Adam replied without looking at the menu, "Something luxurious… delicious… and expensive."
Kayden ordered whatever he saw fit, leaned back slightly in his chair, and pulled the pouch from his pocket, placing it on the table in front of him without pushing it forward.
"You'll get it, don't worry. But there are questions that need answers first."
"Do you think you can buy me with money?" Adam asked.
Kayden shook his head casually. "That's correct."
"Go ahead," Adam said without lifting his gaze.
At that moment, the food arrived.
Kayden lifted his wine glass with half-hearted interest and asked in quiet curiosity, "How do we obtain power?"
Adam rested his hand against his chin and sighed, his tone carrying a mix of explanation and boredom from repeating it too often. Then, almost mockingly, he said, "That's it? I expected a harder question."
Kayden smiled faintly but remained silent, his eyes tracking Adam's smallest movements.
Adam continued, more serious now. "You're in the acceptance stage—the newborn spirit. Don't rush it. It's like a child seeing the world for the first time. The essence is like the first heartbeat—fragile, but sincere."
"After that comes the shaping stage. Imagine you're baking bread. The dough exists, but it has no form. You begin shaping it according to your method—or rather, according to who you truly are. That's where the trick lies: some shape their essence to appear strong, not realizing it reflects what's inside them, not just what they desire."
Kayden blinked slowly as the words sank into him, leaving a tangible mark on his thoughts.
"But… how do I control it?" he asked quietly.
Adam waved his hand dismissively.
"You control it—partially. The essence grows stronger the more it rubs against your emotions… anger, desire, hatred. It isn't just energy. It's you. That's why humans have the advantage of imagination. You can imagine control, and you'll begin to achieve it. But without realizing it, the essence may start controlling you as well."
Kayden nodded slowly, absorbing the meaning, his fork moving absentmindedly across the piece of meat on his plate.
Adam continued, his voice firmer this time. "Then comes the hardest stage… purification. The essence begins to clash with what's inside you—guilt, greed, resentment, even compassion at times. You must remove anything that does not reflect your true self. Some collapse here, because they don't know who they truly are. So don't cling… let go of anything that hinders your growth. Begin purifying both your essence and yourself."
Kayden took a deep breath, lifted a piece of meat with his fork, and replied slowly, as if each word was reorganizing his thoughts:
"So… in the shaping stage, I need to prepare… to learn how to mold my power for what I'll face later?"
"Exactly," Adam answered immediately, his eyes gleaming with a touch of challenge and strict supervision.
"Start training. Have you seen Ayrton jump before? Try jumping. At first, you won't notice any difference. All you need to do is imagine centering the essence's power in your feet. After that, you might start noticing the change. Use weapons that allow your aura to flow into them. It's gradual… but don't underestimate it. Every small step is your path to success."
Then Adam gestured more lightly, as if revealing a secret. "Take Fiona as an example. Her power comes from her emotions. She understands others' feelings and turns her words into reality. But she didn't start strong. Her first word took her an entire month. Then she began linking sensation to action. It's like a spiritual language that can't be spoken unless you're sincere. Once she understood how her emotions controlled her, she gradually learned to control them instead. And now… she uses it to annoy us."
Kayden raised an eyebrow in admiration, tilting his head slightly. "Were you the one who came up with Fiona's ability?"
Adam slowly shook his head, took a sip of red wine, his eyes fixed on the dancing candlelight as if every word was tied to hard-earned experience. "Exactly… everything begins with a small step."
"It's a remarkable power on a broader scale… not just imitating her own words, but everyone's," Kayden murmured, watching the light reflected in Adam's eyes.
Adam paused for a moment, as though rearranging his thoughts, then said steadily,
"All she needs is to train again to master that skill. It won't take long. Once she learns the method, everything will become instinctive—easy as breathing."
Kayden tilted his head slightly, studying him with curiosity. "Are you saying she needs to… reshape herself?"
"Yes."
Adam answered without hesitation, then gave a faintly sardonic smile that never reached his eyes. "We are meant to be harnessed, Kay. Everything within us—and around us—can be harnessed, if understood properly."
A brief silence fell. A heavy one, broken only by the soft clink of cutlery against porcelain.
Adam slowly removed his glove, took a small bite of his food, chewing without haste.
"What about you… Adam?" Kayden asked curiously, not even attempting to hide it.
Adam smiled simply, as though answering a trivial question. "Me? I only ever wanted to harness water."
Kayden raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "And did you succeed?"
Adam shrugged with sarcastic pride. "I'm Adam the Great. Of course I did."
In Kayden's mind flashed the image of Adam diving into a freezing lake without being hindered by the cold, retrieving a murder weapon during an investigation with chilling composure. He couldn't help but ask honestly, "Then why don't you use it in combat?"
Adam paused briefly. A rare flicker of seriousness passed through his eyes, like a sudden streak of lightning across a clear sky. "Because I haven't faced a danger that's worth it. Besides… I like my weapons." Then he added in a lower tone, as if admitting something to himself, "All I do is let my aura connect with the weapon… the rest is insignificant nonsense. Your family forges weapons—you should learn. My God, you're lucky."
Kayden smiled teasingly, wanting to provoke him a little. "So in the next fight, you'll use it?"
Adam looked away for a moment, his voice quieter now, as if weighed down by a thought pressing against his chest.
"I hope I won't have to."
Kayden laughed lightly. "Fine. I'll pay you—if you want to show me your skills."
"I can show you after we leave."
Adam said it too quickly. Kayden blinked in surprise, feeling as though the answer had slipped out before Adam himself had thought it through.
Suddenly, Kayden leaned forward slightly, as if sharing a secret he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Commander Ayrton is here… and he's with a lady."
