The rocky barrier melted away like wax under fire, and thick smoke burst into the air.
Adam staggered back a step, eyes wide in disbelief, muttering under his breath,
"Damn it… a first-tier power user!"
The man stood expressionless, his eyes hollow—devoid of life, as if they could not perceive the world at all.
He raised his hand slowly, and the sword shimmered between his fingers before cleaving down through a new wall of compressed stone Adam had formed.
The instant the blade touched the surface, the rock groaned, splintered, and turned into a black, smoky liquid that dissolved into nothing.
Adam roared, slamming his palms into the ground. Massive stone pillars erupted upward, forming a solid barrier before his daughters.
But the man did not stop. He advanced, calm and relentless, his sword dragging behind him, leaving a trail of distortion—everything it brushed against melted away, as though the earth itself recoiled from him.
Adam shouted, raising his arm:
"You won't take another step!"
Shards of rock—sharp as spears—shot from the ground toward the intruder. But with a few precise swings, the man's sword traced glimmering arcs, shattering every fragment to dust before they could reach him. The debris vanished, devoured by the air itself.
Behind their father, Nariman and Nora trembled, tears in their eyes. Never had they seen him so powerless.
Heat thickened the air; everything Adam created was crumbling before their eyes.
The man's empty gaze was a nightmare come alive, and each step he took crushed the air out of Adam's chest.
In a desperate motion, Adam turned, grabbed his daughters in both arms, and sprinted away from the house. Each stride shook the ground.
Nariman screamed, clutching at his shoulder, her tears spilling freely.
"Why are we running away from the house, Dad?! Mom's a first-tier user—she'll save us!"
Adam's voice trembled, his breath breaking as he ran:
"That won't help… She's never controlled her power. He'll kill her in an instant!"
His words struck Nariman like a blade. There was no safety—neither in their home nor in the powers they once trusted.
Adam ran, his breath ragged, his footsteps echoing across the desolate road—
Then suddenly froze, his whole body seizing. The girls nearly slipped from his grasp. His eyes widened, horror dawning as if facing a ghost from the past.
Before them, on the dusty road, stood the man in the suit. His gaze was sharp as blades, cutting through Adam without mercy. A slow, sinister smile curved his lips—a herald of disaster.
Nariman noticed her father's face twitch, his voice shaking as she whispered:
"Father… do you know him?"
Adam's complexion turned ashen. His voice quivered, barely more than a breath:
"It's happening… what I feared most."
He spun around to flee—but before he could move far, the power user lunged with impossible speed, driving his blade through Adam's arm.
A scream tore from Adam's throat as he fell to his knees, clutching his daughters close. Blood poured freely, painting the dirt a dark crimson.
Nariman shrieked, and Nora broke into tears, clinging to their father in terror.
Through blinding pain, Adam turned to Nariman, his voice faint but firm:
"Quiet… I won't die from a cut like this."
Nariman fell silent, though her eyes still burned with fear.
The suited man stepped forward, cold amusement glinting in his gaze. He lifted a hand and spoke with chilling authority:
"By the power vested in me… I command you to obey."
At once, a piercing hum filled Adam's skull. The pressure was unbearable—he screamed as his body convulsed, while his daughters watched helplessly.
The man's eyes glinted with cruel satisfaction as he murmured,
"The father wields power… the daughter as well… then the mother must be a wielder too. What a prize!"
He stepped closer, voice low but absolute:
"Take me to your home."
"Never!" Adam roared—
And pain exploded again in his head, his screams echoing.
The man frowned.
"Refusing me won't do you any good… tch, you'll come with me."
Nariman jumped to her feet, rage flaring through her trembling frame.
"He won't move—not one step!"
Suddenly, the torment in Adam's head stopped. He drew a breath—steady, unbroken. He stood unmoving, solid as stone.
The man in the suit froze, disbelief flashing across his face.
"What—?! How did you break free?!"
He clenched his fists, shouting,
"I command you—OBEY ME!"
But Adam remained still, his gaze cold and empty.
Fury twisted the man's features.
"Then die, all of you! Kill them now!"
The power user hesitated, his face contorted in pain. He clutched his head, gasping,
"Please… help me… save me!"
Nariman hesitated, confusion flooding her eyes. Her father's stare pierced her—waiting, urging her to decide.
She turned toward the man in the suit and shouted,
"Stop!"
But her gaze stayed fixed on the suffering power user.
Her father's voice cut through the chaos:
"Choose your words wisely, Nariman."
She met his eyes and replied with resolve:
"Do not obey him."
The man stopped trembling, lifting his eyes toward her in astonishment.
The suited man's face twisted in disbelief.
"Impossible… you dare defy my authority?!"
But Nariman's voice thundered, fierce and defiant:
"If you know what's good for you—you'll run while you still can!"
Before she could finish, the power user surged forward at blinding speed.
In a single motion, his blade tore through the suited man's neck.
Blood erupted in a crimson arc; the head rolled to the ground, its eyes still open, frozen in disbelief.
Nora screamed and threw herself into her father's arms. Nariman stood paralyzed, her eyes wide—
Then darkness claimed her, and she collapsed to the ground.