Darkness didn't fall.
It crashed.
The shattered light above sparked once...twice...then died completely, plunging everything into black.
For a split second...
No one moved.
Then...
Lights flickered on, bathing the corridor in a pulsing glow. Shadows stretched, twisted, broke apart with every flash.
Evan screamed.
"NOAH! RUN!"
Evan's voice cut through the chaos.
Metal snapped.
Evan twisted his wrists hard, skin scraping against restraints, ignoring the pain. The mechanism loosened just enough...
He forced his hand free.
"Evan!"
But Noah didn't run.
He turned.
Straight toward Kai.
And ran at him.
Kai moved instantly.
Faster.
Controlled.
They collided.
The impact echoed through the corridor as Noah slammed into him, driving him back a step...but only one.
Kai recovered immediately.
Too easily.
"You never listen," Kai said calmly, grabbing Noah's arm and twisting sharply.
Noah hissed in pain but didn't stop.
He swung back...
A punch.
Hard.
It connected.
Barely.
Kai's head tilted slightly from the impact… and then returned to place.
Unbothered.
"That's new," Kai murmured.
Noah didn't respond.
He attacked again.
This time...
Kai caught his wrist mid-air.
Twisted.
Noah's body followed the motion, forced down to one knee.
Behind them...
Evan broke free completely, stumbling forward.
"Noah!"
"Don't come here!" Noah shouted.
Kai tightened his grip.
"Still protecting him," he said softly. "Even now."
Noah looked up.
His eyes burning.
"Stay away from him."
Kai's expression didn't change.
But his grip did.
He threw Noah aside.
Hard.
Noah hit the ground, sliding across the concrete, the impact knocking the air out of him.
"NOAH!"
Evan moved...
But a loud metallic crash echoed as the barrier between them dropped again.
Separating them.
"No...no...!"
Evan slammed his hands against it.
On the other side...
Kai walked toward Noah again.
Unhurried.
"Get up," he said.
Noah pushed himself up slowly.
Breathing heavy.
Unsteady.
But standing.
"Good."
Another step.
"Now try again."
Noah didn't hesitate.
He lunged.
This time Faster.
More precise.
He aimed for Kai's side...
Kai blocked.
Turned.
Drove his elbow straight into Noah's ribs.
A sharp crack.
Noah staggered.
Pain exploded through his chest.
But he didn't fall.
He swung again...
Wild this time.
Desperate.
Kai stepped back.
Avoided it.
And then...Struck.
A clean hit, straight to Noah's face.
Noah collapsed.
"NOAH!"
Evan's voice broke.
His hands bloodied now from hitting the barrier.
"Stop it!" he shouted. "Kai, stop...this isn't you!"
Kai paused.
Just for a moment.
He looked at Evan.
Then back at Noah.
"This is me," he said quietly.
Noah coughed, pushing himself up again.
Blood at the corner of his mouth.
"You're lying," Noah muttered.
Kai's gaze shifted to him.
"Am I?"
Noah stood.
Barely.
"You don't want this," he said, voice rough but steady. "You don't want this ending."
Kai watched him.
Something unreadable flickered again.
Then...Gone.
"You still think this is about what I want," Kai said.
He stepped closer.
"This is about what I am."
And then...He struck again.
Noah didn't block in time.
The hit sent him crashing back against the wall.
This time...He didn't get up immediately.
Evan's chest tightened.
"Noah…"
Behind the barrier...
Another sound.
A door unlocking.
Evan turned.
The room holding
Rhea...
Open.
His eyes widened.
"Kai...what are you doing?"
Kai didn't even look.
"Your move," he said calmly.
Evan froze.
Noah, barely conscious, forced his head up.
"Go…" he whispered.
Evan looked between them.
Noah. Broken. Bleeding. Still fighting.
Rhea. Weak. Terrified. Waiting.
Kai. Watching.
The choice wasn't gone. It had just changed shape.
Evan clenched his fists.
And ran.
Not toward Noah.
But toward Rhea.
Behind him...
The fight continued.
And this time...Noah was losing.