Training started that same day.
No rest.
No adjustment.
No mercy.
The clearing behind the house was quiet—too quiet.
Like it was waiting for something to go wrong.
"Again," Leo said.
I clenched my fists, already breathing harder than I wanted to admit.
"I just did it."
"And you'll do it again," he replied flatly.
Of course.
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself.
Focus.
Control.
Don't let it spike.
"Trigger it," Evan said calmly from the side.
I shot him a look. "You want me to lose control?"
"I want you to find the edge," he corrected.
Easy for him to say.
He wasn't the one whose body decided to override people.
Kai leaned against a tree, arms crossed, watching me closely.
Too closely.
"Or are you scared?" he added lightly.
I glared at him.
"I'm not scared."
"Prove it."
The bond reacted instantly.
Sharp.
Provoked.
And that was the problem.
"Don't take the bait," Evan warned.
Too late.
I felt it.
That shift.
That pressure building under my skin.
"Stop," Leo said immediately.
But it was already happening.
The air thickened.
My pulse spiked.
The bond surged—
And locked onto Kai.
"Don't," he said, pushing off the tree.
But his voice wasn't fully steady this time.
Good.
No—wait.
Not good.
Focus.
"I said stop," Leo repeated, stepping in front of me now.
But my attention didn't move.
It stayed on Kai.
Like something inside me had already decided.
"Fight it," Evan said sharply.
I tried.
God, I tried.
But it felt like trying to hold back a wave with my hands.
Kai took a step closer.
Slow.
Careful.
"Look at me," he said.
Bad idea.
The moment our eyes met—
The bond snapped tighter.
And then—
It happened.
"Don't move," I said.
The words slipped out.
Quiet.
But heavy.
Kai froze.
Instantly.
My heart stopped.
No.
No, no, no—
Not again.
"Break it," Evan ordered.
"I'm trying—!"
But Kai didn't move.
Not even a little.
His jaw tightened.
Muscles tense.
Fighting it.
But still—
Not moving.
Panic surged.
"I didn't mean—"
"Then take it back," Leo snapped.
"I don't know how!"
The pressure built higher.
Stronger.
Worse.
And then—
Kai stepped forward.
The control snapped.
Shattered.
Gone.
I staggered back slightly, gasping.
The bond recoiled hard, like it had been burned.
Silence dropped.
Heavy.
Breathing uneven, I looked up.
Kai was right in front of me now.
Too close.
Way too close.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Dark.
Intense.
Different.
"You felt that?" he asked quietly.
I nodded.
Couldn't lie.
"So did I."
That wasn't reassuring.
At all.
Leo exhaled slowly behind him. "You broke it faster this time."
Evan nodded slightly. "That's progress."
"Didn't feel like progress," I muttered.
Kai let out a quiet huff.
"That's because you're still fighting it wrong."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You're trying to shut it down."
"…Yeah?"
"That's why you're losing."
I blinked.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does," Evan said.
I looked at him.
Of course he agreed.
"You're treating the bond like an enemy," Evan continued.
"But it's not."
Leo added, "It's part of you."
I let out a frustrated breath. "It doesn't feel like it."
Kai stepped even closer.
And this time—
I didn't step back.
"That's because you don't trust it," he said.
My chest tightened.
"And I should?" I challenged.
His gaze didn't waver.
"Not completely."
A pause.
"But enough to stop fighting yourself."
The bond pulsed again.
Softer this time.
Warmer.
Confusing.
Evan spoke again. "Next round."
I groaned. "Already?"
Leo's expression didn't change.
"You don't get control by resting."
Great.
Love that for me.
I reset my stance, trying to ignore how close Kai still was.
Trying to ignore how aware I suddenly felt of him.
Of all of them.
"Wait," Kai said suddenly.
Leo looked at him. "What?"
Kai didn't look away from me.
"This time," he said slowly, "I'll push her."
My stomach dropped.
"That sounds like a terrible idea."
He smirked slightly.
"Probably."
And somehow—
That made it worse.
"Do it," Evan said.
Of course he agreed.
Kai stepped even closer.
Now there was barely any space between us.
My pulse spiked instantly.
Not just from the bond.
And that—
That was new.
"Focus," he murmured.
Low.
Close.
Dangerous.
The bond flared.
Hot.
Unstable.
"There it is," Leo muttered.
"Hold it," Evan added.
I tried.
But this felt different.
Not like before.
Not just power—
Emotion.
"Don't lose it," Kai said softly.
But his hand—
His hand brushed mine.
That was it.
The bond exploded.
Power surged violently—
And this time—
It didn't just reach for control.
It pulled.
All of us.
Silence.
Shock.
Connection.
Stronger than before.
And for one terrifying second—
I felt everything.
Their emotions.
Their thoughts.
Their pull toward me.
And they felt mine.
Kai's expression changed instantly.
Leo went still.
Evan's composure cracked—
Just slightly.
Then—
It snapped.
Everything dropped.
Gone.
Like it never happened.
I stumbled back, breath shaking.
"What… was that?"
No one answered immediately.
Because for once—
They didn't know either.
Kai recovered first.
But his voice wasn't as steady as before.
"…That's new."
Yeah.
That was definitely not good.
But deep down—
I knew something had just changed.
Something bigger than control.
Something none of us were ready for.
And next time?
It wouldn't stop that easily.