"Skylar, we need to talk!" Adam's voice reverberated through the auditorium.

Skylar looked up from his seat, a grin spreading across his face as if Adam's intrusion were nothing more than a casual surprise. "Hey, buddy! What's up?"

But Adam wasn't having it. "What's up is that you're a lying bastard," he growled.

Skylar's grin faltered, replaced by a flicker of curiosity, though his voice remained calm. "Whoa, where's this coming from?"

"Don't act all clueless," Adam spat, his blue eyes cold as ice.

"What are you talking about?"

Adam took a step forward, the rime expanding with his movement. "I've got the lowdown on Heng Qi Island, your dad, and that Van Boxtel Technologies heist. Whatever you're scheming for tonight's talk, it's not gonna fly."

Skylar sighed as he stood, brushing imaginary dust from his pants before facing Adam fully. The playful warmth drained from his features, leaving behind a hardened mask of unshaken determination. "Ah... so you found out." His tone was cool, almost resigned. "Guess I underestimated how quickly Jaden would figure things out and come running to you. But even now, you don't know the half of it."

Adam's fists tightened, ice creeping across the floor in the direction of Skylar. "I know that you lied to me. About everything."

Skylar tilted his head, unfazed by the encroaching chill. "You never asked, and I wasn't about to just spill my whole life story."

"So, what's the play, Skylar? A ton of people are gonna roll through tonight. They are innocent and got nothing to do with this crusade of yours."

"Innocent?" Skylar echoed bitterly. "There are millions more innocent people in my hometown—people subjugated under Van Boxtel's tech. This isn't a moral dilemma. If I get rid of him and his company, I can bring the entire operation to a halt. I can free them."

Adam gritted his teeth. "Skylar Song, you're under arrest!" he barked, thrusting his hand out. The ice that trailed along the floor speared upward, latching onto Skylar's feet like shackles, freezing him in place.

Still, Skylar's face stayed composed. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and drew out the compact Dragonshade Staff. Holding it steadily in his palm, he took a deep breath, centering his focus. As he channeled his chi, the bioenergy gushed effortlessly from the depths within him, flowing down his arm and into the staff. The energy connected like a live wire, coursing into the weapon.

The staff's molecular structure immediately shifted, the specialized alloy reconfiguring at an atomic level in response to the influx of chi. The programmable matter—designed for adaptability—began its rapid transformation, expanding outward as the atoms realigned. The once-compact staff gleamed with a golden light while it elongated, expanding in both length and girth, as if obeying to Skylar's will.

With a single motion, Skylar drove the staff downward onto the ice, golden energy arcing through the frozen surface. The force spread out in a spider-web pattern, shattering the frost in a dazzling burst and freeing him. He spun the now fully-extended staff in his hand, his eyes never leaving Adam's. "You really thought that would hold me?"

"No, I was just hoping you wouldn't resist arrest," Adam replied before summoning the moisture in the air, condensing it into sharp, hexagonal cubes of ice that shot at Skylar like blazing missiles.

Skylar's reflexes kicked in, his body responding instantaneously. He backflipped, dodging the first volley of ice cubes with acrobatic precision. As he landed, he spun the staff in a blur, deflecting the remaining cubes with crisp, metallic thwacks. The golden energy from the staff flared with each hit, leaving trails of light in the atmosphere as the cubes dispersed upon impact.

Narrowing his eyes, Adam called forth a torrent of glacial energy to create an enormous hexagonal block of ice, far bigger than the earlier ones, and hurtled it toward Skylar.

Skylar's eyes widened for a brief second as the massive block charged at him. Without missing a beat, he swung the staff in a powerful arc, the golden light flashing as it struck the block. The impact disintegrated the ice into a million shards, creating a wintry mist that enveloped the space in a roiling haze, obscuring the entire auditorium.

The air was thick with frost and vapor, the gelid biting into Skylar's skin. He blinked through the mist, his senses heightened as he tried to locate Adam. But before he could react, Adam burst through the fog, launching himself with startling speed. His foot struck Skylar's chest with overwhelming might, knocking Skylar backward.

