The library was a mess.
Books scattered. Swords shattered. Vex snoring somewhere under a collapsed bookshelf.
And Niko?
Sitting on top of a dusty table, legs swinging, staring at his hand like it had personally betrayed him.
"Okay," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Let's try that again."
He held his palm out in front of him, hair still faintly singed from earlier. Concentrated.
Nothing.
"Alright," he said, standing this time. "Whatever you are... thing in my hand... come out."
He thrust his hand forward like a wizard casting a spell.
Still nothing.
He frowned. "Don't act shy now, you just saved my life five minutes ago."
He gave his hand a little shake. "C'mon. Energy. Lightning. Glowy... stuff. Go."
Still nothing.
'What is this? Some kind of weird adrenaline power? Why won't it work?'
He clenched his fist and tried to feel that spark again — the same burning thread that danced through his arm when he punched Vex into next week.
But it was like chasing a dream after waking up.
He sighed, slumping back against the wall. "Great. I have the coolest power ever and no idea how to use it. Figures."
Then he stood again, held out both hands this time, and shouted dramatically into the empty air, "ACTIVATE! FULL POWER! SUPER ENERGY BLAST!"
…
Silence.
The only answer was a book falling off a shelf somewhere behind him.
"…This is pathetic," he muttered.
He sat back down and stared at his palms again.
'But it was real. I felt it. I saw it. That punch—those blasts—those weren't luck. That was me. It has to be in me somewhere.'
He looked toward the unconscious Vex, still sprawled in the wreckage.
"…I just have to figure it out before someone worse than him shows up."
...
Vex stirred.
Pain bloomed through the side of his skull like a pulse. Something warm trickled down his cheek. Blood? Maybe. He couldn't tell.
His arms were bound—tight. Rope, rough and rushed, looped around his chest and pinned him to what felt like a cracked pillar at the back of the ruined library.
Everything hurt.
But worse than the pain… was the sound.
A voice.
"I command thee—energy blast!"
Vex's eyes peeled open halfway, blood crusting in the corner of his vision. Through blurred lashes, he saw the kid.
That same brat.
Standing in the middle of the wreckage like he owned it, one hand stretched out, shouting commands into empty air.
Vex watched in silence. Observed.
The boy had straight blackish-blue hair that almost fell into his eyes. His skin was pale—almost too clean for someone who'd just torn apart a room. He was slim, slightly underbuilt, still growing into his frame. His clothes were ragged but not from time—from the fight. That blast earlier…
'That wasn't luck,' Vex thought, wincing. 'He really did it.'
The boy turned slightly, revealing eyes as dark as soot—pure black, but not empty. Just... searching. Young. He looked around sixteen or seventeen, tops.
A kid. A damn kid.
Vex scoffed quietly to himself. Or tried to—his throat burned. His jaw ached where the punch had landed.
The kid had no idea what he was doing. Standing there, waving his hands like a fool, yelling at his own palm like it was supposed to respond on command.
"Full power mode—go!"
Vex rolled his eyes.
'He has no control. Figures. The House gives you power, but it doesn't teach you how to use it.'
Still... it made no sense.
That kind of output shouldn't be possible from someone fresh. The House didn't just hand out gifts like that—not without a cost.
Vex gritted his teeth and pulled at the ropes. Nothing.
He narrowed his eyes at the boy, watching.
He started to move, trying to leave the ropes the bound him
But when he adjusted his leg, something scraped — just enough to echo in the awkward silence that had followed Niko's latest failed "energy summon."
The kid froze.
Turned.
His black eyes locked on him across the room, wide and startled for half a second before narrowing with a sudden burst of confidence.
"Oh," Niko said, his voice steadying as he stepped closer. "You're awake."
Vex didn't answer.
Niko crossed his arms and tilted his head, trying to look intimidating despite the scuffed-up shoes and that persistent layer of confusion lingering in his expression.
"I figured you'd be out longer," Niko said, glancing down at his own hand like he expected a spark to shoot out just from standing there. "You know I've still got power left, right?"
Vex stared at him for a long moment.
Then, with a dry, cracked voice, he said, "No, you don't."
Niko's expression dropped.
"…Huh?"
"You've been yelling at your hand for fifteen minutes," Vex muttered. "You look like a magician who failed stage school."
Niko blinked. His confidence deflated like a popped balloon. "…Okay, rude."
Vex shifted against the ropes, the smirk growing on his bruised face. "It's written all over you, kid. That little blast? Fluke. You've got no control."
Niko scratched the back of his neck, then tried to recover, pointing a finger at Vex with a half-hearted glare. "Yeah? Well… what are you gonna do? You're tied up."
Vex looked down at the ropes. Then up at Niko.
Then let out a small, raspy laugh..
Niko's brow twitched. "…What's so funny?"
Vex tilted his head, wincing a little as the motion pulled at a bruise. "Kid. Sit down."
Niko blinked. "What?"
"Sit. Cross your legs. Stop trying to act tough. You're not."
There was a beat of hesitation before Niko huffed and plopped onto the floor, arms crossed. "If you're planning on strangling me with psychic rope powers or something—"
"Relax," Vex muttered, shaking his head. "You want to learn how to use that spark in you or not?"
Niko paused, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wait... are you trying to kill me from the inside?"
Vex let out another laugh — rougher this time, but genuine. "Kill you from the inside? Please. If I could kill you, I would've done it when you were flailing around like a scared rat." He leaned back, ropes creaking as he shifted. "But you cracked my jaw instead."
Niko smirked slightly at that, but it faded quickly.
