The high-tech training arena buzzed with near-tangible energy, the electric blue grids on the walls throbbing in rhythm with the humming machinery. This was freshman year at Lightcrest University, the Tactical Combat Training for Ultra-Tellurians class—where raw talent was shaped into something formidable. The arena itself, vast and intimidating, was designed to mimic real-world environments. Above them, holographic projections flickered, casting shadows across the floor as they displayed data for the upcoming battle.

Skylar stood beside Adam, his gaze calculating as he observed their surroundings. The ambiance crackled with apprehension, their nerves heightened under the intense lights that illuminated every inch of the colossal room. Adam was wound tight, his muscles coiled like a spring, barely containing the reckless energy thrumming beneath his skin. Even as a level-A ultra-tellurian back then, he wasn't much different: a wild, untamed frost—rash, uncontrolled, and dangerous.

Skylar's voice was calm, his demeanor composed despite the growing storm beside him. "We need a plan." He glanced at Adam, already rolling his shoulders like a boxer preparing for a fight. "You can't just bulldoze through this."

"I can take them," Adam grunted, his jaw clenched with tenacity. His blue eyes blazed with that familiar cold fire, the same spark that haunted Skylar now, long after this memory had passed. "Trust me. You don't need to do anything."

Skylar smirked, cocking his head slightly. "Are you always this arrogant?"

Before them, their opponents—two senior students—stood with casual confidence, their stances relaxed, but their eyes were sharp, watching. They were level-A ultra-tellurians too, battle-hardened and poised, with the kind of experience freshmen like Adam and Skylar could only dream of.

"Adam, wait!" Skylar hissed, but it was too late.

Adam was already charging ahead before the match was even officially underway. His fists balled as his cryokinesis flared to life. The temperature plummeted, and a layer of frost spread beneath his feet. With effortless grace, he glided across the ice, unrefined power propelling him straight toward their opponents.

The seniors didn't hesitate. The first one spotted Adam barreling ahead and clapped his hands with a thunderous boom, sending a shockwave rippling and smashing into Adam head-on. The force hit immediately, lifting the young Winter Wolf off the ground and tossing him through the air like a ragdoll.

"Shit," Skylar cursed under his breath, his instincts kicking in as he bolted after Adam. He barely noticed the second senior, now airborne thanks to jet propulsion, swooping in above Adam's tumbling form. With a sweep of his hand, the second senior conjured a swirling vortex of wind that slammed Adam down, crushing him into the ground.

Skylar's heart lurched, but he didn't falter. He darted forward, catching Adam just before the Winter Wolf could crash onto the arena floor again, his breath ragged with exertion. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met—Adam's burning with frustration, Skylar's steely and steadfast.

But the respite was short-lived when the first senior pounded his hands onto the ground. A current of vibrations erupted from him, unleashing a powerful quake that shook the arena.

Skylar barely had time to register the danger before the shockwave struck them, launching both him and Adam off the arena like they were mere pebbles rattling in the face of a seismic tremor. The world spun, the arena lights blurring into a mess of colors as they tumbled out of control. When they finally crashed against the cold metal wall, the impact jarred Skylar's vision. He winced, pain flowing through his body. Beside him, Adam groaned, more bruised in pride than in flesh.

Skylar wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked. "Told you—you can't bulldoze through everything."

"Get up, boys! And get ready for round two!" barked the professor, his voice echoing through the vast arena. "Try not to get knocked off the arena in less than a minute this time."

Adam grumbled as he hauled himself to his feet. The first round had been a mess—his cryokinetic power potent but wild, undisciplined. He was a force of nature, but even nature needed direction. Skylar, however, had already dissected the seniors' strategy—their seamless coordination, their precision, and how he could exploit every weakness in their defenses.

"Look, I know you're strong, but brute strength won't cut it. They've got a system—one of them disrupts your momentum, and the other finishes the job." Skylar sighed, raking a hand through his dark hair. "We need to work together like they do. We need a plan."

