Kana leaned against the doorway of her room and exhaled slowly, the weight in her chest finally loosening just a little.

They were home.

The mansion's familiar halls greeted her like a quiet refuge after the chaos of the past few days. No gunshots, no blood, no collapsing walls. Just silence.

But her relief didn't last long.

As she sat on the edge of her bed, her mind began replaying everything—the chase, Seraphine's injuries, the way she'd been forced to push her powers beyond her limits.

Every memory stabbed at her with sharp, unrelenting guilt.

If she had been stronger… if she had known how to control her abilities… maybe Seraphine wouldn't have suffered. Maybe none of it would have happened.

Her hands curled into fists on her lap.

She hated this helplessness.

"I need to get better…I can't keep being a burden. Not anymore."

Kana whispered to herself, the words almost like a vow.

Before she could linger on her thoughts, the door opened and Lysera stepped inside, her arms crossed loosely over her chest.

"Kana. I need to report the mission to the higher-ups. I'll be gone for a while."

She said, her voice calm but purposeful.

Kana nodded faintly, not looking up.

A moment later, Irielle appeared at the doorway too, her sharp eyes softening when they landed on Kana.

She didn't say much—just studied her quietly for a few seconds before sighing.

"I should check on my people. I'll be out for the day."

Irielle finally said, her tone casual, though her gaze lingered on Kana a little too long.

Kana offered a distracted hum in response, not really registering their departure.

The room fell silent again, and for the first time since everything had begun, she was truly alone.

Alone with her thoughts.

She stared at the ceiling, letting her mind wander. If she wanted to get stronger, where would she even start?

Training? Mastering her magic? Learning proper control? There were too many questions and no answers.

Her body, drained from exhaustion and stress, eventually betrayed her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, she'd slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Or so she thought.

When Kana opened her eyes, she wasn't in her room.

She stood barefoot in the middle of a forest.

The air was cool and sharp against her skin, carrying the earthy scent of wet leaves and distant rain. Pale moonlight filtered through towering trees, casting long shadows over the ground.

Kana blinked in confusion, spinning slowly on her heel.

"…Where am I?"

Her question was swallowed by silence.

And then, she heard it.

The sound of leaves crunching. The faint snap of a twig.

Her body tensed instinctively. Someone—or something—was here.

Before she could react, a rush of air passed behind her, and the hair at the back of her neck stood on end.

Kana's instincts screamed at her to run, and without hesitation, her legs obeyed.

The moment she bolted forward, she realized something strange—her body felt different.

Lighter. Faster.

Each stride carried her further than it should have, the wind tearing past her ears as branches blurred around her.

Her breathing came steady and controlled, her muscles surging with power she didn't recognize.

"W-What…Why do I feel… so fast?"

She muttered under her breath, a half-laugh bubbling in her chest despite the growing tension.

Behind her, the faint sound of pursuit grew louder. The ground trembled ever so slightly with each step of the thing chasing her.

It was fast—far faster than anything she'd ever encountered before.

But strangely, Kana didn't feel afraid.

If anything, excitement coiled in her stomach like a spark catching fire.

Her blood raced, her chest pounded, and for the first time in days, she wanted to move, wanted to push herself further, wanted to test just how fast she could go.

The forest whipped past her in streaks of shadow and light, and every inhale filled her lungs with crisp, wild air.

And then...

A flicker of movement to her left.

Kana twisted sharply, just in time to dodge a clawed hand that slashed through where her face had been a second ago. The thing chasing her was close—closer than she thought.

Her lips curled into a grin she didn't recognize as her own.

"Oh, so that's how we're playing this?"

She pushed harder, her body surging forward with renewed speed, weaving between trees with movements that felt instinctive, natural.

Every muscle in her body seemed to know what to do, even before she thought about it.

The sound behind her grew sharper—the crunch of leaves, the whip of branches snapping underfoot.

Her pursuer was keeping up.

Kana's excitement rose, her grin widening. She wasn't running away anymore.

She was leading them on.

Finally, when the rhythm of her heart aligned perfectly with the pounding of her feet, she stopped abruptly, her boots digging into the earth.

She spun around, her chest heaving, and faced the figure emerging from the shadows.

All she could make out at first was a flash of silver fur, the swish of a bushy tail, and the sharp tip of an ear poking through tangled hair.

And then the claws came.

Kana ducked instinctively, the swipe missing her by inches as it sliced clean through the air where her head had been.

Her body moved before her mind caught up, dodging the next strike and pivoting sharply to the side, forcing her opponent to chase her deeper into the woods.

It became a dance—a blur of movement, leaps, dodges, and narrow escapes, the thrill of the chase thrumming through her veins like lightning.

Every time she thought she'd shaken them off, they'd appear again, faster, sharper, stronger.

But so was she.

She didn't feel like herself anymore. Her senses were sharper, her reflexes instinctive.

She knew when to jump, when to twist, when to duck, as though her body had done this a thousand times before.

She could hear their breathing now, ragged and heavy behind her.

And then, without warning, the distance between them vanished.

A blur of silver shot forward, and strong arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind, pinning her in place before she could react.

Kana gasped, her heart hammering against her ribs, as the world seemed to tilt and sway around her.

The chase was over.

But instead of fear, something else burned inside her—something wild, electric, and dangerously alive.

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