The wind carried dust through the broken streets.
Maxruell didn't move.
His eyes stayed locked on the figure in front of him.
Calm.
Still.
Watching him.
"…You can feel it too, can't you?" the stranger repeated.
Maxruell tilted his head slightly.
"…Feel what?"
The stranger stepped forward.
No fear.
No hesitation.
"…The fragments."
A pause.
"…They're calling."
Maxruell smirked faintly.
"…Yeah."
"…I noticed."
— The Stranger —
He looked about the same age as Maxruell.
Dark clothing.
Sharp eyes.
But unlike the unstable ones—
His presence was controlled.
Measured.
"…Name's Kael," he said.
Maxruell didn't respond.
Kael shrugged.
"…Figures."
A faint distortion flickered around his hand.
Not wild.
Refined.
"…You're different," Kael said.
"…Not like the others."
Maxruell crossed his arms.
"…Same to you."
A pause.
"…So what do you want?"
Kael smiled slightly.
"…Simple."
"…I want to understand what we've become."
— Philosophy —
Silence sat between them for a moment.
Then Maxruell laughed quietly.
"…Understanding is a waste of time."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"…Is it?"
Maxruell stepped closer.
"…Power isn't something you study."
A pause.
"…It's something you take."
The air shifted.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…So that's your answer."
"…Domination."
Maxruell didn't deny it.
"…It works."
Kael nodded slowly.
"…For now."
— Demonstration —
Kael raised his hand.
A faint, dark distortion formed.
Not like Maxruell's shadows.
Something… denser.
"…Watch."
He stepped forward—
Then vanished.
Maxruell's instincts flared—
He turned—
Kael was already behind him.
A strike—
Maxruell blocked—
Barely.
The impact pushed him back.
Maxruell's eyes narrowed.
"…Not bad."
Kael lowered his hand.
"…I'm not trying to fight you."
A pause.
"…I'm showing you something."
— The Difference —
Kael stepped back.
"…You're forcing it."
Maxruell frowned.
"…I don't even have power right now."
Kael shook his head.
"…Exactly."
He pointed at Maxruell's chest.
"…You're still trying to dominate something that isn't fully yours anymore."
Silence.
Maxruell's expression darkened.
"…And you're not?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"…No."
"…I'm listening to it."
— Clash of Ideals —
Maxruell scoffed.
"…That's weakness."
Kael didn't react.
"…Is it?"
A pause.
"…Or is it control without force?"
Maxruell stepped forward.
"…Control without force doesn't exist."
Kael met his gaze.
"…That's where you're wrong."
The tension rose.
Not a fight.
But something deeper.
— Interruption —
Suddenly—
A distortion ripped open nearby.
Both of them turned instantly.
A group of unstable fragment users stumbled out.
Eyes glowing.
Bodies flickering.
"…Power… give…"
Maxruell clicked his tongue.
"…Annoying."
Kael stepped forward calmly.
"…Watch carefully."
The unstable users charged.
Maxruell prepared to fight—
But stopped.
Kael moved.
Not aggressively.
Not violently.
He raised his hand.
And the distortion around them—
Shifted.
The unstable users slowed.
Their movements… softened.
"…What the—" Maxruell muttered.
Kael's voice was calm.
"…They're not enemies."
A pause.
"…They're broken."
He stepped closer to them.
The distortions around their bodies—
Stabilized.
Slightly.
"…See?"
The unstable ones stopped moving.
Confused.
Not attacking anymore.
— Realization —
Maxruell watched.
Silent.
"…You're not controlling them…"
Kael nodded.
"…No."
"…I'm aligning with them."
Maxruell looked away slightly.
"…That's inefficient."
But his voice—
Less certain.
Kael turned back to him.
"…You can keep forcing your way forward."
A pause.
"…Or you can understand what this really is."
Maxruell smirked faintly.
"…I'll take both."
Kael chuckled.
"…Fair enough."
He began walking away.
"…We'll meet again."
Maxruell didn't stop him.
But his mind—
Wasn't as certain as before.
Far away—
Juvy stood with Lina.
Looking at the horizon.
"…There are more like you," Juvy said.
Lina nodded.
"…I know."
A pause.
"…And something is pulling them."
Juvy's eyes narrowed.
"…Where?"
Lina looked into the distance.
"…Toward it."