Adam hesitated, his eyes flitting between the two seniors, boldly waiting across the arena. "Fine, hit me with it," he conceded. "What's the game plan?"

Skylar's face set in dogged determination, his voice dropping into a measured tone. "The first guy's ability is thunder pulse. He needs contact to generate shockwaves. All you have to do is keep him from hitting anything solid."

Adam nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "And the other guy?"

"Aeroflux," Skylar explained. "He controls air currents, which gives him speed and mobility. But if you freeze the moisture in the air, it'll get too heavy for him to manipulate."

Adam considered for a minute, the gears in his mind turning. "So I slow them down and block their powers, and you...?"

"I'll knock them off the arena," Skylar said with a sly grin.

Adam crossed his arms, scowling. "That's not fair. You get all the action."

Skylar snickered. "Trust me, you'll have plenty of action. Just concentrate on freezing the air and keeping them from landing a hit."

Before Adam could protest further, the professor's voice boomed once more. "Ready. Start!"

The arena surged back to life. This time, Skylar took the lead, charging in with blistering speed. His chi energy radiated, enveloping him in a shimmering golden aura. The thunder pulse senior reacted promptly, slamming his foot into the ground with a deafening thunder. The arena quaked as jagged cracks splintered across the floor, tearing the terrain apart. But Skylar was already three moves ahead, gliding above the chaos, his chi lifting him like a hawk homing in on its prey, untouchable and precise.

Then the aeroflux senior's hands twisted as he conjured tornadoes that spiraled menacingly toward Skylar. The first tornado screamed past him, barely missing its mark. The second one zeroed in fast, its winds howling as it sought to pull him into its vortex. Skylar's eyes narrowed. In one fluid motion, he extended his staff, the metal gleaming under the bright arena lights, and swung it in a sweeping arc. His chi blazed, releasing a torrent of energy from the staff's tip. It collided with the tornado, shattering the vortex in an explosion of wind and light.

The seniors exchanged uneasy glances, their confidence waning as Skylar closed the distance between them. Panic etched deep lines into the thunder pulse senior's face. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he raised his hands, preparing to clap and send a devastating sonic wave at Skylar.

But Skylar was faster. "Now, Adam!" he shouted.

All eyes were on Skylar, and the seniors had forgotten about Adam standing across the arena. With a swift thrust of his hand, Adam's cryokinetic power coursed through him. The moisture in the air around the thunder pulse senior's hands condensed into delicate specks of snow. In an instant, the snowflakes multiplied, coiling around his hands like icy chains, locking him in place.

"What the fuck!" the thunder pulse user snarled. He whipped his head around, catching sight of Adam in the distance, a smug grin tugging at his lips. "You punk!" the senior roared, lifting his leg to stomp and generate another shockwave.

Fortunately, Adam had seen it coming. With a flick of his wrist, the ground beneath the senior's foot froze solid. Thick, jagged ice erupted from the floor, wrapping around his leg like an icy prison. The senior's foot never touched the ground, frozen mid-motion, trapped before he could unleash any more destruction.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Adam's smirk widened as the thunder pulse senior struggled, his fury rising with each passing second. His muscles tensed, but the ice held firm, unyielding.

Meanwhile, Skylar was a blur, darting as the aeroflux senior unleashed concentrated blasts of wind. The wind blades sliced with lethal precision, sharp enough to cut through steel. Skylar twisted and rolled, narrowly evading each strike like a dancer weaving through danger.

As he neared his target—the thunder pulse senior still trapped in Adam's ice—Skylar's eyes locked in, his chi energy intensifying with every heartbeat. Dodging one last wind blast, he propelled himself onward and swung his staff with all his might. The impact was brutal. The crack of metal against flesh echoed across the arena as the blow connected with the thunder pulse senior's chest, launching him off his feet. The senior hurtled back, arms flailing, before ramming into the barrier at the arena's edge and tumbling out of bounds.

