Hi, sorry for the delay! I took a few days off to travel, but I'm back now!

Enjoy!

Chapter XI – Fantastic …

The young man didn't understand what had happened. He had only tried to help—so why was she attacking him? He was lying on his back, barely processing how he'd ended up there. Thankfully, instinct had kicked in just in time—he had raised his rifle, using it to hold her back. But now, Jinx was straddling him, her hands pressing down on the weapon, forcing the barrel closer to his throat.

Vorn struggled to get a clear shot, the girl moving too fast for him to aim properly. Finally, he pulled the trigger. The harpoon shot forward, slicing through the air toward the chaotic struggle.

Seeing the sharp projectile hurtling toward them, the young man summoned what little strength he had left and lifted his weapon, using it as a shield. The force of it shoved Jinx aside, just enough for her to avoid the deadly strike. The harpoon's tip struck the center of his gun, splintering metal and wood, but not before grazing Jinx's arm. She let out a sharp cry of pain, her grip loosening on the rifle.

Snarling, she spun toward the harpooner. Her pistol was in her hands in an instant. A single shot rang out, hitting the chamber of Vorn's weapon. The explosion tore through the mechanism, snapping the rope that tethered the dart to the harpoon. Vorn's face fell as he realized the damage.

Jinx turned back, expecting to see Caitlyn. But instead, a young man lay on the ground, his eyes wide with fear. That gaze—she knew it. The same look Isha had worn. And now, as she stared at him, his face twisted, blurred—one moment that stranger, the next Isha. Her mind was unraveling, distorting reality until it made her dizzy. The world tilted. Then, everything went black.

When she woke up, her mind was finally quiet. The young man was still there, sitting on some crates beside her. He seemed about the same age, thin but not particularly tall. His gaze was soft, and he didn't have a beard. His hair was light blonde with ginger highlights, cut short and a bit messy. His large green eyes met hers.

Jinx sat up slowly, still a little dazed, and looked around.

"They left," he said, his voice almost giddy. "You gave them one hell of a beating! You should've seen Vorn's face when you hit his harpoon." He sounded like a kid who had just witnessed his first big fight, eyes wide with excitement and disbelief.

She wasn't really listening, her attention solely on the gun in his hand.

"So you came here pretending to help only to steal my gun?" she asked.

"I didn't steal your gun," he replied, his expression almost comically defensive.

"Then why is it in your hand?"

"Mine broke when I saved you, if you don't remember. I took yours as compensation."

Jinx's laugh was bitter, cutting through the tension. "You saved me?" Her voice was sharp, her anger building, like a storm gathering strength. "I didn't ask to be saved."

"I just wanted to help!"

The words hit her like a slap, echoing in her mind, pulling her back to that moment after the explosion that took Clagger, Mylo, and Vander. That moment when everything had broken, when everything had fallen apart.

"You should've stayed away," she muttered, her voice softening, as the weight of the memory washed over her. "I'm a Jinx," she added, as if the name itself should explain everything—why she was dangerous, why she was a ticking time bomb.

"Why did you attack me?"

"I mistook you for someone else."

"Gosh, I don't want to be one of your enemies." The words were light, but there was an edge of tension in them.

"Why did you help me?"

"To give meaning to my existence." He spoke so casually, as if the answer was simple. "By the way, my name's Ezra, but you can call me Ez," he said, offering a hand to help her up. "You're gonna get into big trouble. Vorn's gonna be so mad you broke his favorite toy."

Jinx couldn't help but scoff, pushing herself up on her elbows. "I'm not the kind of person who gets into trouble… trouble comes with me." Her words were filled with a dark confidence.

"Yeah, but still, we should leave before they come back."

"We?" She turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "There is no we."

"There is a 'we' as long as my gun is broken. I don't want yours; I just want to get mine fixed. You owe me that."

"I owe you nothing. You came, you wanted to play hero, you lost. That's it."

Ezra's grin was unshaken, almost like he was enjoying the game too much. "Then I'll keep your gun."

Tension built inside Jinx. Her gaze darkened, and her eyes flared bright pink. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you, but you better give me my pistol back, or I will come and get it."

Ezra's grin only widened, the mischievous glint in his eyes sparking something dangerous inside her. "I'm waiting for you." His voice was playful, as if this entire confrontation was some kind of twisted game to him.

It was enough to push Jinx over the edge. Who was this boy? He was playing with fire, but now he was going to get burned. Shimmer rushed through her veins like adrenaline. But as she got closer, she froze, feeling a sharp electric current running through her body. She wanted to scream, but couldn't; her muscles were locked in place. When the current stopped, she collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"So, I keep the gun?" he said, smirking.

Jinx's mind was still reeling from what had just happened.

"I don't know what kind of chemicals run through your veins," Ezra continued, his voice laced with amusement, "but for a second there, I thought my device wouldn't have been powerful enough. Usually, people stop breathing at level five, but you went to seven. That's impressive."

Jinx's chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. "What did you do to me?" she gasped, her voice weak but, but edged with suspicion.

"Me? Nothing. But this little device attached to your wrist is fantastic." Ezra's tone was practically affectionate, as though he were talking about a new toy. "So far, I haven't found anything that stands up to it. My father invented it for prisoners. Isn't that wonderful?"

Jinx could barely process his words, her mind still in a haze from the shock. "And what are you gonna do now?"

Ezra shrugged, his grin never faltering. "As I told you, I'm getting my gun fixed. Then I'll let you go. I'm not a monster!"