Chapter 62 The Weak Point
Chapter 62 The Weak Point
We didn’t celebrate.
There was no victory in what had just happened.
No relief.
No sense of safety.
Because we all knew the truth—
I hadn’t beaten him.
I had survived him.
And that wasn’t enough.
“Inside,” Darius said quietly.
No argument.
No discussion.
Just movement.
The Dominion shifted back into formation, wolves falling into step as we retreated from the ridge. Not rushed. Not panicked.
Disciplined.
Controlled.
But tighter than before.
Closer.
Like instinct was pulling everyone inward.
Toward safety.
Even if none of us believed we were truly safe anymore.
The moment we crossed back into the courtyard, the pressure changed.
Not gone.
But reduced.
Contained.
For now.
Rowan exhaled sharply.
“I need a drink.”
“You don’t drink,” Lena said.
“I’m starting.”
“That’s not how that works.”
“It is now.”
I didn’t smile this time.
Because my focus wasn’t on them.
It was still out there.
Still on him.
“You felt it too.”
Darius’ voice was low as we moved inside.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“The difference.”
I swallowed.
“He’s not fighting the connection.”
“No.”
“He’s ignoring it.”
That was the problem.
That was the weakness.
Not his.
Mine.
The bond pulsed uneasily.
Darius’ expression darkened.
“Say it.”
I hesitated.
Because saying it made it real.
“He’s not part of the system I’m controlling.”
“Yes.”
“And that means—”
“You can’t affect him the same way.”
The words landed hard.
Cold.
Unavoidable.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Rowan let out a long breath.
“So all this—”
He gestured vaguely—
“—only works on half the problem?”
“Not half,” Lena corrected.
“Less.”
Great.
That was so much better.
Darius didn’t react outwardly.
But I felt it through the bond.
The shift.
The recalculation.
“Then we don’t try to control him,” he said.
I looked at him.
“What?”
“We adapt.”
“To what?”
“To his weakness.”
The word caught my attention.
“He has one?”
“Everything does.”
I frowned slightly.
“I didn’t see one.”
“You weren’t looking for it yet.”
That was fair.
I had been focused on holding control.
Not breaking his.
“He doesn’t react like the fragments,” I said slowly.
“No.”
“He doesn’t push back against the connection.”
“No.”
“He moves through it.”
“Yes.”
The pattern formed quickly.
Clear.
Sharp.
“He’s not affected by it.”
“No.”
A pause.
“But he noticed when you changed it.”
That was true.
Subtle.
But real.
“He slowed.”
“Barely.”
“Still slowed.”
Darius’ gaze held mine.
“That’s the opening.”
The realization hit hard.
Because it was small.
Too small.
“He’s faster than me.”
“Yes.”
“He’s stronger.”
“Yes.”
“And that’s the opening?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“That’s not comforting.”
“It’s not meant to be.”
Of course it wasn’t.
Lena stepped closer.
“He’s not immune.”
“He’s resistant.”
“That’s different.”
“Barely.”
“It’s enough.”
Rowan frowned.
“So what, we just… poke him until something works?”
“No,” Darius said.
“We refine.”
I crossed my arms slightly.
“How?”
“By focusing on what did affect him.”
I replayed the moment in my head.
The shift.
The structure I had created.
The way he moved through it—
Then slowed.
Just for a second.
“It wasn’t force,” I said.
“No.”
“It was structure.”
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
“And I didn’t hold it long enough.”
“Or precisely enough.”
The correction was quiet.
But accurate.
The bond pulsed.
Agreement.
“That’s the difference,” I said slowly.
“I can’t overwhelm him.”
“No.”
“But I can limit him.”
“Yes.”
The words settled into place.
Clear.
Focused.
That was the strategy.
Not power.
Precision.
Control.
Real control.
I exhaled slowly.
“Then I need to get better at that.”
“Yes.”
“How fast?”
Darius didn’t hesitate.
“Now.”
Of course.
Rowan groaned.
“I just said I wanted a drink.”
“You can drink after we survive,” Lena replied.
“Rude.”
I ignored them.
Because this—
This mattered more.
I stepped forward.
“Again.”
Darius didn’t argue.
Didn’t hesitate.
“Again.”
The training ground felt different this time.
Not uncertain.
Not reactive.
Focused.
I knew what I was looking for now.
Not control.
Not just control.
Precision.
I closed my eyes.
Reached for the connection.
It answered instantly.
Familiar now.
Recognizable.
But I didn’t let it spread.
Didn’t let it expand.
I held it tight.
Condensed.
Focused.
“That’s it,” Darius said quietly.
“Keep it narrow.”
“I am.”
The pressure built—
But contained.
Not spilling outward.
Not affecting everything around me.
Just—
Here.
Controlled.
“What do you feel?” he asked.
“Resistance.”
“Good.”
“And something else.”
“What?”
I hesitated.
“Clarity.”
The word felt right.
Because this time—
It wasn’t chaotic.
It wasn’t overwhelming.
It was defined.
Understandable.
“That’s what you use,” he said.
I nodded.
Then—
Carefully—
I shaped it.
Not wide.
Not expansive.
Small.
Precise.
Like a line.
A boundary.
A structure.
The air shifted.
Subtle.
Contained.
Nothing cracked.
Nothing broke.
Everything held.
“There,” I whispered.
Darius stepped closer.
Close enough to test it.
He moved—
And slowed.
Just slightly.
But it was there.
“That’s it,” he said.
“You feel that?”
“Yes.”
“That’s your control.”
Not overwhelming.
Not destructive.
Restricting.
Precise.
I tightened it slightly.
Refined it.
Focused it.
Darius’ movement slowed again.
More this time.
Still controlled.
Still strong.
But affected.
“That’s it,” I said.
Understanding locking into place.
“That’s how I stop him.”
Not by overpowering him.
Not by breaking him.
By limiting him.
Controlling the space around him.
The bond flared.
Strong.
Aligned.
Darius’ gaze held mine.
“Now you’re learning.”
And this time—
I believed it.
Because now—
I wasn’t just holding the line.
I was starting to see where it could break.
And next time—
That’s exactly where I would hit.