Skylar landed softly, his boots barely making a sound as they touched the ground. He shot a quick glance at Adam, who gave him a curt nod of approval. Across the arena, the aeroflux senior seethed with fury, his partner already down. Winds whirled violently around him, whipping the air into a raging storm. He was ready to let loose his full power on Skylar and Adam. Nonetheless, the odds had turned against him—now, it was two against one.

Adam was already prepared to counter the attack. He clenched his fists, and an intense, bone-chilling cold radiated from him, engulfing over the arena like a frozen tide. The air turned thick, shimmering with millions of tiny ice crystals as the temperature decreased rapidly.

The swirling winds began to slow, the aeroflux senior struggling to maintain control as the freezing air grew dense and heavy. His once-powerful gales weakened under the oppressive weight of the cold, the ice crystals disrupting his manipulation of the wind.

"I don't believe it!" The areoflux senior's face flushed with disbelief, his mouth falling open in shock as his attacks faltered. The winds around him sputtered to a halt, frozen in the icy atmosphere Adam had created. He took a nervous step back, realizing he was in trouble as Adam and Skylar advanced on him

Adam smiled, clearly impressed with how the plan was working. He turned to Skylar and said, "Maybe you do know what you're doing."

"Maybe?" Skylar raised a brow. "I just saved your ass."

Adam's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I want to finish this one."

Skylar shrugged, a grin twitching at his lips as they both approached the aeroflux senior. "Be my guest."

The aeroflux senior, now cornered and trembling just a bit from the cold, growled in agitation, "You'll pay for this."

Adam barely acknowledged the threat. "Whatever," he muttered, his tone dripping with indifference. A blast of ice burst from his palm, the frigid energy colliding with the aeroflux senior and sending him flying across the arena. The impact reverberated through the space with a dull thud as the senior bashed into the far wall, defeated.

The victory lights flashed vibrantly across the arena, signaling their win. Round two was theirs.

As the third and final round began, Adam and Skylar stood side by side, a newfound bond forged in battle. Adam, the reckless powerhouse, and Skylar, the calculating strategist—together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

However, the dream started to shift. Skylar's triumphant smile faded as the lights flickered. For a split second, the arena was bathed in blinding white radiance, but then everything dimmed. The gleaming walls darkened, and the faces of the seniors distorted, like shadows stretching too far.

Skylar blinked, his focus wavering as the familiar sheen of the arena felt too distant, too unreal. The memory unraveled, giving way to something darker, more foreboding. The image of Adam beside him dissolved, supplanted by the harsh, bitter reality of the present.

"How the hell could you pull this shit on me? Why didn't you just talk to me?" Adam's voice bellowed in Skylar's ears, filled with rage, hurt, and betrayal. The sound was deafening, like the roaring winds of a blizzard. Skylar couldn't respond.

Adam's fists, hard as glaciers, connected with Skylar's body. Each blow landed with the magnitude of an avalanche, knocking the breath from Skylar's lungs. Pain seared through him, but it wasn't the physical pain that cut the deepest—it was the agony in Adam's eyes, the raw fury of someone betrayed by his closest friend.

"We could've worked something out. You didn't have to go and break the damn laws and screw me over."

Skylar tried to speak, tried to explain, but nothing came out. He deserved this, and in an ironic way, he welcomed the punishment. It was easier than facing the truth of what he'd done.

The world spun around him, memory and reality blurring in a haze of confusion and pain. The arena was gone, replaced by Adam's rage and the consequences of Skylar's betrayal. The weight of everything—the lies, the broken trust, the loss—pressed down on him, suffocating.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the dream warped again.

Skylar jolted awake, drenched in sweat. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, his heart racing in his chest. The remnants of the dream clung to him—Adam's anger, the blows, the pain. He could still feel the phantom ache in his ribs, but it was nothing compared to the hollow emptiness gnawing at his soul.