Skylar's body crashed into a row of empty chairs, which clattered to the ground and resounded through the auditorium. Grunting, he tried to steady himself, holding the staff firmly as pain radiated from his chest. Despite the agony, he urged himself to stand, and a calculated smirk tugged at his lips. Pain was temporary. He could use this.

His eyes locked onto Adam, seething with an unsettling mix of defiance and control. "Feeling better now?" Skylar's voice was smooth, almost taunting. "Get all that anger from my 'betrayal' out of your system?"

Adam stood several feet away, ice glistening across his skin like armor. His breath fogged the air, every exhale a reminder of the frigid power he wielded. "Not even close."

It wasn't just the weight of Skylar's betrayal pressing on him—it was the crushing responsibility that came with being Adam Howl, the Winter Wolf, an elite ultra-tellurian sworn to the Cataclysm Federation. This wasn't just personal. As much as he wanted to tear Skylar apart for lying to him, Adam knew he had a duty—to stop Skylar from whatever havoc he had planned.

Skylar wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, never losing that infuriating smirk. He tilted his head, analyzing Adam like a predator sizing up its prey. Skylar knew exactly what he was doing—provoking Adam was part of the plan. "It sucks, doesn't it? After all those times you poured your heart out to me, whining about how your pack abandoned you, how devastated you were that your own people turned against you." Skylar's smile widened, twisting with malice. "Now, I betrayed you too."

"I've heard enough!" Adam yelled as he formed a blade of ice in his hand. Spurred by ire, he rushed into the fray, swinging the icy weapon in an arc aimed directly at Skylar.

Skylar anticipated the move with deftness. He ducked low, just as the sword whistled above him, close enough to sever a tip of his jet-black hair. His mind was already three moves ahead. Adam swung again, and this time, Skylar raised his staff, the Dragonshade surface gleaming as it met the sword with a thunderous clash.

"What's the matter, Winter Wolf?" Skylar taunted, pushing back against Adam's strike, his voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you were supposed to be cold-hearted. Don't tell me it actually hurts—" he let the remark hang in the gelid air, his tone softening to a venomous whisper, "that I deceived you."

Skylar's words weren't random—they were carefully chosen, meant to dig under Adam's skin, to ignite the wildfire of emotion he could already see smoldering in Adam's eyes. Sun Tzu once said, "If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant." Skylar understood that teaching well. He understood that controlling his opponent's emotions was key. The more Adam succumbed to his anger, the more predictable he became. And Skylar? He thrived in chaos—especially when he was the one orchestrating it.

The Winter Wolf's roar ricocheted off the walls with primal fury. He grabbed a nearby chair and, with a flick of his hand, sent it hurtling toward Skylar, cryogenic energy crackling around the object, propelling it with the velocity of a cannonball. But Skylar was already moving. He ducked and weaved through the onslaught of incoming projectiles as if he were a gust of wind.

"You've always been so easy to read. You're just a lost, wounded pup. Do you even know who you are now?" Skylar uttered. "All that strength, all that power—yet you never know what to do with it. You charge into danger like you're invincible, and that arrogance? That's your flaw."

"Let's see if you still think I'm arrogant when I bury you in a frozen grave."

With another roar, he dissolved the icy sword in his grip into a flurry of snowflakes that whirled through the air before wrapping themselves around Skylar like a binding net. In a flash, the snow hardened, trapping Skylar in a crystalline prison of ice. But Adam wasn't finished—he raised his hands, summoning a barrage of icicles from midair, directing them toward his ensnared target.

Skylar's eyes glowed a brilliant mimosa hue. A surge of energy exploded from his core, radiating outward in a mighty pulse. His chi enveloped him like a shield, bursting the ice apart with an audible crack. The rain of icicles disintegrated on impact, each shard vaporizing as the intensity of his energy field undulated through the auditorium.

Skylar's smirk widened, confidence unwavering. He clutched his Dragonshade Staff and slammed it into the ground. The floorboards groaned and shifted as if alive, a wave of wood rippling toward Adam. Planks buckled, tossing him into a nearby table with a bone-jarring thud.

