The sun spilled gently across the room, thin golden beams slipping through the curtains and painting everything in a soft, hazy glow. The sheets slled faintly of lavender detergent and the warmth of two bodies wrapped in them. Jayden lay awake, propped on his elbow, simply watching.
Jessica stirred slowly, her lashes fluttering before her eyes opened. She blinked at him, still half-dreaming, only to find his gaze already fixed on her.
A sleepy smile tugged at her lips. "What are you staring at, stalker?" she teased, her voice husky with sleep.
Jayden smirked. "Your morning face." He brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. "It's beautiful."
Jessica snorted lightly, covering her face with the blanket. "Flatterer." she giggled.
"I'm serious." Jayden tugged the blanket down playfully, his golden eyes locking with hers. "I could stay like this and look at your face forever."
For a mont, Jessica just looked at him, her lips curving into a soft smile. But then she chuckled, shaking her head. "Yeah, I doubt Tasha would be pleased by that," she muttered, sitting up reluctantly.
She reached for her bra on the nightstand, strapping it back on before adjusting the neckline of her gown. Jayden's gaze followed her with quiet hunger, and before she could rise fully from the bed, his arms slipped around her waist from behind.
"Jayden..." she murmured, but her voice cracked into a soft gasp as his lips pressed against her nape.
He trailed slow kisses down her neck, each one sending goosebumps dancing across her skin. Jessica tilted her head unconsciously, eyes fluttering shut, a soft moan escaping her lips.
His hands began their upward journey from her waist, mapping the familiar curve of her body, steady but deliberate, fingertips grazing her ribs. He was careful, patient... until his palms pressed against her bosom, sliding higher with dangerous intent.
But Jessica's hand caught his just in ti. She turned her head, their noses brushing as her lips curved into a teasing grin. "Not this morning." she whispered playfully. "Maybe so other ti."
Jayden groaned in mock defeat, but his lips still caught hers in a lingering kiss before she pulled away fully. Jessica slipped off the bed, smoothing down her gown, and leaned in one last ti to plant a soft kiss against his mouth. "See you later, wolfboy." she said and began to walk away.
Jayden chuckled, watching as Jessica left the room, the faint jingle of the diamond pendant swaying on her chest. The door clicked softly shut as she walked out, leaving him in silence.
For a long mont, he lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a grin tugging at his lips. The mory of her body, her laughter, her warmth... it all stirred sothing deeper inside him. But then he sighed, shaking his head, forcing the thoughts away.
He had things to do.
By the ti Jayden erged from the shower, his head was clearer. He pulled on his black tracksuit, laced his boots tight, and set out to complete his daily quests. Running, climbing, lifting, and sparring against makeshift training dummies he'd crafted from beast-hide. The routine grounded him, sharpening his instincts, keeping him from drowning in emotions he wasn't ready to unpack.
When he returned ho, sweat still clinging to his skin, he didn't rest. He sat at his desk, booted up his system's holo-screen, and dove into long hours of research... the sa research he'd been obsessing over for days.
Geneva.
The EVA wasn't just an organization anymore, they'd beco a governnt body. They had their tendrils stretched across the human colonies, dictating evolution projects, beast research, military expansions.
And one of this colonies was Geneva, one of the five human planets.
The sun had long crept into the room by the ti Jayden pulled away from his desk, but sleep wasn't even a thought. His mind was caught, tangled in the sa obsession that had followed him since he was thirteen.
Finding his sister.
Seven years ago, after his mother died, he'd been taken in by Jacob—his mother's old friend. A man who wasn't family, but still stepped in when Jayden had no one else. Jacob was stern but kind in his own way. Still, he worked for the EVA, which ant Jayden always felt like there was an invisible wall between them.
Back then, Jacob had been part of the Creature Research Departnt. Jayden used to wait until the man went to bed, then sneak into his study like a thief, rifling through his files, trying to find even a scrap of information about Jasmine. The night those EVA agents dragged her away was burned into his brain, and he'd clung to the hope that sowhere, in Jacob's files, there would be a note, a location, sothing.
But there was nothing. Only sterile research papers about beast dissections, evolution serums, and containnt protocols. Jasmine's na never appeared.
Then, months later, Jacob was promoted... moved up into Managent. No more direct contact with research. No more files that could give Jayden a lead. When that happened, Jayden's nightly raids ended in defeat. He was left with one single breadcrumb: Jasmine had been transferred to a facility on Geneva.
Back then, Jayden didn't fully understand what that ant. Geneva wasn't just another city. It wasn't even another continent.
It was a planet.
The last habitable planet humans had discovered. At first, it was under the EVA's control, serving as a research hub for off-world projects. But five years ago, the EVA handed the reins over. Geneva declared its independence, building itself into a hub of cutting-edge technology and higher education. So called it the city of tomorrow. Others, the heart of human expansion.
For Jayden, it was just the place his sister might be. And that complicated things.
