. Got hit again.
The world spun. My knees hit the ground.
But I forced myself up again.
"…I'm not done," I said through my teeth.
Something in the air changed again. Subtle. Faint. Like the space around me was bending under pressure it couldn't understand.
Mal noticed it this time. His eyes narrowed.
"What… is that?" he muttered.
I didn't understand it either.
But I felt it.
Deep inside me, something was waking up. Not fully. Not yet. But enough to answer the pain. Enough to answer the anger.
Lia stepped back slightly. "Stop…" she whispered. "Both of you, stop…"
But it was already too late.
Mal raised his hand again.
"This ends now," he said coldly.
And as he moved for the final strike—
Something inside me finally snapped.