The word lingered.
Target.
It didn't echo.
It didn't need to.
Because it had already settled deep within Aren's mind.
The stairwell felt tighter now.
Colder.
As if the space itself had shrunk around them.
Aren stood still, his gaze locked onto the man in front of him.
"…explain."
His voice was calm.
But this time—
There was intent behind it.
The man studied him for a moment before letting out a quiet breath.
"…fine," he said. "But don't expect this to be simple."
He leaned back slightly against the railing, arms folding as his expression shifted—less playful, more serious.
"The world you've been living in?" he began. "It's fake."
Aren didn't react.
"Or more accurately…" the man continued, "…it's incomplete."
A faint silence followed.
Then—
"There's another layer to it. Hidden. Buried beneath everything people call 'normal.'"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"A world where strength decides everything."
Aren's mind remained steady.
"…awakeners."
The man smirked faintly.
"Looks like your little 'voice' didn't leave you completely clueless."
Aren ignored the remark.
"…what are they?"
The man's expression sharpened.
"People who broke past human limits," he said. "Or were forced to."
He paused briefly.
"…some gained power."
"…some lost themselves."
The weight of those words lingered.
"And me?" Aren asked.
The question was simple.
But the answer—
Wasn't.
The man's gaze dropped to Aren's hand.
To the mark.
"…you're not like them."
Aren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…then what am I?"
A brief silence followed.
As if even the man was choosing his words carefully.
"…you're what they call a mistake."
The air shifted.
Not violently.
But enough to be felt.
"Awakeners follow systems," he continued. "Energy types. Ability structures. Growth patterns."
His voice lowered slightly.
"…you don't."
Aren didn't respond.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
"…Forsaken," the man said quietly.
The word felt heavier this time.
More real.
"People like you…" he continued, "…aren't supposed to exist. No records. No categories."
His eyes met Aren's.
"And most importantly—"
A pause.
Then—
"…no limits."
Silence fell.
Not peaceful.
Not calm.
Something else.
Something dangerous.
Because for the first time—
Aren understood.
This power…
Wasn't just different.
It was wrong.
"…so who's after me?" Aren asked.
The man chuckled lightly.
"…that's the fun part."
He straightened up.
"Everyone."
Aren didn't blink.
"Organizations," the man continued. "Hunters. Collectors. Researchers."
His tone darkened.
"…and worse."
Aren's gaze sharpened.
"…worse?"
The man smiled faintly.
"The ones who don't just want your power…"
A pause.
"…but want to understand it."
Aren didn't need further explanation.
Because something about that—
Felt far more dangerous.
"…so what?" Aren said. "I just wait for them to come?"
The man laughed softly.
"Now that would be boring."
He stepped closer.
"…you grow."
Aren's expression didn't change.
"…how?"
The man's eyes flickered slightly.
As if he had been waiting for that question.
"Your kind doesn't follow rules," he said. "So you don't train like others."
A brief pause.
Then—
"You evolve."
The word echoed differently.
Not like advice.
Like instinct.
"…and evolution," the man continued quietly—
"…requires conflict."
At that moment—
Aren felt it.
A faint pulse from the mark.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
As if something inside him had just… agreed.
"…there's something nearby," the man said suddenly.
Aren's gaze shifted instantly.
"…what?"
The man's expression turned serious.
"Not human."
The air changed.
Heavier.
Sharper.
A pressure settled in the space around them.
Aren felt it too.
Not with his senses.
But with something deeper.
Something instinctive.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
Slow.
Uneven.
Dragging.
Aren turned toward the sound.
The door creaked open slightly—
And something stepped in.
It looked human.
At first.
A student.
Same uniform.
Same build.
But—
Wrong.
Its movements were unnatural, its body twitching slightly as if struggling to maintain form. Its eyes…
Were empty.
Pitch black.
"…a corrupted," the man muttered.
Aren's gaze sharpened.
"…what is that?"
"An awakener who failed," the man replied quietly. "Or something that took their place."
The thing tilted its head—
Then smiled.
Too wide.
Too unnatural.
And then—
It rushed forward.
Aren didn't move.
Not immediately.
Because something inside him—
Wanted to see.
To understand.
To feel.
The creature's hand lashed out—
Fast.
Violent.
Inhuman.
At the last second—
Aren moved.
His body reacted effortlessly, stepping aside with unnatural precision. The attack missed him completely, slamming into the wall behind with enough force to crack it.
Raghav would've been crushed instantly.
But Aren—
Wasn't the same anymore.
"…good," the man said softly from behind.
"…now let's see what you really are."
The creature turned again, its movements growing more erratic.
More aggressive.
It lunged—
Faster this time.
Stronger.
But Aren's eyes followed everything.
Every motion.
Every shift.
Every flaw.
And then—
He moved.
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing the creature's face mid-lunge.
The impact stopped instantly.
Like hitting a wall.
The creature struggled—
Screaming.
Thrashing.
But it didn't matter.
Because Aren's grip didn't move.
Not even slightly.
For a brief moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
The mark pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
And Aren felt it.
That hunger again.
Stronger this time.
Clearer.
The words from before echoed in his mind—
Survive. Grow. Consume.
The creature began to weaken.
Its movements slowing.
Its body trembling.
As if something was being pulled out of it.
Drained.
"…wait—" the man stepped forward slightly—
But then stopped.
Because what he saw—
Was impossible.
The darkness around Aren's hand began to spread.
Thin.
Thread-like.
Connecting.
Binding.
The creature let out one final, distorted sound—
Before going completely still.
Silence.
Aren released it.
The body dropped.
Lifeless.
Empty.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The mark glowed faintly.
And a voice whispered inside him.
"Consumed."
Aren stood there, unmoving.
Processing.
Feeling.
Understanding.
Behind him—
The man stared.
For once—
Speechless.
"…you didn't just kill it," he said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
"…you absorbed it."
Aren looked at his hand.
The mark had changed.
Slightly.
But enough to notice.
"…so this is how I grow," he muttered.
The man let out a slow breath.
"…yeah."
A faint, uneasy smile formed on his face.
"…and now I'm sure."
Aren glanced at him.
"…about what?"
The man's eyes sharpened.
"…you're going to become something this world can't control."
The silence that followed—
Felt like the beginning of something far bigger than both of them.