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The monster burst free with a savage roar, claws slashing wildly through the air. "Shit!" I barely had time to hurl myself backward as its talons sliced inches from my face. My heart pounded against my ribs–how the hell did it break free? No time to dwell on that. I had to focus.

I landed hard, skidding across the rough cave floor. Pain shot up my leg, but adrenaline drowned it out. The beast's eyes locked onto mine, seething with fury. Its massive body trembled, muscles rippling from the strain of shattering my Exira hold.

“Close call,” I muttered, steadying my breath, trying to drown out the pounding in my chest. The monster's eyes narrowed, still trained on me, furious, and locked on its target. Its body trembled slightly, likely from the strain of breaking out of the Exira.

It won’t break free again. Not if I strengthen it this time.

Channeling my focus, I felt Exira's energy surge, thickening in the air around us. Hold still, you bastard. With a practiced hand, I let the energy lock back around the creature, pouring in just enough strength to keep it locked down.

The beast snarled, snapping its jaws as it tried to move but found itself frozen again, limbs trembling under the Exira’s weight. I could feel it struggle, but the increased hold was taking effect, rooting it to the spot.

“That’s more like it,” I said, watching it with renewed calm. The heartbeat in my chest still hadn’t settled, but my mind was steady, and focused.

I took a few deep breaths, my heart still racing, but I forced my body to calm. Inhale. Exhale. I shut my eyes, focusing everything on the flow of Exira pulsing through me, that strange energy I had barely started to grasp. The monster was subdued again, but I couldn’t let my guard down. It broke free once. Not again. I needed more control.

Focus. This is just a test. I can do this.

Exira swirled around me, thick and heavy like a cloud I could shape with my will. Its strength at the base level wasn’t enough–I knew that now. I had to push it further, and make it stronger without losing control. I steadied my breathing, shallow but controlled, forcing my heart rate down even as the adrenaline still rushed through me.

Stay calm. Test it. Nothing else matters right now.

I could feel the Exira’s power, a steady current that I carefully built up, layering it bit by bit until it felt twice as strong as before. Strong enough to hold the monster down without exhausting myself too quickly. This was what I called level two, a balance between strength and endurance, something I could maintain–though not for long. Two minutes, maybe. I could feel the strain creeping in already, a faint pressure at the back of my mind.

“Two minutes,” I muttered under my breath, reminding myself. That’s all I had at this level.

I opened my eyes slowly, looking at the monster. It wasn’t snarling or thrashing anymore, but its body trembled, just slightly. There was a tension there, like it was caught in a trap it couldn’t understand. No movements this time, no violent surges. My hold was stronger, and it knew it.

“Good,” I said quietly, more to myself than anything.

I stepped closer, cautiously, keeping my eyes on its head. The monster’s gaze followed me, but it couldn’t move. Its body was completely locked down by the Exira. I could feel its awareness, though–it knew I was there, but it couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

“Let’s see how strong this really is.”

I reached out, my hand hovering near the side of its head. The monster twitched, its body trembling harder now, but still, it didn’t move. I knocked on its skull, the sound of a dull thud under my knuckles. The creature flinched, but it didn’t react beyond that. Nothing but a prisoner now, trapped under the weight of my power.

“Yeah, you’re not going anywhere,” I said, my voice low, and cold.

But there was something else–a flicker of doubt in the back of my mind. What if it breaks free again? The thought slipped in, unwelcome.

No. Not this time. I could feel the strain growing in my head, a dull throb that spread with each passing second. I couldn’t hold this level forever, but I didn’t need to. This was a test. I could manage two minutes.

Just two minutes.

My hand stayed on the monster’s head for a moment longer, feeling the faint tremor in its body, the helplessness in its stillness. The cold air of the cave brushed against my skin, but I barely noticed. My mind was sharp, focused, and calculating. I had to be. There would be time for questions, for looking back, but not now.

This is working. I can control this.