As Adam lay on the ground, struggling to push himself back up, the searing pain in his head made it hard to focus. It was almost as if the kindling betrayal had taken a physical form, grinding against his temples, clouding his thoughts. His friend—Skylar, of all people—had done this. Someone he trusted, someone he would've helped if only Skylar had come to him. Instead, here they were, on opposite sides of a battlefield.

"I've been planning this for a long time." Skylar turned and walked to the large windows at the perimeter of the auditorium, where rows of potted plants were bathed in sunlight. "And you? You're just reacting, which is why you'll lose. You're nothing but a washed-up werewolf, holding on to whatever scraps of loyalty you can find. That's what's really eating at you, isn't it?" He extended his hand, and the plants started to wither, their vitality siphoning into him. The energy coursed through his body, revitalizing his muscles as his skin took on a faint, glowing hue of renewed vigor.

Adam clenched his jaw, his chest constricting as emotions churned beyond his control. Skylar's comments were like a knife, wrenching into the raw emptiness that had haunted him since he left Wild Prairie. A washed-up werewolf? Scraps of loyalty? The urge to shout back, to deny it all, burned within him—but underneath it all lay a harsh truth he couldn't shake. The people he trusted always seemed to slip away, and the more he fought to hold onto them, the further they drifted.

Dragging himself up to one knee with unsteady resolve, Adam's hands trembled as he pressed them into the floor. Rage flooded through him—rage at Skylar for betraying him, for exploiting his trust, but even more so, rage at himself for caring in the first place. The thought was like ice in his veins, frigid and rancorous. He thumped his palms harder into the ground, channeling his frustration into the gathering frost beneath him. Two massive columns of ice erupted, spiraling around each other in a twisting helix. The jagged pillars shot toward Skylar, poised to impale him.

But Skylar was ready.

He raised his hand, fingers splayed wide. The space around him shimmered as his chi flared to life. And in one second, he projected a massive chi construct—the palm of Buddha. The glowing, translucent hand materialized in front of him, towering and immense, with intricate details etched into its surface. Every fold of the palm was rendered with stunning precision, from the deep lines running along the skin to the texture of the knuckles.

The Buddha's palm radiated an aura of serenity, yet there was a formidable sense of power behind it. As the icy helix spiraled in Skylar's direction, the yellow light of the chi-construct rushed forward, meeting Adam's attack head-on. The columns of ice slammed into the palm, but instead of piercing through, they shattered upon contact.

"It's only a matter of time before Jaden leaves you too. I mean, he's new to Lightcrest. A sweet gay kid with a crush on you and all. I almost feel bad for him, really," Skylar sneered. "How long do you think it'll be before he realizes he's wasting his time on a crippled werewolf who's too damaged to even love?"

The sting of Skylar's words barely registered before the chi palm smashed Adam against the wall. Dust and debris filled the auditorium, swallowing the space in a suffocating cloud of splintered wood and crumbled stone. For a moment, all was silent, save for the settling of debris. Skylar stood tall, convinced he'd won—that he had overpowered the Winter Wolf both physically and emotionally. The Buddha's palm had done its work, or so he thought.

But then, through the opaque haze, a sudden, eerie stillness fell over the room.

Skylar squinted through the debris, his breath caught. The chi-constructed palm shimmered, and then, impossibly, began to frost over. Ice crawled across the glowing hand, snaking and twining around its translucent fingers. In a matter of seconds, the golden light dimmed, overtaken by the stinging chill of Adam's cryokinesis. The once-invincible construct creaked and then shattered like glistening glass.

Skylar's eyes bulged in disbelief as he took an involuntary step back. "What the hell?" he muttered. "You... froze chi?" His words were laced with something he rarely felt—fear.

Emerging from the debris, Adam stood, his body coated in a thin sheen of frost. His chest heaved with labored breaths, but his eyes—those steely, azure eyes—were far from defeated. They blazed with an intensity that sent shivers down Skylar's spine, glinting like shards of an arctic glacier. There was something new behind them, something stronger, colder, and fiercer than before.

