The glow in his palm flickered weakly at first, unstable, as the bone barrier around him shook under another wave of impacts. Cracks formed and repaired in quick cycles, the chalk men outside striking harder and faster, reacting to the shift they sensed.
Adam ignored it.
His focus turned inward.
An affinity always began in the soul before it ever reached the body. The gene was only a vessel, a reflection of something deeper. If he could trigger that origin point, then the rest would follow naturally.
Familiarity… that's the key.
He wasn't trying to overpower them anymore.
He was trying to deceive them.
Outside, the pressure increased again, heavy blows landing in rapid succession as the chalk men intensified their assault. The barrier creaked louder this time, the sound sharp, but Adam didn't let it break his concentration.
Chaos stirred within him.
