"I… I'm about to see someone who could flatten an entire city," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.
The thought alone made my stomach churn with fear and anticipation.
For a split second, I considered running.
But there was no time. No time to think. No time to prepare.
If I wanted to survive… I had to follow Hadal.
Not that I had much of a choice—he was already dragging me along like I was a lost kid.
We reached a massive door, imposing and intimidating.
Hadal glanced down at me, his expression unreadable, a mix of determination and anxiety. "Just follow what I do, and we'll be fine," he said, his tone casual.
It didn't help.
The doors swung open with a creaking groan, and my jaw dropped at the sight before me.
A long line of people stood at attention, perfectly aligned, each movement sharp and controlled. They were military, terrifying in their discipline.
Their eyes didn't move. Not even slightly.
It felt like standing in front of soldiers poised to die on command.
"Hadal… what the hell is thi—"
He nudged me sharply, a warning in his eyes.
I shut up instantly, sensing the gravity of the moment.
He gestured, and I copied him, placing my hands behind my back, puffing out my chest, and straightening my shoulders.
Every instinct screamed at me to move. To run. To escape.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Whispers drifted through the air, muttering about my presence.
"Who is that idiot…" "He's going to get us killed…" "Must be a greenie…"
I ignored them, focusing on my breathing.
Don't mess this up.
A boy in a grey trench coat stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.
STOMP.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
"Salute! Captain Kinga has graced you with his presence!"
We saluted instantly, a wave of tension rippling through the air.
Silence swallowed everything.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow. Measured. Deliberate.
Each one hit the ground like a warning, sending shivers down my spine.
My heart pounded in sync, each beat a reminder of the danger looming before us.
Then I saw him.
Tall. Imposing. Unshakable.
His grey eyes were cold—calculating, inhumanly calm.
His presence alone felt heavy, as if the air itself had thickened in his wake.
I glanced at Hadal; he was sweating. Badly.
So much for calm.
Breathing became harder, each second stretching longer than the last.
One mistake. One movement.
And I was certain—
We'd die.
His polished shoes clicked against the floor with precision.
Precise. Controlled. Almost theatrical.
Like he enjoyed this.
"After he turns the corner, we can relax," Hadal whispered, breaking the tension.
"Just a few more seconds…" I muttered, trying to hold on to my composure.
"Hold on…"
Then—
A sneeze.
It echoed throughout the hall like a gunshot.
Loud. Sharp. Deadly.
Every head snapped toward the source.
A girl, young and seemingly frozen, stood at the edge of the line.
Silence. Absolute silence.
We all knew.
She was dead.
The stain on his white coat said everything.
He stopped, no movement, no words—just—
Stillness.
I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the inevitable.
"You…" His voice was low, dangerously low.
"What is your name?"
Then it hit.
His aura exploded outward, crushing and suffocating, an energy that was unavoidable.
We dropped—straight to our knees.
My chest tightened as I struggled to breathe.
People collapsed around me. Some coughed blood. Others passed out.
"F—fuck… I'm blacking out…" I gasped, fighting against the oppressive force.
"Hadal… you alive?"
A thumbs-up, barely a reassurance.
Not comforting at all.
I forced my head up, and my breath caught in my throat.
The girl… was still standing.
Unaffected.
…What?
Everyone else was down. Flow users. Non-users. It didn't matter.
But her? Nothing.
Was she… stronger? Dual awakening? Something else?
Before I could think further—
CRASH.
Windows shattered with a deafening roar.
The pressure vanished, as if he had pulled back, and the air returned to normal.
"I don't know how you resisted my aura," he said coldly, turning his icy gaze toward her.
"But I will make your life here… unbearable."
Relief hit me all at once, and I collapsed fully onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Air had never felt so good.
"Are you okay, Joseph?" Hadal asked, leaning against the wall, his voice shaky.
"You see now… why we fear them?"
He exhaled shakily, his face a mix of anxiety and disbelief.
"The smallest thing sets them off."
"They're born at the top," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Yeah…" I muttered, still reeling from the encounter. "I get it now."
He hadn't even used an ability. And we almost died.
But one question burned through everything else.
Who… was that girl?
And how the hell… did she resist him?