Jaden's name echoed in Adam's mind like a mantra, over and over. Skylar had thought those words would break him, but instead, they sparked something inside. Jaden. Adam cared about him—that much he knew. He didn't understand all the feelings swirling inside him, didn't know why Jaden's presence mattered so much, but in this moment, it was the only thing that anchored him.

He wasn't sure about a lot of things in his life, but one thing was crystal clear: He would not lose Jaden no matter what.

"You don't get to talk about Jaden," Adam growled as he strode forward, his boots crunching on the frozen remnants of Skylar's chi. "I'll give you this, Skylar—you nailed it on a lot. Yeah, I'm damaged. Yeah, I was so desperate for your friendship that I didn't see what a duplicitous scoundrel you were. And yeah, I'm pissed—not just 'cause of what you're pulling, but because you were my friend. Someone I actually trusted. You knew how hard it was for me to let anyone in after my pack turned their backs, and you still screwed me over. Day after day, you lied right to my face. I'm so damn pissed I gotta be the one to kick your ass and throw you in jail."

Skylar's hand twitched, and with a flash of golden light, a crackling bolt of chi erupted from his palm, aimed straight for Adam's face. The energy surged through the air, alive with raw power, but Adam didn't flinch. His expression remained indomitable. With a swift, effortless motion, Adam raised his hand, and as the bolt neared him, he swatted it aside like it was nothing more than a drop of water. The chi splashed to the side, freezing mid-air and fragmenting into sparkling pieces that dissipated in the cold.

Skylar's heart skipped a beat. Impossible. Chi, the highest form of bioenergy, the very life force that flowed through all living things, was adaptive—constantly regenerating, sustaining itself from the user's vitality. It wasn't just raw power; it was a living, breathing essence. Freezing chi should've been impossible. Its nature was dynamic, resilient. And yet, somehow, Adam had done it—he had transformed the life energy into a crystallized, brittle state and brushed it off like an afterthought.

Skylar's mind raced, trying to comprehend the implications. Adam's cryokinetic power must have reached a near-quantum level, affecting energy so profoundly that even chi, with all its fluidity, could be disrupted. Was this the power of a level-S ultra-tellurian?

Adam was now inches away from Skylar. A gust of wind whipped through the air, carrying swirling snowflakes that amassed into a blizzard. "You're dead wrong about one thing, though: Jaden. You have no idea what he means to me. You really think you can mess with my head by bringing him up? By making me question myself? No matter how damaged you think I am, no matter how fucked up neurotransmitters might be..." he paused, the weight of his emotions catching up with him, but he forged ahead, his voice softening just a fraction. "I care about him. More than I've let myself realize."

For the first time, Skylar's confidence unraveled. He tried to summon another wave of chi, but the energy sputtered in his veins, weakening under the bone-deep cold that ate away at him. Adam's presence was stifling, a relentless force of nature that felt inescapable. Implacable. Unyielding.

"Even after all these years," Adam continued, "you don't know me at all—just like I don't know the real you. And you definitely don't know Jaden." His eyes locked onto Skylar's with inexorable ire. "But let me get one thing straight: whatever this is—whatever game you think you're playing—it's over, right here, right now."

The blizzard around them intensified, the air thickening with frost and snow until it became nearly impossible to see. Skylar felt paralyzed, but it wasn't just the cold. It was as though time itself had slowed to a crawl. The dramatic slowdown in the molecular movement of their surroundings and the sheer density of the freezing air created an illusion—a temporary time freeze for anyone caught inside the wintry vortex. The effect was disorienting and paralyzing, and Skylar felt helpless against it.

Then, with brutal swiftness, Adam's fists—encased in ice—smashed into Skylar's face. His head snapped back, and his body crumpled under the shock of the blow. Before he could even process the pain, another punch followed. Then another.

"How the hell could you pull this shit on me? Why didn't you just talk to me? We could've worked something out. You didn't have to go and break the damn laws and screw me over." Adam's fists, hard as glaciers, pummeled Skylar with the might of an avalanche. Each strike was fueled by all the indignation and confusion that had been festering. Skylar hit the ground, but Adam didn't stop.

The more he hit Skylar, the more the vortex around them grew fiercer, turning the auditorium into a frozen wasteland. His fists slammed into Skylar's body like thunderclaps, each one heavier than the last.