Blinking, disoriented, Skylar's eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. The stark, clean lines of the minimalist suite gradually came into focus. The whirr of the refrigerator resonated from the adjacent kitchen, just beyond the living area where he had been sleeping. The scent of coffee lingered in the space—someone must have brewed some earlier. The unadorned walls reminded Skylar of the suites he had shared with his friends during his freshman and sophomore years. Memories resurfaced, merging with his present surroundings, disorienting him further.

Movement caught the corner of his eye, and instinct overrode thought. Without hesitation, Skylar lunged, his hand wrapping around the figure's throat with a vice-like clasp. He shoved the person against the wall beside the entryway to the kitchen, vision still foggy, adrenaline pumping through him like wildfire, silencing any sense of reason.

A strangled gasp escaped the figure as their hands clawed at Skylar's wrist, their nails biting into his skin in a frantic attempt to break free. Skylar's grip only tightened, every fiber of his being screaming danger.

"Who are you?" Skylar hissed.

The figure wheezed, struggling to form words. "I-I... saved you," he rasped, face flushed with panic as he gasped for breath.

"Skylar, stop!" a familiar voice cut through the daze.

But Skylar was too far gone. His free hand snapped forward, a surge of chi exploding from his palm—an instinctual strike against any threat. The bolt of energy scorched the air as it ricocheted off the bare walls, warping the sterile lines of the room. The force rippled through the angular furniture, twisting the polished countertops as the strike closed in on the voice.

"Luce stellarum!" Jaden's voice rang out like a command from the heavens, and a rainbow-hued orb ignited between them. The multicolored starlight burst into the room, intercepting the oncoming chi bolt and casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the sleek surfaces. The luminous energy chased away the fog clouding Skylar's vision, lifting the haze like morning mist under the rising sun.

"Jaden?" Skylar's breath hitched. The wild rush of adrenaline subsided, the vivid colors of Jaden's starlight grounding him in the present before the brilliance gently ebbed and faded away.

"Let him go!" Jaden demanded, striding briskly out from the narrow corridor that connected to the bedrooms. "He saved your life!"

Skylar's grip loosened, perplexity churning in his brain. He finally turned to the person he had pinned—soft features, wavy red hair, wide, terrified eyes staring back at him. "What...?" Skylar stammered, his hand still hovering near the young man's throat, no longer squeezing but trembling with the residue of adrenaline.

Jaden stepped forward, irritation engraved into his face. "That's Teddy, my roommate. You'd be dead if it weren't for him," he grumbled, grabbing Skylar's hand and pulling it away from Teddy's neck.

Skylar stumbled back, the guilt burying him like a landslide. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."

Teddy coughed, massaging his throat, his voice raspy but steady. "Yeah... I can tell," he muttered with a nervous laugh. "What was that all about? Nightmare or something? You were mumbling in your sleep."

Skylar's mouth opened, but no words came out. His thoughts were a tangled mess, too rattled to explain what had just happened. The memory of his dream still lingered like a ghost. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, a futile attempt to shake off the pressure of his own remorse.

Jaden's stare didn't waver. He was watching Skylar closely, concern masked behind the irritation, but Skylar couldn't meet his eyes. The unspoken tension between them was palpable.

Sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, Teddy cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Well, uh... I'm just gonna head out," he said, awkwardly glancing at the clock mounted near the door to the suite. "Nothing worse than an 8 AM class on a Friday, right?" He mustered a smile, grabbing his bag and making a hasty exit, eager to escape the gloom of the unspoken conflict.

The door clicked shut, and Skylar ran a hand through his tousled hair. The pressure in his chest refused to ease. He sank back onto the grey couch where he had been resting, pulling up his shirt to inspect the injuries he was sure he'd find—only to see none.

"Teddy's holy healing magic is a miracle, huh?" Jaden remarked.

Skylar's eyes shot daggers. "Why am I here, Jaden? Did Adam ask you to keep tabs on me before he drags me to the Spectral Defenders?"

Jaden shook his head. "I was the one who brought you here, and I am not letting him take you anywhere. Not until you tell me everything."