Adam's body stiffened instantly, like someone startled by an alarm bell. He straightened at once and glanced from the corner of his seat before muttering sharply, "That's Fiona, you idiot."
Kayden chuckled under his breath and covered his face dramatically. "Somewhat expected."
He looked back at Adam with mock curiosity. "Why are you hiding?"
Adam answered seriously, as if defending himself in court. "I have a draft I forgot to submit. And I need to monitor someone as well… Besides, this is a secret meeting between them. We shouldn't ruin it. He might get angry and come dump even more work on my head."
He immediately averted his gaze, avoiding the direction of the entrance where Ayrton and Fiona were seated.
Kayden shook his head with a sideways smile. "Your handwriting is terrible anyway—you shouldn't submit it. The commander doesn't care much about your behavior… By the way, we tried decoding your writing yesterday."
Adam frowned slightly, then muttered as he quickly lifted his cup to drink,
"I don't have time to improve my handwriting. The draft is finished, and I have more work—more papers to write."
"What are you writing now?" Kayden continued, his tone wrapped in curiosity.
Adam turned to him lazily, casting him a sideways glance before whispering, "Kay… why are you so curious?"
Kayden didn't answer, only gave him a challenging smile. Adam fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words, then added lightly, with mischief beneath the surface, "I'll tell you—but don't tell anyone. I write demon summoning rituals. I sell them secretly… though they collapse halfway through. I sell them to weak-minded people like you."
Adam laughed—and it wasn't an innocent laugh. It was the laugh of someone who knows the rules of deception and has no hesitation in playing along.
Kayden grinned widely. "You're incredibly wicked. But I'm not weak-minded."
"Really?" Adam replied indifferently. "I don't sell those things randomly."
Kayden paused for a moment, then said in a voice trying—and failing—to sound serious, "You once sold a corpse to my brother."
"I didn't deceive him," Adam said coolly. "I only made him see that the world… isn't what it seems."
A sly smile appeared on Kayden's face as he pressed on, "Can I get one? One of those fake rituals you write."
Adam stared at him for a few seconds, then answered coldly, "Why?"
Kayden shrugged. "Because I don't want to be deceived later."
A faint smile curved on Adam's lips—half mocking, half anticipatory, like someone preparing a gentle prank. "I'll give you one. But on two conditions: you treat it as nothing more than a piece of art, and you don't attempt to actually perform it. Otherwise, you'll learn the taste of failure… in a very particular flavor."
It didn't take long for a more mischievous smile to spread across Kayden's lips, his eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and excitement. "We have a deal. But don't trick me."
Adam smiled back. "I don't deceive. I train hearts so their true origins can be seen."
After Kayden paid the bill, he leaned slightly toward Adam and whispered cautiously, as if the very words carried the weight of fear from Ayrton "Move quickly… I don't want Ayrton to see you."
Adam gave a sardonic smile and pushed the door open. In truth, Ayrton didn't particularly care what Adam did, as long as he stayed away from the circle of chaos he was trying to contain.
When the door opened to the cold night air, Kayden handed Adam a small brown paper bag. It looked heavy despite its size—stuffed with Fiona's sedatives. Adam took it with a steady hand, though his mind carried something far heavier than the medication.
He walked at an unhurried pace, each step settling in his chest like an added weight. Kayden followed in silence, their footsteps falling into rhythm as if guided by an unseen tempo.
Kayden finally broke the quiet, his voice low, tinged with guilt—like a confession slipping out uninvited.
"Do you ever feel… like time is moving too fast?"
It wasn't a casual question. Merely asking it felt like prying open doors that should remain sealed. Yet if anyone knew how to face such questions—how to bear their weight—it was Adam.
He turned his head slowly, his eyes catching the flicker of streetlamps.
"Have you started noticing it recently?"
"Yes," Kayden answered briefly, his voice brushing the edge of admission.
The path they took wasn't familiar—faceless buildings lining both sides, cold wind stirring dry leaves in restless circles, awakening in him a quiet sense of disorientation.
Adam stopped abruptly. His gaze drifted into the empty air, like someone listening to something others couldn't hear. Then he spoke calmly, with the steadiness of someone who knows too much and the danger of someone who knows what it means.
"I can't be certain… but yes. Time is accelerating. Someone is approaching a 'breakthrough.'"
Kayden stared at him, eyes widening. "A breakthrough? What exactly is that?"
Adam didn't answer right away. Instead, he raised a finger and pointed ahead "Look at the lake."
They continued walking until they reached the shore. The water lay still as polished silver, reflecting the cold moonlight. For a moment, Kayden felt as though he were standing before a colossal eye staring back at him from the depths.
As he studied the reflection, a flicker of movement caught the corner of his vision. His gaze shifted to Adam's hand, which had risen slowly, palm open.
In a sudden rupture of stillness, a massive arm of water surged from the lake's surface—shaped with terrifying precision, like a hand sculpted from liquid glass. Not a single drop fell. It rose with dreadful majesty.
Then its form shifted—tightening into a solid fist.
Adam's voice came cold and devoid of human warmth.
"A breakthrough… is when someone brushes against immortality."
Kayden shuddered. The air felt too heavy to breathe.
"Immortality?" he whispered, pronouncing the word carefully.
Adam smiled faintly, bitterness threading through his tone.
"Perhaps they won't truly become immortal… but merely nearing it is enough to corrupt time. When that happens, everything begins to unravel."
Suddenly, the colossal hand bent and pointed directly at Kayden. His heart froze for several seconds; he felt as though his blood had stopped flowing.
Then a deep, inhuman voice echoed between him and the water's surface. It wasn't merely sound—it was vibration, resonating in the marrow of his bones, as if the earth itself had spoken.
"You are nothing but a novice… you do not understand. You noticed the acceleration and erred by asking. To him, you are an omen of misfortune… stop digging into secrets."