If Jasmine was still there, she would be under Geneva's jurisdiction now, not the EVA's. And if she wasn't... that would be way worse because there was no telling where she'd been moved.
Jayden leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. There was a probability that Jasmine wasn't on Geneva anymore, but at the sa ti, there was a slight chance that she was. And there was only one way to find out. Going there.
But that was the impossible part.
Interplanetary travel wasn't like hopping on a train. The shuttles that ferried people between worlds were massive, high-security crafts capable of bending space at near-light speeds. A single ticket cost more than most families earned in a lifeti. Even with the beast corpses and E-rank crystals Jayden had been selling on the side, it was a laughable dream.
And that left him with only two options;
The first was Sneaking aboard a shuttle. But that was a suicide mission. The EVA and Geneva alike guarded their ports with military precision. The security was iron-tight.
The second option was to be taken there as an asset. And that's when the idea hit him.
The National University in Geneva.
It wasn't just a school. It was the school. The pinnacle of human academia, combat training. and advanced technology. They didn't take applicants. They took assets. They scouted the best across every human planet... fighters, geniuses, anyone with potential to push humanity forward. And the only way to catch their eye was through the Global Tournant.
Jayden had known this for weeks now, but saying it to himself again made his chest tighten. If he wanted to reach Geneva, to even step on that soil, he had to make it into that university. And if he wanted that, he had to stand out in the tournant.. not just as good. Not just talented. But unforgettable.
It wasn't just about pride anymore. It wasn't about proving himself. This was about finding Jasmine.
And if he failed, he might lose his only plausible way to reach her.
Jayden leaned back in his chair, his jaw clenched as he stared through the sunlight spilling over the window. The city outside buzzed with ordinary life... children laughing, cars flying by, voices carried on the wind. But his mind was far away. On another planet. On another face.
"Hang in there, Jasmine," he whispered, voice thick with determination and an unshakable promise. "I'll find you..."
"...I promise."
Later at night- 10:35 PM
The house was silent. The kind of silence that pressed against the walls and made even the smallest creak sound like thunder.
Jayden pulled his black jacket snug across his chest, the fabric blending with the rest of his midnight attire. He eased the balcony door open, stepping out into the cool night air. The city below pulsed faintly with neon veins, but up here, all was still.
With one smooth motion, he vaulted the railing, dropping soundlessly onto the ground below. His knees bent, his muscles absorbing the fall like water. He straightened, brushing a stray lock of silver hair from his eyes.
That was when it ca, a voice... soft, feminine, amused.
"Nice landing."
Jayden froze. The voice cut clean through the quiet. He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing.
Tasha leaned lazily against the door fra, arms folded, the faint glow of the city outlining her silhouette. A black crop top peeked from under a brown jacket, paired with skin-tight black pants that accentuated her sharp, confident stance. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, sleek and no-nonsense.
Jayden let out a quiet sigh. "Hey, Tasha. What're you doing out here?"
Tasha tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "I could ask you the sa thing."
Jayden shifted, already reaching for the first excuse that ca to mind. "Well, I was just going—"
"Hunting?" Tasha cut him off, her tone flat.
Jayden blinked, stunned. "No, I... why would you think that?"
Tasha finally pushed off the fra and started toward him, her boots silent against the concrete. Her gaze never left his, sharp and unblinking. "Jayden... I know you've been going out at night... to hunt in the woods."
He opened his mouth, but she lifted a hand slightly, silencing him.
"And no," she added smoothly, "Jessica didn't tell . I saw for myself. You didn't honestly think your sneaking out every night was that discreet, did you?"
Jayden's throat tightened. He sighed, shoulders sagging with the weight of admission. "Fine. You got .. I have been hunting at night."
Tasha's lips curved into a small, knowing smile as she closed the distance. "I know." She let the words hang, then chuckled softly. "I figured it out days ago."
Jayden gave her a lopsided grin. "That's why I love you. You're so smart."
Tasha rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "Don't try to bribe with flattery, Jay. It won't work."
He smirked. "Fine. Then how can I bribe you?"
Tasha stopped right in front of him, close enough that he could see the glint of amusent in her blue eyes.
"Take with you," she said simply.
Jayden's eyes widened. "What?"
"I want to go hunting with you," she clarified, her voice steady. Her head tilted slightly, testing his reaction. "Unless, of course, you've got a problem with that."
Jayden swallowed hard. His instincts scread about the danger, about what it ant to drag soone else into his midnight battles. But on the other hand, Tasha was powerful and could take care of herself, plus... she doesn't take no for an answer.
Jayden exhaled. "Fine, you can co with. But just know, it could get dangerous."
"Good," Tasha whispered, already brushing past him, motioning with a flick of her hand for him to follow. "Let's go."
In his head, Luna's voice chid in, dry as ever.
[Damn, she can be bossy sotis]
Jayden sighed, trailing after her with a small, helpless grin tugging at his lips. "You have no idea."
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