Immobilization point, classic move!
Ethan knew full well—if that needle hit the right spot, he’d lose control of his upper body in a flash.
No time to jump, no space to dodge.
Thinking fast, he snapped his water bottle to his lower back.
Pfft!
The silver needle pierced straight into the bottle!
The killer lady flinched, yanking it out with a thin stream of water trailing behind.
Close one!
Ethan had no time to breathe.
He hurled the bottle straight at her face and leapt aside.
She caught it mid-air and launched a kick forward—bam!
Instead of hitting Ethan, she nailed Olivia square in the butt.
“Hey!” Olivia let out a yelp and turned in shock—only to see an icy-eyed woman glaring at her.
Furious, Olivia snapped, “What’s your problem?!”
The killer froze for a second and mumbled, “Sorry… wrong person.”
But Olivia wasn’t having it.
She shot her a glare, mumbled something about Donna under her breath, and marched forward while rubbing her rear.
Then her eyes landed on Ethan, who was standing off to the side trying not to laugh.
She ground her teeth in frustration.
Great.
Are you in this together?
We’ll settle this later!
At the same time, a crowd had gathered at the gate, pushing Donna outside.
Things quickly got packed.
In the chaos, Ethan slipped behind the distracted killer woman.
From his pocket, he pulled a spare syringe, popped off the cap, and with one clean stab—jabbed it into her back, right near the hip, using the body of the person between them as cover.
“Gah!” She gasped out in pain, whipping her head around—only to lock eyes with Ethan.
Her expression twisted in fury.
Ethan took off without hesitation, sprinting down South Street.
She spun and gave chase—but winced again.
Glancing down, her jaw clenched tight.
There it was—a needle jammed a good five centimeters deep, with an IV tube dangling after it like a tail.
Grimacing, she yanked it out and took off after him again.
You’re dead meat tonight!
Thud thud thud!
Ethan ran with everything he had, scanning roadside after roadside for a cab—but luck wasn’t on his side.
He must’ve covered a couple kilometers already, still no cabs in sight.
He pushed onward, reaching a footbridge up ahead.
He didn’t stop running, sneaking glances over his shoulder as he went.
His special vision gave him full clarity within 50 meters—but even beyond that, things were crystal enough.
So far, no sign of her.
God, please let her be gone…
VROOOM!
Out of nowhere, a black racing motorcycle screamed out from an alley.
Atop it, a black-dressed woman wearing dark shades—cold, sleek, deadly.
Ethan’s stomach dropped.
It was her.
She rocketed toward him like a bullet.
Ethan darted forward, praying his legs wouldn’t fail—the road ahead wide open and exposed.
There was nowhere to hide.
If she caught him, it was game over.
Frantically scanning his surroundings—then—bam.
To the west, a massive truck approached, ropes crisscrossing its cargo like a fishing net.
It was just about to drive under the bridge.
No time to think.
Ethan vaulted onto the guardrail like a spring, ready to jump—but instantly flashed forward in his mind:
He crashes headfirst into the cab, rolls off, then—wham—gets flattened by a car behind.
Crap.
His breath caught.
He waited two more seconds…
Then jumped.
Smack!
His body slammed into the mesh net atop the truck bed, bouncing slightly like he’d landed on a trampoline.Vroom!
The motorcycle screeched to a stop right where Ethan had jumped.
The killer beauty slammed the brakes, pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead, and peered down.
Seeing Ethan land safely on the netting, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Ethan, completely at ease, lay sprawled and shot her a lazy wave paired with a brooding look, as if to say “see ya.”
Another twinge shot through the killer beauty’s hip, making her wince.
Watching Ethan vanish into the night, she gritted her teeth.
“If I see you again, you’re done.”
With that, her bike roared and she disappeared into the darkness.
Ethan caught a whiff of strong fishy smell and twisted around to look under him.
Turns out, the truck he landed on was packed with seafood.
And trucks like this usually flew down the highway to avoid spoilage.
No way to hop off now.
He sighed and decided to just lie back and wait for a stoplight or something.
But the truck didn’t stop.
It sped on.
Exhausted from all the chaos, and rocked gently by the truck’s movement, Ethan quickly dozed off.
Pshhh!
Screeech!
The sharp hissing of air brakes jolted the entire truck.
Ethan woke with a jolt, spotted sunlight filtering through, and bolted upright in a panic.
They were at a highway exit.
He couldn’t believe it—he’d slept the whole way!
Spotting the stop, he didn’t waste a second and rolled off the truck mid-pause.
He glanced up at the road sign.
They were now in Vennshore—over four hundred miles from where everything started.
He turned and saw the sprawling skyline in the distance.
Great.
Now he had to get back somehow.
He checked his pockets—no phone, no wallet, nothing.
Totally broke.
Worse, he was stuck in the middle of the highway.
Getting a ride here wouldn’t be easy.
“No way I’m walking all that way back,” he muttered, moving toward the on-ramp to study the flow of cars joining the highway, eyes scanning for a potential free ride.
He waited half the morning.
No luck.
No one stopped.
He was starving and starting to feel the panic creep in.
Just then, a bright blue Ferrari 488 rolled up.
Behind the wheel was a stunning girl, glowing with energy.
A quick scan with his special vision revealed her student ID tucked into her pocket—Chloe Sparks from Cloudshore Music Conservatory.
Ethan’s eyes lit up.
He’d definitely heard of her.
She was a star at the conservatory, once ranked fifth in Project Voice, with a firecracker personality that earned her the nickname Pepper.
Perfect.
Eyeing the sleek car and the girl behind the wheel, Ethan quickly stepped forward, waving both arms wildly.
“Chloe! Chloe! Chloe!”
Chloe was just about to speed up when she noticed a guy flailing in front of her car like some kind of excited frog.
She rolled down the window cautiously.
Hearing him shout her name made her pause and tap the brakes.
“Who…
are you?”
“Chloe, I’m Ethan!
You go to the music conservatory, right?
I’m from the med school next door,” Ethan leaned in with a boyish grin.
“Big fan of yours. How about helping a fellow student get back to campus?”
Chloe frowned, eyeing his worn-out clothes and the not-so-subtle smell of fish clinging to him.
“I don’t know you.
Step back.”
“Please, Chloe.
I lost my wallet and my phone.
I’m stuck here,” Ethan said, his gaze softening into that signature moody look.
Despite herself, Chloe paused.
Yeah, he looked rough, but behind all that, he had those deep, soulful eyes.
The kind that made people wonder what he’d been through.
“…Alright. If you can prove you’re not some random weirdo, I’ll let you hitch a ride.”