After Tess had finished unleashing a brutal verbal assault on Szedra, her head hung in silence. In an instant, Zack appeared before Tess, his actions swift and decisive. In the blink of an eye, Tess's life flashed before her as darkness descended upon her. A searing pain struck her cheek, and Zack's cry pierced through the air, overpowering even the faint flapping of the creature's wings. "Tess, that's enough!"
Zack's eyes widened as he saw a bloody tooth fly from Tess's mouth. With his raised palm still suspended in the air, he instinctively stepped back, the terror of the moment coursing through his body.
How had he managed to react like that? Memories of standing up to a bully resurfaced in Zack's mind, but instead of a brave blow, he had received a punch to the gut. The Professor's words about untapped power beyond their imagination echoed within him. He glanced at Szedra's lifeless form, his brows knitting together in determination.