"You think you can stop me if I want to leave?" Skylar's words came out with a blend of skepticism and provocation, his posture confrontational.

Jaden took a step closer, meeting Skylar's challenge head-on. "I am not as strong as Adam. But I've fought you twice now," he said, emphasizing Skylar's alias, "Gale of the Rebellion." He pulled up a chair and sat across from the older man. "I'd say we are pretty evenly matched, more or less. It is hard to compare ultra-tellurian's power with thaumaturge's, but considering you just woke up from being healed, I'd say I could take you if I had to."

Skylar didn't react. His gaze drifted past Jaden, fixating on a distant corner of the common living room, his mind seemingly far from the conversation at hand. The silence between them stretched longer this time, oppressive and taut, like one wrong word would snap whatever fragile thread was holding it all together.

Jaden sighed, his shoulders relaxing as he softened his tone. "Skylar," he began, "我是你的朋友，我不想跟你打架。我是想帮你。你到底发生了什么，跟我说吧。"

Skylar's lips curled into a faint, almost dismissive smile. "Man, your accent sounds like a dying cat," he mumbled, the amusement in his voice thin and fleeting.

Jaden blinked, then groaned dramatically. "Rude! I am trying my best here."

Skylar raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. "If that's your best, I'd hate to see your worst."

Jaden rolled his eyes, but a grin crept onto his face nonetheless, the tension breaking slightly. "I am only a quarter Chinese, okay? And it's not like I speak Mandarin every day."

"Oh, yeah? What's the other three-quarters? Bad at languages?" Skylar teased.

"A quarter Korean and half French," Jaden shot back, folding his arms defensively. "And, for your information, my Korean and French are flawless. Mandarin's just... a work in progress."

Skylar snorted, his first real reaction, and the most delicate glimmer of humor sparkled in his eyes. "I hope your French isn't as bad as your Mandarin."

Jaden pouted, throwing his hands up. "I can say 'croissant' just fine, thank you very much. And my Mandarin is not that bad."

Skylar chuckled, his expression lightening just a little. "Oh, it's definitely that bad. I'd suggest some tutoring. Like, immediately."

Jaden rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah, just keep piling it on. But seriously..." His grin withered, and his tone dropped into something more earnest. "I am not here to joke. I am your friend, Skylar. I don't want to fight you. Just... tell me what is going on. Whatever this is, I can help."

The brief moment of levity dissipated as quickly as it had arrived. Skylar's posture loosened, but the stiffness in his expression stayed rigid. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand more than you think." Jaden leaned forward, searching Skylar's visage for any cracks beneath that tough exterior. "I know you escaped Heng Qi Island after your father was killed, and that the warlord still has your home in his grip. I know you've been fighting to free it ever since, and you believe Van Boxtel Technologies is making that impossible. But what I don't understand is why you think you have to do this alone. If Van Boxtel is profiting off the suffering of your people, why not go through the system? Press charges, expose them. Why take this path?"

Skylar let out another chuckle, but this time it was hollow, devoid of any real humor. Shaking his head, he retorted, "You're still too naïve, Jaden. You think the Cataclysm Federation doesn't know what Van Boxtel's up to? They know. They've always known."

"Then why are they not doing anything?"

"Because they don't care, as long as it doesn't happen on their soil," Skylar responded. "The Federation's got this convoluted, hands-off policy where as long as a corporation isn't breaking any laws within their borders, they don't interfere. Even if Van Boxtel's headquarters are in Veridian City, whatever shady deals they're making outside the Federation aren't their concern. They choose to ignore it because it's easier than interfering."

"So, they're just letting it happen?" Jaden echoed, his voice quieter now. "They know Van Boxtel's involved in war crimes and do nothing?"

"Exactly," Skylar stated. "And that's why I can't just sit back and play by the rules. They won't do anything, but I will."

