"What do you know about the Aethonix's powers?" Sylvester asked calmly.
"Aethonixs are the only race in the known universe with the ability to control lightning, but they don't wield such powers for free," Gabriel said, appearing beside Liam.
"What is the price they pay for the powers they have?" Liam asked.
"Their lack of emotions. In the coming future, you will discover that Aethonixs and humans are the same, just that the price of the Aethonix's powers is higher than ours," Sylvester replied as he disappeared, taking Elara with him.
"Where is he taking her?" Liam asked, staring into the empty space worriedly.
"Don't worry about that. If Mr. Sylvester wanted to kill her, he wouldn't need to take her somewhere secret to do it. We should be more worried about Adonis instead," Gabriel said as he reached out to touch Adonis's body, but Liam stopped him.
"There is no need to worry about him. I can assure you that even if you were to cut off his head, as long as you reattach it to his body, he would heal," Liam said, just as Adonis opened his eyes slowly.
"What happened?" Adonis asked, confused.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Liam asked, concern lacing his tone.
"I remember meeting you and a girl from the Techna family," Adonis said, standing up and looking around, bewildered. "Where are we, and what happened?" he asked, his gaze falling on the ruins of the mountain.
"You really don't remember?" Liam asked, his worry deepening when Adonis shook his head.
"Is there something I'm supposed to remember?" Adonis asked, his confusion apparent.
"Are you feeling disoriented or anything at all?" Gabriel asked.
"I feel like I shouldn't be here," Adonis said, scanning his surroundings again with a frown. "What really happened? Did I do all this?" he asked, gesturing toward the destruction.
"Let's get you out of here first," Liam said, helping him dust off his clothes.
In a concealed space created by Sylvester, Elara stood before him, her posture tense.
"You had a simple job: monitor him and report any changes you find. And you failed at it," Sylvester said, his intense gaze fixed on her.
"He didn't show any signs of losing his sanity," Elara replied, meeting his stare coldly.
"I'll have to report this to your father, and I'm sure you know he won't take this lightly," Sylvester said, sighing deeply.
"Whatever he thinks isn't my problem. He gives an order, and I follow," Elara said without a hint of concern.
"You know he's your father and not some human military commander, right?" Sylvester asked, his voice softening slightly.
Elara's gaze turned icy as frost began forming in the space around her. "If he is my father, let him act like one."
Sylvester raised his hands in surrender. "I agree with you on that one, but you should know that he still hasn't gotten over your mother's death."
"That's just an excuse," Elara snapped, the frost intensifying.
"Fine, I'll leave the matter alone. When did you notice Adonis's change in behavior?" Sylvester asked, and the frost gradually disappeared.
"This morning, not long after we got to school," Elara replied.
Sylvester's eyes widened. "So you mean all that anger and spite came out of him in just a few hours?"
"Yes. I warned you all to show him a little kindness. Now I'm certain that even if you were to free him now and shower him with gifts, he wouldn't see a need to protect a race that only inflicts pain on its own," Elara said before vanishing into the shadows.
Sylvester sighed as he let her go. "But you forget he has to stay an emotionless killing machine to function at his peak," he murmured before the space around him dissolved, revealing the sky above.
Back at the school compound, Elara emerged from a pot's shadow. "How is he feeling now?" she asked Liam, who shook his head.
"Adonis, how are you feeling?" Elara asked, smiling brightly at him.
"I feel like I'm a wild dog that needs to be controlled," Adonis replied, his face cold.
"Back to normal, I see," Elara said, her smile faltering as her eyes reflected sadness upon meeting Adonis's blue, empty ones.
"Did you tell him what he did?" she whispered to Liam.
"Yes, I told him everything—except the part where we would have to discuss his race," Liam whispered back.
"What are you two discussing?" Gabriel asked, appearing behind them.
"It's nothing," Elara said, walking away.
"I don't believe you. Why were you whispering if it was nothing?" Gabriel asked, suspicion and curiosity in his eyes. Whatever you both can't tell me, I'll find out, he thought, catching up with Elara to pester her further.
Later that evening, Elara, Adonis, and Liam returned home. When it was time for dinner, they gathered at the dining table. Wade sat at the head, a broad smile on his face.
"How was your first day at school, Adonis?" Wade asked.
Adonis raised his head from his food, meeting Wade's cheerful gaze. "It was better than training with you. First, a teacher verbally attacked me but couldn't do anything because the principal protected me. Later, the principal and I had a sparring session," Adonis said before returning to his meal.
"That's good. You must be exhausted from the sparring session. Why don't you eat more tonight?" Wade suggested, his smile unwavering.
The whole table stared at him in surprise. "You all shouldn't look at me like that. I'm not human, you know. I still understand kindness," Wade said, chuckling nervously.
"Like we'd believe you," Liam muttered under his breath.
Adonis turned his piercing gaze to Wade. "Tell me what you want me to do for you," he said bluntly.
Wade's smile faltered briefly, a faint blush of shame coloring his cheeks before he masked it. "It's nothing much. I just want you to help me look into something at the school," Wade said, his tone serious.
Adonis set down his cutlery. "What is it that you need me to look into?"
"This is a critical matter. We've noticed that students at the school have been contacting extraterrestrial beings," Wade said. Liam and Elara exchanged shocked glances, while Adonis laced his fingers together, his expression unreadable.
"If those of you at the National level above the planet can't do anything about it, what makes you think we can effectively handle it?" Adonis asked, his voice calm but firm.
"We can't act because we're being monitored. Every move we make alerts the enemy," Wade explained. His words carried weight, and the others nodded in understanding.
"What will I get in return for helping you?" Adonis asked, his cold gaze fixed on Wade.
"You'll be treated like a human, and we'll ensure you aren't sacrificed for the so-called greater good of humanity," Wade said.
Adonis shook his head. "I don't care about all that. Your offer isn't attractive enough for me to take the risk," he replied before resuming his meal.
"We're talking about the safety of the entire human race here. Can't you show some concern?" Wade asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
Adonis set his cutlery down again, his gaze icy. "Has there ever been a time when you made me feel human? I owe nothing to a self-centered race," he said before standing up and leaving the table.
Adonis walked out of the dining hall, his movements sharp and deliberate. The others sat in silence, tension thick in the air. Liam glanced at Wade, his brow furrowed. "Did you think he'd agree to that? You should know by now he's done with empty promises."
"We don't have a choice," Wade said, his voice weary. "He's the only one who can do this without drawing attention. The rest of us are under constant surveillance."
"That doesn't make it right," Elara muttered, pushing her plate away. "He deserves better than being used as a tool."
Wade's eyes narrowed. "We all have to make sacrifices, Elara. This is bigger than any one of us."
Elara stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "Then maybe it's time you stopped expecting him to save a world that's never shown him compassion." Without another word, she left the room, her footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Liam leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. "You're losing them, Wade. Both of them. If you keep pushing like this, you'll have nothing left."