Skylar was hardly conscious, his body limp under the onslaught. Yet, Adam was oblivious to it all. The room was a blur of white, of freezing flurries and flying snow. He was lost in the frenzy, his mind fractured and overwhelmed by the madness.

But then, through the storm, a figure appeared—small but determined, pushing against the ferocious torrents, every step a battle against the snow squall.

Jaden.

His face was ashen, his silver hair thrashing wildly in the biting wind, yet he marched forth, persevering through the maelstrom. "Snap out of it, Adam!" The storm seemed to resist him, its frigid grip clawing at his skin, but Jaden refused to yield.

Finally, he reached Adam, his hand shaking from the cold as he raised it and slapped the Winter Wolf hard across the face.

The slap rang out, crisp and clear against the chaos like a gunshot. For a moment, everything came to a halt—the wailing wind, the billowing snow, even the cold itself seemed to pause.

"This isn't you and you know!" Jaden said.

Adam blinked, the wrath in his eyes flickering. His fists, still poised to strike, hesitated in midair. The ice that had coated his knuckles began to crack, small fissures forming along the surface. Yet, when his gaze drifted down to Skylar sprawled on the ground, his mind screamed at him to finish it, to give his friend—no, his former friend—what he deserved. His arm tensed, preparing for one final blow that would silence the betrayal echoing in his chest.

But then, another slap.

"That's enough!" Jaden pleaded. "Please, stop!" Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, and his voice broke. "I cannot stand to see you like this."

Adam wanted to argue, wanted to say that Skylar deserved every punch, that he had crossed too many lines. But when he looked down at Jaden—at his tear-streaked face and those pleading brown eyes—his words died in his throat.

A pang of guilt shot through him, though his pride tried to choke it down. His arms fell limply to his sides, the frost sheathing them melting away. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed the tears from Jaden's face. He could still feel the cold on his fingertips, but now, more than that, he felt the warmth of Jaden's tears. It was that warmth that undid him, made him realize just how far he had let himself go. The blizzard around them unraveled in moments, the winds easing, the freezing air losing its sharpness. Silence fell, the storm's fury replaced by an unsettling calm.

"I—" Adam started, his voice rough, unsure. He tightened his jaw, swallowing back the instinct to defend himself. He hadn't meant for things to go this far, hadn't meant to lose control like this. But the words wouldn't come. Apologies were foreign to him—weakness, his father would've called them. Admitting he was wrong felt like admitting defeat. Yet here was Jaden, begging him to stop, to be better.

He didn't want to acknowledge it, but seeing Jaden like this—crying, vulnerable because of something he had done—hurt more than any physical blow he could've taken in a fight. But pride—pride was a stubborn thing. He stiffened, the old lessons from his pack clawing their way to the surface. Don't show weakness. Never apologize. And yet...Jaden mattered. More than Adam had ever let himself accept. More than he had ever told the boy.

"I didn't—" Adam opened his mouth again, but his voice faltered. He didn't want to say he was sorry. He didn't want to say he was wrong. But something had to be said. "Come on, stop crying, alright? I just... I couldn't let him get away with it."

"Get away?" Jaden lifted his head slightly, his eyes still shimmering with tears. "Adam, he's unconscious. You could've killed him."

Adam glanced down at Skylar, his form slumped and bloodied on the floor. The sight filled him with conflicting emotions—anger, guilt, and a sickening sense of satisfaction. Skylar had betrayed him, after all. He deserved this. But as Adam saw the blood on his knuckles, the way Skylar's chest rose and fell shallowly, the satisfaction gradually eroded.

"He had it coming," Adam grunted. "Why are you sticking up for him?"

Jaden didn't respond at first. Instead, he knelt beside Skylar, struggling to lift him. He pulled Skylar's arm around his shoulders, trying to support the taller, heavier man despite the strain.

"Jaden, what the hell are you doing?" Adam snapped, stepping forward. "You can't take him. He's a damn crook."

Still, Jaden didn't answer, his focus on dragging Skylar's limp form upright. The effort was taking its toll, but he persisted, ignoring Adam's agitation.