Jaden couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of sympathy for his friend. Skylar wasn't just fighting a personal battle—he was trying to save an entire island, his home. Jaden had known for quite some time that the Cataclysm Federation had a Jacksonian approach to foreign policy, skeptical of intervention and preferring to remain neutral when it came to other states' affairs. But to this extent? To the point of willfully overlooking the atrocities a corporation headquartered within their own borders might be facilitating?

It made his stomach turn. He couldn't escape the thought of Van Boxtel—their omnipresent influence in Veridian City, the gleaming skyscrapers and flashy tech, all built on profits from selling technology to warlords abroad. And then there was Weston. Jaden's mind drifted to his new friend. Did he know what Van Boxtel Technologies was really up to—or worse, was he part of it?

A wave of doubt and bewilderment washed over the boy. Weston was brilliant, driven, but also part of Van Boxtel's inner circle. Could he really be oblivious to something this big, this horrific? Or was he choosing to look the other way, just like the Federation? The possibility chilled Jaden, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how little he actually knew about what went on behind Van Boxtel's polished exterior.

Nevertheless, this wasn't about Weston, at least not right now. This was about Skylar, sitting in front of him, angry, resolute, and ready to act because no one else would. Jaden's heart constricted. He wanted to help, wanted to find a way to fix things, but everything felt too big, too out of his reach.

"Skylar, what were your specific plans before Adam intervened yesterday?" Jaden asked.

Skylar grimaced at the mention of Adam's name, and he said nothing. He wanted to forget about yesterday, to bury it alongside every other moment that hadn't gone according to plan. But Jaden wasn't going to let it go.

"Skylar!" the boy pressed again, a bit more sternly this time, and it grated against the knot of frustration Skylar had been carrying for too long.

He considered brushing Jaden off, keeping his intentions hidden behind the thick wall of secrecy he'd built over the years. But the weight of it all felt different now—heavier, stifling. He'd been alone in this fight for so long, shouldering plans and missions that felt like they were only eroding more pieces of him away. Was there any point in staying silent anymore? He wasn't sure if he cared.

Straightening, Skylar tensed, feeling his muscles tighten like they were gearing up for battle. Maybe that is what this was: another battle, but this one was with himself. "I was just going to do what needed to be done," he declared, his voice low, almost mechanical. He knew Jaden wasn't going to be satisfied with such a vague answer, but part of him didn't care. The plan had already unraveled. What difference would it make?

Jaden frowned. "And what does that entail?"

Skylar could see it in the way the silver-haired boy's eyes narrowed, the way his body leaned forward like he was trying to bridge the emotional distance between them. And for the first time, Skylar felt the gnawing pull of something unfamiliar—a desire to share the burden. The lurking truths he had kept buried for so long threatened to surface. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was the futility of keeping everything locked inside. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted someone to know.

"What does it entail?" Jaden repeated, the silence spanning between them like a strained wire, on the verge of breaking.

Skylar exhaled sharply, the sound harsh and tired, before finally surrendering. "I was planning on kidnapping Wilton Van Boxtel," he muttered, almost to himself.

Jaden's reaction was instant, the shock written all over his face. Skylar felt a strange sense of satisfaction in seeing it. There was something oddly freeing in saying it out loud, even if it was madness.

"W-What? Kidnap... Wilton Van Boxtel?" Jaden stammered, his pulse quickening as the significance of those words hit him. His brain scrambled to make sense of it all. "Why? How would that help you defeat the warlord?"

Skylar's lips pressed into a thin line before parting slowly, revealing the cold, methodical plan he had been compelled to devise. "Because Wilton isn't just the head of Van Boxtel Technologies—he is Van Boxtel Technologies. He has cybernetic implants in his brain—implants that enhance his technokinesis and link him directly to the Van Boxtel network. I was going to hack into those implants and upload a virus designed to bring down their whole digital infrastructure."

He couldn't even bring himself to sound emotional about it anymore. It was just fact—like everything else in his life, reduced to calculated moves on a chessboard. But as he spoke, he realized the truth beneath it: he was tired. Tired of doing it all alone.

