The air around Takeshi was heavy. Not like a normal weight—but like a pressure, pressing on his chest, his head.
The Drift was whispering to him again.
He hated that feeling.
Class had ended, but Takeshi hadn't moved from his desk. His pencil was still clenched in his hand. His thoughts swirled in a mess—Nehvarra, the Eclipse, the odd sense that something was not quite right with his power.
It was as if his body knew before his mind did.
"Hey, Takeshi."
It was Asami. She stood at his desk, her hands tucked in her pockets, as usual. But there was something different about her today. Her eyes weren't just sharp—they were curious.
He didn't look up. "What's up?"
"Something bothering you?" she asked, her voice low, almost casual.
Takeshi didn't respond. He didn't want to admit the truth.That Nehvarra was calling him. That his Drift was awakening. That the power was starting to feel... dangerous.
"Is it about last night?" Asami's voice was a little quieter. "You seemed... off."
He looked up at her then—really looked. She wasn't making eye contact, but her posture told him she wasn't just asking out of politeness. She knew something.
Did she know about Nehvarra?
Before he could answer, she spoke again, her tone flat.
"Don't worry. You're not the only one with secrets."
Takeshi blinked. Was she talking about her Drift?
He opened his mouth to ask, but the bell rang, and she was already gone, leaving him with a strange, unsettled feeling.
That evening, Takeshi found himself back in Nehvarra. He didn't remember how he got there, but the dry, cracked earth beneath his feet was familiar.
A voice called to him from behind, cool and mocking.
"You're getting better at this."
It was Lyra.
She was watching him from under a tree, arms crossed. Her eyes were piercing, but there was something almost satisfied in them.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tight.
"You're learning to feel your Drift," she said, pushing herself off the tree and walking toward him. "But it's also learning to feel you."
Takeshi frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're reflecting yourself now. The more you use the Eclipse, the more you'll become aware of it. The power doesn't just reflect others—it reflects you. Your fears, your weaknesses. Your pain."
A chill ran down Takeshi's spine.
Suddenly, everything around him flickered. Like static on an old TV screen.
The sand in front of him started to melt—twist, like it was becoming something else.
A creature—a thing—rose from the ground, a twisted amalgamation of shadow and glass.
It hissed. And in its eyes, Takeshi saw something.
His own face.
Takeshi stumbled back, heart racing.
"It's a reflection," Lyra said calmly, "of who you are right now. Not who you could be, not who you want to be—just you. Right now."
The creature lunged at him, its jagged teeth snapping.
Without thinking, Takeshi instinctively raised his arm. His Drift flared.
Pain exploded across his body.
The attack didn't hit him. It didn't land.
Instead, it came back at the creature. The Eclipse threw its own energy back at it, but Takeshi felt every ounce of that damage like it was his own. The creature's scream filled the air.
But it wasn't just the creature that screamed.
It was Takeshi.
He fell to his knees, clutching his chest. The pain was unbearable, like someone had driven a knife into his heart and twisted it.
Lyra's voice cut through the haze. "You're not ready for the full power. Don't push it too far."
The creature collapsed into a cloud of dust, but Takeshi was still kneeling, gasping for breath.
His body was on fire. Every muscle felt like it was being ripped apart. But worse, his mind was fractured. There was something... wrong. Like the power had already started eating at him.
He couldn't stand. His legs felt like they were made of lead.
"Get up," Lyra's voice commanded.
He shook his head, his breath ragged. "I... I can't."
"You're not dead," she said, her tone harsh. "You're not even close."
Takeshi gritted his teeth. "Then what the hell is happening to me?"
Lyra stepped closer. "You're learning. The power will break you if you don't learn control."
She crouched beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But that's your choice. You want to survive here? Or you want to break?"
Takeshi clenched his fists, feeling the burn of the Drift coursing through him.
He wasn't sure if he was fighting against the power... or if it was fighting him.
End of Chapter 6.