The man's smile didn't fade. It settled deeper into his face, slow and deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world to enjoy it.
Behind Theo, the girl shifted, trying to push herself upright. Her movements were clumsy, unsteady, as if her strength were leaking out faster than she could gather it. Theo could hear her breathing, sharp and uneven, each inhale dragging.
"Bold of you," the man said, his voice smooth and unhurried, like he was commenting on something mildly interesting instead of standing over someone he'd nearly attacked. "Most people don't charge headfirst into something they don't understand. It usually ends badly for them."
Theo didn't look away. Not even for a second.
"Yeah," he replied, his voice steady but edged. "Well, most people don't grab someone like that in the middle of nowhere either. So I guess we're both a little off script."
The man's eyes flickered with something faintly amused.
"Fair enough," he said. "But there's a difference between being reckless… and being outmatched. You don't strike me as someone who enjoys learning that lesson the hard way."
Theo let out a quiet breath through his nose. The energy inside him was louder now, pressing against his ribs, humming like it wanted out.
"Then maybe you're not paying enough attention," Theo said. "Because I'm still standing here."
The man tilted his head slightly, studying him more closely now.
"Yes," he murmured, almost to himself. "That's exactly the problem."
There was a shift then. Subtle, but unmistakable.
The man stepped forward, and the air seemed to follow him, tightening, cooling. Theo felt it brush against his skin, unnatural in a way that made his instincts flare.
"People like you," the man continued, his tone calm but heavier now, "always think that standing your ground means something. Like defiance alone can close the gap between you and something far beyond you."
He took another step.
"But it doesn't."
Theo didn't move.
"Maybe," he said, his voice quieter now, but not weaker. "Or maybe you just talk too much for someone who was about to bite a girl's neck five seconds ago."
For the first time, the man's smile sharpened into something less friendly.
"That," he said, "was none of your concern."
Theo's eyes hardened.
"It is now."
Silence stretched between them. Then the man moved. Fast.
Theo barely saw it. One second, there was space between them; the next, a hand was reaching for his throat with precise, effortless speed.
But Theo moved too.
Not because he planned it, but because something inside him reacted first. He twisted sharply, knocking the man's arm off course just enough to avoid the grip. The movement sent a jolt through his body, the energy inside him flaring in response.
He stumbled back half a step, breath catching.
The man paused again, watching him more closely now.
"…That wasn't luck," he said slowly. "Not entirely."
Theo didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward and swung, putting everything he had into it this time.
The energy followed.
It wasn't just there anymore. It moved with him, wrapped around his arm, burning hot and sharp like it had been waiting for this exact moment.
His fist connected.
The impact felt different this time. Less like hitting something immovable, more like forcing something to give.
The man shifted back slightly, adjusting his stance.
His expression didn't fully break, but something behind it did.
Recognition.
"Now that," the man said, his voice quieter but more focused, "is interesting."
Theo's chest rose and fell quickly. He could feel it now, the energy, not just as a hum but as something real, something alive inside him.
"Yeah?" Theo said. "You don't look so impressed."
The man's lips curved faintly again.
"Impressed isn't the word I'd use," he said. "Curious, maybe. It's rare to see something like that… half-formed."
Theo's brow furrowed.
"What does that even mean?"
The man didn't answer directly. Instead, he lifted his hand again, slower this time, deliberate.
"Let's find out," he said.
The moment his hand rose, the air changed. It wasn't gradual. It hit all at once. The pressure was heavy, invisible, suffocating.
Theo's body reacted immediately. His muscles tensed, his breath catching as the weight pressed down on him from every direction. It felt like the space around him had thickened, like he was trying to move through something dense and unyielding.
"What… is this…" Theo managed, his teeth clenching.
The man watched him calmly.
"This," he said, "is the difference between potential… and control."
The pressure increased.
Theo's vision blurred at the edges. His knees buckled slightly, his body struggling to stay upright. But worse than that was what he felt inside.
That energy. It was being pushed. Pulled at, like something was trying to grab it, force it into shape, or tear it apart.
Theo dropped to one knee, his hand slamming against the ground to keep himself from collapsing.
Behind him, the girl found her voice.
"Stop! You're going to kill him!" she shouted, her voice shaking but loud enough to cut through the tension.
The man didn't even glance at her.
"If this is all it takes," he said evenly, "then he was never going to survive what comes next anyway."
Theo's grip on the ground tightened. The cold stone bit into his palm, anchoring him just enough to keep his focus from slipping completely.
The energy inside him lashed out again, wild and uncontrolled. And then—
Something answered.
It wasn't the man, but it was something else entirely. Distant, faint, but unmistakable.
Like a voice echoing through a place he couldn't see.
Theo felt it surge through him, sharp and sudden, cutting through the pressure just enough to give him space.
One breath, one chance. And he took it.
With a strained exhale, Theo pushed himself up. The energy surged again, but this time it wasn't chaotic. It burned, focused, as it had finally locked onto something.
The man's eyes widened, just slightly.
Theo bolted towards him, closing the distance in a single step. He drove his fist forward again, the energy flaring brighter than before.