Kaijin paused, his breathing uneven, the tip of his katana trembling as it hovered just inches from Jesse's face. The sharp scream that had erupted from Jesse moments ago still echoed in Kaijin's ears, cutting through the haze like a dagger. It wasn't Jesse's physical pain that had struck him, but something deeper. Something that tore through the ghost's possession over Kaijin's body and yanked him back into reality.
The spectral energy that once crackled around Kaijin's limbs dimmed and vanished. His shoulders dropped. The cold stillness of the battlefield replaced the earlier storm of violence. The ghost that had driven him, consumed him, now loosened its grip—released him entirely. And for the first time in what felt like hours, Kaijin's own thoughts rang clearly inside his skull.
His eyes opened wide, pupils darting across the landscape with a haunted look. Confused, his expression softened into shock.
"There's no sign of smoke anywhere…" he whispered in disbelief.
