All the possibilities ran through my mind. I was expecting an explosion. I was expecting the whole room to collapse. None of that happened. In fact, the result of his Gift was underwhelming and frankly anti-climatic. Instead of the overwhelming show of power I had expected, some of the objects in the rooms wiggled a bit and I felt a slight sting.

I frowned at him and he smiled. “That’s it?” I asked even though it was refreshing seeing someone weaker than me–no, I shouldn’t underestimate him.

He shrugged. “You saw me use my power. It’s your fault if you don’t understand what it is.”

His right hand stopped clutching his left and they both fell to his sides.

“He’s lying. Well, to be more exact, he isn’t giving you the full truth,” I heard a voice say and jolted in surprise. The Ruler still leaned on the corner of the room looking bored as ever, his arms crossed against his chest as he spoke. Though I didn’t particularly like the Ruler, I knew what he said would probably be important, so I listened carefully. I looked at him with a hint of hope while Jason looked at him with calculating eyes. Even Vera and Annabelle who were just messing around with their Gifts stopped to look over.

Jason locked eyes with the Ruler, his gaze a challenge. The Ruler returned the look, staring at Jason as if Jason was inherently inferior to him. From what I remembered of the Ruler’s power, Jason probably held the same threat to him as an ant did to me.

“You shouldn’t spill other people’s secrets,” Jason said slowly. I felt something shift in the room and realised Jason was using his Gift. His posture became more refined as he concentrated on the Ruler. At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a drop of blood trickled down from the Ruler’s nose. It felt odd seeing the Ruler injured. Even though it was nothing more than a bloody nose–he held a strong image that demanded strength–his bloody nose felt silly.

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The Ruler didn’t seem to think that though. “Is that all?” he said with a raised eyebrow. “If it is, know I’m severely disappointed.”

As suddenly as had appeared, the blood on the Ruler’s nose vanished. He shook his head and an immense pressure filled the room, bringing us to our knees. Another wave of pressure and I felt my powers cut off from me.

He paused as if considering something. “I think…” the Ruler drawled, “I should give you four an early education in respect.”

He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against slowly and sauntered around the room. I tried to move my body but the pressure he exerted was too overwhelming. “As your superior,” the Ruler said, “I am disappointed by how some of you keep on insisting on challenging me.”

My heart began to beat harder against my chest as he said that. Did he know I was going to kill him? Not that I was sure I was even going to kill him. That was just what I had assumed from what I knew. That wasn’t much.

I could feel the blood as it rushed to my ears. I could feel the beat of my heart so viscerally that I wondered if the Ruler could feel it too. He turned to face me, and if my heart was beating before, it was racing now, beating so fast I struggled to count it. You could die from that? Has someone died from panicking before? Probably.

He looked at me.“You,” he said, “I do not care that you read my mind.”

He didn’t.

He half-smirked. “I can see the disbelief written on your face. It’s true though. You can do whatever you want if you have the power to do it. I don’t care if you hurt or steal. Morals are lofty ideas held by those who don’t have power. Challenge me when you have power.”

This guy is a madman.

He banished the pressure from the room as if it was barely an inconvenience. He when back to the corner he was at before and leaned back on it nonchalantly. “You don’t have power,” he said.

For once, I completely agreed with him.