Kai struggles to think clearly as four Silencers stand before each captive and smother every Elite ability. The suppression feels like a crushing headache, and Kai realizes that everyone in the arena is suffering under it except Paedyn. Her lack of reaction stands out to him, especially because no member of the Resistance is restraining her.

Through the pain, Kai hears a man beside his father arguing that the Ordinaries only want to live, even if Elites believe they spread disease. That claim unsettles Kai, because if Ordinaries have truly been living among Elites in large numbers, he cannot understand why their presence has not already caused a visible loss of power. Before he can dwell on it, another wave of agony forces him to focus on surviving the Silencers' attack.

Remembering his training with Damion, Kai forces himself to concentrate on the Silencer suppressing him. He reaches for the faint trace of power moving through his body and realizes that the Silencer's own ability can still be grasped and redirected. Kai seizes that power, throws it back at its owner, and overpowers the Silencer with his own gift. Once the weight of the suppression lifts, Kai immediately retaliates by unleashing flame.