Drowner: Becoming Defekt

Luna

It's like a dance—a deadly, brutal ballet. Each movement is deliberate, precise, as if the two of them were born for this.

Kai lunges forward, his feet barely touching the ground as he delivers a Superman punch, his fist cutting through the air with enough force to shatter stone. But Caden dodges with ease, his body swaying just enough to let the strike pass harmlessly by, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

Kai doesn't falter. Even as his attack misses, his focus remains unshaken. His gaze shifts over his shoulder, sharp and calculating, as if he's already three steps ahead. Without a moment's hesitation, he conjures another black sphere in his palm, the swirling energy coalescing into a dense, solid mass.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, the sphere transforms in an instant. The dark energy twists and sharpens, elongating into a vicious spike. Without warning, Kai hurls it with lethal precision, the spike hurtling toward Caden like a missile.

Caden reacts instantly. He drops to the ground in a fluid motion, his body moving with an almost reckless grace. As he falls, he clasps his hands together, fingers sparking with electric energy.

"Not bad, kid," he mutters under his breath, his grin never fading.

In the split second before the spike reaches him, Caden channels his energy into a single, concentrated burst. A crackling beam of lightning erupts from his hands—a piercing shot meant to punch through anything in its path.

The lightning strikes the spike dead center, and the impact is deafening.

BOOM!

The force of the collision sends shockwaves rippling through the warehouse, shaking the ground beneath me. The spike shatters into a thousand shards of black energy, each fragment disintegrating into nothingness as it scatters into the air.

Smoke and sparks fill the space between them, the aftermath of their clash hanging thick in the air.

Caden rises from his crouch, brushing dust off his jacket as if this were all just another day at the office. "You're gonna have to do better than that," he taunts, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and challenge.

Kai remains silent, his expression unreadable.

For a moment, they stand across from each other, the tension palpable, the air between them charged with anticipation.

And then, as if by some unspoken signal, they move again—both of them surging forward in perfect synchronization, the dance continuing.

I have to help him. I will.

I'll cast Mirage again—distract Kai long enough for Caden to gain the upper hand. He can finish this if I just create an opening.

I move forward, my focus locked on the two clashing figures ahead of me, but before I can take another step, I'm stopped.

A hand grips my arm—Vlad.

"Don't interfere," he orders, stepping between me and them, his towering frame blocking my path like a brick wall.

"Are you fucking insane?" I snap, my voice trembling with anger. "I have to help him! Can't you see? He's being pushed back!"

But Vlad doesn't budge. His expression is calm, almost eerily so, in stark contrast to the chaos unfolding behind him.

"Caden wouldn't forgive me if I let you be killed," he says firmly, his voice low but resolute. "Can't you see? They're on equal footing. What happened the last time you sparred with Caden, huh?"

His words hit like a slap, and I falter.

"Oh, yeah, I remember," he continues, his tone sharp with purpose. "He saw through your Mirage in seconds. And this guy? He did the same thing two minutes ago. Think."

He's right. Damn it, he's right.

I clench my fists, frustration boiling inside me. I feel useless—helpless. All I can do is stand here and watch as my mentor trades blows with someone my own age.

The sight burns into me. Caden, unyielding, lightning crackling in his palms as he meets Kai's relentless assault. They're evenly matched—two forces colliding in perfect symmetry, each testing the limits of the other.

Every punch, every dodge, every burst of energy feels like a statement. Neither of them is holding back.

I sink to the ground, my legs giving out beneath me as I sit and watch. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat reminding me of my own inadequacy.

I hate this feeling. I hate being sidelined. But Vlad's words echo in my mind, grounding me even as my instincts scream to act.

"Caden wouldn't forgive me," Vlad said.

And he wouldn't. He'd never forgive me for getting myself killed trying to help.

So, I watch.

And I hope to God he doesn't need me after all.