"Alright then…" Niko looked at his hands again. "Show me how to not blow myself up."
Vex's smirk faded, and his tone turned more matter-of-fact as he shifted his position, settling more comfortably against the ropes. "The House," he began, his voice deep and slightly raspier than usual, "gives everyone something when they come here. Cores."
"Cores?" Niko repeated, still a little confused.
"Yeah. Cores. Your main source of power—energy. The thing that lets you use whatever the House has gifted you—or cursed you with." Vex's eyes narrowed as he focused on the swords surrounding him, their edges gleaming under the dim light. He didn't move, but after a moment, the largest one slowly lifted off the floor.
Niko's eyes widened. The sword floated, spinning lazily around him, held in place by nothing more than air.
"Telekinesis," Vex muttered as he let the sword hover in front of him, effortlessly twirling it in the air. "It's my power."
Niko stared at the floating weapon. "That's... insane," he whispered.
Vex's gaze flicked over to him, an eyebrow raised. "You think that's impressive? You haven't even started yet."
Niko felt a pang of doubt. His hand still felt empty, like there was something inside him trying to get out, but he couldn't figure out how to make it move.
"So... how do I use it?" Niko asked, looking back down at his hand as though it might magically answer him.
Vex regarded him coolly for a moment before speaking, his voice almost patient. "You don't 'use' it like a tool. You feel it." He shifted his weight again, the ropes creaking as he leaned back slightly. "Breathe. Focus. Close your eyes. Let the core find you, instead of trying to force it. Trust me, if you keep struggling, it'll just get worse."
Niko hesitated but then sighed, deciding to give it a try. He sat up straight, following Vex's instructions with a little more seriousness. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. The silence in the library seemed to press down on him, thick and heavy, like the air itself was holding him still.
For a moment, nothing happened. No crackling. No energy. Just his breath. In and out. Slowly.
Then—crackle.
Niko's eyes snapped open, and his hand tingled. His entire arm felt alive, like a jolt of electricity was humming just beneath the skin.
His fingers twitched as if responding to something just out of reach.
"There," Vex said quietly, though there was no smugness in his voice now—just a strange, almost approving calm. "You felt it."
Niko stared at his hand, wide-eyed. The feeling was unmistakable. The crackle, the pulse of energy coursing through his veins—it was real.
"I—" Niko faltered, still unsure. "I... felt it?"
Vex grunted. "Yeah. That's the first step." He tilted his head, eyes narrowing with a flicker of amusement. "I thought you had no control."
Niko didn't respond. His hand felt warm, alive with power now. It was still faint, but it was there. And it was enough to make him feel something he hadn't felt since waking up in the House—hope.
He glanced at Vex, his voice quieter this time. "So, what now?"
Vex didn't respond immediately. His gaze drifted back to the floating swords for a moment, his face expressionless. "Now? Now, you stop acting like you have no idea what's in front of you, and you start figuring out what you're gonna do with it. Because, kid..." Vex's eyes met Niko's again. "The House? It doesn't care whether you're ready or not. It doesn't care if you live or die."
Niko's heart thudded in his chest, but there was a flicker of something else now—something more than just fear.
Determination.
"I'll figure it out," Niko muttered, a small, stubborn smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Vex's lips twitched, almost forming a grin. "That's the spirit."
Niko stood up from the floor, his legs still a little shaky, but the energy that had once been a mystery inside him now thrummed beneath his skin, a strange comfort in the chaos of the House. He looked down at his hand once more, marveling at the faint, crackling warmth that lingered in his fingertips.
"Thanks," he muttered, glancing back at Vex, who was still tied up and leaning lazily against the ropes. "For teaching me..."
Vex's expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that resembled approval. "Don't thank me just yet. You still have a long way to go, kid."
Niko nodded, taking a step toward the library's door, still trying to process the strange feeling of energy flowing through him. He wasn't sure if he could control it yet, but he was getting closer. A small part of him actually felt a little... hopeful.
But as he reached the threshold, Vex's voice called out behind him, and Niko froze.
"Hey, kid," Vex said, his tone almost casual. "You think you could... untie me?"
Niko didn't turn around right away. He knew exactly what Vex was getting at. He'd been tied up for a reason, and it wasn't like Niko owed him anything.
"I used the last of my energy to show you my little trick," Vex added, a touch of humor in his voice. "Would be nice if you could return the favor."
Niko felt a strange surge of amusement, but it quickly morphed into a sense of satisfaction. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at the tied-up man with the smug expression who had been so sure of himself just moments ago.
"You know, I'm not going to untie you," Niko said, his voice carrying a quiet, defiant edge. "That's your punishment for trying to kill me earlier."
Vex blinked, clearly taken aback by Niko's response. His lips curled into a smirk again, but there was a hint of something else there now—a subtle acknowledgment of the kid's growing confidence.
"Punishment, huh?" Vex chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I see... So, I guess that means you're not the forgiving type?"
Niko turned, his own grin now a little sharper than before. "Not when it comes to trying to kill me. Or anyone else, for that matter."
Vex's smirk never faltered, but there was a note of respect in his eyes. "Fair enough, kid. Fair enough."
With that, Niko stepped out of the library, leaving Vex behind, still tied up and helpless, but now with a small spark of something more in his chest—something that felt like the beginning of real power.
As Niko moved through the House, his mind was full of thoughts: What would he do next? How would he figure out how to use the power that was now slowly growing inside of him?
But for the first time since entering the House, Niko felt like maybe—just maybe—he had a shot at surviving this. And, even if only for a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to believe that he might even thrive here.