He could feel them like a wire stretched too tight under his skin.
Not now.
He didn't have time to hesitate.
A child screamed nearby.
Kai turned.
A monster was closing in on them.
That was all it took.
He inhaled once.
Then let go.
Not force.
Not rage.
Just the instinct to move.
The lines beneath his skin lit up.
Not brightly.
Not fully.
But enough.
His whole body surged forward.
Wind exploded around him.
The world sharpened.
Every sound became distant.
Every motion became clear.
Kai appeared in front of the child and drove his fist into the monster’s face.
CRACK.
Then another.
And another.
The creature dropped.
Kai stood there for one heartbeat longer than before.
Then the power ripped out of him.
Pain speared through his chest.
He bent forward hard enough to cough blood.
"...Ngh!"
The glow vanished.
His legs nearly gave out.
He caught himself on one knee.
"...Damn it..."
It hurt worse this time.
Much worse.
Like his body was punishing him for even trying.
---
Taai noticed immediately.
He appeared beside Kai in a blur.
"What the hell was that?"
Kai wiped blood from his mouth.
"...Nothing."
Taai gave him a flat look.
"...That was not nothing."
Kai forced a weak grin.
"...Just pushed too hard."
Taai stared at him for a long second.
Then the city shook again.