Kael couldn't breathe.
The invisible force holding him against the cold steel wall felt like a crushing grip around his entire body. His legs dangled inches off the ground, and each second stretched like a minute.
Torrin's hand still hovered in the air, glowing with the same molten hue. His smile had vanished, replaced by narrowed eyes watching Kael like an insect under glass.
"What now, Blank?" he sneered.
The pressure didn't let up.
Kael's heart thundered in his chest—not from fear, but from something else. Deep in his wrist, the band-shaped tattoo of the Nether Code pulsed—hot, cold, alive.
[Mimicry trigger detected.]
[Nearby power signature: Moderate Flame Control]
[Would you like to attempt temporary sync?]
Kael gritted his teeth.
"Do it."
The system didn't answer in words. It answered in sensation.
A sudden rush, like adrenaline mixed with heat, surged through Kael's veins. His fingertips prickled—then burned. Not painfully, but electrically alive.
Small, flickering embers began to drip from his right hand.
First one. Then two. Then a light trail of glowing cinders curled downward like falling petals.
They hissed as they touched the floor, tiny wisps of smoke curling up from the scorched spots left behind.
Torrin flinched, taking a step back. His control faltered just slightly.
Kael dropped to one knee, gasping.
"Wh-what…?"
Zane backed away fast. "He's got fire? Since when?!"
Kael couldn't answer. He could barely stay upright.
The flames flickered again from his fingers—faint red-orange wisps, like candlelight in a storm. He looked down at his hand, watching as his skin shimmered faintly with the mimicry effect. The same fire he had seen at the cliff… now truly his.
[Matter usage exceeded. System strain detected.]
His vision blurred.
Torrin stood frozen, unsure whether to press forward or flee. The others watched, uncertain for the first time in days.
Kael's hand lowered.
Then his body gave out.
He collapsed sideways, the flickers vanishing as fast as they had appeared. Smoke curled from his fingertips as his body hit the ground hard.
[System overload.]
[User unconscious. Temporary shutdown initiated.]
Moments Later
None of the bullies spoke.
They looked at each other, then down at Kael's unmoving form. The once-called blank now surrounded by faint burn marks.
Torrin clenched his jaw and turned, muttering under his breath.
"This isn't over."
And one by one, they vanished into the corridor shadows, leaving Kael lying there alone—smoke rising from his palm, and the faint hum of the Nether Code pulsing in the air like a heartbeat.