Jayden exhaled a long breath, releasing the Matter Absorption. The heavy tungsten lted away, leaving his normal, exhausted body behind.
He dismissed the system notification, not caring about the numbers right now.
But before he could even catch his breath, the heavy steel doors to the roof blew open.
"There he is!"
Twenty Black Cobra guards sward onto the roof, weapons raised.
Jayden’s Dragon Eyes flared, scanning the crowd. Almost all of them were Evolved, their auras pulsing with various combat abilities.
Jayden cursed under his breath. He was drained. The tungsten armor had taken a massive toll on his stamina, and his tactical suit was barely holding together. He couldn’t fight twenty Evolved guards in this state.
Seeing Scorched’s dead body on the ground, the guards went feral. "Kill him!" the captain roared.
Energy bolts and elental attacks rained down. Jayden threw his hands up, using the last dregs of his telekinesis to form a shimring shield, desperately deflecting the barrage. Energy bolts scattered. A kinetic blast rocked him back two steps. The telekinetic shield cracked under the pressure.
Jayden gritted his teeth. His tungsten skin was gone—he couldn’t reform it, not yet, not without rest he didn’t have. He was also too tired to use fire. And getting close to use direct combat or poison was impossible. He’d be shot down before taking two steps.
He had no choice.
He had to go Lycan.
He reached inward, preparing to trigger the transformation and slaughter them all. He was about to activate the ultimate titan, when—
"JAYDEN!"
A familiar voice echoed from the sky above.
Jayden looked up.
It was Cassandra.
On the hoverbike. Hovering twenty ters above the roof, one hand extended toward him, terror and determination warring on her beautiful, bruised face.
She had co back for him.
"Co on!" she scread over the gunfire.
Jayden didn’t waste a millisecond. He dropped his shield, channeled his telekinesis into his boots, and launched himself off the edge of the roof, catching her outstretched hand and swinging onto the seat behind her as bullets and energy bolts carved the air where he’d been.
He wrapped his arms around Cassandra’s waist as she gunned the engine.
They shot away from the facility, weaving through the night sky as a futile barrage of energy bolts trailed behind them, falling harmlessly out of range.
As they flew toward the safety of the darkness, Jayden looked back over his shoulder at the receding shape of the facility. His chest tightened.
He had Cassandra, yes, but he couldn’t shake the image of the other cells. The other terrified faces looking through the glass. He felt a heavy pang of guilt, but he pushed it down.
"Another day," he promised himself silently. "I’ll co back for them."
But not today.
Cassandra’s voice drifted back to him, soft against the wind. "Jayden, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"You ca back for ," Jayden countered.
"I told you to win." Cassandra chuckled. "I had to make sure you actually did."
Jayden chuckled softly but didn’t say anything. They kept flying in silence, cruising across the night sky.
Eventually, they found an abandoned building on the outskirts of Jade city, so residential complex long condemned, its bones picked clean by scavengers and ti. It was empty now, condemned, perfect to lay low and rest a bit before heading ho.
Cassandra climbed off the bike shakily, and Jayden caught her as her legs gave out.
"Easy," he said softly. "I’ve got you."
He carried her inside the buildings, found a relatively clean room on the second floor, and set her down gently.
She was shaking slightly, still rattled by everything that’d happened. But she was safe.
Jayden pulled the small dical kit from his inventory.
"Alright," he murmured, handling her gently. "Let’s get you patched up. I can’t take you back to your mom looking like that."
Then he began treating her injuries.
He worked with clinical precision, applying antiseptic to the rope burns. He prepared a hydration pack and nutrient paste, among other supplies. Then, he administered a healing serum that imdiately acted on the slight cuts and deeper bruises, slowly restoring her to full condition.
As he treated her, Cassandra looked up at him.
You’re good at this," she whispered.
Jayden smiled. "I have a bit of experience."
Cassandra chuckled. "With fighting? Or patching people up?"
Jayden t her eyes. "Both." When he finished, he stood up to leave but she caught his hand.
"You ca for ," she whispered, her eyes tearing up "Even after... after everything I said. After I pushed you away. You still ca."
"I promised I would," Jayden replied simply.
"But why?" Cassandra asked, tears streaming down her face. "I was so cruel to you. I said terrible things. I—"
"Because I care about you," Jayden interrupted gently. "Because you matter to more than you know. And because..." He took a breath. "Because I was an idiot. I was too stupid to see what was right in front of . Too stupid to see... you."
Cassandra was crying harder now. "Jayden—"
"I’m sorry," he continued. "For hurting you. For not being there when you needed . For being too scared to admit how I felt."
"How you felt?" Cassandra’s voice was barely a whisper.
Jayden t her eyes—those purple eyes that had haunted him for days.
"I love you, Cassandra. I think I have for a while," he sighed. "I was just too stupid and scared to say it."
For a mont, Cassandra just stared at him. Then she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
"I love you too," she sobbed. "God, Jayden, I love you so much. I was so scared I’d never get to tell you. That I’d die in that place and you’d never know."
Jayden held her tight, feeling her shake against him. "You’re safe now. I’ve got you. I’m never letting you go again."
They stayed like that for a long ti, holding each other in the darkness, the horrors of the past few days finally beginning to fade.
Eventually, Cassandra pulled back slightly, looking up at him.
"That place... the things they did... Jayden, they were going to sell . Like property. To soone—" Her voice broke.
"They can’t hurt you anymore," Jayden said firmly. "They’ll never touch you again. I’ll make sure of it."
Cassandra studied his face, seeing sothing there that made her eyes widen slightly. "What are you going to do?"
"What needs to be done," Jayden replied, his voice cold and absolute. "The Black Cobra Syndicate hurt you. They’ve hurt countless others. And they’re going to keep doing it unless soone stops them."
Cassandra shook her head. "Jayden, you can’t—"
"I didn’t say I was going to do anything," Jayden cut in gently.
Cassandra scoffed. "But you will... I know you, Jayden," she sighed. "I know you’ll go after them."
Jayden smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t." He gently touched her face. "But first, I’m getting you ho. Getting you safe. The rest can wait."
Cassandra searched his eyes, then slowly nodded. "Okay."
Then, unexpectedly, she leaned forward and kissed him—soft, desperate, filled with everything they hadn’t said over the past days.
Jayden eyes widened. He didn’t expect that. But he kissed her back, softly, gently.
When they pulled apart, Cassandra was breathing hard.
"You should rest a bit," Jayden said quietly. "Just for a few hours. Then we’ll head back to Erald City, and get you ho."
"Will you stay with ?" Cassandra asked. "While I rest?"
Jayden smiled. "Always."
She curled up against him, and within minutes, exhaustion claid her.
Jayden held her while she slept, his mind already turning to what ca next.
There were still tons of people held captive in that facility. The Black Cobra Syndicate was still operating. And now they might be coming for him.
But that was a problem for tomorrow.
Tonight, Cassandra was safe in his arms.
And that was enough.
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