"Jaden!" Adam shouted. "If you betray me too, if you leave me for him—"

"Shut up," Jaden whispered, his voice hoarse. "I am saving you from yourself."

"What?"

Jaden sniffed, wiping at his tear-soaked face with his sleeve. "You are being stupid, rash, and selfish. You don't even know why Skylar did what he did, and you just came down here and beat him senseless. He's your friend, for god's frigging sake!"

Adam scoffed. "Not anymore. You didn't hear the garbage he was throwing at me, trying to set me off. He's no friend—he's a snake and a criminal."

"And what are you?" Jaden shot back. "What do you think you just did to him? This wasn't justice, Adam. This was excessive force. If the Iron Phalanx found out, you'd be the one facing charges, not him. Do you even realize what you've done? If you'd killed him, you'd have to live with that."

Jaden's words struck Adam, a tightness forming in his chest. His hands curled into fists, but not from anger—this time, it was fear. Fear that Jaden had a point. Fear that, in his fury, he had crossed a line.

"I wasn't..." Adam mumbled. "I didn't mean to go that far."

"But you did," Jaden said, his eyes a blend of pain and disappointment. He moved past Adam toward the door, Skylar in his arms.

Adam stayed rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. His duty as a member of the Iron Phalanx demanded that he stop Jaden, to bring Skylar in. Letting him go would mean abandoning that responsibility, letting a criminal walk free. But seeing Jaden's face and the depth of disappointment in his eyes—it leveled Adam in a way he hadn't anticipated.

Adam swallowed hard, every instinct telling him to argue, to stop them, but the words caught in his throat. Before he could fully process it, he managed to call out, "Wait."

Jaden paused at the door but didn't turn around. For a moment, Adam hesitated, the burden of his choice pinning him down. Then, without thinking too much, he walked over and silently slipped his arm under Skylar's other shoulder, helping Jaden carry him.

Together, they moved quietly, carefully evading any potential inquisitors. The tension between them was palpable, yet neither said a word as they headed toward Jaden's suite. Once inside the building, the tension shifted to a mounting urgency. Jaden fumbled with his keys while Adam scanned the hallway, vigilant for anyone who might wonder why they were hauling an unconscious man.

When the door finally opened, they rushed inside, gently laying Skylar on the couch in the common area. His breathing was weak, and his face was a mess of splits and bruises, inflamed from the fight. Frostbite from Adam's hands had left his skin looking burnt and raw. Adam stepped aside, arms folded, wrestling with the tumult of emotions churning within him.

"Teddy!" Jaden called out as he hurried over to a bedroom door. "Teddy, I need your help! It's an emergency."

A few seconds later, the door to Teddy McKnight's room opened, revealing Jaden's roommate. Teddy was about the same height as Jaden, just a couple of inches taller, with wavy ginger hair that fell slightly over his blue eyes. He wore a snug pink t-shirt and shorts, his skinny frame standing in stark contrast to the unease pervading the room. His expression was one of bewilderment as he took in the scene: Skylar unconscious on the couch, Adam standing stiff and still, and Jaden, pale and shaken.

"Holy hell, what happened?" Teddy inquired, his voice rising in alarm as he edged nearer, promptly assessing the situation.

"It's a long story," Jaden muttered, running a hand through his tousled silver hair. "But I need you to use your healing magic. My friend is hurt, bad."

Teddy's expression shifted as the initial bewilderment melted into focused determination. Without a word, he knelt beside Skylar, his hands rising over the bruised and bloodied man. Angelic glyphs materialized in the air, swirling in intricate patterns around Teddy's hands like divine sigils. The room filled with an ethereal hum as his holy healing magic activated, casting a white glow that illuminated the space around them.

Skylar's split lips, crusted with blood, knitted together, the severe gashes sealing themselves until only smooth skin remained. His frostbitten cheeks, discolored and cracked, regained their suppleness as the skin flushed back to life, the burns vanishing as though they had never existed. The bruises blossoming across his face and ribs—ugly purples and reds—faded beneath the light, dissolving into a natural, healthy hue. Teddy's magic seeped into Skylar's body like a healing balm, coaxing his damaged cells to regenerate faster, rebuilding tissue with every pulse of the glow.