"You were... going to hack his brain?" Jaden's voice trembled, disbelief dripping from each syllable.

Skylar nodded, unflinching. "That's right. Once the virus is in, it would spread through every server and system, completely dismantling all of Van Boxtel's technologies and connected devices—including the surveillance systems, firewalls, drones, and robotic sentinels that keep my island under the warlord's control."

Skylar spoke with a chilling calmness, a matter-of-factness that sent a shiver down Jaden's spine. It was like he was reciting the weather, not explaining a plot to bring down one of the most powerful entities in the world. Jaden studied Skylar's features, yearning for a glimpse of doubt, a chink in the armor of resolve that had always defined him. But all the boy found was the brooding grit of a man set to burn everything down for a chance to free his home.

"You cannot be serious!" Jaden blurted out. "Do you even know what that kind of move would do? You are not just taking down Van Boxtel's systems—you are talking about crippling the entire digital framework of Veridian City and everything connected to it. Millions of people rely on that infrastructure. Hospitals, schools, security grids... everything. And Wilton—" he paused, the horror of the possibility replaying in his mind. "You could kill him, Skylar. Are you truly prepared to cross that line?"

"If it comes to that? Yes. I won't lose any sleep over Wilton's death," Skylar spat, his tone seething with contempt. "And Veridian City will survive. They don't need Van Boxtel's tech. But my people? They won't survive another year under Xiong Jianpei. Every second I waste here, more lives are lost on Heng Qi Island."

"But how can you be sure this will even work? A tech empire as massive as Van Boxtel must have redundancies in place. There is no way a single virus can bring down their operation. You could trigger something catastrophic for nothing."

Skylar scowled, his glare piercing with conviction. "There are no redundancies. When I broke into Van Boxtel's data vault, I found the one thing that changes everything," he said. "Back in June, Van Boxtel Technologies' space station—its critical backup system—was destroyed."

Jaden's brows furrowed as his silver bangs fell over his eyes. "Destroyed? How?"

"It was shot down from somewhere in Virginia by an unidentified magical beam," Skylar replied. "Without the space station, Van Boxtel Technologies no longer has a failsafe. Any disruption to their ground-based infrastructure, and the whole system crashes. My virus would have a clear path to infect and shut down the network, with no backup systems to stop it."

Jaden was quiet for a couple of seconds, digesting this new information. "You really have everything planned out," he finally spoke, the apprehension in his voice giving way to a resigned astonishment.

Skylar didn't respond. He pushed him off the couch. His mind raced as he moved toward the door. Every second counted. There was no room for hesitation or doubt—not when his people's liberation hung in the balance.

The exhaustion burrowing into his bones didn't matter. He could rest when Supreme Leader Xiong Jianpei was gone. He could rest when Heng Qi Island was liberated. This was his last chance. His only chance. His father had died fighting for their freedom, and his mother... she had sacrificed everything to send him away from the island, to keep him alive in the hopes that one day he would return and set their people free. That day had come. It had to be today.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Wilton," Skylar answered, his hand already clutching the cold metal of the doorknob.

Before his next breath, Jaden sprinted across the room, his red sneakers skidding against the hardwood as he threw himself in front of the door. With a thud, his back hit the door, slamming it shut, his chest rising and falling with the momentum of his movement. "Hold on—"

But Skylar's patience snapped. "Jaden," he stated sternly, "I know you mean well. But if you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me. Because nothing you say is going to change my mind."

Jaden stood frozen in Skylar's path, taken aback by the fierceness of the older man's remark. He felt helpless, orbiting the black hole of uncertainty pulling him deeper inside. If only he had the kind of moral clarity that Adam or Skylar possessed. Adam always knew where his loyalty lay—with the Cataclysm Federation. His idea of justice was simple, clear-cut, the Federation way. Adam would have no problem deciding what to do in this instance. He'd probably arrest Skylar without a second thought.

