Back at the villa, Noah Vale closed his book with a quiet snap.
He'd spent the entire day reading.
Which, for someone like him, was almost an experiment.
No shortcuts. No accelerated cognition. Just… turning pages like a normal person.
It had been relaxing.
But now?
Not so much.
A familiar restlessness crept in.
Noah stretched, rolling his shoulders slightly as he stood.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's not overdo the whole 'peaceful existence' thing."
The house was empty. Camilla and the others were off living their lives.
Which meant—
He'd have to entertain himself.
Noah stepped toward the window, then simply… disappeared.
A moment later, he stood atop a distant building.
His gaze swept across the city.
From above, New York was a living map—every movement, every presence laid bare to him.
And then he saw her.
A lone figure on another rooftop.
Laptop open. Focused.
Interesting.
Noah smiled faintly.
"Guess it's your lucky day."
He stepped forward.
Space folded.
And suddenly—
He was behind her.
The girl didn't notice.
Not yet.
Noah glanced at the screen.
Search results.
Articles.
Analysis.
All centered around one thing.
Him.
He chuckled softly.
"Doing homework on me?" he said. "You picked the boring stuff."
Before she could react—
He moved.
An arm slipped around her, pulling her back slightly.
Too fast.
Too close.
Her body tensed instantly.
Then—
Something unexpected.
Noah paused.
Just for a fraction of a second.
"…Huh."
That wasn't what he expected.
His expression shifted, curiosity flickering through his eyes.
Different.
Very different.
In that split second, his mind ran the numbers automatically.
Conclusion?
Not the same person.
"…Well," he murmured, almost amused. "That's new."
The girl reacted.
Fast.
An elbow shot back toward his chest—sharp, precise, meant to break distance.
Noah leaned away effortlessly, avoiding the strike by inches.
At the same time, his hand moved.
A quick motion—
And the hood came off.
Blonde hair spilled free.
Sharp features. Clear eyes.
Familiar.
But not quite.
The girl spun around, fury blazing.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Noah didn't answer immediately.
He studied her instead.
Then, calmly:
"You should be grateful."
She blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
Noah's tone didn't change.
"You're still alive because you passed the first test."
A pause.
"If I didn't like what I saw, you'd already be a corpse."
Silence.
For a moment, the girl just stared at him.
Then her expression twisted.
"Are you serious right now?"
Noah shrugged slightly.
"That's how it works."
The casual arrogance in his voice was almost surreal.
Like he wasn't even trying to justify it.
Just stating a fact.
He stepped closer.
"Name," he said. "Identity. Why you're here."
The girl clenched her fists.
Every instinct screamed at her to fight.
But something deeper—something sharper—held her back.
Because she could feel it.
The gap between them.
It wasn't small.
It wasn't even measurable.
"I'm Gwen," she said finally, voice tight. "And yeah—you're exactly as bad as the rumors say."
Noah's expression didn't change.
"I've heard worse."
She glared at him.
"You think you can just do whatever you want?"
"Yes," Noah said simply.
A beat.
"Because I can."
The words landed with quiet finality.
No bravado.
No exaggeration.
Just certainty.
Gwen exhaled sharply.
"That's not power," she snapped. "That's tyranny."
Noah tilted his head slightly.
"No," he said. "That's control."
He studied her for a moment longer.
Then added, more thoughtfully:
"You're not from here."
Gwen froze.
Just for a second.
That was enough.
She stepped back instinctively.
Not to attack.
To create distance.
To escape.
Noah noticed.
"Running already?" he said.
He lifted a finger.
A flick.
That was all.
Far in the distance—
A structure under construction shuddered.
Then—
A clean, circular hole tore straight through it.
Perfect edges.
No debris.
Just… absence.
Gwen turned her head slowly, staring at the impossible sight.
Her pulse spiked.
That wasn't power.
That was precision destruction on a level she couldn't even process.
"…You've got to be kidding me," she whispered.
Noah flexed his hand slightly.
"Missed a little," he said. "Next one won't."
He stepped closer again.
Close enough that she could feel the pressure in the air shift.
"If you don't talk," he continued, "I'll just have someone pull the answers out of your head."
A pause.
"And after that? Who knows."
His gaze lingered on her.
"You might not enjoy the possibilities."
Gwen swallowed.
Hard.
Every option in front of her collapsed.
Fight?
Pointless.
Run?
Impossible.
Even—
Her wrist.
The device.
Gone.
She looked up just in time to see it vanish into a small, shimmering portal behind Noah.
No way out.
No backup.
No safety net.
Noah's voice came again, softer this time.
"You're out of moves."
A beat.
"You can try ending things yourself," he added casually. "But I'm faster."
Gwen closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them.
The anger was still there.
But now, it was tempered.
Controlled.
"I get it," she said quietly.
She exhaled.
"I'll cooperate."