James looked up while the man standing behind Amelia was Adrian.
For a second, James froze.
Not because Adrian was stronger than every enemy he'd faced, but because this fear came from before the Tower, before Team Zero, before Floor 9. This was the boy who used to bully him when they were younger while fire danced around his fingers and made James feel small and powerless.
James remembered being shoved into walls with enough force to leave bruises. He remembered being mocked in hallways where other students would laugh or look away because nobody wanted to become the next target. He remembered being forced to lower his head and apologize for things he didn't do because Adrian decided James was worth less than nothing and had no one to protect him.
