Shelby and Zane walked back to their hotel in silence.
Neither of them spoke. The tension between them wasn't from anger—it came from everything that had just transpired.
Shelby was quietly enduring the fatigue from excessive mana loss. The aftermath of activating a high-grade skill—one well above his qualification—was weighing on both his body and mind.
Zane, meanwhile, was stuck inside his own thoughts.
He kept replaying the moment—the punch from the masked lady. That terrifying pressure. The way his body locked up before the blow could even land. That helplessness.
Then came the duel. Shelby versus the masked woman.
Zane had already come to admire Shelby—as a role model, a mentor, and perhaps even a friend. But tonight, watching Shelby push himself to the brink just to protect him… it left a bitter taste in Zane's mouth.
He used such a dangerous skill… because of me.
Back inside Zane's suite, Shelby walked in and dropped onto the couch.