I moved back slightly, my eyes never leaving the creature’s form. Its trembling continued, but the panic in its eyes had faded. There was no fight left in it, at least not for the moment. I let out a slow breath, forcing the tension in my own body to ease, even as my mind buzzed with the strain of keeping the Exira at this level. The energy was strong, but it was also volatile, and I could feel it pressing against the edges of my control like water threatening to break through a dam.

Two minutes. That’s all you’ve got. Keep it together.

I clenched my fist, feeling the energy pulse again in response. It felt good–powerful, even–but it was also dangerous. Too much and it could spiral out of control. Too little, and I’d be back to where I started, with a monster ready to tear my throat out.

“Not yet,” I whispered. “You stay right there.”

The creature made no sound, no movement. Just the faint tremor running through its body. I glanced at its claws, still sharp, still capable of tearing through flesh, but useless now. The weight of the Exira was enough to keep it still, to keep it under control. But I knew better than to get comfortable. This was only level two.

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I took a shallow breath, feeling the pressure building in my head again. A slight headache, nothing more for now, but it was a reminder. I couldn’t stay at this level for long. The energy thrummed through me, steady but demanding. Two minutes.

I took another deep breath, feeling my pulse steady, my control sharpening as I found my balance. My mind was in sync with the Exira now–no distractions, no doubts. I opened my eyes and locked onto the monster’s trembling form. Its body shook under the pressure of the energy surrounding it, but that wasn’t enough. Not for these creatures. Not for this thing.

“Let’s see how much you can take,” I muttered under my breath, feeling the cold edge of my own voice. I wasn’t going to stop until this monster was nothing but a heap of flesh and blood.

I focused, letting the Exira pulse out stronger, pushing the flow until it became more solid, more real. The air in the cave shifted, thickening with its essence, almost like you could taste it. I kept my gaze on the monster, watching, waiting for the change. It was trembling harder now, its body shivering under the weight of the energy.

More.

I pushed the strength up another notch. The trembling stopped. The monster went still. Perfectly still. Its eyes, wide and feral, were locked onto mine, but the fight had drained out of them. It just stared at me now, motionless. Frozen. I could feel it, like a faint hum in the back of my mind–the moment when the Exira became too much for it.

I stopped increasing the pressure and let the energy level out. Even, controlled. I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the flow. The Exira was raw, powerful, but difficult to manage at this level. My mind reeled under the weight of it, like a hammer pounding inside my skull. If the strain before had been a faint pulse, now it was a full-on assault.

Damn it.

I gritted my teeth, taking deep, steady breaths, trying to keep my focus. The pressure was pushing back now, my head throbbing like I was about to break under it, but I couldn’t stop. Not yet. I looked at the monster again. It was still–too still. There was no movement now, except for its faint, shallow breaths. I watched it closely, waiting for something–anything.

Seconds passed.

Nothing.

Then I saw it. The blood. Dark, almost black, oozing from its eyes, its nose, its mouth. It started slow, barely a trickle, but then more. The thick liquid leaked from every orifice, pooling beneath it. I watched, unblinking, as the blood dripped down its face, staining its fur, the ground turning slick and wet. There was no sound except the steady drip of blood hitting the stone.

I clenched my fist, feeling the Exira’s weight in the air around me. This was level three, a strength that was palpable, real. I had pushed the energy to the edge, and the monster couldn’t handle it. I could feel the strain on my own body too, the pressure mounting in my skull, but it didn’t matter. The pain didn’t matter. Only this.

“Look at you,” I whispered, my voice cold, almost detached. The thing was barely alive, and that’s exactly how it deserved to be. “Weak. Pathetic.”

It didn’t respond, of course. It couldn’t. It just stood there, a trembling, broken shell. I stepped closer, watching its chest rise and fall, each breath faint, labored. Blood poured freely now, thick and relentless, pooling under its lifeless eyes. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink.

This is what you deserve.

