Drowner: Becoming Defekt

Caden

It worked. I don't know if I really wanted it to.

Kai rises slowly, his movements unnervingly precise, like a predator stalking prey. He doesn't seem fazed—no sign of pain, no hesitation. His gaze locks onto me, cold and unfeeling, an emotionless mask that sends a chill down my spine.

"Kai, can you hear me?" I call out, my voice steady but edged with tension. There's no response.

"Caden, watch out!" Vlad shouts from the sidelines, his voice booming with urgency. Even Eugene has abandoned his desk, standing wide-eyed and frozen.

Then Kai moves.

The punch comes fast, aimed directly at my face. I barely manage to dodge, the air from his strike grazing my nose. But before I can counter, he twists mid-motion, his balance unnervingly perfect despite the missed hit. His leg lashes out with incredible speed and force, and this time, it connects.

The impact is brutal. Harder than last time. My head snaps to the side, and I stumble back, a sharp pain radiating from my jaw.

This isn't just the same power—it's stronger, faster, more refined.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath, regaining my stance. This is what I wanted to see, but now that it's happening. 

Thank God I was smart enough to send the others out on errands. Rebe's going to kill me if she finds out about this.

Kai isn't stopping, and I don't have time to dwell on my regrets. I launch my counterattack, leaping forward with a high kick aimed at his head.

But he does something that freezes my blood for a split second. He catches my leg, using the exact move I pulled on him last time, twisting my momentum and throwing me toward the ground.

I manage to recover mid-fall, landing with a roll and springing back up to my feet. My eyes narrow as I watch him mimic my stance perfectly—down to the positioning of his hands and the shift of his weight.

He's copying me.

That's bad. No, worse than bad. That's lethal.

Kai's hand starts glowing as he forms one of those strange energy spheres. There's no time to hesitate. I have to stop him before this gets out of control.

I activate Thunder Step, lightning surging through me as I close the distance in the blink of an eye. My fist crackles with electricity, my power humming through my body as I prepare for a decisive blow. I'll end this now—before anyone else gets hurt.

I throw the punch, lightning sparking toward him, but he dodges at the last second, his movements eerily fluid.

Fine. Two can play at this game.

I shift mid-motion, using his own trick against him, lifting my leg to strike. My kick connects, sending him stumbling, and I follow up immediately with a perfectly executed Superman punch.

This time, it lands.

The impact is solid, electricity surging through my knuckles as my fist slams into his jaw. Kai stumbles backward, and for a moment, I think it's over.

But then he straightens, slowly, that blank expression still fixed on his face.

Damn it. This isn't going to be as easy as I thought.

Eugene is closing in, his posture tense and ready to strike. His steps are light, calculated, but my heart jumps. I throw up a hand, signaling him to back off immediately.

He hesitates, his hooded eyes narrowing in confusion, but he stops in his tracks. I don't want to think about what would happen if Kai sensed Eugene's power up close. I understand perfectly what this "Predator State" is now—dangerous doesn't even begin to describe it.

I don't want to find out if Kai targets the strongest person or the most dangerous threat. So, I motion again, more firmly this time, for Eugene to retreat.

Kai moves before I can warn anyone else. He launches forward, a blur of speed and precision, his expression unreadable.

A deafening shot echoes through the room.

Kai twists at the last second, dodging the bullet with almost inhuman reflexes. But before he can regain his footing, my lightning-charged fist slams into his face.

This time, it works. His body stiffens from the impact before crumpling to the ground in an unconscious heap.

I turn toward the source of the gunshot, my heart still hammering. Standing there with his hunting rifle, steady as a rock, is Vlad. He lowers the weapon with a grunt, his face grim.

"That was way too dangerous," he mutters, walking toward me. "Let's not do that again."

I nod, wiping sweat from my brow. "Agreed."

Kai lies still on the floor, his breathing steady but deep. I glance at Vlad and then at Eugene, who's watching from a safe distance.