Skylar, on the other hand, was so sure that the end justified the means. He was willing to collapse Veridian City if it meant freeing his people on Heng Qi Island. Jaden could see that conviction in every word Skylar spoke, every move he made. There was no second-guessing. Just a single-minded determination to do whatever it took.

But Jaden? He didn't know what to do. His brain careened, attempting to find some solution, some way out of this impossible situation. He wasn't like Adam or Skylar. He didn't see the world in black and white. He just wanted to fix things, to find a way where everyone could win. Maybe it was because he grew up watching his parents—political fixers who always seemed to have an answer for every problem, no matter how complicated. They never saw dead ends, only opportunities.

There had to be a third way, some middle path where everyone could get what they wanted—where Skylar didn't have to destroy everything and Wilton didn't have to die. But standing here, face to face with Skylar's unwavering resolve, Jaden wasn't sure he could find it.

"The space station's destruction has already severed Xiong Jianpei's militants from Van Boxtel's global command," Skylar added. "They're blind now—no way to track my people. The resistance is mobilizing as we speak. Van Boxtel's network is the last thing standing between us and freedom. I have to do this."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not letting you leave," Jaden said.

Skylar was done talking. Without hesitation, he grabbed Jaden's shoulder with the intent to shove him aside, but Jaden swatted Skylar's hand away with surprising swiftness. A sudden palm strike followed, driving into Skylar's chest and forcing him to stumble back.

"Jaden!" Skylar shouted.

Annoyance welled up inside him. With a growl, he rushed in to land a punch, aiming for Jaden's face. But Jaden sidestepped fluidly, and Skylar's fist collided into the door behind the boy with a resounding bang, leaving a dent. Before Skylar could recover, Jaden's palm radiated with rainbow starlight, and a jolt of magical energy blasted Skylar across the room.

Skylar groaned, finding his footing. "I don't have time for this," he mumbled darkly.

But Jaden was already moving. He dashed toward a glass jar filled with rainbow origami lucky stars, snatching it off a nearby table. He popped the cork off the jar, eyes alight with persistence as he began to chant: "Stellae oriuntur, capturam figite. Arcus lucis, inimicum claudite."

The origami stars shimmered to life, their folded points glowing softly as if infused with ethereal energy. One by one, they floated out of the jar, swirling in graceful arcs around Skylar, forming a dazzling, choreographed dance of light. The stars aligned swiftly into a perfect five-pointed formation, hovering in midair like sentinels.

Abruptly, the air around Skylar hummed with power. A radiant surge of rainbow light erupted from the stars, casting an iridescent barrier that encircled him, trapping him in a gleaming, otherworldly prison.

"What the hell are you doing?" Skylar yelled, slamming his fist against the iridescent barrier. The energy repelled him instantly, pushing him back with a momentum that rattled his bones. "Stop playing games! If you want to fight, then fight me head-on. Don't trap me in here like this."

"I've told you—I don't want to fight you, but I'm not going to let you kill anyone either. There has to be another way," Jaden replied. "Besides, you might've had a shot at kidnapping Wilton yesterday. But now? Not with him locked up at Van Boxtel headquarters. Security is on high alert after your last stunt. You'll never get close to him."

Skylar glared at Jaden as he banged against the barrier again, yet it held firm. Jaden ignored his protests and strolled over to the living room table, retrieving his yellow Jansport backpack.

"I have a class to get to," Jaden said casually, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "After I'm done, I will talk to Adam. Maybe we can figure something out together."

Skylar pounded on the shimmering barrier, his knuckles bruising against the relentless force. "Adam? Don't be ridiculous. He can't wait to hand me over to the Spectral Defenders. He'll never help."

Jaden paused at the door, turning back with a small, knowing smile. "I think, deep down, he still cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped me carry you here in the first place."

Skylar gritted his teeth, frustration mounting. Before he could say anything else, Jaden turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Skylar behind in the glowing cage of stars.