Anthony's hand rose.
"Begin."
Lucien moved before the word had fully settled, his body already committed to motion the instant the syllable left Anthony's mouth.
The crack of a rifle thundered behind him, not aimed at Jiang, but at empty space. The recoil exploded outward and Lucien was already gone, his body hurled forward by the force, boots skimming the ground as he accelerated. The distance between them collapsed in a blink, his silhouette blurring, speed stacking atop speed until he was less a person than a smear of motion cutting across the field.
Even Anthony's eyes narrowed. Fast, he thought, watching the boy close the gap in a fraction of the time he'd expected.
