Ethan, standing above her with his arms crossed, smirked. "What's wrong, Fairchild?
Thought you had more in you."
Evelyn glared at him, too sore to shoot back a proper retort. "I swear… if you make one more
smug remark…"
Ethan chuckled, crouching down next to her. "You did well for a beginner. But you're not
done yet."
Evelyn let out a dramatic groan. "Kill me now."
Ethan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if about to share some profound secret. "You
know," he said, "when we truly master Ultra Spirit Form, we can't even train on Earth
anymore."
Evelyn lifted her head weakly. "What?"
He smirked. "Too dangerous. The energy output is enough to tear continents apart. We'll
have to train in outer space."
Evelyn blinked. "You're joking."
Ethan shrugged. "Am I?"
She dropped her head back down onto the mat. "I hate this."
Ethan stood up and stretched. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, get up."
Evelyn groaned. "No."
Ethan raised a brow. "You sure? I was going to take you out for food, but if you'd rather—"
Evelyn was on her feet before he could finish the sentence.
The night air was cool as Ethan maneuvered the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento through the
city streets, weaving effortlessly through traffic. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, arms
folded, still slightly annoyed at how easily he had convinced her.
"You always bribe people with food?" she asked.
Ethan smirked. "It works, doesn't it?"
Evelyn huffed but didn't deny it.
As they neared a towering glass-fronted restaurant, Ethan's grip on the wheel tightened. He
exhaled slowly.
Evelyn, thanks to their strange bond, caught a flicker of hesitation in his mind. She turned to
him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately. He parked the car and stared at the elegant building for a
moment before muttering, "My father owns this place."
Evelyn raised a brow. "And that's a problem because…?"
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not. Just… don't make a big deal out of
it."
As soon as they stepped out, a sharply dressed doorman greeted them. "Welcome back,
Master Ethan."
Ethan's expression twitched with annoyance. "Yeah, yeah."
Evelyn glanced at him. "I thought you said not to make a big deal."
Ethan shot her a look. "I don't. They do."
They were led inside to a semi-private section of the restaurant. Two luxurious seats were
waiting—ones that, according to Ethan, were always reserved for his family. Evelyn took hers,
glancing around. "I have to admit… it's fancy."
Ethan leaned back in his chair, rolling his shoulders. "Wouldn't be surprised if my father's
spies are watching. He always has people reporting back to him."
Evelyn frowned. "That's… unsettling."
Ethan shrugged. "Welcome to my life."
They placed their orders, and for a while, a comfortable silence settled between them. But
then, naturally, the conversation shifted.
"So," Evelyn said, sipping her water, "I still don't know much about you."
Ethan smirked. "Not much to know."
Evelyn raised a skeptical brow. "Says the rich martial artist with superpowers."
Ethan chuckled. "Fair." He paused for a moment, then added, "I used to fight underground
matches, you know. Before all this."
Evelyn blinked. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. Illegal tournaments, backroom deals. My father didn't approve, obviously, but he
never stopped me either."
Evelyn studied him. "Why'd you do it?"
Ethan twirled his fork between his fingers. "Felt like I had something to prove."
"To him?"
Ethan hesitated before shrugging. "Maybe."
Evelyn tapped a finger against the table. "Still, I didn't expect you to be the type to enjoy
being beaten to a pulp for fun."
Ethan smirked. "Who said I ever got beaten?"
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Of course."
A playful silence stretched between them, until Ethan suddenly said, completely deadpan,
"By the way, I'm gay."
Evelyn, mid-sip, choked on her drink. "You—what?"
Ethan fought back a grin as she coughed, flustered.
"I—I mean, not that I care! That's completely fine, but I just didn't—"
Ethan laughed, shaking his head. "Relax, I'm messing with you."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "You're insufferable."
Before she could stop herself, she instinctively sent a small pulse of attraction energy
toward him. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to make Ethan wince slightly.
He rubbed his chest. "Ow."
Evelyn smirked. "Oops."
Their laughter faded into a comfortable quiet. But then, Evelyn made the mistake of asking,
"What about your mother?"
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
Ethan's smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, unreadable expression. His fingers tightened
slightly around the glass in his hand.
Evelyn immediately sensed the change, both in the air and through their connection.
"Ethan—"
Without a word, Ethan stood up.
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
He didn't say anything. He simply turned and left, walking straight out of the restaurant,
heading for his car.
Evelyn sat frozen, watching as the Lamborghini's engine roared to life.
And then, just like that, he was gone.
Later that night, Evelyn lay on her bed, her laptop open in front of her. The conversation still
played in her mind, over and over.
Why did he react that way?
A soft chime interrupted her thoughts. A video call.
She clicked it, and her father's face appeared on the screen.
"Hello, sweetheart," he greeted warmly. "How's New York treating you?"
Evelyn forced a smile. "It's… been interesting."
Her father frowned slightly. "Everything alright?"
Evelyn hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just a long day."
"Are you making friends?"
Evelyn thought about Ethan. Thought about the way he had just walked out.
She sighed. "Something like that."
Before her father could press further, another call came through.
Clara.
Evelyn switched over, her best friend's familiar face lighting up the screen.
"Evelyyyyyyyn!" Clara practically sang. "How's the big city?"
Evelyn smiled. "Loud."
Clara laughed. "I bet. More importantly—met any cute boys yet?"
Evelyn blinked, Ethan's face flashing in her mind for just a second. She quickly shook the
thought away. "Not really."
Clara pouted. "Lame."
Evelyn exhaled. "I don't know, Clara. It's been… weird."
Clara leaned in. "Spill."
Evelyn hesitated. But she found herself saying, "I met someone. He's… different."
Clara's eyes gleamed. "Oooooh. Tell me everything."
Evelyn glanced toward her window, where the city lights flickered outside.
She had a feeling this was just the beginning.