The Exira’s flow had smoothed out, stronger than ever but more controlled now. Level three strength. I could hold this… for a little longer. My body was protesting, the headache growing worse with each second, but it didn’t matter. Not with this thing in front of me, bleeding out like the animal it was.

A few more seconds passed, and the monster’s body gave in. Slowly, it collapsed, its legs folding beneath it until it crumpled to the floor. The blood pooled faster now, thickening in a dark, viscous puddle under its lifeless body. But I could still hear it breathing, faint and shallow. It was still alive, though just barely.

I stared down at it, cold eyes tracing the wreckage I had caused. The once-massive beast was nothing more than a broken husk, too weak to even snarl, too broken to fight back.

“Not so tough now, are you?” I whispered, my voice laced with venom.

The Exira thrummed through me, its strength flowing steady and heavy in the air. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on the monster, suffocating it, but I didn’t release it. Not yet. The creature was as good as dead, but I wanted it to feel every second of this, to suffer the way it deserved.

I took a deep breath, the air heavy and thick in my lungs. The pressure in my skull was unbearable now, each pulse of pain like a hammer slamming against the inside of my head. But I couldn’t stop yet. Not now. I forced myself to step back from the monster’s lifeless body, dropping into a combat stance just in case. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my sword, knuckles white with strain. One last thing.

I exhaled slowly, releasing the Exira all at once. The energy fell away, fading like a heavy fog lifting. Instantly, the pounding in my mind began to ease, the sharp edges of pain dulling as the Exira’s presence dissipated. For a moment, I stood there, taking in the strange silence that followed. No more tremors, no more snarls–just the faint echo of my own breathing.

Focus.

My eyes locked onto the monster, its body sprawled out in a pool of blood. It wasn’t moving. Its chest barely rose, the last traces of life flickering out. I didn’t move. Not yet. My attention was sharp, unwavering, watching for even the slightest sign of movement. But there was nothing. No twitch, no flinch, no sign of fight left in it.

I walked forward slowly, each step deliberate. My boots splashed through the puddle of blood as I approached the beast, its massive form slumped on the ground. It didn’t react, didn’t even acknowledge my presence. Its eyes were dull, the light gone, but I could still hear the faint rasp of breath slipping from its throat. Just finish it.

Without hesitation, I drew my sword. The cold metal glinted in the dim light as I brought the tip to the creature’s head, hovering just above its skull. My grip tightened, and for a split second, I paused, feeling the weight of the blade in my hand.

“Too easy,” I muttered, shaking my head. “You should’ve put up more of a fight.”

I pressed the sword down, piercing through the monster’s skull in one clean motion. There was no sound, no struggle–just the final stillness that came with death. I pulled the blade free, wiping the blood off on the creature’s fur. Cold eyes stared back at me, empty and lifeless.

“Good riddance.”

I stepped back, glancing down at the body, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. It reminded me of something I hadn’t felt in a long time–something buried deep in the memories I barely held onto. Mom’s Exira.

I sheathed my sword, the metallic scrape echoing through the cave as my thoughts drifted back. I remembered the weight of her power, how effortlessly she had controlled it, how it had crushed me without even breaking a sweat. I’m finally getting closer to that level.

“Though she did say…” I whispered, the words more to myself than anyone else, “That was only five percent of her base strength.” I snorted, a small, humorless laugh bubbling up in my throat. “Five percent…”

For a moment, I let myself think about it–what it would be like to reach that level, to command that kind of power without feeling like I was tearing myself apart. But the thought wasn’t bitter this time. It was something else.

I’ll get there. Just wait.

With renewed determination, I clenched my fist, the pain in my head already fading to a dull throb. I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

Mom. Ari. Aunt Nora. I could picture their faces, the people I needed to see again. I’ll make it home soon. I promise.

I turned away from the body, my steps steady and sure. My mind was clear, the path ahead more certain than ever. “Just you wait. I’m coming back.”

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