For a moment, Jelo couldn't believe he was free. He stared at his now-free hands, turning them over slowly, flexing his fingers as if to confirm they were really his again. The restraints that had held him were gone. The machine's hum had stopped. He could move.

He processed it all in that single suspended instant.

Then instinct kicked in. He didn't yell at the scientist. That would be stupid. That would alert the man immediately and ruin any advantage he had. Instead, Jelo moved quickly and quietly toward Mira, intent on freeing her so they could face the scientist together. A two-on-one fight would be far better than trying to take on a level 10 ability user alone.

But as he took his first step toward Mira, the scientist suddenly turned back.

The man's eyes widened in shock as he saw that Jelo was no longer strapped to the machine. For a split second, his theatrical composure cracked completely, replaced by raw disbelief.

"You filthy rat!" the scientist exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch.

He immediately grabbed a sleek metallic gun from the table beside him and fired. Red laser bolts shot across the room, searing through the air with sharp crackling sounds. Jelo dodged instinctively, throwing himself to the side as the beams scorched the metal floor where he'd been standing just a moment before.

Without hesitation, Jelo rushed forward to meet the scientist head-on. He closed the distance in seconds, crashing into the man with all his weight and momentum. The impact knocked the scientist backward, and both of them hit the ground hard. The gun clattered away across the floor, spinning out of reach.

Jelo pinned the scientist down immediately, using his body weight to keep the man from escaping. Then he started hitting him with heavy blows, his fists slamming down again and again. Each punch landed solidly, but Jelo could feel the resistance. The scientist's invulnerability absorbed most of the damage, the skin barely bruising even under repeated strikes.

Dam it. The ability was just as frustrating as Jelo had feared.

The scientist grunted under the assault, but then he seemed to regain his bearing. With a sudden surge of strength, the scientist pushed Jelo off him with terrifying force. Jelo was thrown backward, his body lifting off the ground before crashing into the side of the machine he'd just escaped from.

The scientist scrambled to his feet and ducked behind one of the tables, putting a barrier between himself and Jelo. He was breathing heavily, but his eyes gleamed with manic energy.

"My, my! You're a feisty one, aren't you?" the scientist said, laughing as he spoke. The sound was high-pitched and unhinged, echoing through the bunker like broken glass scraping against metal.

Jelo pushed himself up, anger boiling in his chest. "Come out and stop acting like a coward!"

The scientist peeked over the edge of the table, grinning widely. "Coward? Oh, you poor misguided boy. Cowards aren't given enough credit, you see." He gestured dramatically, as if lecturing a classroom. "While the victors come and go, facing death head-on and being taken away by it, the cowards are smart. They know when to run. They know when to attack. They know when to stay low, when to speak up, and when to stay silent."

He stood fully now, still keeping the table between them, his expression shifting between amusement and something darker. "The victors are bound by a golden chain that makes them seem moral, makes them celebrated by the masses. But that same chain dooms them to death and destruction. It's inevitable."

The scientist pointed at Jelo accusingly, his grin widening. "You should think more about being a coward, my boy. In fact, I'd argue you're already on that path. After all, you could have attacked me the moment you were free. But you didn't. You knew you lost last time, so you chose to free your little friend first to gain a numerical advantage. Isn't that cowardice?"

At the mention of that statement, Jelo's Draconic Hoard flared violently inside him. The obsession, the rage, the burning need to dominate surged through his veins like molten fire. His vision narrowed, focusing entirely on the scientist.

He wasn't a coward. He wasn't.

Jelo found himself running after the scientist, driven by pure instinct and fury. But the scientist kept ducking behind tables, weaving between equipment, always staying just out of reach. He moved with surprising agility for someone his age, laughing the entire time like this was all some grand game.

"Come on, come on! Is that all you've got?" the scientist taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Then the scientist brought out a small remote from his coat pocket. He held it up triumphantly, waving it in the air like a prize. "Since you're so eager to fight, let's give you someone your size to play with, shall we?"

He pressed a button on the remote with exaggerated theatricality.

Three sharp click sounds echoed through the bunker.

Then the entire structure began to vibrate. A low rumbling filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. Jelo stopped mid-stride, his instincts screaming at him that something was very wrong.

Three doors suddenly opened in a section of the wall Jelo hadn't even noticed before. They slid apart with hydraulic hisses, and thick smoke poured out from the darkness beyond. The smoke spread across the floor like a living thing, curling and twisting as it moved.

Jelo frowned, his eyes fixed on the open doorways, wondering what was inside.

Then three monstrous beings stepped out of the doors, growling.

Jelo's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

The scientist laughed maniacally, throwing his head back as if this was the greatest joke he'd ever told. His voice rose to a near-shriek of delight. "Yes! YES! This is it! This is what I've been working toward! Perfection! Evolution! The pinnacle of biological engineering!"

He pointed at Jelo with wild enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming with madness. "Go, my children! Attack him! Tear him apart! Show me the limits of your capabilities! KILL HIM!"

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