The darkness trembled again. But it didn't feel empty anymore. It felt like it was breathing. The vast emptiness around Shawn rippled, as if in sync with his heartbeat. His three instincts had calmed down a little, but they were still there, like unseen predators watching and waiting.
Shawn stayed still. He had learned that fighting them only made them stronger, but letting them take over would mean losing himself.
Suddenly, a violent tremor went through him. The wild instinct flared up again without warning, shattering his calm. His muscles tensed as an overwhelming urge surged from deep inside him: to fight, to challenge, to destroy everything. Nothing should stand in his way, not the heavens, the earth, or even fate. If they blocked him, they should fall.
The feeling was so strong that Shawn almost stepped forward, but he stopped himself. No, he rasped.
The instinct ignored him, pouring into him, trying to drown his rational thoughts in endless conflict. Just as Shawn felt like he was losing control, a gentle warmth spread through his soul. It was Eva.
She just stood beside him. The purple light around her flowed between him and the raging instinct, not blocking it, but slowing it down enough for Shawn to breathe. For the first time, the instinct didn't crash into him; it just arrived.
Shawn frowned. The feeling was just as wild as before, not weakened at all. But now, he could finally observe it. It wasn't anger or hatred. It wasn't about destruction. It refused to be held back. It wanted to move, to grow, to be challenged. It would rather break than give in.
Shawn slowly closed his eyes. So... that's what you are.
The raging instinct paused the moment he spoke. It wasn't obeying him, but it stopped because, for the first time, it had been acknowledged. The violent pressure pulled back slightly before settling deep within his soul.
Shawn barely had time to exhale before another pressure descended. The darkness around him became incredibly heavy. His knees buckled. Everything around him suddenly felt insignificant. The instinct, the darkness, even Shawn himself seemed small and unimportant. This wasn't contempt or arrogance; it was certainty. It was an existence that never doubted itself, standing above, driven by its nature.
Shawn struggled to lift his head. Every instinct told him to kneel, to acknowledge that overwhelming presence. His breathing grew uneven, and even his thoughts started to slow under the immense pressure.
"...Shawn."
Eva's soft voice reached him again. She wasn't commanding or encouraging him; she was simply calling him back.
Shawn looked at her. Her figure glowed faintly, becoming more transparent. Tiny purple strands extended from her, disappearing into the darkness and returning with fragments of unfamiliar emotions. Only then did Shawn realize what she was doing. She wasn't standing between him and the instincts; she was standing between two worlds. Every instinct passed through her before reaching him. They were unchanged, but they became something he could finally understand.
Shawn's expression softened.
"You're...
Eva smiled gently.
"I don't really know what I'm doing either... but I think... you just need to listen. I'm just helping you do that."
Listen. Avoid the fight. Stop trying to suppress them. Just listen.
Shawn slowly turned back towards the overwhelming presence pressing down on him. Instead of resisting, he let himself feel it: the crushing dignity, the absolute certainty, the silent supremacy. It wasn't asking him to kneel. It had never asked for anything. It simply existed.
Shawn let out a slow breath. I get it now. "You aren't mine... and I'm sure as hell not yours."
For the briefest moment, the immense pressure surrounding him stilled. The weight remained, but it was quiet. Something deep within the inheritance had finally begun to respond.