The match ended, but the attention did not.
Kael could feel it before anyone said anything. The shift in the room was subtle, but unmistakable. Conversations that had resumed now carried an undercurrent of focus, and several people who had previously ignored him were now watching openly.
The Beastkin he had just fought stood up slowly, brushing dust from his arm as he glanced toward the front desk. His expression was no longer dismissive. If anything, it was cautious.
Lyra stepped forward slightly, positioning herself beside Kael rather than behind him.
The woman at the desk watched them both for a moment before speaking.
"Explain."
Her tone wasn't curious.
It was controlled.
Kael exhaled quietly. "I reacted."
"That is not an explanation."
He rubbed the back of his neck, searching for something that sounded less uncertain than he felt. "The second time, I didn't just redirect the force. I held it for a moment before releasing it."
Lyra spoke before he could add anything else. "He stored it."
That word landed heavily.
It didn't echo, but it might as well have.
Several people nearby shifted, and a low murmur passed through the edge of the crowd before fading again.
The woman's gaze sharpened.
"Repeat that."
Lyra didn't hesitate. "He retained incoming force before redirecting it."
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
"That is not part of standard human contract behavior," the woman said.
Kael let out a quiet breath. "Yeah, I'm starting to hear that a lot."
"It is not a matter of frequency," she replied. "It is a matter of limitation."
She reached beneath the counter and pulled out another device.
This one was larger than the first, its surface reinforced and its structure more complex. It looked like it had been designed to withstand something significant.
"Place your hand here."
Kael glanced at it. "This feels like a test I'm not prepared for."
"It is."
"That's honest, at least."
He stepped forward and placed his hand against the surface.
The device activated immediately.
A low, steady hum filled the air as pressure began to build around his hand. It was stronger than before, more focused, like a controlled force designed to test rather than overwhelm.
Kael felt it instantly.
That familiar moment before impact.
This time, he didn't react immediately.
He waited.
The pressure increased, pushing harder against his palm.
Then he reached for it.
He caught it.
And held it.
The energy didn't disperse the way it had before. Instead, it stayed contained, compressed against his hand as if it had nowhere else to go.
Kael frowned slightly, concentrating.
"…Okay," he said quietly. "That's definitely different."
The device vibrated.
A crack formed along its surface.
Then another.
The pressure spiked—
And the device shattered.
Fragments fell onto the counter, the hum cutting out instantly.
The room fell silent.
Kael pulled his hand back slowly, staring at the broken pieces.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?"
"No," the woman said.
Her tone remained calm, but there was no mistaking the shift in her expression.
This was no longer routine.