The boy's body twitched again, his fists clenching as if trying to fight the force controlling him. Kael could see it now—the struggle. The boy wasn't fighting Kael anymore; he was fighting himself, or rather, something else that had taken over his body.
With a primal growl, the boy surged forward once again, his speed increasing, his attacks more desperate. Kael barely had time to react. He dodged, blocked, and parried with everything he had, but the boy was relentless.
The punches came faster, stronger, like a whirlwind of chaotic energy. Kael had to admit, this was something he had never faced before. The boy's body was moving as though it had no limits, and Kael's own body was starting to feel the strain.
But even with all the power behind each strike, there was something off. The boy's attacks weren't clean or controlled. They were erratic, fueled by something the boy himself had no control over.
Kael's heart pounded as he dodged another blow that came too fast for him to avoid completely. The punch grazed his cheek, leaving a stinging mark.
The boy's eyes flickered again. The confusion, the inner struggle, was clear in his gaze. He wasn't the one fighting. It was something within him, some force, some power that was pushing his body past its limits.
Kael's instincts screamed at him. He had to end this. This wasn't a fight he could win by just defending. If the boy kept going like this, it would end with both of them broken.
He stepped forward, throwing a counterattack—a series of swift blows aimed at disabling the boy. His strikes landed with precision, but the boy didn't falter. Instead, his body jerked, moving in an unpredictable manner, avoiding Kael's attacks with surprising agility.
Something had changed.
The boy's eyes hardened, his breathing sharp as he swung another wild punch. Kael blocked it but found himself being pushed back. He wasn't fighting a boy anymore. He was fighting something far more dangerous.
And then, as if responding to Kael's shift in attitude, the boy's body froze again. His fists clenched, and a dark energy seemed to surge through him. His entire body jerked violently, as if the force within him was pushing him to his limits.
Kael's senses flared, warning him. The boy was about to do something unpredictable.
In a burst of unnatural speed, the boy lunged at Kael, but this time, Kael wasn't quick enough. The boy's fist crashed into Kael's jaw, sending him staggering back. Kael's vision blurred, and he fought to maintain his balance.
The boy wasn't just fighting anymore—he was being controlled. And whatever this force was, it wasn't done yet.
Kael shook off the disorientation, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the next strike. But he knew something that he didn't before: this wasn't a fight he could win by conventional means.
The boy's body twitched again, and Kael realized it wasn't just a physical struggle. It was a battle of wills, and the boy was caught in the middle. His body was no longer his own.
And just as Kael prepared to counterattack, the boy's body froze again, the struggle within him reaching its peak.
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END OF CHAPTER 54