Teddy's blue eyes narrowed in concentration, the angelic glyphs spinning faster. "He's worse off than I thought," he mumbled. "Broken ribs, deep bruising... he's lucky his brain and spine aren't damaged. I can't heal complex structures like those."

Adam stood in the corner, silent and rigid. The white light reflected off his face. His eyes wavered with something uncertain as he watched Skylar's body repair itself under Teddy's luminous hands. He could feel a knot of confusion winding tighter inside him— exasperation, remorse, and an unwelcome sense of relief battling for dominance in his chest.

The room grew denser with the scent of warmth and purity as the holy magic coursed through Skylar's broken ribs, mending the bones back together. The creases of pain on his face relaxed, and his breathing became steadier, each inhale smoother than the last.

As the light gradually faded and the glyphs dissolved from sight, Teddy slumped back, exhausted. Jaden, quick to notice, bolted over and helped him into a chair.

"Are you okay?"

Teddy nodded, catching his breath. "Yeah, just... healing this much takes a toll on me. I'll be fine, though," he reassured, wiping his forehead. "And so will he."

Jaden gazed at Skylar, now peacefully resting. "When do you think he'll wake up?"

Teddy cupped his chin in his hand, mulling over his thoughts. "Hard to say. Could be a couple of hours. My magic works by speeding up the body's natural healing, but there's a limit to how fast the body can handle the changes. Healing severe injuries like this forces the body into a kind of recovery mode. It's like a forced hibernation—his body needs time to adjust, to recalibrate after all the damage. That's why he's still out." He paused, his brow furrowing. "He's... different, though. Some kind of bioenergy ultra-tellurian?"

"He's a chi manipulator. How'd you figure that out?" Jaden asked.

"I could feel it while healing him," Teddy responded, rubbing the back of his neck. "His bioenergy was already working to repair him, enhancing his metabolism. That's probably why he'll wake up sooner than normal—his body's built to recover fast. He won't be out for long."

Jaden let out a sigh, relief softening his features. "Thanks, Teddy. I owe you one."

Teddy smiled weakly, leaning back in the chair. "What are suitemates for, right?" He stifled a yawn. "Now, I seriously need a nap."

With that, Teddy got up and shuffled to his room, leaving Jaden and Adam alone in the silence that followed.

A few minutes passed before Adam abruptly spoke, "I'm gonna leave."

Jaden, who had been leaning against the arm of the couch, snapped his head up. "Adam, hold on. Stay here with me."

Adam shifted and turned toward the door. "I can't," he said, stepping into the hallway.

"Why not?" Jaden pushed himself up to follow.

"Just because I'm not cuffing him right now doesn't mean I won't." Adam didn't turn around as he added, "As soon as he wakes up, I'm dragging him to the Spectral Defenders for questioning."

Jaden caught up to him in the hallway and grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?" Adam turned his head slightly.

"Cold-hearted," Jaden murmured, his grip squeezing Adam's hand.

Adam jerked his hand away, spinning around to face Jaden, his eyes burning with irritation. "It's who I am!" he shouted. "It's why I'm an effective Iron Phalanx member!"

Jaden stood his ground, staring up at him, unflinching. "Why are you trying so hard to convince yourself that you are this way? I admire your sense of duty, Adam, I really do. But can you not just be a person for one second? A friend to Skylar? You're hurt, I know that. He lied to you, betrayed you. But do you not think, after everything we've learned about him today, that he deserves a chance to explain himself?"

Adam shook his head. "He did explain himself. He wants to take down Wilton Van Boxtel, and I'm not about to let that happen. This is the Cataclysm Federation. If Van Boxtel's engaging in illegal activities, then Skylar should've filed charges, gone through the proper channels. But nah, he went off the rails—breaking in, throwing fists—who knows what else he's done. The laws are there for a reason, and I'm here to make sure they're followed."

"Do you not care about the implications if what Skylar is saying is true? That one of the biggest tech conglomerates in the Federation might be supplying a warlord in foreign state weapons to oppress ultra-tellurians. Why are the laws more important than the people they're supposed to protect? Why do you care so much about the Federation?"

