[Choice Confirmed: Sacrificing Emotional Capacity]
A chilling sensation crawled through Kale's mind, as if something was being ripped from him. His heartbeat slowed. The warmth of emotion—the subtle pull of kindness fading into something distant and hollow.Then, power surged in its place.
[New Ability Acquired: Future Sight]
[Effect: Grants the ability to perceive three seconds into the future.]
Kale exhaled, and the battlefield shifted.
The world became clearer—sharper. Every movement, every breath, carried a thread of possibility. He could see it. Three seconds ahead.
Veylen moved.
And for the first time, Kale moved before him.
The unseen strike that would have severed his throat missed by a fraction. Instead of reacting, Kale anticipated, weaving between slashes that should have been unavoidable.
Veylen's eyes narrowed. "What did you just do?"
Kale didn't answer. He couldn't. Not when his mind was still adjusting to the flood of information. The future wasn't absolute—it was fluid, shifting with every action. But it was enough.
Their blades clashed again. The battle that had once been overwhelmingly one-sided became something else entirely.
Kale wasn't just defending—he was countering.
Every invisible strike, every feint, every shift in stance—he saw it before it happened. His sword met Veylen's with deadly precision, forcing the man back, an inch at a time.
For the first time, Veylen was the one struggling to keep up.
He doesn't know what's happening.
The realization sent a cold, calculated satisfaction through Kale's mind—one that should have felt foreign, but didn't.
Then, he saw it. The opening.
A fraction of a second where Veylen's defense left him vulnerable.
Kale struck.
Steel met flesh. A shallow cut across Veylen's side—not deep enough to kill, but enough to stagger.
Kale didn't hesitate. He turned, grabbing Rei by the arm. "Now."
They ran.
Veylen didn't chase immediately. He stood there, watching them retreat, his hand pressed against his wound. A slow smirk curled on his lips.
"Interesting."
But Kale didn't look back.
He had already seen what would happen next.
And right now, survival was the only future that mattered.