Of course. Here is the English translation of your next chapter, capturing the atmospheric tension and Sai's pivotal internal shift.
---
Night fell over Grandpa's estate with a soft, yet strangely oppressive darkness. Sai sat by the window of his room, leaning on the windowsill, trying to catch every movement of the shadows outside. He thought about yesterday and today: about the crystal, the darkness he had barely managed to feel, about Grandpa's endless words on power, control, and intent.
Maybe… I can? he whispered to himself again, his white eyes reflecting the dim starlight. The night seemed deeper than he had ever seen it. The darkness beyond the estate wasn't just an absence of light. It breathed. It waited. And Sai felt that somewhere out there was something… alive?
He had barely taken a breath when he heard a barely perceptible whisper. At first, he thought it was the wind rustling through the trees, but the sound repeated—almost human, yet distorted. Sai hunched his shoulders, his heart pounding wildly.
"What… is that?" he muttered to himself.
He slowly approached the door, listening. Silence. But the sense of alarm grew with every step. His white eyes widened, his black hair sticking to his forehead with sweat.
The door opened with a quiet creak. Outside was complete gloom. The moonlight illuminated only narrow strips of ground. And in that light, something was moving.
A figure appeared in the distance, like a shadow devoid of form. It moved slowly but confidently, gliding over the earth as if the air itself obeyed its steps.
"A monster?" whispered Sai, instinctively retreating.
The shadow stopped. And in that moment, Sai felt a strange, almost painful pressure in his chest. This wasn't the fear he knew. This was a fear that penetrated inside, into his very soul.
"Breathe…" he whispered to himself, remembering Grandpa's words. "Awareness… control… intent…"
Sai took a deep breath. His white eyes began to glow slightly brighter as the darkness inside him responded to the tension. He tried to focus, pushing his inner power outward.
The shadow lunged forward with incredible speed. Sai barely managed to leap back, feeling the cold air slice past his face. His heart beat so hard he thought it would burst out.
"I… I can't!" he cried out, falling to the ground.
But something clicked inside him. I can't… doesn't mean I'm powerless? He felt the darkness within him—cold, viscous, alive—begin to respond. Sai's hands stretched forward unconsciously, and a black jet erupted from them, striking the shadow.
The figure jerked, froze. And then vanished. Only a faint echo—like a whisper from afar—remained where the monster had been.
Sai breathed heavily, exhausted. He could barely stand.
"You… you did it?" came Grandpa's voice from behind him.
Sai turned sharply. Grandpa stood in the shadows, a barely noticeable smile on his face, but his eyes shone brightly.
"I… I don't know…" Sai managed to utter. "Did it… work?"
"Not only did it work," said Grandpa, stepping closer, "but you gained an Echo."
"An Echo?" asked Sai, struggling to keep his balance. "Is that… power?"
"An Echo…" Grandpa bent down and lightly touched Sai's shoulder, "is a reflection of the soul of the one you encountered. The monster left a part of itself inside you. Now your power is expanded. You can sense its thoughts, its movements, its fear."
Sai blinked, not understanding. The black energy inside him was different—brighter, more aware than before. He could feel… something alien, and yet his own.
"Is it… dangerous?" he asked, trembling with excitement and horror.
"Dangerous," Grandpa agreed. "But it is also a gift. With power comes responsibility. With darkness comes awareness. And with an Echo—the possibility to understand your enemy before he strikes."
Sai tried to concentrate. His white eyes glowed slowly, and he felt a faint connection to the vanished shadow. It was there, like a whisper in his head, but not evil—more like… a warning.
"So… it's like… a link?" he muttered, afraid to move.
"Exactly," said Grandpa, smiling slightly. "You see, hear, and feel what was once hidden. But remember: if the Echo gets out of control, it will consume you."
Sai closed his eyes, trying to get used to it. Can I… live with this? he replayed in his head. Something new inside him whispered: Yes, try. This is your life.
"You're growing, Sai," said Grandpa, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yesterday you feared your own darkness. Today you took the first step toward understanding it. And this is only the beginning."
Sai opened his eyes. The darkness inside him swayed gently, like a living stream. He saw the world a little differently—the shadows were deeper, the light brighter, and the noise of the wind seemed to tell him: You are different now.
"An Echo… does that mean I can use it?" he asked, half in doubt.
"First, learn to feel it. Then to control it. And only then… to act."
Sai sat on the ground, breathing heavily. He thought about how yesterday he didn't believe in himself, how today he almost couldn't withstand the shadow's attack, and how now a part of the monster—the Echo—lived inside him.
"It's strange…" he whispered. "Is it… mine? Or someone else's?"
"Both," Grandpa replied, watching him. "You are beginning to understand: power isn't just what you have. It's how you live with it."