"Because the Federation is all I've got!" Adam yelled, his voice breaking under the strain of his emotions.

Jaden was momentarily paralyzed by Adam's outburst. He watched as Adam's rigid front started to fall apart, exposing a more fragile side.

"The Federation is all I have left," Adam repeated. "I was set to be the next alpha of my pack. I had a whole future lined up, a life I was working toward. Then I lost my werewolf powers and with them, I lost it all—my pack, my family, my whole future. Everything I cared about, gone. The Federation... it stepped in when I was at rock bottom. It gave me a purpose, a reason to keep going."

Jaden felt a pang of sadness as Adam's words lingered. He recalled how Adam had described being found by someone from the Federation, how they had taken him in when he was lost, and how Veridian City had become his new home. Adam's fierce loyalty to the Federation was more than just a sense of duty. He was a man desperately clinging to the only thing that gave his life meaning.

"Don't you see? Without the Federation, I'm nothing," Adam added.

"You're not nothing," Jaden insisted. "You have Chase, Dawn, and even Skylar—whether or not you think you're friends anymore. You have me."

Adam's laugh was bitter, hollow. "Don't kid yourself. I saw the disappointment in your eyes. The way you looked at me after what I did to Skylar."

"Yes, because I know you're not the monster you think you are," Jaden countered. "You're better than your worst impulses."

"Why does it even matter to you?" Adam's voice boomed, frustration hardening his tone. "Why do you care what I do?"

Jaden answered, "You are my friend. How can I not care?"

Adam moved closer, narrowing the space between them. "Is that all I am to you?"

"What... what do you mean?"

Their eyes locked, and the atmosphere between them shifted. In Adam's gaze, Jaden saw a quiet storm, a conflict brewing—desire warring with restraint. The tension simmered in the silence, drawing them closer. Jaden's breath stilled as Adam's penetrating stare lingered, his eyes drifting over Jaden's face before pausing on his lips, then quickly darting back up.

Before Jaden could process what was happening, Adam's hands were on either side of his face, cradling him gently. His touch was cautious, hesitant, but there was a certain hunger in his stare. He leaned in, their foreheads nearly touching, his cool breath ghosting across Jaden's skin.

The rhythm of Jaden's heartbeat surged, rapid and hard. "Adam, what are you—"

"Stop talking," Adam whispered, his voice unsteady, caught between exasperation and longing. His lips hovered over Jaden's, waiting, pleading for permission, but Jaden just stood there, frozen in the moment. "Fuck it!" Adam growled, and before Jaden could react, he closed the gap, his mouth claiming Jaden's in a slow, tender kiss.

For a moment, Jaden's body tensed, his mind reeling. But the warmth of Adam's touch, the softness of his lips—it was irresistible. Gradually, Jaden melted into him, his hands sliding around Adam's torso, tracing the contours of his firm, rippling abs, every line of his sculpted physique beneath the boy's fingertips. The kiss deepened, turning more desperate, more heated with every passing second. The taste of citrus, rose, violet, and oak moss mingled in the air between them, intoxicating Jaden's senses.

Adam's grip tightened, his solid chest pressing against Jaden's smaller frame, holding him as though he feared the boy would slip away. Jaden let out a moan, his body arching up into Adam's, drawn to the overwhelming heat radiating from him.

"Adam..." Jaden gasped against his lips.

But Adam ignored him, his tongue gliding into Jaden's mouth, cool and electrifying, sending a shiver down the boy's spine. The taste of Adam's cryokinetic energy was cold, almost burning as it slid down his throat with each stroke of his tongue.

Jaden's head swam, the intensity too much. "Stop," he panted, finally pushing Adam back. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, cheeks blushed a vivid crimson. He couldn't even look at Adam, embarrassment and confusion clashing within him.

Adam stood still, his expression torn between frustration and regret. "I'm sorry." He raked a hand through his hair, his composure unwound. "Goddammit!" he spat, turning on his heel and stomping out of the hallway.

This time, Jaden didn't stop him.