Kael sat there longer than he meant to.
Back against the wall. Knees pulled in. Breathing slow.
Too slow.
That was the first wrong thing.
His chest rose and fell like he was resting. Like he hadn't just run for his life. Like someone else had borrowed the panic and forgot to return it.
"Okay," he said quietly. "That's… fine."
It wasn't.
He pushed himself up.
His legs worked. Late, but steady. The alley behind him stayed empty. No footsteps. No voices. The night felt stretched thin, like it was holding its breath.
Kael stepped out onto the street.
A body lay a few meters away.
Not the monster from before. This one was human. A man slumped near a doorway, throat dark, eyes open and glassy. Fresh.
Kael stopped.
He waited for something to hit him.
Shock.Fear.Anything.
Nothing came.
He stared at the body and felt… blank.
"No," Kael said. "No, no, no."
He walked closer. Slow. Careful.
The man's eyes stared past him. Mouth half open. One hand curled like it had tried to grab something and failed.
Kael crouched.
Still nothing.
He reached out and waved a hand in front of the man's face, like he was testing himself.
"Say something," Kael whispered. "Do something."
The body didn't move.
Kael straightened.
His stomach didn't turn. His heart didn't race. His hands didn't shake.
"That's not right," he said.
He backed away from the body fast, boots scraping. His foot caught on a loose stone and he stumbled.
Didn't care.
Didn't even curse.
The night pressed in again. Somewhere far off, a shout echoed. Then another.
Search teams. Still looking.
Kael ducked into a side path and leaned against a post. He pressed a hand to his chest.
His heartbeat felt… distant.
Like it was happening in the next room.
"Borrowed Nerve," he said. "You shut fear off."
He swallowed.
"What else did you take?"
The words flickered faintly, like heat over stone.
⟪COST PENDING⟫⟪EMOTIONAL RESPONSE: DELAYED⟫
"Delayed," Kael repeated. "That's not better."
A sound broke the quiet.
A whimper.
Kael's head snapped up.
A girl stood at the end of the path. Young. Dirty clothes. Hair stuck to her face. She held her arm tight, blood soaking through her sleeve.
She looked at him with wide eyes.
"Mister," she said. "Please."
Kael didn't move.
He watched her like he watched the body.
Flat. Cold.
Something in him noticed that.
That's wrong, a small part of him said.
The rest didn't care.
"Please," the girl said again. "They're coming back."
Kael looked past her.
Shapes moved at the far end of the street. Lantern light. Shadows.
Hunters.
"Come here," Kael said.
His voice sounded normal.
The girl ran to him. She grabbed his coat without thinking, fingers digging in like she was afraid he'd vanish.
Kael looked down at her hand.
Still nothing.
"No," he said under his breath. "This is bad."
He pulled her into the shadows and pressed her against the wall. Not rough. Not gentle. Just… exact.
"Don't make noise," he said.
She nodded fast.
Footsteps came closer. Two men. Talking low.
"…check the side paths.""Thought I heard something."
The girl trembled.
Kael felt it through the wall.
He didn't feel the urge to protect her.
That scared him more than the hunters.
The men passed.
The light moved on.
The girl sagged in relief and started to cry. Quiet, shaking sobs.
Kael watched her.
Nothing changed.
No pull in his chest.No urge to help.No warmth.
"Stop," he said.
She froze.
"Sorry," she whispered.
Kael closed his eyes.
This is the cost, he realized.This is what it means.
He crouched and tore a strip from his sleeve. Wrapped it around her arm. Tightened it.
His hands worked fine.
His heart didn't.
"There," he said. "It'll slow the blood."
She looked at him like he was something solid. Something safe.
"Thank you," she said.
The words hit him late.
Not now.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
It slammed into him.
Her voice echoed too loud.Her face burned into his head.The body from before flashed up.
Kael sucked in air.
His chest tightened hard. Too hard.
"Oh," he gasped. "There you are."
The emotion crashed in all at once. Fear. Guilt. A sharp, ugly ache that made his hands curl.
The delay broke.
Kael staggered and grabbed the wall. His vision blurred.
⟪COST TRIGGERED⟫⟪Borrowed Nerve: REBOUND⟫
He bit down on a sound and forced himself to breathe.
The girl stared at him.
"Mister?" she asked.
Kael waved her away.
"Go," he said. "Now. Don't follow me."
"But—"
"Go."
She ran.
Kael slid down the wall, breathing hard. His hands shook now. Late, but violent.
"So that's how it works," he said through clenched teeth. "You take it… then dump it back."
All at once.
He laughed, sharp and broken.
"That's cheap," he said. "That's real cheap."
Footsteps echoed again.
Closer this time.
Kael pushed himself up.
His body lagged.His emotions burned.The night hadn't loosened its grip.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'm still standing."
The words flickered faintly.
⟪TOTAL ENTRIES: 3⟫⟪BALANCE: UNDER REVIEW⟫
Kael wiped his face and stepped back into the dark.
The night followed him.