Sai stood up, shaken but with a new resolve. He was no longer the boy who thought about emptiness yesterday. Now he had his first piece of real power. And the Echo, whispering in his head, seemed to invite him: Try. Learn. Survive.
He looked at the stars, at the crystal in the house, at Grandpa's home—and for the first time in a long time, he thought: Maybe… I can become strong?
But simultaneously, a doubt crept into his chest: What if I lose control? What if this darkness, this Echo, becomes stronger than me? His white eyes struggled to follow the crystal's flickering light, as if every glint was a test.
"Sai…" Grandpa's quiet voice came from behind. "Don't just stand there. Understanding power comes through movement, through sensation, through contact with it."
Sai flinched, turning around. Grandpa stood in the doorway, hands folded behind his back, the shadow from the crystal's light falling on his wrinkled face.
"Contact?" Sai repeated, doubtful, yet an inner voice urged him to act. "How… how can I…"
"Try." Grandpa took a step forward. "Use the Echo. Feel it. Don't be afraid."
Sai took a breath. He lowered his hand to the ground and, for the first time, tried to direct the flow of his inner darkness to his fingers. The Echo inside him quivered, as if alive, whispering to him, barely perceptible. He shuddered: a stream of energy burst out and enveloped his palm like thick smoke.
"Ahh!" he cried out, recoiling, nearly losing his balance.
"Calmly," said Grandpa, coming closer. "Don't resist. Feel. You don't have to control everything at once. First, feel it. Hear me? First, feel."
Sai stretched his hand out again. The Echo responded softly, the jet of black energy stilled, trembling, and now it seemed to obey his thoughts. He blinked, trying to believe it.
"It's… working?" he whispered, amazed by his own sensations.
"Yes," Grandpa nodded. "But remember: power is not a game. It's not for those who just want to show off. You are holding something alien inside yourself. If you lose control… it could devour you."
Sai flinched. "And if I can't?"
"Then you will learn again," Grandpa smirked, "and again. Every time, until you can. But the first step has already been taken."
Sai concentrated, and this time the Echo in his hands began to take shape: jets of black light connected, creating a small, almost living vortex. He looked at it and couldn't suppress a shudder: I created this… I'm controlling this?
"Excellent," said Grandpa, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now feel it: every breath, every movement—this isn't just energy. It's an extension of your will."
Sai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The Echo inside him undulated in sync with his heartbeat. He sensed the whisper of the monster that had left it inside him—not hostile, but curious. He tried to direct the Echo further, and the energy followed his intent, softly flowing around his fingers like a river obeying its current.
"You have begun," said Grandpa, quietly, almost in a whisper. "Now you must learn to see and to feel. That is where true power lies."
Sai opened his eyes. The night yard looked different. The shadows of the trees, the grass, even the mist rising from the ground—everything responded to the Echo, vibrating faintly. He could feel the slightest movement of the air, as if the world around him was beginning to open up to him.
"This… is incredible," he muttered. "I… can feel everything."
"But don't forget," Grandpa came closer, his face serious, "that the Echo is not just power. It's a reflection of the one you encountered. You cannot ignore what is inside. It will whisper until you accept it."
Sai felt a strange excitement. He was both frightened and amazed: the monster that had left the Echo now lived within him. But instead of horror, there was a sense of understanding: he could use it, direct it, listen to it.
"And what do I do now?" he asked, trembling slightly. "Just… hold it?"
"No," said Grandpa. "Today you learn to feel. Tomorrow—to control. And after that—to act. But remember, Sai: every step toward power is also a step toward responsibility."
Sai sighed. He sat on the ground, tired, but with an inner sensation of strength he couldn't put into words. The Echo vibrated inside him, softly, like the whisper of the wind, but it obeyed.
"So…" he whispered, "is this all real?"
"Yes," said Grandpa, smiling, but his eyes gleamed with seriousness. "And this is only the beginning. Tomorrow you will learn to direct the Echo further. Today—feel that it is a part of you."
He looked at the old man and for the first time in a long time thought: Maybe… I really can become strong?
With a slight tremble, he stood up, heading back into the house. Grandpa followed him, humming something inaudible that made Sai both nervous and feel a strange calm.
In the kitchen, the familiar smell lingered. Grandpa placed a bowl of something hot in front of him.
"Hah!" Grandpa laughed, looking at Sai. "You've probably never tried anything like this, have you?"
Sai smiled, tired but inwardly changed. He looked at the bowl, then at Grandpa, then at the darkness outside the window. And for the first time, he understood: the Echo, the darkness, the power—it wasn't just danger. It was a chance. A chance to survive. And a chance to become who he wanted to be.
Maybe… he whispered to himself, taking the first careful sip. And in that moment, the small spark inside him flared brighter than ever before.